Mark Hughes takes charge of his first home game as QPR boss and will be hoping to guide his side out of the bottom three at the expense of fellow strugglers Wigan.
Defeat at Newcastle was Rangers’ seventh in the last nine games as Hughes started his reign off on a sour note. Wins haven’t been easy to come by lately with their last three point haul coming against Stoke in mid-November; a record that ultimately cost Neil Warnock his job. Scoring goals remains a big problem for the R’s and they could have left Tyneside with a point on Sunday had they not wasted some good opportunities. Jay Bothroyd, Heidar Helguson and Shaun Wright-Phillips were all guilty of squandering chances once again and all three need to be start being more clinical in front of goal if the club is to remain in the Premier League. Blackburn’s win on Saturday pushed them into the drop zone and on the evidence of their form over the past two months relegation is a real possibility. Their home record is also something that needs improving with Rangers winning just once at Loftus Road all season. Hughes is already trying to fix his new sides goal scoring issue after placing a bid for Sao Paulo starlet Henrique and will hope to have him in time for their game against Wigan to kick-start the club’s survival bid.
The Latics are also deep in trouble after their defeat at home to Manchester City on Monday left them rooted to the foot of the table. Despite the loss manager Roberto Martinez will be encouraged by the performance of his players especially those in defence who continually thwarted the league leaders. Ali Al Habsi, in particular, will come in for special praise after pulling off a number of stunning saves to keep his side in the game. Gary Caldwell and Antonio Alacaraz also performed admirably against City’s world-class attack and will be confident of keeping QPR’s goal shy strike force at bay. It’s in the final third that Wigan need to improve with Victor Moses and Hugo Rodallega still struggling to find the net on a regular basis. However they’ll be confident of getting back on the goal trail in West London on Saturday as they aim to lift the club out of danger and improve a record that has seen them score just eight times away from the DW Stadium.
QPR 18th : 17 points
Last six: L L L D L L
Team news: Joey Barton is still suspended following his red card at Norwich with no new injuries to report for Mark Hughes’ side.
Key Player: Heidar Helguson
Despite failing to score against Newcastle on Sunday Helguson always posed a threat whether it was in the air or around the six-yard area. QPR will need the Icelandic international to step up once again this season to ensure they don’t fall to another home defeat.
Wigan Athletic 20th : 15 points
Last six: L L D L D D
Team news: Shaun Maloney could make his return from a calf injury with Chris Kirkland the only other player sidelined for Wigan.
Key Player: Victor Moses
Another lively display on Monday night will have further enhanced Moses’ reputation as he caused endless problems for league leaders City. Despite his poor goal record the wingers pace and trickery is always a threat for Wigan.
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PREDICTION
Morale is low at Loftus Road and Mark Hughes has a huge job to get his side playing with confidence and more importantly; scoring goals! Despite being bottom Wigan continue to employ their slick passing philosophy and stand a good chance of leaving Loftus Road with all three points.
The first phrase uttered by Andre Villas-Boas upon his unveiling as the new messiah, tasked with reigniting Chelsea’s journey towards European domination. Despite an equally impressive record at Porto, he was keen to distance himself from his Portuguese predecessor.
There were no brash claims of superiority, instead he wanted “to create a dynamic group of everybody getting together.” Villas-Boas clearly understood the challenge ahead of him, but a constant struggle to exert himself in the dressing room has meant he is still the ‘self-effacing one’ rather than the ‘special one’.
Fast forward exactly eight months and Chelsea find themselves licking their wounds after a humbling defeat in Naples. The front three of Cavani, Hamsik and the sublime Lavezzi tore a Terry-less Chelsea defence apart with their intricate movement and deadly speed on the counter attack. The Blues failed to inflict the same misery on a equally susceptible Napoli backline, which has often been the case in front of goal this season.
It’s clear that alongside assistant manager Roberto Di Matteo there’s a potential to succeed, both have a deep understanding of the game but they both fail to create that presence on the touchline. AVB’s trademark crouch merely creates the effect of a man trying desperately to hide from the glaring spotlight.
Yet it’s evident that the landmark Chelsea figures are yearning for the return of Jose Mourinho, with reports of constant communication via text message serving only to fuel speculation. AVB strikes me as Mourinho without the bravado, a blessing for the neutral supporter but it means the egos at Chelsea are starved of the confidence Jose used to inspire within them. Regardless, how can a manager make his mark on a team of unprofessional professionals?
Club captain John Terry is without question the Braveheart character of the Chelsea backline and his performances this season have proven he can still go toe to toe with the very best. However, on more than one occasion the skipper has looked over to the bench and slung his arms up in air, an apparent act of despair as his defensive counterparts fail to match his expectations. A sign of understandable annoyance or immature petulance?
Frank Lampard sits alongside Terry as a key figure in the dressing room but he has endured much of this season as a spectator, which has won AVB few fans. Idolised on the terraces Lampard’s exclusion from the first team has left a severe lack of creativity in the heart of midfield. AVB is clearly making a point with his omission of Lampard, perhaps shining a light on his attitude in training or his reluctance to adapt his game at the manager’s discretion.
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Didier Drogba is no longer the pedigree racehorse that used to strut around the pitch at Stamford Bridge. His vast arrogance was usually tolerated as he swept aside any defensive pairing with his brute force and clinical eye for goal. Nowadays his pace and first touch appear to be filtering away, which has seen him drift to the wing in search of a timid, young full back, and to presumably keep Fernando Torres company. Napoli’s vulnerable rearguard would have been easy prey for the Ivorian in his prime but alongside Kalou and Malouda, Drogba has failed to recreate his exceptional and uncompromising performances for his new manager.
Although Drogba has dismissed reports that he wrestled the team talk from AVB at half time against Birmingham. The fact that these stories are emerging speaks volumes about the growing unrest at the club. Perhaps the best way to encourage this underperforming team is for the senior players to get behind AVB, both on the pitch as well as in the papers. I can’t imagine the likes of Rio and Rooney chipping in with their two cents after Fergie is done talking. Player power is rife at Chelsea and needs to be subdued before the club can move forward.
Perhaps the biggest ego in the dressing room sits at the top the tree, Roman Abramovich often sees fit to berate his team after every unconvincing performance. No good has ever come from a chairman interfering with the managers role at the club. What he should be doing is publically backing his expensive manager, rather than have the poor man answer questions about his future during every single interview. This sends a clear message to the fans and the press that he is here to stay, and would no doubt force a reaction out of any disgruntled players.
In AVB’s defence he has sought to remove the disruptive elements from his squad by putting the inconsistent Alex on the Eurostar to Paris whilst sending the infamous Le Sulk half way round the world to China. The January window provided an ample opportunity to address Chelsea’s defensive frailties but the apparent refusal to throw new signing Gary Cahill straight into an ailing defence would suggest this was another example of Roman’s influence on the team.
This brings me onto former-and-yet-current Genk winger Kevin de Bruyne, “a target decided by the club” who cost a reported £9m. Why an earth wasn’t that money given to Villas-Boas to fund one or two loan deals or a move for the likes of Chris Samba, who would almost certainly provide a solution (albeit short-term) to their fragile defence.
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The senior Chelsea players appear incapable of falling in line behind a man who’s shared a similar number of birthdays. Chelsea’s brightest lights have been the fresh-faced Sturridge, Mata and Ramires who are ten years younger than AVB not ten months. A quick glance at the Porto squad who enjoyed so much success under AVB, reveals just one player over the age of 30. That Player was goalkeeper Helton Arruda and we all know they get better with age. Is this evidence of an ill thought out decision by Abramovich, bringing an inexperienced individual to manage an ageing team, clouded by his desire to replicate the success under Jose Mourinho?
AVB has two main options, either succumb to the growing murmurs around him and stick with his established professionals or hail a new dawn by putting faith in the next generation. I for one would much rather see the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Daniel Sturridge spearhead the Chelsea attack rather than the impotent duo of Torres and Drogba. I mean, they can hardly score fewer goals can they?
Perhaps it’s time for Roman to shift his allegiance from his seasoned internationals to the young prospects that will help form the future of Chelsea football club. Only time will tell whether he includes AVB in that vision.
Did AVB pick the right team against Napoli? What changes would you implement ahead of Saturday’s must win game against Bolton? Leave a comment below or find me on Twitter @theunusedsub
Footballers are never people to shy away from the limelight, as they’re more than happy to have all the attention on them. From ridiculous haircuts to striking tattoos, as long as the crowd are looking at them, then they’ve got all the ammunition they need to go about wowing their supporters. Over the last decade or so, the easiest way to draw the attention of everyone in the crowd is with garish, eye-catching football boots.
It is all about making your boots you own, which is what you can do with the Converse Demin Collection…
Long gone are the days when having black football boots was the norm. In fact, black boots was all you could previously get, but now you’re seen to be a little bit boring, a middle of the road type character, if you don’t have the most colourful boots around.
Having colourful boots marks you out as being a flair player, or at least someone who has a lot of belief in their ability, a big ego if you like. It also marks you out to the opposition as someone who thinks they’re God on the pitch and as a result you can expect a few tasty tackles now and again.
Football boots don’t come much more colourful than the ones that current Sunderland and ex-Arsenal strike Nicklas Bendtner used to wear. His pink boots became infamous and his ability certainly didn’t match up to the boots. However, they did go to a good cause as he raised funds for a Danish cancer foundation by selling them on eBay.
More recently Tottenham left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto has gained notoriety, not necessarily for the colour of his boots, but for the fact that he wore odd boots that didn’t match. Was he doing this to be different? Did he want to stand out from the crowd?
No, it was simply a practical reason as he explained to Mirror Football: “I bought two pairs – one blue and one white. After three days, one of them split; and because I don’t have a sponsor, I wasn’t going to throw away a shoe that is brand new. So I took one of the other colour and played like that.”
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Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has maintained that his side can still win the Premier League title.
The Etihad Stadium outfit have had a blip in form and are now five points behind leaders Manchester United, but the England international is refusing to give up just yet and wants a win against Wolves this weekend.
“There is no point in us turning up on Sunday if the title race is over,” he told Sky Sports.
“We’ve still got to believe, we’ve still got to fight for every single point available.
“I don’t think Roberto Mancini means that the season is over. I think he is just trying to play it down a little bit and let us get on with what we need to do. There is no way any of us would give up until it is mathematically impossible.
“I know three of them definitely can be overturned – that is in our hands.
“Other than that, we’ve got to rely on other teams. We can only battle away and try and win every game and hope that United slip up,” he concluded.
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Manchester City are closing in on the signature of Athletic Bilbao forward Fernando Llorente, according to The Sun.
The Spain international has impressed at San Mames over the last couple of seasons, and has been an integral man for Marcelo Bielsa’s side this term, scoring 23 goals.
With a raft of European giants circling around the Basque club’s talisman, Roberto Mancini’s side are thought to have taken the initiative in the race for the powerful striker.
City are believed to have bid £30million for Llorente, and are set to offer the Spaniard £200,000-a-week wages, which many of the attacker’s suitors may not be able to match.
Spurs were courting the forward last summer, but are believed to now prefer to try and make Emmanuel Adebayor’s move to White Hart Lane permanent, rather than re-entering the race to sign Llorente.
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Over the years we have grown used to some stereotypical truths in the Premier League. We know Arsene Wenger won’t ‘see’ every controversial decision, Fergie will get on the referee’s back when the chips are down, Chelsea and Roman Abramovich have a lower managerial patience threshold than most and Stoke are that rugby team with the long throw as their potent weapon. In just this short list, we are all accustomed to their attribution in the game and we understand these reputations run deep and aren’t likely to change anytime soon. The thing with stereotypes is that they are difficult to shake and once manufactured into the fabric of the game, with mutterings down the pub or punditry panels circling round a topic like a ravaging group of piranha fish, their impact gets greater with more scepticism overriding as the end result.
But what should football clubs do with their reputations, if anything at all? We have seen the Stoke City fans in particularly embrace their ‘over physical’ tag with chants of ‘swing low, sweet chariot’ radiating from the Britannia terraces to flauntingly poke fun at managers such as Wenger who are yet to find an answer to their combative game plan. On the contrary, foreign ran clubs such as Chelsea are coming under increasing scrutiny for their ‘hire and fire’ cultures, tearing managerial reputations into tiny pieces and being ever so ruthless in search of success. In comparison to Stoke and their embracement of their reputation, Roman Abramovich remains adamant that Chelsea are capable of playing a more exciting brand of football, buying more technically gifted players such as Juan Mata and Marko Marin, whilst refraining from publically giving his backing to Roberto Di Matteo for the job full-time, despite an impressive run as interim boss.
Perhaps at the root of the problem is money and expectation. Stoke City are currently enjoying their fourth consecutive season in the top flight and manager Tony Pulis maintains the Potters have improved this term playing in their maiden Europa League campaign whilst maintaining their battling game plan which currently leaves them comfortably 13th in mid-table. For many Potters fans, simply playing Premier League football is enough for their loyal band of followers and bringing signings in of the calibre of Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios in the summer only served to represent how far the club has come since the days in the second tier. Therefore, being one of the more unfashionable sides in the country doesn’t seem to matter as much for Stoke who have no speculation amounting over their manager’s head, no real threat of relegation and a tremendous home record whereby only Newcastle in the top six have left the city of Stoke-on-Trent with more than a point.
For Potters fans, the Premier League journey is still one big ride, and upsetting a few purists along the way such as Wenger is all part of the jaunt whereby they will seek to use any winning formula to their advantage; hence Rory Delap and Ryan Shotton’s Stretch Armstrong-like abilities in launching throws into the opposing teams penalty area. It is sometimes harsh on Stoke to lament their play solely physical with Matthew Etherington and Peter Crouch capable of more technically-gifted skill on their day. However, you can’t help feel that in this case, the embracement of their rugby-like reputation has only served to build their growing Premier League status. Most managers now are verbal in their expectation of a ‘tough’ game at the Britannia and many teams still struggle to match Pulis’ side aerially. Stoke have now built an identity as a tough side to break down and are clear evidence that the infighting culture of turning a reputation into a positive and not bowing down to scepticism in the mainstream press can pay off in the long run.
Chelsea on the other hand are caught in a dilemma. Their tactical, less fluid and sometimes brutal style as characterised through battering rams such as Drogba has yielded success, most notably during the Mourinho period but owner Roman Abramovich has always kept one eye on the Real Madrid and Arsenal-like models where simply winning is not enough. Winning in style is something Abramovich ultimately strives for and the summer capture of Andre Villas-Boas, Juan Mata and more recently Marko Marin serves as clear evidence that the owner wants a more technically gifted outfit, who are more easy on the eye and can win over more sceptics who claim Chelsea are pedestrian. This is the asset-rich Russian’s ultimate goal and therefore unlike Stoke, there is a tendency to reject the reputation and throw big bucks at changing the situation. Because money solves everything right? In this case, it must be comprehended Chelsea’s ambitions are on a different level to Stoke but what differs is that Chelsea and their owner are more affected by criticisms.
We all applauded the marvel of Chelsea’s outstanding Champions League triumph over Barcelona but the reputation amongst football purists worldwide is that in a bittersweet fashion they conducted the victory with plenty of substance over style; or were the so-called beast amongst the beauty of Barcelona. Foreign owners are very flashy and impressionable but Abramovich shouldn’t forget what made Chelsea tick in recent years gone by. Many Chelsea fans are indeed excited by the arrival of Marin and the potential for more flair-laden stars but there is an overriding notion that Chelsea are always on the defensive, trying to reject the stereotype that they are boring, yet successful. The moral of the story, is that reputations run deep and you can’t try and pretend to be something you’re not. With the current personnel, Chelsea’s strengths lie in tactical play. Abramovich isn’t going to get his dream team overnight and an embracement of their very own reputation could be said to heighten their togetherness and unity as a particular type of outfit.
Are you a Stoke or Chelsea fan? Are you pleased with the way your sides play? Let me know your opinions @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
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Another blow for Coventry City as news emerged this week that Cyrus Christie is going to be out injured for another 6 months. With the squad getting smaller we can ill afford these sorts of injuries to any players within the squad.
We currently have nine defenders at the club who are in the first team squad which on the face of it seems no problem at all; this however is unlikely to be the case with more players set to leave the club.
Martin Cranie is the first obvious one that will leave as he is out of contract this summer and there are going to be bigger clubs willing to offer him a contract. He is a good player and a solid defender but I’m not sure he is particularly loyal and for that reason I think he will leave.
Then there is James McPake who has been on loan at Hibernian in what was supposed to be a loan to get his fitness back up to scratch. However he has been a huge hit at Easter Road and was even made captain. He is a no nonsense, fully committed defender which would be useful for us next season but its looking unlikely that he will remain at Coventry after what has clearly been a successful loan spell at Hibernian.
A third who is likely to leave is Richard Keogh who has unquestionably been our best player this season. His passion and commitment to the cause is at times unbelievable and he would be a huge asset to us next season. However after his continuous impressive performances this season it looks likely that a bigger team will come in and poach him away from the skyblues.
Reported bids have already come in from the likes of Bristol City and Cardiff City and there is rumored interest from many others clubs such as Ipswich Town. He does however seem like a great lad and a potentially loyal footballer; I can’t imagine that relegation would have hit anybody much harder than it did him and I can see him wanting to try to make things right before he leaves.
However cashing in on the likes of McPake and Keogh is probably the biggest reason why they are both likely to go. The club needs money and selling these players seems to be the only real source of income that the club has left.
This would mean that there would be three of the nine defenders gone, all of which are centre backs. We would then be left with Richard Wood who we all know has injury issues and usually spends more time on the sidelines than actually playing and the only other centre half we have is Nathan Cameron who is still young and shouldn’t be relied on as a first choice centre back. He has shown signs of potential but has also shown a lot of naivety and if he were to play would need someone experienced alongside him to help him out.
Other defenders in the squad include Jordan Clarke who is a really promising right back and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was interest from other clubs in him. He himself however has reiterated his desire to stay at Coventry and I sincerely hope that he does.
We then have Chris Hussey who after gaining some championship experience is just beginning to flourish. He has clearly been learning in his time at Coventry after being signed from non-league but I have witnessed improvements within his game and he is slowly but surely becoming a good defender.
We also have young Jordan Willis who made a couple of appearances at the end of this season and he did do ok. He is however very young and personally I don’t think he is quite ready to be in the first team squad, however, it may however be a case that necessity requires him to be and if that is the case I just hope he can learn quickly and make the step up.
Finally we have the previously mentioned Cyrus Christie who really did flourish this season and has shown a lot of promise for the future. However with him being injured and likely to miss the first half of the season we may have a bit of a defensive crisis on our hands.
With still no update on when the transfer embargo is going to be removed if at all, these may be the set of defenders that we start the new season with. If Keogh, Cranie and McPake do all leave, along with the injury to Christie we will be left with five fit defenders and that is if Wood can prove his fitness.
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Being realistic it is clearly unlikely that as a squad we will be able to cope defensively. With strikers at the bare minimum and now defenders, we are going to have the problem of not only scoring goals but not conceding them as well.
The new season continues to look bleak and will continue to do so unless this transfer embargo is removed. We cannot rely on the squad we have, we need fresh faces and some new impetus but it still remains to be seen whether bringing in new players is going to be possible.
With our current owners in place I would regrettably suggest that this transfer embargo will not be lifted anytime soon and I would not be surprised if we haven’t added any players to the squad come the start of the season. Based on this it looks like another long hard season is on the cards and right now I am just hoping that I am proved wrong.
Fulham are interested in signing Tottenham forgotten man Tom Huddlestone this summer and will touch base with their London rivals to gauge the player’s availability, according to The Daily Mail.
The Cottagers are eager to find a new central midfielder after allowing Danny Murphy to leave the club to join Championship side Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer.
Craven Cottage boss Martin Jol worked with Huddlestone during his time in the White Hart Lane hotseat and is eager to give the deep-lying playmaker the opportunity of a new start at Fulham.
Huddlestone spent almost the entire 2011-12 campaign on the sidelines with long-standing injuries, making only four appearances all season for Spurs.
With Sandro, Scott Parker and Luka Modric ahead of him in the pecking order, and Jake Livermore adding competition for places, Huddlestone may well be interested in hearing of transfer opportunities.
The talented midfielder has only one year left on his contract in north London, and his future is currently up in the air somewhat.
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The new season is almost upon us and that means watching seamless amounts of games, reading scores of match reports and generally breathing and living football. And don’t we just love it? However, the game has changed somewhat in recent years, with different tactics, different formations and different positions all put to use by managers these days. For example, who would have thought Vicente Del Bosque would go through Euro 2012 without playing a striker. After all, David Moyes has tried that one for years…
Still, there’s a number of phrases and terms that still make the mind boggle in the beautiful game and although we don’t have the ridiculous number of names or complicated terms like American Football or in fact cricket for that matter, there’s still a few things that could do with some explanation. To help you out, we’ve put together an A-Z of football terminology that will help you through the season:
A – is for Anchorman – Modern midfields always need someone to stay back to steady the ship, basically weighing anchor to ensure the midfield isn’t easily broken through. To play in the anchorman role, having a ball-winning ability is key, while starting the play with short passes to other players is also particularly crucial. Cheik Tiote does this effectively for Newcaslte.
B – is for Box to box midfielder – The modern day footballer has to have a decent engine on him and none more so than those who play in the centre of the park. Players like Jack Wilshere or Yaya Toure are expected to involve themselves with play between both penalties areas, busting a gut to get forward in attack, but also help out in defence.
C – is for Christmas tree formation – You would think it’s a rather bizarre name to give to a football formation, but it in fact it makes perfect sense when it’s written down on paper. Four at the back, three in midfield, two men just behind the striker and one lone target man, exactly in the shape of a Christmas tree.
D – is for Dead ball specialist – The team’s main man in terms of set pieces, expect him to take charge of corners and free kicks. David Beckham is the ultimate dead ball specialist, wrapping his right boot around every ball that lies still on the football pitch.
E – is for Early Bath – Refers to a red card as the player is sent off, ensuring he’ll be the first one in the bath before everyone else. Well, these days they tend to have singular ice baths to aid player recovery, so it’s not strictly relevant anymore. It’s still one of our favourite clichés though.
F – is for Fox in the Box – This refers to a striker that’s pretty handy around the penalty spot as he tends to finish everything that comes his way in the opposition area. It tends to involve either scoring headers, tap-ins or seizing on opportunities that are presented without much time to react. Gary Lineker is probably the greatest fox in the box the English game has ever seen, while Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Robbie Fowler weren’t bad either. However, Francis Jeffers was once called a fox in the box as well…
G – is for Giant killing – Often to be used in the FA Cup, where little minnows meet the Premier League big boys. In the modern days of oil rich owners and global superstars, it’s much harder for the small clubs to upset their rivals higher up the football league, but every year we hope for a giant killing at least once a round.
H – is for Hairdryer treatment – Although modern day footballers are much more appearance conscious than they used to be (indeed you’d expect old Goldenballs to make his barnet immaculate during half time), the hairdryer treatment is what you might call a good old fashioned bollocking rather than a fashion faux-pas in the dressing room. Sir Alex Ferguson is the king of unleashing half time fury, indeed if United are losing at the interval, the Old Trafford dressing room wouldn’t be a particularly pleasant place to visit.
I – is for In the Hole – It’s rare to play with two men up top these days, indeed one man usually drops just off the main striker, in the hole as you might say. Rafael van der Vaart perfects this for Tottenham, while Wayne Rooney does it more and more for Manchester United these days. It gives key players more time on the ball, allowing them to cause maximum damage to the opposition.
J – is for Journeyman – In football, a journeyman is someone who swaps from club to club and seems unable to settle anywhere. Or they’ve not good enough for whoever they’ve signed for. Steve Claridge is probably football’s ultimate journeyman, he’s had more clubs than Tiger Woods, 23 in total.
K – is for sweeper Keeper – Brought to light essentially by Football Manager, the sweeper keeper is expected to patrol his penalty area and clean up anything that comes within 20-30 yards of the box. Obviously not if there’s a striker within the vicinity though, we don’t want any blunders now!
L – is for cultured Left foot – No one quite knows why a talented left footed football’s boot is often described as cultured, indeed I doubt they can play the piano or recite every chapter from War and Peace, but it refers to a player than can often deliver a quality ball or possesses fantastic skills. Right feet never tend to be cultured for some reason though.
M – is for the Makelele Role – Perfectly by the French midfielder Claude Makelele who starred for Real Madrid and Chelsea, the Makelele role basically involves sitting in front of the defence and protecting the back four. Anything that moves behind the midfield needs destroying and Scott Parker is a good example of a modern day Makelele. Expect a yellow card here and there.
N – is for No man’s land – Made famous in World War I as the position between the German and British trenches that consisted of just barren wasteland. Funnily enough, this isn’t quite the same in football, indeed no man’s land is the position a goalkeeper gets himself into if he comes for a corner or a free kick and gets nowhere near. David De Gea spent the whole of last season there.
O – is for Offside trap – Often a high risk strategy, back fours play higher up the pitch as a line, trying to catch the opposition strikers offside by stepping up when the ball comes over the top. Play it at your peril though, those good at springing the offside side trap can make defenders look like right mugs.
P – is for Playmaker – Often the key man in the team, the playmaker is the one who everyone looks to get the ball to as soon as possible. Always the most skilful player or most likely to thread a pass through the heart of the opposition, Zinedine Zidane is probably the greatest of the modern era. Cesc Fabregas wasn’t half bad for Arsenal either.
Q – is for Quarterback – A phrase borrowed from our cousins across the pond thanks to their position in American Football that involves the key player sitting back and spraying passes across the field. The position is similar in football, as a midfielder picks up the ball and has the vision to spot available teammates all over the pitch. Charlie Adam perfected the quarterback role for Blackpool, while Paul Scholes is the master for Manchester United.
R – is for Rough-arm tactics – Step forward Stoke City, here is your moment. Tony Pulis deploys rough-arm tactics to try and unsettle the opposition, be it through strong tactics or pushing and shoving at every opportunity. Don’t take it too far, otherwise you’ll end up down to ten men, oh and remember…Arsene Wenger doesn’t like it.
S – is for Studs up – Tackling is not what it used to be, indeed the days of Norman ‘Bites yer legs’ Hunter or Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris have long gone. Nowadays, any sort of poor challenge can lead to a red card and going in with your studs up often results in a sending off. Keep it nice chaps.
T – is for Tiki-taka – It’s no longer total football, it’s now tiki-taka that dominates the beautiful game. Barcelona have revolutionised modern football using this style that demands short passing and movement, maintaining possession and working the ball through various channels. You’ll hear plenty of it in the Premier League as Brendan Rodgers tries to introduce it into his Liverpool team. Good luck…
U – is for Unintentional hand ball – Handball is often a confusing concept, but it revolves round whether the player intentionally handled the ball or not. If he makes a movement with his arm and touches the ball, he gets penalised, but if the ball accidently makes contact with the arm, play on.
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V – is for peripheral Vision – The all-seeing central midfielder often possesses what some call peripheral vision so they can see everything around them, not just what’s in front of them. Xavi is the master, but Paul Scholes ain’t half bad either. Gareth Barry’s could do with some improvement…
W – is for WAG – Surely everyone in football knows this one by now. John Terry and Ryan Giggs’s antics have made the Wives and Girlfriends almost as famous as the actual footballers themselves. Look out for them during major tournaments, there’s quite a selection.
X – is for X-Rated tackle – A mark reserved for particularly explicit films, while the same applies to football tackles. A horror slide challenge, or a two footed leap will often be called an X-rated challenge, nobody likes to see that.
Y – is for Yoyo team – Used to describe a club that’s always being relegated and promoted between two divisions. West Brom are the best example, they’ve been flittering in and out of the top flight ever since they first got there.
Z – is for Zonal Marking – They say a zone can’t score a goal, but more and more managers use zonal marking to defend set pieces these days. Pick an area and let no man make contact with the ball if it gets into that zone.
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has confirmed that talks between himself and the club are ongoing over a new contract.
The England man’s current deal expires next summer, and with Robin van Persie opting to spurn an extension Gunners fans are worried that Walcott could do the same.
However, the attacker has stated that talks have been in progress since the end of Euro 2012.
“It was always going to be a case of holding back until the end of the Euros,” Walcott told Sky Sports.
“We continue to talk and we’ll just see where it goes.”
Walcott went on to admit that he had not heard any rumours of a move elsewhere and is eager to help the north London club do well in 2012-13.
“Not at all because I didn’t have a clue about any other clubs, anything.
“I’m an honest guy. I like to get on with my job. I’ve got to work on pre-season, I don’t want any distractions.
“Like I say, my agent and the club will continue to talk and when there’s something to know I’ll get involved.
“The manager has got so much faith in the young players.
“He’s developed them. Every single one of them that comes in seems to suit the way that Arsenal play football.
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“It’s the next step that we need to go on to now. Everybody says that we’re a young team but we’ve got a lot of experience now – Champions League quarter-finals and so on.
“So we just need to try and prove people wrong and show what we can actually do and find out what we’re made of,” he concluded.