All posts by h79snht.top

Even at this stage with Atletico Madrid second in La Liga and almost guaranteed of a spot in next season’s Champions League group stage, there remain rumours of players looking to jump ship. The problem is the “almost” and it’s the not knowing. The team are good enough to go all the way and the manager has emerged as one of Europe’s finest, but there are too many questions regarding the future of the club’s most valued treasure.

Arsenal have already been heavily linked with Adrian Lopez to fill in largely on the right side of the attack with a view to moving into the middle on occasion. But outside of the unlikely target of Radamel Falcao, it might not get more exciting than Arda Turan for potential transfers from the Vicente Calderon.

And here’s the thing: there is no one in Atletico’s strongest XI that wouldn’t be welcome at Arsenal. Koke was linked with the club during his teenage years but has since blossomed into a tremendous midfielder. Diego Godin remains a rock in defence and would unquestionably get more than a handful of games at the Emirates, while Filipe Luis is the left-back Arsene Wenger’s team are crying out for.

[post_link url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/arsenal/is-alex-oxlade-chamberlain-proving-an-even-bigger-conundrum,https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/arsenal/arsene-wenger-wants-walcott-to-repay-faith,https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/arsenal/does-dennis-bergkamp-really-get-the-credit-he-deserves” target=”_blank” type=”tower”]

Arda, however, is the attacking midfielder player the club need. Adrian Lopez managed to raise his profile last season by helping Atletico to the Europa League title and scoring 19 goals on the way in all competitions, but Arda Turan is something else entirely. With Arda, clubs will know exactly what they’re getting, having starred in Turkey and quickly becoming a key figure in Diego Simeone’s team.

It remains a mystery as to why no Premier League club went in for the Turkish international when he made the 12 million euro move to La Liga. There really are no excuses for that kind of slip-up from a whole host of teams. It’s not to devalue Atletico, rather they should be praised for landing such a talent for that fee and during such difficult financial times. But that fee will now be doubled for any suitor looking to pick up the midfielder.

It’s become a running theme to talk about players being ‘Arsene Wenger signings’ and whether they fit the bill for what the Arsenal manager wants. Arda Turan, like Santi Cazorla, falls into that bracket of players the manager should have picked up earlier before their stock began to rise. But like Cazorla now, the signing of Arda would be a monumental signing of intent by Arsenal. The player is a superstar and should be seen as one that would give the entire club a huge boost. He’s a difference maker and his signing would be a move that fans have long desired the club to make.

Arda has filled in mostly on the wings for Atletico, however he’s more than capable of playing the creative role just behind the striker. It was he who kicked off Atletico’s current La Liga campaign with their only goal in the 1-1 draw at Levante on the first day of the season, while he also played a significant role in helping his side dismantle Chelsea in the Uefa Super Cup. His attacking prowess remains impressive, but it’s his defensive work rate that really shines in Simeone’s team. It’s hard work combined with flair; it’s a reflection of his current manager and what he wants to see on the pitch. More than anything else, it’s everything Arsenal need for the apparently vacant position on the right flank.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Moving Theo Walcott into the middle should now be done and dusted and the player should be in rotation with Olivier Giroud. But on the right side, Wenger’s intentions remain clear to add another body. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may be that player in the future, but his age owes to a number of inconsistencies in his game. Tomas Rosicky would provide backup for a number of positions on the field, yet it’s obvious something would be missing with Walcott converting to his favoured position.

Arda Turan has the pace to be a success in Arsenal’s attack and their need for a quick counterattack, but he has the technical components to be one of the most impressive signings of Arsene Wenger’s time since moving to the Emirates. He’s a player who you’d have loved to see line-up alongside Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, but as so many Arsenal fans have said in recent times, the club are not too far away from becoming real players in the race for silverware. Arda Turan would go a long way to helping the club become legitimate and realistic title challengers once again.

Fulham boss Martin Jol has claimed that he believes Brede Hangeland will sign the new deal that he has been offered and that he is happy at the West London club.

Hangeland’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season and Fulham fans may be fearful of losing their key defender, but the manager has put their fears to bed.

The Norwegian giant has been a rock for the Whites since arriving at the club from Scandinavia and big clubs’ interest in the past has been quickly dismissed so a long term stay at Craven Cottage may be in store.

Jol has confirmed that talks have been on-going to tie Hangeland down to a new deal and he is hopeful of finding out the outcome after Fulham’s clash with Newcastle on Monday night, where Hangeland returns from suspension.

While Jol is confident the extension will be signed, he maintains that it is still all up to the player.

“It only depends on a decision so if Brede says yes it is okay,” Jol told Sky Sports.

“If he says no, then we have to wait, talk and negotiate.

“I will ask Alistair [Mackintosh, chief executive officer] what the situation is after the game again.

“I am confident he will sign because he loves it here. He is a Fulham player.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“We took him from Scandinavia and I think he loves it here and we offered him a good contract.”

 

Calm is the operative word at the Emirates Stadium nowadays. Such has been the Gunners’ excellent start to the season that the naysayers who wrote them off as title contenders before a ball had even been kicked are now picking humble pie out of their teeth. Arsene Wenger has ridden an almighty storm in the wake of Robin Van Persie’s acrimonious departure and came out unscathed to steer his side through August and three quarters of September unbeaten and playing an attractive brand of football that became synonymous with the club during the Invincible’s era. Wenger has even gone out on a limb to stress that his current squad is far more well rounded than the one that navigated an entire Premier League season without incurring a single defeat. Another milestone was achieved in mid-week as Oliver Giroud finally opened his goalscoring account, albeit against lower league opposition, with many expecting the floodgates to open for the Frenchman. For Wenger the objective now is to ensure his players remain grounded and focused on their objectives for the campaign.

This week on FFC are the Gunners a more resilient unit than in previous years and would this Spanish star suit a move to the Premier League?

[divider]

Best of FFC

Is the romance of their success in danger at big clubs around Europe?

Would a Premier League move really suit him?

Have Arsenal solidified their threat?

For some Arsenal fans its all gone a little quiet

Simply The Top TEN Arsenal/Chelsea moments

Whatever happened to Steven Morrow…

Montpellier warn Arsenal off January bid

Arsene Wenger admits withdrawing transfer bid

Arsenal report financial year profit of £36.6m

[divider]


Best of WEB

[divider]

Taking The Mikel – A Cultured Left Foot

Can this man achieve his goals? – Gunnersphere

The Good, the Bad and Gervinho – Online Gooner

A case for Vito? – Gunnersphere

Logic, movement and energetic pointing – Arseblog

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Shareholders Letter – Ivan Gazidis talks Arsenal financials – Le Grove

Iron out the little problems Arsene….. – Highbury House

Russia Captain Rumour Has Premier League Big 4 On Red Alert – Transfer Tavern

[divider]

Quote of the Week

[divider]

“We want to spend our money in the right way. We are not scared to spend the money. With some clubs we can’t compete on certain players – and for the rest, we only want to bring in players who add something to our squad and give a chance as well to the young players we have. We have good players, because to buy one more, we have to get one out.” Arsene Wenger says he is not afraid to splash the cash at Arsenal if necessary 

[divider]

Featured Video

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers could be forgiven for already counting the days until the January transfer window opens after his side’s reliance on youth in the early stages of this season and the somewhat threadbare nature of his first-team squad, but with resources tight, where will he need to focus his attentions the most?

The 39-year-old has spoken of ‘operational issues’ hindering him in the past, with a clear and knowing nod to the way that the club managed to somehow let Andy Carroll leave on loan in the final few days of the transfer window without a guaranteed replacement lined-up, with Ian Ayre unable to negotiate successfully for either Daniel Sturridge or Clint Dempsey.

Indeed, Rodgers has even spoken this week about the need for reinvestment when the earliest opportunity presents itself, telling The Daily Mail: “There are still areas we want to reinforce — and we have to reinforce as soon as we can. Our best team are comparable to any team in the Premier League. But we’re a very thin squad and we are having to challenge on a lot of fronts. I’ve had good conversations with the owners and they understand where we are at as a team.”

In light of Fabio Borini’s recent fractured foot injury that he suffered while on international duty with Italy’s U-21 side, it only served to compound their transfer failings in recent times, despite the lack of clarity over whether he is best utilised in a wide or central role. As a result, Rodgers looks extremely short on numbers up top, with the burden now falling even heavier on Luis Suarez to perform and provide a consistent stream of goals.

The only other options available aside from the controversial Uruguayan are youth-team players Samed Yesil, Adam Morgan and Daniel Pacheco and none of them can be relied upon to provide ample support to Suarez just yet, with Pacheco in particular in danger of missing the boat completely in terms of his ability to be a relied upon member of the squad.

It becomes clear that despite the midfield weighing in well with their fair share of goals so far, that Liverpool are going to require first and foremost another striker in the transfer window, with Demba Ba and Gary Hooper the latest names rather understandably linked with a move to Anfield in recent days. No other position in the squad offers the same paucity of options and dearth of recognised and established talent and Rodgers may even exercise the call-back option on Carroll’s loan move to West Ham if nothing else materialises.

In midfield, the likes of Gerrard, Sahin, Allen, Henderson, Shelvey and Lucas when he returns from injury provides a more than healthy competition for places, with each player showing a run of form at some point this season and even with the side playing three in the middle of the park, the squad would seem to be well set there.

Next up on the agenda may be another winger and while talk of moving for someone such as Cristian Eriksen may be fanciful at this point, it’s clear that Stewart Downing’s future is in doubt at the moment after a very public falling-out with Rodgers and Sterling and Suso, by virtue of their age and inexperience, along with Assaidi in his first year in England, are going to require some support further down the line.

The recent links to Angelo Ogbonna and Diego Lugano are also completely understandable, with Daniel Agger playing injured at the moment and the jury still out on whether Jamie Carragher can force his way into Rodgers Premier League plans. Quite where this leaves Danny Wilson at the moment remains to be seen, but the presence of the burly Micah Richards mark 2 that is Andre Wisdom means that this can be seen as less urgent for the time being at least.

Finally, Jack Robinson’s run-outs at full-back in the Europa League so far this season have been hugely promising, as has Wisdom’s elevation into the first-team, with Glen Johnson a versatile option, but Jose Enrique’s slump has now become the norm and he could be moved on if a replacement is found, while Martin Kelly is still a long-term casualty.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Liverpool’s squad is full of promise and potential for the future but there’s a suspicion that just a few more injuries during the busy festive period, where the fixtures pile up every year, could leave Rodgers extremely short in several key areas, namely up front and out wide, while more depth at full-back would also be understandable. With the side still competing on four fronts, proven experience is the order of the hour, but whether he’ll be given the budget to bring the quality that’s required into the club is another matter entirely.

Realistically, who would you like to see Brendan Rodgers bring into the club in January? In your opinion, where do Liverpool need to strengthen most?

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

The date was the 15th August 1992. The match was Manchester United vs. Sheffield United. And after 15 minutes, the first goal in Premier League history was scored by a Mr Brian Deane, a commonly known fact for fans of English football trivia, earning Deane a spot in the history of the game. He actually scored the Blades’ winner that day as well, notching from the penalty spot to give them a 2-1 victory over the eventual Champions.

Deane was actually an experienced striker before he bagged that first goal, indeed his goal scoring record initially for Doncaster Rovers and then Sheffield United was pretty decent. He earned three caps for England under Graham Taylor, making his debut against New Zealand in 1991 before his final appearance in the Three Lions shirt came against Spain just weeks after his goal against Manchester United.

That first Premier League season proved to be his last at Bramall Lane and he became Leeds United’s record signing when he joined in the summer of 1993 for £2.9 million. His 83 goals in 198 games for the Blades was by far and away the best goal to appearance ratio he ever achieved at any club and he remains something of a cult hero at the club after returning in 1997 to score another 11 goals in that season.

Deano spent four years at Leeds United between 1993 and 1997 as Howard Wilkinson’s side struggled to live up to their title victory of 1991/92 and began to slip slowly down the league. Deane always worked hard up front, putting in a shift as a target man, but he found goals more difficult to come by at Elland Road, managing just 32 in his 138 games at the club. He formed effective partnerships up front for the Whites though, playing with Rod Wallace and Tony Yeboah during his time in West Yorkshire, but having been signed as a replacement for Lee Chapman, he struggled to replace the man whose goals had fired Leeds to the First Division title.

Once George Graham had taken over at Elland Road, Deane moved back to Sheffield United briefly, before securing a surprise switch to Benfica where Graeme Souness was the manager. Seven goals in 18 in Portugal proved that Deane still had the ability to find the back of the net at the highest level, prompting Middlesbrough to fork out to bring him back to England after less than a season. He actually managed three years with Boro, notching 18 goals in 87 appearances there, but that lack of goal scoring prowess saw him moved on to Leicester in 2001 with Middlesbrough struggling in the Premiership.

He bagged himself another piece of ‘first goal’ history with the Foxes as well, scoring the first competitive goal at the new Walkers Stadium by recording a double against Watford. 19 goals in 52 games followed in Leicester colours, a decent return that helped the side back into the Premier League following their disappointing relegation the year before. However, Deane had seemingly found his level in the First Division and joined recently relegated West Ham, now aged 35. He continued his nomadic existence as a footballer, lasting just one season at Upton Park before heading for the exit.

He rejoined Leeds United, who had just been relegated after a long stay in the Premier League, but the club was in financial turmoil and were struggling to put together a competitive squad. Deane did a job up front for a while amidst all the chaos, and the Elland Road crowd recognised his efforts, but by now, age appeared to have caught up with the striker. He managed six goals during the 2004/05 season with the Whites, but four of those came astonishingly during a 6-1 win over QPR, a game never forgotten by those who saw it. With Leeds starting to strengthen their squad under Kevin Blackwell, Deane moved onto to Sunderland, before ending his career with a brief spell at Perth Glory and a final two appearances back with Sheffield United in the 2005/06 season, making him the only player to turn out for the club in three different spells.

Deano enjoyed a fine career at the highest level for many years, though he never quite hit the top of the Premier League game. As a target man, he will always be remembered for his hard work up front, even if finishing was never his strong point. He now works as a Sports Consultant for a solicitor’s firm in Leeds, but after a long career of 654 league appearances and 195 goals, Brian Deane will always be remembered for that goal he scored on the 15th August 1992.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

Football may not be a game renowned for its long memory, but even by the Premier League’s standard, the change in fortunes that Scott Parker has suffered in little over 12 months at Tottenham Hotspur feels incredible.

As we headed into the final straight of last season, the former-Charlton Athletic man was already well on course to pick up both the supporters’ player of the year at White Hart Lane, as well as a starting berth for his country at the European Championships.

Yet fast forward to the March of 2013 and it seems hard to believe quite how altered Parker’s standing within first team affairs feels this season. Because where as he last season he represented something of a priceless commodity, this time around, he feels more of a clunking component in a stuttering machine.

Of course, it’s easy to overplay what many have perceived to be a season of regression for Parker in the white half of North London.

A near on four month absence with an Achilles issue has cast an overwhelming shadow over the midfielder’s season and where as ideally he would have been eased back into first-team proceedings, the season ending knee injury to Sandro hyper accelerated his return to the fore.

[post_link url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/tottenham/a-genuine-cause-for-concern-for-tottenham-fans,https://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/tottenham/running-an-unnecessary-gauntlet-at-tottenham-hotspur,https://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/where-would-he-really-go-after-everton-fc” target=”_blank” type=”tower”]

Indeed, the 32-year-old had amassed only an hour of Premier League football before his season was effectively jump started at QPR in January and the lack of options in the Spurs engine room ensured that Parker had to find his form the hard way.

Yet with only eight league games remaining this season, Parker heads into the final straight with his influence upon Andre Villas-Boas’ side a real talking point within the home crowd.

Superficially, when looking beyond Spurs’ recent hiccup of form, it feels difficult to justify a lot of the negativity that has surrounded Parker’s performances. Out of the 20 games he’s featured in for the Lilywhites this season, the England man has only played on the loosing side four times, with three of those losses coming in the last three games. Certainly, if he has been struggling to replicate the form of last term, it’s hardly had a detrimental effect upon the results.

But while Tottenham have hardly been floundering with Scott Parker in the side, they’ve not often felt like they’ve flourished in his presence, either.

It would be cruel to proportion the weight of Spurs’ often-jagged performances in recent months solely on Parker’s shoulders, although you can’t help but feel that he serves to represent a motif of the side’s collective inability to sustain any real rhythm to their play.

Should Spurs claw their way to Champions League qualification this season, supporters aren’t likely to worry too much about how they got there; just as long as they do. But despite going on a 12 game unbeaten run, while Villas-Boas’ side played some great football in patches, it was hardly a sustained free-flowing exhibition of attacking football.

In the games against Norwich City, Newcastle United and especially the two legs against Lyon in the Europa League to name but a few, Spurs managed to avoid defeat, but they certainly didn’t make life easy for themselves. The result has ultimately always been ground out, but at times Villas-Boas’ side have rarely managed to hit the high gears for more than a 10 or 15-minute spell.

And perhaps few have tended to look quite as laboured as Parker has done within the side, when things haven’t necessarily been free-flowing.

Some will point to the fact that the usual barometer for a good Parker performance last season was when you barely heard his name mentioned at all, as he mopped up loose ends and went about his business both quietly and efficiently. This season however, while he’s still performed that role well, the remit for his midfield play has encompassed a slightly larger scope under Villas-Boas.

The anchor midfield pairing in the Villas-Boas system requires an awful lot more dynamism and interchangeability than the relatively singular role Parker was asked to play alongside Luka Modric last term.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Where as last season, the England man was given the sole task of sitting and sweeping up, this time around, he’s had to offer a presence in the final third for the first time in his Spurs career. When Mousa Dembele sits, Parker has to move forward and consequently, he’s often looked painfully exposed when approaching the edge of the penalty area.

So is Scott Parker really a fading force or more an unfortunate victim of accelerated change? Whichever way you look at it, the role he’s being asked to play by Villas-Boas hasn’t made it easy for him to stand out in this team.

Yet on the other side of the coin, while he has tended to look like an awkward component in the Tottenham machine, the core attributes of his game have still remained a priceless asset in the newly found steel the side have developed in recent games. Calls from some supporters to drop Parker’s industry for the technical excellence of young Tom Carroll aren’t without gravitas, but as we’ve seen so often throughout the 32-year-old’s career, subtracting his skillset from your side often tends to do more harm than good.

Having had both Sandro and Scott Parker plying their trade in this Andre Villas-Boas system, there can be simply no arguments that the Brazilian remains the better fit and perhaps the overall better player. But with Sandro out the picture following injury, regardless of his limitations in the Portuguese’s system, Parker has done an admirable job within the starting XI. A long term option he may not be, but over the next eight league games, he still has a massive part to play.

[opinion-widget op width=”full”]

One of the most important days of the footballing calendar is upon us  with the first Merseyside Derby of the season. As the latest instalment takes place at Goodison Park this afternoon, let’s remind ourselves about all that makes a Derby day special with a look back on the Top 10 Merseyside Derbies of all-time. There’s blood, sweat and with it, the obligatory tears to boot. Let’s take a look.

1. Liverpool 4 Everton 4 (Anfield) – FA Cup Fifth-Round, 1991 – Quite rightly regarded as the best Merseyside Derby of all-time and memorable for the fact that it was Kenny Dalglish’s final game in charge of his first spell at the club with the Scot resigning the next day. Peter Beardsley drew first blood after Ian Rush dispossessed Kevin Ratcliffe and had his shot saved by Neville Southall, with Beardsley banging in the rebound. Graeme Sharp equalised right after the break before Beardsley bagged a spectacular left-footed effort from 25 yards into the top left-hand corner. A mix-up between Steve Nicol and Bruce Grobelaar saw Sharp equalise once more with a tap in from two yards before Ian Rush saw Liverpool take the lead for the third time in the 77th minute with a deft header from a Jan Molby cross. A hopeful punt up field led to Tony Cottee, on as a sub, bagging Everton’s third to make it 3-3. John Barnes handed Liverpool the lead in extra-time until Cottee once again pegged Liverpool back with a 114th minute equaliser. Everton went onto win the replay 1-0. Simply put, one of the best FA Cup ties of all time and a great advert for the Merseyside derby.

2. Liverpool 3, Everton 2 (Wembley) – FA Cup Final, 1989 – Held just five weeks after the shocking, traumatic and deeply upsetting events of the Hillsborough disaster where 96 fans lost their lives, this game went some way to cathartically healing the wounds for many across Merseyside. On the footballing front, the final didn’t disappoint. John Aldridge gave Liverpool a crucial early lead before Stuart McCall struck back in the 90th minute. In extra-time Liverpool sub Ian Rush put his side ahead once more. Stuart McCall, the unlikeliest of scorers, then struck a sensational second before Rush once again, the scourge of Everton fans everywhere, bagged his second and Liverpool’s third and with it the FA Cup on a very moving day for all connected with either club and the city.

3. Everton 2, Liverpool 3 (Goodison Park) – Premier League, 2001 – Both clubs approached the tie with very different priorities in mind. Liverpool were on the cusp of an infamous treble, Everton under Walter Smith, were trying to stave off relegation for a further season. This has to go down as the finest Derby of the Premier League era, notable for the final kick of the game, a 40-yard free-kick by Gary McAllister that crept into Paul Gerrard’s net – a truly astounding goal. This game had everything. Liverpool surged into a two-goal lead courtesy of Emile Heskey and Markus Babbel before terrace favourites Duncan Ferguson and Dave ‘Rhino’ Unsworth reduced the deficit and levelled the tie. Igor Biscan was sent off, there were 12 cards in total and even an uncharacteristic Robbie Fowler penalty miss to throw into the mix until McAllister stepped up with an unlikely and breathtaking winner. Pulsating.

4. Liverpool 0, Everton 1 (Anfield) – First Division, 1984 – The turning of the tide? Everton announced themselves as the new dominant force in English football with an era defining victory over Liverpool at home. Liverpool were the reigning European Cup champions, but on this display, it was to be Everton that were to go onto bigger things that season. Graeme Sharp’s thunderous volley that later went onto be named Goal of the Season was the difference in the score lines, but the difference in performance was startling. Everton went onto claim the league title, European Cup Winners Cup and narrowly lost out on a momentous treble with a defeat to Man Utd in the FA Cup.

5. Liverpool 3, Everton 1 (Wembley), FA Cup Final, 1986 – The first ever all-Merseyside FA Cup final. A close-run league campaign eventually saw Liverpool edge out their close rivals. At Wembley, Gary Linekar continued his only ever campaign in an Everton shirt in predictably prolific fashion giving Everton the lead. However, perennial thorn in the side Ian Rush struck twice and Craig Johnston added the icing on the cake.

6. Liverpool 2, Everton 2 (Maine Road), FA Cup Semi-Final, 1977 – What is is about the FA Cup that brings the best out of these Merseyside Derby encounters. Perhaps the most controversial on the list, Liverpool fans the world over will still be left wondering quite how they came away from this game with a draw and a replay. Bryan Hamilton had a goal unfathomably disallowed by referee Clive Thomas in the dying moments with the scores level after Jimmy Case and Terry McDermott had scored for Liverpool and Bruce Rioch and Duncan McKenzie had done the same for the Toffees. Liverpool went onto win the replay 3-0 to further add insult to injury.

7. Everton 0, Liverpool 5 (Goodison Park), First Division, 1982 – Ian Rush completely destroyed his boyhood heroes with a four-goal salvo. Everton weren’t helped by having debutant Glen Keeley sent off early on, though. Mark Lawrensen added the other with a tap in from a Kenny Dalglish cross. This game is memorable most for the true finishing masterclass put on by Rush.

8. Everton 3, Liverpool 0 (Goodison Park), Premier League, 2006 – A game personally memorably for me for so many reasons. Could it be the tortuous four-hour long journey home in a car with three Everton fans? Could it be the one-word riposte of Phil Neal in the stands when asked what he thought of the performance…’disgusting’? Or could it be the now infamous chant of ‘Reina drops keep falling on my head’ that was sung in the crowded streets after the game in reference to the third goal of the game? Everton recorded their biggest victory over Liverpool in 42 years with a display of clinical finishing. Tim Cahill notched the first before an Andy Johnson double ended the contest.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

9. Liverpool 3, Everton 2 (Anfield), Premier League, 1999 – Liverpool went into this game seeking their first victory over their nearest rivals since 1994 in a run that stretched to 9 games. Olivier Dacourt put Everton ahead inside the first minute with an excellent strike from 30 yards. Marco Materazzi then gave away a penalty after clumsily lunging for the ball and bringing down skipper Paul Ince in the process. Robbie Fowler dispatched the penalty before then celebrating with the now infamous ‘snorting the line’ celebration which manager Gerard Houllier bafflingly laughed off stating that Fowler was “eating the grass”. Fowler added a second with a header before Patrick Berger added a third with a fine volley from the edge of the area. Francis Jeffers got Everton’s second late on with a neat turn and finish. There was still time for more drama, though, as an 18 year-old sub by the name of Steven Gerrard managed to clear off the line from Danny Cadamarteri in the dying embers of the game.

10. Liverpool 0, Everton 1 (Anfield), Premier League, 1999 – A typically feisty Derby day encounter saw Kevin Campbell’s 12th goal in 19 games since arriving back from Turkey prove the difference in the fourth minute. Francis Jeffers and Sander Westerveld were both shown a red card for what can only be described as handbags at dawn and Steven Gerrard was also given his marching orders for a scything (not the first time that could be said of his challenges in a Derby game) challenge on Campbell late on.

Join us at 12.30 today for coverage of the Merseyside Derby – give your predictions and join the debate here

Norwich defender Sebastien Bassong has credited hard work for the club’s recent revival, according to reports from talkSPORT.

The Canaries claimed a 2-1 Premier League victory over Sunderland over the weekend, which extended their unbeaten run to eight.

This turnaround followed a some humiliating results to the likes of Fulham and Liverpool that had led many to right off the East Anglian club’s chances of survival.

Bassong believes that their turnaround has been no coincidence and feels that the hard work being done on the training ground is paying off:

“After all the work we’ve done from the start of the season up to now we’re really delighted about how things are coming along.

“I’m not able say one thing that made us change like this. I think it’s going to be pretty basic but it’s just the work (we put in).

“We just work hard in training week in, week out, every day.

“A lot of players came in to the team this season so perhaps it took time for us to adapt and after the poor start we had I think it could only get better.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The Cameroonian international arrived at Carrow Road during the summer, signing from Tottenham.

Right a bit of a rant at the ready…

Are we trying to become the first team to be knocked out the league to concentrate on the cup?

Yes we are in poor form but a 5-1 home defeat to the team bottom of the Championship? Be ashamed Millwall. This now makes it one win in ten league games. We’ve gone from play-off contenders, to only six points off the drop zone.

In the first half we dominated the game and had plenty of chances, the first goal came from poor defending, and so did the second. But at 2-1 down at half time I was still confident that we’d get something from the game, oh how wrong I was…

We collapsed. Plain and simple.

We were terrible, to be fair lets not take credit away from Peterborough, they looked dangerous every time they went forward. Well done to any others that sat through the full 90 minutes as it was painful. Summed up at the end by Jimmy Abdou at full time, captain for the game, didn’t stop running, collapsed in the centre circle and then looked to the crowd as to say “how did that happen?”

I’m happy John Berylson was there for the game. Maybe he’ll have seen tonight why we don’t get massive crowds.

The whole night was a write-off. Afobe on the wing, why? Surely Woolford should play? Karleigh Osborne is a decent player but Shittu is surely missed. But what got me was some fans’ comments after the game.

Jackett out! Really?

Why would people want Jackett out? Yes he’s made some mistakes this season, but name me a manager who hasn’t. He got us here and he should be given a chance to fix it if anything is wrong. Plus, someone tell me who would you bring in?

In KJ we trust…just.

Plus some players should be out of the firing line – Some of the comments I’ve seen from after the game are ridiculous.

“Jimmy Abdou is just a headless chicken” – he’s a defensive midfielder, if he wasn’t running about after the ball I’d be worried!

“Keogh is uninterested” –  The bloke has problems off the field for god sake, if you had problems surely it would effect your work?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Smith should be sent back to Spurs” –  Are people serious? Stop the world I want to get off.

We do not become a bad team overnight but something needs to change and quick… I never thought I’d say this around November time but we need to make sure we keep ourselves safe for another season.

100% of fans would’ve taken the position we are in at the start of the season, and yes we were punching above our weight at times this season but look on the bright side? One game from Wembley of course…

COYL

[ad_pod id=’writer-1′ align=’right’]

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez believes that his falling out with manager Roberto Mancini last season has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Tevez was left out of the Manchester City squad for almost six months after he refused to warm-up in a Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich last September. However, after making up with Mancini and the adoring Manchester City faithful, Tevez has made an impressive beginning to the new campaign scoring in all three games thus far.

The Argentinian striker now wants to make winning trophies at Manchester City his main priority. Tevez told The Guardian: “I am focused on my club and on the Premier League and the Champions League.

“This is what I wanted to do – to have this hunger for success back again. The disagreement with Roberto has ended up being good for me because it has helped give me back this hunger.”

Despite Tevez’s recent patch of form, he has been overlooked by Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella for their World Cup Qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru. Tevez’s team-mate for club and country Sergio Aguero is a surprise inclusion in the Argentinean squad after recovering from his knee injury – sustained in the opening day victory at home to Southampton – quicker than expected.

Tevez’s 24-year-old strike partner believes that if he continues to show a good run of form, he will soon earn his national call-up, “he is playing very well, looking quick and strong. If he keeps playing that way, Sabella will be looking at him,” Aguero said.

Tevez also offered his opinion on Manchester City’s tough Champions League Group which consists of the champions of Spain, Germany and Holland – Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, admitting that he is looking forward to one particular fixture in the group.

“Real will be very difficult rivals but they are great games to play in and even more so because of the group we are in. Cristiano [Ronaldo] is a former team-mate and he is playing as well as ever.”

Meanwhile, it is thought that Aguero may have landed himself in hot water Roberto Mancini after the Manchester City manager insisted that his star striker would not be travelling back to his homeland to play the second of Argentina’s World Cup Qualifiers.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Aguero, however, insists that he consulted Mancini on playing for his country, “I explained to the manager that I would see the national team medical staff and he was satisfied with that. I am going to be well looked after. Three days ago I started running and now I am going to consult the doctor here. I still have some pain but we will see how it develops.”

If Aguero remains unscathed then he and Tevez should resume their flourishing partnership at the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City on 15th September.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]