Manchester City defender Javier Garrido has backed compatriot David Silva to make an instant impression on the Premier League.
The Spain winger joined City in a £25million deal from Valencia last month and full-back Garrido believes Silva will prove to be a major hit in England.
Silva followed Germany defender Jerome Boateng and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure in signing for the big-spending Eastlands club during the World Cup finals.
"He may not look big or strong, but he is a very clever player who reads a game well," Garrido told the club's official website.
"He's a great passer of the ball and he's dangerous near the box. He is versatile as well – he can play in the middle or wide on the left, so I'm certain he can well in England.
"He'll have to learn that it's quite different playing here to playing in Spain – you need to work hard because players over here are stronger.
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"But David has shown for Valencia and for Spain that he can play in the big, big games and City having such good players will make it easier for him."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Owen Hargreaves persistent injury problems have alerted Sir Alex Ferguson to the possible availability of the Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra. The 25-year old Frenchman may be deemed surplus to requirements at the Madrid club following Jose Mourinho’s purchase of the German midfielder, Sami Khedira. Injury concerns and the need for new blood in midfield have led to reports that Manchester United are preparing a bid for the French international.
The player who was spared the ignominy of being included in France’s 23-man World Cup squad due to a stomach condition, arrived in West London in 2005 amid talk of being the new Makelele. However a lack of first team opportunities saw the midfielder leave Chelsea for Arsenal where he was largely outshone by Mathieu Flamini. Dissatisfied with his lack of playing time once more he moved to Portsmouth where he was finally able to showcase his combative style of football. The player felt the move was vindicated as he helped the south coast club win the FA Cup for the second time in their history and won a place in France’s Euro 2008 squad. His consistent performances at Fratton Park did not go unnoticed especially by the former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos. When the Spaniard arrived at the Bernabeu for a brief sojourn as manager he identified Diarra as the man to provide some defensive resilience to balance the side’s attacking flair.
Soon after arrival there in January 2009, Diarra won the support of the fans due to his exceptional work rate and presence in midfield despite his size. He is accurate and strong when tackling allowing him to come away cleanly with possession of the ball. The player is not known merely for his defensive qualities as once in possession he has the ability to set the tempo of the game, distributing long range passes and quick incisive ones too. These considerable and varied qualities have seen him deployed in varying positions, including at right back for Los Blancos.
With injury concerns and the need to refresh their midfield in the coming years, could Manchester United be tempted to snap up Diarra? His industrious agent would surely be only too happy to facilitate another big money move for him but there are questions over his potential place in United’s midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson does not have a reputation for being a tinkerman but the United boss shuffles the pack in terms of personnel and formations more than most. Diarra would therefore be sure of a role in their midfield but it is unlikely he would be the fulcrum of the side. The Real Madrid player may find his chances limited by the ever improving Darren Fletcher. The Scottish international has been a revelation at Old Trafford in recent seasons winning the confidence of his manager and playing regularly in the biggest games. His commanding displays have allowed him to control the midfield, neutralising even the most skilled players whilst charging from box to box assisting goals and scoring them too. Despite the all-round skills of Fletcher and Diarra the manager may feel that deploying two players of the same ilk would sap creativity in midfield.
Diarra’s qualities would make him an asset to any club and the player is to be admired for his desire not to be a bench-warmer. His chances at Madrid have recently been restricted by the World Cup winning Xabi Alonso. While he would provide strength and quality to United’s midfield he may find himself in a similar position up against Fletcher whose stock continues to rise in Manchester.
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With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery
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To say the transfer window (so far) has been uneventful is tantamount to saying the Arctic is a bit nippy, as the majority of Premier League clubs are seemingly being careful with their finances. In some cases clubs simply have to sell before they can buy, much to the frustrations, no doubt, of many managers and supporters.
The lack of spending at the top of the Premier League has surprised many, especially given the open nature of last season’s title race. You would have thought the likes of United and Chelsea would have looked at a big outlay this summer, to ensure the also-rans remain at an arm’s length in their pursuits of the title. Only City have made substantial moves this summer, although you do feel that they may well struggle to strike a balance. This means this season’s race for the title, Champions League and Europa League places are very much as they were last year, unless we witness a major change in the transfer wind in the coming fortnight.
The media is predicting that a transfer storm is set to erupt, but it begs the question as to whether Arsenal really need to partake in some last minute shopping.
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Does Wenger need to bring any players in before the transfer window shuts in 4 days time and if so who would you like to see him bring in to the Emirates?
Liverpool beat off competition from La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona to secure the signature of Spanish teen sensation Suso from FC Cadiz, who signed for The Reds this summer.
Suso, full name Jesus Joaquin Fernandez Saenz De La Torre, has been tipped for a bright future in the game after rising through FC Cadiz’s youth ranks in his native Spain, plundering goals for fun along the way.
The Reds spotted his phenomenal potential at an early age and moved quickly to agree a contract with Suso last summer. The teenager had to wait until he was a year older however before finally completing his dream move to England.
A left-sided attacking midfielder, with the ability to also play in the centre, Suso has great vision, outrageous passing ability, as well as a thunderous shot. He certainly impressed new Reds boss Roy Hodgson who threw him on as a late substitute in a pre-season friendly against Borussia Moenchengladbach. Suso also made a handful of appearances for the club’s reserves pre-season, with second-string coach John McMahon describing him as ‘a joy to watch’.
“Suso is a class act, there’s no doubt about it,” McMahon told Liverpoolfc.tv. “He is a very clever player in the mould of Dani Pacheco and he is very exciting to watch.
“We need to give him the ball and get him in the game because he can score goals as well as create them. He’s a joy to watch.”
The highly-rated attacker made his full Barclays Premier Reserve League North debut against Newcastle on Tuesday night and impressed, rarely giving the ball away and showing glimpses of his natural ability in a red shirt. Described on the night as ‘the heartbeat of every offensive foray by the Reds’, Suso smashed in an unstoppable effort from 25 yards on 27 minutes to bring his side level having fallen behind early on. The match finished 2-2 and Suso was handed the man of the match award for his outstanding contribution.
One man who knows exactly what to expect from Suso is Quique Gonzalez, the player’s former youth team coach at Cadiz. Gonzalez believes Liverpool have signed ‘a jewel’ and has tipped Suso to be a hit in English football.
“He is a left-sided midfielder with extraordinary talent. He has great quality, a good shot, his vision is great and his passing is outstanding. He has a bit of everything and I think they have signed a jewel.
“He is dedicated and intelligent. He is well-grounded. He focuses on his education, is a good team-mate who is also well-disciplined and good mannered.
“I think that he has everything needed to succeed there.”
Great expectation has been placed on the youngsters shoulders and Reds fans will hope Suso can fulfil his undoubted potential at Anfield. So remember the name Suso, as he could be exploding onto a television set near you soon.
Watch Suso’s wonder striker against Newcastle HERE
Have you seen Suso in action? Do you think he has what it takes? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Alternatively you can read more of my blogs HERE or for the latest Liverpool news, views, facts and figures you can follow me on Twitter.
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Harry Redknapp claimed Tottenham's 4-1 Champions League victory over FC Twente justified the attacking line-up he sent out at White Hart Lane.
The game was full of controversy as the hosts were awarded three penalties while Rafael van der Vaart was given his marching orders for two bookable offences.
Van der Vaart opened the scoring in the 46th minute after missing a first-half penalty.
Two more spot-kick from Roman Pavlyuchenko sandwiched a reply from Nacer Chadli before van der Vaart saw red for a second bookable offence.
However, Gareth Bale made sure of the points and a first ever Champions League group stage victory for the north London club with a third goal in the 85th minute.
Redknapp had named an attacking line-up and at full-time claimed his decision was fully vindicated.
"We picked an open team who went for it," he said."We could have played with one up with van der Vaart behind, but went for it and got four goals.
"It was a fantastic result. We won 4-1 so I picked the right team. It's not a problem.
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"You pick different teams for different games. I felt we'd take a chance but there are certain games where you wouldn't do that.
"It was a great night for us. It was a great atmosphere and we won the game. You can't do much more than that."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Javier Hernandez’s career at Manchester United has started very promisingly, and Manchester United fans are very excited by the striker. However, it hasn’t been plain sailing for his other Mexican counterparts – Giovanni Dos Santos and Carlos Vela. The Manchester United front man clearly has a very bright future in English football but is it the end for his Mexican counterparts?
Arsenal’s Carlos Vela has had a hit and miss time in English football but would it be unfair to say he has failed. Has Arsene Wenger really given the Mexican international a chance to shine at the Emirates? Vela has had to bide his time at Arsenal as a bench warmer but Arsenal fans have seen glimpses of real talent from the striker when he has come on in games. What Arsenal fans have commented on is the fact that Eduardo was given a chance to show his worth to Arsenal last season after his horrific injury. For whatever reasons Eduardo couldn’t quite get back to the standards he set himself pre injury. It seems unfair on Carlos Vela that he hasn’t had the chance to prove himself at Arsenal.
With Arsenal playing 4-3-3, Carlos Vela will not be the main striker ahead of Marouane Chamakh or Nikolas Bendtner but can he re style his play and play wide of one these front men. If Vela can do this there is no reason why he can’t get into the Arsenal squad. Carlos Vela has an opportunity to capitalise on the poor for of Andriy Arshavin, but will Arsene Wenger utilise him in this role. Without a doubt Carlos Vela has considerable talent but it seems that without considerable injuries to key strikers, Vela’s time at Arsenal could be coming to an end.
In the situation of Giovani Dos Santos, he is a victim of a changing Tottenham team. Tottenham are playing with Raphael van der Vaart behind Peter Crouch – a system that suits both van der Vaart and Tottenham. Giovani Dos Santos again has considerable talent – a product of the Barcelona youth set up – but can he fit into the Tottenham squad as it stands now. The Mexican had opportunities at the start of the season but failed to really show his true from. Tottenham fans were excited for Dos Santos’ career after his exceptional performances in the World Cup this summer. However, ever since his move to England Tottenham fans haven’t seen his true talents and it seems that the Mexican could be following Carlos Vela out of England.
Hernandez, if he is to be successful in England must keep up the attitudes he has shown so far. Could it be that both Dos Santos and Vela haven’t shown such attitudes to play and improve and they have been overlooked by their managers. All three players had good performances at the World Cup but only Hernandez has kicked on into the domestic season. Hernandez’s talent is not any greater that of both Carlos Vela and Giovanni Dos Santos but it seems that he has shown a great attitude to play – as well as capitalising on Wayne Rooney’s injuries. It would be a shame to see the talents of Dos Santos and Carlos Vela lost but it seems their respective clubs have better options available to them.
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Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that he is looking to make several major signings in the January transfer window.
Hodgson's side have made a slow start to the new campaign and the former Fulham boss is keen to strengthen his squad, having been promised funds by New England Sports Ventures following their Anfield takeover.
He told the club's official website:"If we want the right quality, we have got to be prepared to pay the right price.
"The owners know that perfectly well. We have got to make certain that if we go out and spend £20million, we are getting a £20million player.
"We want to be attracting the players that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter are chasing. It would be nice to think that we can shop at a high level.
"I'm like all managers in that I'm wary of the January transfer window. I think it can be dangerous as clubs try to correct mistakes.
"But, having said that, we are going to very interested in trying to improve our squad in January. There is no question about that. I am sure we will sign players.
"What I would hope to do is get this group of players playing well enough so we don't need to panic.
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"Then I can say to the owners 'if we are going to spend a lot of money, let's get the right man'.
"I don't want to spend half the money that might be available on someone for the sake of buying, when the player we actually want might not be available until the summer."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli was given complete support by Italy national team boss Cesare Prandelli after suffering racist abuse during the 1-1 draw with Romania.
Balotelli was subjected to constant booing during the game in Austria, with Prandelli disgusted by what he saw and heard – with banners also railing against a multi-ethnic Italy.
He told Italian TV:"I was disappointed and angry to hear those chants. It really makes you want to do something, but we are impotent in this situation.
"We always hear these chants and something has to be done about it. I would love to see someone embrace him to confirm the faith and affection in this lad."
Balotelli himself later added:"In all honesty, I don't know what to say. If I have to stand there every time and listen to these chants, we're going nowhere.
"Cesare Prandelli says everyone should hug me and it would be nice if that happened, but it also wouldn't be right to stop the game just for those few people who go to the stadium to behave like that.
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"We'd need to change these people, but I am not the one to do it. I am happy to play for the Nazionale.
"I will just say that where I live, in Brescia, there is already a multi-ethnic Italy and we can do a lot better."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
I seem to remember Chris Hughton, in his sagacious words, stating that Newcastle United would have to deal with weeks of ecstasy contrasted with weeks of disappointment in the Premier League. The trouble is that the league presents surprises in what seem routine fixtures, in the case of Newcastle this is exemplified by winning 6-0 against Aston villa, and the written in folk-lore 5-1 dismantling of local rivals Sunderland. The converse has come against Bolton, Blackburn and Blackpool, with all three fixtures having the expectation of gaining a result. Hughton has been spot on then with his warnings, but an auxiliary assumption has been made by some quarters over Hughton’s ability to judge transfer targets.
The belief that Hughton is lacking in his propensities to make adequate judgements concerning players has been given credence in the forms of Leon Best and James Perch. These two players have failed to have much impact at the club; the former has had an ankle injury causing him to be sidelined for this season so far, whilst the latter has been guilty of defensive negligence and naivety. Both players would be classed as ‘squad’ players and have been used in such a manner.
To counteract these two anomalies, for all managers have moments of poor judgement, we can mention signings such as Mike Williamson, Danny Simpson, Sol Campbell, Cheik Tiote, Wayne Routledge, Dan Gosling and Hatem Ben Arfa. Admittedly, three of these mentioned players haven’t played or have been limited to a minimal amount of games. It still evinces the point I’m trying to elucidate, that Hughton, with restricted funds available, has been able to acquire quality players and some appreciation of this should be forthcoming.
Come January Newcastle will struggle to compete in such a saturated market that welcomes a chaotic period of rumours, gossip and hearsay. But with Hughton’s recent track record of managing to gain value for money, I don’t think there’s too much cause for concern. What is interesting is that the position of assistant manager is still left in purgatory, with no movement on the issue for some time now. Hughton would no doubt benefit from an experienced coach, one he could liaise with over possible signings, as this would alleviate the burden of decisions having to be made internally.
The man management Hughton has shown in nurturing the explosive characters of Andy Carroll and Joey Barton has been exemplary to behold. It also serves as a point to consider when assessing possible signings that Hughton may make, as he isn’t intimidated and commands respect from his players. I feel that the missing piece to this puzzle is the introduction of a new assistant who can facilitate the already commendable job Hughton is doing.
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Click on image below to see a gallery of Christian’s lady wife
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Reports in Spanish newspaper AS are suggesting that Manchester United are preparing a €13 million bid for Real Madrid midfield player Lassana Diarra.
Diarra has been linked with a move away from Spain for some time and it has been thought that Tottenham would be his likely destination. But with Owen Hargreaves suffering with injuries, Manchester United could be weighing up a move to give Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick some competition in the United midfield.
Diarra has seen his first team opportunities severely limited since the arrival of Sami Khedira and it is believed that the former Portsmouth player could be relishing a return to the Premier League.
Lassana Diarra also found first team football hard to come by in his spells with both Arsenal and Chelsea and accrued a meagre 20 appearances in three years with the two London clubs. A move to Portsmouth revitalised his career and he helped guide them to an FA Cup win and a place in the UEFA Cup.
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Back in October, Diarra expressed his desire to stay at Madrid, but also his desire to be playing football: “I am happy at Real, but I need to play”.