Among the audience was Roy Keane, the former Manchester United captain and ITV’s star panellist for the tournament. His face, a mixture of grimace, growl and exasperated smile, was a picture. If there is one footballer over the past 20 years who has dealt with reality rather than dreams, it is Keane. And, as an Irish outsider with an insider’s knowledge of the failings of English football, it is instructive to listen as he spends an hour dissecting the issue. Keane comes back to four words: unity, spirit, distractions and priorities. Keane is drawn back to the premature international retirement in 2004 of Scholes, a player described by Xavi as the world’s best midfielder over the past 15 years. “I think Paul was fed up ... Continue reading →
Although the club have money available, even after the £12 million arrival of Germany striker Lukas Podolski, the size of the squad and the wage bill is an issue that needs addressing. The club are open to offers for as many as 10 senior players, although finding buyers is likely to be difficult, given some of the generous contracts that have been awarded. Manuel Almunia was among seven players released yesterday and Lukas Fabianski is now desperate for first-team football, with West Ham United a serious option. Arsenal would also listen to offers for Sébastien Squillaci, Johan Djourou, Denilson, Marouane Chamakh and Ju-Young Park. Yann M’Vila, the Rennes midfielder, remains the club’s leading midfield target, although they do also retain an interest in Athletic Bilbao’s ... Continue reading →
With Bayern having dominated so much of the game, Mikel said that Robben’s penalty miss in the opening moments of the extra period was pivotal in filling Chelsea's players with self-confidence. “When he missed the penalty we kind of believed the trophy would be ours,” he said. Robben was candid about his weak penalty. The Dutch winger said: “I wanted to shoot the ball hard and high in the goal — it was a terrible penalty. Two or three times, you feel you have the cup in your hands but at the end you stand with nothing.” Mikel also joined the mounting dressing-room call for Roberto di Matteo to be appointed Chelsea manager on a permanent basis. “I, personally, would like him to get the ... Continue reading →
They still hope to push through a deal for Ajax centre-back Jan Vertonghen but Arsenal retain an interest and could now offer the certainty of Champions League football next season. The biggest danger for Tottenham, however, is with the existing squad amid the threat of summer unrest and even an exodus among key players leaving White Hart Lane. Winger Gareth Bale remains of interest to Barcelona and has already said that he would want to discuss his future if Spurs are not in the Champions League. Chelsea are likely to revive their interest in Luka Modric although Real Madrid have also emerged as a plausible option for the midfielder. Likewise, Benoit Assou-Ekotto has suggested that he would expect Tottenham to consider an offer for him ... Continue reading →
It is significant that Torres has had such personal backing from owner Roman Abramovich but it appears that he now wants clarity about both the managerial situation and whether Didier Drogba will stay. Although Torres has been given plenty of opportunities, the past three Chelsea managers, including Roberto di Matteo, have favoured Drogba for the crucial matches. Torres did not come on until the 84th minute on Saturday when Chelsea had fallen one goal behind. There then appeared to be a disagreement between Torres and Di Matteo over who should take penalties in the subsequent shoot-out. “I wanted to take a penalty but they didn’t let me,” said Torres. The Spain striker was also deeply disappointed to start only as a substitute in what was ... Continue reading →
"I remember when Thomas was five and all he kept doing was kicking the ball around in the apartment we had in Lake Como when I was at Inter. My wife had some nice ornaments that he kept smashing. He had a ball with him everywhere he went. "One night we were all asleep in bed and, all of a sudden, we heard this noise. Bump, bump, bump. I thought it was burglars. It scared the life out of me. I jumped up with a golf club, went to the stairs and at the bottom was one of the balls. It had slipped from under his arm, out of his bed and bounced down the stairs while he was asleep. "It hit me then that ... Continue reading →
