A letter from Blackburn deputy chief executive Paul Hunt to Rovers co-owner Anuradha Desai has been leaked, which urges the Indian owners to sack under-fire manager Steve Kean.
The letter, dated December 2011, stresses that the Scot is not the man to take the Lancashire club forward, which may well have been proved right since Blackburn’s relegation.
“I write now to ask you to make significant changes to save the club, perhaps from relegation and perhaps from administration,” the letter reads, according to The Daily Mail.
“With the bank closing in, I fear that they will look to foreclose and have the potential to implement financial restrictions upon the club that could as a worst-case scenario enforce administration. Publicly I have been asked to support the manager and I always have as I personally like Steve.
“I have supported him from the start and have been desperate for him to do well. However, I am now of the opinion that it isn’t working and he is ready to go.
“He has lost the crowd and as a result of this evening’s game against Bolton has lost the dressing room as well – the players no longer want to play for him.
“It is a shame and disappointing but we must act now to save the club. The board should be asked their opinion on who should be the new manager,” he concluded.
Kean has stated that he will not resign from the club, despite demotion to The Championship.
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The Dons were in red hot form before Saturday’s defeat to Walsall where they were simply not good enough.
If we play like that against Huddersfield then we will lose by 2 or 3 goals. However, if we play like we did against Sheffield United then we will win for sure.
Our home form of late hasn’t been the best and stadium:MK has become less of a fortress. The pitch hasn’t helped the way we play and our free flowing football isn’t working as well. The pitch is starting to look a bit better and hopefully we can use this to our advantage on Saturday
Did you know?
MK Dons have scored a record breaking 106 goals this season, with 20 different goal scorers!
I think it’s vital that we get an early goal to settle our nerves. We must put pressure on Huddersfield from the first minute and not let them feel comfortable. I have no doubt that Karl and John will prepare the lads in the best possible way for the two games and I don’t think they need to be fired up as they know a place in the championship is at stake!
Playoff heartache will be fresh in the minds for both teams so I would expect a very open game and a few goals. I’m going to go for a 2-1 win to the Dons! I’d hope we could put clear daylight between us and Huddersfield but it will be tough and would require a performance of real quality which I know we are capable of.
My MK Dons XI v HTAFC
Martin,
Chicksen, MacKenzie, Williams, Lewington
Potter, Gleeson
O’Shea, Ibehre, Bowditch
MacDonald
Karl has stated that Doumbe should play some part in the playoff games but I feel it would be better to bring him in for the away leg where it’ll be more difficult for us. Hopefully MacKenzie is fit to play because his strength in the box is unrivalled by any other centre back we have. We must go for an attacking front four that will interchange constantly so that Huddersfield cannot man mark us and hopefully leaving us with more space to exploit.
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The dons faithful have been treated to a few cracking games at stadium:MK this season the 6–2 v Chesterfield, a few 3-0 wins, a 5-0 thrashing of Oldham and even a 4-3 win against local rivals Wycombe! Dons are capable of running riot and they need to make sure this game will live long in the memories of Dons fans!
With the Dons knowing this will definitely be John Gorman’s last home game, we all (fans included) need to make this a very special occasion for a legend that we have been lucky to have helping us out these last two years. Here’s to a very successful game for the Dons, let’s get the road to Wembley off to the best possible start! Come on you Dons!
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I’m in shock. When football finally returned to our screens after what seemed like an unbearable gap (2 weeks), I logically expected the pundits that would take this magical journey with us to be knowledgeable, astute, well-spoken fellows, like what they always have been you know? Imagine my surprise then when some of them turned out to be rubbish.
If you collated articles bemoaning the level of football punditry in this country you would have enough material to last you a lifetime. So it’s not surprising that the pundits are getting it in the neck again, especially the BBC.
The BBC didn’t help itself by starting proceedings with an explosive interview between Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney (insert sarcasm hash tag here). To call it banal would be an insult to banality itself. As for the likes of Lawrenson and Hansen, it’s all been covered before, so I’ll just sum it up by sitting here whilst sighing dramatically. Lawrenson has nothing (and I mean nothing) to offer, but the annoying thing about Hansen is that you know he’s capable of more. In fact, I have vague memories of the old Hansen doing this thing called analysis once upon a time. Maybe it was a dream.
Alan Shearer has escaped the wilds of Salford Quays to commentate from the grounds, and seems to have upped his game slightly. This isn’t saying much though, and the comments such as “Lewandowski seems like a good player” continue to flow. The vain hope that he’s done some research on a man who is rather key to his nation’s chances and has won the Bundesliga for the last two seasons was probably showing ridiculous levels of optimism. But do you need to do research? Take Greece for example – punditry school tells you that there little need for knowledge about their squad. Constant references to their poor economic status will do (include as many puns as possible – Greek tragedy, bailed out, indebted to their keeper, you get the idea). As for Shearer’s analysis of Sweden and Ukraine, all he could muster after watching one game is that they won’t bother England (do we ever learn??). Need I even ask if he has checked their qualification campaign, when they scored 31 goals, or looked at the new expansive play they are trying to adopt? They were poor against Ukraine, but useless they are not. Still, he looks happy to be there, so we should be thankful for that. And as for Harry Redknapp – well, don’t get me started.
ITV have fared better, for once. They haven’t cut to adverts during a goal (yet), and the scheduled adverts probably help them as they have less time to fill around the matches. I’ve nothing against watching Joe Hart play head tennis in a swimming pool but I’d want a bit more besides that.
Jamie Carragher’s accent takes time to adjust to, resembling Steven Gerrard on fast forward, but he has plenty to offer as a pundit (plus the odd generalised footballing cliché). The style may upset the Queen’s English brigade, but at least he was willing to make some valid points, and criticise the French team when sat next to Patrick Vieira. As for Patrick, again he was better than some of the previous offerings, though on early showings I’m not sure we’re getting full value out of an astute, educated man.
For the Czech Republic v Greece, we had the unassuming Matt Smith hosting, a man that rarely stands out, but does his job, so is fine by me. The pundits were Roberto Martinez and Gordon Strachan, and they assessed the game well. Martinez is the star of the show for me, giving straight-forward logical analysis, and whilst Gordon Strachan is a man who can irritate me (and most sports journalists) more than anyone, he too had far more to offer than the grey canvas on offer over at the BBC.
Of course ITV’s coverage is always worth watching for the constant possibility that at any moment Roy Keane may “go rogue” and turn into Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Expect a police statement demanding the safe return of Adrian Chiles. As for Keane’s performances – well he is what he is. He never smiles, he seems to have a grudge on life itself, and he is not one for a joke. But at least he has something constructive to say every now and then. The same goes for Gareth Southgate, who neither excels nor bombs, but is worth his place on the team, the “water-carrier” of the ITV squad. And a better bet than Martin Keown, another pundit with little of any substance to impart.
But – there’s still the problem of Adrian Chiles. For a man who professes to love football, and be a season ticket holder to boot, he seems to have very little idea about what to say. He is sadly something of a bumbling idiot at times, always coming out with unfunny quips and stuttering last night to the point that I had to turn over as it was just too excruciating. I don’t like saying it, as he is genial and inoffensive, and I wanted him to be a roaring success when he made the move to ITV. But any man who comes out with the line, “as a child Jakub Blaszczykowski watched his father murder his mother… but he’s bounced back!” is not schooled in how to say things the right way. His “banter” with Patrick Vieira before the England v France match was a low point of the Euro 2012 coverage so far.
Key in all this is the fact that the BBC decided to stay in Salford rather than ship out to Polkraine en masse, as they used to do. It’s not surprising really, as they are criticised for every pound they spend, so counting the pennies makes sense, and in theory it shouldn’t matter where they are as long as they watched the match. But as it turns out, it does matter. The BBC panel seem detached, cold, and rather depressed at times. On the other hand, the ITV panel are stationed on a lovely bespoke wooden platform in the heart of the action, giving the impression of a group of holidaying veterans cutting the breeze. They seem to be having a better time, which is hardly surprising, and it shows. The lighting is top notch too.
As for during the match, the less said the better. Co-commentators are uniformly rubbish in my head. Main commentators aren’t much better, always looking for their Kenneth Wolstenholme moment by quoting Shakespeare or tying Gdansk in with Polish solidarity in some mangled metaphor attempt that will always fail.
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So it’s advantage ITV for me so far. We’re all watching for the football, so the punditry is a sideshow. But like the weather it’s a staple topic of discussion with football fans. But when most of us can’t decide whether a draw against France is good or bad, I can’t see a few minutes of punditry helping us out much over the coming weeks. But the BBC needs to up its game after a poor month of general coverage that included a right royal slating for their Jubilee coverage. The easiest way they can do that though is to ditch the old guard, and it’s too late for that. Let’s hope then that the likes of Hansen can remember why they are being paid large amounts of money to sit in a TV studio, before they drag Lee Dixon and Gary Lineker down with them.
You can buy Howard’s Manchester City 2011/12 Season Review on Kindle for just £2.50
Manchester City begin the new season as favourites with the bookmakers ahead of rivals Manchester United. Mancini’s men will be looking to retain the trophy that they so dramatically won last campaign. With a considerable amount of finance in the clubs pocket, City have the ability to pick and choose from the wealth of talent available. However, the clubs challengers have already engaged in spending sprees and the Champions will need to move quickly in order to claim the players that they desire.
Manchester United and Chelsea rank second and third favourites to win the title in the betting market. Sir Alex and his young team just missed out on the trophy last season, having it snatched away in the last seconds by their City neighbours. The club will be as hungry as ever to reclaim the silverware that has become accustomed to standing in the Old Trafford Trophy cabinet. Chelsea meanwhile are in a period of transition. Having lost star striker Didier Drogba, Di Matteo has acted quickly, acquiring Marko Marin for Werder Bremen and Belgian starlet Eden Hazard from Lille. The club will be looking to improve on last season’s disappointing showing in the league by making a challenge for the trophy that they have obtained three times.
Arsenal have been given the fourth shortest odds with the new season now just weeks away. The Gunners have never failed to make a challenge for the league’s top spot at early moments in the season but sudden lack of form usually sends the club slipping down a couple of places. Holding on to Van Persie may see the North London clubs odds shorten even further, lose the Dutchman however, and there may be trouble ahead for Wenger’s men.
Tottenham and Liverpool both come into the season with matching odds for title glory. With both clubs in a similar transitional period; new managers bringing new philosophies and a sense of the mystery for the future could mean that these clubs will not be quite ready to launch a serious title challenge this campaign.
Newcastle sit just above Everton in the odds market, both clubs considered to have had excellent seasons last year. The Magpies were the surprise package of the season, fighting for a Champions League place all the way until the competitions unforgettable climax. Pardew and his form team could repeat their 5th placed finish should they acquire some new talent. While David Moyes will once again be hoping for a similar campaign. The Toffees have been supremely consistent over the last few years, finishing above expectations on a shoestring budget and the Goodison faithful should be content with another season of relative success.
Fulham are priced next with last season’s impressive showing seemingly leaving an impact on the bookmakers. Under Martin Jol, the club could achieve another top ten finish; a decet achievement considering the size of the club. The remaining 11 teams are all placed as firm outsiders; an indication of the divide between the Premier League’s top and bottom half. From the also rans, QPR have spent lavishly thus far and could make progress toward the top half of the table. Stoke remain an unpredictable team to judge. Whilst their squad does not ooze quality, their stalwart defending and bloodied work rate may generate a top ten finish. Whilst Aston Villa could be worth an outside shot should they improve on their disastrous campaign last term. Paul Lambert is an astute manager and with the clubs stature and fan base, the top ten should be acquirable.
Below are the current odds for next seasons Premier League Champions – courtesy of Bet At Home
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During a summer transfer window clubs are linked with multiple players and fans all have their own opinions, stating that some players just aren’t worth their transfer fee and there are better ones out there. That must be bad enough for a new signing- to feel like they are second, or even third best in the eyes of the fans, but what about those players who are not even considered the best in their family?
How must it feel for players to be compared to their more successful sibling time and time again, always knowing that they are going to come off worse, and not quite live up to the expectation their sibling created. Football is no different from anything in life and sibling rivalry exists with a vengeance with the players not just vying to be their parents golden boy, but the fans too – and here is a look at the top ten footballers who did not quite reach the dizzy heights of their brother.
Click on Joel Cantona below to get the ball rolling
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Romelu Lukaku has explained the frustration he suffered at Chelsea last season, just days after sealing a season-long loan move to West Brom Albion, reports the Daily Mail.
The 19-year-old Belgian international, was signed last summer by former Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas in a deal worth £18 million, however Lukaku only started one Premier League game, and found himself fourth in the striking pecking order, behind Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge.
New Baggies boss Steve Clarke, has acted quickly in signing up the powerful forward, who had two prolific seasons with Belgian club Anderlecht prior to his big money switch to London.
‘I couldn’t see myself staying at Chelsea. I sacrificed a year of my career with them and didn’t want to put up with it any more,’ Lukaku explained.
‘I decided in March I wanted to go out on loan, and told my agent to find me a club. I am relieved to have found a solution.
‘On the first day of pre-season I told the manager I wanted to leave.
‘Roberto Di Matteo told me I ought to think about Chelsea as there weren’t going to be many other strikers this season, but this is the time for me to think about myself.
‘I got sick of watching the others from the bench. I just played 12 games and when I was playing well, they would take me off.
‘I lost my hunger for the game over the past year. I won’t beat about the bush – my season at Chelsea went very badly.
‘As regards getting minutes on the pitch, I wasted my time.
‘Last season I was in the reserves alongside a young lad who’d barely turned 15 and I asked myself what I was doing there.’
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Lukaku will be hoping to show Baggies fans the sort of form that saw him described as one of Europe’s hottest young striking talents, and is looking forward to linking up with Steve Clarke.
‘Steve Clarke constantly phoned me when I was on Chelsea’s US tour,’ he explained.
manager Martin O’Neill is hoping that his side can react possitivley in the Premier League this weekend after crashing out of the Capital One Cup in mid-week.
The Black Cats were beaten 1-0 by local rivals Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light to add more frustration to the start to their league campaign, which sees them 14th after drawing six of their opening eight fixtures.
And O’Neill believes his side are capable of better performances and puts current form down to a failure to create enough goal scoring chances.
He told Sky Sports: “I think that this season we haven’t created enough clear cut chances in many games. I think that’s the biggest thing.
“If you take a ratio of chances there is a bigger likely hood that if you, let’s say, create eight chances in a game there is a decent chance you are going to take one or two of those.
“If that is the case then we need to create more chances and I believe we have the ability to do so.”
O’Neill went on to confirm that he has every faith in his players and he believes he has the right resources to improve the side’s league position.
“I am far from having lost faith in any one. Quite the opposite. I believe we have the capabilities to do this.”
Sunderland host Aston Villa, who are without a league win in five and just two points off the bottom three, on Saturday afternoon.
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There were some neat parallels to Borussia Dortmund’s opening game with Werder Bremen. In what is the Bundesliga’s 50th season, the two teams also met on the opening day in the competition’s first season. BVB were Champions of Germany then but lost 3-2 on that day. Forty nine years later, history didn’t repeat itself in North Rhine-Westphalia, as Jürgen Klopp’s side edged past Werder.
Dortmund didn’t have the swagger which they ended last season with. Still, they were able to spark into life when it mattered most as they punished Thomas Schaaf’s team for missing some great opportunities. Marco Reus returned to Borussia with greater status than when he left in 2006. Much greater in fact – now he’s the German Player of the Year.
Reus showed why Dortmund paid €17 million for him as he took advantage of some poor defending after 11 minutes. Jakub Blaszczykowski poked the ball towards Reus which should have been cut off by Aleksandar Ignjovski. Instead, Ignjovski got his legs in a tangle, as he would do for most of the night, allowing the ball to roll through to Reus who finished nonchalantly.
Werder responded despite characteristic pressing from Die Schwarzgelben. Soon after, Aaron Hunt slipped Eljero Elia through on goal down the left hand side but he could only fire at Weidenfeller. Minutes later, they were to come closer. BVB failed to clear a corner as the ball looped up towards Marko Arnautovic. His well executed volley could only find the base of the post.
Thomas Schaaf’s side couldn’t break the Dortmund defence in the rest of the half, even if debutant Eljero Elia was continually getting the better of Oliver Kirch down the left hand side. Kirch wasn’t the only full back having problems as Ignjovski toiled at left back for Werder. Most who faced Blaszczykowski last season did too but the Serbian cut an isolated figure on Friday night.
His exit from the pitch mid way through the second half helped his side, though it wasn’t before Dortmund threatened to double their lead. Sebastian Mielitz tipped over Neven Subotic’s header five minutes after the break with the Champions seemingly finding their rhythm.
Yet, they dropped off and the 65th minute substitution of striker Nils Petersen for the struggling Ignjovski gave Bremen some much needed momentum. With Dortmund offering little, Werder took advantage of some poor defending.
With just over 15 minutes to go, Borussia thought the ball had drifted out. Goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller appealed in vain before the ball was squared to Marko Arnautovic wide on the right hand side. He chipped in to the centre where Euro 2012 star Theodor Gebre Selassie flicked a header into the far corner – not a bad finish for a right back.
Then came the response of Champions five minutes later. The skilful Mario Gӧtze was subbed on quickly by Jürgen Klopp and minutes later, he was celebrating the winning goal. As Werder couldn’t retain the ball, Gӧtze played a one-two with Robert Lewandowski before the 20-year-old found himself through on goal. He rolled the ball past Mielitz to the delight of a relieved Signal Iduna Park.
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Nils Petersen (or as he’s a loanee from Bayern Munich, perhaps it should be Agent Petersen) missed Werder’s only other chance to equalise on 85 minutes. He failed to guide in the lively Arnautovic’s cross as it bounced off his body and wide.
It was a tame end for a Werder Bremen side that looked promising in patches. Borussia Dortmund weren’t at their swashbuckling best by any means but they had a clinical touch in front of goal proving why they’re Champions. Improvement is needed if they’re to retain their crown for a third season running but they’re unbeaten in 29 league games – an achievement not to be sniffed at.
For more on the Bundesliga throughout the season, follow @archiert1
After a rather uplifting and frankly surprising comeback from two goals down against the might of Coventry City, things weren’t looking too bad for the Shakers, with two draws against stiff opposition and a narrow defeat to one of the league’s favourites.
However, since then it appears that Peter Shirtliff’s tactical prowess has come to the fore resulting in a flurry of dismal performances and turgid tactical decisions. The lull began at home to Nott’s County when attempting to hold the ball and play fell on deaf feet, as a limp and flaccid forward pairing of ‘the Shop’ Lenny John Lewis and on loan scurrier Mark Cullen failed to offer any cutting edge in front of goal. It was all too easy for County, after the repellent Lee Hughes claimed a dubious goal very early in the game, it was plain sailing from there on in, and after 85 minutes of uninspiring football they added the sucker punch in the dying minutes.
Following cries for managerial resolution, Shirtliff resumed his post and took the Shakers into his alleged fifth and final game at home to Lancashire rivals Preston. If a template was drawn before the game of ‘how not to win’ then it was most certainly implemented. Exiling the talent of Peter Sweeney on the left wing, and showing not a modicum of interest or respect to natural width led the Shakers to a tediously similar performance to that against Nott’s County – with the exact same result. Accompanying the air of embarrassment that Preston fans outnumbered Shakers fans at Gigg, was the desperate roars of ‘we need a manager’; and I couldn’t of uttered it better myself.
With the bookmakers equally as confused as the fans, the Bury hot seat is still up for grabs. With Phil Brown reportedly heading off to Coventry, the overwhelming lack of creditable candidates is becoming more and more apparent. An unfounded rumour whispering itself across message-boards seems to imply that Andy Morrell is being lined up for the job which would more than satisfy the majority of Shakers’ fans. Whilst Brian Fenton and the board refuse to comment or shed any light, the fans are left bemoaning inexplicable decisions, for example the loaning out of marksman Andy Bishop to conference side Wrexham. Fair enough – he ain’t scoring – at which point Shirtliffe should have put his arm around Bish’ and reignite him, maybe a run in the reserves even. Instead we are left with the hardworking, lovable but frankly abysmal John-Lewis to lead our line. It just strikes me the lack of vision – surely the arrival of MBE David Healy would have refuelled Bish’? That would have been a strike force to boast about at this level for sure – Bishop and Healy.
With rumours as hot as Chris Brass’ nose after his bewildering and famous own goal, could it be that the Bury board are holding out for the imminent dismissal of ex-Bury boss Alan Knill? With Scunthorpe the only side below the Shakers in League one, it would appear his tenure is coming to an end, and with previous success at Gigg Lane it would not surprise me if he were to make an ignominious return. This though would split Shakers fans, some would be outraged, some nervously welcoming. If it weren’t for his sickening badge kissing and constant job sniffing I would be open to the possibility, however if I were Brian Fenton I would consider this bridge officially burnt. However, what is clear is the need for a new manager, and quickly.
You can follow me on Twitter for even more chat about the Shakers.
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Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta says he has been really impressed by the form of full-backs Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson this season, according to Goal.
Gibbs and Jenkinson have been instrumental in the Gunner’s fine start to the campaign. Arsenal have only conceded two goals in their first five games in all competitions. The north London club’s defensive competency has been paramount to their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
Arteta, who himself has played a key holding role for Arsenal so far this season, was full of praise for the young duo, “I think they’ve been very consistent. I think Gibbs has been playing really well. I think he’s finding himself more comfortable going forward.”
The 22-year-old Gibbs is part of a long-line of highly talented left-backs that have played under manager Arsene Wenger. In recent years, Gibbs had been an understudy to Gael Clichy who left the club in 2011 to join champions Manchester City. However, despite Clichy’s departure, last season Gibbs only managed to play for the Gunners 20 times due to persistent injuries.
Despite this, Arteta believes that Gibbs has the raw talent to be successful in the red of Arsenal, “He’s rapid and can make a big difference. It’s tough for a wide man to defend [against] a full-back like him.”
Arteta, who joined the Gunners from Everton last season, also believes that Carl Jenkinson has deputised well in place of Bacary Sagna who is currently suffering from a reoccurrence of a leg injury, “Carl is finding himself more comfortable. He’s had four or five games under his belt, he’s done a whole pre-season with us and you can see he’s confident.”
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Jenkinson has also added more to his game as an attacking threat, as Arteta eluded to, “Against Montpellier he put a brilliant cross in for Gervinho to score the goal. That’s what we need because we’re missing players. When you’re replacing someone like Bac [Sagna] it’s not easy because you’re under a lot of pressure. I think they’ve been really good.”
Like Arteta, Jenkinson joined Arsene Wenger’s side at the beginning of last season from Charlton Athletic. The 20-year-old failed to make an impact last season but is displaying a growing maturity and with the current form he is in, it is perhaps difficult to envisage Sagna retaining his place at right-back.