Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto has stated that new signing Hugo Lloris will have a tough task in breaking into the White Hart Lane first team.
Andre Villas-Boas’ men signed the France international from Lyon on transfer deadline day, but the Portuguese coach is believed to be set to back Brad Friedel to continue in goal ahead of the new man.
Lloris is said to be disappointed by the fact that he could have to play second fiddle to the ageing American stopper, with the new man ready to sit down and talk with Villas-Boas after the international break.
Despite the ability of Lloris, Assou-Ekotto has stated that the French goalkeeper is not guaranteed a place in the north London outfit’s starting XI.
“It won’t be easy for him because there is competition,” the full-back told French radio station RMC, translated to English by The Daily Mail.
“No 1 keeper in the French team or not, he will have to fight to get the position in the team.
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“We currently have a keeper that doesn’t make any mistakes, who is very well-known in Great Britain.
“To start I believe Lloris will be No 2. If our keeper doesn’t make any mistakes there is no reason to change,” the African concluded.
Brendan Rodgers endured a frustrating afternoon on his first return to Swansea as they held Liverpool to a goalless draw at the Liberty Stadium.
Much of the pre-match talk was of Rodgers’ first appearance in South Wales since his switch to Anfield in the summer, and he will be grateful to be heading back to Merseyside with a point.
In contrast Swans successor Michael Laudrup will be disappointed that his side failed to match their bright performance with a goal as they kept their first clean sheet in 11 Premier League games.
The visitors started well and almost went ahead when Raheem Sterling rattled the crossbar from just inside the penalty area, before Glen Johnson was denied by a superb save from Gerhard Tremmel.
Jose Enrique then thought he’d put the Reds into the lead when he headed Luis Suarez’s cross towards the far post just after the half hour, but he was correctly adjudged to be in an offside position when the ball was played.
At the other end Pablo Hernandez was proving to be the home sides most dangerous attacking outlet and he curled two sumptuous efforts wide of Pepe Reina’s goal, before the keeper saved from Wayne Routledge at his near post.
Laudrup threw Ki Sung-yeung on for Itay Schechter during the interval, allowing Michu to move into a more advanced role, and it proved a shrewd move as Swansea attacked with vigour after the restart.
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Former Swans midfielder Joe Allen had to be alert to clear Ashley Williams’ header off the line, while Reina produced an excellent stop to prevent Hernadez’s free kick from finding the net.
With time running out Rodgers threw on youngster Jonjo Shelvey to inject some fresh legs but he couldn’t muster the decisive goal with Tremmel easily saving his 20-yard strike late on.
Amidst a summer of newly harvested optimism at White Hart Lane defeat there was an air of disappointment about Spurs flat performance in their opening game of the Premier League campaign. Andre Villas-Boas’ arrival at the club has certainly lifted spirits in the wake of missing out on the Champions League last season and Harry Redknapp’s subsequent departure as a result. However defeat on Tyneside gave an indication as to the job Villas-Boas has on his hands to guide Spurs back into the top-four. The addition of Emmanuel Adebayor on a permanent basis will provide the Portuguese tactician with a major boost as he continues to explore different avenues to strengthen his attack. The Togo international struck 17 goals during an impressive season-long loan spell at the North London club and will be expected to fill the lone striker role that Jermaine Defoe struggled to fulfil last week despite getting his name on the scoresheet at St James’ Park. With the pieces slowly falling into place for Villas-Boas getting that first win on the board is now the number one priority.
This week on FFC does Villas-Boas need to start integrating Jan Vertonghen into the starting lineup and which Roma ace are Spurs targeting to replace Luka Modric?
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Best of FFC
All coming together at White Hart Lane?
Why Tottenham fans must back Villas-Boas over exits
Is Tottenham’s strong stance set to backfire?
Why Villas-Boas needs a flying start from Jan Vertonghen
Why signing him would be a game-changer for Tottenham
Which Premier League club has the strongest strikeforce?
Tottenham and United look to trigger £15m clause for Belgium ace
Tottenham set to make renewed bid after previous knock back
Spurs target Roma ace to fill midfield role
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Best of WEB
How Ade came back to Spurs. – Spurs musings from Jimmy G2
Maybe Willian But Certainly No Leandro Damiao – Harry Hotspur
Chill – Dear Mr Levy
Is Willian Really Worth £20M Of Mr Levy’s Cold Hard Cash? – Transfer Tavern
AVB turns a blind eye – Spurs musings from Jimmy G2
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Let’s hug – Dear Mr Levy
What On Earth Was Being Said Here To AVB?! – Harry Hotspur
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Quote of the Week
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“Last year was quite intense. And this season every game will be difficult as you saw at Newcastle on Saturday. They have a good team. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle will all be fighting for the top four spots. It’s not going to be easy but as a footballer you just have to keep doing your thing and see what happens at the end of the season.” Emmanuel Adebayor eyes the top four after signing for Tottenham on a permanent basis
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers claimed his side were “terrific” despite slipping to a 1-0 Europa League loss against Anzhi Makhachkala.
In a close encounter Lacina Traore’s terrific effort on the stroke of half-time proved to be decisive.
A young Reds side enjoyed plenty of possession but failed to find the equalising goal.
Despite this, Rodgers was positive about his side’s display:
“Tactically our concentration was very good. We controlled the game for 44 minutes and 50 seconds of the first half.” He is quoted by SkySports.
“We made a bad mistake and got punished and that is the level.
“Some of the young players were terrific and we are disappointed not to have got something from it.
“I thought the performance level was good on a difficult pitch but I thought the players played the system tactically very well.
“We just find ourselves unfortunate not to get something from a very difficult place.”
The likes of Conor Coady, Jon Flanagan and Adam Morgan were all handed a first-team opportunity, as Rodgers left many of his established stars back on Merseyside:
“Not at all. I think that is a little disrespectful to the players who are here.” The Northern Irishman responded when asked if his team missed their big names.
“They have been magnificent and I thought they did really well and we just got punished for a mistake.
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“That led to us losing the game but I don’t think it was anything to do with Suarez, Gerrard, Joe Allen, Martin Skrtel or Daniel Agger not being here.
“It was just one of those things. We will take it as a team, we are disappointed but there are so many positives from tonight.”
Powerful striker Traore scored the only goal of the game during the first-half, rounding Sebastian Coates before beating Brad Jones.
UEFA’s reaction to the shameful scenes of October 16th, 2012 in Krusevac, Serbia has once again brought the body’s ability to govern football into question. The sight of England’s Premier League youngsters, who should have been having the time of their lives representing their country, being subjected to vile taunting from a minority of opposition fans, not to mention aggression and incitement from opposition players and coaching staff, led to outrage and calls for all sorts of severe punishments for the Serbian FA.
Despite the severity of the events, UEFA’s initial reprimands consisted of a mere £65,000 fine, and an order for the Serbian Under-21 team to play one match behind closed doors. While the Serbian FA undoubtedly lacks the financial clout of say the English FA, a £65,000 fine in the world of football is pathetic. It’s not even a week’s wage for a lot of top players around the world and is less than Nicklas Bendtner was fined for flashing his branded underwear at Euro 2012.
However, the financial element of the punishment ultimately pales into insignificance, to make a resounding statement UEFA needed to ban Serbia, or at least the Serbian U21 side from their next major tournament.
One would hope a punishment as severe as that would convince the small contingent of racist Serbia fans (and other racist football fans around the world) that behaviour such as that seen on October 16th will no longer be tolerated and will be to their detriment in one way or another.
However, the problem of racism in Serbia isn’t confined to football. While in England if you were caught on film making monkey noises and gestures you would be prosecuted by the national law, in Serbia there are very few laws protecting minorities. Certain factions within the country are years behind the likes of Britain in their social development and clearly some are yet to grasp the concept of tolerance.
So how does UEFA (a football governing body) attempt to enforce laws that contradict national laws? It must be made clear to football fans that once you enter the stadium, you are under UEFA laws. This would of course require the agreement of national federations but is a path that must be explored.
[cat_link cat=”premiership” type=”list”]
As things stand that minority of Serbian fans guilty of racial abuse see no significantly negative consequences to their actions. One Under-21 match being played behind closed doors and a fine, which they personally will not be paying, is unlikely to deter them in the future. UEFA appear to have now realised this – only it was also UEFA who determined the sanctions, which has created the farce of UEFA appealing one of their own rulings.
Not only has UEFA’s independent ‘Control and Disciplinary’ panel shown itself to be incapable of determining an appropriate punishment, but the body’s structure has also been exposed. Some might argue it displays transparency that UEFA can appeal its own decisions, but others will ask why those in charge of making such decisions are so woefully out of touch.
The issue of racism in the European game was thrust back into the spotlight recently as Kevin-Prince Boateng of AC Milan was racially abused in a friendly match against Italian lower division club Pro Patria. Boateng was repeatedly taunted by a section of fans until he and his teammates took matters into their own hands and left the pitch, effectively abandoning the game themselves.
Milan’s act of defiance has for the most part been congratulated. It should be remembered that there was little at stake for Milan with it being a friendly fixture, and whether Boateng’s colleagues would be so quick to follow him off the field in a Champions League knock-out tie remains to be seen, while UEFA’s reaction to such an event would be equally intriguing.
Boateng has since said he would walk off again, regardless of the occasion. UEFA could perhaps learn something from the zero-tolerance policy he displayed in a Rossoneri shirt. However, Milan’s Dutch legend, Clarence Seedorf suggested leaving the pitch isn’t wise, as it is in fact empowering the racist minority.
There are bound to be contrasting opinions, yet there should be no doubt that these professionals, like any employed person in any job, should not have to suffer racial abuse and must receive adequate protection from those who govern the game.
Taking Draconian measures with Serbia would have sent a message around Europe that racism will not be tolerated. However a balance must be struck between punishment and enlightenment, after all, ignorant fans need to be educated – some do not know any better. It is unlikely UEFA or anyone else will be able to completely transform the views of one generation of fans, but the next generation must learn, which leads us to one of the most disturbing elements of the whole episode.
The lack of sympathy shown to the English players by the Serbian playing and coaching staff was appalling. The majority of their players and coaching staff, unlike some of their supporters, would have travelled around Europe and most likely played or worked alongside black players. Whether intentional or not, their actions undoubtedly incited the crowd and this should be given serious consideration when UEFA get around to considering their appeal.
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To this point, this episode has highlighted UEFA’s continual refusal to confront racism with the drastic measures it merits. It is likely the appeal will result in a greater punishment, but whether it is a punishment that satisfies football’s anti-racism campaigners is far less certain.
More specifically UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary panel has shown its inability to deal with an issue as sensitive as racism and perhaps the creation of a new specialist panel for cases concerning prejudice of any sort would exhibit their acknowledgement of its failure on this occasion.
As long as racism is an issue in the world, it will continue to be a problem in football. From now on, UEFA must ensure those guilty of racism within a game that should be breaking down barriers, are treated with a similar lack of tolerance to that they display themselves.
There has been a gradual progression of Premier League football away from all the games kicking off at the same time. It used to be a traditional three o’ clock on a Saturday afternoon, no exceptions. Super Sunday then became a seemingly immovable fixture in our footballing calendars every week. Is Monday football though the point where we say enough is enough?
It has been a long time since the TV companies paid any regard for the fans travelling and watching the games. The 30 day rule of notice where a game can be changed for TV stops any sort of monetary saving for the matches and the real world doesn’t stop for football. The trip to Fulham, there and back, for Newcastle fans, this Monday, shows how painfully out of touch the footballing powers are with the supporters.
Those who are working would realistically have to at minimum take half a day off Monday off and possibly some of Tuesday off work to accommodate the travel to London and then home to Newcastle after the game. If they are relying on public transport then this can be increasingly fraught with danger. The trains are particularly unforgiving if you are 1 minute late, it departs and has no remorse for the football fan who has shown dedication to watch their side lose 2-1 in the bitter cold. There is also that heavily patronizing automated speaker which apologises incredibly for the delay to your service which means that an away trip could continue long into the early hours of the next morning.
The moving of games from a Saturday to a Sunday you can almost accept in a sense. For the teams in the Europa League it gives them an extra day’s window of rest. It can also be used to separate and appreciate those special fixtures the fans look forward to every season. The switch isn’t necessarily welcomed, because of all the strange times it throws up, such as the 12.45 or 1.30 kick offs. I am sure the Swansea fans are hardly delighted at having to ensure they arrive at White Hart Lane in time for 1.30. I suspect that most would have to take the hit of driving down with the logistics of public transport to such a game being difficult. I am sure the Swansea fans will feel far from super at the ludicrous time some will have to wake up on Sunday morning to play their part in the proceedings at Tottenham. This said, at least they know that when the game is finished they can be home in plenty of time for work on Monday morning.
Another factor completely disregarded is the disruption to a working week. The sense of realism has escaped those at Sky who seem to have forgotten the logistics of working. If one of their employees with less than 30 days’ notice asked for an accumulated day off work to follow their football team, I can imagine the muted reception that would receive. Also days you can book off with annual leave are so few and far between, which makes them so precious, the usual figure being around 20 days a year. These are usually used these for emergencies, or a holiday in the summer with the family when the football takes a short break. It shows a lack of any sensitivity from the TV money men.
I am sure employers won’t be delighted to see their employee desperately tired so early on in the week after going to the football on the Monday. This means that a lot of fans have to make the logical decision to avoid these games. The experience of watching and going to live football is never adequately replaced by the analysis of Gary Neville and Ed Chamberlain. This sort of behaviour just encourages armchair support and the isolation of the real football fans that represent everything that is great about this game. It forces football fans to have to ignore games they may desperately want to go to. The Manchester derby being placed on a Monday night last season was pure lunacy. This game was so pivotal in the title campaign and for those unable to compensate for football during their working week, it must have been a blow miss such a game. If it is a European game then it can be justified as a one off experience and an opportunity to watch a different style of football. Even this is so expensive that it can only be done by most once a season, for the lucky few that can afford it.
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The domestic football we have on offer will always be the same every day of the week and the only addition Monday’s provide is price. Those at Sky and other TV Companies does not deserve to be awarded this luxury of being able to monopolise Monday night’s and pick teams to play it’s games when it so chooses. The Christmas calendar throws up all sorts of midweek games which are gruelling for all teams, and Monday night football is a headache we could do without.
There is no doubt Chris Hughton would have preferred a calmer end to his first season at Norwich. Inconsistency has dogged the Canaries this term and leaves them still unsure of their Premier League status heading into the run-in with Hughton facing a pivotal face-off against predecessor Paul Lambert. Currently stuck on 38 points the he knows his side only require one more victory to relieve the tension currently gripping Carrow Road and getting one over on Lambert would add an extra shine for the clubs supporters. They should be confident considering Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are the only teams to take maximum points away from Norwich on their own turf.
Confidence is something Aston Villa have stocked in abundance following their 6-1 demolition on Monday night, which made it four wins in in their last seven games. That result lifted Lambert’s men five points clear of the relegation zone and put them in reach of top-flight safety. However, sentiment is often the killer when managers or players return to their former clubs, but the 43-year-old has already proven that won’t be an issue following Villa’s 4-1 success in the Capital One Cup. His young side have come through a gruelling teething stage to emerge a exciting and well drilled unit in recent weeks and with Christian Benteke leading the line and scoring for fun, optimism levels should be through the roof.
Team News
Goalkeeper John Ruddy is back in contention for Norwich following a five-month stint on the sidelines. Michael Turner (groin) is out but defensive partner Sebastien Bassong is available after overcoming an ankle problem.
Ciaran Clark (foot) and Karim El Ahmadi (groin) are out for Aston Villa again after they missed the win over Sunderland on Monday leaving Paul Lambert with no fresh injury concerns.
What the managers said…
“It is a nervy time for everybody. That is normal. Until you are confident you are clear of that there is always apprehension. We have to make sure we do enough in the next two home games in particular to get us over the line because I have always said around that 40 (point mark). Chris Hughton wants Norwich to make their home form count (Eastern Daily Press)
The way the night transpired, with the crowd and the atmosphere, was fantastic. But it’s important to move on. We’re playing really well at the moment but the minute anyone thinks we’ve done it…we’ll try and avoid that. This season the margins are smaller than ever in that fight. It means every team that hasn’t got 39 or 40 points is still involved in that fight.” Paul Lambert is fearful Monday’s 6-1 drubbing of Sunderland could skew Aston Villa’s survival focus (Independent)
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Pre-match Statistic: Norwich are 19 league games without a clean sheet, while Christian Benteke has scored 13 goals in 15 appearances for Villa in 2013.
Prediction: Norwich City 1-1 Aston Villa
Make your bets ahead of the showdown at Carrow Road by clicking on the banner below
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup says that there is no need to extend his contract with the club right away.
The Dane has made a fine start to Premier League management, guiding the Swans into eighth position, allaying any fears supporters had after Brendan Rodgers left to take control at Liverpool.
As well as league success, the South Wales-based outfit have reached the final of the Capital One Cup for the first time in their history.
These achievements have seen him linked with positions at Chelsea and Real Madrid, with both believed to be on the lookout for new managers.
Laudrup’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season, but he claims that there is no need to sort out his future now:
“I think for me the present is more important than the future, we have so many things coming up now and I already have a contract for next season so it is not urgent for me,” he is quoted by Sky Sports
“We have some very important things to deal with right now. I am talking to the chairman a lot of times every week and we talk about a lot of things.”
Meanwhile, Swansea have tied back-up goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel down to a new contract.
His signature follows that of Leon Britton and Gary Monk, moves which have pleased Laudrup:
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“It’s good to get the players signed up, they are important to us,
“We need to do it quick sometimes because it is difficult to compare and compete with the salaries of other clubs.”
It’s never too early to be optimistic. After all, a big-money transfer can win you the league title 10-months early, and a relatively inexperienced manager can get you relegated even before a ball is kicked. But what can we expect from Arsenal this season after four league games? Importantly, how much of the club’s final outcome will be dictated by the dreaded injury plague that hits the team every season?
The big season for Arsenal since the move into the Emirates Stadium was 2007/08. After the departure of Thierry Henry, it was predicted that Arsene Wenger’s side would fail to land a top four spot and struggle throughout the campaign. All very familiar stuff. But that team, built around a fantastic midfield quartet of Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky, Alex Hleb, and Mathieu Flamini, stormed through the first half of the season and only picked up their first away loss in December during an away trip to Middlesbrough. It was a side that were getting points off the big teams, convincingly dispatching problematic smaller clubs (barring the early home defeat to West Ham), while also making an incredible impression in European competition. The result at the San Siro against AC Milan really sent shockwaves across Europe, not only because of the final score, but due to the manner in which Arsenal outplayed a hugely experienced Milan side.
Naturally, it all came to an end because of injuries to key players. Two new signings in Bacary Sagna and Eduardo had their seasons cut short, while Robin van Persie picked up his annual season-ending injury after what seemed like only a handful of games. Mathieu Flamini was lost before the season’s end, as was Rosicky. The team’s final league position of finishing only four points behind champions Manchester United should have been a good indication of just how much that team could have achieved had they all stayed fit.
This year for Arsenal, however, is slightly different. All of those notable names have long since departed, while the team now has to find another identity with a host a exciting new arrivals. But is the threat of serious injury the only thing holding Arsenal back from title glory?
Arsene Wenger has never had a weaker side than what he put forward last season. Was that entirely accurate, or was it because all the focus was placed at the foot of van Persie? Mikel Arteta has proven to be an exceptional buy for the club, and the defence currently looks stronger than in any previous season while at Ashburton Grove.
The problem is, football sometimes isn’t as black and white as simply blaming injuries for poor results. The club as a whole have had all sense of winning stripped away, a procedure that started with the loss of Patrick Vieira in 2005 and continued each year until there was nothing left of the former title-winning side. Arsenal have bought former champions and winners at international level, but how much does that help to reshape the mentality of a club who have been disappointed for the best part of a decade?
Winning will breed further success, and what better way to begin than by starting small and working your way up. The Carling Cup should have been the start for this Arsenal team under Wenger, but that injury bug hit once more. Cesc Fabregas was ruled out of the final in 2011 following an injury in the previous game at home to Stoke, and naturally van Persie was substituted out of the final through an injury of his own. Would Arsenal have won that tie with their best players fully fit for the entire game?
This year, a lot of hope has been put on players like Abou Diaby and Mikel Arteta. Without Alex Song or any obvious replacement, there is a great deal of emphasis on those two midfielders to perform and help carry the team forward. Diaby was outstanding at Anfield, but was it something more than just a bright spot in another dark and disappointing season for the player? Both Diaby and Arteta have their injury concerns, but their staying fit for the majority of the season could be the difference between another throwaway season and a great step forward.
Arsenal fans will be dreading any major knock to players like Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and, of course, the key figures in the defensive line. Supporters have seen where the club goes when the injury bug hits, but for once it would be great to see how much potential is in this Arsenal squad if they all stay healthy for the full season.
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Maybe Wenger’s training methods need to be questioned, and the club’s medial team might also need a looking at. Concentration among the squad while on the pitch looks to be addressed, or at the very least it’s moving in the right direction through the introduction of Steve Bould. But many have said it before, this Arsenal team has the ability to beat any team in the Premier League. Unfortunately, they also have the potential to lose to any team in the Premier League. It may only have been Southampton, but a fully fit Arsenal side were devastating in their 6-1 win at the Emirates. For any other team, that would be described as the form of champions.
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