Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have emerged as the latest targets for super-rich Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala according to the Metro.
Backed by billionaire Suleyman Kerimov the England midfield pair are the latest in a long line of world class players that have been targeted by the ambitious Russians.
They stunned the footballing world last month after completing signing of Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o and made him the worlds best paid player on a reported £300,000-a-week deal.
He joined a squad already boasting Roberto Carlos, Diego Tardelli, Balázs Dzsudzsák and Yuri Zhirkov with reports suggesting that the ageing 31-year-old Gerrard and 33-year-old Lampard are now on their shopping list.
Money would certainly be no object with the club willing to offer the pair lucrative contracts worth £13 million a season if they were to move to Dagestan.
However with Liverpool captain Gerrard and Chelsea stalwart Lampard already multimillionaires in their own right it’s unlikely they would be willing to relocate to Russia despite the prospect of one last fruitful payday.
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With both players moving into the final stages of their careers it’s doubtful that they would be willing to uproot their families after spending over a decade at their respective clubs.
With 11 league games left, Mick McCarthy and Ian Holloway know how vital Saturday’s match at Molineux is to both clubs.Wolves are bottom of the table on 25 points with a poor record against their fellow relegation strugglers.Blackpool, meanwhile, are 12th with 32 points having collected an impressive five away wins this season, one more than at Bloomfield Road.Wolves have little margin for error remaining as they prepare to meet a Blackpool side whose survival nerves were eased considerably by their emphatic 3-1 defeat of Spurs.Skipper Karl Henry knows full well the importance of the Molineux showdown and has warned the Tangerines to be aware of more surprises in store from set-pieces in the survival run-in.Henry played an integral role in Jamie O’Hara’s super strike at The Hawthorns from a free-kick that caught out Albion and earned Wolves a point.Henry was responsible for organising the manoeuvre that ended with O’Hara scoring his first goal for the club ? and the midfielder says there are more tricks up the Midlands side’s sleeve which could bring precious reward in the battle for points.”We are always looking to try something a bit different and I did explain to Jamie how the free-kick worked,” Henry told the Wolverhampton Express and Star.”In recent weeks when we’ve had free-kicks around the box we’ve maybe not been creative enough but we have got some in our locker.”Henry will be hoping for more surprises against Blackpool whose shock defeat of top-four challengers Spurs dampened Wolves’ hopes of a double dividend at Molineux ? a victory that would drag their opponents deep into relegation trouble.But it has not changed the importance of a Wolves win which Henry accepts, saying: “Blackpool play a very open game and in doing so it might be that there are gaps at the back which we have to capitalise on, especially when we are playing at home.””We need to force the issue and be on the front foot. We need to start the game quickly like we did at West Brom.””We need to produce the same sort of start against Blackpool and try and gain the initiative as early as possible.” Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam will miss the next two games after picking up his 10th booking of the season for a late foul on Spurs defender Michael Dawson.But Holloway put aside Adam’s absence to lavish praise on veteran striker Brett Ormerod who became the first Blackpool player to score in all four divisions when he scored the third against Spurs.Ormerod, 34, has been at the club for 14 years, an achievement that has impressed Holloway.”I don’t think there’s a player that I’ve ever managed that I’m prouder of or more pleased for than Brett Ormerod,” Holloway said.”He’s fantastic and he’s a credit to everybody, I’m delighted for him, it’s a monkey off his back, nobody else has ever done it and I don’t think anybody else ever will.” The Tangerines’ boss also suggested that his policy of rotation was working and that impressive performances for the reserves would be rewarded with first team opportunities.”If you play well in my reserves and score in my reserves then I’m going to put you in my first team,” he said.”My other lads have got to look at that and use it as an incentive to get in the side because if they do play well then they will get an opportunity, the reserves are playing again tonight and I’ll be watching that ahead of Saturday’s game.””The result (against Spurs) sets us up well for the final push, the points that we’ve amassed now would have kept us up last season and this year is a lot tougher.”
It is still possible for Guti to join Blackburn Rovers this summer, according to the Real Madrid midfielder's agent.
Sam Allardyce has expressed an interest in the player and it has been confirmed that preliminary contact has been made between Rovers and the Spaniard's representatives.
Rovers have also been linked with moves for James Beattie, Benjani, Frederic Piquionne and Kris Boyd recently, although they are not expected to launch a bid for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher.
The 33-year-old's agent, Zoran Vekic, said of the chances of Guti moving to Ewood Park: "It is possible. Little talks have gone on and, while there is nothing happening at the moment, it is possible."
Meanwhile, Galatasaray are being linked with Australia international midfielder Vince Grella who has endured an injury-ravaged two-year spell with Rovers.
Fellow Australians Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill are already at Galatasaray, and it is believed Grella is keen to join them in Istanbul.
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The 30-year-old moved to Rovers in August 2008 on a four-year deal from Torino but has started only 25 Premier League games in his two seasons with the club.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed that Gareth Bale’s injury after Charlie Adam’s tackle in pre-season is not serious.
The Liverpool midfielder caused the Tottenham man to leave the pitch in a pre-season friendly in the United States with a heavy-handed tackle, causing outrage from the Welsh winger who labelled him a coward.
However, Spurs fans will breathe a sigh of relief that their star player has not been sidelined for long.
“Needless to say, we are extremely relieved Gareth has not been seriously injured,” Villas-Boas told reporters, printed in The Daily Mail.
“There is previous history between the two players on the challenge that was done I think three years ago.
“Adam being called a coward? It’s Gareth speaking and he felt strongly after the match bearing in mind the player didn’t go to him to apologise for what was considered a difficult and nasty challenge.
“The words came out of his mouth and I’m sure he said it in full consciousness. Will we take it any further? We are discussing it within the club but in my opinion, the matter is dealt.
“But it would be extremely human for Charlie to come out with an apology. But you can’t force people to say anything and we will have to wait and see,” he concluded.
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Harry Redknapp has this week suggested that the level of abuse players are now receiving in the game is vicious and has begun to step over the line. Players like Emmanuel Adebayor are the constant subject of vile chants and abuse from ‘fans’ and it appears that although supporters should be entitled to express themselves, many are simply going too far.
Hurling abuse in football has long been considered acceptable as a form of passion. There has always been pretty shocking stuff chanted at football grounds, but of late the issue has come into the spotlight, with constant abuse and heckling of players in the most disgusting fashion. Only last week the youtube video of the ‘fans’ teaching their four-year old to sing the crudest song about the Munich air crash emerged, highlighting the appalling behaviour that has become second nature to a lot of football ‘fans’. Of course not everybody goes about acting like this, and it is probably just a minority that are acting so atrociously, but it needs to be stopped, and clubs and the powers that be need to do more to cut stuff like this out of the game. Football is a beautiful game, but elements like this take the shine off and show its ugly side.
I’m not suggesting that fans shouldn’t be allowed to express themselves, booing an opposition team or player on the field is fair enough, it is part of the theatrical nature of the game, but the constant taunting and negative chanting is embarrassing for football, as well as clubs, and the areas the fans represent.
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The constant ferocious stick that some players receive from supporters is simply too much. The level of abuse shown is simply pure hatred and footballers, as human beings, shouldn’t have to take some of the disgusting abuse hurled their way. How can you insult someone that you don’t even know?
It is difficult for players not to react to abuse, but it is a long established part of the game so they must try to ignore it. A player must be sensible in the situation and the worst thing they can do is react and incite it. We have seen players in the past, like Emmanuel Adebayor and Gary Neville, running the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the opposition fans after receiving abuse. Sure they had been getting horrendous stick all afternoon, but they have a role to play in the game and should have reacted with sensitivity, instead of further inciting the fans.
It has now become common for supporters not just to vent fury at the opposition, but also their own side. Alex McLeish and Arsene Wenger have taken the full brunt of fans criticism so far this season, with boos often ringing out around their respective stadiums. Having spent their hard earned money to watch the game, fans are perfectly entitled to express themselves and perhaps it is the only way they can get their voices heard, although I don’t see how it can be anything other than self-destructive.
Football is passionate, and displays of emotion are a vital part of the game we all love, but some of the abuse these days has stepped over the mark and the game doesn’t need to be ruined by this kind of behaviour. Booing is fine, but the kind of personal insults we often hear nowadays are too much.
It can be difficult for players not to react when they are getting outrageous stick, human nature will scream at them to give a bit back to the supporters who are taunting them, but common sense must prevail, and they must continue to go about their game professionally and try and shut the fans up with their actions on the field. Supporters are perfectly entitled to vent their opinion and their frustrations, but it needs to be within reason. Some of the abuse currently hurled at players is disgusting and there is simply no place for it in the game.
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Are supporters right to vent their fury? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or following me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.
Sir Alex Ferguson lamented some poor defending from set pieces on Saturday as his side’s 2-1 loss to Wolves ended a 29-game unbeaten streak.
Wolves responded well after going a goal down to a Nani strike early on, and goals from George Elokobi and Kevin Doyle handed them a memorable victory, although they remain at the bottom of the English Premier League on goal difference.
Ferguson said that while he was disappointed to see his men suffer their first league loss of the season, he was proud of the way his side had been playing.
“I’m disappointed obviously, it’s been a long run for us,” Ferguson told ESPN.
“The players have done us all proud; we can be pleased with that part, but today in the second half we didn’t really get going.”
“The consistency that we’ve shown over the past two months has been terrific so today was a big disappointment.”
“I’ve said that before the game, and it stands strong again after the game. They are a handful on set-pieces as they proved today, and it’s cost us the game.”
Ferguson also revealed that central defender Rio Ferguson had strained a calf during the warm-up for the game and will be sidelined for ‘a couple of weeks’.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, meanwhile, was delighted to have picked up three points and is hoping to use the shock result as a springboard to lift his side out of the drop zone, targeting greater consistency in the final third of the season.
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“We are in this position because whilst we have beaten some of the top teams, we have been bobbins against those around us. West Ham, Wigan, Blackpool – they have all taken points from us,” McCarthy said.
“It is all right lounging around and basking in the sunny day of beating Manchester United, we have to do it against other teams and do damage to them to make sure we preserve our Premier League status.”
Every time a paper is opened these days it seems that there is always a well-known footballer in the headlines due to some type of unsavoury off the field action. It might be a Twitter indiscretion, a driving violation or a temporary case of amnesia where their wedding vows are concerned. Whatever the case, it seems that now more than ever footballers feel that their job and status that comes with it seems to give them the right to do pretty much anything they want.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are obviously some players who lead quiet lives and keep their heads down, and no one is a better example of this than Paul Scholes, who is what can only be described as the consummate professional, and tackling aside, is a total credit to both himself and the club on and off the field.
Sadly however it seems that Scholes is becoming more the exception than the rule, with numerous footballers now hitting the headlines on a weekly basis for things that had they been in a ‘normal’ profession I very much doubt they would do. Parking in disabled spaces or going so far beyond the speeding limit you may as well enter qualifying for Silverstone is something that is all too common for footballers, and something that is quite frankly a disgrace.
As with any article commenting on the off the field antics of professional footballers, you cannot get away without mentioning the women. It may be fame hungry WAG wannabes who will stop at nothing to seduce a footballer or get a flimsy piece of information that constitutes a middle page spread in The Sun, or an injunction that made millions of Harry Potter fans wonder why ‘he who must not be named’ was appearing in their papers next to Imogen Thomas every day.
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All that pales in comparison to the growing number of sexual assaults footballers are linked to, and again, is a very unsavoury side to the game and the heroes we cheer for every single week.
Perhaps the problem is that we forget that footballers too are human, and flawed characters, yet have an excess of pretty much everything which tempts them further into problems than so called ‘normal’ people. It is also an extremely valid defence of a player who appears in tabloids time and time again to say that the papers are somewhat obsessed with printing a story about them, something which is all too true in the case of Mario Balotelli – yes he may bring a certain amount onto himself, but the amount of non-stories the papers print is tantamount to stalking!
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One arrival that will have given all managers a massive headache is the phenomenon that is Twitter – players who have, shall we say a less than stellar IQ, or ones who are in the heat of the moment tend to tweet less than advisable things, and ones which are guaranteed to keep the tabloid press wheels turning for days.
Again it is something that a ‘normal’ person does not have to contend with – we have a few hundred followers, not a few hundred thousand, yet footballers have to understand that their margin for error is that much smaller because of who they are and what they do – not that much greater, and the sooner they do that, the better for both themselves and the reputation of the game.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has criticised his side’s defending following their 5-1 home defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, and was full of praise for Roberto Mancini’s men.
Edin Dzeko bagged four goals with new signing Sergio Aguero also finding the net in a one sided display that will have alarm bells ringing at White Hart Lane.
“We didn’t defend well enough, they play a little push and run around the edge of the box, we don’t run with people, they get a free header, so we didn’t defend well enough and it cost us,” the former West Ham manager told the press.
The Eastlands outfit have won all three of their Premier League games so far, scoring 12 goals in the process, and the 64-year-old spoke of the Manchester side’s attacking prowess.
“Once you go a couple of goals down against a good side like that it’s really difficult, they’re full of quality there’s no doubt about that.
“They’ve got fantastic forward players, they’re going to be difficult for anyone to contain them for 90 minutes. They’ve got players with goals in them – you’ve only got to look at them,” he finished.
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Spurs sit bottom of the pile after two losses, and will take on Wolves at Molineux in their next game on September 10th.
Brisbane Roar moved one step closer to securing the A-League Premier’s Plate after a 2-1 win over Melbourne Heart on Saturday.
The Roar could have wrapped up the minor premiership if it were not for Adelaide’s 2-1 home loss against the Central Coast Mariners, also on Saturday, but Ange Postecoglou’s side will finish the season on top if the Mariners fail to beat the Melbourne Heart on Friday.
Even if the Mariners do win in Melbourne, all the Roar will need is a point from their clash with North Queensland on February 5 to finish the season atop the table, while Saturday’s win has already secured their spot in the 2012/2013 Asian Champions League.
The records keep coming for Postecoglou’s all-conquering side, as the Roar extended their unbeaten record to 23 matches, breaking a domestic football record in Australia set in 1987 by APIA Leichhardt.
Brisbane’s attempt to break the record started brilliantly when Costa Rican under-20 international Jean Carlos Solorzano notched his 11th strike of the season after just five minutes.
Solorzano’s pace took him away from Heart captain Simon Colosimo before he delivered a quality finish which takes him to second on the league’s scoring charts, equal with Central Coast’s Matt Simon on 11.
In-form James Meyer gave the Roar a two-goal advantage after 63 minutes with his fourth goal in three games in his first A-League start for the club and despite Gerald Sibon’s 75th minute consolation, Brisbane hung on for all three points.
In the day’s other matches, the Central Coast Mariners all but secured second spot on the table with a 2-1 away win at Adelaide United.
A sensational first-half set up the victory, with Patricio Perez and Joshua Rose getting on the scoresheet as the Mariners put on a clinic.
Travis Dodd gave Adelaide a late chance of an unlikely draw with his injury time equaliser, but the Mariners claimed a well-deserved three points.
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Sydney FC kept their fledgling finals hopes alive with a 2-0 away win against the Perth Glory, set up by goals to Nick Carle and Bruno Cazarine.
The win gives Sydney FC, the reigning champion, a chance of making the finals with the Sky Blues ninth on the A-League table, just four points behind the sixth-placed Melbourne Heart.
With the top six featuring in the finals, Sydney will be hoping to make use of their game in hand on the Heart and continue their unbeaten run in 2011.
Bologna playmaker Gaston Ramirez is on the radar of Liverpool, but the Reds may have fallen behind in the race for his signature to Italian giants Juventus reports Talk Sport.
The 21 year old Uruguayan lit up Serie A last season, with a fantastic campaign for Bologna, guiding them to a 9th place finish.
Ramirez also finds himself linked to Premier League champions Manchester City, as well as moves elsewhere in Italy in the form of AC Milan and Napoli.
Liverpool are set to be looking for a playmaker as their move for Brendan Rodger’s Hoffenheim favourite Gylfi Sigurdsson has been hijacked by Spurs.
Bologna have slapped a £16 million price tag on their Uruguayan number 10, and are all but resigned to losing him to a bigger club.
Despite the probable move to a bigger club, Ramirez had stated he wouldn’t mind staying another year with the 9th place finishers; ‘The people love me, I love the club, so I’m very happy being in Bologna.’ – however Bologna are willing to sell Ramirez in order to earn some big money.
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Should Liverpool overtake Juventus in the race for Ramirez, it would be Rodgers’ first signing since taking over at Anfield.