Germany coach Joachim Loew was delighted with his side’s 2-1 win over Austria in Vienna on Friday to all but secure a place at Euro 2012.The win lifted the Germans seven points clear of Belgium on top of Group A, with Belgium having played one game more than the leaders.
While Loew acknowledged Germany were not at their best after a long Bundesliga season, the coach said they were happy to overcome a tough test and deal Austria’s qualification hopes a hammer blow.
“I am delighted that we won the match,” Loew said. “It’s good to come to Austria and get the three points even when we haven’t played so well.”
“Some players were clearly at the limit of their strengths – we made mistakes that could have been avoided.”
“Austria brought everything to this game. They were good and fought hard, and perceived this match as their last chance.”
“I am happy because it was fortunate, but also proud because the players wanted to win this game.”
Defender Philipp Lahm said the squad was pleased with the win, and insisted they were looking forward to securing full points against Azerbaijan on Tuesday before taking a well-earned break.
“We should talk again after Tuesday,” Lahm said. “We must win in Azerbaijan, but it is looking good for us.”
“We worked hard today and collected three points. Now after Tuesday we can reassess and then we’ll be able to go on holiday without any worries and I believe that qualification will then be all but assured.”
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has stated that he feels the nature of his side’s comeback against Chelsea on Sunday will represent a physiological blow for their title rivals.
The Premier League champions found themselves 3-0 down at Stamford Bridge early in the second half, but two Wayne Rooney penalties and a Javier Hernandez header salvaged a point for The Red Devils.
Carrick feels that the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham will have been rubbing their hands together after seeing Andre Villas Boas’ men race into a comprehensive lead, but that United’s refusal to lie down will be a dent to their confidence.
“I think other teams who were watching that and seeing us go 3-0 down, would have been thinking what a good afternoon it’s been for them,” Carrick stated to The Telegraph.
“Then for us to come back in the manner we did might give them a little dent and a boost for us.
“We were slightly disappointed in the end. Obviously, when you’re 3-0 down and have your backs against the wall, if someone offers you a point then you’ll be happy with that.
“But getting a third goal with a fair bit of the game to go, we fancied ourselves to go on and win it. There’s a lot of positivity but there’s still that little tinge of maybe we could have won,” he concluded.
United face Liverpool at Old Trafford next, with the Premier League giants going head-to-head at Old Trafford on Saturday.
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Sunderland's Republic of Ireland winger Andy Reid has admitted that he may need to leave the Stadium of Light on loan in a bid to secure regular first-team football.
The 28-year-old is back to full fitness after a long-term calf injury, but has featured just three times as a substitute for the Black Cats this season.
Reid told the Northern Echo:"With me not starting games – I've come on for a few minutes here and there – I don't feel part of it.
"I want to be because the most important thing for me now is that I need games. I missed loads towards the end of last season, so now I'm at the stage where I really, really need games.
"I've played three reserve games, but with the greatest respect I'm 28 years of age and I don't really want to be playing reserve football every week.
"I need to play first-team games. I guess if I don't get a chance then maybe I need to get out and get some games in.
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Managing in football is always a difficult job. The media limelight is fixed firmly on the man in the dugout and the pressures of coaching a team can often take its toll on the person in question. This often leads to clashes with sections of the media, be it in a press conference or an interview after a match. We often see a manager storming out of a press conference or replying irritably to pointless questions. Other individuals take a more humorous approach to answering the journalist’s questions, using sarcasm or funny anecdotes to lighten the mood somewhat.
It isn’t always the managers who produce quality answers for the media, as players can often produce pearlers of their own and there’s nothing better than watching someone in the footballing world take on the media at their our game. We’ve compiled a list of 25 press conference/interview answers that either made us giggle, dropped our jaws or made us shake our heads in disbelief:
25. Mick McCarthy – Wolves had just survived on the final day of the 2010/11 season, but Mick McCarthy got a soaking he didn’t quite expect. His response? Sheer optimism.
24. Kevin Keegan – King Kev resigned as England manager after a 1-0 defeat to Germany in the final game at the old Wembley. Although Keegan’s demise was expected, what the media didn’t understand is why he chose the Wembley toilets as the perfect place to break the news.
23. Eddie Mitchell – Bournemouth Chairman Mitchell had an unpleasant spat with Mark Chapman on a 606 Phone-in after he rather unfairly sacked his manager, Lee Bradbury. Mitchell took offence to the line of questioning and resorted to a rather fouled-mouthed way of responding.
22. Mario Balotelli – Imagine one of the worst things that could happen during your announcement as the new caretaker manager of Inter Milan. Microphone not working? Journalists throwing tomatoes? Nobody showing up? Well, having former Inter star Mario Balotelli turning up uninvited can’t be much better. Yep, that’s what the Manchester City star gets up to on his day off.
21. Harry Redknapp – They say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Well, not in the case of Mr Redknapp who dismantled a hack who asked him a daft question after Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Leeds in the 2010 FA Cup.
20. John Terry – Player revolution? What player revolution? John Terry did nothing at the 2010 World Cup to mask claims of a revolt against coach Fabio Capello and the rumours started all over again.
19. Alberto Malesani – What better than an extreme meltdown from a foreign manager who goes absolutely ballistic with his national press? Alberto Malesani of Panathinaikos, take a bow.
18. England 1998 – With Glenn Hoddle as your coach, a sense of humour is most certainly necessary at a major tournament. The England team had a wager on who could fit the most song titles into press conference answers during the 1998 World Cup and left many members of the media a little red in the face when they realised.
17. Jose Mourinho – You could almost produce an entire list of quotes from one Mourinho press conference, but the Portuguese manager has produced some exceptional lines over the years. After ranting about referees, Jose then goes on to question Mr Ferguson’s wine cellar. Priceless.
16. Sir Alex Ferguson – Sir Alex is well known for getting tetchy with reporters during interviews and one tested his patience a little too much before the Champions League final with Barcelona. For the record, I’m not sure Sir Alex really wanted to pick Javier Mascherano out of all the Barcelona team.
15. Cristiano Ronaldo – After Manchester United won the title, Ronaldo proved that he could literally do anything, turning from star player to star reporter. He even translated Anderson’s poor English and made a quip about the midfielder’s lack of playing time.
14. Harry Redknapp – Another classic from Mr Redknapp who seemed to take offence at being struck on the back of the head during his time in charge of West Ham. Had it been Tottenham, I’m sure Darren Bent would have got the blame.
13. Ray Hudson – One of the more bizarre press conferences was conducted by Miami Fusion’s English manager Ray Hudson who seemed rather unsatisfied after his side beat Tampa Bay Mutiny 5-0. He stormed into the media room, saying ‘I’ve got nothing to say’ before paradoxically asking ‘Any questions?’ and then storming out. Temper, temper.
12. Kenny Dalglish – The Luis Suarez race row got taken to a new level after the Uruguayan petulantly refused to shake Patrice Evra’s hand before United and Liverpool clashed in the Premier League. Dalglish seemed to borrow Arsene Wenger’s eyesight in regards to the insight, before losing his rag when questioned about the incident.
11. Roberto Mancini – The pressure seemed to show occasionally last season as Roberto Mancini chased a first Premier League title, but he still found the time to enjoy the odd giggle with the media. Mario Balotelli was often the subject of his attention towards the end of last year, but he was the butt of Mancini’s joke here.
10. Joe Kinnear – Want to watch the world record for most amount of swear words used in a minute? Look no further than Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear who did his dodgy heart no favours with his one-man crusade against the media.
9. Roy Keane – Roy Keane is a scary man to cross. So it’s probably not a clever idea to leave your phone tuned on in his press conferences. Do so at your peril.
8. Gordon Strachan – The Scot was a difficult man to get a straight answer out of at the best of times, so it’s not a good idea to ask him stupid questions. Otherwise you’ll get the response you deserve.
7. Ian Holloway – Football’s greatest interviewee. Ollie’s as mad as a box of frogs and always provides anecdotes that have the press in stitches. Just don’t try and make any sense of what he says. Here’s just one example.
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6. Sir Alex Ferguson – Was the Ryan Giggs affair a touchy subject for Sir Alex? You betcha. Operating on a Gestapo level of censorship, the Manchester United boss acted swiftly to remove the offending reporter.
5. Kevin Keegan – Football’s greatest rant ever? Look no further than Mr Keegan who provided one of football’s funniest moments when he got slightly annoyed in the run-in of Newcastle United’s title challenge. Who says Fergie’s mind games don’t work?
4. Ian Holloway – Ollie’s best piece of work? Well, no other manager in the history of football has ever compared a scrappy win to a night on the pull. He sounds well practised in the art!
3. Jose Mourinho – This simply needs no introduction. Arrogance at it’s greatest, but Mourinho’s supreme confidence won him many plaudits.
2. Sir Alex Ferguson – Need to capture a manager’s emotion after the greatest triumph of his career? Think this should suffice…
1. Harry Redknapp – Sky Sport’s Rob Palmer rather hit a nerve during an interview with Redknapp, but what else what you call his transfer dealings?
“Depending who you listen to Joey Barton is a footballer, ex-con, ranting anti-celebrity, “football’s philosopher king, loving dad and violent thug all rolled into one.” (joeybarton.com)
Barton has never been one to pull his punches – in every sense of the phrase – but his latest fracas at the Eithad Stadium on May 13 has perhaps threatened his career more so than ever before. The season begins on Saturday for everyone except the troubled midfielder whose 12-match ban may mean he never graces the Premier League again.
Barton is a lot like Marmite, he’s only used when all other options in your cupboard or rather squad are unavailable. Long gone are the days when he used to carve teams open for Manchester City, relishing in his role as both playmaker and midfield general. His transfers to Newcastle and Queens Park Rangers have been smeared with trials and tribulations and neither the tough love of Sam Allardyce or Neil Warnock have been able to improve his temperament.
During the summer it was announced that Barton would participate in pre-season training with Football League newcomers Fleetwood Town, a move that the player himself insisted would help “rediscover his love for game”. Whether this was indeed the case is entirely up for debate, I for one think it was further punishment for his Rambo approach to the last day of the season. Perhaps Mark Hughes was keen to give Barton a glimpse into his future should he continue to court with controversy.
Nevertheless the process was considered a success even though a proposed loan move never materialised. The League Two club praised his professionalism whilst Barton said he relished the “pure, old school, mortgage/livelihoods on the line, balls-out football.” There was even rumour of sessions with sports psychotherapist Steve Pope although I can’t see Barton lying on a coach unless he’s just tried to tackle it.
In the following days a loan move to Ian Holloway’s Blackpool spontaneously appeared in the tabloids but both parties labelled the story a complete fabrication. The Football League has since stepped in to announce that it would block any move to one of its clubs by refusing to register him whilst his ban remains. Officials are said to be unhappy with the attempts to reduce the impact of his FA punishment and believe it would bring the loan system into disrepute.
Many fans and personnel within the game have commended the Football League’s stance but I am confused as to why the ban wasn’t allocated a time period, similar to those given to Cantona and Ferdinand. In this instance there would have been no room for manoeuvre unless Barton was shipped to an area of the world that didn’t adhere to the Gregorian calendar. A loan stint abroad could now prove the only viable option but Barton is unlikely to want to distance himself from his young family.
With Barton due to celebrate his 30th birthday in September he is arguably entering into the prime period of his career. Surely his time in West London is the last chance to make a success of his career, especially having continued to alienate 99% of the footballing world with his impetuous, albeit refreshing outlook on the beautiful game. The introduction of tiki-taka and possession based tactics means that perhaps the Roy Keane’s and Patrick Vieira’s of this world no longer have the same inspiring impact. Barton will no doubt see himself in the same mould as the aforementioned midfield duo – he’s good enough to play for England after all – but I doubt his club share the same ‘us against the world’ mentality that he so easily adheres himself to.
QPR are in a fortunate position in that they can afford to support the financial burden regarding wages and his ongoing rehabilitation. However the flip side to this is that they can also afford to cancel his contract should the negative aspects of retaining Barton outweigh the positives. Therefore he must begin to prove himself useful off the pitch by working within the academy and ensuring his name is kept out of the headlines. I still don’t think he quite understands the level trust he has to regain, his actions after all could easily have cost QPR their place in the Premier League.
Ultimately Barton’s future will be decided by his manager Mark Hughes, a man who unsurprisingly has his own section on Barton’s official website that is littered with praise. Unless the Welshman oversees a vast clearout in the fortnight before the transfer window closes, the club will boast one of the most bulging and competitive squads in the league. If the new additions of Ji-Sung Park and Junior Hoilett ensure a promising start to the campaign then Barton will struggle to remain in contention for a first-team place come November.
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There will always be managers, clubs and even chairman who are willing to gamble on a player like Joey Barton, which is perhaps why he’s always been picked up whilst drinking in the last-chance saloon. The mavericks and risk takers of this world will be convinced that they can liberate the talented footballer that’s locked deep inside. Whether we ever get to see that side of him again, remains to be seen.
Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I have been checking out the new Mitre ball set to be spanked around in the Football League this season.
Wigan’s mini-revival was brought a stuttering halt as Arsenal scored four without reply to run out convincing winners at the DW Stadium and move to within two points of the Premier League top four.
Following last week’s dramatic late win at Sunderland the Latics went in search of back-to-back victories for the first time season but were brought thumping back down to earth by the clinical Gunners. A promising start from Roberto Martinez’s side gave way to an Arsenal side who are still undergoing an renaissance of their own and they displayed their class with Mikel Arteta and Thomas Vermaelen scoring within a minute of each other to send the visitors into the break with a two goal advantage. Gervinho extended that lead in the second half before Robin Van Persie continued his prolific form in 2011 with his 37th goal in all competitions during the calendar year. The win saw Arsene Wenger’s men climb to fifth in the table behind Chelsea who beat Newcastle earlier in the day.
The home side will be disappointed that they were beaten in such a manner on their home turf as they slipped back into familiar territory with this defeat sending them back to the bottom. Still brimming with confidence following their first win in 10 games Wigan looked bright in the opening stages with Victor Moses and Connor Sammon causing the away side a few problems. Still they look impoverished in attack and were made to pay for some substandard finishing as the Gunners raced into a two goal lead before the hosts even had time to blink. Firstly, Arteta opened the scoring on 28 minutes lashing a long range a shot towards goal that passed through the hands of goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi. The Oman stopper really should have done better and he found himself picking the ball out of the net just a minute later after Vermaelen powered in a header via the post to give his side a nice cushion going into the second half.
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Wigan briefly threatened a comeback after the break with Moses flashing a shot across goal before Mohamed Diame went close with an effort. Arsenal started to dominate again and felt they should have had a penalty after Aaron Ramsey was fouled by Steve Gohouri in the penalty area. They didn’t have to wait long to increase their lead with Gervinho making it 3-0 just after the hour stabbing home from close range after Al Habsi had spilled Van Persie’s effort. There was still time for the Dutchman to grab a goal waiting till the 78th minute before scoring his 13th of the season sweeping the ball home after being set up by Theo Walcott to make it six wins in seven games since their defeat against Tottenham in October.
Harry Redknapp confirmed Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart as likely starters for Tottenham’s Champions League clash with AC Milan.Bale returned from a back injury in his side’s 3-3 draw with Wolverhampton in the English Premier League on Sunday, putting in some typical barnstorming runs that will give the Welshman plenty of confident ahead of Tottenham’s last-16, second-leg match against the Serie A giants on Wednesday at White Hart Lane.Spurs took the first leg 1-0 at the San Siro on February 15, with a strike from Peter Crouch handing Tottenham a crucial lead going into the second leg.Redknapp said Bale pulled up well from the 20-minute substitute stint, and added that van der Vaart is also a chance to return from a calf injury.”Yes, there’s every chance (of Bale starting). He came on and made a big difference. He seems okay. We’ll keep our fingers crossed,” Redknapp said.”When he came on and started with the ball it was exciting and we’ve missed that in the last five or six weeks.”Van der Vaart missed Spurs’ league matches with Blackpool and Wolves but Redknapp said he had his fingers crossed the playmaking Dutchman would be ready to go.”Yes, I’m hoping he will be fit. We’ll be positive. We’ll play an attacking team. If Lennon’s okay we’ll play with Lennon and probably Bale and Crouchy’s had a fantastic European campaign as well,” he said.
Scotland drew their second World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, with a 1-1 draw against Macedonia at Hampden Park.
Nikoclhe Noveski had given the visitors a shock lead, before Kenny Miller equalised for the spoils to be shared.
Pressure is mounting on Scotland boss Craig Levein after a less than convincing performance, but the manager is refusing to panic.
“I feel that this job was always going to be difficult but things are going reasonably well,” he told Sky Sports.
“Today was a little bit disappointing we did not pick up the (full) points. But I look at the situation in the table – three teams on four points and we are on two.
“We are one win away from going top of the group.
“As I keep saying, until this qualification campaign is over, we will not know what are good points and what are bad points.
“We have to wait and see.
“I am a little bit disappointed. I was hoping to win the game.
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“But I said at the start of this competition that every team will drop points and it will be extremely difficult because I think there is a not a lot between the teams.
“That showed tonight. I thought Macedonia were an extremely good team,” he concluded.
One of the summers longest transfer saga’s continues to drag on, with Andy Carroll’s future remaining unresolved. Liverpool’s record signing does not seem to fit into the’tika-taka philosophy’ Brendan Rodgers is trying to impose at Anfield, and it is regarded as the worst kept secret in football that Liverpool would be willing to offload their number 9 if the right offer were to come their way.
Newcastle and West Ham have both been linked with the 23-year-old, and whilst a return to Newcastle is believed to be Carroll’s only wanted alternative, West Ham could be a move that would suit both parties very well.
There are no surprises regarding the way Sam Allardyce likes his teams to play. They are tough, physical, and a threat from set pieces. The sort of situations Andy Carroll thrives on.
Their opening day performance against Aston Villa was a classic example of this, as Allardyce’s team pinged long balls towards the physical presence of Carlton Cole up front all afternoon, causing Villa plenty of problems. West Ham came away with a 1-0 victory, but perhaps on another day could of been awarded a couple of penalties as Cole went down under ariel challenges in the box.
The performance looked tailor-made for Andy Carroll, who showed during his time at Newcastle and towards the back end of last season that he can be almost unplayable given the correct service. You feel he could thrive at Upton Park where he would be playing regular first team football, and have the team built towards playing to his strengths.
Carroll would have the bonus of being reunited with his former teammate and close friend Kevin Nolan. The pair formed an excellent partnership at Newcastle during the first half of the 2010/2011 season, with Carroll bagging 11 goals. The 3-1 victory over Liverpool in December 2010 saw Carroll assist Nolan for the opening goal before getting on the scoresheet himself, a performance that must of been taken into account as Liverpool made their £35million bid.
Perhaps most crucial of all would be the Sam Allardyce factor. Allardyce has a history of reviving players who’s careers have hit a stumbling block, the likes of Kevin Davis, Jay-Jay Okocha and Ivan Campo spring to mind. His man management skills are second to none, so much so he even managed to get a couple of decent seasons out of El Hadji-Diouf during his time at Bolton.
With West Ham the only team to make a concrete offer, you wonder how the remaining ten days of the transfer window will pan out. Carroll showed tremendous promise towards the end of last season and during the Euro’s, but yet found himself on the bench for the opening day of the season. Rodgers didn’t even turn to Carroll with Liverpool trailing 2-0 and in desperate need of a goal, instead opting for Joe Cole.
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The vast majority of Liverpool fans want to see Carroll given another season to prove himself, but accept it is unlikely to be the case with Rodgers in charge.
If West Ham were to come back with another bid before the transfer window slams shut and Liverpool should accept, Carroll should seriously consider a switch to East London. It may prove to be a match made in heaven.
Kevin Kilbane has warned Everton that concentrating too much on stopping Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher at the weekend may back fire.
Steven Fletcher joined Sunderland from Wolves for £15 million in the summer and has made an immediate impact at the Stadium of Light, scoring five of their six Premier League goals this season.
The former Black Cats and Toffees winger believes that Fletcher will be a major threat to the Goodison Park outfit when they meet on Saturday, but warns that concentrating on him may open the door for Sunderland to cause damage from other areas of the pitch.
He told Everton official website: “Fletcher is in form right now and has been a real key player. He has been a really good signing from Martin O’Neill.
“He is an excellent player, definitely. But it is the old adage that if you concentrate too much on one specific player there will be threats elsewhere.
“He has been scoring all the goals for them and they have not had too much of a contribution from elsewhere in the team. I am sure Sunderland will be looking to take the load off him and try to get some goals from elsewhere.”
Kilbane went on to admit he has been impressed with David Moyes’ side’s start to the season and that he believes they can maintain their current form throughout the whole campaign.
“I have been extremely impressed with Everton. Lying fourth in table is an excellent start and they are in a really good position right now,” he added.
“In recent years they have done really well and David Moyes has managed to maintain a set team for the majority of the season. I think they will do well this season.”
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