Daily Archives: February 7, 2013

Liverpool FC: Retiring Carragher remains professional until the very end

  By O-Posts Team | February 7, 2013 - 19:45 | , , ,
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After playing the role of the understated member of Liverpool’s back four for what seems like an eternity, it was typical of Jamie Carragher that announcement of his retirement came via a short statement issued on his club’s official website that spoke of his wish to exempt the culmination of Liverpool’s season from doubts about his future.

He thanked the support he has received over the sixteen years he has spent at Anfield, mentioned what a great pleasure it was to play for Liverpool and how he would be committed for four further months before leaving it there. “I won’t be making any further comment from now until the end of the season” read the final paragraph.

Typically of Carragher, he will then just get on with it, just like he did in the famous Champions League final of 2005 when he cut the figure of an immovable rock at the back in extra-time despite suffering from a heavy bout of cramp. Those closing stages against AC Milan in Istanbul were perhaps his Liverpool career in microcosm, drawing on all the passion and desire that he has exhumed in each one of his 723 appearances for Liverpool so far, a tally that puts him second to only Ian Callaghan in the list of Anfield devotees.

What is slightly surprising about Carragher’s announcement is the timing, occurring not long after return to the Liverpool first team in which he has played 24 times this season, playing a vital role in draws at Arsenal and Manchester City that have put the Merseyside club club in contention for a return to the Champions League.

He would probably remain as cover provided Brendan Rodgers’s first choice pairing of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel are both fit, but the recent debacle of FA Cup defeat at Oldham, in which Carragher watched on from the bench alongside fellow elder statesmen Steven Gerrard, showed he still has a lot to offer as a reserve option, as well as a galvanising force in the dressing room.

Rodgers however is trying to usher in a new dawn at Anfield and by looking at Vegard Forren in January, the 24 year old Norwegian central defender now at Southampton, it gave a clear indication as any to the youthful direction in which Rodgers is planning to take the club.

Carragher, at the ripe old age of 35, is wise enough to realise that the Northern Irish manager’s long-term plans do not contain him, and has saw fit to drop out now before he becomes a cumbersome side-act to a club he has never failed to serve with consummate professionalism.

It has been an extremely long journey for the boyhood Evertonian since he was handed his debut against Middlesborough by Roy Evans in 1997 as a highly rated young centre-half. Gerard Houllier moved him to right back following the treble of 2001 and Carragher’s formed suffered greatly.

Fans began to get on his back, even the player himself was aware of the supporter’s derision “they wanted an attacking full-back, they thought they don’t need Carra no more” he said.

Then Rafael Benitez took over in 2004 and proved that opinion so emphatically wrong, installing Carragher as the defensive cornerstone of a side that dramatically won the Champions League in 2005, again reached the final in 2007 and finished closer to the Premier League title as they have ever done in 2009. Between those years under the stewardship of Benitez, it would not be hyperbole to argue Carragher was in the company of the very best centre-backs in the world.

It was in 2007 where Carragher decided to retire from international football citing a frustration with managers constantly refusing him to play him at centre-back. Perhaps it was gross misfortune that Carragher had to compete with the finest generation of centre-half England have arguably ever witnessed in Rio Ferdinand, Ledley King and John Terry all regarded ahead of him in the pecking order, but that is not to take anything away from the fierce competitor who got by on an intelligent footballing brain (that heavily excused his lack of pace) and his powerful influence on his team-mates.

It was this evergreen quality that proved too much for Fabio Capello to ignore as he saw the Liverpool centre-back worthy of one final call-up to the England squad for the World Cup of South Africa in 2010 as a 32 year old who had been away from the national team for three years.

It is that superb centre-back and loyal servant that Carragher will eventually bow out as, departing at the end of the season to an absence that one may predict will not be too long away from a game he remains fanatical about. His renowned passion and understanding of the sport will bode him well for a future that looks likely to involve coaching, given his natural leadership qualities, and eventually management.

He may even be an attractive proposition for punditry and media work given the calculated sense has often spoken when interviewed, but regardless of the future for a player that will be immortalised in Liverpool’s proud history, it has been a past applicable to the most imperious of model professionals.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Jordan Rhodes: Flying Scotsman can cut it with the best

  By O-Posts Team | February 7, 2013 - 18:58 | , , , , , ,
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The £8 million spent by Steve Kean on a player who had never played higher that the third division raised plenty of eyebrows, but the Scot has proved he can be one of the great British strikers of his generation

It is often said that, in the enticing world of the football league,a player always faces a great challenge in making the step up to the next division unless he possesses either exceptional talent or vast experience. Many have tried and failed; their careers being somewhat stunted by the failure to adapt.

One player who certainly has the natural flair and determination to not only make the switch – but to make it seem effortless – is Blackburn’s Jordan Rhodes.

Rhodes, 23, started his career with Ipswich town and has shown goal scoring prowess ever since his first season in English football. After less than a year with the tractor boys’ youth squad he was called up to the England Under-17 squad. His knack for scoring goals has been evident at all of Rhodes’ clubs, and he has proved his worth by shining at all levels from League Two to the Championship.

In 2011-12 whilst at Huddersfield Rhodes, who cost (recently departed) Simon Grayson’s team a mere £350,000, was in marvellous form. The Terriers had an astounding season, earning promotion to the Championship, and Rhodes set the standard. He registered a staggering 36 goals in 40 games, winning him the division’s player of the season award and earning him a call-up to the Scottish national team, for whom he qualifies having schooled there for over five years.

Last summer inevitable speculation surrounded Rhodes’ immediate future; would he stay with Huddersfield and attempt to prosper in he Championship alongside his longstanding team mates? Would he make the perilous step up two divisions to the Premier League (as was heavily touted) by joining Fulham?

Jermaine Beckford once decided to make this ambitious leap when joining Everton after having, like Rhodes, an impressive season in League One with a Yorkshire club.

This ultimately backfired for Beckford, whose career at Leicester City is currently in doubt. Rhodes sensibly chose not to follow the same steps as Beckford, but instead to join recently relegated Blackburn in a deal which could accumulate to £8 million. The record fee for a Championship player, this was seen by many as crazy money but he has proved doubters wrong by showing that he is a top striker.

With a hectic series of events occurring off the pitch at Ewood Park, Rhodes has managed to prove to the club they were right to invest so much money in him. By scoring an impressive 20 goals already, he has won over fans and lead us to pose ourselves the question: ‘Would Jordan Rhodes make it in the Premier League?’

From watching Rhodes this season, I, for one, can make the assumption that he demonstrates all the qualities required by a top flight striker. He has a wide variety of traits: aerial prowess, which he demonstrated in 2009, when he scored a hat trick of headers in an astonishing 8 minutes; robustness; great movement; shrewd anticipation and most importantly superb finishing ability.

 

The young man is improving rapidly, and unless Michael Appleton’s team can re-establish themselves in the Premier League, it would be a surprise if Rhodes saw out his 5 year contract with Blackburn.

If he does seek pastures new, global advisor Shebby Singh and his friends at Venky’s would be adamant on at least recouping the £8 million – which now seems to be a bargain. There is no doubt in my mind that Rhodes will be playing in the Premiership before too long.

With Arsenal’s lack of an out-and-out centre forward capable of replacing Robin van Persie, I feel Arsene Wenger could do a lot worse than bringing the Scot to The Emirates, despite his inexperience.

That undoubtedly would be a big leap for Rhodes, who is progressing rapidly. I look forward to seeing him form a partnership with another striker in top form, Steven Fletcher, for a Scotland team under new management.

Wherever he ends up, the future is definitely bright for Jordan Rhodes.

 

Written by Richard Burn

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Man United: 4 reasons why they can win the Champions League

  By O-Posts Team | February 7, 2013 - 16:37 | , , , ,
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Manchester United could not have asked for a much tougher draw in the quarter-finals of the Champions League – but that does not mean they cannot go on and win it.

The Red Devils will face Real Madrid in the last eight of this season’s competition, and past history would suggest that they are on their way out of the competition because the Spanish champions have won the last two meetings between these teams.

However, Chelsea showed last season that this competition is no foregone conclusion. In fact, who would have predicted a Bayern Munich v Chelsea final?

Therefore it would be reckless to write off Manchester United just yet, and here are some reasons why they can become European champions once again:

 

Robin van Persie

Any team that has a red-hot Robin van Persie in the side has a chance of winning every game. The Dutchman has been in excellent form since joining United from Arsenal, and if he gets opportunities he will continue to score the goals that can fire the Red Devils to another appearance in the final.

And they are no strangers to final appearances…

 

Three finals in five years

United have shown their pedigree by reaching the final three times in the past five years. It is fair to say that this current side is not as strong as previous incarnations under Sir Alex Ferguson, but the legendary Scot has found a way to guide his team to finals in the past and you wouldn’t bet against him doing it again.

And this side is better than the Chelsea one that won the Champions League final last season.

 

Sir Alex Ferguson

Like I said before, this man knows how to guide a team to the Champions League final. And with time ticking down on his legendary career, it is well known that he would love to become a European Champion once again.

This will undoubtedly add more motivation to the players, who will be looking to hand Fergie a third Champions League success.

Beating Real Madrid will boost confidence

If United are to win the Champions League then they must overcome one of the favourites in the last 16, Real Madrid. It goes without saying that a two-legged win over the Spanish giants would send a major statement to their rivals, and it would also cement their status as a major contender to go all the way.

 

Written by Leigh Copson Glazier from Bettingpro.com, the number one source for sports betting tips, breaking news and expert views.

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Willian: Money the Only Motive Behind Shock Russian Move?

  By O-Posts Team | February 7, 2013 - 15:17 | , , , , , , , , ,
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Anzhi may have been causing many a stir around Europe for the past year or so now, but beating clubs such as Chelsea is something new. A victory albeit off the pitch rather than on it, but with beating the European Champions to signing Shakhtar’s Brazilian magician Willian, they really have struck gold.

The Russians may have had a surprisingly quiet winter transfer window up to that point, but they just couldn’t resist staying out of the limelight for too long. In signing the 24 year old, Anzhi have sent out an even bigger warning to the rest of the world that they are ready to take on anyone and everyone.

But many questions are being put towards Willian himself. Why would a player approaching his prime opt out of joining the European Champions to join a club which hasn’t even competed in Europe’s club competition as yet? To many the answer is simple, money. Look a little deeper however, and your opinion might change.

Having taken up residence in Donetsk with perennial Ukrainian champions Shakhtar for already 5 and a half years, it shouldn’t come as too such as a surprise to Shakhtar fans that their number 10 felt the time was right for a change of scenery.

While a move away to one of European football’s more distinguished countries, such as England or Spain, would have been much easier to accept, a move away to near Russia with new superpowers Anzhi was never going to go down too well. Especially when you consider some of the possible motives behind the move.

Anzhi are without doubt, one of Europe’s richest clubs right now, with billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov providing the fuel for Anzhi’s ever more powerful engine. And with reportedly a 2.5 million euro annual salary awaiting Willian, many aren’t in doubt as to why he chose Russia.

Even well respected Shakhtar head coach Mircea Lucescu claimed that Willian has chosen money over having a successful career, and when you see reports of how much the Brazilian will be earning in Russia, it’s not hard to believe why the young Brazilian has turned from hero to zero in a flash.

Look at it from Anzhi’s point of view however, and you can start to see why they managed to pull off such a major coup, with has left the rest of the footballing world reeling in shock. Kerimov’s vision for Anzhi has been clear right from the word go, when he took control of the club in January 2011.

He wants the club to go places, and while other club presidents may be willing to wait 5-10 years for the degree of success that Kerimov is hoping for, the Russian isn’t having any of it. He demands success, and a lot of it, and not just in a few years’ time, but right now.

Having already qualified for Europe for the first time after finishing 5th in last season’s Russian league, one of the objectives has already been achieved. But it’s just the start. And to achieve success so quickly, you have to have the right tools, and with having players such as Willian already joining a team which includes the likes of Samuel Eto’o, everything is just starting to fall into place.

For Willian himself, the prospect of joining a club which has such high ambitions and goals, is an attractive proposition. In joining Anzhi he is climbing aboard the fastest express train that there is, travelling right from being nothing to being a super club all in the space of just 2 short years.

Anzhi sit in second place currently in the Russian league, in prime position to pounce on any mistake from current leaders CSKA Moscow, and if they manage to claim that highly elusive first Russian title, the glittering lights of Champions League football await in just a few months’ time, and even Kerimov can afford to wait until then.

And when the Anzhi management explained all this to Willian at the table where they tried to thrash out a deal, you begin to realise that maybe it wasn’t just money that persuaded one of Europe’s most wanted talents to make the move east rather than west.

Chelsea and Shakhtar fans won’t feel any better because of this however. The reigning European champions are a club somewhat in sharp decline, having already meekly given up the defence of their European title, and floundering horribly in domestic football.

In their failure to land one of their main transfer targets, Roman Abramovich is for the first time seeing his beloved Chelsea regressing rather than progressing, and in losing out to clubs such as Anzhi in the transfer market, there isn’t much light at the end of the tunnel as yet.

As far as Shakhtar are concerned however, they can be excused for being a bit worried. Having knocked Chelsea out of the group stage themselves largely down to Willian’s magic, they now have a slight headache with the knockout stages being just a few days away. Fellow Brazilians and Shakhtar stalwarts such as Fernandinho and Luiz Adriano, now have no other option than to stand up and be counted.

While Chelsea and Shakhtar fans can only sit and hope for the best, their Russian counterparts can sit and rub their hands with glee and anticipation. Not only are they edging close to claiming their first ever Russian title, and being one of the favourites in this year’s Europa League, they are purchasing some of the world’s best talent around right now. And if they do manage to win something this year, maybe the talk of players moving to Russia just for the lure of money will once and for all come to an end.

But as for Anzhi’s new number ten Willian, he’s under pressure to perform right away, and no excuses otherwise. Shakhtar aren’t going to be able to keep their eyes off his game in Russia either, and while they will always be left with a rather sour taste in the mouth following such an exit, maybe even they will realise that money wasn’t just the only motive in making such an important, but unexpected, step in his career.

 

Written by Shaun Nicolaides

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Pablo Armero: Highly-rated Colombian Could Prove Key To Napoli’s Scudetto Hopes

  By O-Posts Team | February 7, 2013 - 14:56 | , , , , ,
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This past week saw Napoli confirm the signing of versatile defender Pablo Armero from Udinese on a loan deal until the end of this current season, with the option to buy half of his contract at the end of that period.

Earlier in the week Udinese president Giampaulo Pozzo was quoted saying, ‘As a provincial side, every time the transfer window opens, it is difficult for us to keep hold of our valuable players’. This more or less confirmed the interest that Napoli had.

The Partnopei are currently enjoying their best season in the top flight in Italy for many years which is fantastic considering they haven’t won the Scudetto for over 20 years. They currently sit 3 points behind leaders Juventus but during December they were dealt a major blow in the latest Italian football scandal, the Scommessopoli.

The outcome saw usual starter Paulo Cannavaro banned for 6 months. Their substitute goalkeeper Gianluca Grava was also banned but this didn’t pose much of a problem because they still had their number one keeper Morgan De Sanctis available.

This is why they looked to the transfer market for a loan deal. Pablo Armero fits Napoli’s style of play perfectly. He is accustomed to the 3-4-3 formation often used by Napoli. Earlier this month, the Partnopei saw the departure of Salvatore Aronica to Palermo.

He alongside Paulo Cannavaro and Hugo Campagnaro formed the regular back three which performed well in last season’s Champions League. Another defender for the Partnopei, Miguel Britos has put in a few good performances lately which could see Pablo Armero utilised as a wing-back which he was also used as at Udinese.

Pablo Armero is a brilliant reader of the game which is important when using the three manned defences. He is very quick on the ball which is very important in these positions. I expect him to be used in his regular position, on the right side of a three manned defence.

Since then, the bans placed upon Paulo Cannavaro and Gianluca Grava has been lifted. It is important for Napoli to find a good defensive base at this point of the season as this is the point where they usually fade away out of the top 3 – and title chances, in the process.

Thus, the signing of the versatile and powerful Colombian international could prove to be the final piece of the Napoli puzzle.

 

Written by Tom French

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