Premier League Masters

Thursday, 31 January 2013

David Beckham trains at Arsenal with his future plans still undecided - Telegraph.co.uk

Wenger said that he would have to watch Beckham in training before assessing whether he could still play at Premier League level but, after the player left LA Galaxy last month, he is now a free agent and so can join any club even after the transfer window closes.

Beckham has been keeping himself fit with running and gym sessions since helping the LA Galaxy to a second MLS title eight weeks ago. He has offers from across the world – although not from Arsenal – and intends to make a final decision on his future during the next month as he tries to regain his sharpness.

Asked if something was possible at Arsenal if Beckham really impressed him, Wenger said: "I don't know. I haven't even seen him. Honestly, that is not on the agenda. He asked to come here and get fit."

"You know Beckham is super-ambitious. If in his mind he wanted to play in the Premier League he would not have gone on holiday. He would have prepared and come in and tried to impress me."

Beckham has previously spent two spells training at Arsenal and has a very good relationship with Wenger. Although he hardly fits the age profile of an Arsenal signing, Wenger has agreed short-term deals for players of particular experience in each of the past three seasons, with Sol Campbell, Jens Lehmann and Thierry Henry all returning.

Beckham would not be sufficiently mobile to play as a winger in Wenger's Arsenal system but it is conceivable that he could be considered as a deeper lying central midfielder. That is a position Wenger hoped to strengthen this month but he now appears resigned to not being able to find the right player.

"We have fantastic players," said Wenger. "What do you do? You have to buy one better than we already have. If I bring a normal player in, I give the club a problem because it is for four years and I am stopping the young players having a chance.

"What is important is that you bring in players who can strengthen your team, or you do nothing and are strong enough to do nothing. We've scored more goals this season than last year when we had the best striker in the Premier League. We could do with top quality, one more."

Wenger had hoped that additional "top quality" would come through Villa but he now accepts that Barcelona are not willing sellers. It leaves Olivier Giroud as the only specialist central striker, although Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Gervinho can also play in that position.

Arsenal are sixth in the Premier League and, with £40million in his transfer fund and the highest season-ticket prices in English football, Wenger will face considerable criticism if he does not now strengthen and the club remain outside the top four.

Arsenal also announced on Tuesday that they would be freezing their ticket prices for next season.

Roberto Mancini: Man City unlikely to replace Mario Balotelli - BBC Sport

Roberto Mancini does not expect to replace Mario Balotelli before the end of the transfer window on Thursday.

The Italian striker, 22, is due to finalise a move to AC Milan on Wednesday for an initial fee believed to be 22m euros (£19m).

It leaves Mancini with only three recognised strikers but the manager doubts he will sign a replacement.

"We only have two days and it is difficult to buy a good player in this moment," said Mancini.

City have been linked with big-money moves for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and Atletico Madrid's Radamel Falcao in the January transfer window, despite Mancini's insistence that he will not be able to replace Balotelli before the deadline.

However the manager admits that the loss of Balotelli, who signed for City for £24m in 2010, lessens his options as City look to close the four-point gap on leaders Manchester United, who also have a game in hand.

"It is difficult because I lost one important striker and that could be important in the next 14 games," Mancini said.

"But it is important for Mario - to be back in Italy, back with his family and to play for Milan."

The 2011-12 season was arguably Balotelli's most productive as he netted 20 goals in 40 appearances and provided the crucial assist for Sergio Aguero to score the title-clinching goal against QPR in May last year.

He has not featured as much this season, with Mancini preferring to play Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko, and he was involved in a training ground altercation with his manager at the beginning of the month.

However, Mancini says the two have parted on good terms and said he hopes to see the player realise his potential in Serie A.

"We are sorry because we love him like a guy and like a player," said Mancini. "We did well with him - we won the FA Cup, Premier League and Community Shield, and it's clear we are sad at the moment.

"I hope Mario can improve and can show he is ready because if he works hard he can continue his growing and can become one of the best players in Europe."

Balotelli's time in Manchester has been dominated by constant headlines, with the striker struggling with his discipline on the pitch.

In his first season at Manchester City he scored 10 goals in 28 appearances, but was also sent off twice - against West Bromwich Albion and Dynamo Kiev.

He had similar problems last season, picking up 11 yellow cards and being sent off in Premier League games against Liverpool and Arsenal - the latter prompting Mancini to suggest he would be willing to sell the striker.

And Mancini, speaking after his side's 0-0 draw with bottom club Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday, joked that journalists will be sad to see the player leave the Premier League

When asked if he will miss Balotelli, Mancini said: "Yes. I think that he will miss me and all the journalists. For you [journalists], he was very important."

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Newcastle's French signings are breath of fresh air, says Steven Taylor - The Guardian

As dressing-room initiations go, those undergone by French players at Newcastle United on Monday evening were routine. Crucially for Alan Pardew, an instant bond between his latest French imports and their new team-mates translated into a much-needed victory at Villa Park 24 hours later.

Mapou Yanga-M'biwa, Yoan Gouffran, Massadio Haïdara and Moussa Sissoko have arrived at St James' Park this month from France, further highlighting Pardew's favoured market for fresh talent. Sissoko and Gouffran started the 2-1 win at Villa.

Any sense that Pardew's Gallic influence could lead to a clash of cultures in the Newcastle squad has been dismissed by one of the English contingent, Steven Taylor.

"The manager presented each of the new players with a shirt and made them stand up in front of the group and say why they want to be here," Taylor explained. "They were telling the lads: 'Listen, if you give us the chance, we'll prove to you that we want to be here.'

"It was in French, but translated into English for the boys. We listened to what they had to say and that was touching for us. They said they wanted to be accepted into the team and promised they'd give 100%. That was exactly what we wanted to hear.

"Afterwards, some of the players got the French boys to sing in front of all of us. That got the banter going, welcome to the group. They might have been a bit embarrassed about it, but fair play to them, they got up there without arguing.

"It was a French song, I couldn't really understand it. But I'm learning a bit. I'm going to get a French CD for the car."

If that last point was in jest, Newcastle's league position had become a serious matter before the Midlands win bounced them back up to 15th in the Premier League. Sissoko's presence in midfield made a particular impact.

"He's a machine, he's an animal," Taylor said. "Players are trying to get near him and he's just bouncing them off. That's what we need, that big powerhouse there.

"It's a breath of fresh air for us. When you look around the dressing room and see new players, top-quality players, there's competition for places now. We've had a few little games among ourselves and you can see the desire from everybody challenging for places. You've got to step up to the plate because the gaffer's said to us: 'Anyone slacking, you're out of the side.'"

The victory over Paul Lambert's struggling team marked Newcastle's first away win in 18 attempts, prompting Pardew to claim in a post-match interview that supporters had travelled 14,000 miles on the road without witnessing victory. Its significance was not lost on Taylor, either.

"I absolutely loved it. For me, the feeling at the final whistle was the best I've ever experienced in a black and white shirt," Taylor added. "It's the best I've ever had during my time at Newcastle.

"I thought we outclassed them in the first half. We were fantastic. But it was a game of two halves and the second half was a proper Premier League game. It was a fighting performance from us in the end. To score a goal at home lifts their fans a bit and we knew we had to calm it down.

"At that point, we probably didn't know what to expect from the French lads because the Premier League is a completely different league to the French league, but they put in a fantastic performance and effort. We said after the game, there's no better feeling than the togetherness we felt afterwards."

Chelsea, Spurs and Man City miss out as £29m Shakhtar star Willian heads for ... - Daily Mail

By Andy James

PUBLISHED: 12:14 EST, 30 January 2013 | UPDATED: 13:44 EST, 30 January 2013

Big-spending Russians Anzhi Makhachkala are set to sign Shakhtar Donetsk forward Willian for 29million.

Willian was close to joining Chelsea last summer and the Londoners have been keeping a close eye on the Brazilian's situation ever since.

Manchester City and Tottenham are also known admirers but Anzhi look to have won the race for his signature.

Big-money move: Willian is set to join Anzhi in a 29m move from Shakhtar

The capture of Willian should soften the blow delivered by the loss of Christopher Samba.

The big defender has travelled to London to seal a 12.5m move to Queens Park Rangers after the Premier League strugglers met the release clause in his contract.

Anzhi boss Guus Hiddink hit out at Samba over the way he left.

The former Chelsea boss said: 'It's a shame to talk about this but he didn't even say goodbye, he didn't explain anything to us.

'Whatever happens to you, you should take into account the people with whom you work.'

The comments below have not been moderated.

Thought his dream was to play in the EPL but of course his greed says something else..

- Drogba , London, 30/1/2013 18:42

Of to Russia you go, had the chance to play ucl football for Shakhtar but chose Anzhi who have one good player (eto'o) and he's past it anyway. Shaktar have signed the exciting Taison who has potential and have a good chance this season of getting far in ucl and in the future.

- comment typer , London, 30/1/2013 18:38

Another promising player moving to russia to have a boring career with lots of money... if this is the way football is heading i fear for it!

- Tobydawson1 , Guildford, United Kingdom, 30/1/2013 18:31

good but not 29m good.

- Rob , bath, United Kingdom, 30/1/2013 18:28

Money talks money talks

- Mydannat , Masfield, 30/1/2013 18:26

What it means is the Premiership has no muscle as it thinks it does. The richest Premiership clubs couldn't compete with the Russians. Says it all. RIP EPL

- Hunglikeshire , Beckton London, 30/1/2013 18:23

great move, Hulk also opted for Russia instead of Chelsea and he is doing just well and is well adored by Zenit fans.

- TheIvtcha , Smederevo, 30/1/2013 18:21

chelsea have bought hazard, oscar, moses and marin in his position spurs now have holtby, bale and lennon fighting for similar positions that willian plays in. while willian is a great player, the price tag was never going to fall even with chelsea and certainly not with spurs.

- rahulcfc26 , toronto ontario, 30/1/2013 18:14

How can a small club such as Anzhi Makhachkala afford to buy Willian for 29million. So much for FIFA`s financial fair play criteria ...

- Barry , Auckland, 30/1/2013 18:08

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Arsène Wenger open-minded over future move for David Beckham as former ... - Telegraph.co.uk

"You know Beckham is super-ambitious. If in his mind he wanted to play in the Premier League he would not have gone on holiday. He would have prepared and come in and tried to impress me."

Arsenal also announced on Tuesday that they would be freezing their ticket prices for next season.

Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson charged by FA with misconduct - The Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged by the Football Association for comments made about an assistant referee at Tottenham Hotspur on 20 January.

The Manchester United manager was heavily critical of Simon Beck after the 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane, in which Spurs scored their equaliser in stoppage time. Speaking after the game, Ferguson expressed his anger that what he regarded as a "clear" penalty to United as Steven Caulker challenged Wayne Rooney on Beck's side of the field had not been given. "It was a clear decision. And he [Beck] was 10, maybe 12 yards away from the incident and he doesn't give it. And yet he gave everything else," Ferguson said at the time.

Ferguson subsequently claimed his club had "history" with Beck following the official's failure to rule out a Didier Drogba goal for Chelsea on the grounds of offside in 2010. "There was no way we were going to get a decision from [Beck]," Ferguson said.

He added: "The stand-side linesman didn't give us a thing all day" and "we never got anything on that side of the pitch."

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, English football's governing body said: "The FA has today charged Sir Alex Ferguson in relation to post-match media comments made following Manchester United's game at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 20 January 2013.

" It is alleged the Manchester United manager breached FA Rule E3 in that he implied that the match official was motivated by bias. Ferguson has until 4pm on Friday 1 February 2013 to respond to the charge."

Given the strength of his feelings on the matter, it is unlikely that Ferguson will let the affair pass without further comment or challenge. He has already supplied a written explanation of his comments to the FA and, when asked last Friday if he believed the matter was personal, the Scot said: "That is what I have put in my letter exactly. But you never know the FA. We are high profile and the profile of me is such that the FA naturally panic as soon as the press criticise them. I think that is what you will find. That is why they have sent me a letter.

"Whether I think it is unfair or not doesn't matter to them really at this point. I just think it is more about me than what I have said."

In March 2011, Ferguson was handed a five-game touchline ban and fined £30,000 when found guilty of questioning the integrity of a referee, Martin Atkinson, after another game with Chelsea. Yet earlier this season, Ferguson escaped punishment for a high-profile confrontation with officials, including the referee Mike Dean, during a controversy-filled match with Newcastle United.

Roberto Mancini does not expect to replace Mario Balotelli before the end of ... - BBC News