Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has claimed that no club has shown an interest in striker Darren Bent and that the pair have not had a falling out.
Bent has been left out of the past few Villa starting line ups and his future has been widely speculated this week with the January transfer window around the corner.
After a big money move from Sunderland in 2011, Bent has failed to really set Villa Park alight and Lambert has favoured youngster Andreas Weimann and new signing Christian Benteke to lead the line with Gabby Agbonlahor also in front of Bent in the pecking order.
A player of Bent’s goalscoring record may attract plenty of attention if he becomes available in the transfer window and while Lambert claims that he has not had an argument with the player, it is clear that the England striker is not in his plans at the moment.
“Darren was on the bench last week. We’ve not had a cross word at all,” Lambert told Sky Sports.
“Has there been any interest in Bent? None.
“Are you adamant you want to sell? Listen. My job is to pick a group of lads I think will win the game and that’s my main focus, not any other deviation of anything else.”
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Laurent Koscielny suffered a devastating blow on Thursday during what was a disappointing night all round for Arsenal.
The defender seriously damaged his Achilles during the first half of the Gunners’ Europa League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.
The France international, who has 51 caps for his country, winced in pain on the floor and was eventually stretchered off the pitch just 12 minutes into the game.
Replays showed that the aggravation to his Achilles did not come from a challenge as he was nowhere near another player nor the ball when it happened.
After the match, manager Arsene Wenger told reporters that the condition of Koscielny’s injury did “not look good”, and there have been widespread suggestions that the defender will miss the World Cup in Russia.
At the age of 32, the centre-back may face a struggle to force his way back into the team when fitness is regained.
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Plenty of Arsenal fans expressed sympathy and sent their well-wishes to Koscielny via social media, while others were less supportive and urged for the defender to be sold.
2014/15 has certainly been a somewhat surprising campaign for those following Southampton.. The summer exodus at St. Mary’s really didn’t bode too well for the club throughout the rest of the year, but as Ronald Koeman came in and did a fantastic job for his side in the Premier League, such initial worries have seemingly been dropped for now.
The new names drafted in at Southampton last summer turned out to be a series of good investments for the club. The likes of Graziano Pelle, Dusan Tadic and Ryan Bertrand all done the business for their new side last season, whilst more familiar faces – in the form of Morgan Schneiderlin and Jose Fonte – proved more than worthy of their lofty status down at St. Mary’s with their consistency out on the pitch.
There is one particular Southampton star that arguably caught the attention more than any other player on the South Coast across 2014/15 however – and that man is 24-year-old, Nathaniel Clyne.
In having such a strong season and capturing the attention of the England national set-up this term, the former Crystal Palace favourite has subsequently been linked with a series of potential moves throughout the summer, with Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool being one of many outfits looking the acquire the full-back’s services in the run up to the new campaign.
In light of such a notion then, should the promising England international begin waving his good-byes at St. Mary’s with a view to join Liverpool this summer, or will this potential transfer only serve to damage Nathaniel Clyne’s career in the not too distant future?
Well for one thing, those who suggest that the Saints no. 2 would be capable of holding down the right-back spot at Anfield next season certainly aren’t wrong. Based on his impressive performances this term, Clyne could most definitely add to this current Reds squad and help them improve on their rather disappointing recent Premier League form.
He has been a truly reliable asset for Southampton in recent seasons, and at the still promising age of only 24-years-old, the current St. Mary’s favourite is likely only going to get better.
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When it comes to making bustling runs up and down the flanks for the whole 90 minutes, beating players on the wing with impressive consistency, and also proving able to send in the crosses at a frequent rate – there have arguably been none better than the Southampton no. 2 this past season.
The quick-footed full-back has been everywhere for his side this term – and with such a well-rounded asset on board for Ronald Koeman in recent months – it comes as no surprise that the Saints have surpassed many expectations throughout the 2014/15 campaign.
Although Anfield would certainly be a great place for someone like Nathaniel Clyne to home in his skills and become even more of a high profile player, why would the former Selhurst Park star consider leaving St. Mary’s when things are currently going so well for him? Every football fan in this country knows full well the potential on offer from Clyne in the next few seasons, so any potential move to Liverpool this summer would only serve to gamble away the reputation he has already earned.
The Reds have unfortunately been notorious for turning would-be promising stars into somewhat flat prospects in recent years – just look at how poorly their transfer activity last summer turned out for them across the 2014/15 season. The club are in a bit of an uncertain period in their history at the moment, for nobody at Anfield seems to know which direction the team are currently heading in.
With Southampton clearly looking like a side on the up based on their recent successes, Nathaniel Clyne would be simply mad to move on from his current employers on the back of such a gamble. The likes of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have already served to prove how precarious these transfers can be, with each player subsequently paying witness to a rather forgetful campaign at Liverpool this season.
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No, recent history simply acts as a strong warning for any up and coming Southampton star looking to improve on their fortunes elsewhere. Nathaniel Clyne looks like he could be a really good player in the next few years – but if he eventually decides that Anfield is the best place for him to ply his trade next season – we could ultimately be forgetting his name almost as soon as he first burst onto the scene.
And that is something no one really wants to see happen, Southampton fan or not.
The words common sense and Newcastle United don’t often go together. Certainly, the Toon Army have seen some interesting times at St James’s Park since the Premier League began, ranging from Kevin Keegan’s infamous rant about Sir Alex Ferguson to Mike Ashley’s beer swilling appearances in the home shirt of those who despise him so much. Things are looking up these days for the Magpies after Alan Pardew’s men mounted an assault on the Champions League last season with the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse all excelling.
Transfers don’t always go that well on Tyneside, indeed there seems to be no shortage of names that makes any Newcastle fan cringe by simply remembering them. Considering the club attracts some of the most passionate and vocal fans in the league, they’ve been represented on the pitch by some appalling footballers. We revisit the past two decades of Newcastle history and put together the worst Newcastle United transfer XI since the Premier League began.
Nottingham Forest picked up a fine win in the English Championship on Tuesday night, beating Barnsley 3-0 at the City Ground.
With nothing left to play for before the end of the season, the remaining games are all about improvement for Aitor Karanka and his side and wins like Tuesday night certainly won’t hurt heading into the summer.
Lee Tomlin, Ben Brereton and Apostolos Vellios were all on the scoresheet as the Reds racked up one of their biggest wins of the season.
Fans were delighted with the performance and singled out youngster Brereton for particular praise after his classy finish from Tomlin’s defence splitting pass.
The 19-year-old has had his struggles this season but Karanka has continued to give him backing in the first team and with two goals and an assist in his last three games, that time on the pitch is now paying dividends.
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Can he develop further and become a consistent goalscorer for Forest next season?
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his Tuesday display…
Liverpool went down 1-0 at Hull on Tuesday night and failed to find the net for the second game in a row.
The Reds have scored 47 goals this campaign, only slightly more than half of their grand total of 90 this time last year.
Back then, the SAS partnership of Suarez and Sturridge was propelling the club up the table. Now, with Suarez gone and Sturridge an almost permanent fixture in the club’s treatment room, Brendan Rodgers has lamented the loss of this firepower.
The Anfield boss has strongly hinted that his current forwards are not up to the task. With Sturridge out, the coach has preferred Mario Balotelli, who is widely expected to leave the club in the summer following a difficult and goal-shy spell.
Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini have become forgotten men. Their sparse use suggesting a lack of trust in them to do the business.
Meanwhile out on loan to Lille, youngster Divock Origi has done little to suggest he could be the answer next term.
Here, though, are three men who just might be…
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Christian Benteke
After toiling desperately for goals for much of the campaign the Belgian has enjoyed a revival at Villa since Tim Sherwood revitalised the side and reopened the supply lines to his main forward.
Benteke has been in red-hot form over the last few months and seems to have dispelled any doubts that he might not return the same player after a lengthy injury lay-off.
The 24-year-old has constantly been linked with a move to a bigger Premier League club and he may just feel that now is the right time.
His contract expires in 2017 so it would make sense for Villa to cash in when they can still command a decent fee.
The player has handed in a transfer request in the past but even if everything falls into place for him to leave Villa Park, Liverpool will not be the only suitors. Benteke’s pace and power look well suited to spearhead the Anfield attack but Rodgers would need to work hard to get his man.
Alexandre Lacazette
Despite being slightly younger than Benteke and untested in the Premier League, Lacazette would likely be an even more expensive acquisition. This is due to the French forward’s scintillating form this season.
The 23-year-old made his debut in 2010 and has made steady under-the-radar progress before exploding into life this term.
The Lyon man has romped away with the Ligue 1 goalscorer’s competition, netting 26 times in the French top flight.
There is no guarantee this form could be translated to the Premier League but the player is likely to want to test himself outside of France before long.
He has all the attributes to fit into Liverpool’s attacking pass-and-move style but is likely to be a priority target for Europe’s big clubs.
His own side, Lyon, are also heading into next season’s Champions League, something that looks unlikely for Brendan Rodgers’ men.
Charlie Austin
Regardless of whether QPR mange to survive in the Premier League for another season, it is widely believed that Charlie Austin should be moving on this summer.
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Rangers would be already dead and buried were it not for his 17 league goals this term.
The 25-year-old must be wondering how many goals he would have scored in the English top flight this season had he been playing at a club at the other end of the table.
The former Burnley man is likely to represent a slightly cheaper alternative to Benteke or Lacazette but would still require a significant outlay.
Austin is a pure goalscorer who operates on instinct and nets all kinds of goals.
While his statistics would indicate he is the answer, other aspects of his play suggest he may not be right to lead the Liverpool attack.
Rodgers might prefer a faster forward more accustomed to his fluid attacking system.
Is this just one escapology trick too far for Harry Redknapp? To save QPR from the inevitable would take the skill of another Harry – Houdini – to undo the weighted shackles dragging the club into the murky depths below the Premier League. Despite a spirited comeback that almost nicked a point at Fulham on Monday their fate already looks sealed with seven points separating them from safety and seven games left on the schedule. It’s a feat no other Premier League club has achieved. But with Redknapp in the dugout anything is possible. If he can harness the fighting spirit demonstrated in the second half at Craven Cottage over 90 minutes in each of their remaining fixtures Rangers may stand a chance. But the players have to start showing they want to remain in the top-flight immediately starting with the ‘six-pointer’ against Wigan.
Roberto Martinez is another patron of late season escape acts and has already set his into motion. The Latics have made a name for themselves in the recent years as survival specialists and five wins from the last six league and cup games has boosted their chances of avoiding the dreaded drop into the Championship. With a game in hand on the bottom three the prospect of pulling away from danger is a massive one especially if they prevail in West London on Sunday. Confidence is high within the Wigan camp and, although they face a tricky run-in after next weeks first ever FA Cup semi-final, they know a victory over QPR will go a long way to adding another ‘Great Escape’ to add to their already bulging album.
Team News
Shaun Wright-Phillips has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to correct an ankle problem. Other than that QPR have a clean bill of health.
Wigan have Callum McManaman back to full fitness following an ankle injury and apart from their long-term casualties Wigan have no other injury concerns.
What the managers said…
“I’d want to take it if the chairman wanted me to stay. I would stay with the club and have a go at it [the Championship]. I’d do that, but if he said we needed to cut back and I had to go I’d understand as well. It is so difficult to go back up. There are some decent teams in the Championship. The chairman would have to look at the situation carefully. It is well documented that there are a lot of players getting a lot of money here, they would be earning way in excess of what they’d get in the Championship. I know I should be preparing but I don’t even want to think about it.” Harry Redknapp vows to stick with QPR in the event they are relegated (Twentyfour7 Football Magazine)
“It is not a pivotal weekend. We are all set for the final eight games of the season and this period of eight games will be pivotal. QPR is not pivotal in that it will define our season. Instead it is one game in a period of games which allows you to win as many games as you can. And when you’re in this position, the margins of error are very small. Away from home this year we have been strong – we’ve only had one defeat away in 2013. That will be tested against QPR and we must be ready for that. We’re in the moment of the season where you need to reach your highest performance levels and we need to make sure we are as good as we can be on Sunday.” Roberto Martinez insists Saturday’s six-pointer with QPR is not ‘do or die’. (Mirror Sport)
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Pre-Match Statistic: Wigan have yet to be involved in a goalless draw this season with their last stalemate coming in February 2012.
Prediction: QPR 2-2 Wigan Athletic
Make your bets ahead of the showdown at Loftus Road by clicking on the banner below
Sheffield Wednesday got back to winning ways in the English Championship on Saturday with a 1-0 win away to Hull City.
After consecutive defeats against Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, the Owls were looking for improvement at the KCOM Stadium and delivered with a victory the moves them up to 16th in the table.
The three points were delivered by striker Jordan Rhodes, who headed home in the 18th minute after making his first start for the club in over a month.
Rhodes has had a frustrating season at Wednesday, scoring just four times in the league prior to Saturday’s goal but fans still have belief he can prove to be a success at the club after this performance.
They were delighted with his impact and are hoping it can help him find form in the closing stages of the season.
Can he prove he still has a future at Hillsborough?
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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
In February it was being reported that Nigel Pearson was sacked at Leicester manager. We reported it too soon as it turned out, but surely he was on thin ice that night. Very thin ice.
That was the day when he seemed to have lost it completely. That was the day when he grabbed Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur by the throat and then pulled the Scottish international back as he tried to leave. McArthur himself admitted to feeling ‘scared’ of Pearson during the incident. And it’s not hard to see why – it wasn’t the sort of thing you see very often on a football pitch, and Pearson had a creepy, maniacal grin on his face. He had something of a serial killer about him.
The Leicester manager has been prickly all season, always coy with the media in interviews. He keeps his guard up and doesn’t seem to have a lot of fun being interviewed, and even Gary Lineker has characterised Pearson as ‘weird’.
So throughout the season, it has looked like the pressure, the stress and strain of Premier League management was getting to Pearson. He looked like a man who was struggling under the pressure of keeping his team in the Premier League. And only last week, Nigel Pearson caused controversy by calling a journalist at the BBC an ‘ostrich’.
He has confronted both journalists and fans this season. Sworn at them and fought with them, and only occasionally has he apologised.
So he’s had his fair share of controversial moments it’s safe to say. And it looked like the pressure had gotten to him so much that he’d simply lost the plot.
Yet his team are climbing out of the relegation zone, they have won five of their last six games, and going into their final three games they will fear no one. Two of the games, Sunderland and QPR look very winnable indeed, and even their other game against Southampton looks tasty. I’d back Saints this weekend, but you never know. Leicester are on form and only one win would put them on 37 points, which may yet be good enough for safety.
So how can a manager who has totally lost his head be the mastermind of such an escape?
The answer is, maybe he never actually lost it after all.
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The Independent has labelled him a maverick, and that’s an apt description. He is certainly different to most of the managers in the league, and he is perhaps the reason why Leicester are doing so well. It might be because of Pearson rather than in spite of him.
Firstly, they’ve played well all season. They haven’t really had the right results from time to time, but they’ve never been thrashed, they’ve always been in games. And perhaps if they had managed to turn some of those narrow defeats into draws they wouldn’t be in this position just now.
And secondly, it looks like Leicester are a confidence team. All of their wins this season in the league have come in little unbeaten patches. They won two on the spin in August-September, they were unbeaten in three around the turn of the New Year, and just now they’ve gone on a run where they have lost only once in six games – losing only to Chelsea, and there’s no shame in that at all.
Both these things may have a common cause: togetherness. Pearson has created a squad where there are no rumblings of dissent, they players all seem to play together and for the shirt, and clearly Pearson takes any slight against his players personally. That explains his spats with both journalists and fans.
In fact, Pearson seems to have a keen sense of squad togetherness. In 2010, during Pearson’s first spell at Leicester, defender Wayne Brown clashed with teammates after he talked of his political views and his support for the BNP. It wasn’t his political views as such, but his belligerent way of putting them across that angered his teammates. In a squad filled with players of different nationalities and different backgrounds, Pearson saw that this could cause unrest and division – so Brown was swiftly out on his ear.
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This season Pearson has been protecting his players like a mother goose. He’s defended them against perceived attacks and he’s gone on the offensive himself against those doing the attacking. Even if he’s gone over the top at times.
Pearson has made himself the centre of attention and taken the media spotlight off the players. At clubs like Newcastle and QPR, the players are under the spotlight at the minute. The consensus is that they aren’t playing well enough, they don’t care, or they simply aren’t good enough. At Aston Villa before Tim Sherwood’s arrival, the media were chanting the same line. But Sherwood has taken the limelight, and so has Pearson. Both for different reasons, but the outcome is the same. The pressure, the spotlight and the media focus is on the managers so the players can go out and win in peace.
And the results have come.
Leicester are still threatened by relegation, but their fixtures are kind. Going on current form and the fixture lists, Leicester should have enough to stay up now. And if they do, they’ll have their manager to thank. He’s been the human shield, taking all of the flak and attention this season to allow his players to win games. The togetherness he has instilled in the squad has seen them through the tough periods too, and their form is all down to Pearson.
Hartlepool United’s players have been auditioning for roles in the Great Escape in recent weeks, earning rave reviews from critics.
Now they have one final, big push to claim their place in football folklore. A win against Oldham at Boundary Park tomorrow is a must. If not the curtain on their League One existence could be drawn.
A seven-game unbeaten run including five wins has been followed up by a defeat and two draws; the form has stagnated in the past week. It is a measure, however, of how far Pools have came in the past eight weeks that a draw against Yeovil – a team probably assured of a play-off spot at minimum come April 27th – was greeted with a smattering of boos. There really is so much pinned on each and every game.
The first half of the season was an utter disaster for the Victoria Park outfit. Now, under the stewardship of the philosophical John Hughes, Pools are making a nonsense of their league position. The ire of the autumn and early winter debacles have been, temporarily at least, erased from the memory. Their performances and results are belittling their relegation zone berth. But end of season final standings are the product of months of work; not a third of the season. And that is why there is a fear that just nine nine games left may just preclude the Great Escape act being completed.
Ahead of the game with the Latics, who are a place above Pools with two games in hand, six points is preventing Pools from clawing themselves out of the relegation places. Defeat against Oldham, compounded with results elsewhere conspiring against Hughes’ men, then the sound of the fat lady clearing her throat will be echoing around the streets of Hartlepool.
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It won’t be for the lack of effort from Pools to redeem for their 2012 shambolics, but desire must be met with goals in the final games. Every game is billed as the season’s definitive match, but the battle with the Latics has so much riding on it. Win it and the bridge could have been shortened to a win. Lose and it could be nine points. Tuesday, March 12, 2013: one of Hartlepool United’s most important games in their recent history.