After Lukasz Fabianski’s defection to Swansea City, Arsenal are believed to be in the market for another goalkeeper this summer to provide competition for Wojciech Szczesny. On the back of his fine displays with Colombia, Ospina is the latest in a long list of names to be linked to the Gunners. The 25 year old managed a clean sheet in his country’s first knockout tie with Uruguay and will look to do the same against Brazil later this evening.
Despite signing a new deal fairly recently, Nice are reportedly willing to sell Ospina for as little as £3 million. Arsene Wenger is believed to have been monitoring the Colombian’s performances in Ligue 1 this season and will have undoubtedly been impressed by the goalkeeper’s displays in Brazil so far.
The French club’s stance becomes even more puzzling when the statistics are taken into consideration. With Ospina in the side, Nice conceded an average 0f 0.83 goals per game, a figure that ballooned to 2.22 in his absence. Standing at six feet tall, the 25 year old’s reflexes and mobility have helped the ‘keeper pull off a string of stunning saves for club and country in the last year.
Although James Rodriguez stole the show in Colombia’s 2-0 victory over Uruguay, Ospina performed a number of vital stops to keep the likes of Edinson Cavani and Cristian Rodriguez at bay. In his post-match interview, opposing manager Oscar Tabarez emphasised the 25 year old’s role in the match, stating “we had to take risks to reduce the deficit, but we came up against a ‘keeper who performed extraordinarily well.”
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However, in looking for a goalkeeper capable of handling the rigours of the Premier League, Ospina’s relatively short stature will no doubt be of some concern to Wenger. In Ligue 1 at times this season, the Colombian was guilty of committing costly errors by charging off of his line at the wrong moments.
Nevertheless, Nice were certainly better with Ospina in their side and it is remarkable to read that they seem willing to part with the 25 year old’s services. Many believe that Wojciech Szczesny requires strong competition at the Emirates to keep him on his toes and the Colombian could be just the man to do that. For such a small fee, Wenger would be acquiring an international calibre goalkeeper that could easily replace the Pole as the number one at the Emirates next season.
The post-European hangover has been the bane of the Premier League’s top six sides for many a season, and we are no closer to finding a cure for it.
Last weekend saw a particularly bad case break out, as Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur – all of whom were involved in midweek European action – suffered disappointing defeats to supposedly inferior opposition.
Talk of the phenomenon has become something of a ritual – it is discussed and dissected whenever a team loses domestically following a midweek continental fixture, yet no-one seems to have come up with a solution to the problem. Supporters of most other clubs can also be forgiven for finding the topic tedious, irritating and frankly insulting, given that Europe is but a pipe dream for the vast majority of teams playing in English football.
However, the adverse side-effects which come following a binge on the delights of European football do seem to be authentic, and are especially virulent after experiencing the less glamorous buzz of the Europa League. As well as Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, Swansea City are another team who in recent years have seen their league form slump as a consequence of participation in Europe’s second-tier club competition; such hardships have led many to view the Europa League as nothing more than a hindrance, an unwanted distraction which has a major detrimental affect on a team’s domestic performance.
It truly is a sad reflection on the state of modern football when a once grand and well-respected competition is treated with such derision; although UEFA have made Europa League football more desirable by awarding the winner a place in the following season’s Champions League, more can be done to make sure that teams don’t find their domestic objectives compromised by the added demands of European football.
UEFA could start the rehabilitation process by introducing a Day of Football as an accompaniment to its international counterpart, the Week of Football. By staging all matches – both Europa and Champions League – on the same day, teams who currently find themselves in the dreaded Thursday/Sunday routine would no longer have any basis to complain. Alternating midweek European games between a Tuesday and a Wednesday night would give every team participating in continental competitions equal and ample time to prepare for the weekend’s league fixture.
In order to further facilitate matters, the Premier League could introduce a Friday night fixture before any upcoming week of European football. Though having all teams with European commitments playing on a Friday evening would be impractical, there could conceivably be a rotation system whereby one or two of the sides play on one Friday, followed by another two teams whenever the next round of European matches approaches. The purpose of this would be to give teams the maximum amount of time to prepare for fixtures in a busy schedule; a Friday night game would enable a three-day break before a European game on a Tuesday night, which would subsequently allow for another three-day gap before the following weekend’s league games.
If the aforementioned Day of Football fell on a Wednesday, there would even be no need for a Friday night fixture, as a Saturday-Wednesday-Sunday schedule would still see a three-day pause between each game.
The final proposal involves the introduction of the much-mooted winter break in English football. Giving players a two-week respite over Christmas would lead to fewer cases of fatigue once the crucial knockout stages of continental competitions begin. The positive effects of such a break can be seen in the performances of Spanish sides in both European competitions; since the 2003/04 season, a Spanish team has won either the Europa League or the Champions League a total of ten times, compared to the four of England. The festive glut of fixtures which occurs at the end of December and into the New Year would be abandoned, with the matches scheduled instead for August and May, where the conditions would be much kinder on the players.
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Novel propositions though these may be, the caveat is that they are purely theoretical, and would never realistically be implemented. The Day of Football, for starters, would lead to a huge loss in television revenues, while this is also the main reason why the introduction of a winter break looks unlikely to materialise. Nevertheless, if money continues to have such complete control over football, stifling any logical or practical arguments that could lead to a betterment of the game, then the post-European hangover is a headache that English teams will have to grin and bear for some time to come.
Only a minute minority of Newcastle fans would dare admit it, but controversial owner Mike Ashley deserves some credit for sticking with Alan Pardew.
A poll by the Newcastle Chronicle last April claimed 85% of supports wanted rid of their much-maligned manager, so when the Magpies went without a win in their first seven league fixtures this season, as toxic protests from the terraces began to affect performances on the pitch, the majority of Premier League owners would have quickly pulled the plug.
The average management tenure in the English top flight is just over one year – scapegoating the man in the dugout, pinning him with every failing imaginable, even those clearly out of his control, has become the Premier League norm.
Few would have blinked an eye if Pardew, a manager so disliked there’s a whole website devoting to getting him fired that hands out anti-Pardew banners at every game, was given his P45. In fact, it would’ve probably increased Ashley’s slender popularity around Tyneside, at least for an evening or two.
Cynics will have a contrasting theories as to why he didn’t. The Daily Mail, for example, claimed in September it would cost Ashley, an owner famed for his relentless cost-cutting-turned-profit-making around St. James Park, £5million to get rid of the former West Ham and Charlton boss. It’s not difficult to imagine the beer-swigging Sports Direct mogul having a problem with that – he’s just invested around half that sum into gaining unofficial control of Glasgow Rangers.
Perhaps, however, Ashley was just doing his job as the owner of a football club and seeing the bigger picture. After all, the Toon are now 12th in the Premier League following three straight wins – four, including their march to the Capital One Cup quarter-final – with the same amount of points as Manchester United and only two off Europa League contention.
By no means a groundbreaking league standing for a club as big as Newcastle, but equally, a notable distance from the club that appeared fractured between fan, manager and boardroom just weeks ago, trapped in a relegation-bound downward spiral.
If we forget the context of last season, where Newcastle threw away their chances of European football by earning just 16 points in their last 19 games, fitting in an incredible 14 losses, the relentless criticism thrown Pardew’s way throughout August and September was quite a stunning overreaction.
The Newcastle squad contains eight different faces from last season, combining the summer signings with youngsters Roland Aarons and Mehdi Abeid, whilst also losing two of its most influential members, Yohan Cabaye and Loic Remy. The transition process was always going to be a troublesome one – only one of that eight, Jack Colback, had featured in a Premier League fixture before – and it was exacerbated further by the dissonant choruses of detest from the stands.
The striker situation was a particularly tricky one – handed three goalscorers during the summer, Ayoze Perez, Emmanuel Riviere and Facundo Ferreya, to replace Remy’s firepower, Pardew’s understandably struggled to decide upon the right fit for Newcastle’s frontline. Even now, the question remains unanswered in full, with Papiss Cisse reviving the form of his debut campaign, Perez netting twice from the bench and Riviere yet to score in his seven Premier League outings.
Protests hit their maxim after a 4-0 defeat to Southampton, the third fixture of the campaign that Newcastle failed to score in, with the emotive angst undoubtedly amplified by supporters undergoing a six hour journey from St. James’ to St. Mary’s.
That constituted Ashley’s easiest and most agreeable opportunity to axe Pardew; a repeat result of the same fixture in March, epitomising the lack of progress made since and the Newcastle gaffer’s inability to turn his side’s fortunes around. The perfect short-term spark to ignite the explosive long-term issues.
We now know however, Southampton are amongst the Premier League’s most impressive this season. They’re second in the table, only four points off league leaders Chelsea, and even amid Newcastle’s current renaissance, would probably still record a win against the Magpies at home, albeit likely to a lesser score line.
Perhaps most tellingly of all, the players are clearly working for Pardew and reacting positively to his leadership – something nobody would have said, not Mike Ashley or even Pardew himself, back in August.
They fought their way back from two-goal deficits against Hull City and Swansea City to claim vital points, and although there was an obvious lack of cutting edge going forward, the 1-0 defeat to Stoke City was feisty and energetic – the kind of performance that suggested Pardew and the players were attempting to make the best of difficult circumstances.
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Newcastle’s form since Pardew’s appointment in 2010 has often polarised. Patches of brilliance followed by patches of disappointment; perhaps those using the #PardewOut hashtag or holding up banners at St. James’ simply felt they couldn’t stomach any more after the Magpies’ winless start to the campaign.
But equally, perhaps that’s why, according to Pardew, Ashley never even mentioned the security of his job during boardroom meetings. Perhaps that’s why the Newcastle owner refused to give in to the demands of the fan base, as the volume of protests reached eleven. Perhaps that’s why, foreseeing better, more regular times ahead, the fans owe Ashley some credit for sticking with Pardew.
After all, what were the chances of his replacement recording four straight wins to get Newcastle’s season back on track? In a Premier League climate where every tenure is now a case of sink or swim, the probably, at best, is 50/50, but under Pardew, Newcastle’s form was always, eventually, going to improve.
The Old Firm derby has gained notoriety across Europe for its violent outbreaks on and off the pitch, constant trading of religious insults and famed ‘90 minute racists’. This is a centuries old Protestant vs. Catholic dispute that pits English mentalities against those of the Irish, whilst seemingly casting Scottish pride aside for the duration of each match.
Now that Ronny Delia’s Celtic have drawn Rangers in the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup, with the tie due to be played at a neutral venue in early 2015, the debate surrounding the Old Firm fixture is well and truly reignited. We are left to ask where the derby stands in today’s current football climate? And whether or not it will carry the same weight as it has done in previous seasons now that Rangers are outside the Scottish Premier League?
Rangers’ unceremonious fall from grace to the lower echelons of Scottish football has been well documented of late. After a complicated process involving several bureaucratic buzz-words, such as administration, insolvency and liquidation, Ally McCoist’s side currently sit second in the Scottish Championship after winning the Scottish League 1 in 2013-14. Their rise back up the ladder of Scottish football may be going in the right direction, but it has nevertheless been a slow and painful process for the Ibrox faithful.
As for Celtic, the Hoops have certainly profited from the absence of Rangers in top flight Scottish football, as they have been the clear winners of the SPL in the past two seasons. The Scottish Premiership, as it has been formally known since 2013, now sees the likes of Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Dundee United try to fill the void left by Rangers in 2012, with the aforementioned sides simply unable to provide the intensity and excitement that the Celtic vs. Rangers top-of-the-table clash used to produce.
For what was once the most exciting fixture in Scottish football, the Old Firm derby has been almost completely obliterated from today’s game, both in the league and in the cups. The tense grudge-match always served as the pick of the bunch for spectators, but in its absence, the overall popularity of Scottish football is now at an all-time low.
It was common place to hear that there are only two teams ever going to win the Scottish League, but now with Rangers temporarily out of the picture, Celtic seem to be the only side left in it. Whilst Delia’s team will certainly share no sympathy towards their arch rivals, many Celtic fans would have to admit that they do miss the intense rivalry and purpose that has left their club in the absence of Rangers.
However, don’t expect the Old Firm clash to disappear just yet. Now that the two historic sides have drawn one another in the cup, the derby is still very much a realistic prospect for fans across the country. It is an age old dispute that has its roots in events that took place long before football became popular on these shores. For that reason, and for that reason alone, three seasons apart from one another has done little to end the feud between fans of Rangers and Celtic.
Although it hasn’t had a chance to flourish in recent years, the Old Firm derby has been quietly bubbling away under the surface, just waiting for the chance to rear its ever-controversial head once more. That is not to say that religious fuelled fights will definitely break out onto the streets of Glasgow when the two sides next meet however, and nor should they, but the dangerously obsessive desire to beat one another will still nevertheless be a present factor when Celtic face Rangers in the Scottish League Cup early next year.
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As the notorious grudge match has been forcibly removed from the top flight of Scottish football in the past few seasons, expect this latest offering of the Old Firm derby to carry more meaning, more attitude and more passion than ever before.
Chelsea might not win the Premier League this season for various reasons, despite holding a three-point lead heading into 2015 – before capitulating against Tottenham – and an impeccable recent record of finishing the job when top at Christmas.
Manchester City have well and truly made this a two-horse race, managing various injury problems to reduce the gap, which had been eight points – the Citizens recently won nine successive games in all competitions. The Blues have squandered great opportunities to put themselves out of sight, primarily failing to dispatch of City’s 10-men, and conceding a dramatic late equaliser at Old Trafford.
Chelsea have stumbled after an excellent start of 11 unbeaten games, including visits to the Etihad, Old Trafford and Anfield and beating Arsenal at home. This led to Chelsea becoming strong title favourites with bookmakers at just 1/4, yet they have now slipped to 4/6, with City moving from 13/2 into 6/4.
Chelsea may come to suffer from being overdependent on key players in their squad, particularly given they’ve currently been fortunate with injuries. Aside from Diego Costa’s temperamental hamstring disruption, there have been minimal, with their squad depth not truly tested yet. Mourinho has a strong core of players who all start when available: Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and John Terry. Back-up centre-half Kurt Zouma is ultimately unproven for all his talent, whilst Ramires and John Obi Mikel cannot match their midfield colleagues. However, the reserves have rarely been needed, whilst Chelsea have not had to cope without Eden Hazard, who has been outstanding recently.
Chelsea are the only English side left competing across all four competitions, meaning their squad strength will inevitably be more thoroughly examined as the season continues. Third-place chasers Manchester United, who have recently found outstanding form under Louis Van Gaal, have no European distractions whatsoever. This, combined with their superb attacking firepower, mean similarly to Liverpool last season their presence in the title race should not be discounted.
Manchester City, in contrast to Chelsea, have been extremely unfortunate with injuries to key players thus far this season. This has included coping without world-class centre back Vincent Kompany and outstanding striker Sergio Aguero for months amongst various problems.
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The Citizens have managed admirably without an available striker in recent games, reigning in the Blues to being level on points. That they have managed this against a Chelsea side that started so well is of huge credit to them and must concern Blues fans. City are very much accustomed and familiar to winning the title from behind, having hauled into long-term leaders for both of their recent successes. Most famous in 2011-2012 they hold in an eight-point deficit, with just six games remaining, against Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
In summary the likely upcoming tests to Chelsea’s squad depth and managing European football, combined with the challenges of both Manchester clubs, suggest the title race is far from over. Though in Mourinho, Chelsea arguably have the best manager in the world, Manchester City’s ability to handle injuries and remain on their shoulders suggest this may go the wire. It is set to be the battle of the team who likes to win championships by leading from the front, versus the side who likes to win them by chasing from behind. Something has to give, and Chelsea’s thrashing at the hands of Spurs recently strongly suggests they will blink first.
“It is a real honour to sign for Manchester United. I would like to thank Louis van Gaal and the club for allowing me to do my rehabilitation and to train with the team at the Aon Training Complex. From my short time here I can already see this is a very special club. I worked with Louis van Gaal during my time at FC Barcelona and to have the opportunity to work with him here at Manchester United is a dream come true.”
These were the words of Victor Valdes as he signed for Manchester United after Liverpool had chased him for months. The Reds were after the free agent goalkeeper for some time, but eventually failed to get a deal done amid claims that the Spaniard was not happy with the offer out forward by the Merseysiders.
However, Valdes has signed for United… where he will be backup to David de Gea. A 32-year-old, arguably in his peak years, has rejected guaranteed first-team action at Anfield to warm the bench at Old Trafford. Ouch!
And it gets worse with these quotes from Andy Mitten writing for ESPN: Liverpool wanted Valdes and there was an offer from Juventus, too. He didn’t feel right about either club, especially Liverpool even though their goalkeeping situation is far more fraught than United’s and he could have been a realistic first-choice custodian.”
Such a move is indicative of the troubles at Liverpool, with Brendan Rodgers having already confessed that attracting top players to the club is an issue. This is further backed up by Alexis Sanchez’s decision to join Arsenal, despite more money being on the table from the North West side.
Transfer deadline day. Traditionally chaos. In the fancy north London pub I was sitting in, it was no different.
A free bar is flowing as fans, journalists and ex-players collide in a maddening constant whirl of energy, chewing the fat over every last morsel of speculation and gossip.
It is a delight to pull myself away from this and get the chance too, in a quieter corner, talk to a man who has seen it all far too many times before. Someone who is too experienced to get too shocked, surprised or disappointed by it all.
Peter Reid. An England international midfielder and a man with 40 years of experience in football.
Two decades playing with over 500 first-team games, most notably winning the FA Cup with Everton in 1984. Two decades in management have followed including spells at Manchester City and Sunderland. Both longer than my entire lifespan. Not bad.
Now long established as prominent figure in British football, we got to know Peter at the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party.
Ladbrokes invited Ian Wright, Chris Kamara, Peter Reid, Jason McAteer and 50 fans to a north London pub to take part in the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party, fans were treated to free bets, the latest reaction to transfer moves and news by our panel of legends, a singing Kammy and a free bar to keep the night flowing.
Naturally, given that Peter’s playing and managerial careers have both individually been longer than my entire life, I ask which one are you more proud of?
PR: That’s always difficult because first and foremost playing is the best – you go into management when you can’t play. The brain’s still there but the legs go. Even though I had ups and downs in my playing career with injuries where I was out for longer periods of time, I would give a million pounds to go back and be fit enough to play 90 mins on a football pitch. Playing for me was the ultimate – I still try and knock about in 5 a side – it’s hard work!
FFC: Would Everton be the number 1 club you would want to go back to if you had the choice?
PR: I think when you have success, I started at Bolton Wanderers and played for some really big clubs like Man City but at Everton I had a lot of a success. That’s my team if you like yes.
FFC: People often seem to forget given the razzmatazz of the Premier League that there is life outside it. Do you think more needs to be done to protect clubs in the Football League and below financially?
PR: For me, yes. It’s the lifeblood, clubs like Plymouth, Bury, Oldham. When you look through the history of football, these clubs are the lifeblood, and the community. Besides the football part of it, it’s the community side of it.
I think there should be a further spread of the money down there, I know MK Dons are getting a few quid for selling a player now (Delle Ali) and that will keep them going for a while. Certainly I think the gap is always widening between the Premier League and the Football League.
FFC: Speaking of the lower Leagues as the lifeblood of football you must be pleased to see your old club Plymouth somewhat solid?
PR: Yes they are, it was a precarious time (when Reid was there), it looked like the club might go to the wall, which for a club like that… I played there for Bolton Wanderers I went there many a time and it was always a passionate club. It’s way down there (Reidy takes us on a geography lesson) I think it’s the A38 you get off the M5 that goes on for ages (cheers Reidy) and the Plymouth fans, I’ve got to say, are fantastic.
The away support they get with the amount they have to travel so, so long so many miles and I think they’re a credit to football. When you talk about a fairer share of the (TV) money I think Plymouth Argyle are a great example because it keeps football going down in Devon and Cornwall, in that area. Obviously Exeter and Torquay are down there too so I don’t wanna upset everyone so it’s just a great part of the country, and a great football part of the country.
FFC: On this topic do you feel enough of the Premier League TV deal goes to the grassroots, it is currently 5%, as I have seen you campaigning about this on twitter?
PR: I have yes. Patently it is not enough. I understand that football clubs are big business and the model of the Premier League works commercially but has the Bundesliga got it right where fans own 50% of clubs and it get passed down, that’s open for debate. One thing that isn’t is that we’ve got to get good facilities for our kids to play on week in and week out.
FFC: Going back to lower League clubs as an FA Cup winner did you enjoy seeing the recent spate of cup upsets?
PR: Well I was in India doing the Super League and my brother (Shaun), who is manager of Warrington Town, who beat Exeter. Nothing against Exeter but I thought that was the magic of the FA Cup. When you get results like (Middles)’borough going to Man City and getting a result and Chelsea getting beat at home by Bradford I think that’s what the FA Cup is about.
I know the Premier League clubs are strong and big clubs but I just think there’s a magic about the FA Cup and long may it continue. (Amen to that, we are disrupted by a fan behind me shouting, and it’s hard to disagree)
FFC: I suppose surprise results like this recently are important in reminding the younger generation of that magic of the FA Cup so it doesn’t get lost?
PR: Well yes, I was at the game when Wigan beat Manchester City in the final and it’s still that belief, that a team that’s not one of the big ones can go in and win a major final. Not matter what anyone says about the FA Cup and I know certain teams don’t put their best sides out it’s still an absolutely fantastic competition.
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FFC: Do you think when people say things like ‘oh well Wigan would much rather have stayed in the Premier League’ that’s a disrespect to the FA Cup?
PR: Yes without a doubt because whilst they failed to stay up at the end of the day they’ve won the FA Cup. I just think you take what you have – in football there are winners and losers. That day, I tell you now you go and ask Wigan Athletic fans what they think of that day and it will be the best days of their lives.
FFC: Finally you won the FA Cup with Everton and they are probably the club you are most closely associated with, what do you make of their season at the moment?
PR: I think they’ve had a couple of injuries to influential players – McCarthy has been a miss. I think Besic has been a good buy, looks a decent player. Lukaku – I still think he’ll get better. It hasn’t been a great season, whether it’s being in the Europa League some people will say, I’m not one of them. I think as many competitions as you want, get in there. Come on you Blues!
FFC: Kevin Mirallas – a man much discussed through the transfer speculation, what did you make of that infamous penalty incident?
PR: Well listen I was at the West Brom game when this (the penalty incident) happened, but if I was Leighton Baines I’d have said ‘give me it’. I don’t mind players having an argument about things like that, I think it’s good. I know there’s all this stuff written by journalists and on the TV about ‘oh no, he shouldn’t have done it’ – he took the ball, he was confident, he missed it, move on.
Cheers Peter, you have brought a voice of calm, reason and experience to a scene of bedlam.
Peter Reid speaking at the Ladbrokes #ForTheFans Transfer Deadline Day party.
James Tomkins – To most West Ham fans who have been frequenting Upton Park regularly in the past few seasons, the 26-year-old defender has simply been a rock at the back for his respective managers in the claret & blue.
Alongside the likes of Winston Reid and James Collins in West Ham’s current defensive set-up, Sam Allardyce has been able to rely upon Tomkins for his characteristic reliability at the back, as well as his impressive consistency on a week-to-week basis.
Away from the comfort of his own fans in the east end however, the Hammers academy graduate more often than not goes down as a somewhat indifferent prospect, and a player that has hardly managed to capture the widespread attention of the English footballing community so far in his career.
So then, whilst Roy Hodgson’s England squad currently plays host to perhaps the weakest set of centre-backs the country has ever paid witness to, does the West Ham no. 5 deserve to be included within the national team sooner rather than later, or is James Tomkins simply no more than an average English defender who will never likely offer his nation a great deal going into Euro 2016?
The answer seemingly arrives as a slightly complicated one…
When it comes to quality defending in the Premier League, the Basildon born centre-back has certainly staked a worthy claim for himself whilst representing the Hammers in recent years. The beginning of his West Ham career may have included an untimely relegation under the ill-fated reign of Avram Grant at Upton Park – but as a year away from the attention and pressure of top-flight football often does the world of good for young, up and coming players in the modern game – Tomkins has largely emerged from his team’s past struggles as a much better player.
In traditionally British style, the 26-year-old initially arrives as a no nonsense type defender. He is more than capable of bossing most aerial battles the Premier League has to offer, can pull out the odd match saving tackle in an exciting against all odds fashion – and whilst his concentration levels have somewhat let the West Ham man down on occasion this season – overall James Tomkins proves a more than worthy first team starter for Sam Allardyce.
The former England U21 international is also pretty handy with his feet when the time comes – as unlike most of the other centre-backs Allardyce has had the pleasure of working with throughout his long-term managerial career – Tomkins can actually operate as a well-rounded ‘footballer’ rather than just a brave, but technically limited ‘defender’.
Whilst James Tomkins has currently been side-lined with a recent shoulder injury in the past few weeks, it certainly remains curious as to why the English national team have never seen fit to at least try out his services before.
2013/14 saw the Hammers record one of the most impressive defensive records across the entire league campaign after-all, and although this season Tomkins and co. haven’t been quite as efficient at recording those all-important clean sheets for their manager, West Ham have still operated successfully with their overall defensive game.
Perhaps this is just another case of Roy Hodgson failing to pick players based on recent form, instead opting to fall-back on those who ultimately play for a more high profile outfit than the Hammers. Fair enough, Gary Cahill just about deserves a call-up to the national squad after his recent endeavours with Chelsea, but the prospect of facing the likes of Phil Jagielka, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling for other international teams must come as somewhat of a joke to certain strikers out there.
Their recent performances this season simply don’t warrant an almost guaranteed place in the England squad – yet as Hodgson has so far kept in line with the trend of prioritising players from big teams before the less commercially viable options lower down the table – perhaps nothing is likely to change for the likes of James Tomkins anytime soon.
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As the loyal Hammers centre-back has recently signed a new deal with his boyhood club however, England’s loss has seemingly become West Ham’s gain in all of this, as the east end club look to push onto to life at the Olympic Stadium in the not too distant future.
Precisely one year and three days ago, Ashley Young’s Manchester United career looked dead in the water, watching helplessly from the bench as a 1-1 draw with Southampton affirmed the Red Devils’ worst campaign of Premier League era.
A third season of little accomplishment for the winger since his £18million move from Aston Villa in summer 2011, few expected him to survive Louis van Gaal’s inaugural cull, which included Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Tom Cleverley, Nani, Shinji Kagawa, Danny Welbeck and Wilfried Zaha amongst its more notable victims.
But fast forward twelve months (and three days) and the 29 year-old is enjoying arguably the most productive form of his Old Trafford career, bagging two goals, four assists and three Man of the Match awards in 21 Premier League starts – despite often featuring as United’s emergency left wing-back – including a scintillating display in April’s Manchester derby.
So with June’s international fixtures looming and habitual absences of crocked regulars widely expected following another tough Premier League campaign, the question must be asked; does Ashley Young deserve his first England call up since 2013?
The England national team is now very much a young man’s game. Roy Hodgson’s last squad, facing Lithuania and Italy in March, featured just two players aged 30 or over, only two with 50 caps or more and 14 under the age of 25. The Three Lions gaffer is picking his squads with Russia 2018 in mind, attempting to mesh together a new crop after the underwhelming decline of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard’s ‘golden generation’.
Young doesn’t particularly fit that image, despite his well-fitting surname. By the World Cup in Russia he’ll be 34 and although he’s played well this season, even Euro 2016 could be a bit of a push. After all, Manchester United have already completed the signing of Eredivisie prodigy Memphis Depay, albeit a winger-forward who tends to prefer the opposite flank, and rumours linking them with a summer bid for Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale have been relentless over the last few months. There may simply be no room for the former Watford man in United’s starting Xi by the time 2015/16 comes around – so why bring an ageing winger back into the England fold who could be lost to the realms of cameo by October or November?
But has there been a home-grown winger in better form than Young over the last few months? Raheem Sterling’s superlative displays of 2014 have tailed off since he became enthralled in an apparently self-imposed contract scandal, Danny Welbeck has scored less goals and made less appearances than his ultimate campaign at Manchester United since joining Arsenal last summer, and team-mate Theo Walcott has managed just half an hour of competitive football since England’s friendly against Italy in March.
Liverpool’s Adam Lallana continues to struggle under the weight of his ridiculous £25million price-tag, whilst James Milner, for all his fantastic qualities, has never been the most dynamic of wide-men. And then there’s Andros Townsend – an apparent law to himself, who features more regularly for the Three Lions than he does Tottenham Hotspur.
Of course, the England national team should never become a by proxy Premier League form guide. There are clearly some footballers made out for international football, and some who unfortunately are not. Likewise, Hodgson has his favourites, those who he sees as long-term fixtures in England’s plans – Welbeck and Sterling being firmly amongst them.
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But in my opinion, Young’s recent displays deserve some recognition, whilst his pedigree at international level is already proven. Seven goals in 30 appearances for the Three Lions is actually a better goals-to-game ratio than any of the aforementioned names, with the exclusion of Welbeck and three-in-seven supersub Townsend. Similarly, he’d offer experience to a squad firmly lacking it, and has spent the last four years playing alongside the first name on the England team-sheet – captain Wayne Rooney.
Perhaps most importantly of all, however, is Young’s more traditional style. Whilst Sterling and Welbeck are of the modern winger-forward mould, he’s a touch-line hugger, a relentless crosser, who uses his pace and skill to add width to the team. One could argue that to be a testament to how he belongs to a different age – but in terms of the squad itself, it’s currently an option Hodgson doesn’t have.
Whether that’s enough to convince the England boss remains to be seen. Since the failure of the 2014 World Cup, the prevailing mantra has been to look forward rather than backwards in the hope of better times ahead. Yet amid an era where the Three Lions are no longer privy to a plethora of talent in every position, in my opinion, any English footballer to prove themselves at the top end of the Premier League is worth Hodgson’s gamble. And upon the end of a real comeback campaign, there’s no question Young will enter June’s fixtures with his confidence at an all time high.
One year ago as Manchester United’s David Moyes experiment had come to its end; it seemed that the Ashley Young one was coming to the same depressing conclusion.
Three years on from his move from Aston Villa, it seemed a nigh on certainty that he had played his last game in a red shirt. As the incumbent manager Louis van Gaal prepared to cull his new squad, it seemed pretty likely that the winger would have prime position on the Dutchman’s chopping block.
However, with a rise that Lazarus would be proud of, Ashley Young has not only avoided the chop at Old Trafford, he has made himself a vital cog in the new era at United.
Van Gaal has used Young in a number of roles this term; he was deployed at full back in the early periods of season before he has made the left wing position his own. In the process, the 29 year old has ousted record signing Angel di Maria; through a combination of bad luck with injuries and the Englishman’s startling return to form, the Argentinian has struggled to hold down a place.
In their recent fixture against Crystal Palace, the former Villa man was head and shoulders the best United player, driving his side to a hard earned victory. In the first half his cross resulted in a penalty, before he lay on a late winner for his fellow comeback kid Marouane Fellaini.
In United’s successful quest for a return to Champions League football, he has been one of the standout stars; his improvement has been staggering, from the player who was bereft of confidence and ability 12 months ago, he is now putting in the kind of performances that earned him a consistent run for the national side.
A recall to Roy Hodgson’s side can surely not be too far away, it still seems strange, but there is beginning to be a genuine clamour for his return to the national fold. The fact that it is not only those of a Man United inclination that are demanding his recall show just how far he has come. It seems only yesterday that he was derided by fans and press alike, a figure of laughter, the butt of jokes…..no more.
Memphis Depay’s imminent arrival in Manchester will surely heap even more pressure on the winger, but if this season is an indicator he has plenty of fight left in him yet. He has become a trusted aid for Van Gaal in his journey to return United to the top of English football.
As little as twelve months ago, Young’s career was in turmoil; but he now seems to have appeared out of the other end of the tunnel and he is a player on the up, he is almost a different player to the one that trudged around so ineffectively under his previous manager.
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He has one year left on his deal so once again Young will have to prove his worth to his manager, but if in twelve months’ time he can look back on a season as good as this one; he should have nothing to worry about at all.