The 2009/2010 English Premier League fixtures list was announced earlier today.

The Premier League kicks off on Saturday, 15th August 2009 with Tottenham taking on Liverpool at White Hart Lane and Everton hosting Arsenal the pick of the fixtures on the opening weekend. The biggest game of the opening month will surely be Manchester United v Arsenal at Old Trafford on 29th August.

The fixture list will change during the course of the season as cup games (FA, Carling, Champions League and Europa League) and internationals take their toll on a congested season which is due to end a week early to accommodate the 2010 World Cup.

You can see the full list of Premier League fixtures here or select your club from this list to see fixtures for just your team.

“09-10 premier league Fixtures” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

In a summer bereft of football, the release of fixture lists this week provide some form of respite for fans starved of action. Away trips are plotted, long weekends at some of the more far-flung fixtures are planned, and best mates are pleaded with not to hold their wedding on a certain date as it clashes with “the big one”.

But among all this, select fans from League One teams will also be studying the Conference fixture list, specifically AFC Wimbledon’s home games. This isn’t to do with loyalty to the London team, per se, but there are plenty of supporters who will object to visiting the MK Dons and will choose to visit Kingsmeadow when their team is away at the Stadium M:K.

Even though it’s now been seven years since the FA gave permission for Wimbledon FC to be moved to Milton Keynes, many fans still remain angry at the so-called franchising of the Dons and have never accepted the Pete Winkleman-owned vehicle.

But to observers from countries such as USA and Austrlia, where franchising is the norm, the fuss over one team (and not even a large team at that) relocating must seem somewhat confusing.

Not the first, maybe not the last

The MK Dons aren’t the first team to have upped sticks and moved in search of more money. The majority of teams who do this are often at non-league level, usually merging two teams to create an artificial club, as opposed to moving the club elsewhere. Rushden and Diamonds, Hayes and Yeading, and Dagenham and Redbridge (who themselves came from Redbridge Forest, another merged side) have all done this in the past.

But the actual uprooting of a club from one part of the country to another is still rare and, before the Dons, the most high profile move came back in 1913. Woolwich Arsenal from Plumstead were moved from south east London up north to Highbury, right by the tube station, and simply renamed The Arsenal.

At the heart of all this was, even back then, money. The club’s chairman, Henry Norris, also owned Fulham and had originally attempted to merge the two clubs. When that failed, Norris identified prime space in the capital in which to establish a football club and, despite protests from fans at the time, Arsenal moved north. The rest, as they say, is history.

Given that Arsenal were so successful in their relocation, it is fair enough to ask why more clubs didn’t simply move to a more profitable and accepting area if they were struggling for money.

The importance of community

First of all, it’s worth noting that Arsenal’s success didn’t just come about because of the relocation, although this did play a large part in their subsequent growth. Arguably, Norris’ feat of talking Arsenal into the First Division in 1915 had as much to do with fast-tracking them on the way to where they are today.

That year, Arsenal had finished 5th but, for no good reason and with more than a suggestion of dodgy dealing, were promoted at the expense of Wolves and Barnsley, both of whom finished above the Gunners. Norris, somehow, talked Arsenal into the top division.

But the idea that teams can be traded between cities, like players move between clubs, is one completely alien to the English game. Franchising just doesn’t enter the English mentality of football.

Many teams were started as works teams. Woolwich Arsenal was formed by workers at the munitions factory. Newton Heath (later to become Manchester United) was formed by workers on Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways. It doesn’t take a genius to guess at the origin of Horwich Railway Mechanics Institute, another team who relocated (to Leigh) in the belief it would help the club.

If it wasn’t workers looking for a kickabout, then often the church played a large part in forming teams. Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City and Bolton, among others, were all formed around or by local churches. You wonder what the founders would have made of what the clubs have become today.

The majority of the clubs, then, were so rooted in their communities that it seemed inexpedient to move them to elsewhere. Even with some of the smaller league (and indeed non-league clubs) football was inextricably linked with the community. When the team was doing well, it often coincided with an upturn in the fortunes of the rest of the area.

Even in a short time the history and identity of the football club became interwoven with the history of the area. Rivalries were established, and football teams became badges of regionalistic pride. Liverpool v Manchester United, Swansea v Cardiff, Newcastle v Sunderland, even Exeter v Plymouth were all caught up in something that went beyond football. Franchising these teams and taking away the cultural identity would be unthinkable.

MK Dons mark 2

This may be a slightly simplistic way of explaining why franchising is so contrary to the principles of English football. The length of history and community roots means it would be seen as an abomination if somebody tried to uproot, say, Southampton to a place without a league club such as Cornwall.

It’s also why the football community reacted so strong to Wimbledon’s relocation. The Dons may not have been pulling in the same sort of crowds as other London Premier League clubs, but they had plenty of history, including their rise from non-league to FA Cup winners.

Moving the club to Milton Keynes left 3,000 displaced fans and, ever since the formation of AFC Wimbledon, both teams have argued that they have the rightful claim to the old Wimbledon’s history and trophies (although both, strictly speaking, are new teams).

There’s also a feeling that teams who are ‘franchised’ and take over a team’s league position are interlopers who haven’t earned the right to play at such a level.

It’s why the spectre of Methyr Tydfil moving to Bridgend was met with horror from both Methyr’s fans and the wider footballing community.

Owner Wyn Holloway, who’d taken the club to the brink of liquidation, raised the spectre of the club moving from the valleys to the Welsh town as he looked to offload the club. It wasn’t just the club that was for sale – it was the Martyrs entire place in the football pyramid.

Although Bridgend were in the League of Wales, Methyr, in the Southern Premier, would have been an interesting and attractive proposition for any side looking to break into the Conference or the League. Thankfully, the scheme came to nothing and the authorities appeared lukewarm at best to the idea.

Holloway and Bridgend are unlikely to be the last to try and relocate a club away from its spiritual home, as owners or ambitious businessmen look to do a quick one. Thankfully, the footballing authorities seem reluctant to view the Wimbledon situation as anything other than a one-off at this current point in time, although that’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.

Made in America

This all may come across as a criticism of the current American model of football. It isn’t meant to be. Indeed, if the MLS had tried to replicate the way English football was born, it would have probably died an unlamanted death a long time ago.

If you’re looking to establish a major football league in a country that hasn’t previously been known for its love of the game the franchise method is, at the moment, quite possibly the best way to go about it, as both the States and Australia’s A League are currently showing. It also makes more sense to implement a system that’s closer to what the public are used to with other sports.

And as the game grows and the clubs develop their own history, rivalries and even places in the community then that attachment to an area grows – just look at the current situation with DC United.

The MLS side are having issues over their stadium, raising the spectre that one of the MLS’ best-known teams could be forced to move, or franchised to another city. DC United fans, along with bloggers, are campaigning to keep the club in the capital.

There’s nothing wrong with franchising done in the right time and place. But that time and place isn’t the English game. Moving a club from its roots still feels wrong, and no matter how many years pass, AFC Wimbledon will no doubt continue to get “away” fans partaking in their own small ongoing personal protest against the creation of the MK Dons.

“Football “Franchises” – Right or Wrong?” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

The other shoe has finally dropped.

Real Madrid have put up nine players for sale, including their whole Dutch contingent. Joining Heinze, Saviola and Mahamadou Diarra on the transfer list are Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rosten Drenthe, Rafael Van der Vaart and perhaps most surprisingly, the young trio of Arjen Robben, Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Wesley Sneijder.

According to Sid Lowe, Real Madrid have faxed a list of players for sale to several Premier League clubs and are desperately looking to reduce their wage bill, reduce the number of non-Spanish players in the squad and to bring in funds to supplement their transfer strategy. Robben, Huntelaar and Sneijder are all expected to net Madrid handsome transfer revenue, even if they are unlikely to recover the full amount spent on these players.

After spending nearly £150m on Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka in the space of 7 days, a massive deal already planned for David Villa (£40m) and with Madrid still needing a central defender, left back and central midfielder, Perez is, in his own words, condensing a 3-year plan into 1 year. If the past is any indication, Perez will not only bring more Galaticos to Real Madrid this summer but he will also load the club under massive debt and clear out the squad to make space for his Galacticos.

According to Sid, Madrid remain determined to sell players, even if they do not recuperate their original fees, and would also consider loans. Together, Sneijder, Drenthe, Robben and Van Nistelrooy account for almost 10m a year in wages, while Diarra is on 2.8m, Saviola 2.5m and Heinze 2m. So effectively speaking getting these 7 players out makes way for Ronaldo and Kaka at the club. The price one must pay for making the same mistakes twice.

I expect Manchester United to consider a bid for Huntelaar, Sneijder and possibly Mahamadou Diarra, considering that they were interested in signing Diarra at one point and both Sneijder and Huntelaar will add quality in the right areas at the club.

Then again, when it comes to Huntelaar, Robben, Diarra and Sneijder, they will have no shortage of suitors this summer, and you can expect Liverpool and Chelsea to be in the mix as well, not to mention Tottenham and Manchester City.

Fans of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Everton and even Portsmouth (if the takeover goes through before Madrid sells all the players) – who do you think your club will sign from Real Madrid?

“Real Madrid Firesale: Sneijder, Huntelaar, Robben, Diarra, Van der Vaart and Ruud for sale” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

We’re already in the middle of June, and though the signings haven’t been coming hard and fast just yet, that doesn’t mean that there’s a shortage of action thus far in the summer transfer window.

In this morning’s transfer news and rumors roundup, we’ve got tidbits from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Greece, with many big names and big clubs looking to spend, spend, spend. Some of the rumors are pretty concrete, while there is at least one in the bunch that, like Manchester United being linked with a move for Fernando Torres, are a little head-scratching, to say the least.

There are also a couple of signings to report, and remember, to keep up with all of the latest confirmed signings, check out our summer 2009 transfer lists.

England

Manchester United After Valencia Stars

There has been a great deal of speculation over the last few days about what Manchester United are going to do with the money they get from selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, and it could be that a sizable chunk of those funds go towards signing Valencia stars David Villa and David Silva.

United are reportedly set to make a £45m bid for Villa (The Mirror). The competition could wide open between United, Barcelona (Sky Sports), and Chelsea for Villa, as his potential move to Real Madrid appears to have broken down (Daily Mail).

Meanwhile. Rafa Benitez might not like hearing about United making a concerted effort to land Silva, as the winger has been a target for Benitez for a while now but could be the subject of a £25m bid from United. (The Mirror)

Analysis: £25m looks to certainly be enough to land Silva, but even though they could outbid Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea for Villa, they could be out of luck if Villa prefers the chance to stay in Spain. Of course, if Barcelona land Villa, that’d all but free up the opportunity for a United move for Samuel Eto’o.

United and Boro In Downing Swap Deal?

Middlesbrough are heavily interested in Manchester United duo Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, and there are reports that they could offer Stewart Downing to United to try to make a deal happen. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Both Scholes and Neville could be reluctant for such a move, but even so, it’d seem like United would come out a lot better in this deal, especially if they didn’t have to spend much of that sizable transfer kitty on purchasing Downing.

Costa On Shortlist To Replace Ronaldo?

Along with the moves mentioned above, United could be set to swoop for Gremio starlet Douglas Costa. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Brazil’s becoming more and more of a hotspot for United, and signing a prospect of Costa’s ability and potential would be worth the fee United may have to stump up. He’s only 18, so he’s more one for the future and wouldn’t be expected to step in and star right away. But as Ronaldo did when he arrived at United, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him earn first-team opportunities immediately.

Bolton Lead Race For Veloso?

Bolton are back in for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso, and after refusing to overbid for Veloso in January, could be in with a £10.2m offer for the 23-year-old, who’s also been linked with Arsenal. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: £10.2m is still a little lower than Sporting might like to get for Veloso, but it could be a sign that Bolton are willing to fork out a little more in order to land him.

Bentley And Huddlestone To Sign For Villa?

It could only be a matter of time before Aston Villa seal the deal on a couple of new signings, as there are reports that they are close on Tottenham pair David Bentley (Goal.com) and Tom Huddlestone (Birmingham Mail).

Analysis: Considering their interest in Bentley, Huddlestone, and Jermaine Jenas, I’m surprised they haven’t been strongly linked with Darren Bent or Roman Pavlyuchenko, considering a forward should also be on their summer wishlist.

Several Sides Interested In Newcastle’s Martins

Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Everton are all interested in Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins (Tribal Football), but they could face competition from a mystery Bundesliga club (Tribal Football).

Analysis: Everton would be a great fit, considering the familiar faces that would await, but wages would likely be a stumbling block, and that could also be the case with Aston Villa. No telling what the situation could be with the Bundesliga club, but Arsenal may well be the best match financially – but that could all hinge on whether or not they sell Emmanuel Adebayor.

Fulham And West Ham Interested In Acquafresca

It’s a London battle for young Italian striker Robert Acquafresca, as Fulham and West Ham are both interested in the 21-year-old. Acquafresca was supposed to go to Genoa as part of the deal that brought Diego Milito and Thiago Motta to Inter, but he could yet move elsewhere, with even Juventus being linked with a move. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: I don’t have any doubts that Acquafresca could succeed in the Premier League, but if Juventus come in for him, that might be an opportunity that’s too hard to pass up.

Sunderland Bid For Cattermole

Sunderland have made a £7m bid for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Well they sure aren’t sitting on their money, are they? That’s certainly a tempting offer for Wigan, considering it’s double what they paid for Cattermole just last summer. I don’t know if Wigan will offload him right now though, unless he’s just that eager to be reunited with Steve Bruce. If someone’s willing to pay 7m for him right now, they could be in line to get a lot more if he continues to develop well over the next season or two. Besides, the sale of Antonio Valencia will net a nice amount of transfer funds for Roberto Martinez.

Wolves Sign Milijas

Wolves have completed the signing of Red Star Belgrade midfielder Nenad Milijas. (The Guardian)

Analysis: For a little while, the deal looked to be in some doubt, but in the end, Wolves fought off some pretty good competition to land the free-scoring midfielder.

Birmingham Bid For Gomez

Birmingham have made a £1.5m offer to Espanyol for midfielder Jordi Gomez, who starred on loan for Swansea last season. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: With Roberto Martinez set to complete his move from Swansea to Wigan anytime now, Birmingham could face some competition from Wigan for Gomez, so it might be in Birmingham’s best interests to try to get him signed, sealed, and delivered as soon as possible.

Spain

Real Madrid Offer Sneijder For Inter’s Maicon

Real Madrid could be set to offer Inter Milan €20m plus attacker Wesley Sneijder in a bid for right back Maicon. (Goal.com)

Analysis: Sounds like a reasonable deal. Sneijder’s someone that has been linked with Inter, and €20m + Sneijder would meet the €40m asking price that Inter have for Maicon.

Italy

AC Milan Sign Cissokho

AC Milan have completed the signing of Porto defender Aly Cissokho for €15m. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: This time last summer, Cissokho had just made the jump from France’s Ligue 2 to Portugal, joining Vitoria du Setubal, and now, he’s signed for AC Milan. Talk about a quick rise!

Inter Closing In On Double Swoop

Jose Mourinho could be close to being reunited with Deco and Ricardo Carvalho, as Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti spoke hopefully about being able to agree a deal with Chelsea for the duo. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Seems to be only a formality, really.

Juventus To Swap Trezeguet For Rossi?

Juventus are prepared to offer striker David Trezeguet as part of a swap deal for Villarreal star Giuseppe Rossi. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: £15m + Trezeguet would fall a little short of Rossi’s buyout clause of £40m, but it could get Villarreal to bite, or at least think seriously about the offer. Trezeguet might turn down the chance though, considering the interest that he’s had from the likes of Inter, Real Madrid, and others.

Lazio In Talks For Barnetta

Lazio are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a move for Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Barnetta’s valuation is reportedly €10m, but even though Lazio don’t exactly have the room to break the bank on summer purchases, it shouldn’t be a problem to spend the right amount on a player who’s certainly worth it.

Germany

Wolfsburg Want Berbatov?

In one of the more interesting transfer rumors of the day, Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is being linked with a loan move to VfL Wolfsburg. (Sofia Echo)

Analysis: Though things didn’t exactly go completely swimmingly at United last season, Berbatov’s not going anywhere.

Stuttgart Interested In Tottenham Striker

VfB Stuttgart could be targeting Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. According to Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt, the Russian striker has come up in discussions within the club. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: After selling Mario Gomez to Bayern Munich for €30m, Stuttgart have money to spend and a big void to fill up front. Replicating Gomez’s 33-goal output from this past season might be a little much to ask, but Pavlyuchenko does have the quality to succeed in the Bundesliga, even though his struggles at Tottenham last season might convince some otherwise.

France

Shevchenko Offered To French Trio

Chelsea have offered striker Andriy Shevchenko to Lyon, Marseille, and Monaco. Lyon have turned down the opportunity to sign the Ukrainian, but Marseille and Monaco are still considering the chance to snap him up. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Safe to say then that Sheva doesn’t have a future at Chelsea, eh?

Coupet To Sign For PSG

Former Lyon goalkeeper Gregory Coupet could be set for a quick return to Ligue 1, as he has agreed personal terms over a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Coupet moved from Lyon to Atletico Madrid last summer, but after seeing little time last season, will be back on familiar soil if a fee can be agreed. (Goal.com)

Analysis: With current #1 Mickael Landreau looking to leave, PSG needed to swoop for a quality replacement, and Coupet, with his long history of success with Lyon, certainly fits the bill.

Greece

Panathinaikos Close On Drenthe?

Panathinaikos are going all out in their efforts to sign Real Madrid’s Royston Drenthe, as they could offer £11m in order to land the versatile Dutchman. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: That’s about the same amount Real spent to sign Drenthe from Feyenoord in the summer of 2007, so I don’t see them turning down an offer of that amount. Drenthe hasn’t exactly blossomed at Real, and he wouldn’t appear to have much of a future there, so the only holdup might be whether or not he wants to move to Greece or to a more elite league.

“Transfer Rumors (15 June 09): Man United after Valencia stars Villa and Silva, Aston Villa close on Tottenham duo, Berbatov and Pavlyuchenko linked with Bundesliga moves, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

On episode twelve of the footballlens Podcast, Stephen Darwin is joined by the founder of EPL Talk, Chris Harris to discuss the final day of the Premier League and of course that intriguing relegation scrap.

The show will be looking specifically at Manchester United and their unprecedented success, Newcastle’s woeful season, the future for Wenger and Arsenal, the remarkable work of Roy Hodgson at Fulham and Chris also offers his tips for the drop.Among the points of discussion raised with Chris Harris were:

• What Benitez must do to catch Ferguson
• Emmanuel Adebayor and his value to Arsenal
• Aston Villa, Everton and the Europa League
• Tottenham’s chances of a ‘big four’ invasion
• The promoted Championship clubs and their chances of survival
• Plus more on top of that!

Show Details
Date: Friday 22nd May 2009
Host: Stephen Darwin
Guest: Chris Harris

You can listen to the show below:
Download link (mp3, 28mb, 30 mins)

Subscribe to the footballlens Podcast

You can subscribe via iTunes or directly to the podcast feed.

Remember to leave your feedback on the show in the comments section underneath this post or alternatively e-mail the show at: podcast@footballlens.com. If you want to make your views heard on the podcast, make sure you email us at the above email address.

“footballlens Podcast – Survival Sunday, Manchester United’s banner season, Wenger’s future at Arsenal and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

We’ve got a laundry list of transfer news and rumors in today’s roundup, from England, Scotland, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France. Who’s being linked with big (and small) moves for names from here and there? It’s worth noting that Steve McClaren might not be too happy of a man if he read today’s roundup. With that little hint, why don’t we get to the good stuff?

England

Liverpool Bid for Portsmouth’s Johnson

Liverpool have made a £15m bid for Portsmouth defender Glen Johnson. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: £15m is a lot higher than the prices that have been previously mentioned with Johnson, but Portsmouth certainly won’t be complaining if they do get that for him, given their financial situation.

Arsenal and Manchester City to Battle for Everton’s Yobo?

Everton defender Joseph Yobo has turned down a new contract, which could see Arsenal and Manchester City step up their interest in the Nigerian. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: He may not be a regular starter at Arsenal, but I see him as a great fit there. Not only could he help provide some depth at left back, but in the center, he could see some regular time depending on who Arsenal sign in the summer and what they do with William Gallas and Kolo Toure.

Scotland

Celtic Target Everton’s Moyes As Next Manager?

Celtic could be targeting Everton manager David Moyes if Gordon Strachan elects to leave his post after the Scottish Premier League season ends this weekend. (The Mirror)

Analysis: As a Glasgow native and a former Celtic player, it would no doubt be a huge honor for Moyes to manage Celtic. Besides that, he’s almost virtually assured of Champions League football every year, and though the transfer budget isn’t massive, there are few better managers that know how to work within monetary bounds than Moyes. However, it all depends on if he feels that he’s taken Everton as far as he can, and whether or not he thinks that Celtic are a lateral move or a step up.

Spain

Real Madrid to Offer 23m for Liverpool’s Alonso

Real Madrid are set to tempt Liverpool with a £23m bid for star midfielder Xabi Alonso. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Liverpool are going to be spending big in the summer, and they might have to make a few sales to do so, but Alonso won’t (or at least he shouldn’t) be one of those who are offloaded.

Valencia Offer Contract to Toulouse’s Mathieu

Valencia have made a four-year contract offer to Toulouse defender Jeremy Mathieu. The French international will be available on a free transfer next month, and he’s also drawn the interest of Roma, Genoa, and Palermo. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Being able to land quality players for free makes for excellent business for Valencia, so being able to secure the services of a top left back like Mathieu would be a huge addition to kick off what should be a busy summer at the Mestalla.

Atletico Madrid Move for Udinese’s D’Agostino

Atletico Madrid have made a £5m bid for Udinese midfielder Gaetano D’Agostino. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: D’Agostino has had a career season in helping Udinese stay within reach of a UEFA Cup slot, and though Atletico Madrid could prove to be an enticing offer if they land a Champions League spot again, he could hold out for a move to Inter, who have also been linked with him.

Italy

Inter Complete Double Deal for Milito and Motta

Inter Milan have completed the signings of Genoa duo Diego Milito and Thiago Motta. In exchange, Genoa are receiving Inter striker Robert Acquafresca and an undisclosed amount of money. (Goal.com)

Analysis: As I said a few days ago, losing Milito and Motta is a big loss for Genoa, but it’s offset by the acquisition of Acquafresca, and they’re also already putting the cash received to good use by getting another solid striker in Atalanta’s Sergio Floccari.

Inter in Talks for Austrian Striker Arnautovic

Inter could be looking to further bolster their front line with FC Twente attacker Marko Arnautovic. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Only natural that they help replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the guy known as the next Ibrahimovic, right? Arnautovic is young (just turned 20), versatile (can play as both a striker and a winger), and like Ibrahimovic, is quite the physical presence at 6′3”.

Sampdoria Defender to Sign with Fiorentina

Sampdoria defender Hugo Campagnaro could be set to sign with Fiorentina in a £4m deal. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Campagnaro has been limited to only 11 Serie A starts this season due to injury issues, but if he can avoid the same at Fiorentina, he’ll help add experience and depth to Fiorentina’s back line as they chase Serie A and Champions League glory next season.

Germany

Bayern Munich in Pole Position for Twente Star?

Bayern Munich are reportedly leading the queue for FC Twente winger Eljero Elia. The is also garnering interest from several top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: The 22-year-old had a real breakout season in helping Twente secure the runner-up spot in the Eredivisie this season, and though it’s not likely that Steve McClaren will be able to hold on to him through the summer, he will land a good fee for him.

France

Marseille and PSG Battle for Arsenal’s Gallas

Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain are both in the hunt for Arsenal center back William Gallas. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: The chance to link up with former Chelsea teammate Claude Makelele at PSG could be appealing, but I think he would prefer to make a return to his old club Marseille, where he could have Champions League football and a chance to win the Ligue 1 title.

PSG to Bid for Former Liverpool Striker

PSG are set to make an offer for former Liverpool striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle. The Atletico Madrid man is reportedly one of PSG’s top transfer targets for the summer. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Sinama-Pongolle hasn’t exactly justified the €10m fee that Atletico Madrid paid for him last summer after two solid seasons at Recreativo Huelva, but he might not be too quick to return to France, especially if Atletico happen to sell Forlan in the summer.

Daily Links

Top Five Premier League Signings of the Season

Which five Premier League transfer signings have proven to be the best buys of this season?

Premier League Weekend Preview

The final weekend of the Premier League season looms this weekend, and EPLTalk previews all of the action and breaks down which strugglers need to do what to stay up.

16 football Postcards

Looking for some great football postcards? The Offside has compiled a list of some of the best out there.

“Transfer Rumors (21 May 09): Liverpool in 15m bid for Portsmouth defender Johnson, Celtic target Everton’s Moyes as next manager, Bayern Munich lead race for Arsenal target Elia, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

There haven’t been too many Italians that have made that considerably bold step leap of moving from the proverbial comfort zone of Serie A to the Premier League. Although if young Federico Macheda needs any advice on how he may be able to forge a long and fruitful career at Old Trafford then he may be best served having a quick glance at my run down of five of the best (and worst) Italians to have plied their trade in England’s top flight.

Some of the names on this list are remembered with fond memories of success and silverware. These Italians made a difference when they stepped on the pitch. Some of the other names, however, make some supporters cringe to this day. One look at a couple of these names will have some people throwing their hands up in disgust.

It’s time to take a look at the best and worst Italy had to offer the Premier League. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Italian invasion!

Five successful Italians in England

Gianfranco Zola

If you had to compile a list of the foreign players that have changed the face of the Premier League I’m pretty sure this ‘clever little so-and-so’ would rank towards the top of nearly all of your selections.

Zola was Chelsea’s creative spark during the late nineties helping guide the West London club to their first FA Cup triumph in some 27 years.

The diminutive, pocket-rocket playmaker would go on to win another FA Cup in 2000 as well as a UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1998 (Chelsea’s first European trophy since 1971 would you believe) amongst many other personal and team accolades.

Paolo Di Canio

The king of controversy, whether you loved him or despised him, Di Canio certainly made a significant impression in English football.

He may well be most remembered for that now rather infamous push but there was certainly more to Di Canio than petulant behaviour and goaded reactions.

Despite failing to claim any silverware during his time in British football, Di Canio’s goals and bad boy attitude made him an instant hero with West Ham fans and who can forget one of the greatest goals ever scored in the Premier League.

Gianluca Vialli

It’s hard to categorically state that Gianluca Vialli was an overriding success during his playing career in England because at the end of the day, he wasn’t.

This was mainly due to the fact that he rarely saw eye to eye with his then manager Ruud Gullit which was a shame as Vialli definitely possessed the ability to warrant more playing time in Chelsea blue.

Although I am going to tepidly place him in this category purely because when he was selected, he rarely failed to disappoint. As well as winning the FA Cup in his first season with the Blues (including two goals in the 4-2 comeback victory over Liverpool), Vialli scored 40 goals for Chelsea and went on to do a pretty decent job as manager of the club too.

Fabrizio Ravanelli

Don’t tell me you’ve never done it? You know, the Ravanelli! Park football was never to be the same again after this ‘white feather’ revolutionised signature celebrations with his shirt over head routine.

Ravanelli announced himself in England with a hat-trick on his debut for Middlesbrough against Liverpool in 1996 and despite enduring an ultimately disappointing season of relegation, the silver haired hit man notched up an impressive tally of 31 goals.

The Perugia born striker would go on to join Derby County later in his career and although he managed nine league goals in his first season with the Rams, he couldn’t prevent the club from sliding into the First Division.

Roberto Di Matteo

Another one of Chelsea’s Italian trio who adapted superbly well to his new English surroundings and was one of the main catalysts behind the clubs 1997 and 2000 FA Cup successes.

Di Matteo was the master of the pass and he wasn’t half bad at finding the back of the net from range either. During six years with Chelsea, Di Matteo made 175 appearances for the club, scoring 26 goals and winning six trophies along the way.

The Swiss born midfielder was sadly forced to retire from football in 2002 after failing to recover from a serious triple leg fracture but he’s since shown that he’s something of a dab hand when it comes to the tactics board too!

Five unsuccessful Italians in England

Massimo Taibi

Manchester United fans look away now! Massimo Taibi, the somewhat calamitous Italian goalkeeper will be rather regrettably remembered for his disastrous one year spell with the English giants.

Sir Alex Ferguson splashed out £4 million to bring the Venezia stopper to Old Trafford and despite playing a blinder in his debut against Liverpool, the signs thereafter were pretty ominous.

It would be against Southampton in only his third game in England that Taibi would make his most glaring blunder. A gem for every conceivable football gaffe DVD released ever since as he allowed Matt Le Tissier’s tame 35-yard effort to spill under his body and into the empty net.

Taibi would play only one further game in a Manchester United goalkeeper jersey. A 5-0 defeat to Chelsea which ended United’s 29 game unbeaten run. Need I say anymore?!

Rolando Bianchi

It all looked rather good for Bianchi when he first joined Manchester City. A goal on his debut against West Ham was followed up with a 20-yard strike against Bristol City in the Carling Cup a few games later but his Eastlands career effectively failed to come to life thereafter.

With Sven Goran Eriksson shelling out nearly £9 million to land a player who the season before had been one of the top scorers in Serie A with lowly Reggina, you perhaps would have expected a better return than five goals in 24 games.

Bianchi will blame injuries and a lack of playing time for his failure to adapt, although I’m sorry Rolando but I just don’t think you were quite ready for the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.

Marco Materazzi

You never hear too much about Materazzi’s time on Merseyside. A controversial World Cup winner who went on to become a mainstay in the Inter back four but not before an ill-fated spell with Everton.

Yes back in 1998 a fresh faced Materazzi joined the Toffees for £2.8 million and manager Walter Smith was confident that the Italian had all the credentials to ‘handle the Premiership, no problem.’

32 games and four red cards later and Marco was on a plane back to Italy, never to be seen at Goodison Park again.

Pierluigi Casiraghi

It’s difficult to label Casiraghi as an undisputed flop and failure of English football as, to be fair, he suffered a serious knee ligament injury that ultimately brought an end to his playing career.

One goal in 15 games didn’t exactly represent a prolific goalscoring record for Chelsea and Casiraghi’s luck seemingly ran out in November 1998 when he collided with West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop that would prove to end his days a player.

The now Italy under 21’s gaffer didn’t help his cause at Stamford Bridge when he lashed out at the club for not offering him sufficient support. Although after ten operations, you can’t help but understand his frustrations.

Bernardo Corradi

Although not quite as bad as a Jonathan Woodgate debut, Corradi hardly left City fans with any real room for optimism when in his first competitive match for the Manchester based club he was sent off after 63 minutes.

It would take 13 games before Corradi would find the net for City, a brace against Fulham in fact, but only one further goal would come for the Siena born striker during a pretty horrendous spell with the Eastlands club.

To compel the misery of Manchester City fans, Corradi received his marching orders once again, this time for diving in the derby against Manchester United. Not the best thing to do when you have Stuart Pearce as a boss.

“Italian invasion: Five of the best and worst Italians to ever play in England” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Today’s Mill will not write that in this standfirst

On the outside Sir Alex Ferguson was all smiles, but inside he was surely raging at how his big day had been ruined. And not in an accidental yet hilarious way either. True enough, everyone knew Carlos Tevez was likely to be on his way this summer, but could he not have at least waited until United had enjoyed their title celebrations before he began casting come-hither – or perhaps more accurately ‘let-me-come-thither’ – glances in the direction of Manchester City.

“It will hurt me a lot to leave Manchester United,” sniffed Tevez at the end of United’s draw with Arsenal at the weekend, “but a player knows when he is not part of the team.” Tevez had initially hoped that such words might draw the interest of Liverpool or Chelsea, but neither club is willing to cough up the £26m that Kia Joorbachian is after. By total coincidence, City’s owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan found that exact sum just this morning in the pockets of an old pair of trousers he hadn’t worn for a while.

Chelsea, of course, are busy enough counting out the £22m they intend to pay Carlo Ancelotti over the next four years. Carletto himself is pondering whether it would be bad form to drop Aston Villa a note enquiring as to Ashley Young’s availability before he has even taken up his new post.

Over at Tottenham, Harry Redknapp is anxiously looking forward to his favourite time of year – those precious few weeks in which there are no actual football games to distract him from the transfer market. Harry’s first order of business this summer will be finding buyers for David Bentley and Roman Pavlyuchenko. The latter is said to have drawn interest from Everton; the former will wind up getting flogged back to Blackburn for a fraction of the price Spurs paid for him last summer.

Elsewhere, Arsenal want Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen to plug a hole in their defence, while Birmingham intend to put all of their eggs in a basket marked ‘Anderlecht midfielder Lucas Biglia‘.

]]> http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-ashley-young-to-chelsea/feed/ 0 http://www.latestfootballnews.net/fulham%e2%80%99s-bobby-zamora-sits-down-for-a-chat-with-soccerlens/ http://www.latestfootballnews.net/fulham%e2%80%99s-bobby-zamora-sits-down-for-a-chat-with-soccerlens/#comments Sat, 16 May 2009 20:22:30 +0000 admin http://www.latestfootballnews.net/fulham%e2%80%99s-bobby-zamora-sits-down-for-a-chat-with-soccerlens/

The Fulham striker tells Gary Andrews how Roy Hodgson’s organisation has the Cottagers flying high, and why he’s unconcerned by his lack of goals.

When Fulham head to Newcastle this weekend, casual observers could be forgiven for expressing surprise that the two clubs’ respective positions aren’t reversed. After all, Newcastle were meant to be ushering in a new era under Sam Allardyce at the start of this season, while Fulham had only just escape relegation by the skin of their teeth.

Instead it’s Roy Hodgson’s men who have Europe within their sights after a season that has seen, among other things, the Cottagers outplay Manchester United in the league. It’s a state of affairs that’s surprised their striker Bobby Zamora as much as it has the neutrals.

“At the start of the season, if you’d said to any of us that where we’ll be come the end, I’d have said you were crazy or would have snapped your hand off at the opportunity,” grins the 6ft 1″ striker, clearly relishing being part of this current Fulham side. “But saying that, it’s just the fruits of hard work and organisation.”

Read the footballlens interview with Bobby Zamora, after the jump.

Working his way up through the leagues

That answer sums both Zamora the person and Zamora the player up nicely. Even when put in the spotlight, he’s quick to praise others and modestly talk of the hard work that those around him put it. This may, in part, be down to his experiences in his early years of his career.

As a youngster, Zamora played for the famous East London Senrab boys along with John Terry, Ledley King, Paul Konchesky and Jlloyd Samuel. While his friends went onto establish themselves in Premier League teams, Zamora was released from West Ham, the team he’d supported all his life, and was forced to drop down the divisions, ending up at Bristol Rovers, where he also struggled to establish himself.

A loan spell at non-league Bath City, where he scored eight goals in six games, was followed by another loan spell, this time at Brighton and Hove Albion, then in the fourth tier of English football. Brighton liked the young striker so much the signed him permanently, and he repayed them by scoring 62 goals in 90 appearances to fire the Seagulls to successive promotions.

“It’s been an experience, you know,” he says, when asked if it’s shaped his attitude to the game. “I’ve had to sample every division. I don’t think anybody else in the Premiership has really done that.

“It’s a humbling yet enjoyable route to where I am now, but it truly has been brilliant. I wouldn’t have changed anything.”

Games and goals

It’s this attitude, you suspect, that helps him get through the lean spells in his striking career. When Glenn Hoddle took Zamora to Spurs, he failed to find the net in 16 Premier League appearances. At his beloved West Ham, where he scored the goal that took them to the Championship, but only scored 30 league goals.

This season, Zamora has scored just four times, the last of which was against Swansea in the FA Cup in February. But, typically, the striker, who Brighton manager Micky Adams once said was better than Alan Shearer, takes it in his stride.

“The goals haven’t been coming but, I mean, it’s sort of a different role I have to play really – it’s not all-out attack. When I haven’t got the ball, I’m sitting on the holding centre-midfielder and defending.

“I’m not making excuses but every other part of my game has been good, you know: holding the ball up, bringing people into play, and I think somebody said a stat to me the other day that I was up there in terms of creating chances for other people. If I’m not scoring, I’m setting someone else up or setting someone up for a shot.

“That’s good enough for me and as long as we win, I couldn’t care if it’s one-nil and [Mark] Schwarzer scores from a goal kick. I really couldn’t care. As long as we win and stay in this division, that’s my main goal.”

Zamora, you feel, does has a point. Certainly Roy Hodgson has seen his worth, giving him 32 starts in the Premier League this season, where he’s complemented Andy Johnson nicely. And while a striker’s ultimately judged by the number of goals he’s scored, a good support striker helps the whole team tick and that’s what you suspect Zamora is referring to. After all, Emile Heskey is hardly prolific yet has constantly been in demand, and Zamora acknowledges as much:

“For myself, as a striker, you’re thought to be scoring goals and doing all of that and attacking but I find the way the gaffer wants it, we’re also doing a hell of a lot of defending and working hard and I think that shows in our team performances.”

Hodgson’s choice

The gaffer Zamora is referring to is, of course, Roy Hodgson, who has turned the Cottagers from relegation strugglers to European contenders in a little over twelve months, becoming a hard team to beat in the process. The difference under Hodgson, says Zamora, is the discipline and organisation the former Blackburn and Inter Milan manager has installed in the squad.

“He did a magnificent job at the end of last season, signed a few players but, to be honest, it’s just organisation. I keep saying it and that’s purely what we’ve done.

“We go in to work and pretty much every day is pretty similar, but it shows on the pitch because everybody knows exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

Zamora, of course, has played under many different managers including Ian Holloway, Peter Taylor, Glenn Hoddle, Alans Curbishley and Pardew, and the newly unemployed Steve Coppell, who he describes as quite similar to Hodgson, although asking to compare his current boss to previous managers draws a furrowed brow.

“He’s quite hard to sum up actually. He’s quite quiet, doesn’t really need to shout, because you know exactly where you stand with him, which is good.

“The thing at Fulham is we’re all dedicated, we all want to do well, so in terms of shouting and getting us going, it’s not needed. We all want to do well.”

Europe: The final countdown

The team spirit at Craven Cottage is something Zamora emphasises time and again, and it’s understandable. It’s the same team spirit that has carried Fulham to within touching distance of a Europa League spot and their highest ever finish in the Premier League.

But with Spurs, Manchester City and, of course, West Ham all competing for the 7th place that Fulham currently occupy, Zamora refuses to get carried away from the subject of Europe is mentioned.

“We’ve got two tough games first, you know,” he insists. “We’ve got Newcastle who are fighting for their lives up there and they’ve got sixty-five, seventy thousand people screaming for them – it’s not going to be easy.

Then we’ve got Everton. They’ve have been one of the surprise packages this season, so it’s not going to be easy at all. If we do it, it’ll be lovely, but in all honesty, we’re not looking at that a the minute.”

But Zamora has got a habit of popping up at the right time with important goals and you sense the six million pound striker is in the mood to finish the season on a high. Come 5pm on Saturday, just be surprised if he continues his habit of proving people wrong and getting on the scoresheet.

Bobby Zamora was speaking at the launch of the new Under Armour boots range. He wears he UA Dominate Pro FG leather boot, which, along with the UA Create Pro FG synthetic boot will be available in Autumn / Winter 2009. The boots are designed to provide power and control along with protection and comfort.

“Fulham’s Bobby Zamora sits down for a chat with footballlens” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

We’ve come to that point in the Premier League campaign where teams go one of two ways: they either learn to rise above the the rest and make an indelible mark at the end of the season, or they end up falling into a pit of despair and never coming back.

Which road will your team take this weekend?

For a handful of teams this weekend could ultimately decide their relegation or European hopes — or in Liverpool’s case, whether their title dreams live to see another day. As usual, we’ve got the predictions and the previews for all of the matches.

Saturday 9 May 2009

West Ham v Liverpool

Liverpool’s title hopes essentially rest on this one match. Rafa Benitez will be walking into a house of horrors at Upton Park, where his squad surely remembers their shocking loss last season to the Hammers. Mark Noble slammed home a 93rd minute penalty that sent the crowd into raptures.

They can’t let that happen again. Judging by the improved mentality and self assurance of Liverpool, it will be a completely different team this time around. West Ham are still fighting for that final Europa spot, so I’d imagine they’ll give Liverpool all they can handle.

Soccerlens Prediction: Liverpool to win

Everton v Tottenham
Like West Ham, Tottenahm are still have an outside shot of stealing the final Europa Cup spot. They looked absolutely shambolic at the weekend against West Brom, so any repeat performance will almost certainly get them run out of Goodison Park.

Everton are safe from just about everyone and looked destined for European football next year. They would love nothing more to kill Tottenham’s European dream. Their squad is beyond thin, but every time people doubt them they come and pull off the shock. They’ll be using this game as a potential tune-up for the FA Cup final.

Soccerlens Prediction: Everton to win

Fulham v Aston Villa

Villa’s 1-0 win over Hull City was far from impressive and if it wasn’t for Hull’s reeling form, I have a feeling the result may have ended differently. They seem to be playing without emotion after looking like a serious challenger to the top four for most of the season. They’ve all but wrapped up a European spot, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take their foot off the gas and coast into the summer.

Fulham are a point behind West Ham for the final Europa spot and have been playing some magnificent football. Last week’s loss at Chelsea was a humbling experience and I think it got some of the players fired up. Expect to see a rejuvenated club when they step foot on the Craven Cottage pitch.

Soccerlens Prediction: Fulham to win

Hull City v Stoke City

Hull City know three points could all be solidify their spot in the Premier League for next year. They’ve been reeling for the last couple of months and have seen only one point in their last seven matches. That’s got to change if they want to hang around for another year. Phil Brown will need to rally the squad for what could be their most critical match of the season. They question is: can Hull keep their emotions in-check and get the job done.

Stoke are sitting close to the towards the bottom in the league and really don’t have much to play for other than pride.  They have a final home match against Wigan next week that could be on their minds, so I’d expect them to be a little more relaxed for this match.

Soccerlens Prediction: Hull City to win

West Brom v Wigan

West Brom HAVE to win this weekend. There’s no other way of looking at it. Three points could see Tony Mowbray’s side take a huge step towards Premier League survival. Sitting at the bottom of the table this late in year can drain you emotionally, but so far West Brom have taken to the role with gusto.

They almost won last weekend against Tottenham and looked clinical against Sunderland at home. I wouldn’t put it past them to get a result.

Wigan are still playing for Europe and could be out for blood against West Brom. Wigan haven’t won a Premier League match since March 22nd against Hull City, and I don’t expect them to find their way back to the tracks anytime soon.

Soccerlens Prediction: Draw

Bolton v Sunderland

Bolton have enjoyed winning at home of late, whilst Sunderland have enjoyed getting thumped away from the Stadium of Lights. That sounds like a perfect recipe for three points going one teams direction — and that team won’t be Sunderland.

In all seriousness, I’d expect Bolton to grab the three points and move further up the table. They could finish the season in the top 10 and judging by where they were last year, this would be a welcomed surprise.

Soccerlens Prediction: Bolton to win

Blackburn v Portsmouth

Two clubs sitting near the bottom of the table but not close enough to the relegation battle face each other in a match that could be an absolute snoozer.

Pompey have scored a whopping three goals in their last six matches, whilst Blackburn have scored six in their last six. Neither team has an edge in this match, so I’d expect this one to go either way.

Soccerlens Prediction: Blackburn to win

Sunday 10 May 2009

Manchester United v Manchester City

The Manchester Derby will have a lot on the line when these two teams take the pitch at Old Trafford.

United will be playing for the chance to stay three point clear of Liverpool (assuming Rafa’s side wins) and move ever closer to the Premier League title. After sleepwalking through a couple of fixtures, United came alive against Tottenham and have looked like a different team since. The victory over Arsenal should have them in good spirits for this critical clash between two clubs that absolutely despise each other.

Manchester City have been no slouch late in the season. They’ve been averaging two goals per game over their last five and have the history of last season’s shock win at Old Trafford on their side. They’d love nothing more than to put a massive dent in United’s title hopes. They’ll need a stellar match from Stephen Ireland if they want to get past their rival.

Soccerlens Prediction: Draw

Arsenal v Chelsea

This had all the makings of an absolute classic. But that was before this week’s disheartening losses in the Champions League. I’d imagine Chelsea are still fuming from their controversial loss to Barcelona; Arsenal find themselves in a dark place after an embarrassing loss at the Emirates against Manchester United that saw Wenger’s young group take an emotional hit.

Neither team has much to play for at the moment, so I’d expect both to just go out there and let loose. Either that or both clubs will come out on to the pitch in a comatose state and hold the ball for minutes on end. I’d like to see the former!

Soccerlens Prediction: Draw

Monday 11 May 2009

Newcastle United v Middlesbrough

Newcastle are playing for their Premier League lives. Simple as that. Shearer came in with the goal of saving Newcastle’s lives and this match could be the one that goes down in the history books as the game where he pulled the club out by the scruff of their neck or let them fall off the cliff. Their recent draw against Portsmouth was far from impressive, while the loss against Liverpool (and the loss of Joey Barton) just added more fuel to the fire. Do they have the moxy to beat the drop?

Middlesbrough sit on 31 points with Newcastle and will surely be looking for the same thing, which is three points. Boro have been horrific of late and look like a mirror image of Newcastle. They’ll want to look back to their 3-1 home performance against Hull as motivation. They’ll need that type of performance again at St. James’ Park to get a result. It should be a cracker of a match.

Soccerlens Prediction: Newcastle to win

Wednesday 13 May 2009

Wigan v Manchester United

Assuming Manchester United win against Manchester City on Sunday, this match could seal the title for the club for the third straight season. If they do get the three points in the derby, I’d expect them to come out firing at the Wigan defence from the start. Even with the short rest you’d have to expect them to be running on adrenaline with the finish line in sight.

They won the title against Wigan last year at the JJB and could do it again. It would be fitting to see them secure the title on the same pitch.

Soccerlens Prediction: Manchester United to win

Don’t agree with the predictions? Take the time to copy and paste the fixture list below and give us your take!

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English Premier League fixtures

Blackburn v Portsmouth
Bolton v Sunderland
Everton v Tottenham
Fulham v Aston Villa
Hull City v Stoke City
West Brom v Wigan
West Ham v Liverpool
Manchester United v Manchester City
Arsenal v Chelsea
Newcastle v Middlesbrough
Wigan v Manchester United

“Premier League Predictions: Arsenal, Chelsea, United and City to draw, Everton to beat Tottenham, Newcastle to beat Middlesbrough and more” was originally published at Soccerlens.com – Football News.