Manchester United and England star Tom Cleverley may have not featured on the sports pages recently due to his ankle injury, but gossip pages are rife with his new relationship with The Only Way is Essex hotty Georgina Dorsett. The 22 year old is said to be in a relationship with the TOWIE star after a string of dates, and Dorsett has helped Cleverley lift his spirits after an injury ridden year.
Cleverley even went on an end of season holiday with mates to Marbella in Spain, the holiday destination made famous by The Only Way is Essex. We wonder if Cleverley had been following Dorsett’s lead with the ‘no carbs before marbs’ diet!
United fans will be looking forward to seeing their midfielder back in action come August, and no doubt new WAG Dorsett is eagerly waiting to check out her new boyfriend in action from the VIP seats at Old Trafford.
Georgina Dorsett may be famous for her role in the ITV reality show, but announced she would never date any of the guys on the show. Presumably Cleverley, five years her senior, is more her type. Our gallery looks at our 27 year old WAG of the week in action.
Click on Miss Dorsett to see her in all her glory
[divider]
[divider]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Repetition is boring. Every season Arsenal fans have to read about players on their way out of the club, they have to read about what they’ve lost over the summer. So, instead of focusing on the impending doom and crushing depression of losing another captain, why not look at something Arsenal have gained this summer?
The first of Arsenal’s summer signings, which was actually announced in spring, was Lukas Podolski. The former Bayern Munich and FC Koln striker, who was signed for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £10m, had an exceptional final year at his boyhood club.
Podolski may not have been able to save Koln from relegation but he cannot be accused of not giving his all. On the final day of the season, a banner inside the Rhein Energie Stadion translated as “We don’t blame you for leaving, Poldi. If we could leave too, we would.”
So just what will Podolski, who has over 100 caps for the German national side, bring to Arsenal? Last season was undoubtedly one of his finest seasons, individually that is. He scored 18 goals, which ranked him as the league’s second highest German scorer, and provided 7 assists in the Bundesliga; he also had a pass success rate of over 75%.
Many fans will argue that his scoring record has not been as impressive as that of others, what should be remembered though is that Podolski scored these goals without the help of world-class players around him.
Podolski may have a reputation in the national team for being an industrious, consistent performer but that shouldn’t disguise the fact that he is capable of truly exceptional moments. Podolski currently holds the record for the most ever ‘goal of the month’ victories, with nine to his name; the previous holder of the record was Jurgen Klinsmann with eight.
At just 27, Podolski will bring a level of experience to the Gunners that belies his age. Apart from being an international centurion, Podolski has also won the top two German leagues, the German Cup and the German League Cup. He has also played in a final of the European Championships and was voted ‘best young player’ at the 2006 World Cup, beating the other nominees – Ronaldo, Messi and Fabregas – to the award.
His fortunes may have differed slightly to those considered his peers in 2006, yet Podolski has matured since his return to Koln from Bayern Munich. His disappointing time spent at the German giants was, for some critics, indicative of the fact that he could not succeed if he wasn’t the focal point of a team.
However, the striker has admitted that he was immensely immature whilst in Munich and, regardless of that, his success and longevity in the national side has proved that he needn’t be the main man in order to earn acclaim.
Indeed, his previous coach, Frank Schaefer, believed that the environment at Arsenal was ideal to bring the best out of Podolski.
“I think he could score lots of goals next season. Arsenal is one of the clubs that is absolutely right for Lukas…for lots of reasons.”
“First of all, he has the right coach in Arsene Wenger. It will be excellent for Lukas to have a quiet, experienced coach with good psychological abilities. It is also good for Lukas because Arsene speaks such good German.”
“Secondly, I think Arsenal play the type of football which suit Lukas. They play good, offensive football. Physically, Lukas is very strong so he will have no problems in this area.”
“Thirdly, Per Mertesacker being at the club is extremely helpful. He is a great person, an intelligent man, and he will be good for Lukas to have around at Arsenal. Per is a good influence.”
And, Schaefer could be right. In the last five seasons Podolski has, including international appearances, scored an average of one goal every 2.17 starts. Not bad for a player who is often deployed on the wing.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As his former coach stated, Podolski has both the strength and the pace to deal with the physical rigours of the English game and, with so much international experience, Podolski has had to pit himself against the best players in the world on a reasonably consistent basis.
His versatility will also be a valuable asset to Arsenal.The Polish born striker prefers to play centrally but is equally adept, as he has shown for Germany, at playing out wide.
He may not have come with a price tag that excites many fans yet you would be hard pressed to find such an exciting player for less. Arsenal have bought a physically impressive, technically astute, versatile player who is proven at every level and has experience of winning big trophies. He may not be able to replace van Persie’s goal scoring feats of last season but he will be a valuable player next season – equally capable of playing in Arsenal’s characteristic attacking style as well as providing a more direct option.
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.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
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.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
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.
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.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
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.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
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.
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.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“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.
Manchester City relinquished the lead twice in a thrilling 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.
The Premier League title holders were handed the most difficult Champions League opener possible with a trip to the Spanish capital, but acquitted themselves well, with the scoreline still 0-0 at half-time.
Despite Jose Mourinho’s side have the bulk of possession and territory, the visitors went into the lead when Yaya Toure played substitute Edin Dzeko through to slot home.
City’s lead was short-lived however as Marcelo fired home from the edge of the penalty area, with the shot taking a deflection off Javi Garcia.
The Etihad Stadium side refused to give up however and went back into the ascendancy when a devilish Aleksandar Kolarov free-kick evaded everyone to nestle in Iker Casillas’ goal.
With the English team looking for a hard-fought victory, a late flurry by Los Blancos broke City hearts when firstly Karim Benzema fired home after a neat turn, and then Cristiano Ronaldo’s dipping effort beat Joe Hart in the 90th minute.
Roberto Mancini has admitted that he is disappointed with his side dropping too deep and berated the loss of Samir Nasri and Maicon to injury.
“We didn’t lose concentration,” the City boss told Sky Sports.
“We went too deep with the team. All it is, is a mistake.
“In this moment we are disappointed but I think everything has to be more strong in the future.
“We lose two players for injury – Nasri and Maicon.
“And we had a problem because we wanted to change Aguero because we wanted to attack more. Instead we should do this change,” he concluded.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Borussia Dortmund beat Ajax 1-0 in the other fixture in City’s group.
[divider]
Click here to win two tickets to Manchester City v Arsenal
Steven Fletcher arrived at Sunderland well aware he had to hit the ground running after Martin O’Neill paid a hefty fee for the Scottish striker.
However an incredible early run of goals for the Black Cats has gone some way to silencing critics of his £12 million pound move.
The 25-year-old netted his fifth goal in four games against Wigan Athletic and has scored every league goal for the Wearsiders this term.
Fletcher told the Journal, “I’m delighted with the way it has started here.
“When I came here I knew I would get chances with the players we have and the delivery the boys are putting in has been fantastic. They are always giving me tap ins or first-touch finishes.
“Normally there is one player who can really get the ball in like this, but we have several whose delivery we can rely on.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“People tried to put pressure on me with the price tag and stuff. You need goals and I have scored them early doors. They are big boots to fill [ Darren Bent’s who scored 25 goals in his only full-season at Sunderland] but hopefully I am doing that with five goals in four games and hopefully I can keep that going and everyone will be all right,” he added.
striker Edin Dzeko has admitted that he is desperate to start for his side against Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Bosnian forward came off the bench to save 10-man City’s blushes against West Brom on Saturday, scoring two late goals to give the Premier League champions a 2-1 win against the Baggies at the Hawthorns.
With an important game in Europe against the Eredivisie champions in midweek, Dzeko has stated that he gets the nod to lead the line for Roberto Mancini’s men.
“Everybody wants to start games but we will see,” The Sun quote Dzeko as saying.
“It’s up to the manager to pick the team but he knows I am there whenever he needs me. But I want to play.
“It’s a few more days to that game. It’s important we win. Yes, it’s a vital game,” he concluded.
Dzeko will compete with Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez for a starting berth for City.
David Platt admitted that Dzeko’s performance at the weekend would help his chances of playing against Ajax, but that the side would decided closer to the game.
“Edin will get his starts like every other player will get their starts. He came on and got his two goals and has put himself firmly in the manager’s thoughts for Wednesday.
“But we will pick a team on what we think is right for Ajax and the one after that.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“A lot is said about the players we leave out but there are a lot more variables that go into picking the team apart from who is in form and who isn’t,” the assistant coach concluded.