The Soccer Blog: Could

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Thursday, 7 April 2011

Arsenal Could Lose Starlet Ryo Miyaichi as Napoli Look to Exploit Work Permit Problems

Promising winger Ryo Miyaichi has caught the attention of ambitious Italian side Napoli with his good performances for Eredivisie side Feyenoord in the past couple of months, Sky Sport Italia reports.

The Partenopei are currently sitting in second position in the Serie A table and Champions League qualification is well within their reach, therefore they are eager to add depth to their squad in order to compete, and view the 18-year-old as a valuable addition to their roster.

The young attacker signed a long-term contract with Arsenal in January and was immediately farmed out on loan to Feyenoord, where he has since developed into a key player at the Stadionclub.

Miyaichi is expected to return to Arsenal at the end of the season, but it remains to be seen whether he will be granted a work permit in England.

Napoli are reportedly closely monitoring his situation, and are ready to pounce in case he fails to secure his stay in London.

SOURCE: Goal.com

The ongoing issue or Japanese youngster Ryo Miyaichi’s work permit concerns has been a talking point among Arsenal supporters for a while, not least because the teenager has looked very impressive whilst on display in the Dutch Eredivisie. The 18 year old has been a consistent performer for Feyenoord and his every move has been studiously followed by Gunners fans who feel the starlet could be the club’s next hero.

Talk of Napoli’s interest is new and a little worrying. Maybe work permit issues are not as stringent in Italy but one would imagine that EU law on the matter is the same across the board so any issues that affect the North London club would surely affect the Naples club securing clearance for Miyaichi.

Arsene Wenger’s scouting system unearthed the talent last year and Okazaki born winger impressed whilst on trial at the club last summer. Clearly Arsenal have a number of up and coming talents coming through the system but it appears that the Emirates boss is a big admirer of the winger who can also play up front.

With the likes of Tomas Rosicky battling for form and Andrei Arshavin reportedly homesick and having an up and down season perhaps Miyaichi is a wide man with a future at Arsenal. Clearly the likes of Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott are the first choice players on either wing. The club also has a frightening array of top notch youngster performing wonderfully well out on loan with the likes of Henri Lansbury, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Sanchez Watt all progressing well.

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loading..., 3.5 out of 10 based on 4 ratings Tagged Under: arsenal fc, Napoli, Ryo Miyaichi

Liverpool and Everton Fight for Winger, Newcastle United Chase £18m Real Madrid Striker, Man United to Bid Big for Tottenham Youngster, West Ham Plan Chelsea Youngster Bid, Arsenal Winger Could Make Serie A Move and Blackpool Want £35m for Prized Asset

Saturday, 2 April 2011

Liverpool Plan £43m Trio Raid, West Ham Plan £5m Double Man United Swoop, Arsenal to Make Move for Everton Star, Tottenham Could Land £15m Starlet, Wolves Likely to Sell Matt Jarvis, Newcastle United to Re-Sign former Striker from Man City and Chelsea Do Not Want Neymar

Rangers Could Go Bust

Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston has admitted that the club could go bust.

The admission came in the wake of recent talks with would-be owner Craig Whyte and half-yearly figures indicating that the club owes

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

Chelsea keeping tabs on Dutch World Cup star; Buffon could leave Juve for Roma

Chelsea keeping tabs on Dutch World Cup star

Chelsea are readying bid for Ajax full-back Gregory van der Wiel, according to The Mirror.

With Jose Bosingwa set to leave the Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, the Blues are desperate to sign a world-class right-back and thus complete their back line.

Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly singled out Ajax full-back Gregory van der Wiel as the number one target and it is thought that the Holland international would be tempted to leave Amsterdam Arena at the end of the season.

Chelsea have already made enquires about the availability of the Dutch star and the Blues are expected to step up their interest in the coming days.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom ever since he was handed a first team debut in 2007 and he was an important part of Bert van Marwijk’s side that reached the World Cup final in South Africa.

Impressive technical qualities and a great composure with which he plays the game make Van der Wiel one of the best full-backs in Europe, with his attacking runs often wreaking havoc upon opposition defenders.

Despite his fragile age, the Dutch international already has a huge experience at the biggest stage and he is expected to fit right into the Chelsea squad.

Buffon could leave Juve for Roma

Gianluigi Buffon has yet to decide whether he will stay on at Juve after this season ends, while being the subject of interest from Roma.

The 33-year-old keeper has had his doubts over the course in which Juventus are going and has hinted on several occasions that he could leave the club in the near future.

The Bianconeri are hoping Buffon will accept a significant pay cut to his current contract, under which he is thought to be earning around

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Dortmund could be the victims of their own success

Borussia Dortmund have gone from Bundesliga also ran’s to champions elect in the space of a season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side currently lead the Bundesliga by seven points.

Their nearest rivals Bayer Leverkusen are also notorious for end of season collapses.

It’s been an incredible campaign for the Ruhr club but Dortmund could become a victim of their own success.

Some of Dortmund’s young players have attracted the interest of bigger and richer clubs due to their success this season.

If reports are to be believed they could lose some of their top stars this summer.

Youngsters

Dortmund have the second youngster squad in the German flight with an average age of just 24.4 years. Dortmund’s young player’s profiles have shot through the roof recently because of this season’s successful campaign.

The club have suffered financial difficulties in recent times but club officials are now confident that the club are on a good financial footing. That means boss Jurgen Klopp is under no pressure to sell his prize assets.

However his players could have different ideas. The likes of central defensive duo Mats Hummel and Neven Subotic have already been linked with big money moves. Hummels is highly-rated and is being linked with a return to his former-club Bayern.

His defensive partner Subotic also has a reputation for being an up and coming young defensive star. The Serbian centre-back has already attracted the attention of Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester City.

Those are just two of Dortmund’s stars to have attracted the attention of Europe’s big guns. Dortmund will do well to hang onto all their top players in the summer.

Staying

One man who looks set to stay at Dortmund is boss Jurgen Klopp. The former-Mainz head coach had been linked with a move to German giants Bayern at the end of the season. However he denied any interest in the position and Bayern have decided to replace boss Louis Van Gaal with experienced ex-Real Madrid boss Jupp Heynckes.

The fact that Klopp is staying with the club will be a big boost for the Dortmund fans. Klopp has reinvigorated the Ruhr club. His motivational effect on his players has brought great joy to Dortmund’s huge fanatical following.

The style of play Klopp likes to play is attractive, easy on the eye football. Dortmund’s style of football is not too dissimilar to that of the German national side at last year’s World Cup.

His success at Dortmund has not only brought him to the attention of Bayern but also Liverpool before the ill-fated appointment of Roy Hodgson last summer. It’s imperative that Dortmund keeps hold of the talented boss.

Champions League

The Dortmund team that Jurgen Klopp has assembled is an excellent unit. Barring any disasters next season the club will return to the Champions League for the first time since 2003. If the Dortmund boss can keep hold of most of his top players and add a few in the summer then the club will no doubt give a good account of themselves in Europe’s elite competition next season.

Experience

Dortmund have had a fantastic season and Klopp and his players deserve their chance to take on Europe’s top teams. Klopp seems to have a good rapport with his players and hopefully they will want to stay at the club and be part of the clubs Europe adventure next season.

Can Dortmund keep hold of all their top players?

Mon 28 March, 2011

Saturday, 26 March 2011

Could (maybe) see Rio again this season

By: Shaun | March 24th, 2011
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rio2 This is purely speculation of course, but the news making its way around the internet is that we could potentially see Rio again sometime this season. The prior prognosis was that he would miss the rest of the season recovering from a calf injury. Maybe it’s such a slow news day with the international break that any sort of news becomes a major headline.

If it is true (and it’s based on Rio getting an injection to help with the injury), this will definitely be welcome news for United fans. It’s always tough to gauge in instances like this how close a player is to being fit for selection. Nani was supposed to be out for 5 weeks from the Carragher tackle, but returned within 1. A big difference however is that Nani is a lot younger than Rio and has not had the injury struggles that the (now) former England captain has had (nice going Fabio) in the past.

Even if Rio was to take some painkillers and injections to numb the pain and be game ready, I just can’t see his body holding up and him being a consistent fixture in our side for the final 2 months of the season.

Just wanted to throw some (incredibly speculative) good news out there.

Some Related Man United Posts:Giggs Signs Up For One More SeasonInjury woes continueNani out for a monthRooney out for 2-3 weeksGood win in Turkey (vs Bursaspor)

Category: Manchester United, injuries

Tags: injuries, injury update, Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand
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Harry Redknapp, England manager? (Awful writing) Is It Too Early to Get Excited About Sturridge? Denmark 1 - 2 England (Via Hamlet) more news...

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Thursday, 24 March 2011

Manchester City Star Could Miss FA Cup Semi-Final With Manchester United Due To Injury

Manchester City defender Micah Richards is facing a month on the sidelines after pulling a hamstring playing for the U21s against Denmark.

The 22-year-old hobbled off after just five minutes of the friendly for next summer’s European Championships.

It is a massive blow for the player, as he has shown glimpses of his full potential during the campaign, and the club, who face a tense finish to the season.

The Blues are chasing fourth spot in the Premier League to ensure Champions League qualification and an Fa Cup semi-final against fierce rivals Manchester United on April 16.

Richards could be facing four weeks on the sidelines meaning he is in a race to be fit for the Wembley showdown.

The powerful right-back has played 25 games for the club this season scoring three times. Jerome Boateng is expected to deputise in his absence.

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loading..., 10.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating Tagged Under: england u21, fa cup, Manchester City FC, Manchester United, micah richards

Sunday, 6 March 2011

Comment on Could Liverpool dent Manchester United’s title hopes? by Brad

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Thursday, 3 March 2011

This Must Be Thursday. I Could Never Get the Hang of Thursdays.

By: Ed | March 3rd, 2011
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Long weeks are, indisputably, the worst. There’s often little to cover and, in the event that something actually happens, it’s not really worth stretching out over the span of more than seven hours.

Much like this opening paragraph, the news of a week without matches is nothing more than filler. You, the reader, will often feel duped by the realization that you’ve spent more than twenty seconds reading something that ultimately reveals you’ve been reading nothing. I’d like to tell you that today will be different—Liverpool are playing Manchester United on Sunday, and there’s a steady buzz that Andy Carroll could be making his debut against a weakened Red Devil back line. Except that’s about it in terms of news.

Welcome to the Thursday notes.

Maybe that was an exaggeration, as this Thursday actually has something close to but not necessarily entailing important news, and it may or may not be limited to things I’ve already mentioned:

** If you’re not crushing on Pepe Reina in some way, I’m not really sure why you’re here, but I’ll keep going anyway. It hasn’t been the smoothest ride for the Spanish keeper—plenty of disquiet along with the rest of the squad early, troubles and inconsistency among the back line for a decent chunk of the season, arguably his poorest performance of the season against West Ham, and, perhaps most concerning, constant rumors about his departure in the summer.

I think we’ve all been waiting for some sort of statement of commitment for the latter, and while it hasn’t come directly, we still get the status quo—classy, straightforward, and focused on helping Liverpool succeed:

“Keeping those clean sheets was about not making mistakes, first of all. I did a couple of them on Sunday and I felt really disappointed with my performance individually. I won’t hide behind any teammates – I was poor and I have to recognise this and keep learning from the mistakes.”

There’s plenty more if you hit the link, including his thoughts on the changes since Kenny Dalglish arrived and the chances for the younger talent (except Dani Pacheco—shameless plug). Anyway, the prospect of losing him in the summer is not something I’m willing to entertain, so instead let’s focus on how positively he’ll impact the club for the next thirty years. Because that’s likely.

** Turns out the rumors of a slightly weakened defensive unit for United might have some traction, or at least as much traction as rumors that the previously mentioned rumors are complete bullshit. The injury list at the back is somewhat extensive for Dame Alex Ferguson—Nemanja Vidic casualtied himself with a desperate shirt grab on Tuesday against Chelsea, Rio Ferdinand is out with a calf injury he suffered a month ago, and Jonny Evans is either hurt or just plain shitty, depending on who you ask.

It could all add up to a start for the suddenly relevant again Wes Brown, who’s been out of the collective conscious for much of the season. Consensus has Brown starting alongside Chris Smalling, who featured briefly against Liverpool at Old Trafford in Kenny Dalglish’s first match back in January. As I mentioned, though, there’s also the possibility that we’re being tricked by Alex Ferguson AND DON’T EVEN KNOW IT. Crafty stuff as usual.

** In other news that seemed far-fetched but has since re-entered the stratosphere, Rory Smith has Andy Carroll nearing the point that he could actually be named in the squad against United on Sunday. From the Telegraph:

Carroll looked sharp as he underwent a punishing session at Liverpool’s Melwood training base on Tuesday under the watchful eyes of Kenny Dalglish, Sammy Lee and first-team coach Steve Clarke. He will be examined by the club’s medical staff today to check he has not suffered an adverse reaction ahead of Manchester United’s visit.

Though the 22 year-old- who has not played since Dec 28 and only returned to light training a little more than two weeks ago – would need to make miraculous progress for Dalglish to contemplate naming him in his starting line-up against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, Carroll is thought to be in contention to be named among the substitutes.

I haven’t had a terrible time coming around to the idea that Liverpool are missing Andy Carroll without having him actually play a match, as it’s clear they’ve been missing some sort of dimension up front. Making it clear what exactly they’ve been missing will be the task, and I doubt that a run-out on Sunday will cure all of Liverpool’s ills. It’d be great if he’s fit enough to log serious minutes, but probably nothing worth risking fitness for the stretch run over. In a close match, or one in which Liverpool has the edge, though, I think an appearance could be likely, and if it happens it’ll certainly be worth watching.

Thursday is closer to Friday than Wednesday, and that’s fantastic news because the closer we are to Friday the closer we are to Sunday, which is when Liverpool play again. Makes more sense than a reasonably straightforward syncopated five-four time signature, doesn’t it?

Some Related Liverpool Posts:Thursday TidbitsClosing the Transfer Window and Moving ForwardTransfer Roundup, Giving Time, and Other Thursday NotesThis Is Not and Other Wednesday Notes, and Other Wednesday NotesMatch Preview: Liverpool v. Sparta Prague, 02.24.11

Category: Miscellaneous, Team News, Transfer News

Tags: Andy Carroll, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool v. Manchester United, Miscellaneous, Pepe Reina, Team News, Transfer News
Tweet « The Disappearing Act of Dani Pacheco | Home | Dj-ChutfieldHonestly, I'm not too worried about Pepe jumping ship. He signed a 6-year deal just last year and recently stated he's tired of the rumours and he will not comment on them anymore, he's happy here. We can't let the shock exit of that douchebag who's name I forget change our view on beloved current players or make us paranoid about everyone suddenly wanting to leave us. There are many yet who are proud to play for the Red shirt of Liverpool, Pepe Reina among them.

And yeah, long weeks suck balls.NoelWell aren't you the positive sort today. And meanwhile that Mister Alex, always up to his games and trickery and whatnot.blog comments powered by Disqus