Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes was pleased with his side's opening Premier League 3-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday evening.
The diminutive midfielder put in an exceptional performance at Old Trafford as he set up two of the Red Devils' goals.
He teed up Dimitar Berbatov to fire them into the lead, before Darren Fletcher slotted home from close range.
With time running out, Scholes picked out the evergreen Ryan Giggs to volley past Magpies goalkeeper Steve Harper to add gloss to the triumph.
"The most important thing is to win the game," Scholes told Sky Sports."Maybe we could have scored more, but we'll take a 3-0 win on the first day of the season.
"Newcastle came, set their stall out and defended deep. Once we got the goal we were a constant threat.
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"A lot of teams come here and try to make it difficult. We just had to tire them out as much as we could.
"Second half especially, I really enjoyed that – creating chances, looking like we were going to score whenever we went forward."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
With megabucks Manchester City lavishing millions on new players over summer it was left to the rest of the clubs in the Premier League to bring some much-needed stability and sanity to the transfer market. Below Football FanCast runs through the top ten deals of the transfer window, taking into account a player’s price, ability and potential in these recessionary times.
10. David Silva, Man City
Despite the hefty price tag at £24m, the highly-talented David Silva can transform Manchester City from Europa League competitors to Premier League contenders this season. The support striker has the creativity and flair to unlock those mean, stubborn defences and the Spaniard has his best years ahead of him at the age of 24.
After four successful years in the Valencia first-team, clocking up over 100 appearances, Silva finally made his move to England this summer after previously being courted by the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool. Silva also has 39 caps for Spain and looks set to make a big impact this season.
9. Hatem Ben Arfa, Newcastle (loan)
As a product of France’s highly regarded Clairefontaine academy, which has produced the likes of Louis Saha, William Gallas and Thierry Henry; Hatem Ben Arfa is considered to be one of the hottest talents in French football today.
Newcastle secured the 23-year-old winger on a season-long loan from Marseille after Ben Arfa went on strike in a desperate bid to leave the Stade Velodrome following a series of fall-outs. Ben Arfa is a mercurial talent and if manager Chris Houghton can help him overcome his disciplinary problems then The Magpies could reap the benefits this season.
8. Marouane Chamakh, Arsenal
Landing fast and powerful Moroccan forward Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer from Ligue 1 side Bordeaux was an astute piece of business by Frenchman Arsene Wenger this summer.
The 26-year-old scored 56 goals in 230 appearances for FCGB, helping the club win their first league title in ten years in 2009. Wenger said at the time:
“I know he will provide our squad with great quality.”
7. Stephen Ireland, Aston Villa
Aston Villa received £16m, as well as Man City’s 2008/09 Player of the Year Stephen Ireland, in exchange for England international James Milner and The Villa certainly got a good deal. Ireland has a point to prove after being frozen out by Roberto Mancini at Eastlands and will be raring to go this season.
The passionate midfielder will add extra bite to the Villa midfield and at 23 will look to improve his all-round game at the Midlands club.
6. Asamoah Gyan, Sunderland
Sunderland sprang one of the biggest surprises on deadline day by breaking their transfer record to capture the signature of World Cup star Asamoah Gyan. The 24-year-old lit up the tournament with some eye-catching displays for Ghana’s Black Stars on their spectacular run to the quarter-finals.
Gyan’s World Cup performances has clearly pushed up the player’s transfer fee and at £13m represents a slight risk for Black Cats boss Steve Bruce. However if Gyan can recapture the form he showed over the summer than Sunderland fans are in for a real treat.
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5. Eidur Gudjohnsen, Stoke
Stoke secured the improbable signature of experienced Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen on loan from Monaco as part of a triple transfer treat for Potters fans on deadline day.
The 31-year-old clinical forward spent the second-half of last season on loan at Tottenham where he made a handful of appearances for Harry Redknapp’s Champions League chasing side. Gudjohnsen has plenty of experience having played for Barcelona, Chelsea and Bolton and represents a real coup for Tony Pulis as the club look to improve on last season’s 11th placed finish.
4. Alexander Hleb, Birmingham (loan)
Birmingham managed to pull off a deadline day coup by securing former Arsenal star Alexander Hleb on a season-long loan from reigning Spanish champions Barcelona. The attacking midfielder moved to Catalonia in 2008 for £11.8m but failed to establish himself as a first-team regular under Pep Guardiola.
Having spent last season on loan at his former club Stuttgart, Hleb was keen on a return to the Premier League. The 29-year-old was a massive hit with The Gunners and is sure to have Blues fans on the edge of their seat this season.
3. Joe Cole, Liverpool
Joe Cole arrived as Roy Hodgson’s first summer signing at Liverpool on a free transfer. After failing to win a new contract with champions Chelsea, Cole will be determined to prove his worth at Anfield this season.
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Cole has bags of ability and has been welcomed with open arms on Merseyside. Liverpool could be the right club for Cole to re-establish himself as an England regular under the guidance of Hodgson this season.
2. Javier Hernandez, Manchester United
Mexican livewire Javier Hernandez is a fantastic prospect after impressing at the World Cup and in pre-season for United this summer.
Sir Alex Ferguson believes the club saved over £10m by signing him before he hit the headlines with his excellent performances at the World Cup and ‘Chicharito’ has wasted no time in establishing himself at Old Trafford. Signed for around £10m from Mexican side Guadalajara, Hernandez looks to be another impressive signing by Sir Alex.
1. Rafael van der Vaart, Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs pulled off the shock of the transfer window by landing Dutch maestro Rafael van der Vaart for £8m, with just two hours left of the transfer window. Reportedly heading to Bayern Munich for £18m the day before, manager Harry Redknapp rushed through a cut-price deal after his proposed move to Germany collapsed.
The 27-year-old Holland international helped his country reach the World Cup final this summer but was deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu. Transfer deadline day certainly isn’t over until Harry Redknapp says it is.
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is not easily impressed yet it seems Udinese star Alexis Sanchez has convinced the Scot of his Premier League credentials with some increasingly impressive performances over the last 12 months.
Ferguson confirmed this week that he is a keen admirer of the Chilean international and several recent Sunday newspaper reports claimed United will table a big money offer for the flying winger in the January transfer window. The 68-year-old United boss uncharacteristically confirmed:
“We have looked at Sanchez and he has impressed us. As have other players.
“He has had very good games and is an interesting project.
“We have gathered some background, as with other footballers at his level, but nothing more than this – for the moment”
Sanchez started his playing career with Chilean side Cobreloa, where he impressed in his debut season and immediately snapped up by Italian side Udinese in 2006 for a bargain £2m. Sanchez was then loaned back to Colo-Colo and Argentinean side River Plate, where he continued to develop and dazzle in equal measure, with some outstanding displays. The Chilean had huge success during his respective loan spells, as an inspirational figure in winning league titles with both sides.
His parent club Udinese recalled the prestigious talent in the summer of 2008 and Sanchez immediately became a first-team regular at the Stadio Friuli. Sanchez has reportedly stated he is keen on a move to Old Trafford and has been touted as the long-term replacement for £80m man Cristiano Ronaldo.
The comparison is an obvious one, both have lightening quick speed, a deft first touch, amazing trickery and the ability to unlock defences. Real Madrid star Ronaldo however has a natural height and stature, something which helped him to combat the physical nature of the Premier League, an area in which Sanchez is somewhat lacking. However the 21-year old’s main quality is his ability in attack, something which he loves to do. He revealed:
“I’ve always liked playing that way; coming up with the unexpected. I love entertaining the fans.”
Known as ‘the boy wonder’, Sanchez has scored 11 goals in 32 appearances for his country and increased his reputation even further at the World Cup with some electric performances for Chile. Sanchez is one of the most wanted talents in Europe and United will have to pay big money in order to get their man. Understandably, Udinese are reluctant to sell their star player and rejected an offer from Roma earlier this year. European heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona are also reportedly keen on the mercurial talent.
Sanchez would slot right into the United set-up and would offer a more direct attacking threat to opposition defences than Ecuadorian winger Antonio Valencia, who will be sidelined until February with a fractured left ankle. While Ronaldo was signed as a fresh-faced 18-year-old with just 25 games as a professional under his belt, Sanchez has already made over 100 appearances and could make an immediate impact.
Ferguson rarely publically reveals his interest in a player and the fact he has chosen to do so with Sanchez speaks volumes. The diminutive winger would be a fantastic addition to the United squad and should be at the top of Fergie’s Christmas wish list.
See Sanchez in action below-
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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has left the door open for Wayne Rooney to cross the divide and join the Eastlands club.
Rooney has sparked a transfer scramble among Europe's elite clubs after revealing he is unhappy at Manchester United and unwilling to discuss a new contract.
City, who swooped to sign Carlos Tevez from their local rivals in July 2009, are reported to be the frontrunners due to the deep pockets of their Abu Dhabi-based owners.
Mancini played down suggestions that the England striker could make the switch in January when speaking at his press conference ahead of Thursday's Europa League encounter with Lech Poznan.
However, he did leave the door open for a possible raid on Old Trafford for Rooney.
"In December it is normal that teams that want to improve and have money to spend will want to buy players," he explained.
"Maybe in January we can change some players, but it depends on the situation. If we have injuries, maybe."
Meanwhile, Mancini has suggested that Rooney would find it more difficult that Tevez to swap Manchester clubs.
The Argentina striker left United after two seasons when they were unwilling to meet the transfer fee set by his third-party owners.
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Mancini added:"It was different for Carlos. Rooney is English and has played for United for a long time.
"Carlos was there for two years. That makes a difference."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
We are all aware that Fernando Torres is by far and away the best striker on the Anfield books. In fact, when in the groove, he’s better than pretty much anyone, and has proved that to be the case since his arrival on Merseyside. Because of this obvious superiority he has over the other Liverpool striking options, his lack of fitness and form, give Roy Hodgson a genuine dilemma over whether an out-of-sorts Torres is still his best option.
Managers will always want their best players on the pitch, but sometimes we have to ask how wise a decision it is, when they are clearly not in the right state of mind, nor body, to produce what is asked of them. We only have to look at England’s turgid display on Tuesday where upon Wayne Rooney continued to show the country that he is not the same player of last season. Capello was in fact in a strikingly similar situation to that of Hodgson this weekend. Had the likes of Darren Bent, Jermaine Defore et al been available, he could have started them against Montenegro. Capello subsequently decided that an out-of-form Rooney is still a far better player than a Kevin Davies in the form of his life.
And thus, Roy Hodgson must now decide how unfit Torres has to be to not be as good as David N’Gog (who will surely take Torres’ position should the Spaniard not start). Torres has been declared fit to play after his latest injury – an abductor muscle against Blackpool – and we have been promised that he is getting back to what we know he is capable of. Hodgson said:
“Fernando’s season needs to kick-start, he’s been hampered a bit by injuries and what happened at the World Cup.
“We see a livelier and a better Fernando every day. It was really unfortunate he got that injury against Blackpool but luckily it came in the international break so he won’t miss any more league games for us.”
Torres may be livelier, and better than what we have witnessed so far this season, or at the World Cup, but we can be certain he will not be at the absolute top of his game.
Calling this game big would be an injustice of the highest (court) order. As if derbies of the Mersey weren’t contested enough, the blue side has finally figured out that the Premier League season has indeed started. And then there is of course the very public debacle in the High Court this week; victory for common sense looks much closer to being realised, and yet there are still issues over rival bids. Much will depend on whether the players can use the weeks’ events to exert some sort of 90-minute pride-restoration. What a win at Goodison would do for the club, and for a season that has spluttered in such an abject form.
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Much has been made about Torres’ preference for scoring at Anfield, rather than on his travels, but he still a man for the big moment, just ask Nemanja Vidic. Faces looking upon Anfield with Toffee-tinted glasses will have been thankful that another poor start has been totally blown apart by what has been happening at Liverpool. And yet, both sets of players that start on Sunday must forget everything that has happened thus far. In my opinion, Torres should be one of those players. It is time to put so many issues of the last few weeks to bed.
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Looking through the footballing archives, there is substantial evidence to support the decision Manchester United made in bringing Jesper Olsen to England. The Dane is a household name in his homeland and the Netherlands, whilst also managing to write himself into the World Cup record books with goals at Mexico 1986. So ‘the Flea’ was ready to take the English game by storm, right?
Well, sort of. Despite his proven pedigree as a top quality footballer and five years at United, English football never really suited the winger. Towards the end of his stay in England, he struggled with the demands of the game and soon enough became a victim of Sir Alex Ferguson’s cleaning out project when he took over from Ron Atkinson in 1986.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the talented Dane, though. His spell at Old Trafford produced 24 goals in 139 games and a memorable FA Cup win in 1985 over holders Everton. He added this medal to an already impressive collection formed during his Ajax days. He won two Eredivisie titles and a Dutch Cup, as well as being proclaimed ‘the most surprisingly talented player’ in the Ajax squad by his then coach, Kurt Linder. The Daily Mail even listed him as number 31 in the 40 best wingers to grace English football, ahead of Arjen Robben and Steve McManaman.
Unfortunately for Olsen, he may be remembered by some for all the wrong reasons. No amount of trophies, medals or goals for his country in major competitions will erase the memory of the part he played in the second round tie against Spain in Mexico ’86.
It had started so well. Olsen was picked on merit and didn’t disappoint as he opened the scoring with a penalty. But whilst trying to perform the most straight forward of back-passes something went drastically wrong as he presented the ball to Emilio Butragueño. He scored the first of his four that day as Spain went on to win 5-1. Consequently the phrase ‘a real Jesper Olsen’ was born into Danish proverb.
It seemed Olsen had reached the pinnacle of his career. In 1988 he travelled with the Danish squad to the European Championships but played no part and was later sold by Man United to French side, Bordeaux, in a deal which saw Ferguson actually make a profit on the player.
After one season he again moved on, this time to Caen. But after a serious injury Olsen decided on retirement in 1992, despite having the chance to return to England with Blackburn and Nottingham Forest.
He now resides in Australia and in spite of some cruel mocking he still may receive from fans because of Mexico ‘86, Olsen gives back to the game with his ‘Fun Football Group’ company, which he founded in 2003.
Three years later, though, Olsen was omitted to hospital after suffering a serious haemorrhage. Recovery has been slow, but Olsen remains involved in football. He even managed to go over to Melbourne to offer words of wisdom to Guus Hiddink and his Australian side, before they embarked on Germany for their first ever World Cup.
The career of Jesper Olsen can be remembered in different ways. World Cup goals and FA Cup medals can be counteracted with slurs on mistakes at international level and even the ridiculous ‘pass-penalty’ he took part in with Johan Cryuff.
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But none of that seems to matter to the man himself. Even now, despite previous health problems, he in employed as an assistant manager at Melbourne Heart in Australia’s A-League, and whatever may be said about Jesper Olsen, you have to give him credit, he definitely loves football.
England head coach Fabio Capello has defended his decision to keep Steven Gerrard on the pitch, after the Liverpool midfielder suffered a hamstring injury late on in the 2-1 defeat by France.
Capello had agreed to only utilise Gerrard for an hour, but was forced to change his plans after Gareth Barry picked up an ankle problem.
The Italian said after the game:"We spoke with Steven and he said he would play one hour, but after Gareth Barry's injury we had some problems.
"That was the reason he stayed on the pitch. If it's possible, the players will play the time we agreed with the club.
"But Barry was really injured so we needed someone senior on the pitch because it was a really young team. He said he was good. We're upset about what happened to Steven, of course.
"They (Liverpool) asked that he can play one hour if it's possible. They can't decide how long a player plays with the national team.
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"If it's possible, he'd have played an hour. I understand why they're upset and I'm also upset.
"The problem is that, when you play this game on Wednesday after a lot of Premier League, Europa League or Champions League games, it's possible there might be an injury for a player."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Hopefully fans of the Premier League will have some football on TV to watch tonight. After the weekend’s Premiership fixtures were decimated by the weather, tonight, weather permitting of course, Manchester City are due to host Everton at Eastlands. Roberto Mancini’s City have the chance to go top, while David Moyes’ Everton will be looking to climb away from the lower half of the Premier League table, but which players will be the game-changers?
It will be interesting to see whether Carlos Tevez is selected in Manchester City’s starting eleven for the Premier League fixture tonight, following his transfer request made earlier this month. This uncertainty means I cannot possibly tell you to select him in your Picklive fantasy football team tonight, and even if Tevez does play will he be in the right frame of mind to fire City to victory? Here are three players you definitely consider putting in your Picklive Trio…
You might be somewhat surprised to learn that Gareth Barry is Manchester City’s top Picklive average points’ scorer this season, netting 59 points a game. With Nigel de Jong out suspended Barry’s role with be key, as will Yaya Toure’s. Toure has been in cracking form recently, putting in a man of the match performance against West Ham and is certainly one to watch tonight.
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The same can be said about his brother Kolo Toure, who is solid as ever in the heart of the Manchester City defence. He has netted an average of 55 Picklive points per game this season, which is just one point less than his centre back partner Vincent Kompany, who would also be a sound selection for the Everton match tonight.
As far as the Toffees are concerned the loss of Mikel Arteta to suspension is a big one as he has been by far and away Everton’s highest points’ scorer. The next man in the list is Leighton Baines, who himself has been in great form and further England caps have once again been talked about. His use of the football is of a very high standard and whether it’s his crosses or set-pieces, he may well be Everton’s most creative outlet from his left back position.
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So for my Picklive selection tonight I’ve decided to make it a family affair and pick both Kolo and Yaya Toure alongside Leighton Baines. But which three players are you going to pick for the live fantasy football tonight? Make your Picklive selections now!
Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Which THREE will you pick for Man City v Everton tonight? Picklive: Watch and bet live – spices up any game!
Despite coming off of the back of a Carling Cup semi-final triumph, Avram Grant’s chances of keeping his job seem to decline as each day passes. More and more names continue to be linked to the West Ham job, so here is a list of five of the potential candidates.
Martin O’Neill
Clubs managed: Grantham Town, Shepshed Charterhouse, Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic, Aston Villa.
Bookies favourite for the job, Martin O’Neill is likely to also be the fan’s favourite. O’Neill has a good track record of taking clubs forward in England. He took Wycombe up two divisions, recorded two League Cup wins and three top half finishes with Leicester and turned Aston Villa into a Champions League contender. O’Neill has also won the Premier League Manager of the Month Award on seven occasions, four of which while at Aston Villa. The capture of O’Neill would be a popular one and would send a sign to the rest of the Premier League that they mean business. In his league managerial career O’Neill averages a win percentage of over 50%, which would do the Hammers quite nicely.
Martin Jol
Clubs managed: Roda JC, RKC Waalwijk, Tottenham Hotspur, Hamburger SV, Ajax.
Until Martin Jol gets a new job he will continue to be linked with every Premier League managerial post going, and this one is no different. Upton Park has been a ground of contrasting fortunes for Jol while at Spurs. It was the location of Spurs’ historic 3-4 win in 2007, but also the ground where their 2005 4th place finish hopes were dashed, so a return would bring mixed emotions. His track record is very good; consecutive fifth place finishes with Spurs made him a hero at White Hart Lane before he was mercilessly sacked in favour of Juande Ramos. His attacking and attractive style of football was highlighted best during his first year with Ajax when they scored 106 goals and finished with a goal difference of +86 during his first season in charge.
Paul Lambert
Clubs managed: Livingston, Wycombe Wanderers, Colchester United, Norwich City.
If West Ham are considering going down the route of hiring an up and coming manager, then they could do a lot worse than Paul Lambert. Lambert has learned the trade in the lower leagues where he has slowly but surely been making a name for himself. His spell at Livingston was difficult, but Wycombe gave him a second chance and he rewarded them with by earning them a place in the League Cup semi finals in 2007. After a steady season at Colchester, Lambert secured a move to Norwich which is where he really caught people’s attention. After taking them to the League 1 title in his first season, Norwich currently sit 3rd in the Championship behind Cardiff on goal difference. There is no question that hiring Lambert would be a risky move, especially when West Ham are craving consistency and stability, but as a manager for a long term vision Lambert could fit in quite nicely.
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Sam Allardyce
Clubs managed: Limerick, Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers.
From what I gather, ‘Big Sam’ would be an unpopular choice amongst the West Ham faithful. In the Premier League, Allardyce has acquired a skill of securing safety and stability for average Premier League sides on very limited budgets. He may not bring the attacking flair that so many fans crave, but he is undoubtedly good at what he does. Taking Bolton to three consecutive top half finishes between 2003 and 2006 was fantastic achievement and he laid the foundations of the team which we see today. At Blackburn he once again turned the team into a tough, hardworking unit which was hard to beat…something which West Ham seem to be in dire need of.
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Slaven Bilic
Clubs managed: Hajduk Split, Croatia U21, Crottia
Bilic developed himself as something of a cult hero among West Ham fans after delaying a move to Everton in 1997 to ensure that the Hammers didn’t get relegated, so he would undoubtedly be a popular appointment. Bilic made his name at the international level during Euro 2008 where he surprised many and led to his Croatia side to a 100% record in the group stages before a heart-breaking late defeat in the quarter-finals to Turkey. Bilic has recently signed a new two-year deal with Croatia, but West Ham will be hoping that a return to one of his former clubs could prise him away. Bilic has a roguish, likeable management style and is known to be a big believer in detailed preparation for big games and with West Ham in threat of relegation, every game will be huge.
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Paraguayan ace Victor Caceres, who had a potential deal with Liverpool that was rumoured to be ‘80% certain’ before falling through in the summer could now be off to Sunderland.
Caceres was one of the star players in last summer’s World Cup for Paraguay and the 25-year old had been lined up by Hodgson to replace Javier Mascherano. It could well have been an increased price tag, because of the performances in South Africa, which lead to the deal now falling through.
It now appears that Steve Bruce is interested in bringing the defensive midfielder to the Stadium of Light.
Niall Quinn’s board have proved that they are willing and able to pay big transfer fees for World Cup stars, as they proved with the money they spent on Ghana star Asamoah Gyan in the summer. Therefore the approximate £4m that would be required would be more than in Sunderland’s price range.
The main reason that Steve Bruce is interested in Caceres is because, despite still having complete faith in club captain Lee Cattermole, he understands that referees have a mark on Cattermole and are singling him out for challenges that would go unpunished from other players. Therefore, with Caceres also being able to play centre-half as well, the Paraguayan is the perfect addition as a squad player and primarily, Lee Cattermole’s immediate backup.
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One thing that the Libertad player would certainly add is a little quality to help kick the squad on towards a possible European place.