Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have one of the fiercest rivalries in English football, but there are times when it pales into significance.
On Wednesday, Tottenham left-back Danny Rose spoke openly about his battle with depression.
While speaking to reporters at England’s St George’s Park training base ahead of the World Cup, the 27-year-old admitted that a series of issues affected his mental health.
Rose revealed that a long-term knee injury that kept him out for the majority of last season took its toll.
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During his time on the sidelines, his uncle committed suicide, his mother suffered racial abuse and his brother was shot at inside the family home.
The Guardian quotes Rose as saying:
“It’s no secret that I’ve been through a testing time at Tottenham this season. It led to me seeing a psychologist and I was diagnosed with depression, which nobody knows about. I had to get away from Tottenham.
“I’m lucky that England gave me that opportunity to get away, refresh my mind and I’ll always be grateful to them. I was on medication for a few months – nobody knows about that apart from my agent – but I’m off the medication now, I’m good again and looking forward to how far we can go in Russia.”
Rose’s frank honesty has prompted even the most ardent of Arsenal supporters to praise the left-back, who has been linked with a move away from Tottenham this summer.
On social media channels Reddit and Twitter, Arsenal fans posted respectful messages about the England international, who started just nine Premier League games last season.
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The goalkeeping situation at Liverpool has been a talking point over the last few weeks, with many fans urging the club to bring in a new stopper.
Simon Mignolet has been first choice since his move from Sunderland in 2013, but since the turn of the year he has been demoted.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has decided to give previous back-up Loris Karius the number one spot, but neither he nor Mignolet inspire much confidence in the fans.
It is generally the case that a club cannot win league titles without a world-class keeper in their ranks.
Reports have emerged over the last few weeks linking the Merseyside outfit to numerous shot-stopper’s around Europe.
Earlier this month, the Liverpool Echo claimed that Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak is on the club’s radar for a possible summer swoop.
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Impatient Liverpool fans are keen for Klopp to address the issue before the winter window shuts at 11pm.
Until his recent performances, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had become somewhat of a forgotten figure this season.
A knee injury suffered in the surprise opening day defeat to Aston Villa ruled “The Ox” out for much of a campaign in which Arsenal, to the surprise of many, have mounted a credible challenge for the Premier League title.
The stunning £42million deadline day capture of Mesut Ozil and the Gunners blistering early season form had largely overshadowed Chamberlain’s absence.
However, since announcing his return with both goals in a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates last month, Chamberlain has become a regular in Arsene Wenger’s team selections.
Theo Walcott’s cruciate ligament injury has opened up a position out wide, with one former Southampton player’s misfortune granting an opening for another.
It is an opportunity which Chamberlain has seemingly grasped with both hands, with his recent form for the Gunners earning him an international recall for the friendly against Denmark.
The player’s ability to play anywhere across the midfield at this stage of his career is an asset that will likely see Roy Hodgson include him in the 23 man squad to compete in Brazil this summer.
However, versatility can actually be detrimental to a player’s career and the need for the 20-year-old to define himself in one role over the coming years is of the utmost importance.
During his short career with the Gunners to date, Chamberlain has primarily been deployed to great effect by Wenger as a winger.
The power in his running on the ball has earned the youngster the nickname of “The Ox” and also a selection as Hodgson’s wildcard for Euro 2012.
But that is also an attribute that Chamberlain has utilised to great effect from the central midfield area, most recently in the fixtures against Coventry City and Crystal Palace.
In the aftermath of the victory over the Sky Blues, the youngster revealed his desire to make the central role his own in the coming years.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Chamberlain stated: “I don’t know whether I will end up there, that’s for Arsene Wenger to decide, but it’s definitely something I’m excited about the prospect of doing.”
The versatility in his game is an asset that will likely earn Chamberlain more playing time at such a crucial time of his footballing development, but it is an attribute that he cannot afford to let define his career.
The warning signs should be evident in the career of fellow English midfielder James Milner. An industrious player capable of fulfilling any role across the entire midfield, the former Leeds, Newcastle and Aston Villa player has been unable to cement a consistent position for his country or current club Manchester City. Without the definition of one clear role, Milner has fallen into the trap of becoming a utility player and suffered as a result. Although he has clearly demonstrated his merits as a footballer, his versatility has ultimately proven a hindrance rather than a help.
Parallels can also be drawn to Phil Jones’ start at Manchester United. Signed from Blackburn Rovers in 2011, Jones initially impressed with his ability to seamlessly switch from central defence to midfield. However, his form dipped as product of this lack of a consistent role and question marks remain over where his long term future on the pitch lies.
Like Chamberlain, Jones’ career will benefit from a judgement on the matter being made in the coming years, ideally sooner rather than later.
For “The Ox” however, it appears that his manager has already decided upon the player’s long term role at the Gunners.
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In several interviews, Wenger has outlined his intention to mould Chamberlain in to a central figure in his side. After the Crystal Palace result, he likened his attributes to those of Steven Gerrard and said that “certainly in a few years he will be a central midfielder.”
From other comments made by the Frenchman, clearly the Arsenal manager agrees with the need for Chamberlain to assert himself in a single role. But for now, Wenger sees the youngster’s versatility as great route to further his footballing experience.
Speaking after the FA Cup 4th Round victory over Coventry in January, Wenger spoke on Chamberlain’s future and argued that “it is good for his education to play on the left, right or centrally, but after the age of 23 or 24 he will settle into a position.”
For the moment then, Arsenal and England fans will continue to see “The Ox” adopt numerous roles across the midfield as he continues to develop his all round game.
But under Wenger’s tutelage and long-term vision, Chamberlain looks set to avoid the fate of becoming a victim of his own versatility. By the time of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Arsenal and England fans may have witnessed the youngster’s evolution into a dominant central midfielder.
UEFA President Michel Platini has provided support for Sunderland’s Danny Rose condemning the scenes at Krusevac during the England U21 game against Serbia as ‘disgraceful’.
Rose was subjected to racial abuse during and after England U21s’ 1-0 victory over their Serbian opposition in last Tuesday’s clash.
The British minister of sport Hugh Robertson wrote to Platini personally to express his disappointment and alarm in the aftermath of the match.
General Secretary of the FA, Alex Horne, revealed that the Frenchman provided a swift response of clear support.
He told the Shields Gazette: “Michel Platini has written back and said in unequivocal terms that they were disgraceful scenes that we shouldn’t be seeing on a football pitch.”
The Serbian FA have released footage since the event insisting that no unsportsmanlike or racially provocative behaviour towards the players occurred during the match.
Horne rebuked these claims countering that, “That’s not what I have seen on the video clips and it’s not what I have heard from eyewitness reports.
“What the players went through out there is abhorrent.”
The on-loan Sunderland full back is just looking to put the incident behind him after relishing his first taste of the Tyne-Wear Derby at the Stadium of Light last Sunday.
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He was also full of praise for supporters, telling the Shields Gazette, “I’m not just saying this because I’m at Sunderland now, but that was the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced. It’s a cliché in football but the fans really were the 12th man and they helped us over the finish line.”
Next up for Rose and Sunderland is a Premier League trip to the Britannia stadium to face Stoke City.
As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has made Liverpool forward a major transfer target this summer, with the player keen on a move to Ibrox to play for the Anfield legend.
What’s the story?
It’s not often that the Light Blues are linked with moves for first team squad members at a UEFA Champions League finalist, but it appears the Gerrard effect could see the club pull off an excellent signing this summer.
The Scottish Sun report that the Rangers boss is keen on signing Solanke, with the forward himself said to be eager to make the move north to get some much-needed regular starting appearances.
With the paper also reporting that Jurgen Klopp is likely to sanction such a move, all that’s left to work out is the timing of his arrival, with the Light Blues eager to have him in place before their crucial UEFA Europa League qualifiers next month.
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Does he have the quality Rangers need?
If Solanke didn’t have the talent to make an impact in the Scottish Premiership, he wouldn’t currently be hovering around Jurgen Klopp’s starting eleven at what is an elite Liverpool squad.
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The player made 27 appearances for the Reds last season and while the vast majority of that game time came from the bench, he is clearly well placed to shine in Gerrard’s first team, despite scoring just a single goal throughout 2017/18.
Regular action at Ibrox could give him the confidence he needs to push his game on and return to Liverpool ready to shine and bang in the goals, making this temporary move one that could be perfect for all parties.
Everton had a period of positivity following Sam Allardyce’s arrival as manager.
The team went on a seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League once the experienced coach became Ronald Koeman’s permanent successor in November.
Now, though, it is a different story as the team have lost their last three top-flight matches.
In that spell, the team conceded eight goals, and four of them were struck by Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s thumping at Wembley.
Allardyce has attempted to address the lack of firepower issue by bringing in Cenk Tosun from Besiktas.
The former Crystal Palace boss has also confirmed that talks are underway to sign Theo Walcott from Arsenal.
One area that the fans are desperate for Allardyce to strengthen is at left-back.
Leighton Baines is no closer to returning to action, while Cuco Martina has had mixed reviews since his arrival from Southampton last summer.
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Given that Baines is on the wrong side of 30 – 33 – the fans think that buying a new left-back should be a priority.
Back in the summer, we witnessed Arsene Wenger break the habit of a lifetime when he launched a last-minute swoop for Real Madrid’s Mesut Ozil. In sharp contrast to a club that held the £13million acquisition of Sylvain Wiltord in 2000 as their record transfer fee for the next eight-and-a-half years, Arsenal splashed out an unprecedented £42.5million on the German international.
The move broke almost every rule in Wenger’s transfer rule-book; big bucks on an already established player that undoubtedly morphed the Emirates’ rigid wage structure too. So twenty games into his Premier League career, it’s time to give the first analysis on whether Ozil has justified the Gunners gaffer’s transfer agenda-bending, and that eye-watering £42.5million fee.
I’m sure you will have noticed that this article has coincided with the North London side’s shock 5-1 defeat to Liverpool last weekend. The result’s aftermath has seen the 25 year-old bare the brunt of criticism from fans, pundits and BT Sport’s Michael Owen.
I do not intend to venture down the road of hyperbolas rant – one performance does not define a player, especially a player with such proven pedigree as Arsenal’s summer signing. Owen’s judgement that Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho is ‘more influential when it counts’, was unjustified, unnecessary, and unfounded in fact.
But let’s not commit to the other extreme of ignoring Ozil’s dismal Anfield display in its entirety – it did illustrate many criticisms one could have of the Germany midfielder.
Firstly, as the retired Kop Icon also pointed out, Ozil does have a tendency to go rather absent in the big games. His Champions League showing against Napoli, grabbing a goal and an assist in Naples, was certainly impressive, and an indicator of what the former Werder Bremen playmaker is truly capable of.
But on the Premier League scene, the midfielder has found just one goal and two assists thus far against top seven opposition. Although Arsenal have decisively crumbled against the likes of Chelsea, City, United and Liverpool this season, and therefore the entirety of the blame for Ozil’s performances against the bigger clubs can’t be attributed to him as an individual, this is essentially where you’d expect your £42.5million signing to stand up and be counted.
Following on, it also demonstrates how despite the enormous fee spent on Ozil in the summer, he hasn’t been by any stretch of the imagination Arsenal’s most defining player this season – the one that will come to symbolise everything good about the campaign in the minds of the fans. That title most likely belongs to Aaron Ramsey, who was dominating the Premier League in terms of goals, assists and tackles from midfield before his recent injury bout, or the club’s top scorer this year, Olivier Giroud.
But as previously stated, let’s not get over-influenced by what we’ve learned from one Premier League performance out of twenty, and let’s not ignore what we already knew about Mesut Ozil before he arrived in England.
The German may still have some way to go in his last 13 Premier League games to match the nine goals and eleven assists he found in La Liga last season, but there’s no doubt Ozil’s four goals and eight assists this term have been pivotal to the Gunners cause. Comparatively, the twelve goals the attacking midfielder has been in some way responsible for is only bettered in the Emirates squad by Aaron Ramsey (eight goals, six assists) and Olivier Giroud (ten goals, six assists).
And in the Premier League throughout, his eight assists is trumped by just Wayne Rooney with nine, whilst his average of 2.8 key passes per match – a statistic which essentially summaries the core reason Arsene Wenger was willing to part with £42million for Ozil’s services – is only overshadowed by David Silva (3.9) and Luis Suarez (2.9).
That being said, the Die Mannschaft star is still yet to produce performances of playmaking dominance that parallel the efforts we’ve seen from the likes of Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney, David Silva or Eden Hazard over the last few years, or match the kind of prolific form we witnessed from a then 21 year-old at the 2010 World Cup for Germany.
That could come with time however; let’s not forget that this is Ozil’s first campaign in England, and Arsenal purchased the player with the view to have his services for the next five years. A stat-filled article on Kickoff.co.uk has pointed out that the midfielder’s return from his inaugural Premier League season is very much in line with those of David Silva’s, Oscar’s and Juan Mata’s. The only criticism of that however would be that all three arrived in the English top flight for between half and two-thirds of the Gunners’ £42.5million investment.
One should also consider the positive psychological lift the 25 year-old’s summer arrival has had on the Emirates camp this season, in what has been dubbed by many as the ‘Ozil effect’. In a nutshell, who Arsenal splashed the cash on in the summer window didn’t really matter, rather, it was simply a case of a club breaking their dormancy at the top end of the transfer market by bringing in an already established world-class talent. It proved to the Arsenal faithful and the roster that the North London outfit can still be considered a major club, capable of attracting major players.
The benefits have been obvious; Arsenal are back in the title race for the first time in nearly a decade, and although Ozil’s overall influence in their rise to the Premier League’s summit is still open to debate, there are few who argue the Gunners would be in the same position had they not spent so uncharacteristically boldly back in the summer.
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Should the German international’s £42.5million capture prove to be a watershed moment in Arsenal’s future transfer endeavours, acting as an appetising beacon for other high-quality targets to be attracted to, it will undoubtedly be viewed as money well spent in the years to come, and a positive reason to deviate from the Gunners’ transfer norm.
But the ultimate litmus test of whether Arsenal have invested wisely will undoubtedly be whether Ozil can take them to the next level during his time at the Emirates, which in my opinion can only be determined by silverware. The Gunners’ eight-year trophy drought is beginning to venture upon the absurd, and if their summer signing wishes to truly prove he’s worth the £42.5million fee, he needs to be a major contributor in bringing the baron run to an end.
Failing to do so, and Arsene Wenger may as well have spent the money on another four Mikel Artetas.
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When you say the name Craig Bellamy, certain things come into mind – his footballing ability and his mouthing off ability perhaps being the most prominent of these things, but for a man who took a pay cut to join boyhood club Cardiff City, there has to be more than meets the eye. The reaction and grief Bellamy showed in the aftermath of the tragic death of mentor Gary Speed further served to enhance the belief that what you see on the field is not exactly the man off it.
Whilst most footballers are involved in charity work – or at the very least claim to be – Bellamy is one of the most understated in this area yet one who actually puts in a huge amount of time, effort and money towards his personal foundation – the Craig Bellamy Foundation – after a visit to Sierra Leone and personally witnessing the plight of the children there on a visit to a friend.
Whilst we may know the ‘blood diamond’ reference to Sierra Leone, the actual scale of poverty and violence is unparalleled and upon his visit Bellamy felt compelled to do something and chose to use his livelihood as a way to do this. Handing out footballs and playing with kids in the street was the first step on a long road to establishing the CBF which is now a non–profit organisation paired with UNICEF in order to create academies for children and allow them to hone their skills with a ball in a way they would never have the chance to do otherwise.
This may sound simple and as though it is geared towards children who just wish to become footballers, but in reality Bellamy is using his foundation and thus academies to inspire social change and provide some semblance of security and education to the children who without this would have nothing. Of course in such a country things cannot be changed overnight, and the Welsh player is fully aware of this, yet there has to be a starting point somewhere and Bellamy is doing a great deal more than some in his position of wealth who host a charity auction once a year and then forget all about poverty.
The foundation is of course in some part geared towards furthering football skills, but much more than that it is about raising awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the foul conditions and utter lack of education that the children growing up in West Africa are facing, with a morality rate in the young that would bring tears to your eyes.
In the aftermath of a country in civil war, the CBF is a ray of light for youngsters – introducing discipline and a sense of community, banning children from playing in matches if they skip school or do not help in community related projects – attendance of which has risen whilst the school truancy rates have dropped.
What makes this case rare is not only the passion Bellamy shows for the project or the time and funds he has invested, but the country in which he has chosen to make a difference and the way he became effected by the sights he witnessed. It is common for a player from a war torn nation to want to go home and help – Drogba is a prime example of this, but Bellamy had no personal ties to Sierra Leone just a deep seated need to help.
Bellamy credits the foundation for changing him as a person and whilst he is adamant the only recognition he requires is because of the need for sponsors and to keep the interest of partners who provide said donations, he is quick to state that he would do it all again and is fully prepared to give whatever he can and keep funding the academy – getting far more satisfaction from seeing the difference he is making than buying a holiday home or a flashy new car.
The foundation has a number of partners including UNICEF who provide a huge amount of funds, and help the CBF enormously. Bellamy receives no money or indeed acclaim for the work he does – only drawing attention to his work when the necessary publicity is required. In fact the player has become about as well versed in the politics and history of the country as it is possible to be in such a short space of time.
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Whilst most would be content with lending their name to a foundation and allowing others to run it for them, Bellamy is pro- active to say the least, carrying on from his first trip to the country handing out balls and joining in the fun, going as far as signing a deal last summer to become the Warrior’s ambassador – the first one of its kind – and all in order to use the sponsorship fee he receives as funds for the CBF calling it ‘the most important part of the deal.’
Called an enigma by The Guardian yet known as a loud mouth and trouble maker by a huge amount of football fans is certainly something to ponder, yet the way someone behaves on the field may be totally different to their actual personalities off it – Mourinho often states this, and Bellamy is a perfect example.
Yes he may have been a little too enthusiastic with a golf club once upon a time and is no stranger to trouble, but to have the president of Sierra Leone order ministers to ‘jump’ to his every command is not something to be taken lightly – nor is the heart and passion the striker puts into the CBF something which makes him a hell of a lot better than players who write a hefty cheque and leave it at that. He might be considered hard work but in this case, the boy has most certainly done good.
According to reports in The Telegraph, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez is one of the preferred candidates for the vacant West Ham United job after they announced on Wednesday that David Moyes would be leaving the club following the expiry of his contract.
The east London outfit came close to appointing the Spaniard three years ago before he made a last-minute u-turn and joined Real Madrid instead, and now they want him again after Moyes failed to impress the fans and the board enough for them to keep him on.
Meanwhile, the former Liverpool boss enjoyed a fine campaign with the Magpies after leading them to a 10th-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League, but his relationship with owner Mike Ashley continues to be fractious and unless he gets the backing he wants, he could easily walk away.
The 58-year-old may well decide that enough is enough and a move to London to link up with the Hammers, whose fans on Twitter are loving a link to another 45-year-old candidate, could be tempting, and he would likely want to take some of his top flight heroes from this term with him down south if he did get the gig.
Here are three Newcastle stars Benitez should bring to West Ham with him, if he is appointed…
One of the new West Ham manager’s priorities this summer is almost certainly going to be bringing a new centre-back to the club, with Jose Fonte leaving for China in February, James Collins set to leave when his contract expires next month and Winston Reid being hampered by injuries.
The east London outfit ideally need at least one – and probably two – central defenders this summer with an upgrade for Reid top of the agenda, and there is no doubt that if Rafa does arrive at the London Stadium that he should make every effort to bring his captain at St James’ Park – Lascelles – with him.
The 24-year-old was brilliant throughout the campaign and showed his leadership skills in the backline, and he will probably count himself unlucky to have not made England’s World Cup squad.
Like Lascelles, the midfielder will feel hard done by that he wasn’t considered to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad following the World Cup announcement on Wednesday, following a fine season in the middle of the park for the Magpies.
It didn’t look as though it was going to well when the 26-year-old was sent off on the opening day of the campaign against Tottenham Hotspur, but he bounced back well and quickly gained the trust of Benitez again.
There is no doubt that the former Liverpool man would add a new dimension to the Irons in the middle of the park, and he would be a great addition for them with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate both enduring difficult years.
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Joao Mario is looking unlikely to return to the London Stadium on a permanent basis following his loan spell from Inter Milan in the second-half of the season, and while he was certainly neat and tidy he probably didn’t make the required impact in terms of goals and assists – he got two goals and one assist in 14 appearances in all competitions.
If Rafa does take on the West Ham job, he could look to bring Ayoze Perez with him to play in the role behind the centre-forward for the east London outfit.
The Spaniard was a regular this term despite struggling for form at some points, but he ended the campaign with six goals and an assist in his side’s final eight Premier League matches, showing the quality he has in his locker.
Under Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, Southampton gradually got better.
Finishes of eighth, then seventh, then sixth showed that the Saints were back in business as a truly exciting Premier League outfit, the living proof of which is the sacking of Claude Puel after a League Cup final appearance and another eighth place finish.
The harshness of the sacking can be debated, but the fact the St Mary’s outfit decided to part company with their manager based on style rather than substance tells you what you need to know about Southampton’s ambitions: they want to do things the right way at the very least.
That’s why it must be a severe kick in the teeth for Saints fans to look at the league table right now and see their club just a point and a place above the relegation zone.
This weekend it gets no easier as Tottenham Hotspur come to town, with the visitors aiming to close the gap on the top four and set themselves up for a momentum building second half of the season. Indeed, it’s just a few short weeks since Southampton visited north London to face Spurs, and came away with a 5-2 thumping on a dismal Boxing Day.
Biggest goal threat
The return of Mauricio Pochettino to St Mary’s this weekend brings with it a sense of foreboding. On Boxing day the question posed to the current manager Mauricio Pellegrino was how to set up a team for the counter-attack when your striking options are Manolo Gabbiadini – who lacks pace and is off form – and Shane Long who hadn’t scored in months.
Since then Long has managed to find the net, but it mattered little – Saints are without a win in 10 league games and find themselves in the same position they were in on Boxing day with regards new signings. Having seen their interest in Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge fail to materialise.
That means the pace of Nathan Redmond or Sofiane Boufal would be the Saints’ most potent threat on paper, but neither are in good form and both seem out of favour with the manager. Indeed, the boss seems reluctant to play both at the same time.
Last week away at Watford, James Ward-Prowse started on the right wing and scored two goals whilst making more tackles than any other Saints player. He is probably the most likely threat to Pochettino’s side this weekend, but that says much about the position his former club are in at the moment.
Biggest fear
Tottenham are in fifth place in the Premier League at the moment, but the congestion between Manchester United in second and themselves is marked, with only six points between them.
Three points behind the top four, and having scored 15 goals in their last five league games, Spurs are clearly a team on fire, and Harry Kane seems to be a source of constant, industrial grade fuel for it. The forward has scored ten goals in his last five starts, including two hat tricks.
When he scores, he seems to do it multiple times these days. The last time the England man scored just one goal in a game was November.
Kane is on 20 Premier League goals already this season, whilst Saints have scored just 23 as a team, but perhaps they’ll fear Dele Alli even more: in just four games against Southampton in his fledgling Spurs career, the attacking midfielder has scored five times and assisted a further four.
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It could be a long afternoon.
Most likely formation
4-2-3-1 seems to be the formation of choice for Pellegrino, with Oriol Romeu partnered in midfield by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and playing behind Dusan Tadic in each of the last four games.
The last time that changed, though, was against Tottenham on Boxing day when the manager opted for a three-man midfield with Mario Lemina joining Romeu and Hojbjerg. That might have hinted tantalisingly at a tactical switch to get more men in the middle this week if it weren’t for the fact that it failed so miserably last time.