The Soccer Blog: Looks

Showing posts with label Looks. Show all posts

Sunday, 13 March 2011

Chelsea, Manchester City And Real Madrid Alerted As £60m Wayne Rooney Looks To Leave Manchester United

44 comments by Jack Atchinson on March 13th, 2011

Old Trafford striker could be heading to Stamford Bridge, Eastlands or the Bernabeu.

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Monday, 7 February 2011

Arsenal Plan Six Player Summer £55m Clear Out as Wenger Looks to Reshape Squad

Comments Off by Christian Bailey on February 8th, 2011

Emirates Stadium boss ready to swing the axe.

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Thursday, 27 January 2011

Paul Konchesky Looks South

By: Noel | January 27th, 2011
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With news coming out that Paul Konchesky’s move back to his former club Fulham is all but assured, it looks as though Liverpool will be saying goodbye to one more reminder of the short-lived Roy Hodgson era at anfield. This is, at least on the surface, good news, though it has been in the works in some form or another for a while now. When the window first opened there were a number of rumours floating around as to possible destinations for the underperforming fullback, but in the end they came to nothing with the revelation of FIFA rules stating that a player could only play for two clubs in the course of any given season.

This wouldn’t be an issue with a player like Christian Poulsen or Joe Cole, if a suitable buyer appeared and they were judged surplus to requirements, as they didn’t actually play in any competitive matches in league or cup competitions for their former clubs. However, Konchesky is in a similar position to a player like Javier Mascherano, who played in Liverpool’s opening day fixture against Arsenal before moving on to Barcelona. In a case like that, the rules state that the player must remain with his new club for the rest of the season–or at least that he cannot go on to play for a third team, which is where the loophole, and Konchesky’s potential escape route, lie as he looks to head back home.

One expects, though, that whatever the final details of the deal are they will not be favourable to Liverpool. This was already, taken as a whole, one of the worst transfer deals in the history of Liverpool football club. Not so much for the particular player involved, as the club has bought many who didn’t work out or simply weren’t up to the task before, but for the way in which Christian Purslow and Roy Hodgson managed to send £4M pounds along with youngsters Alex Kacaniklic and Lauri Dalla Valle to Fulham while also shipping English-trained 21-year old Emiliano Insua to Galatasary on loan when he had twelve months left on his contract.

Even if Dalla Valle looks as though he may go down as one of those who didn’t quite pan out in the end, he was rated as highly as £3M pounds last January when Fulham first came sniffing around for him. Meanwhile, the act of loaning out a player on a non-recallable loan for a year when he only has a year left on his contract is an act so bizarre it still boggles the mind six months later. And all of that was done to bring in the new manager’s favourite underwhelming English fullback and remind people that hey, at least Insua could get forward effectively and was young enough that one could hope for further development.

Whatever Liverpool gets back when Konchesky heads south–and given an understandable desire on his part to do so and both sides willing to deal, it seems fairly inevitable–it won’t be anywhere near what Liverpool paid to bring him north, even if one only considers the cash involved while ignoring the likely permanent loss of three prospects for absolutely nothing. That isn’t to say Liverpool should hold onto Konchesky as a matter of principle, of course, as that wouldn’t do any good for anybody involved in this whole mess, and in the end Konchesky probably even deserves this escape–he’s even likely to willingly take a pay cut for it. After all, it’s not his fault he got offered the move, and even if he clearly was never up to the task he didn’t sulk or complain. His mother does deserve ire for her “Scouse scum” comment, but at that point the relationship between the fans and the player was already untenable, seen as he was as an underperforming representation of the unpalatable Hodgson era. He still applauded to the stands when he was subbed off to unfortunate boos and catcalls, and meanwhile he, his agent, and the club all just buckled down and looked for a way out.

After an initial set back, it looks like that way has been found, and one more reminder of that awful summer when Christian Purslow somehow got himself the job of real life Football Manager will soon be heading back home. The club will take a hit on the whole exchange, but past mistakes aren’t improved by a stubborn refusal to deal with them, and this seems clearly a situation where cutting any losses is the best course of action. Whether the likely arrival of Stephen Warnock on loan to replace him will be all that much on an improvement on Konchesky, even if he’s fairly guaranteed to start with a less toxic relationship with the fans, is another question entirely.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:Konchesky Lets His Mouth Do The TalkingRyan Babel Leaves, Joe Cole’s Still Here, and Other Tuesday NotesSquad Announced; Fernando Torres Has Been Paying AttentionMatch Preview: Liverpool v. West Bromwich Albion, 08.29.10Matchday: Liverpool v. Sunderland

Category: Premier League, Team News, Transfer News

Tags: Christian Purslow Is Worse Than Hitler, Fulham, Paul Konchesky, Premier League, Roy Hodgson, Team News, Transfer News, Transfer Rumors
Tweet « Liverpool 1, Fulham 0: Luck is Earned | Home | JoelTorres responds to Chelsea bid: [img]http://img683.imageshack.us/i/...]JoelTorres responds to Chelsea bid: http://img683.imageshack.us/i/.../liverpoolfootballblog"To all you Liverpool Scouse scum, take a real look at your team. Stop living in the past. The team are crap. Never should have left Fulham."

Wow. I didn't hear about this until today. Where does she get off? Rest assured he won't be playing again this season for us or Fulham. Seriously, does he think he's just going to walk back into their first team after the way he dogged them earlier this season.

He's a gold digger and quite frankly he's going to rot on the bench for the rest of his career. Glad we beat Fulham on Wednesday and I hope we spank them next season.RoscoSee those dirty blues have failed to pilfer el niñoLFCLOOKS LIKE JOVANOVIC IS GETTING BURNED AS WELL THE CHEEKY TWAT JUST TURNED A MOVE TO WOLFSBURG DOWN FUCK OFF MILAN YOURE SHITE AS WELLYannSome of the sweetest words I’ve read recently: From the Guardian yesterday – “Four league games into his second coming and Kenny Dalglish has Liverpool where Rafael Benítez left them: seventh in the table and longing for new faces to take them higher. It really is like the Roy Hodgson era never happened.” Oh, if only that were true.

The only correction I’d suggest is that it’s the Hodgson ‘error’ not era.

He’s the disastrous marriage and quickfire divorce quickly buried and never again spoken of. Ahh!

And if we need any reminding about the quality of our new manager, here’s Dalglish: - "I think we are better than seventh but it [the table] is getting a wee bit more realistic now. We will not get carried away with seventh, that's not where this football club wants to be."

Once again, ahh!
JerodIt will take some getting used, this feeling of agreeing with nearly all the club's squad & personnel decisions.

I'm still having nightmares of Carlton Cole driving a moving van toward Merseyside.LFCNA IM NOT HIS MUM I THINK WE SHOULD BURN HIM HE IS A BALD WANKERplastic scouserhaha. now come on, don't be baldist!! hahaEdSeems like the logical next step if he can't be sold.Andy-swede-nortoncan we burn his mum too? The cheeky slag...LFCna we can all get blown by mrs konchesky and sponk all over herNoelAll right, kids, let's not sink to Andy Gray's level all of a sudden.LFCANDY GRAY JOINING BLACKPOOL AS COACH HE CAN TAKE KONCHESKY THERE AND KARL OYSTON CAN BRING OWEN OYSTON BACK 2 THE CLUB AND RENAME IT BLACKPOOL SEX OFFENDERS FCAndy-swede-nortonJust downloaded the new xbox fifa11 with comentary, It's dead realistic, my wife just walked in and andy gray told her to fook off back to the kitchen! :-)LFCPAUL IS A GREAT PLAYER KEEP HIM KENNYAndy-swede-nortonLFC - Are you his mum? :-) He is average, good enough for premiership, but not Liverpool.NoelHeh, seems possible. But you were right earlier, even if Dalglish wanted to give him another shot, I don't think he can in the circumstances.plastic scouserHe was never gonna get another game after what his dear mummy said about us scousers. Had she not done that, Kenny may have given him a chance, like poulson.Ianrouillonits the level were at signing players, noone else wants. even now we cant sign a class left back, a striker or midfielder. and even when we sign rubbish we cant sell them noone wants them unless there free lets hope now kenny is back it all changes ..blog comments powered by Disqus

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Wednesday, 26 January 2011

Manzano looks to the back for tie future

Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano has made defence the number one priority ahead of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid.

Cup holders Sevilla host La Liga title contenders Real at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday, with a place in the final up for grabs.

But the match is only the first instalment of two legs to decide the outcome and Manzano knows it is vital that his team are still in contention when they travel to Real’s Santiago Bernabeu on February 2

“The tie isn’t going to be decided here,” Manzano said on Tuesday.

“If only it were to be decided here. It will be decided in the Bernabeu. That is why the most important thing is to not let them score. We need to keep a cool head. We aren’t going to go crazy and look to kill off the tie in the first 20 minutes at home.”

“It is a game where we need to be focused right from the first minute of the game right up to minute 180. That is why tomorrow we will look to have a good game to set up the return leg.”

Manzano revealed that his team selection will largely be dictated by Sevilla’s 4-1 win over Levante in their last La Liga match, on Saturday.

“In today’s training session today we tried to set out a plan, but the game against Levante set the tone for the starting eleven,” he said.

“As I said before the game against Villarreal, which was a return leg, there will be variables that we will have to adapt to. We have this new game, with specific circumstances. I have the script in my head, but my players need to provide the performance.”

Wed 26 January, 2011

Manzano looks to the back for tie future

Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano has made defence the number one priority ahead of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid.

Cup holders Sevilla host La Liga title contenders Real at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday, with a place in the final up for grabs.

“The tie isn’t going to be decided here,” Manzano said on Tuesday.

“It is a game where we need to be focused right from the first minute of the game right up to minute 180. That is why tomorrow we will look to have a good game to set up the return leg.”

Manzano revealed that his team selection will largely be dictated by Sevilla’s 4-1 win over Levante in their last La Liga match, on Saturday.

“In today’s training session today we tried to set out a plan, but the game against Levante set the tone for the starting eleven,” he said.

Wed 26 January, 2011

Friday, 14 January 2011

Fulham Looks For The Season Sweep

By: Jason Gatties | January 14th, 2011
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clint200 Before I get to my wack pre-match thoughts, I should offer an apology. It was originally my intention to post several times this week, bringing in hits and making mad cash for the overlords here at “The Offside” (settle down, its a joke) but it’s been a rough week. I have a back condition called “spinal stenosis” and without getting too medical on you, it means my back is fucked.

I live with certain amount of pain everyday but it’s been much worse this week. If it sounds like I’m making an excuse, well, I am. But I do apologize. You can stop sending those email complaints now.

Fulham will travel to Wigan tomorrow and will look to sweep “The Latics” on the season. Back in October, Clint Dempsey recorded a double in Fulham’s 2-0 win at Craven Cottage. That match with Wigan was also significant because our downward spiral would begin a week later and we would go win less until we beat Stoke on the road at the end of December.

Plenty of pundits are calling tomorrow’s match a “relegation six pointer” but I still refuse to buy into that on January 14th. It is however a very important match in order to keep our current positive form, as we have won 3 out of 4 in all competitions.

Newcomer Steve Sidwell will be available, but don’t expect him to start. Moussa Dembele & Andy Johnson are also available for selection and may see some time in the second half. As far as a starting XI goes, I see:

GK: Stockdale

Def: Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Baird

Mid: Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies

For: Dempsey, Kamara

Take a picture of that starting XI as I predict you’ll see some new names in the starting line up when we welcome The Potters to Craven Cottage in a week. With that in mind, I’m expecting Duff, Etuhu & Kamara to be playing for their jobs this week, which I hope leads to something positive.

Roberto Martinez will be without a few key players, so I’m hoping we can take advantage of that. Fulham hold a 15-12-10 advantage over Wigan in all competitions over the years and tomorrow, I predict we’ll record our 16th all time victory. The boys are playing well and even though we’re on the road, I see no reason for that to change. This is another example of Fulham needing to win matches they are suppose to win. In my world, failure is not an option.

Prediction: Wigan 0-1 Fulham

*Edited Note: Thanks to commenter “Rosie” for correcting me. Fulham did lose to Spurs on the road after defeating Stoke. I’ve made the corrections (I believe, I didn’t search the post real hard).

Category: Andy Johnson, Clinton Dempsey, English Premier League, Moussa Dembélé, Steve Sidwell, Team News, damien duff

Tags: Andy Johnson, Clinton Dempsey, damien duff, English Premier League, Moussa Dembélé, Steve Sidwell, Team News
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