The Reds could make giant strides in closing the gap with the top four at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. Kenny Dalglish will certainly be looking for a repeat of last Monday’s comprehensive performance that saw them move within 5pts of 5th place.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Liverpool blogs that includes Rafa’s real legacy; the reality of Enrique deal, while the Reds are in very safe hands.
We also look at the best Liverpool articles around the web this week.
The Greatest Ever Premier League XI
The way forward for Liverpool is clear for all to see
Just what is Rafa’s Liverpool Legacy?
One attribute Dalglish can always rely on
Why Liverpool Football Club is in safe hands
The reality of this Jose Enrique DEAL
Leaving Anfield becoming something of a regrettable mistake?
Should they really be influencing Liverpool’s transfer policy?
Liverpool eye up French alternative to Cahill
One area where Liverpool are streets ahead of Arsenal?
*Best of Web*
Liverpool’s Player of the Season: The Nominations – Live4Liverpool
Johnson, Kelly or Flanagan? – Our Kop
Inside a disaster – Keith Salmon’s moving chapter on Hillsborough – This Is Anfield
Media Muppet of the Month, April 2011 – Tomkins Times
The Exciting Diamond Quartet in Liverpool’s Midst – Live4Liverpool
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Paul Lambert as a player spent most of his career playing in Scotland with St Mirren, Motherwell, Celtic and Livingston and winning 40 caps for Scotland. However, it was perhaps the year he spent in Germany that told us most about the character of the man. That season with Borussia Dortmund finished with Lambert being part of the team that won the Champions League and it is that winning mentality that he still holds true today as a manager.
Lambert’s first managerial gig was at Livingston – but he had little success and won very few games and eventually resigned. Lambert’s next managerial role came with Wycombe – where he showed more evidence of his potential as a manager. During his time with Wycombe he took his side to the League Cup semi-finals in which they lost to Chelsea. Lambert resigned as manager of Wycombe in 2008 after the club were eliminated from the play-offs by Stockport County. During his time at Wycombe he won 40% of his matches.
Lambert was not out of work for long and landed his next role in October, 2008 with League One Colchester. He did a solid job for the club and took them to a safe position in mid-table that season and the following season started with a sensational 7-1 win against Norwich City. However, things changed dramatically on the back of that result as Paul Lambert was to resign as Colchester manager and take over the job at Norwich – following the sacking of Bryan Gunn.
At the time of the appointment Norwich City fans weren’t quite sure what to make of it and if it was the right move for the club – but few fans would have doubted that Bryan Gunn needed to be replaced. However, Lambert has done things at Norwich no fan could have predicted. Coming in that first season and transforming the team and moving up the table to not only the top six – but to actually win the league outright.
Promotion to the Championship though was expected and the real test for Lambert would come the following season. Most fans would have accepted a safe mid table position and even the most optimistic fans would have not dared to dream further than the play-offs. But it’s clear that Paul Lambert is no ordinary manager and he has achieved the unthinkable; back to back automatic promotion and only two years after Norwich was relegated to League One, Norwich City is back in the Premier League.
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But after so much success in such a short space of time, people are started to dream further and wondering what Paul Lambert can achieve. There is no doubt that next season Norwich will be happy just to survive in the Premier League – but I suspect Paul Lambert may be dreaming further and will want to make a real impact. Jose Mourinho may consider himself to be the “special one” but there is a special British manager and he will be showcasing his skills in best league in the world next season.
It’s often said that football teams take attributes from their manager. Norwich City has shown a desire, determination and belief to win and not being afraid to showcase attacking football. The fact they have scored so many late, late goals shows that strength. I strongly believe that Norwich will continue to showcase these attributes next season in the Premier League and won’t be afraid of anyone.
Lambert has the man management skills to match the best but at the same time keeps his feet and the players’ feet firmly grounded. After Swansea beat Norwich 3-0 they were celebrating like they won the league but Lambert and Norwich were cool and calm. The night before Cardiff had a big game against Middlesbrough players went out partying and surprising they lost their game 3-0 – while Norwich stayed composed and professional to beat Portsmouth 1-0 and secure automatic promotion. Just two examples of how Lambert has outwitted his rivals.
Next season you can be sure the same attributes will be at play, if Norwich beat Manchester United at Old Trafford no one will be getting carried away and Lambert will be sure that he will have a squad with the tightest spirit and bond and players that are young, hungry and eager to play for Norwich City. There is no room for big ego’s or players to come to Norwich to pick up their money, if you want to be part of Paul Lambert’s revolution you will have to prove, you will work hard and put everything on the line for Norwich City.
There is simply no doubt we are looking at a genius of management in Paul Lambert and you should all remember the name, because make no mistake this manager will win Premier League titles and Champions League titles. Norwich City will have to be realistic enough to know this manager will move on to a massive club sooner or later – but at very least they can say they witnessed the beginning of one the world’s greatest managers. In years to come Paul Lambert’s name will rightly go alongside that of Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Join the conversation on Twitter and tell me if you agree that Paul Lambert is destined for greatness
FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive: Robbie Savage’s Face in a Baby Scan…
It’s not often you hear about a footballer contracting a rare illness, it’s even more unlikely you see that same player make a comeback in the professional game. But, that’s exactly what happened to Markus Babbel. The German defender, who is best known by fans in England for his time at Liverpool, overcame a life-threatening illness to play football once more. But, what happened after his time in England came to an end?Babbel started out with his hometown club Bayern Munich at a very early age, progressing through their youth system. He made a handful of appearances for the first team before moving on to fellow German club Hamburg in 1992. Following a successful two-year spell here, in which he became an established first-team player, Munich were convinced to buy him back.The Munich yearsMunich were the great force in German football at this time and Babbel was able to pick up several major honours during his time there. These included three Bundesliga titles, two German cups, the UEFA Cup and, of course, a runners-up medal for the famous 1998/99 Champions League Final against Manchester United.Also, during his time with Munich, he broke into the German national side and became a regular member of the side. He picked up a winners medal from Euro 1996, after Germany beat Czechoslovakia in the final – a match Babbel played in. His performances at the competition did not go unnoticed and a rumoured move to Manchester United had been on the cards. However, the move did not go through and he remained at Munich for several more years – before joining Liverpool in June 2000.In his first year at Infield, he helped the club to a fantastic treble of the League Cup, FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. He became known for his attacking play from full-back and even helped set up a goal in the UEFA Cup final. However, not all was well for Babbel, who had begun to complain of tiredness and fatigue towards the end of the season. Thinking it was just general wear and tear, he returned after the summer break with optimism.Life-threateningHowever, the problem continued and he was substituted at half-time during the first few games of the season. Further tests confirmed that Babbel was suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome – a rare illness that affects the nervous system and can cause life-threatening symptoms. This kept him out of action for around a year, most of which he spent in hospital back in Germany.[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]But when he returned to fitness, he was unable to get back into the first team, restricting him to just a few appearances in the 2002/03 season. He was sent out on loan to Blackburn for the next season, where he was a regular in the side. Upon his return to Liverpool, he left the club and moved back to Germany to join Stuttgart.He found himself in and around the first team for the majority of his time at the club, and even helped them to the Bundesliga title in the 2006/07 season – which also proved to be his last playing season. However, he was able to stay on at the club as assistant manager to Armin Veh.Manager MarkusWith the club expected to once again challenge for major honours, there was understandably a lot of pressure on the duo. This began to show just a couple of months into the season and, with the club languishing in 11th in the league, Veh left the club. Babbel was appointed manager immediately and managed to turn the fortunes around and helped them to a third-placed finish.Stuttgart rewarded him with an extended contract, but this was not to last. Despite helping them to second place in their Champions League group, the club continued to struggle in the league. In December 2009, with the club in 16th place in the Bundesliga and facing a battle to avoid relegation, Babbel was sacked.After spending a few months away from the game, Babbel was given the chance to return to management with recently relegated Hertha ‘BSC’ Berlin. Here, Babbel regained a lot of credit as a manager as he helped the club win the league and gain an immediate return to the Bundesliga.With just one game left until the end of the season, Babbel can look forward to a summer of building a team capable of competing in Germany’s top league. Nobody would begrudge Babbel a second chance at managing at the top. A man with such determination, which saw him battle for his life and return to professional football at the highest level, one cannot help but admire him.Good luck Markus. If you continue to manage with such determination as you played, then a return to England might not be too far away.FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive, Robbie Savage’s Face in a Baby Scan[ffcvideo file=’robbie_savage’]
Manchester City is aiming for two wins over Stoke in the space of four days when the two teams square off on Tuesday night.It was 1-0 to City on Saturday as the Citizens broke their 35-year trophy drought in the FA Cup final at Wembley and Robert Mancini’s charges will be full of confidence heading into their penultimate clash of the Premier League season at the City of Manchester Stadium.
And if you thought that City have nothing to play for this season after their Cup victory, then think again as third place on the table is still a possibility.
Arsenal’s shock loss at home to Aston Villa on Sunday has left the door open for City and a win here will see Mancini’s side leapfrog Arsene Wenger’s team heading into the final weekend of the season.
Manchester City currently have 65 points compared to Arsenal’s 67, but victory here and then another three points in their final game of the season against Bolton at Reebok Stadium will mean automatic qualification for the Champions League next season.
Mancini has no fresh injury concerns, with long-term absentees Shay Given and Jerome Boateng the only players certain to be missing, although the Italian may freshen his team from the 11 that played on Saturday.
Stoke have already exceeded expectations this season, with Tony Pulis’ side currently sitting in ninth spot on the table with 46 points.
A win would see them jump past Fulham into eighth, but a loss against City combined with defeat in their final game of the season at home to Wigan could see them drop as low as 15th.
Matthew Etherington was substituted at half-time of the FA Cup final and may miss this clash, but there are no fresh injury worries for Stoke.
Danny Higginbotham, Ricardo Fuller and Mamady Sidibe are all out injured and will not feature.
In the corresponding fixture played earlier this season the points were shared, with Micah Richards giving City the lead late in the match, only for Etherington to salvage a 1-1 draw for Stoke with a stoppage time strike.
Lotus Formula One team boss Tony Fernandes says he wants to buy West Ham – but the bid is news to the owners of the club.Fernandes used social networking site Twitter to reveal he had made an offer to buy West Ham: “For all you West Ham fans an offer has gone to the present owners of West Ham. Let’s see if they accept,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
West Ham co-owner David Gold, however, said he had not heard of any offer from Fernandes but would be interested in hearing the Malaysian entrepreneur out.
“It’s absolute news to me, I certainly haven’t heard any information regarding this – it’s interesting,” Gold said.
Co-owner David Sullivan denied a bid had been forthcoming for club, whose relegation from the English Premier League to the Championship was confirmed on May 15.
“We’ve received no offer from Tony Fernandes. We think any serious bidder would make it in private,” Sullivan said.
Gold agreed with Sullivan that it was improbable the 47-year-old would choose to make an approach this way, but said he was open to the idea of him coming on board.
“We’re interested in finances coming into the club, we welcome that,” Gold said.
“I certainly would be very happy to sit down with Tony with a view to him joining the board and bringing in desperately needed finance.”
New West Ham boss Sam Allardyce said he did not believe Sullivan wanted to sell the club.
“My information, having spoken to David Sullivan, was that he did not want to sell West Ham football club, because it is his club,” Allardyce told Sky Sports. “It is the club he has always supported.”
“That was one of the reasons why I took the job, because I didn’t want any fractions in terms of change of ownership.”
“My reputation has already suffered wrongly by new ownerships at Newcastle and Blackburn dispensing of my services when there was no real credibility in that other than the fact that they were new owners and didn’t want me.”
“It wasn’t down to results, it wasn’t down to the way I have performed as a manager, so, if that’s the case and that materialises then obviously I am surprised at that.”
After a disappointing season in front of goal, it has become clear that Spurs must sign a forward this summer. Their lack of goals last season cost them a place in the Champions League and should they wish to keep hold of talents such as Modric, Bale and Van Der Vaart, it is vital that they improve up top. I, along with many others was astonished that they failed to sign a striker last January, despite rumours of some big money bids being placed on deadline day. I am certain that the Spurs board will not make the same mistake this time around, the only question is, who should they go for?
Samuel Eto’o
Rumour has it the Cameroon International is looking to move and has reportedly been quoted saying he’s open to a Premier League switch. At 30 years of age, he may be not fit Tottenhams usual transfer criteria however, under Harry Redknapp , Spurs have signed a number of older, more experienced players with proven ability and one thing Eto’o does have in abundance, is ability. He scored over 100 goals during his time at Barcelona and helped Inter Milan to their famous ‘Quintuple’ in 2010. His style of play fits the bill perfectly for Spurs, with lightning speed, deadly finishing and constant movement. However, his high wages could prove to be a stumbling block in the move, as could be his desire for Champions League football.
Should it happen? 5/5
Will it happen? 1/5
Radamel Falcao
After an astonishing season in which he scored 38 goals in 42 appearances, there are a number of high profile European sides interested in the Colombian forward. Tottenham and Arsenal appeared to be leading the race for his signature, however after Porto manager, Andre Villas-Boas left the Portuguese champions earlier this week to join Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea; it seems Falcao could be headed to the blue side of London. Despite only standing at 5’9”, Falcao is phenomenal in the air and would surely thrive off of the crosses provided by Bale and Lennon. With a buy out clause £26million, which is considered cheap for a 25 year old forward in todays market, he must surely be on Tottenham ’s radar.
Should it happen? 5/5
Will it happen? 2/5
Lukas Podolski
Recently, Tottenham legend Steffen Freund urged Daniel Levy to consider making a move for world cup star Lukas Podolski. The German international striker, who is still only young at 26, is vastly experienced in club, European and International football could be a viable fix to Spurs’ striking problems. Traditionally, players from the German league tend to do well in England, with Michael Ballack and Owen Hargreaves (when he is fit) being prime examples of this.
Podolski would come relatively cheaply at a price between £10-15 million and has all the assets required to adapt to English football. His pace, strength, great dribbling and thunderous left-foot indicate he would be suited to Tottenhams style of play and I believe this would be a great piece of business by Spurs, should a deal come to fruition.
Should it happen? 3/5
Will it happen? 2/5
Leandro Damiao
The young Brazilian has been strongly linked with Spurs over the past few weeks and reports suggest it is likely a deal could take place. After having an initial bid of £10 million rejected by Damiao’s club, Internacional, Spurs have apparently returned with an improved offer and both the club and the media await a decision from the Brazilian side, with whom Tottenham have a partnership.
Strong in the air and with the ball at his feet, Damiao resembles a classic ‘No.9’ striker, with a touch of Brazilian skill. He would take time to adapt to the Premier League, as did his ex-Internacional team mate Sandro, but the midfielder’s progress and continued praise of Damiao to Levy and the board will surely influence their decision. At only 21 and with the potential to become a world class striker, he is surely worth the, relatively low risk.
Should it happen? 4/5
Will it happen? 5/5
Fernando Llorente
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The big Spaniard has been linked with Spurs for a while now and many believe their upcoming summer friendly with his club, Athletic Bilbao could be more than just a pre-season warm up.
Llorente is perfectly suited to the lone striking role he would fulfill should he move to N17 and his height and heading ability, combined with his strength indicate he would thrive off of the balls provided by Tottenham’s wingers. He would however command a sizeable transfer fee, although it could prove to be worth it, should he arrive in England, firing on all cylinders.
Should it happen? 4/5
Will it happen? 3/5
Article courtesy of Richard Baker from This is Futbol
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Victorious coach Cesar Farias could not hide his delight after Venezuela booked their spot in the last four of the Copa America on Sunday.Goals from Oswaldo Vizcarrondo and Gabriel Cichero led Venezuela to a shock 2-1 victory over Chile in their quarter-final in San Juan, earning a semi-final place for the first time in their history.
Farias’ team remains unbeaten so far in the Copa and will meet Paraguay on Wednesday for the chance to make the final.
“We trained to play six matches and we did it, despite the fact that nobody took us into consideration,” Farias said.
“Venezuela have played against three World Cup teams and Ecuador, and haven’t lost against a single one.”
“Today we beat Chile, the revelation of the (World Cup) qualifiers, confirmed in South Africa. We proved that we can compete with the rest of South America.”
And having already come this far, Farias said his squad were determined to push on and claim Venezuela’s first major title.
“(The players) are not content with this and they are hoping to continue going forward,” Farias said.
“This experience also leaves us well-placed thinking about the next qualifying tournament, since our hope is to play the Brazil World Cup in 2014.”
Chilean coach Claudio Borghi dismissed claims that he had taken Venezuela lightly, and said he was proud of how his team fought to get a result.
“I don’t believe in luck, I believe in being able to do what you have to or not. Chile always wanted to win,” Borghi said.
“They always had the conviction that they could win the game. I’m going home sad, but not disappointed.”
Newcastle United are still seeking the signature of PSG striker Melvut Erdinc as they look to strengthen their front line according to the Sun.
Magpies boss Alan Pardew had seemingly given up on bringing the Turkish international to St James’ Park after a £7 million move for him broke down at the last minute.
That was two weeks ago and Pardew appeared to turn his attentions towards Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge.
But he is still keen on the striker and it is understood that the deal for the 25-yea-old isn’t dead.
Pardew is keen to build a dynamic squad around the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa, Dan Gosling, Sylvain Marveaux and Yohan Cabaye.
The signing of Erdinc would be a major coup with Pardew looking to use his experience of working with young players to mould a squad capable of challenging at the top end of the Premier League
He told The Sun: “I have always worked well with young sides. The one at Reading was full of exuberance. That is something we missed last year.
“But guys like Demba Ba, Marveaux and Cabaye have great pace and energy.”
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It would prove a massive boost to the club who have yet to replace Andy Carroll and Pardew wants him in before the transfer window closes.
Minas Gerais state secretary Sergio Barroso believes England should be invited to play the opening match in the region’s World Cup stadium.Barroso has extended an olive branch to England following Brazilian Football Association President Ricardo Teixeira’s open hostility toward the country.
Teixeira, the subject of bribery and corruption allegations dating back to the 1990s, was named in a UK parliamentary enquiry accused of seeking favours in exchange for supporting England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup.
Last week he launched a scathing attack on the English FA and promised to obstruct the England team, media and fans during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But Barroso does not share the views of his countryman, and wishes to see England take on Brazil in the US$442 million-dollar Mineirao World Cup Stadium, set to be completed in December 2012 with a capacity of 65,000.
“We want England to play Brazil in a friendly in the opening match of the new stadium on February 8, 2013 on the recognised date for FIFA friendlies,” Barroso told Reuters.
“We know what Ricardo Teixeira has said about the English, but the opening of the new stadium is more than just what he has said and his view of England. I am speaking to him and I am going to ask him to invite England to play here.
“FIFA says it is all about fair play and the good of the game so let’s see what Mr Teixeira will do about it.”
“England was the birthplace of football and Brazil developed the game and there are very strong links between our two footballing countries.”
Paul Lake was the biggest “what if” in Manchester City’s recent history. What if he had stayed fit for most of his career? What if he had continued his progress as a player? What if he had become an England regular? What if City could have had him in their defence or midfield for a good ten years? What if? What if? What if?
We will never know. Serious injuries treated badly ensured that. What we fans who prayed for the day he might return did not know was the turmoil that the injuries had caused, and the effects that having your career extinguished can have on a young man’s life.
In his new autobiography, I’m Not Really Here: A Life of Two Halves, written with his wide Joanne, Lake describes the enormous highs and lows of playing for his beloved club.
Lake was born in 1968, just after Manchester City’s last league title. His love of Manchester City was almost instant, and he grew up obsessed with football. At a young age, he realised he had a natural talent for football – he didn’t know why, but things came easily. He made his way from the Denton Youth U12 side (aged just 8), through City’s youth sides, under the tutelage of the legendary Tony Book, to a YTS traineeship in 1985, and glory with the youth team, winning the FA Youth Cup against Manchester United in 1986. Inevitably, he was soon in the senior squad, making his first team debut in January 1987. This being City, relegation followed soon after, and Lake was to experience the first of many bitter disappointments. The versatile Lake was soon holding down a permanent 1st team place though, his proficiency across the pitch seeing him wear 8 different shirt numbers in one season.
Soon, Malcolm Allison was calling him “the big talent at Maine Road”. And later after a call up to an England training session, Bobby Robson reported back to Lake’s favourite manager Howard Kendall that he had earmarked Lake as a future England captain. Naturally fans love a home-grown player, a local lad, and Lake was no different, idolised by all City supporters.
But having missed out on the Italia ‘90 England squad, it wasn’t long into his career the following season as City captain that it all started to go wrong, against Aston Villa. One false move, and his cruciate ligament had snapped.
Not that he knew for some time. City’s treatment involved an ice pack for days until the swelling reduced, an X-ray, and running up and down the concrete steps of the Kippax stand. Only when he collapsed in his first proper training session did he see a specialist and learn the truth. The damage had been done.
The following years were painful on many levels, a depressing cycle of rehabilitation, hope, and false dawns as he went on to rupture the ligament a further two times as soon as he returned to competitive football. He spent more time recuperating at Lilleshall than any other player in history. All this changed Lake as a man – the young lively, eager player that lived life to the full spiralled into depression, and withdrew from public life, going to extreme lengths to shun contact with others. As Daniel Taylor’s review in the Guardian described it, he was a tormented soul.
It is commendable that Lake came out the other side intact, and rebuilt his life. It is even more commendable that he retained the love for his football club despite the way some at the club treated him – mostly Peter Swales, the only person Lake shows bitterness towards in the book, after he shunned him throughout his fight for fitness and fought sending Lake to America for superior treatment.
That treatment was too late, and at the age of 27, Lake was forced to accept that there was no way back, and retired.
For City fans the book is an eye opener, shedding light on the way the club was run under Peter Swales’ stewardship. This was a club that allowed drunks to shout abuse from behind a wire fence during training every morning. That had players doing comedy routines at Junior Blues meetings, and had Eddie Large delivering half-time team talks using a variety of celebrity impressions when City were on the cusp of promotion.
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This is not just a book for City fans though. Whilst it also beautifully illustrates the life of a footballer, and such things growing up as Manchester ruled the music world, it is less about playing in football matches and more about what the game means to us all, and the despair and multiple lows when your dreams are snatched from your grasp. It also provides an insight into many other people in the game at that time, such as Bobby Robson, John Barnes, Paul Gascoigne and others.
Paul Lake is 42 now. After retirement he studied physiotherapy and worked on the medical staff of various clubs, even running his own practice too, until in March 2010, when he was appointed Ambassador for Manchester City in the Community.
There will always be curiosity over what could have been, what Lake could have achieved if he had avoided injury, and Lake had plenty of time to mull such things over during those fraught years on the treatment table. He came out the other side, and his account is one of the great sporting books of recent years. The final word can go to The Metro newspaper, who said: “The greatest football autobiography ever written? Unquestionably.”