Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas has mounted a passionate defence of striker Emmanuel Adebayor’s role in the face of stinging criticism.
Adebayor’s work-rate and attitude have often by questioned by supporters and pundits, but it is not a view shared by Villas-Boas, who is convinced the Togo international has a done a good job for the team this season.
The former Manchester City and Arsenal frontman certainly had one of his better games in the 2-2 draw against Chelsea in midweek as he scored Spurs’ first goal and set up another for Gylfi Sigurdsson in the second half to win the man-of-the-match award.
However, Adebayor’s overall return over the entire campaign of just four goals from 24 outings on the face it doesn’t represent value for money, while his form has been nowhere near the level he produced during his season-long loan stay at White Hart Lane the year before.
However, Villas-Boas believes the abuse he has taken from some quarters is unfair, dismissing speculation about the player’s long-term future at the club.
Villas-Boas said: “The team changed dramatically in terms of personnel and style of play, so it has been a totally different scenario for him.
“I think he has had an amazing season. This season he adapted to a new function, a new role.
“Some players that played last year had a great season, were very experienced and they have left [Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart]. The team has changed in some way. The team has had to adapt to a new reality. Adebayor’s mobility has been excellent for us, the way he fed our team, as you saw the other day with [Gylfi] Sigurdsson when he assisted him for the goal, so the team is completely different to last year.
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“We were pleased with the number of games that Adebayor played in the end representing what he has done for the team, maybe not the amount of goals that he expected, but he has certainly helped the team be within the frame to achieve our objectives.”
“Words cannot describe it. I was just running around smiling.”
An entire nation mimicked Jack Wilshere’s Cheshire cat smile as he made his first senior appearance after an incredible 524 days on the sidelines. The young midfielder lifted the spirits of the Arsenal faithful still reeling from back-to-back defeats and although he failed to personally conjure the vital breakthrough, his mere presence was enough to overshadow an otherwise uninspiring performance.
Arsene Wenger has overseen a vast renovation during Wilshere’s 18 month exile, with the player himself highlighting the surreal feeling of playing alongside Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla instead of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. The 20-year-old summed it up perfectly with the phrase “a new team and a new me” but is this an Arsenal side that has improved in his absence?
There’s no denying the individual brilliance of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, a midfield pairing capable of unlocking any defence. The same goes for Robin van Persie, who is providing a devastating weekly reminder of his prolific nature in front of goal. However, as their value continued to inflate during their time at Arsenal, so did their ego and Wenger was forced to sell his prize assets for the sake of the team.
Herein lies the silver lining for Arsenal, every individual currently at the club is committed to the manager and their quest to obtain silverware. Even Theo Walcott continues to reiterate his desire to play at the Emirates, even if he does only want to do so in one position and for a significant pay rise. The team no longer has a recognisable world-class player, on the surface that’s a negative but there still remains a squad of gifted yet selfless individuals.
It won’t take long for Wilshere and Arteta to form a budding partnership. They are like two peas in a pod, experts in the art of possession football with an eye for goal and surprising tenacity in their tackles. Cazorla on the other hand is an upgrade on Samir Nasri, slightly better in every area of the pitch but won’t go missing in those pressure cooker situations.
However, such is the attacking nature of this formidable trio that they are unlikely to all play together in games where Arsenal will not be expected to dominant. Step forward Abou Diaby, who has emerged in the wake of Alex Song’s departure, brushed aside all previous misconceptions and earmarked himself as a box-to-box midfielder that could one day emulate Yaya Toure.
Diaby’s new status as Mr Dependable will encourage Wilshere to once again roam forward and perhaps help fulfil his potential as Arsenal’s recognised ‘number 10’. Even if the duo struggle for fitness, they can form the perfect rotation policy. Diaby can be ushered in for the physical encounters whereas Wilshere can build his confidence against teams who will allow Arsenal the majority of possession.
In the Gunners defence, both Carl Jenkinson and Per Mertesacker have evolved from troubled rabbits gazing into the opposition’s headlights to two of most reliable defenders in the country. Jenkinson in particular has gone from Sunday League hopeful to potential England international, which should worry everyone considering the unforeseen potential undoubtedly lurking in the club’s academy.
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Wilshere may have completed all 33 passes that he attempted in the first half on Saturday but question marks will still remain over whether he can ever reach the same heights. However, fans need only glance at his team-mate Aaron Ramsey for evidence that players can in fact improve and mature after suffering a severe injury. The former Wales captain has struggled under the pressure of Wilshere’s absence and will surely benefit from sharing the spotlight once more.
The return of Arsenal’s prodigal son is a welcome boost for a team that have looked particularly impotent of late. He may not be physically ready to hoist his beloved club back into title contention but with fixtures against Manchester United and the North London derby on the horizon, his homecoming may just help ignite an Arsenal side that continues to bubble under the surface.
Theo Walcott may want to play as a central striker, but for Arsenal he appears a more useful attacking option out wide.
It has been over two months since stories first emerged about the difficulties surrounding Theo Walcott’s contract negotiations, yet, with almost a third of the Premier League season gone, there is still no indication that a deal has been agreed between the club and the Arsenal striker. Talks over extending the 23-year-old’s contract apparently hinge not on money, but on the very word just used to describe him: striker.
Throughout the faltering negotiations, Walcott has insisted that his wages are not the issue. Rather it is a question of his role in the squad, or, more specifically, on the pitch itself, that lies behind no new terms being finalised. Walcott has pressed to be played through the middle for months, but his bit part involvement in Arsenal’s season to date will surely not have convinced him that his wishes will soon be granted.
A common opinion is that Walcott is not able to play in a central striking position for Arsenal because of deficiencies in his technique. It is clear that he has not developed to the levels that those at Arsenal thought he would reach when he was signed in 2006. In the six years he has been at Arsenal, the England international has made over 150 appearances, yet found the net only 28 times.
At his best, Walcott can be devastatingly unplayable. Frightening pace is undoubtedly his key asset, and over the last few years he has put in memorable performances for club and country. Many will recall his superb hat-trick against Croatia in 2008, or his quick-fire brace in Arsenal’s 5-2 demolition of Spurs in last season’s North London derby at the Emirates.
However, in truth, these performances for Arsenal have been too infrequent. He is criticised by those who regularly watch the Gunners for solely using his pace to get past opponents and, more condemningly, for his poor decision making in the final third. Walcott could never be lambasted for being a selfish player, as frequently he shies away from striking at goal, choosing instead to pass to a team-mate.
It would be naïve solely to praise this trait in his game. From one perspective it is unselfishness, but from another it is passing responsibility. While being unselfish is a highly desirable asset for a footballer, the top strikers in the world all display a similar ruthless streak when presented with a chance to get a shot away; something that Walcott does not seem to possess.
Arsene Wenger has stated many times that he holds hope that Walcott can emulate his idol Thierry Henry. Like Walcott, Henry was initially deployed as a wide player under Wenger, before moving inside and becoming one of the most fearsome strikers in world football. However, Henry was a consistently Arsenal’s leading scorer during his time at Arsenal, whereas Walcott has yet to reach double figures in a Premier League season for the club, despite playing all but three games in the competition last season.
Walcott possesses Henry’s lightening speed, but has yet to find the Frenchman’s clinical calmness in front of goal; a fact exemplified by his glaring miss in the final minutes of Arsenal’s recent Champions League draw with Shalke 04, a chance that Henry would have surely slotted home. At his peak, Henry was almost guaranteed to finish when through on goal with just the keeper to beat. Walcott has shown increasing composure in recent matches, yet is still a long way from the unruffled consistency in front of goal that is needed to become a regular goal scorer.
It is easy to be too critical of Walcott, and regularly the young forward is condemned to an unfair extent. A lot of the frustration that emerges in criticism of him stems from a realisation of the promise and potential he does show. Walcott may be inconsistent, but it is clear to see that he is agonisingly close to being the potent attacking threat many long for him to become. His potential is indubitable, but whether or not he can fulfil such promise at Arsenal is becoming more and more unlikely due to the style in which the Gunners play.
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As football grows increasingly consumed by possession, the role of a striker that plays off the shoulder of the last defender looks progressively more threatened. Particularly at a club like Arsenal, where the footballing philosophy centres around keeping hold of the ball and playing chiefly in the opposition’s half. When sides play against Arsenal they frequently sit deep and restrict space, looking to get forward on the counter attack where they can expose Arsenal’s persistent defensive frailties. Consequently, a striker such as summer signing Olivier Giroud is a more suitable candidate for the central forward role as his strength in and around the penalty area can create opportunities for the Gunners’ wealth of talented attacking midfielders.
Arsenal’s number 14 can be a blistering attacking threat, but in the current Arsenal system he is much more effective when played out on the flank where he has more space to use his dangerous pace. Walcott has frequently stated he would be disappointed if he had to leave Arsenal, but his best chance at moving centrally as a striker may be found by moving on from the Emirates.
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas hopes Tottenham’s stunning victory at Old Trafford will be the turning point for their season, and lead to a series of victories reports The Evening Standard.
The Portugese coach endured a difficult start to his Tottenham career, being booed off twice at White Hart Lane in a series of three games without a win.
However Spurs have turned it around since, and have been on a run of three consecutive Premier League victories, which culminated with their first win at Old Trafford since 1989 on Saturday.
AVB is hoping Saturday’s result will spark a run of victories for his side, and help to improve their home form which has been their achilles heel so far this season.
“It doesn’t stop here,” Villas-Boas told Spurs TV Online.
“The emotions we were living (after the United win) are very inspiring and results are also good to build confidence.
“That confidence is good for us as we approach our next couple of games.
“We have two games at home now, and we have to improve our home form to make sure that this becomes a sequence for us.”
Before Premier League action resumes, Tottenham travel to Athens to take on Panathanikos in their second Europa League group match.
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Villas-Boas has already enjoyed success in the competition with previous club Porto, and is hoping to do the same with his new employers.
“We have won two straight away games so to it would be nice to make it three against Panathinaikos,” Villas-Boas added.
“It is very important for us to get that win to put us back on track in the group phase of the Europa League and then we are back to the Premier League so (a win) would be is good for everybody.”
It’s been something of a difficult week for Wales, as Chris Coleman’s men suffered consecutive defeats at the start of their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
After losing at home against Belgium at the weekend, Wales were then destroyed 6-1 in their mid-week trip to Serbia.
This is despite Wales having some talented players in their squad, including pictured Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey and Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale, with the latter scoring a sensational free-kick in Wales’s defeat.
Here are Bale and the Wales captain after the Spurs star slammed home his goal, but can you come up with a funny caption for this picture?
Leave your suggestions in the comments section below…
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This week you can win a copy of the talkSPORT Book of Premier League Legends!
In this wonderful celebration of all that is best about the world’s greatest football league, talkSPORT has taken on the challenge of listing the 100 greatest Premiership legends.
Featuring contributions from many of talkSPORT’s presenters, including Alan Brazil, Darren Gough and Stan Collymore, the talkSPORT team has drawn up its definitive listing of Premiership stars.
Some surprising names make into the list, while others are relegated to the bottom or even fail to appear at all. Who comes out on top: Gianfranco Zola or Alan Shearer? How do you decide who’s in and who’s out from 20 years of footballing genius?
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For the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here
Check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.
Last week’s winner: Steve Jaggers – click here to see all entries
Wigan have confirmed that they have accepted an offer from Chelsea for attacker Victor Moses.
The Latics forward shone for Roberto Martinez’s men in their Premier League survival campaign last season, and has been the subject of interest from a number of bigger clubs.
However, the Blues have had a number of offers rejected by the DW Stadium side, but their latest bid has matched Wigan’s valuation of the player.
“The club can confirm that after four unsuccessful bids from Chelsea for Victor Moses, a fifth bid has today finally met the valuation and terms set by Wigan Athletic and been accepted,” a statement on the official Wigan website reads.
“The player has been given permission to speak with Chelsea.”
The reported fee is believed to £9 million, despite the Nigeria international being in the last year of his contract at Wigan.
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Football wouldn’t be football without a hardman. A no-nonsense brute of a player that isn’t so much a thug, but someone who just sums up the physical side of the game.
We’ve had plenty in the Premier League since its inception, while there have been several other high-profile ‘hot heads’ all across Europe.
But with hard men you sometimes get lunacy, which is what all five of the players below showed during their playing careers.
So without further ado, here’s FIVE of football’s most notorious hot heads…
[ffc-gallery]Click on Paolo Di Canio to start the countdown
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership , West Ham United v Aston Villa – 5/12/01West Ham’s Paolo Di Canio after being bookedMandatory Credit:Action Images
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Paolo Di Canio
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership , West Ham United v Aston Villa – 5/12/01West Ham’s Paolo Di Canio after being bookedMandatory Credit:Action Images
The Italian rose to notoriety when he famously pushed over referee Paul Alcock after being shown a red card when playing for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal in September 1998. He was banned for 11 games and never played for Wednesday again.
He then went to West Ham where he went on to earn legendary status, but not without his famous episodes both on and off the pitch. He once wrestled with teammate Frank Lampard for the ball over an argument over who would take a penalty in a 5-4 win over Bradford. In the same game, he sat down on the pitch and refused to play on, asking the bench to be subbed, after being refused four clear penalty claims.
His managerial career took a similar turn with both Swindon and Sunderland, where he was regularly in the papers for controversial comments and scuffles with his own players.
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Vinnie Jones
Vinne Jones was a member of Wimbledon’s ‘Crazy Gang’ side that won the 1988 FA Cup Final against Liverpool.
The year before though, Jones was famously grabbing Paul Gascoigne’s crotch in the middle of a game, an image that has become synonymous with the type of player Jones was.
In 1992, Jones presented a show called ‘Soccer’s Hard Men,’ which resulted in the FA handing him a six-month ban for ‘bringing the game into disrepute.’
After a few more misdemeanors and brushes with the FA, Jones famously said: “The FA have given me a pat on the back. I’ve taken violence off the terracing and onto the pitch.”
Lunatic.
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Duncan Ferguson
The Scottish striker is arguably one of the hardest men to have ever played in the Premier League, and he wasn’t scared to show it.
Despite becoming a legend at Everton, he will also be remembered for a headbutt on Raith Rovers’ John McStay in 1994 while playing for Rangers, which was followed by a three-month stint behind bars.
He also left a man in hospital for three days after he attempted to burgle Ferguson’s house in 2001.
Towards the end of his career, and during his second spell at Everton, he was sent off for violent conduct against Wigan Athletic, which was eighth dismissal in the Premier League era. He received a seven-match ban and retired at the end of that season.
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Zinedine Zidane
Still regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever played the game, there was also a ‘hot head’ side to Zidane that was so famously witnessed by millions of people across the world.
It was the 2006 World Cup Final between France and Italy and the stage was perfectly set for Zidane to play his last ever game before hanging up his boots for good.
The game went to extra-time with the game tied at 1-1, with Zidane putting in a brilliant final performance. But then, out of nowhere, he head-butted Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest and was SUBSEQUENTLY sent off.
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It was later revealed that Materazzi had insulted Zidane’s sister, which is why he did what he did. Zidane late admitted: “I would rather die than apologise.”
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Roy Keane
Keane was always known as a no-nonsense midfielder throughout his career, but one incident perfectly sums up exactly the type of player, and indeed person he was.
Back in 1997, Keane suffered a cruciate ligament injury following a tackle on Leeds’ Alf-Inge Haaland. Haaland stood over Keane while he was in pain on the ground, accusing him of feigning his injury.
Four years later, with Haaland now playing for arch-rivals Manchester City, Keane sought revenge and delivered a late, knee-high challenge on the Norwegian defender.
The tackle ended the City player’s career and Keane later admitted: “I’d waited long enough. I f**king hit him hard… don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.”
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert will face his former club Norwich for the first time on Saturday lunchtime, with both clubs in desperate need of Premier League points.
Lambert was visibly disappointed with his teams latest display at Craven Cottage, a game which saw them lose 1-0 to a late goal from a set piece.
Whereas Chris Hughton has been enjoying his best week since taking the job at Carrow Road, after Grant Holt’s goal was enough to earn his first win in charge, surprisingly over Arsenal last Saturday.
It was Holt’s second Premier League goal of the season, as he looks to build on his tally of an impressive 15 last season.
Holt will be confident of giving his former manager more grief, with Villa really struggling defensively. Lambert has seen his side concede 13 goals in their opening eight matches.
Norwich have an even worse record however, conceding a total of seventeen so far.
Darren Bent is expected to start up top with Gabby Agbonlahor, after the pair started in the defeat at Craven Cottage, meaning summer signing Christian Benteke will be on the bench.
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What’s big, inflated, expensive and comes round twice a year? For those of you that answered a Stewart Downing brace, you are in fact only half right. It is of course the opening of the transfer window and along with it comes all the yellow ticker bars, roving reporters and absolutely absurd rumours that come with it.
Indeed, if you thought the stress and pain that Christmas has heaped upon you for the last four weeks set you up for a period of respite, you would be dreadfully incorrect. Because the January transfer window doesn’t just bring with it a spot of cheeky speculation. Oh no.
It brings with it speculation, hyperbole and an overriding sense of disappointment Where as once fans used to get mugged off by Teletext rumours, they’re now being had by 14-year-old kids playing ITK’s on Twitter. Throw in absurd player sightings, the horrendous inflation of fees and the migraine-inducing Sky Sports schtick that is the Deadline Day itself and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
Click on the burning shirt below and get ready for the TEN things we can expect to see in the transfer window
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Want to share your hate for all things January? Join me on Twitter and tell me what really winds you up: @samuel_antrobus
Tottenham are interested in signing defender Andrea Ranocchia, reports talkSPORT.
Andre Villas-Boas is keen to bring the Italian to the Premier League, despite interest from Zenit St. Petersburg and current club Inter Milan.
Spurs already have four centre-backs at White Hart Lane in Steven Caulker, Younes Kaboul, Jan Vertonghen and Michael Dawson. But AVB is still eager to add the 25-year-old to his squad this summer.
The Italian started 32 league matches for Inter last season, as the club slumped to 9th place in the Serie A table. This poor finish has sparked rumours of Ranocchia wanting to leave the San Siro.
Ranocchia played in both matches against Tottenham in the Europa League last season, playing the full 90 minutes at White Hart Lane, before coming off the bench during extra time in the second leg.
Any deal for the Italian could lead to Michael Dawson exiting the club, after eight years with Spurs. The English defender was linked with a move out of White Hart Lane last summer, and a deal for Ranocchia could see the 29-year-old finally leave the club.
Manchester United have monitored him in the past, but it appears that Spurs are keen to make a formal bid for the 25-year-old. However, Ranocchia has recently expressed an interest to remain in Italy.
Would Ranocchia be a good signing for Spurs? Do they need him?
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