Fabio Capello has revealed he knows the identity of 20 of the final 23 members of his England World Cup squad.
England take on Japan in a warm-up game in Austria on Sunday with Capello closing in on the make-up of his final squad for South Africa, which he will unveil on Tuesday.
The Italian has taken a 30-man preliminary squad to Austria for a pre-tournament training camp.
"I more or less know," he admitted."Not 23 but maybe 20.
"It will be disappointing when I have to tell some of the players that they must go home because all the players here have trained really well.
"I am really happy with their focus and the job they have done. But I have to choose."
Striker Darren Bent and midfielder Tom Huddlestone have been handed starting spots against Japan.
Fellow fringe members of the squad Michael Dawson, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Scott Parker are not included which could suggest they will not be part of the final squad.
One player Capello is hoping to include is Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry.
Barry is currently sidelined with an ankle ligament injury but has been given every opportunity to prove his fitness before the squad is reduced to 23 men on June 1.
"Barry has improved a lot. The last news was good," said Capello.
"But we have to wait and see what the doctor says. After that, we will know if he will be fit in a short time and ready to train with us, or whether he won't be ready.
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"He has to be able to train normally the day after the first game.
"He is doing a lot of physiotherapy to get the movement going and is following what the doctor says.
"But I don't know if he is running yet."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Football is known as the beautiful game across the globe, yet sometimes beauty is accompanied by malice.
Footballer players around the world all have different characteristics and play the game in a diverse manner. Some players have more brain than brawn, others are very skillful and possess a lot of flair. Conversely, several players (with the trades mentioned) also love to get stuck in and play the game rough.
This article lists my personal top 10 ‘dirtiest’ players in the Premier League. It wasn’t easy to decide, but after much deliberation, these are the players who made my official list, enjoy:
10. Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
If a tackle is named after you then surely you must be doing something wrong, right? The 35-year-old veteran midfielder looks as if he will never learn how to tackle properly. Scholes may appear to some that he is not a dirty player, and may use the excuse of ‘Scholes doesn’t know how to tackle’, but let me assure you, this is absolute garbage. The fact is, he goes in late on players for a reason and has continued this trade for 16 years now. Even at 35, the Manchester United man is still fairly in the mix. Last season the Englishman committed 30 fouls, which led to 9 yellow cards and a red one as well. You would think after 16 years of trying he would have given up on tackling.
9. John Obi Mikel (Chelsea)
As a defensive midfielder for Premier League champions Chelsea, Mikel’s job is to break up attacks and regain possession by any means necessary. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old cannot tackle with precision and as such gives many free-kicks away. His overall intent in going in for a challenge is bad as well. Having watched several games in which the Nigerian had featured in last season, it is clear to see that he loves to go in hard on opposing players even though he doesn’t need to. Mikel gave away 35 free-kicks and picked up 3 yellow cards last season, ok it may not appear bad, but it’s evident that the player does have bad intentions in his mind. His 4 year disciplinary record at Chelsea can vouch for this.
8. Craig Bellamy (Manchester City)
Craig Bellamy has a great level of passion and desire for the game, which again is commendable, but like Stephen Hunt, the winger can boil over. The Manchester City man is known for his fiery temper and as such can (and most of the time) be a dirty player if he wants to be. The 30-year-old may have not committed as much fouls (24) and received as much coloured cards (5 yellow, 1 red) as the other players on this list, but whenever Bellamy is tackled or goes flying into one, it is clear that the Welshman is a nutcase. A number of fans may be divided of Bellamy’s inclusion in this article, arguing the fact that he is more of a zealous than a dirty player. This maybe the case, however, Bellamy has lost his mind at times last season and the City man always likes to involve himself in feuds on the pitch as well.
Continue 2 page to see the rest of the list
7. Wilson Palacios (Tottenham)
Palacios is a hardworking player, but he does get a few tackles wrong and is considered a midfield hacker by many Premier League fans. The Spurs man committed 58 fouls last season and picked up 8 yellow cards along the way as well. Palacios has cut down these statistics from 2 years ago and credit to him, but the Honduran international is still very much a fouler and a prolific one in the Premier League.
6. Stephen Hunt (Wolves)
The Former Hull City (now of Wolves) has got to be in this list, if he weren’t then there would have been an outrage from many readers who didn’t see his name up. Stephen Hunt is one of the slyest players in the Premier League, he may appear innocent to many when going into a challenge, but deep down a number of fans know what the Irishman is up to. It’s good to see a level of determination, but sometimes it can boil over and eventually it will come out in a different form, this is what has happened to Hunt over the years. Who could forget the 28-year-olds collision with Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech at Stamford Bridge several of years ago, many still wonder to this day if the clash was intentional or not. Nevertheless, Hunt is a dirty player end of.
5. Fabrice Muamba (Bolton)
Although, the Bolton man did not receive a red card, Fabrice Muamba was statistically the most booked Premier League player last season. The 22-year-old defensive midfielder committed 63 fouls last season and received 11 yellow cards a long the way. Bolton are not known for their flair and attractive style of football in the Premier League, but more for their rough and tumble method which see most of their players commit a lot of tackles and Muamba is just one of them. The Englishman is not a ‘leg-breaking’ player, far from it, but with these statistics and the current holder of the yellow card holder, it is evident that the midfielder had to be apart of this list.
4. Michael Ballack (Chelsea)
A great player but Ballack simply doesn’t know how to tackle and win a ball cleanly in the process. The German international is a strong midfielder and does a good job for Chelsea, but he does manage to give a lot of free-kicks away. 50 fouls, 3 yellow cards, 1 red card, may not look as bad as others in this article, although, whenever Ballack is live on TV it is almost certain during the 90 minute match, that you will see the 33-year-old either be in conversation with the referee or standing by an opposing player who is on the floor.
Find out who made the top 3 on page 3
3. Javier Mascherano (Liverpool)
The Liverpool midfielder spends more time bringing down opponents than actually kicking a ball. He is a hardworking player but at times his raw emotion does get the better of him.
The 26-year-old Argentinean international was the third highest player in the list of committing fouls last season (he committed 66 in all). With those 10 fouls came 10 yellow cards and 2 red ones as well. It’s great to see the Argentine commit a foul (not a bad one of course) just for his pure reaction when the whistle is blown. Mascherano somehow feels that when he does bring down a player in a bad manner, loves to think there is nothing wrong with it, and as such, pleads his innocence to the referee…very entertaining to watch. A defintate ‘dirty’ player in the English game (his record speaks for itself), and if he were to leave the Premier League this summer, his antics will be certainly be missed by many of the fans, including me.
2. Kevin Davies (Bolton)
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Would anyone disagree with his enrolment into this list? Certainly not. The Bolton striker committed an astonishing 103 fouls in 38 games last season and holds the record of the dirtiest player in the English game…well done Kevin. The 33-year-old Englishman is known for his strength up front and loves to irritate and punish his opposing defenders by any means necessary. Davies picked up 9 yellow cards and surprisingly no reds in the process. However, for the sheer fact that he has committed so many fouls and his inability to actually play the game right earns him a place in this hall of fame.
1. Joey Barton (Newcastle United)
The prodigal son returns to the Premier League this season to recapture his crown as the official dirtiest player in the English game. Many would agree that the 27-year-old midfielder is one of the dirtiest, ruthless, and most vicious players that the Premier League has ever seen in recent times. Joey Barton will no doubt be contributing in more fouls, yellow and red cards rather than goals and assists. He has got to be my number one on this list.
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Click image below to see a gallery of the Italian babes at the World Cup:
The last two years have produced something of a footballing anomaly – happy Wolves fans. Forever bemoaning their ill-luck at being unable to escape the Championship, they not only go and win it, but they survive their return to the Premier League with games to spare. With the risk of finally losing their tag as sleeping giants, Mick McCarthy will be looking to strengthen the squad and make Wolves a permanent fixture in the Premier League calendar.
For all the good that Wolves did last year, their weakness was stark. A mere 32 goals in 38 league games will only keep you up if you can defend well – which luckily they could. Of the strikers in the team only Doyle earned any plaudits while Iwelumo, Maierhofer and Ebanks-Blake failed to match expectations.
Let’s not do Wolves and injustice though, 15th was a fantastic achievement, but finishing on 38 points meant that they only did 5 points better than their last attempt in 2003 when they finished bottom. So you could argue that they were playing in a weaker league in 09/10. As Jez Moxey has said, next year will be a trickier affair, facing Newcastle and West Brom will be a tougher than Burnley and Hull.
So how has Mick done thus far?
I think he has gone about his business very shrewdly. He has been the only Premiership manager to have really made any moves in the transfer market as yet and by bringing in players early in the summer he is giving them maximum time the to become familiar with the rest of the squad. He has added strength and depth to his reasonably strong defensive unit with the additions of Van Damme and Mouyokolo who will be pressuring Berra, Stearman and Craddock for roles in the centre of defence.
Brought in as the player to solve Wolves’ goal scoring problems, record signing Steven Fletcher will be the one who will excite the Molineux faithful. He has shown he can flourish in a struggling side, and while the fans in old gold won’t want to see him in adverse circumstances next season, his credentials are very good. Even though he only scored 8 goals last year, you feel that he can add to that tally with better service – something that will be the test of Wolves next year.
Everyone sees goals as the reason the Molineux men struggled last season, which is true, but if you don’t create them then you can’t score them, and creative and attacking midfield players must be McCarthy’s focus for next season. Stephen Hunt is a good signing for the left of midfield. Even with the risk of him being unavailable until October you feel that Mick would have carefully weighed up his options before making the move. With the form of Jarvis as a cause for celebration last year, Kightly coming back from injury and talks of Jermaine Pennant arriving, it seems it will be an area much improved for next season. With Milijas failing to shine, a central attacking midfielder to partner Henry must also be on Mick’s wish list to pose a threat from the middle as well as out wide.
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A few pieces of the puzzle are in place for Wolves to do well next year, but what pieces are left and just how well they’ll do remains to be seen. At only £7 million, Fletcher is a good piece of business and with him partnering Doyle up front with better service from those behind I think Wolves can stay up again in the Premier League next year.
Joe Cole has passed his medical and put pen to paper on a four-year contract at Liverpool.
The England international agreed to join the Reds on a free transfer from Chelsea earlier in the week and has now completed the formalities on his move to Merseyside.
The 28-year-old midfielder passed a medical at the club's pre-season training camp in Austria to bring to an end a lengthy transfer pursuit for new manager Roy Hodgson.
Cole's departure from Stamford Bridge at the end of the last campaign had sparked a transfer scramble among several Premier League clubs.
"Liverpool Football Club are delighted to announce that Joe Cole has put pen to paper on a four-year deal," confirmed a club statement.
"The England international has passed his medical and has been allocated the squad number ten."
Meanwhile, Hodgson has pledged to continue his prudent approach to rebuilding the Liverpool squad following his arrival from Fulham.
The cash-strapped Reds, who finished a disappointing seventh in the Premier League last season, are currently seeking new owners.
"We don't have the unlimited funds that teams like Manchester City and even Tottenham to some extent these days, seem to have," Hodgson told the club's official website.
"In this current situation we don't have that. On the other hand some money is being made available and we are doing everything to use that money as sensibly and as intelligently as we can.
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"We had quite a good squad of players last season. We've talked about (Steven) Gerrard, (Fernando) Torres, (Pepe) Reina – these players means there is a certain strength to the team whatever we do.
"We would like to make some changes. Every manager who comes to a new club would like to make changes, to bring in some fresh players."
One of those changes will be the departure of defender Philipp Degen, who has been told he is free to find another club after two injury-plagued seasons at Anfield.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini believes Mario Balotelli will have no trouble settling into his new surroundings at Eastlands after completing the signing of the Italy international from Inter Milan.
The 20-year-old has penned a five-year contract with City and is believed to have cost in the region of £22million after one of the longest running transfer sagas of the summer was finally completed on Friday evening.
Balotelli has a colourful reputation, but Mancini said:"Balotelli is a young guy and he is a good guy. Like all the young men, sometimes his behaviour is not good. But it is wrong to say he is not a good man. I don't believe he will have a big problem.
"In one or two years he could become one of the best players in the world. He is one of the best players of his age in Europe and I am very happy to be working with him again. I know Mario very well. I put him in the first team at Inter when he was 17.
"He can play right wing, main striker or second striker. He is a fantastic player and he can improve purely because he has changed countries.
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"His style of play will suit the Premier League and, because he is still so young, there is a big chance for him to improve. He is a strong and exciting player and he will be a big hit with the City fans."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
There has been incredulity in the press this week at a certain set of transfer figures. HM press couldn’t wait to express their shock at how Real Madrid could buy Ozil and Khedira for the same price as Manchester City paid for James Milner.
Shock horror! Sometimes players go for more than they are worth and sometimes they go for less, for numerous reasons that the media were well aware of.
It is a stupid and pointless exercise comparing transfer fees as journalists are so keen to do every now and then, to make some irrelevant points about the state of the sport in this country. To compare the transfers of Ozil, Khedira and Milner in simple black and white terms is schoolboy journalism.
We all know English players have a premium added to their market value. This is old news, and doesn’t need revisiting. The new rules on squad sizes and homegrown players can only exacerbate this.
The value is added to further when the selling club doesn’t want to sell (and doesn’t need to), the buying club is desperate for the player (and Milner was a primary target for Mancini), the buying club is wealthy (very, very), and the player is tied down on a long term contract.
A situation we don’t encounter when discussing Ozil and Khedira. Yes, Madrid are capable of splashing the cash (the purchase of Ronaldo from Manchester United fits all the criteria above), but both players had a year to run on their contract. Khedira had said quite clearly he would not be signing a new contract. So the selling clubs had a choice – sell at a knock down price now, or keep a possibly unmotivated player for a year then lose them for nothing. It is this reason, and this reason alone, that they went for such (relatively) small fees. If they had both been on long term contracts, their combined fees would have far outweighed the fee for Milner.
And yet again we see the fawning over a player who has had a good world cup. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure Ozil will become a top class player. But he was nothing special for his club last season, whilst Milner was the Premiership’s Young Player of the Year. I am not for a moment trying to claim Milner is a superior player (they are different types of players anyway, so comparisons aren’t easy), but let’s at least have some perspective here.
The fact is, sometimes great players move clubs for small amounts, sometimes for nothing at all. You might as well compare Joe Cole moving for nothing against Chris Smalling for a fee approaching £10m. Or putting my “I’m paranoid about Manchester United” hat back on, why don’t a few journalists question why Ferguson called City’s spending kamikaze having just purchased a player for £7m he has never even seen on youtube, or question why he has purchased a player for £7m that was available on a free transfer three months ago?
But no, better to appear incredulous and wonder how this could possibly happen, as if the Bosman ruling and its endless ramifications have completely passed you by. Though having said that. I can’t believe Ozil went for less than the price of Ronaldo’s left knee!
Yours sincerely, a bitter blue.
Written By Howard Hockin
Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend
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Leeds United’s last title win was in 1992, the final season of the old Division One before the initiation of the Premier League. But where are those players now?
John Lukic:
The former Leeds shot stopper who enjoyed two stints at Leeds United and Arsenal played an integral role in the Championship winning season for the Yorkshire side and upon retiring in 2001 took up coaching. Lukic has been used by Arsene Wenger for coaching on a part time basis at Arsenal over the past few years.
Mel Sterland:
The Leeds United right back was seen as a bit of a Zico amongst the Leeds United faithful, being known for his set piece abilities. Sterland joined Leeds United when they were in the old Second Division and helped them gain promotion; furthermore Sterland was a key member of the title winning 1991/92 side. Upon leaving Leeds United Sterland played for Boston United before becoming player manager. He starred in football film ‘When Saturday Comes’ alongside Sheffield favourite Sean Bean and has released an Autobiography entitled ‘Boozing, Betting and Brawling.’ Unfortunately due to health issues Sterland is now unable to work, yet is believed to be penning a new book about his time as a professional.
Chris Fairclough:
The solid and reliable centre back hailing from Nottingham played a vital role in Leeds’s title winning side. Having joined Leeds United from Tottenham Hotspur in 1989 he was immediately placed in the heart of Leeds defence; having won player of the year in 1990 Fairclough was extremely popular with the fans. Upon his departure from Leeds the centre back had spells at Bolton, Notts County and York City. Fairclough is now a first team coach at a resurgent Nottingham Forest under Billy Davies.
Chris Whyte:
Leeds’s other centre back has been much of a journeyman throughout his career, The Londoner has played for numerous English teams such as Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Birmingham and West Brom as well as stints in the United States and Finland. Whyte made 113 appearances for the Whites and was last heard to be coaching in Finland for HyPS.
Tony Dorigo
The Australian born Englishmen enjoyed spells at Chelsea and Aston Villa before joining the title winning Leeds United side. The left back was of international quality with 15 England caps to his name. Following his retirement from the game Dorigo became a football pundit for numerous channels, particularly for Italian football coverage as he spent a season at Torino following his spell at Leeds. It is known that he is a property developer.
Continued on Page TWO
Gordon Strachan
The short Scotsman enjoyed some of his best football years at two of the biggest rivals in the game with spells Manchester United and Leeds. The talented right midfielder was quick, aggressive and his goal contribution was fantastic. With 37 goals in 197 appearances for Leeds, Strachan was a mainstay of the side. Upon retirement Strachan entered management and has been quite successful. Spells with Coventry City and Southampton gave Strachan the opportunity to manage Celtic where he won three successive league titles. Strachan now manages at Championship promotional hopefuls Middlesbrough.
Gary McAllister:
Another Scot who graced Elland Road for the Whites is still to this day a big Leeds United favourite. McAllister provided Leeds with much creativity in the middle of midfielder and was an experienced Scottish international. Having had a spell at Coventry and Liverpool following his Leeds career McAllister came back for a brief management spell at Leeds in January 2008, he was dismissed from the position just 11 months into the job following some poor results. McAllister is currently out of work but has made it clear he would be interested in a management position if one became available.
David Batty:
The former England international was a no-nonsense midfielder much in the mould of Roy Keane who played centrally alongside Gary McAllister. Batty was only 22 yrs old when Leeds won the title and was seen as one of the most promising young English midfielders of his generation. Sold to Blackburn Rovers in 1993, Batty has had a successful career with a Premier League title to his name for the Lancashire club in 1995. Following a stint at Newcastle Batty returned to see out his career at Leeds United. Batty now spends the majority of his time working for numerous charities, including Cancer Research.
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Gary Speed:
The evergreen Welshman made his name as a player during his Leeds United years and is one of the highest regarded players in British game. Having played on the left side for Leeds United, the former Welsh captain left Leeds in 1996 to join Everton before a lengthy spell at Newcastle United and a final flourish for Bolton and Sheffield United. With 669 league appearances, Speed was one of the games most reliable players. Following his spell at Sheffield United, Speed retired and is now a first team coach at the Yorkshire club.
Rod Wallace:
The former Southampton striker joined Leeds in 1991 and helped them gain the title in his first season. The pace filled striker scored 53 goals in 212 for the West Yorkshire side and after his spell at Leeds joined Ranger’s on a free transfer in 1998. Wallace was last seen as assistant manager of Kingstonian’s Under 18 squad in 2008.
Lee Chapman
The Leeds United legend has been hailed as the key ingredient to Leeds winning the league title in 1991. His 16 goals in 38 games that season were enough to pip Manchester United to the Championship. Known for his aerial presence, the striker scored many of his goals from set pieces or with his head. Having left Leeds in 1993 Chapman spent his final years playing for numerous clubs including Portsmouth, West Ham and Ipswich Town. Chapman now is married to actress Leslie Ash and runs numerous properties and bars around the country.
Tottenham’s midfield powerhouse Tom Huddlestone has come out today and made it clear that Tottenham’s aspirations to win the Premier League in the not too distant future are by no means a flash in the pan.
I for one, think Tom Huddlestone’s comments are slightly premature, but I do not think that it is inconceivable for Tottenham to mount a serious title challenge in the coming seasons. For all those involved with Spurs, the board, the fans, the back room staff and the players there is no doubt that these are exciting times.
Now that Spurs find themselves in the upper echelons of the Premier League and Europe’s premier competition should Tottenham concentrate on cementing their place within the top 4 before they make moves to mount a serious title bid?
Don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that if Tottenham found themselves in a strong position come March, April time that they shouldn’t dispose of the other suitors to the elusive Premier League crown. If Tottenham should find themselves in that position then I’m all for them pushing on and bringing the trophy back to White Hart Lane.
A few years back, I was told by a friend that “Tottenham were going places, and it wasn’t on a summer holiday” he was absolutely correct. Spurs now find themselves in the Champions League. This new format they find themselves in is a new commodity for the manager, and some of the players. Are they ready for the balancing act of Champions League football and Premier League football?
Maybe not, Premier League performances and results seem to have suffered from so called ‘European hangovers’. Earlier this season Spurs lost to Wigan after their qualifying game against Young Boys, and then 3 late goals were needed to secure 3 points against Wolves after their exertions in Germany against Werder Bremen. Surely these unconvincing results aren’t the performances of a title winning team?
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This said I haven’t convinced myself that Spurs can’t win the Premier League this season. Tottenham have taken great strides in recent times. Harry Redknapp for the first time in 5 years broke the top 4 of Manchester Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. He has taken Tottenham to the Champions League group stages. He has built a squad that looks as if it can compete with the best in any format of the game. And finally his name is being tipped for the England job.
With a good manager and a confident squad playing at the highest level maybe I was wrong to admit that Tottenham cannot put up a real title challenge this year. One thing is certain though, and that is Tottenham will need to beat the so called lesser teams whenever they play them if they are to seriously compete for the coveted end prize.
Tony Pulis believes Stoke City have overcome a sticky start to the season and are ready to kick on following Saturday's 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers.
Jon Walters' 48th-minute winner earned the Potters a third win from their last four games.
Stoke lost their opening three games of the season but Pulis claims that nobody at the Britannia Stadium was unduly concerned with their early form.
"The start of the season was always going to be difficult," he explained."There was the local derby at Wolverhampton, then playing Chelsea and Tottenham.
"We accepted that it was going to be a tough start but the lads got through it and we know there will be periods like this."
Speaking about Saturday's victory over Rovers, Pulis added:"The one thing you get with Blackburn is a performance every week and that's a credit to their players and the manager.
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"They get lots of balls into the box and they're a big team but I thought we created some good opportunities and on another day we could have capitalised on more of them. But I think we just about deserved to win."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Manchester City head coach Roberto Mancini has hailed Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as the 'top manager in the world' ahead of derby showdown at Eastlands.
Mancini's men will move level on points with United with a victory, but the Italian is aware that the game will be a tough encounter.
He told reporters:"I think that they know that we are now a strong team.
"We have respect for United and Ferguson because he is the top manager in the world, but we understand that we can beat them now. I think it will be a good game.
"I think that Chelsea will win the Premier League, but I think that all the other teams that are near them can try to win it because the season is long and difficult.
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"Our target must be the Champions League. At this moment we must just think game after game. We have United and we should only think about this game."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email