Roy Hodgson has declared West Bromwich Albion safe from relegation after his side came from behind to edge Aston Villa 2-1 on Saturday.An own goal from Abdoulaye Meite put Villa ahead early in the Midlands derby, but Peter Odemwingie proved the hero once more with an equaliser – his 14th goal of the campaign – on the hour.
Things quickly turned sour for West Brom as Paul Scharner was sent packing with a second caution, but Youssouf Mulumbu found the net with six minutes remaining to hand the Baggies their first win over Villa since 1985.
West Brom leapfrog their Midlands rivals into 11th place on the table with 43 points, having taken 16 in nine matches since Hodgson was installed as manager.
Asked if their latest success meant safety for another season, Hodgson told Sky Sports: “Oh yes, I don’t think there is any doubt about that.”
“I don’t know what the other results were today but I really can’t see us going down on 43 points with a good goal difference.”
“I would say, even if it’s not mathematical, as far as I’m concerned it’s as good as done.”
“I’m very, very pleased. We started the game without three of our important regular players (Chris Brunt, Steven Reid and Jerome Thomas).”
“We then lost Gonzalo Jara to injury and we tried to keep in the game, which I thought we did reasonably well and then no sooner had we battled our way to an equaliser, we were down to 10 men.”
“We had to show a lot of fighting spirit, a lot of determination and also quite a lot of tactical discipline to keep them out and amazingly score a second goal, which was the winner.”
Villa caretaker manager Gary McAllister said his players were taking the result hard, having fought themselves into a winnable position early and again after Scharner’s dismissal.
“I’ve got to say there are a lot of disappointed players in that dressing room and they know,” said McAllister, who is in charge for the rest of the season while Gerard Houllier recovers from a heart scare.
“There are a lot of experienced players, a lot of international footballers. There are a few international captains, so they’re all disappointed.”
“They have been done by a sucker punch looking for three points and now we’re leaving here with nothing. It’s hard to take against a local rival.”
Boss Owen Coyle is aiming to agree a new contract with Bolton Wanderers' record signing Johan Elmander, who has started the new season in fine style.
The 29-year-old Sweden international has found the net four times this term, while his all-round game has impressed Coyle and ensured that he is likely to stay at the Reebok Stadium beyond the end of the season.
Coyle told the Bolton News:"We'll sit down with him and he knows that. I can't say it'll be today or tomorrow, but he knows I want him at the football club.
"He's got everything in his locker to be a top player – the very best.
"He's got great mental strength because he's been panned from pillar to post because he came in with a big transfer fee.
"But I've shown the belief I've had in him by playing him week in, week out.
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There is no doubt where Liverpool have struggled this season and had Kenny Dalglish’s men been able to turn at least half of their home draws into wins then they would be right in the mix for a top four finish this season. The lack of firepower in the final third has frustrated Dalglish, who seemed bereft of ideas to describe their struggles. Today’s defeat at Bolton was a bitter pill for Liverpool, who have continued find it tough to dispatch the teams in the lower reaches of the Premier League.
While the Reds maybe misfiring on the pitch, they certainly aren’t off it as Liverpool have secured a lucrative kit deal with Warrior Sports. The deal is worth a reported £25m per season – the biggest kit sponsorship in the Premier League. It certainly gives Kenny Dalglish a chance to spend big in January, although the Scot has been a little coy about potential transfer targets.
This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include; Liverpool finally reach their potential; the Reds too slow to crack the top four, while how can the Reds bridge the Academy gap.
Best of LFC
The key ingredient in Dalglish’s recipe for success
WAG Weekly – Charlie Adam bags himself a beauty!
Liverpool FC finally recognise their potential
Footballers continue to see red amidst the mist of subjectivity
Are Liverpool simply too slow to crack the top four?
The ideal signing that both Liverpool and Arsenal should battle for
Liverpool FC’s top TEN ‘Cult Heroes’ of all time?
Liverpool secure lucrative deal
How can football clubs bridge the academy gap?
Is Liverpool’s recent transfer approach a cause for concern?
Torres, Carroll, what about Nasri?
Does a footballer’s reputation have an influence over such matters?
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Best of WEB
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The Time Has Come for These Two to Be Given Their Chance – Live4Liverpool
Why Dalglish is Doing a Good Job – Tomkins Times
Liverpool Striking Options | Who’s going to fill the onion bag? – Anfield Index
King Kenny’s Return – A Year On – This is Anfield
Finance remains stumbling block in legacy of false promises – Daily Telegraph
Dalglish’s BIG 6 January Targets: Which Will Deliver Champions League Football? – Transfer Tavern
Quote of the Weekend
“When I have been playing over the years and doing well, someone else has had to sit on the bench for me. The roles have reversed now and you have to show respect to the manager, the club and the players playing in my position. I appreciate that.The club have done a lot for me over the years and I’m not going to say anything or cause any trouble just because I’m not playing.” Jamie Carragher (Mirror)
Bolton moved themselves out of the relegation zone after beating a slack Liverpoolside to record only their second win at the Reebok Stadium this season.
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Owen Coyle’s side had lost eight of their 10 home games and hadn’t been victorious in front of their own supports since beating Stoke 5-0 back in November. However goals from Mark Davies, Nigel Reo Coker and Gretar Steinsson sealed an unlikely success against Kenny Dalglish’s side as their hopes of Champions League football suffered a massive hit with Craig Bellamy scoring their consolation. At the other end of the table the Trotters provided themselves with a huge boost in their bid for survival moving out of the bottom three in a game that could prove to be a huge turning point in their season. As for Liverpool they’ll be once again ruing their inability to score goals as a blunt attack featuring Bellamy and misfiring Andy Carroll failed to break down a Bolton defence that has conceded 47 goals in 21 games.
It’s in stark contrast to the visiting back four that has the second best defensive record in the Premier League but it took only four minutes for Bolton to breach it as Davies fired low into the bottom corner after striding unchallenged from just inside the opposition half. That seemed to stun the Liverpool rearguard into a sense of bewilderment as,moments later the usually reliable Jose Enrique lost possession to Chris Eagles on the right only for his cross to evade every white shirt in the penalty. Dalglish’s side struggled to get themselves into the game but finally sparked into life as they appealed to referee Kevin Friend for a penalty after the ball appeared to hit Zat Knights hand. The official merely brushed away any pleas and the Reds found themselves two down as Eagles picked his way through a gap in the 27th minute before dinking the ball over for Re0-Coker to finish from six-yards. The away side upped their efforts after that and halved the deficit eight minutes before half time as Bellamy raced onto Carroll’s flick before clipping the ball over Adam Bogdan.
The Reds seemed to increase their momentum after break in search of an equaliser but their hopes of a comeback were dashed early in the second half as Steinsson volleyed past Pepe Reina after David Wheater had rose highest to nod Martin Petrov‘s corner across goal. Liverpool laboured after that with Daniel Agger hitting the bar with a stinging 25-yard drive and Bellamy testing Bogdan with a tame low shot. However Dalglish’s men failed to sufficiently threaten the Bolton defence as Coyle’s men gave themselves a timely lift with games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City on the horizon.
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Click on Roger Johnson’s misses below to unveil our current Premier League Wag XI
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish praised his team’s attitude after their comfortable 3-0 win over Newcastle at Anfield on Sunday.Goals from Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez helped the Reds move above Tottenham and into fifth place in the English Premier League, and Dalglish was pleased with his team’s performance, particularly in the second half.
“It was a difficult day for both sets of players,” Dalglish said.
“It was really hot for them and after we took the lead they put us under a bit of pressure through set plays and crosses but in the second half we loosened up a little bit, got two goals and I think we deserved to win.”
“I didn’t expect to get a stroll in the sunshine. They’ve been playing well of late. They got a good draw at home to Manchester United and maybe the Andy Carroll factor added a wee bit of spice for them but as I say, it was a tough game but I think we were deserving winners.”
“Some of the passing and movement has been better than what it was today but their determination and effort was the same as it has always been.”
The Scot praised 18-year-old defender John Flanagan for his battling performance on both the right and left sides of defence.
“I think he won the test against (Jonas) Gutierrez and against (Joey) Barton. He made the first goal and then he’s been moved over and it worked out well for us,” Dalglish said.
“Flanagan has done brilliantly. He has surpassed all of our expectations and it’s great credit to him. He got booked but he kept trying and kept playing and he’s been a great credit for us.”
The win moved Liverpool within four points of fourth-placed Manchester City, who occupy the last Champions League spot, but Dalglish sees Europa League qualification as more likely.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew rued Kuyt’s 59th-minute penalty that put his side two goals down and came about after defender Mike Williamson fouled Suarez.
“I thought the second goal was crucial in the game. We took the game to them after the first goal but couldn’t quite find a moment in the box before half time. We had a good chance with Joey (Barton) just after half time and I would expect him to score that,” Pardew said.
“If we had scored that would Liverpool have been able to break out of the slumber we have got them in?'”
“Unfortunately for us Mike Williamson made a mistake which cost us the second goal, albeit outside the box by the looks of it.”
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has admitted that talks over a new contract with midfielder Sebastian Larsson have stalled in recent weeks.
The 25-year-old Sweden international's current deal runs out at the end of the season, with Larsson having so far failed to reach an agreement over a fresh contract.
McLeish told Press Association Sport:"There is nothing doing at the moment with Seb's contract.
"We were hopeful we could get something done, but it is up to Seb. He is now in a good position for himself if he wants to become a Bosman. But we will keep trying to entice him.
"I think he had a great game on Saturday. His delivery from the wide area was great.
"Seb doesn't have to beat a man. He can get the ball around an opponent with his terrific curl on the ball.
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Arsenal forward Thierry Henry has told the club’s fans not to expect heroics from him in every match, and stated that he will be happy if he can help the club succeed over the next two months.
The Gunners’ all-time top goalscorer came off the bench to score the winner against Leeds on Monday night in a dream return to the Emirates, and secure an FA Cup fourth round tie with Aston Villa.
However Henry has stated that he won’t be able to replicate the form that shot him to legendary status in his first stint in North London, and he is back to help Arsene Wenger.
“I know I scored, but that is not going to happen every time I play. I don’t know if my runs were intelligent or not but that’s the way I play,” the French forward told Arsenal Player.
“I am going to try to bring what I can. Maybe another time it won’t be enough, but I will always try my best.
“I love the club – I say it so many times. We are not going to redo the story – I just love the club and that’s how it is.
“If the boss needs me for 30 seconds, a minute, if he doesn’t need me, I am going to try to be around the guys and help in the dressing room.
“I always want more so I don’t know if it is going to be a goal, a pass or a tackle.
“I am here to be another player, to help the squad and that is it,” he finished.
Arsenal travel to the Liberty Stadium next to take on Swansea on Sunday.
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It promised to be an explosive FA Cup semi final and it didn’t disappoint as Mario Balotelli’s antics at the final whistle got United players a little hot under the collar. It wasn’t the greatest Manchester derby of recent memory, but City fans won’t mind one iota as the win gives them a golden opportunity to end their trophy drought.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that includes Capello set to lose his trusted assistant; Wenger’s pre-season compromise, while Dalglish believes Liverpool can bridge gap.
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Ferguson rues Scholes’s ‘red-mist moment’ against City – Guardian
Capello faces losing Baldini to Roma – Daily Telegraph
Hiddink will urge Chelsea to go Dutch as he rules out return – Daily Mail
Man United consider surprise return for Forlan – Mirror
Balotelli wink was no big deal, says Mancini – Guardian
Wenger’s pre-season compromise – Sky Sports
Abramovich: A problem and a solution – Guardian
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Dalglish believes Liverpool can bridge gap – Daily Telegraph
Arsenal warning: Don’t expect Kroenke to splash the cash like Abramovich – Daily Mail
Tuesday’s transfer window came and went for Arsenal fans but there were to be no more new faces coming to the Emirates. This season has seen Arsene let go of a number of experienced players while only bringing in three players to replace those that have left. Gunners fans have long had trust in Wenger’s transfer policy and no doubt his financial prudence is to be heralded but in letting a wealth of experience leave the club without replacing them, has Arsene Wenger threatened Arsenal’s title challenge?
I believe that he has. Wenger has allowed a slew of experienced players to leave the club at important positions, letting centre-backs William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre, Philippe Senderos and Sol Campbell move on to pastures new while bringing in French defenders Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci as replacements. With all those players gone, there is a definite lack of experience at centre-back with Thomas Vermaelen and the injury-prone Johan Djourou the only two with Premier League experience. And only a season each at that.
New signing Laurent Koscielny has had a mixed start in his first few games for the Gunners. He looked assured against Liverpool in Arsenal’s opening game of the season but off the pace against Blackburn where he was passed easily by El-Hadji Diouf to set up Blackburn’s equalising goal. To take some of the burden off young Koscielny, Arsenal have signed experienced French international Sebastien Squillaci from Sevilla but like Koscielny, he too will have to make a rapid adjustment to the physical demands of the Premier League if he is to be a success in England.
You can make a case that Wenger knows the right time to let certain players leave when they are past their best. He allowed Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira to leave Arsenal and he has since been vindicated in his decision to do so. But his decision to let so many experienced players go has left the Arsenal boss with few options and a thin squad which threatens to be stretched even more by fitness concerns and injuries to key players that seem to be mounting up.
With Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner suffering a fresh setback in his recovery from a groin injury and Robin van Persie out for up to a month with an ankle injury suffered against Blackburn on the weekend, Wenger has been forced to start new signing Marouane Chamakh maybe a little earlier than he would have wanted.
Goalkeeper has long been a concern for Arsenal fans and the club’s failure to land Mark Schwarzer this transfer window will not have filled those fans with a great deal of confidence. Manuel Almunia and Lukascz Fabianski have failed to consistently prove that they are good enough to keep goal for a club of Arsenal’s standing.
Arsenal’s results so far in the league have been encouraging and the Gunners sit in 2nd place in the Premier League table. However, as the season wears on, the failure to strengthen the squad could be a huge problem for Arsenal as they look to sustain their title challenge.
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A welcome addition to the Premier League’s Wag arena – Click on image below to view gallery
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To buy or not to buy – the big question facing Arsene Wenger this January. Thanks to a bit of bad luck and a series of injuries Arsenal currently find themselves without a single fit full-back. Bacary Sagna is out of action as is fill-in full-back Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs. The recent news that Andre Santos is facing three months out on the sidelines stirred up some panic amongst fans. How would the Gunners adapt to this latest crisis?
The answer, it seems, is to play four centre-backs in all four of the defensive positions. How long that solution will prove successful remains to be seen. So should Wenger bring in some cover during the January transfer window?
And who could they bring in? Wenger may well be tempted to bring in Taye Taiwo , the Nigerian International who isn’t getting much of a look in at AC Milan. It’s rumoured that Newcastle United are entering negotiations with Milan to take him on loan, but couldn’t the Gunners hijack such a deal?
He’s even more appealing given the fact that Nigeria didn’t qualify for the African Cup of Nations this year and thus won’t be off for an extended period of time next year.
The danger of bringing in another player is that once all the left-backs at the club are all fit, they just won’t get a look in. Competition within the squad is one thing, but it has to be remembered that there is a 25-man-squad limit, and having 5 full-backs just doesn’t seem necessary.
But a loan move does have some appeal. Santos will be absent for three months (let’s not forget that with these long-term injuries it’s often difficult to assess how long the recovery period will be) and will take time to recover fitness and find some form.
With Taiwo on loan, there’d be no rushing players who aren’t quite ready back onto the pitch. The likes of Gibbs and Santos will be left to recover at their own pace. What’s more, I think at this stage in their careers, Taiwo is a better player than Gibbs.
Unfortunately he’s played in the Champions League for Milan and would thus be cup-tied should he join Arsenal on loan.
On balance however, this is an area Arsene needs to consider carefully this January and I for one hope he finds someone to bring in with a loan deal. And who better that Taiwo?
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What’s your take? Do Arsenal need to bring in a full-back this January?
Article courtesy of Harry Cloke from This is Futbol
As a Liverpool fan I’ve enjoyed watching Spurs the Champions League this season. A bit like Blackpool in their first Premier League campaign, they have attacked fearlessly, even against the big guns, and have been a joy to watch (except maybe for Tottenham fans with heart conditions!) Last night against Madrid though, I was beginning to think that what looked like Harry Redknapp taking to the Champions League like a duck to water, may have been more of a case of beginner’s luck.
Spurs fell victim to Murphy’s Law last night as everything that could go wrong did go wrong. With the official reason being given as a sore throat, Aaron Lennon was a late, late withdrawal from Spurs starting XI. He was replaced by Jermaine Jenas whose form this season has been indifferent at best; the change was hardly like for like. As a result Spurs started the game very slowly. My thoughts were that Niko Kranjcar would have given the team better balance than Jenas, but as he was a doubt going into the game and Redknapp though better of it, especially with Bale and Gallas only just back from injury. Adebayor doesn’t strike fear into many defences these days but Gallas would not have been relishing the opportunity to mark his old team mate given his prolific history against Tottenham. It was Jenas however who lost the on-loan Man City big man as headed Real into a deserved early lead.
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Real continued to press and perhaps it was out of frustration at lack of decent supply that caused Peter Crouch to lunge needlessly at Marcelo and get a second yellow. After watching the replays back even the referee Felix Brych, who was very quick to flash his cards early on, might agree the sending off was harsh. Going down to ten men left Spurs under even more pressure as they struggled to hold on to possession. It was Spurs however who had the better of the chances in the remainder of the half. They’re new make-shift front pairing of Rafael Van der Vaart and Bale creating a few half chances on the counter attack that could have gotten Tottenham right back into the game.
As good as Van der Vaart can be he offers little as a lone striker; Harry opted to swap him for Jermain Defoe for the second half. Understandably though it was Madrid who came out all guns blazing. Madrid were simply better in every area of the pitch, with Xabi Alonso pulling the strings and completely outshining the surprisingly poor Luka Modric in midfield. Ronaldo and Marcelo gave an out-of-his-depth Vedran Corluka a torrid time all night and it was from this side where the cross came for Adebayor to get his second, again a free header, Benoit Assou-Ekotto the guilty party this time. From there it was plain sailing for Real. Gomes, who had made a few fine saves, could do little about Di Maria’s superb strike from the corner of the box. Bale was off the pitch receiving treatment when the goal was scored, but even if he had been fully fit a repeat of his San Siro hat-trick was never going to happen. Casillas was a spectator in the second half.
Ronaldo rounded off what turned out to be an easy night at the office for Real with a thundering strike to the near post, Gomes not covering himself in glory this time. Even super-flop Kaka was allowed on for a cameo appearance. With the tie now effectively over, and Spurs unlikely to qualify for next year’s tournament, they will have nothing to lose in the second leg. Premiership fans’ attentions now turn to the Chelsea v Manchester United clash tonight, the winners of which now look likely to play Schalke 04; arguably an easy route to the final.
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Jose Mourinho would have preferred a much sterner test last night, he even looked genuinely upset in his post-match interview when talking of Crouch’s dismissal. Having effectively lost La Liga to Barca at the weekend, the Champions League represents his only hope of a major trophy in what could potentially be a one-season stint at Madrid. Jose says he has great respect for Redknapp, maybe because Harry has never beaten him… will they be locking horns in the Premiership again next season?