Manchester United have insisted reports that Wayne Rooney has signed a record-breaking new contract with the club are premature, reports Sky Sports.
The Sun on Sunday newspaper reported that the England forward had signed a new four-and-a-half year deal worth a staggering £300,000 a week.
However, the club have stressed Rooney is yet to sign a new deal, reportedly worth £70million until the summer of 2018.
“There is no deal, which is why we haven’t announced it,” a United spokesman said.
Negotiations over a deal to keep Rooney at Old Trafford have been taking place for some time, and are believed to be ongoing.
The 28-year-old has been linked with a move away from United since the end of last season, when former manager Sir Alex Ferguson claimed he had handed in a transfer request.
He was heavily linked with a switch to Chelsea during the summer, and United’s struggles in the Premier League this season have seen his future questioned once again.
Journalist Charlie Wyatt – who wrote the Sun’s Rooney story – explained it further during an appearance on Sky Sports Sunday Supplement.
“We are saying that he has not just agreed, but he has actually signed,” Wyett told the programme. “Obviously that has yet to be announced for Manchester United.
“I think he realises it is the best place for him still. I know others thought he might go to Chelsea or elsewhere, but I think (David) Moyes has had a series of meetings with him and convinced him to stay.
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“I think Rooney will be the next captain of Manchester United and I think that it is a boost for Moyes. He is obviously going through a difficult spell.”
There was a period after Everton’s opener, as the chaos that tends to follow goals descended, when one couldn’t help but wonder whether this would end in another Arsenal collapse. Yet this game will be remembered for it’s contrast with Arsenal’s 3-0 loss in the corresponding fixture last season. This time Arsenal came back. This time Arsenal had character. Here are the THREE things we learned from Everton v Arsenal:
Stones will have to wait his turn
Stones excelled when deputising for the injured Jagielka last term, so much so that many speculated as to whether he would keep his place in central defence. Martinez included Stones at right-back for their opening fixture but Coleman’s performance against Arsenal would suggest that Stones is going to have to be patient for his next run in the team.
Ozil can’t be trusted out wide
Mesut Ozil is no orthodox winger but can be effective out wide once he’s not expected to do too much defending. Why Wenger then chose to pick the German here when facing a marauding full-back in Coleman is unknown. It’s beginning to feel like the Arsenal is going to have to play the German in his favoured No. 10 role or not at all.
Giroud needs to start
Arsene Wenger cited ‘World Cup fatigue’ in his explanation of why he’d left Giroud on the bench again but this is a hard reason to accept when those, such as Mesut Ozil, who went further into the competition and are back in the starting line-up. Giroud may not be the striker that many Arsenal feel they need but he’s certainly the best one they’ve got.
West Ham United’s revival under new manager David Moyes suffered a blow on Saturday after they were defeated by Newcastle United at home in the English Premier League.
The match started superbly at the London Stadium for the Hammers, with Marko Arnautovic netting in the sixth minute. However, the Magpies equalised just minutes later through Henri Saivet, before rushing to a 3-1 lead early in the second half thanks to Mohamed Diame and Christian Atsu.
The home side tried their best to get back into the match and pulled one back when Andre Ayew smashed home, but they couldn’t find the vital third, ending their impressive run under Moyes. The Irons were undefeated in their previous three top-flight matches.
Fans were frustrated with the performance, especially from their midfield, with Cheikhou Kouyate receiving sharp criticism for an ineffective display.
Some are even calling for him to be sold in January.
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
The Wolves 3-1 morale-booster last Sunday left us wanting more of the same and at the earliest possible opportunity. The World Cup qualifiers this weekend with Wales at home in the capital against a rampant Belgium (a phrase once as oxymoronic as ‘deafening silence’ which funnily enough is what you were likely to get until very recently in response to a request to name 5 famous Belgians) therefore came at an inopportune time. The Internationals break invariably see us either on a roll and desperate to maintain the impetus or in need of a quick return to form after a disappointing run. The break is rarely welcome.
With no City game to form the focal point, the looming weekend was potentially a frustrating one but there was at least the compensation of another major sporting fixture in town. So I toddled off to Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh. In fact it never once entered my head to follow the well worn path to the CCS; as far as I was concerned the return of the Blues to their spiritual home was the only game in town. The alternative was a quiet night in.
I am not a great club rugby fan. At best I’m a part-timer, carried away on a tide of patriotic fervour when the national team are playing but otherwise fairly indifferent. But I anticipated that the Blues’ joyous home-coming would be a much richer sporting occasion than witnessing the start of yet another Wales qualifying campaign brimming with pluck and spunk but doomed to inevitable failure.
My last international appearance was at the Millenium Stadium in October 2002 when Wales beat Italy 2-1 in front of 72,500 fans to become the early Group leaders in the search for Euro 2004 qualification. Even as we walked away from the stadium, while others talked of the dawn of a new era I stayed silent with an unwelcome conviction that in all probability that was going to be as good as it was ever likely to get and I doubted that I would return. In the event I was to be proved right as we lost the return fixture 4-0 and were then knocked out in a play-off against Russia. I have been to true my unspoken words that night and have not been back.
I had no wish for it to be that way and I would have loved to have enjoyed the moment but even as a nascent Craig Bellamy was hitting the sporting consciousness with a typically impudent winner I found myself curiously detached and underwhelmed in the certain knowledge of the ultimate futility of that great victory. History instinct and self-preservation dictated that this was the only logical response.
Strangely I have no such problems engaging with the prospect of ultimate failure to match expectations when it comes to the Bluebirds. Missing out on an FA Cup victory by the narrowest of margins, followed by missing out on the play-offs by the narrowest of margins (one goal in an entire season), followed by missing out in the play-off final by the narrowest of margins, followed by successive semi-final play-off defeats has done nothing to diminish my enthusiasm and myopic fanaticism. When it comes to The City the triumph of hope over experience is to be embraced not ridiculed.
Why the contrast? I think it has a lot to do with a sense belonging, of ownership, identity, with a lifelong attachment to a club handed down from generation to generation, with ritual and habit. I feel this every week, with the same people, engaged in a common purpose. This has never been replicated at national level for me where the intensity of the experience is dissipated and fractured by the disparate nature of the fans and the spasmodic and nomadic nature of the home fixtures. The lack of engagement for me means that ultimately following the national team is a sideshow at best.
Judging by the paltry 20,000 attendance (2,000 less than the Bluebirds’ average last season) there is little appetite for the distraction of another long drawn out hopeless campaign. Welsh football fans have learnt to expect the worst; unfortunately they are rarely disappointed.
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Read more of Martin’s articles at – www.its-not-dark-yet.blogspot.co.uk
One of the innate problems with the TV phenomena of rolling news is that events of importance (or things) aren’t always happening. That’s not strictly true of course. Things are always happening somewhere, to someone. A child is born, a heart is broken, a youtube video of a yawning kitten acquires another racist comment, but things that viewers care about, or might feasibly be expected to care about by TV executives, aren’t.
Rolling news on the other hand is always happening, and like an obese child between meals it needs to turn to cheaply processed crap to fill the void & sustain itself.
To rolling news, sport is already filler. The comparatively insignificant fluff piece tacked on the end of the hour’s genuine events. A whole channel dedicated to it seems indulgent at best, only marginally more insane than Channel 5’s Entertainment news, or anything on ITV2. What can you do when the things between the things that aren’t happening, aren’t happening?
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And so we get the mind-spasm that is Sky Sports News. Where filler is an art form, footage of 4X4s with tinted windows is a dramatic top of the hour teaser and for two days a year – in moments of almost Zen parody – their own reporters reporting the news, is actually news.
When the producer was asked to find pundits to fill up a few minutes talking about the 10 year anniversary of Roman Abramovich’s daring transfer swoop for Chelsea Football Club, I’d like to imagine they chose Matthew Syed with a full knowledge of the thoughtful, intelligent, antagonistic role he’d play. I say I’d like to, because if they did, the rest of the panel wouldn’t have equipped themselves so hopelessly, like gawping fish watching their beloved partners passionately ravaged by John Terry on the dance floor at their own wedding.
In what was intended as another banal smug fest with all the insightful debate of The One Show interviewing Status Quo about a Greatest Hits album, Times journalist Syed launched into a detailed, impassioned attack on the morality and consequences of Abramovich’s takeover. If you missed it, take a look here.
Tony Cascarino, cast in the role of “For” – the mighty Norse God of incoherent sycophancy – to Syed’s “Against” looked particularly lost. Mentally dry docked by Syed’s tirade, and looked to by his paymaster brethren Jim White & Kirsty Gallacher to restore inane platitudes to the chaos of intelligent discussion that had carelessly broken out, Tony couldn’t find a foothold. For a good 30 seconds he was genuinely flailing – speaking, but with clearly no semblance of thought forming in his mind. Trying to grasp desperately on to a word that might feasibly fit with the last one he said. He was working his way through a sentence one word at a time. Like a child. It was fascinating to watch.
Gallacher fared worse. Finding herself deeper in a highbrow conversation than the London College of Fashion had ever prepared her for, she swung desperately what she hoped would be a sucker punch.
“That said, though, that said Matthew – I just wanted to pick up – I mean, you’ve said what you’ve said about the situation, the political situation, where the money came from; he HAS put Chelsea on the map, he’s put British football on the map whether it’s spending in excess or not. The reason for Premier League’s standing as one of the most exciting – uh you know – football leagues in the world now is surely because of Chelsea…?”
And a sucker punch it was. To everyone watching. To Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, and even Chelsea themselves, who’d been attracting the likes of Gullit, Vialli and Zola, and even won a European Trophy before the Russian had even journeyed to these shores to see the fabled Champions League tie that would allegedly spark his love of the game.
The sentence “he’s put British football on the map” should be a sackable offence itself on a channel where the minimum requirement should be to know at least a little about sports. It should be chiselled onto her gravestone. It should be shouted at her in the street. Of all the hand wringing that this kind of discussion wasn’t appropriate for a sports debate, THIS was by far the most offensive thing said.
And hand wringing there was. So accustomed to empty platitudes, easy questions and pally inside jokes have the viewing public become that any semblance of a serious discussion was viewed in some quarters as unfair. Syed wasn’t playing by the rules. They weren’t expecting it. There’s no place for that kind of thing on a sports show.
But why shouldn’t there be? Sky do punditry better than anyone, which is fine for their broadcast coverage, but how can it justify a 24-hour news program reporting largely on football when there’s no actual football on without engaging in anything more serious than Jim White’s Deadline Day Superhero fantasies and Joey Barton’s confused tweeting? Why should anchors and ex-pros be paid exorbitant amounts of money to sit behind a desk and give us less intelligent discussion than a reddit thread? Why should we have to watch a 20 minute segment celebrating the achievements of a man who’s only contribution to British sports is to be very rich and plough a lot of money into a football club, without asking any serious questions? Why should a network that already tries to whitewash football pre-1992 and whose coverage of sport not broadcast by them is pathetic and grudging at best (Wimbledon is relegated to a scroll bar and a segment that seems to be racing against a very small egg timer) expect us to accept it?
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When Jim White ended the segment, untroubled by how well he’d helmed the debate, pre-occupied with thoughts of what cape to wear for the upcoming Deadline Day and whether his assistant had ordered the dry ice he’d asked for, the voice in his ear should’ve been telling him what great television that was. But judging by the sparsity with which they replayed the footage, something they regularly do whenever a guest is brought on to add another five minutes to an item in another example of news eating itself, they patently didn’t. It had to find its way onto the Internet for appreciation.
Whether what Syed said was correct or not, factual or embellished, Sky Sports News had neither the ability, nor the intention of discussing it. It was only interested in a hagiographical non-item it could report back on later. “Tony Cascarino says Roman Abramovich has been good for English football.” Roll VT. Another news pillow adequately fluffed.
When Matthew Syed let rip he didn’t just expose Abramovich, but also the failings, inadequacies and utter pointlessness of Sky Sports News.
The ‘new manager effect’ is a well known term in football.
The normal scenario tends to involve a team that is struggling for confidence and form reaching a crucial point in their season, followed by a chairman or owner taking a gamble on bringing in a new man to try and either keep their team up or push them over the promotion finishing line.
Sometimes to their credit, it works. Last season Sheffield Wednesday replaced Gary Megson with a few games of their season to go, despite still being in contention for an automatic promotion spot. At the time many called the sacking ridiculous, but the furore caused was quickly forgotten once Wednesday secured promotion a few games later. The gamble had paid off.
In Leeds’ case, there was no promotion to hang on to, just a slight fear of relegation to banish as quickly as possible. In fact, if it hadn’t been for our perilous form and ever lowering league position I’m almost positive we’d still be managerless. The truth is, GFH made the right call by bringing McDermott in when they did, he’s steered the club to two vital victories and ensured our Championship status. Job done, with an impressive display of decision making to boot.
What would be even more impressive is if GFH brought McDermott in knowing, or at least suspecting, that he’d make an instant impact on uniting the entire club.
For so long the club has felt divided, we might’ve all been supporting the club in unison but we’ve been a long way from singing from the same song sheet.
The unrest in the fanbase has been echoed on the pitch by the players who almost seemed to be doubting their own ability at times, but who could blame them considering the circumstances. Players like Tonge and Diouf were signed for their passing ability and then told to adapt to a completely different style of play. Our main target man was sold amid rumours of him causing trouble in camp and replaced with a player who couldn’t have had more pressure placed on his shoulders from the start. ‘’He’ll be a Leeds legend one day’’ said Warnock when asked about Morison.
Every game would end with increasingly repetitive interviews. ‘’The lads are giving me everything’’ would often ensure a full house for anyone playing Warnock post-game-interview-bingo.
The problem was, despite the lads giving everything, there was always room for blame. It was never Warnock’s fault.
That, along with futile attempts at forcing his long ball tactics, was where Warnock made his biggest mistake. As fans all we ever ask for is honesty. We see the games therefore we can see the problems too, so for the man at the helm to come out and tell us that he ‘can’t fault the lads’ yet continue to do just that, with no mention of a plan on fixing the blatant issues on the pitch, or even an admission of fault, it was never going to end well.
With that in mind, we were crying out for someone to walk in and change the entire ethos of the club from top to bottom. Someone with a plan, and a vision to buy into.
The effect Brian McDermott has had since he arrived suggests that he is the perfect man to do just that. Of course it is natural to get carried away when the going gets good, but after spending year after year looking around the club and seeing false optimism it is somewhat relieving to finally be able to believe that the good times are on their way back to Leeds, and not feel as though we’re building up to a fall.
McDermott wants the club ‘United’ and referred to the clubs anthem ‘Marching on together’ as being exactly what he’s all about. The man wants every fan, player and staff member on board with his vision, and after seeing the players respond with two impressive victories you can’t help but look forward with a great deal of positivity.
Together we can build, and if we can all get back to singing from the same song sheet that I referred to earlier then the sky really is the limit.
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Marching on together has always been our anthem. If we can make it our philosophy, Leeds will well and truly be back.
Manchester United currently find themselves in quite a strange position. Despite widespread strengthening of the squad over the summer, which saw them spend in excess of £150million – the most by any team in European football – a spate of injuries in defence, coupled with the decision to prioritise big-name attacking players over reinforcing their back line in their transfer dealings, has forced United boss Louis van Gaal to turn to unproven youth in the opening stages of the Premier League season.
However, the Dutchman is accustomed to dealing with youngsters, and may even relish the opportunity to do so again at Old Trafford.
Well-known for launching the careers of several world-class footballers, he gave Xavi and Andres Iniesta their debuts for Barcelona in his time there and now Van Gaal has a number of promising young players at his disposal, and may look to embrace United’s long-standing tradition of developing talent into potential champions. Though emulating the feats of Sir Alex Ferguson’s now-mythical Class of ’92 is a tough act to follow, here are five youngsters that may have important roles to play under Louis van Gaal at Manchester United.
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CLICK ON JAMES WILSON TO REVEAL THE FIVE
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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
Football – Manchester United v West Ham United – Barclays Premier League – Old Trafford – 27/9/14Manchester United’s Paddy McNair in actionMandatory Credit: Action Images / Jason CairnduffLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for f
This Northern Irish teenager was handed his first-team debut in the 2-1 victory over West Ham United over the weekend and impressed many with his assuredness in defence, especially when United sustained heavy pressure after going down to ten men. After initially playing in midfield for his local side Ballyclare Colts, McNair was converted into a centre back after signing for the Red Devils in 2011. An important member of United’s Under-21 side, he was picked for the side in the U-21 Champions League last season, only to get sent off for two bookable offences against Bayer Leverkusen – which suggests that McNair still lacks some maturity. However, this can only be expected from a 19 year-old, and judging by his promising debut on Saturday he may find himself involved in van Gaal’s plans with the first team again this season.
Tyler Blackett
A product of United’s academy having signed for the club at the age of eight, Blackett has been the most prominent youngster to be promoted to the first team ranks under van Gaal, having played in the first five league fixtures of the campaign. With his competitive debut coming in the season’s curtain raiser against Swansea City, it has been an exceptionally steep learning curve for Blackett, and his red card for a clumsy challenge on Jamie Vardy in the 5-3 defeat to Leicester City is a sign that the 20 year-old defender is still adjusting to life in the Premier League. Nevertheless, van Gaal seems to have faith in the youngster, and will doubtless have been impressed by his professionalism – he is known to have opted to train and work at the gym in Carrington even on days off. There has even been talk of an England call-up for Blackett, and with his contract at United expiring in the summer, van Gaal may wish to act quickly to ensure that his services are retained for the future.
James Wilson
Wilson burst onto the scene last season with two goals against Hull City on his first team debut, and van Gaal has high hopes for the teenager as well. First scouted at the age of seven, Wilson earned his call-up to the first team squad after a series of impressive performances for the Under-18 side, finishing the 2012-13 season as the U-18 league’s top scorer and scoring seven goals in six consecutive appearances for the team at the start of last season. After the Hull game, Ryan Giggs – the interim manager at the time and van Gaal’s current deputy – had the following to say about the 18 year-old forward: “He is a natural goalscorer but he has got more to his game than that. He can run at people, he has got pace and he is a clever player.” Such high praise from United’s most decorated player suggests that Wilson has a bright future ahead of him, and with van Gaal believing him to be a better prospect than the now-departed Danny Welbeck, he may have found the ideal manager to help him develop his game further.
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Jesse Lingard
After progressing through United’s youth academy, Lingard signed a professional contract with the club in the summer of 2011. Four goals on his debut for Birmingham City whilst on loan last season gave an early indication of the attacker’s talent, and after another loan spell at Brighton and Hove Albion he was recalled to Old Trafford for the start of the new campaign. After an impressive pre-season, Lingard made his league debut for the first team against Swansea City, only to be substituted in the 24th minute due to injury. Such a setback was a cruel way for the youngster’s senior career at United to begin, but van Gaal’s decision to start the winger should at least give him confidence of breaking into the starting XI again in the future.
Nick Powell
Powell came to United’s attention in 2012 after excelling at Crewe Alexandra, and his goal in the 2012 League Two Play-off Final – arguably the finest goal the new Wembley has witnessed so far – showed precisely why the Red Devils were so keen on signing him. A £6 million deal was subsequently agreed in the summer of 2012, and Powell was quick to make his mark at Old Trafford, scoring on his first-team debut against Wigan Athletic at the start of the 2012-13 season. A loan move to Wigan then followed last year, during which the midfielder scored 12 goals in 42 appearances, and although he has once again been sent out on loan to Leicester City for the current campaign, there is no doubting Powell’s potential. Expect him to be involved in United’s first-team plans next season.
A box of Carlsberg Export from the supermarket: £12.
Official Adidas Brazuca replica football: £20.
Enough food for to feed your family and friends during the game: £45.
Showing your support for your country by proudly wearing the crest of the Three Lions: Pricel…well actually, it’s £90.
Football fans have been outraged by Nike’s announcement that the latest England shirts will cost a staggering £90 each, or a mere £60 for the “stadium” version (whatever that is). For what is essentially a white shirt with a tick and a badge, it seems more than a little extortionate even by modern football’s standards.
Stan Collymore and Joey Barton have been the most prominent voices in leading the protestations.
England fans on Twitter have been speculating as to what their £90 will actually buy them.
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In reality, they will be relieved to hear that it comes with the cooling technology required for the humid British summer. A worthy investment indeed.
According to reports in The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur have been joined by Premier League rivals Southampton in the race to sign Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon, who is rated at £20m according to The Mirror.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Spurs were heavily linked with the impressive 17-year-old during the summer but a move failed to materialise, but The Mirror claimed earlier this month that they are still keen to bring the youngster to north London with Danny Rose still keen on a move away.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reports that Southampton are ready to make an audacious bid to land Sessegnon next month, and while they know a deal will be difficult given that some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League will be keen, they believe that they can offer the player regular playing time and act as the perfect stepping stone.
The report adds that Saints may be looking for a left-back either in January or at the end of the season, with the long-term future of Manchester City target Ryan Bertrand in doubt.
How has Sessegnon done this season?
He has been brilliant.
The 17-year-old has scored five goals – including a hat-trick in the 5-4 win against Sheffield United last month – and provided a further three assists in 23 Championship appearances, while he has shown his versatility by playing in both a left-back role and a more advanced role on the same flank.
While he is decent at both ends of the pitch and has a good left foot, Sessegnon has also shown the potential he has as a two-footed player with two fine finishes with his right as part of his treble against the Blades.
Will Tottenham be worried about Southampton’s interest?
It’s difficult to say.
If Rose stays in January then it may be difficult to convince the teenager that he will play more regularly for Spurs than the south coast outfit given that they would have the England international and Ben Davies available, but if he goes the situation could be different.
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Sessegnon will certainly look at the progress someone like Dele Alli has made since joining from MK Dons and believe that he could do the same under the leadership of Mauricio Pellegrino.
However, Saints are also renowned for giving young players a chance and not standing in their way if one of the big Premier League clubs wants them, and that could prove to be an attractive option for the player.
There is a temptation, perhaps even pressure from outside to invest and reinforce when the financial riches are as boundless as they are at Manchester City.
Joe Hart, a tale of a goalkeeper who has lost his way, isn’t something so unfamiliar to the football world. Even putting aside his youth, which in goalkeeping years means he is well short of his prime, forces a look at those around England and Europe who have come across similar problems.
Costel Pantilimon has come into the starting XI at Hart’s expense. The Romanian, despite being on the books at City for the past two seasons, is relatively unknown to those outside of the club. We can pass judgement, create a series of events that could play out over the coming weeks or even months, but they’re unlikely to be too accurate or confident, such is the lack of exposure Pantilimon has had.
Pantilimon is the in-house option that every club, no matter their resources, has to utilise. Importantly, it’s also the best option when handling such a delicate situation. We all know what Hart is capable of from a talent perspective, so why should City discard him now, even after such high-profile blunders?
Neighbours Manchester United have been down this road too. David De Gea didn’t so much lose his way as fail to initially find it in English football. Once again, he was a young goalkeeper who needed to overcome mental obstacles rather than environmental. When you’re dealing with talents such as that, you have to look to the option that best offers the outcome of long-term success.
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In de Gea’s case, United stayed true with their two goalkeeping options, rotating in Anders Lindegaard and easing the burden on the far more talented Spaniard. At this time, there is no doubt as to who the first choice is at the club.
Joe Hart needs time away from the spotlight, time to work on his mental game in private and inside the walls of Manchester City. Overcoming such a problem as an out of form goalkeeper is something that rarely goes to plan when done in competitive matches. It breeds nervousness, with the spotlight shining ever brighter and increasing the likelihood of failure.
Fraser Forster has been tipped as a quick-fix solution. So too has Asmir Begovic, with both the Celtic and Stoke keepers more than likely to be available in the coming transfer window.
But the long-term problems outweigh the short-term benefits. Hart will eventually come good. Even this short spell on the bench could be enough to kick start the England international’s career and see him firmly over the line.
Real Madrid are a good example to look at. Iker Casillas is out of the team and will not see any action in the league unless something seismic happens beyond an injury to Diego Lopez. The Spanish No.1 – Casillas has clearly not lost his place in Vicente Del Bosque’s side – will therefore move on, forcing the loss of not only one of the world’s best keepers, but also an icon for Real Madrid.
Comparisons to Casillas’ status would be premature and a little irresponsible, but Hart has the talent to leave a real dent in Manchester City if he departs off the back of the mistakes of the past year. There’s simply too much to give up by pursuing another goalkeeper.
Much of the same could have been said for Arsenal, who perhaps needed another goalkeeper, namely a veteran choice, to help in Wojciech Szczesny’s education and to shore up the backline.
What happens then when the club have two goalkeepers who are good enough to be first choice? It’s far too risky for any club to switch endlessly back and forth each week. And which high-end goalkeeper would be happy to sit on the bench for a prolonged spell, even if you tell him that the club may be going places with two strong choices? It simply doesn’t happen. As seen in the case with Real Madrid, Casillas will probably be off come the New Year.
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Money and financial capability shouldn’t dictate how a club deals with internal problems. City are not in a bad way by any means. The inconsistencies they’ve faced this season are to be expected with any new manager. But working on the personnel they have will bring the most rewards.
Pantilimon is an able deputy for Hart, and certainly one who understands the demands of the club well enough to share some of the responsibility. But after the sea is crossed, it’s unlikely we’ll see such problems in Hart’s performances again. It’s simply part of the experience and learning curve, and one that doesn’t need rash transfer decisions.
Does the solution to the Joe Hart problem lie internally at Manchester City?