Kenny Dalglish is desperate to return as Liverpool's new manager, according to his son Paul.
The club legend has been mentioned as a possible short-term successor to Rafael Benitez at Anfield with the Reds currently up for sale.
Dalglish, who managed Liverpool for six years between 1985-91, is currently employed as the club's academy boss and could step up to the first team at short notice.
That, according to Paul, is an appealing prospect for the 59-year-old Scot.
Liverpool are on the lookout for a new manager after parting company with Benitez by mutual consent on the back of a disappointing 2009-10 season.
"I just think that hopefully he does get it because I know how much he wants it," the former Liverpool reserves striker and now Tampa Bay Rowdies coach told the Liverpool Echo.
"To be honest with you it would be an unbelievable story for my dad to be going back.
"Some people say, well what happens if it doesn't work? He's been out of the game for 10 years.
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"My question is, what if it does work? What person loves Liverpool more than my dad?
"Who would Liverpool fans love to see have success more than my dad? Nothing could make my family more proud. I'd love to see it happen."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
After that humiliating hiding from the old adversary, let’s salute one of England’s finest; the crisp wielding, overly tanned ringleader of football broadcasting, Gary Lineker.
His transition into presenting represents yet another triumph for Lineker, and he’s successfully been engrained into the British psyche in this guise. (Hence England games just aren’t quite right on ITV).
Certainly, broadcasting and the BBC has become such a natural habitat for Gary that, when watching MOTD with my girlfriend last season, my dearly beloved turned to me and innocently asked ‘was Gary Lineker actually a good player?’. I smiled at her sweet little face, explained that he was once a fine player indeed, and then softly sighed as my love and affection swiftly drained away, drifting into the cold night sky…
Anyway, one of England’s greatest strikers, and a Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham legend, Lineker deserves a succinct address:
We’ll eulogise about his talents in a moment – though it’s implicitly done just by noting his goal scoring record – but firstly let’s track his career. Born in Leicester (1960), Lineker proudly began his career representing his ‘home-town’ upon leaving school in 1977. (This was, however, after he received a school report asserting that ‘he must devote less of his time to sport if he wants to be a success’; Proof, if proof be needed, that all school kids should never, EVER, listen to their teachers, and should instead smash up the class-room, pillage the building, ruthlessly assault the head-teacher and run free with reckless abandon…perhaps).
He broke into the first-team at an early age and duly made a name for himself. During his time at Leicester he amassed a scoring ratio of nearly one goal every two games; scoring 95 goals in just under 200 appearances. His goals also helped the Foxes achieve promotion to the First Division in 1983. An all-time Leicester legend, by 1985 the big boys inevitably came knocking and Lineker eventually moved to defending League Champions Everton for £800,000.
At Goodison he continued to prosper. His potency in front of goal led to him to bagging 38 goals in 52 games, and finishing the league’s top scorer (a feat he also achieved at the Walkers Stadium). Personal achievement was almost accompanied by club success, but the old foe from across the Park put a double dent in that; Everton finishing second in the league and losing in the FA Cup final to double-winning Liverpool, during a decade largely Merseyside dominated. Lineker has subsequently stated ‘there’s no doubt at all that Everton was the best team I ever played in’.
After an impressive 1986 World Cup showing in Mexico, little Gary, the slender Leicester lad, was off to the glitz and the glamour of the Nou Camp. Signed for £2.2miilion by Terry Venables, Lineker predictably continued his prolific goal scoring record at Barcelona and must be commended for making the leap abroad – something very few English footballers attempt or successfully do. His first season saw him score 21goals in 41 games, including a memorable El Clásico hat-trick against the old nemesis Real Madrid, thus ensuring ‘fan-favourite’ status from the local Catalans. His time at Barca also entailed Spanish Cup and European Cup Winners Cup success, however Johan Cruyff pushed Lineker out of position and out-wide, and he was soon on a plane back to Blighty.
Reportedly spurning an offer from Alex Ferguson, Lineker instead headed to White Hart Lane in 1989. His time at Tottenham saw him at his zenith, scoring 67 goals from 105 games. He finished the leagues’ top scorer, again, in his first season – thus remarkably doing so for three different clubs – and helped Spurs win the FA Cup in 1991; the Gazza and Gary axis.
Finally, with the sun setting on his top-flight days, he ‘did one’ to the land of the rising sun in a surprise transfer to Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1992, before retiring in 1994. Famously he was never booked or sent off during his illustrious career; a ‘Mr Nice guy’, a gentlemen, a sportsman, a really sweetie pie.
The old adage is that Lineker was a great goal scorer rather than a scorer of great goals. This may well be true, but should certainly not be seen as detraction; putting the ball in the net is, notoriously, the hardest thing to do in football and he made it look easy. He was a true poacher, living and breathing goals…goals, goals, GOALS! Always in the right place at the right time, Lineker’s skills may not have been flashy but they were impressive nonetheless. With immaculate timing, instinct and composure, Lineker was deadly in the penalty area and, though sometimes criticised for doing little else, one should always take into account his shrewd off the ball movement. Lineker brilliantly exploited the talents he had; finding that little bit of space, losing his marker, working the defence and finishing with instinctive aplomb. This type of player is a dying breed in the modern game. Indeed, system shifts and the evolution of the striker means ‘the poacher’ is fading fast and is often not a viable option, however Lineker will go down in the annals of history as one of the greatest.
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These attributes, and his club form, were successfully transferred to the international scene. Indeed, he reliably delivered and represents the sort of luminary we would relish having now (though I’ve actually just said ‘system shifts and the evolution of the striker means ‘the poacher’ is fading fast and is often not a viable option’ so I’ve hideously contradicted myself in a few swift tip-taps of the keyboard). He boats a record of 48 goals from 80 England caps, putting him second behind Bobby Charlton (49 goals from 106 appearances) in the all-time top England goal scorers chart. Most memorably he hit a hat-trick past Poland to take England through to the knock-out stages at Mexico 1986, then bagged a brace against Paraguay, before notching a consolation strike in the ‘hand of god’ quarter-final defeat to Argentina. This was enough to secure Lineker the World Cup ‘Golden Boot’; the only English player ever to do so. Four years later, at Italia 90, he scored four goals as England reached the semi-final. Enter stage right, the Germans…exit stage left, England (but not before Gary pulled a strange face and did that infamous ‘keep an eye on him’ Gazza signal thingy).
Prolific goal scorer, a legend for club(s) and country, OBE, golden boot winner, crisp wielding maniac, presenter, the face of BBC sport and actively involved in charitable causes (most notably children’s cancer charity), raise a glass to one of England’s finest gentlemen; the ‘goal hanging’ Gary Winston Lineker.
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is hoping his side can make an instant impact at the start of the Premier League campaign.
With a difficult opening game away at Liverpool on August 15, the Gunners then face Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion before an away day trip to Chelsea and Wenger wants the side to get a solid start in order to keep in touch at the summit.
"The aim is to continue to progress as we have been doing," Wenger told Arsenal's official magazine.
"We were very close last year – closer than the previous season – so we are heading in the right way. We hope we can continue that this season.
"It is important to start well, start strongly and get into a good position early on and to try to maintain the level."
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Central defender Ricardo Carvalho has put the finishing touches to his move to Real Madrid from Chelsea by passing a medical at the Bernabeu.
The 32-year-old Portugal international had already agreed a two-year contract with the Spanish giants, with the two clubs involved having already agreed a fee in excess of £6million.
Carvalho joined Chelsea in the summer of 2004 from FC Porto and went on to make more than 200 appearances for the club in all competitions, but has now been allowed to move on to rejoin former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Real.
The centre-back recently spoke of his desire to head to Madrid, telling the Spanish press:"If there was a possibility to sign with Real Madrid, I would go there right now swimming or running.
"It would be a dream to be able to play for Madrid, which I consider to be the best club in the world and follow the orders of the best coach in the history of football.
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"With Jose Mourinho I experienced two marvellous stages at Porto and Chelsea. To have the opportunity to win another Champions League with him at Real Madrid would be tremendous."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Manchester City could be without Aleksandar Kolarov for a number of weeks after revealing the full-back has an ankle ligament injury.
The £16million Serbian made his debut in Saturday's season opening goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur where he had to be replaced at half-time.
The former Lazio star has been ruled out of Thursday's Europa League play-off against FC Timisoara.
Fellow defender Jerome Boateng was also not on the flight which left Manchester for Romania on Wednesday morning.
The Germany international is still troubled by a cut to his knee which kept him out of the first game of the new Premier League season.
"I will make maybe two or three changes but we have the players that allow me to do that," manager Roberto Mancini told the club's official website.
"I was pleased with the spirit and the fight at Tottenham. They are a good side that has been together for a long period of time.
"We still need time to gel as a unit. I only had all the players for one day before the match, so I want to see more of them in this tie."
Meanwhile, Mancini has confirmed that England goalkeeper Joe Hart will retain the number one jersey for the European tie ahead of experienced team-mate Shay Given.
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He added:"Joe Hart will play. I had a very difficult choice to make before the Spurs game because I have two world-class goalkeepers. It is difficult for one of them to sit on the bench.
"I respect Shay Given a lot. He is a good man and I want him to stay, but I also understand any decision he might make."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
With new players and bigger squads comes the juggling act of finding a team that is balanced and effective. Harry Redknapp now has that problem more than at any other time in his career. Although the Brazilian, Sandro was Spurs’ first bit of business of the summer, he has only just arrived in London after helping Internacional to the Copa Liberatores. Add to this the incredibly predictable scenario that Harry pushed through a transfer at the last minute in Rafael Van Der Vaart, and there are some big decisions to be made.
This time last year the partnership of Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios was blossoming, and providing an affective balance at the heart of the Spurs’ side. The form that both showed looked as though it would give Redknapp the opportunity to invest elsewhere, but where Huddlestone’s form grew to match his stature, Palacios began to struggle.
While injured towards the back end of last season, Modric took his place alongside Huddlestone in the middle, and Bale exploded down the left wing: as a formula, it worked. When Palacios returned, his form was underwhelming, and it has continued with the beginning of this season.
What Palacios has gone through regarding the kidnap and murder of his brother, would clearly have an effect on him personally, but directly after the incident he was playing some of the best football of his career. In the three games he has played this season, Palacios has struggled. In Switzerland he spent the first half like a lost child (although he wasn’t alone) and his other two games haven’t been a vast improvement.
All this means that Sandro’s initiation into the side can’t happen soon enough. Whether the 21-year-old is Redknapp’s first choice will be for him to decide. A young South American, trying to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League, and a new lifestyle and culture, may take a while to settle and find his feet, and that is totally normal. But Spurs’ loss to Wigan has already got the cynics reeling out the European hangover excuses, and their fixture list will only get tougher.
When the likes of Inter come calling and Spurs need someone to get to grips with Wesley Sneijder, Palacios will need to step up to the plate. If Palacios continues to struggle in finding his form, then Redknapp will have to rely on Sandro far quicker than he may have intending on doing.
It is difficult to know what Redknapp’s first team will be now that their squad has been finalised, maybe Redknapp doesn’t know yet himself. If it remains as a midfield four, then the central possibilities include any combination of Sandro, Modric, Huddlestone, Palacios and Van Der Vaart (for Spurs fans piece of mind I won’t consider Jermaine Jenas a viable option).
Harry certainly has his work cut out. This is the biggest and most talented squad he has ever assembled, and it is down to him to find a system that works. Sandro has a lot of pressure on his young shoulders already, and it could end up being a rude awakening for the Brazilian. Spurs fans will hope he can live up to his price tag; he has made them wait for him and is still relatively unknown, with positions still undecided, a good start could lead to him making the role his own.
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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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The Italian Football FanCast is the podcast for fans of Serie A and Calcio.
Serie A was awash with strange results this week, as AC Milan lost to Cesena, AS Roma were destroyed away to Cagliari, leaving the Flying Donkeys, Chievo Verona sitting upon high in the league with the only 100% record.
Elsewhere, there was action in the Champions League with Milan, Roma and Inter all involved, and as usual Kris Voakes joins us to talk all things Calcio including the events surrounding the planned players strike.
We also have a special treat for everyone. We are delighted to welcome former Bari star Paul Rideout to the show. Moving to Bari in 1985 he played against some of the toughest defenders Italian football had to offer and we find out what life was like for a young British striker plying his trade in the peninsula.
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Click here to listen to the Podcast
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Harry Redknapp has come out and suggested that for all of Rafael van der Vaart’s abilities, he is providing him with a selection headache as it makes balancing the team difficult. I personally find that hard to fathom, especially when in MY VIEW, there is an easy solution.
Van der Vaart has been an absolute sensation since his arrival and we finally have a midfielder that is capable of chipping in with 15-20 goals a season. As much as I admire Luka Modric as a footballer, I do get frustrated at his reluctance to test the keeper from distance, or get in and around the front men like Van der Vaart seems to do with relative ease. Maybe the real problem facing Harry is can he afford to play VDV, Modric and Huddlestone in the same midfield, week in, week out, given the lack of defensive cover they’ll provide.
I personally believe that we should solely go with Van der Vaart in centre midfield and give him the freedom of the park. Harsh on Huddlestone and Modric perhaps, but Rafael is far more dangerous in the final third and is just more effective in creating chances than the pair of them. Huddlestone and Modric don’t provide a suitable amount of steel in the midfield to justify their selection alongside him in the centre, unless Harry looks to play five across the midfield. After Saturday’s performance there could be a call to play him upfront alongside Crouch or Pavlyuchenko in the absence of Defoe, although whether Harry will look to carry on with it remains to be seen.
So how does Harry solve his dilemma? Do you agree with my view that Van der Vaart should be given the sole playmaking role in midfield? Or should Harry persevere with Modric, Huddlestone and VDV in a midfield three?
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Matt Jarvis was a star performer in the Championship the year Wolves won the title, but the question was whether or not he could make the step up into the Premier League. The answer is an emphatic ‘yes’. Now a star performer in the Premier League, many are wondering if Jarvis can make the grade at international level. But a question that’s just as relevant is whether or not he will get the chance.
There have long been claims that the England national team is elitist and that players who represent less glamorous sides don’t get a look in. So is the colour of Matt Jarvis’ shirt blinding England selectors to his ability?
Wolves’ last three games have been against Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, and Matt Jarvis has been a star performer in each of them. The form of Jarvis has finally started to hit the back pages and they are saying things that many Wolves fans have known for a long time. He has a threatening final ball, good pace and isn’t frightened to take on full backs and get to the line – what you would call a traditional mould for a winger, something that is arguably missing from the current England set-up.
In an England team where there is reasonable strength and depth in almost every position, the right side of midfield is a role crying out for a fresh face. Since David Beckham; Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Young and Theo Walcott have all recently tried, but ultimately failed to make right midfield their own. The position is up for grabs, so why not let one of the most on-form Premier League players have a chance?
Of course, Matt Jarvis isn’t the only player struggling to get England recognition while at an ‘unfashionable’ team, but there is evidence that the tide is starting to turn. In the last few games Fabio Capello has given the Bolton duo of Gary Cahill and Kevin Davies time on the field to prove themselves. Darren Bent was wrongfully omitted from the World Cup squad over the summer, but he kept scoring goals for Sunderland and has since scored his first international goal. Phil Jagielka has also recently put himself in serious contention for a regular England place due to his form for Everton.
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So it doesn’t seem like players from ‘lesser’ clubs don’t get their chance, they just have to prove themselves for a little longer. Jarvis appears to be in a similar situation to Andy Carroll of Newcastle. Both have found top form so far this season for their clubs but are yet to get the England call, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Jarvis and Carroll are both relative new comers to the Premier League, and while they have played very well so far, I don’t see any harm in waiting a few more months to see how they progress. If they carry on playing well for their clubs they will get noticed, I have no doubt about that.
A call-up for the England team is the highest honor a player can achieve, and the last time Wolves fans saw one of their own in England colors was back in 1990 when Steve Bull wore the No. 9 shirt against Poland. But in Matt Jarvis they have a player who looks set to add his name to the increasing number of players who are breaking the glass ceiling and getting into the England fold. It may take time, but I am confident that should he continue to light up the Premier League his time will come.
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The dust is just beginning to settle from the Man United Tottenham game last weekend and I’ve decided that we should have a little look at the top 10 most devious footballers. The list doesn’t fail to entertain and reminds us of all those conniving and deceitful footballers through the years.
10. First up we have El-Hadji Diouf. The former Liverpool player was fined two weeks wages for spitting on a Celtic fan during the two clubs UEFA cup quarter final clash back in 2003. This was not the first time Diouf had been at the centre of such an incident. The previous November he was accused by West Ham fans of spitting at them. Police investigated however no further action was taken.
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9. Next up we have Wayne Rooney. Remember the Manchester United Chelsea match in January 2009. Cristiano Ronaldo had what United considered a perfectly good goal disallowed in the 45th minute – the assistant referee insisting Wayne Rooney’s quick corner was illegal because he failed to place the ball first.
[youtube FIvZeo1BBdc]
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8. I’m a massive fan of this next player but his relentless diving has confirmed his place in the list. José Mourinho has also finally admitted that Didier Drogba, the Chelsea forward, is a diver. When your former manager who holds you in such high esteem stops defending you, then things must be bad! Check out this compilation.
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7. In seventh place we have Montenegro’s Mirko Vucinic. Devious might not be the best word to describe him but damn right silly is. During a qualifying game for the 2012 European Championships he scored and celebrated by putting his shorts on his head. He deserves recognition but only for his terrible choice of celebration.
[youtube Xw7uarSzAV8]
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6. This one is a blast from the past. In 1990 Gary Crosby scored one of the most devious and controversial goals I have ever seen. After stopping a Forest attack Manchester City goalkeeper Andy Dibble stood in his 18-yard box with one hand on the ball, waiting to clear his lines. Just then Forest winger Gary Crosby nipped in from behind Dibble, headed the ball out of the goalkeeper’s one hand. Crosby then finished off by scoring a goal. Check this out!
[youtube Ss0z_idbEso]
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5. Starting off our top 5 we have Rivaldo. During Brazils World Cup clash against Turkey in 2002 Hakan Unsal kicked the ball to Rivaldo who was waiting to take a corner kick. Clearly hit in the leg the Brazilian fell to the floor obviously feeling the pain searing in his face. This consequently led to Unsal being sent off. However, after the game Rivaldo was fined £5180 for his devious ways.
[youtube cVksdN4QnvA]
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4. In fourth position we have Diego Simeone. “Before he was deified, David Beckham was a sack hanging from lamp posts.” He owed his unpopularity to Diego Simeone, who, flicked by Becks’s back heel in retaliation after a foul, toppled theatrically in England and Argentina’s World Cup match up in 1998.
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3. So here’s where peoples blood really starts to boil as we see three of the most devious footballers to ever grace the footballing world. Heurelho Gomes thought his team had been awarded a free-kick. The Spurs keeper puts the ball down accordingly, only for Nani to nip in and put the ball into an empty net.
[youtube 7ycZoJb51Ak]
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2. Its not surprising that this man finds himself on our top 10 most devious footballers. Diego Maradona’s goal against England at the 1986 World Cup is also known as the Hand of God. In the fifty first minute of the match the Argentinean Striker scored a completely illegal goal with the use of his hand. How devious is this?
[youtube DbbsytHDp2o]
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1. Henry was once known for being one of the best footballers in the world; however this image seems to have been tainted slightly since setting up William Gallas to score a massively controversial goal against Ireland. Henry intentionally handled the ball to set up William Gallas’s decisive goal against the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup play-off match.
[youtube jxw1-Id91lQ]
So now you’ve seen the top 10 most devious footballers. What do you think? It’s inevitable that I have missed some, so why not comment and bring some to light. I must admit my favourite was the Gary Crosby goal for Nottingham Forrest, Pure devious Genius!
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