Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro has revealed that Neymar will remain with the Brazilian Serie A club.The 19-year-old striker has starred with Santos since 2009 and he has also impressed at national level, representing the Brazilian Under-20s and the senior side since 2010.
But Ribeiro said the forward would not be going anywhere and that he was disappointed at clubs and their ongoing attempts to illegally lure the striker.
“If Real Madrid or any other club (that has approached Neymar) decides to meet his buy-out clause, we have no other option but to report them to FIFA for approaching the player without our permission,” Ribeiro told Terra.
“Negotiations have been stalled and won’t be re-opened.”
“Real Madrid spoke with Neymar’s management in Paris and made an interesting offer. I’ve told him that we won’t let go of him though and he wants to stay with us, too.”
“I can assure you that Neymar will play for Santos at the Club World Cup. I have already said it before and that’s the way it is.”
The situation could change if clubs are willing to meet his minimum fee release clause of 39.4 million pounds but until then, it appears that the in-demand forward will be staying in Brazil.
As the transfer window slam shut last night, Tottenham Hotspur fans were reflecting on what could have been after missing on Bolton and England defender Gary Cahill. The White Hart Lane club added Adebayor, Parker and Friedel to their squad during the window while letting Crouch, Hutton, Jenas, Palacios, Keane, Bentley and Woodgate leave, but is it enough for them to challenge for a Champions League spot?
One of the aims for the window was to shift most of the deadwood on and Levy has been successful as seven players departed the Lane. I think this has to be a positive as these players are off the wage bill and it means that a strong 25-man squad remains, but there is also a risk involved if Spurs were to encounter an injury crisis they would be left with just young inexperienced players covering.
After hanging onto Modric despite a late £40m offer from Chelsea, Spurs look to have had a very decent transfer window but I think it was actually a chance missed. Just think of the sorts of players Tottenham could have purchased if the Modric money would have been made available, Cahill would have been a certainty. I can understand why supporters were happy to see Levy stance on Modric but was it actually the wrong one to take at this time?
With the club having to put up with the Europa League for the new season the calibre of transfer targets was always going to fall, there was unlikely to be a Van der Vaart this year, although I think Adebayor is an astute signing who will add to the side and last years’ Writers Player of the Year, Parker, will give the side more bite in midfield.
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However, the one thing that have puzzled me is that if they got a reported £10m for Peter Crouch and £8m for Palacios and plus the all other money brought in and wages freed up there was obviously money available but in the end only £5m was spent on a 30-year-old. It was a crucial window for Tottenham if they wanted to keep pace with Liverpool and Manchester City and as a result I think the board have failed Harry as they had the funds to get Cahill and the like, even if they thought they were paying over the odds.
However, I think there is an ulterior motive over the lack of movement into White Hart Lane as it has been long been rumoured that Daniel Levy and Redknapp’s relationship is at breaking point and that as such Harry is in his last season with the club. He also has an impending court case in October which could affect his role as manager and so Levy may not have been willing to release any funds to a manager he does not trust or believe will be in the job for the long term. Instead they are saving the money for a new manager to spend in January.
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Another reason for the lack of support for Redknapp is that he favours buying older players who have a lower sell on value like Scott Parker and most of the targets he missed out were also older and more expensive players, which could explain Levy’s reluctance to give the fees to Harry for them and they could be keeping the powder dry for the new manager to bring in younger players.
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I think Spurs still have a strong squad and an impressive first team to pick but it may be a case of what might have been in this window. With their rivals bringing quality into their team, it will be hard for the side to keep up especially if they experience injuries and I can see them failing just short of gaining a top four place, but maybe with a bit more investment it could have been possible.
Let me know your thoughts and follow me on twitter @aidanmccartney for even more football discussion and debate!
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has admitted he is enjoying being fit again, and that he is happy with his early season form.
The Denmark international has had a frustrating time at Anfield over the last number of seasons, as recurring injuries have stopped him from making extended runs in the Merseyside first-team.
Despite his, after a full pre-season, Agger has started all of The Reds first four Premier League fixtures, and is happy to get back to his best.
“The fact I got the full pre-season has helped me a lot. I feel a lot stronger, a lot better, but I still have more to come, hopefully. I feel I can give some more, have more to offer, so hopefully I can carry on playing games and that will help me,” the Scandinavian told the side’s official website.
“Fitness-wise I am happy right now, but as the season carries on you get more games under your belt and you get stronger, quicker and better.”
Kenny Dalglish’s outfit signed promising Uruguayan central defender Sebastian Coates in the transfer window, but Agger has revealed that he is not concerned by the extra competition for places.
“I have been here almost six years now and every year there are new players coming in and players going.
“It is normal for a big club like Liverpool to bring in players to add to the competition. Everything changes every year, so it’s good to have healthy competition as we have now. It’s good for the club and the players,” he concluded.
Agger will go head-to-head with Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor on Sunday, as Liverpool travel to White Hart Lane this coming Sunday.
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Scotland defender Gary Caldwell has stated that despite missing out on the Euro 2012 playoffs, his team are moving forward under Craig Levein.
The celtic nation suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of world champions Spain on Tuesday night, which ended their chances of participation in Poland and Ukraine next year.
Despite not making the European Championships, Caldwell was impressed with his side’s fighting spirit in Alicante and feels they are getting better.
“Some of the football they played was exceptional. It was very difficult to deal with,”the Wigan man told Sky Sports.
“But nights like that are encouraging, we were up against the best team in the world and many teams would have folded but we never did and that was very encouraging.
“We showed we can compete and we are going to be playing lesser teams in the next competition and hopefully we will do a bit better.
“Craig Levein was a new manager at the start of the campaign and he had to find out things about the players and what formation he was going to play and we have got to a level now where the manager knows he can go forward and we can be successful,” the centre back concluded.
With Scotland in Group A alongside Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Macedonia and Wales in the World Cup qualifiers, the Tartan Army will be hopeful of qualification to the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
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Sir Alex Ferguson claimed yesterday’s 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford was the worst day of his career. Manchester City thumped United in their own backyard and caused the rest of the Premier League to wake up to their title credentials. Mancini claimed that the result was only significant for 3pts and it will all count for nothing if they don’t land the title.
Elsewhere in the news Andre Villas-Boas blames ref for defeat; Arsene Wenger hails Robin van Persie, while David Moyes is delighted to have luck on Everton’s side for once.
Theo Walcott wants new Arsenal deal
David Moyes glad to have luck on his side
Villas Boas blames ref for defeat
Wenger hails Robin van Persie
Van der Vaart praises Tottenham’s defence
Ferguson: It was my worst ever day
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Somebody asked me the question: why do you think big clubs freeze against weaker opposition? Liverpool do it, Arsenal did at the end of last season, Spurs used to do it. All teams that the quality within their ranks to dominate more than half the league teams, but they don’t. Obviously a lot of the time they come out on top, but too often for their fans’ liking top teams are found wanting. Is it tactics, complacency, nerves? Every club has their own weaknesses, some are shared and some are unique, but is there really any excuse for teams losing to opponents far worse than they are? It wouldn’t happen in Sunday league games so why should it happen at the top level?
Tactics
With the huge influx over foreign players, mangers and a more continental style of play as well as extra talent the top teams also procure players who are perhaps not used to dealing with the way the archetypal English teams play. By this I mean the intensity, physicality and aggression can sometimes be a bit overawing. Whilst certain managers can overuse this as an excuse it, like many stereotypes, it definitely holds sway as an argument. You only need to look at Arsenal to say the countless teams who have out-muscled them not just in terms of their players but also their tactics. Like it or not the English game focuses greatly on the presence of height particularly on set pieces and it is an issue that has plagued Arsenal and their fans for years now. People might put it down to other factors but the stats don’t lie. Last season Stoke scored 67% of their goals from set pieces, Arsenal scored less than 10% of their goals in that way. And, over the course of the season, many teams will take this approach leading Arsenal, and others, to be undone.
Complacency
This for many teams is undoubtedly an issue. I think Liverpool and Arsenal both suffer from this greatly. Arsenal, because of their early season humbling, seem to be over this at the moment but I wouldn’t bet against the feeling returning. I think Arsenal, because of their style of play, and Liverpool, perhaps because of their reputation, tend to believe their own hype a little too much sometimes thinking they need only turn up to beat teams. At the Emirates last year this was particularly evident. Arsenal’s home record was terrible and strewn with unnecessary defeats to teams like newly promoted Newcastle and West Brom. Liverpool’s game against Sunderland and Arsenal’s against Blackburn highlight this perfectly. Both teams were in control of their respective games, neither were being undone tactically but both fell apart needlessly.
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Other aspects to the teams’ mentality are equally important, such as confidence and mental strength. I’m not even necessarily talking about confidence generated through recent form either. More the mental strength required to close out games. If you watched Arsenal ten years ago: if they took the lead there was pretty much no going back. The Newcastle game up north last season was one of the biggest capitulations I have ever seen. Why? Because despite what Wenger says he has one of the mentally weakest teams I have ever seen. The consequences of this are not only that their play gets worse but that the opposition’s play improves.
Improvement of lower teams
To say this is only down to the failures of the top teams however would be a gross injustice to the ‘lower’ clubs. If you consider that before Arsene Wenger arrived in England a Scottish manager was considered quite exotic. Therefore because of the high level of foreign managers around the British managers who would have been in charge of the top teams perhaps are now forced to coach smaller clubs. The result? The smaller Premier League teams have better managers, and the better managers make the best out of the players they’ve got.
Ultimately football wouldn’t be football if the top clubs won every game but the nature and frequency of the below par performances from the supposed top teams is something that draws attention. Whether it’s physical fragility like that of Arsenal, the questionable tactics of teams like Spurs or the lack of creativity in teams like Liverpool, the managers are accountable and for some fans certain, unforgivable results seem to be happening slightly too often to be accepted.
For more debates follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay
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For a player who’s training and match time is hampered severely through his persistent injury problems, specifically the issue with his knee, it speaks volumes that Spurs and England centre back Ledley King is still regarded as one of the best around, and people genuinely bemoan what could have been had the defender been fit enough to play international football.
For a national side that has never been short of quality centre backs, it is remarkable that King could have walked into the back four for England, and was called the ‘best English centre half’ by manager Capello. The issue with King is that due to a chronic knee problem, amongst other injury issues, he cannot train and is always a doubt for games. To rely on him during an International Tournament and include him in the squad when frankly he could be a waste of a space through injury is something managers are simply not prepared to do.
The question of if this is King’s loss or England’s is one that is certainly something to ponder, yet for a player who simply loves playing football, 21 England caps when he was capable of so many more will be somewhat of a disappointment to the player. It is obviously a loss for England, and player aside, King is a leader and a respected member of any team he plays in, offering so much more than just the ability to defend.
King has in his armoury not just steel when defending, but masses of ability in the air and possesses a beautiful touch when playing the ball. Unlike a centre back such as John Terry, King has the vision and ability to play the ball instead of hoofing it up field, and has a vision not usually found in a defender – this coupled with the sheer pace King possesses makes him vital to any team he plays in. Any Spurs fan understand the sigh of relief Redknapp has when King declares himself fit to play, and without him, the team look far less compact, organised or solid at the back.
Dubbed a ‘freak’ by his club manager for being able to play at the highest level without training – King’s training now consists of lengths in the swimming pool – the player is certainly something of an enigma, and his determination and will just to play the game he loves is a refreshing change when compared to players such as Harry Kewell, who play football just because they are gifted and are not really in love with the game.
Should he manage to play more than 20 games this season, a new deal will be put on the table by Spurs, yet with King being able to boast that thus far in 2011-2012 he has played 9 times – more than in the whole of the last campaign and that Spurs are unbeaten when he has started, smart money would be on Levy putting a lucrative offer on the table for someone who is quite honestly the best defender Spurs have. The player feels that there ‘are a lot of games left in me’ and how Spurs fans will be thankful of that. Sadly for England fans, international football may be a step too far, and what a loss that is.
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With the Premier League season reaching the half way point, supporters are in the perfect position to assess their team’s performances and the areas in which their football club need to improve. Once again the Premier League has been broken up into three tiers, with each team facing their own private battle.
Unlike previous years there has certainly been some stability on the managerial front with only Steve Bruce succumbing to the bullet so far, as clubs look to show patience with their managers to turn around their current plights. The managers may not be so patient with players at their disposal and may look to make significant changes in the January transfer window.
The January transfer window is loved and loathed in equal measures, with many managers and supporters alike welcoming the opportunity to freshen things up, while others see it as a source of distraction. History shows it is a renowned place for panic buying, as last January certainly proved, but there have been notable successes in the past that shows it can be a significant period to turn around a club’s fortunes. I feel the African Cup of Nations and the unprecedented amount of long term injuries we have seen will force many club’s hands and subsequently we can expect to see another expensive month for many Premier League chairman.
So how do you feel about Arsenal’s fortunes so far this season and would you look to see changes made this January window? Who would you like to see brought in and ultimately who would you like to see moved out in the coming weeks?
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We all remember the goal that announced a 16 year old, Wayne Rooney to the wonderful world of football and as that ball nestled in the goal of David Seaman fans, pundits and players alike all began dreaming of what this English sensation could go on to achieve. A decade on from that afternoon on Goodison; is Rooney really reaching the potential his talents deserve?
Sir Alex Ferguson delivered a warning to his striker after the Scouser missed another penalty against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend, with the Scotsman declaring “Wayne had his moments but he can do better really,” And you really would find it hard to disagree with the Red Devils manager.
At the age of 26 the world of football really has to stop viewing ‘Wazza’ as the ‘boy wonder’ that exploded into our lives ten years ago and to a certain extent, Rooney himself has to stop seeing himself as this teenage starlet because it is hindering the volatile England international, especially when you consider that at the age of 25 Maradona had single handedly won the World Cup with Argentina and Bobby Moore achieved the same feat.
Rooney has experienced it all in football and now Fergie is looking for the former Everton striker to consistently step up and be the leader that his Red Devils need, much like the way Ronaldo and Messi do in La Liga, the former Aberdeen boss is desperate for his ‘superstar’ to have the same application and impetus that the two previous Ballon D’or winners consistently have in every 90 minutes.
In the run up to the European Championships Wayne Rooney has to ask himself one question and that is ‘Does he want to be the best player England have or does he want to be deemed one of the world’s greatest players?’ He definitely has the talent to be the latter.
If you want to let Rooney know about me then find me on Twitter @DanielTBlazer or pop over to www.danieltblazer.com and leave a comment.
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Ravel Morrison has shot into the public eye this season as the best player to come through the Manchester United academy in more than a decade. The attacking midfielder was instrumental in the club winning the FA Youth Cup last season and was widely regarded as the competition’s best player.
He has made just three appearances so far and all have been in the Carling Cup but he has made quite an impression on fans and media alike and with his contract coming to an end this summer he has become the figure of a well publicised transfer battle. The 18-year-old has caused controversy with his hefty wage demands to the team who have brought him to prominence and the stalemate between the parties has alerted rivals to his availability.
Newcastle United have bid up to £1 million for him and Roma, Arsenal, Manchester City and Barcelona have all been linked to the boy from Wythenshawe, but any bids have been rejected by the club because Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced that Morrison will become ‘the one that got away’.
Despite his undoubted talent on the field, off it he has had more than his fair share of problems that are well documented and while difficult players like Keane, Stam and van Nistelrooy have been pushed out the door quickly by Sir Alex so his insistence on trying to keep Morrison shows how highly he is rated by his boss and despite the apparent desire of agents to engineer a move United should fight to sign him up.
With the right attitude, something that Fergie will do his best to mould, Morrison could well prove to be the creative midfielder that United have lacked at times this season. At 18 he could do a job in the centre of the park this campaign and will be able to anchor the midfield for years to come if he stays alongside Tom Cleverley, with Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Ashley Young around them.
He has a no-fear mentality like Ozil and Kaka and the ability to waltz through a defence with ease and that is the sort of player that is a rare gem. As well as his close control he has a fierce long-range shot that he showed with great quality against Sheffield United in the Youth Cup.
And with the home-grown quota that is now in force, his English nationality is another important quality not to be ignored.
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Letting him leave in the summer will also see the club lose millions of pounds as well as a future star. If he is to become the player that they believe he will be then he may well become one of the world’s most expensive players, rather than a free agent this year. Replacing his talent would also be a pricey move, with number one target Wesley Sneijder likely to cost £30 million and other top players will command a similar fee, so an extra £10,000 a week won’t be anywhere near as costly as a new player.
Confidence is not something that the 18-year-old lacks and with his amount of ability there is no reason to, but he should think carefully before chasing the big bucks now. Accepting a more modest wage now at United is the best option for him if he wants to make the most of his skills. The club will not want to be held to ransom by somebody so young no matter how talented but rather than standing firm they should fight hard to keep their man at Old Trafford because seeing him depart this summer will cost them financially and in the league for years to come.
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Should United fight to keep Ravel Morrison? Tell me on Twitter @jrobbins1991.
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