James Milner is adamant that his Manchester City side do not fear German opponents Bayern Munich.
The Sky Blues will open their European campaign against the Bundesliga champions tomorrow night having met them on four occasions over the course of the last three Champions League campaigns.
Although they initially struggled against the Bavarians, City claimed a monumental win in their last clash with Bayern, beating them 3-2 after trailing by two goals in the Allianz Arena.
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The victory was not enough to push Manuel Pellegrini’s side through ahead of the Germans in the group at the time, but it has served as a boost for their players.
Milner is one of the stars to have been buoyed by past events, and the England international insists that he and his team-mates are not scared of Pep Guardiola’s outfit:
“We should know them pretty well now, we’ve played them a lot these past couple of years, even in friendlies, so we know they’re a top team,” he is quoted by Goal.
“You can’t do what they’ve done over the last few years and have their record in the Champions League without being a top team, but you want to play against the best teams and we’ve done that.
“We beat them at their place last year and we should take a lot of confidence from that and go into the game with no fear, knowing we’ve been there before and got three points.
“I don’t think there’s many teams who would have come back from [being two goals down].
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“It would have been game done, but that shows the character and the quality we have in the squad, and to have that mental strength to come back and win the game is massive.”
Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland has revealed he holds no grudges against they way he was forced out of Manchester City.
Ireland came through the youth ranks at City and was being tipped as the Premier League’s next best thing, but was soon shown the door when current manager Robert Mancini replaced Mark Hughes.
And the 26-year-old insists there is no animosity between him an Mancini and agrees that it was the right time for him to leave the Etihad.
He told the Daily Mirror: “If I have stayed there I would not have been involved anyway. They have so much quality there was no way I was getting in the team.
“I live in the same area as him [Robert Mancini]. I bump into him occasionally and we have a chat.
“It is completely fine. I understand it was a football decision. It was the right time for me to leave.”
And Ireland, ahead of Villa’s visit to City this weekend, believes the club’s youth system will be key to the club improving in the Premier League and competing in the top-half of the table again.
“It is paying off having good youth teams. Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark and Barry Bannan have all come through the academy and they have all got long careers ahead in the game,” he added.
“We are being encouraged to play football, we are winning or losing in style. It is not good to lose, of course, but we are having a go.
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“We are only a few minor details away from being a good side and should be up in the top half. We just need a few things to go our way.”
Everton are interested in signing Hertha Berlin defender Marvin Plattenhardt in this summer’s transfer window, as covered by Sky Sports News earlier this month.
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The Germany international entered the 2018 World Cup off the back of a fine season at Hertha – registering eight assists in 38 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit during the 2017-18 campaign.
Plattenhardt is very much the modern-day full-back when considering that he can both attack and defend effectively, which is so important in the Premier League.
It would be fair to say that the 26-year-old struggled to make his mark against Mexico in Russia on Sunday afternoon, however, as Germany suffered a shock 1-0 defeat in their opener.
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Plattenhardt was not the only one to struggle in a Germany shirt, but his performance has led to some Everton fans doubting whether he would be a good signing this summer.
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That said, there are still plenty of Everton supporters who want to see the defender make the move to Goodison Park in this summer’s transfer window.
A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Premier League club’s fans can be seen below:
Southampton will unexpectedly face Wigan Athletic in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at the DW Stadium after the Latics recorded a brilliant 1-0 win over Manchester City on Monday night, and Saints fans were quick to have their say on the news.
When the south coast outfit were drawn against either Wigan or City on Saturday the St Mary’s faithful would have expected that they would come up against the runaway Premier League leaders at the Etihad Stadium, but instead their 2-1 win against West Bromwich Albion will see them come up against League One opposition.
It won’t be an easy task against Paul Cook’s side though, who are flying high in England’s third tier and have already knocked out top flight clubs Bournemouth, West Ham United and now City on their way to the last eight.
That is something acknowledged by Southampton supporters who have had their say on the surprising result via social media, and while one said it’s “gonna be embarrassing when we get knocked out by Wigan”, another said ‘they’ll humiliate us’.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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West Ham have made another signing this summer, adding Enner Valencia to their squad. The striker was one of Ecuador’s best performers at the World Cup, scoring all three of his national side’s goals.
Sam Allardyce came in for a lot of criticism last season due to his style of play, and the West Ham boss has been pressured into improving on the quality of football at Upton Park next season.
But the transfers made by the club thus far have been promising, with Mauro Zarate having already been signed to improve the team’s fortunes in attack. The capture of Valencia is another step in the right direction.
With the team in need of further additions, here’s a look at six players who could follow Valencia to West Ham.
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Ashley Young
Ashley Young is rumoured to be on am Allardyce’s wish list this summer, with the Manchester United winger taking on a lot of criticism for much of his time at Old Trafford and possibly in need of a change.
West Ham would present a good move for Young, who needs a move away from the spotlight in order to regain the form he showed at Aston Villa. With plenty of attacking options at United, it’s unlikely he’ll see a lot of game time under van Gaal.
Wilfried Zaha
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Wilfried Zaha doesn’t appear to have a future at Manchester United, even with new manager Louis van Gaal on board. A permanent move away may be best for the former Crystal Palace winger.
But West Ham are said to be interested in bringing the youngster back to London, and if his Palace form is anything to go by, the club could be onto something with Zaha, who has already collected an England cap.
Zaha would undoubtedly see regular games at Upton Park, and though it is certainly a step down from where he is at Manchester United, a move like this is the best step for a player in Zaha’s situation.
Jack Rodwell
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Jack Rodwell has had a torrid time since moving to the Etihad, playing little to no part in the club’s title win last season and failing to build on the form he showed while at Goodison Park. The only answer this summer is to seek a move away in order to get regular games under his belt.
At West Ham, Sam Allardyce may be the perfect manager to help Rodwell regain his confidence A reinvigorated Rodwell would do a lot of good at Upton Park, able to provide plenty of drive and creativyt from the midfield.
Rodwell’s career is far from over, and if he can rediscover the form that garnered so much attention while he was at Everton, he’ll be a key player in Sam Allardyce’s team.
Micah Richards
Micah Richards is a target for Liverpool this summer, but West Ham would do equally well to land the Manchester City centre-back.
There’s a good player in the versatile defender, who has suffered from the constant high spend of the owners at Manchester City. But a move to London could see Richards kick start his career, possibly even earning a place in future England squads. The priority for now, however, is to move on from the last few seasons and get his career back on track.
Kostas Mitroglou
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Kostas Mitroglou may end up staying at Fulham this summer, but the Greece international is undoubtedly better than the Championship.
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West Ham were said to be interested in January and may be an option for the 26-year-old, who has barely featured for Fulham since making the switch to the Premier League. Continued into the summer, he offered very little with Greece at the World Cup.
But if his scoring form with Olympiakos is anything to go by, he’d be a good signing for Sam Allardyce this summer, with the need for regular games having been his major problem of late.
Lewis Holtby
A lot was expected of Lewis Holtby upon his arrival at Tottenham from Schalke, but the 23-year-old failed to nail down a regular place before heading to Fulham on loan.
It appears Tottenham will go with what they have in the way of midfield options for next season, but even then, Holtby is surplus to requirements and may need a move away.
Holtby show a lot of promise while in Germany, and for a team like West Ham who are said to be after creative midfielders, Holtby would be the ideal addition.
Under pressure and out of form Charlton headed in to Tuesday’s clash with table topping Cardiff needing points from somewhere, something that seemed impossible following the trouncing they suffered at the hands of Middlesbrough three days previous.
Sitting 21st in the table has made alarm bells ring for some Charlton fans that seem to at any opportunity jump on the team and more importantly Chris Powell’s back.
That seemed like it was going to be the case again after just 25 minutes against Cardiff where they found themselves 2-0 down courtesy of a Helguson header and a Mason tap in. However in this incredible game Charlton didn’t just flake away like most people would have expected with their current form but found themselves back on level terms at the break following a Johnnie Jackson brace.
With the amazing support well and truly behind the Addicks now they made an assault at the Cardiff goal on numerous occasions and completed their comeback on 54 minutes when a forty yard free kick eluded David Marshall and sent the covered end in to absolute delirium.
The goal scoring did not end there though and with Charlton’s tails well and truly up now, Haynes quickly added a fourth which resulted in numerous amounts of Cardiff fans actually head for the exit with the home fans taunts of “Cheerio cheerio”. The home support carried on in full voice and there chants of “ we want five” was duly met with a thumping header from Rob Hulse on 65 minutes.
A shell-shocked Cardiff did start to react by now and had carved a few openings for themselves keeping this a very entertaining game and one which was about to swing the pendulum the other way as the fourth official rose the board to reveal 6 minutes added time, no idea where this came from but Cardiff made the most of it and almost completed the most unlikeliest of comebacks. Firstly Noone cooly took it round Hamer and slotted home to a sarcastic cheer from all corners of the ground but this lifted the Cardiff team and there was time for Gunnarsson to add a Fourth by now Charlton fans could not watch and Cardiff actually almost nicked an amazing equalizer at the death only for Noone to fire just over to the relief of the Charlton fans.
A great night of football at the Valley and one that will live on for a long time, it’s also taken that little bit of pressure of Powell’s shoulders now they have masterminded a great comeback against the league leaders at the time. Next up for Charlton is a trip to Ashton gate to face the struggling Bristol City already being dubbed as a potential “6 pointer”. Charlton will need to be at their best they will know but a win could actually see them rise as far as joint 14th which just goes to show how even this league is.
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The one thing that really lifted Charlton on Tuesday night was the amazing support even at 2-0 down the crowd did not stop singing including a solid first fifteen minutes of “Chrissy Powell’s red and white army”. I’m sure it inspired this amazing night and it really proved that some games the crowd really is the 12th man so come on Charlton fans every game let’s get behind the boys from now on and leave the stick for at home.
England’s squad may lack the star names of years gone by but the healthy atmosphere in the squad and competition for places has given Gareth Southgate no shortage of selection headaches.
Ahead of today’s against Tunisia – his side’s first of World Cup 2018 – the former Middlesbrough manager has had a number of marginal calls to make all over the pitch.
However, it is reassuring for both Southgate and the Three Lions fans that the quality of the players in battle for the starting berths is largely comparable, which could also create healthy rivalry should England progress into the later stages of the competition.
One such dilemma is at right wing-back where, with Kyle Walker permanently moved inside to centre half, the choice is between Tottenham’s Kieran Trippier – valued at £18m by Transfermarkt – and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has enjoyed a sensational season to force himself into Southgate’s thinking.
But who should start as England look to capitalise on some slack starts among the traditional big-hitters and get off to a flier? Let us know by voting below and keep your eyes peeled for the results pre-match…
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To say there’s a mistake in him is something of an understatement.
Eliaquim Mangala has been Manchester City’s weak link in the back line pretty much ever since he arrived in England.
Alongside any of City’s current centre-backs, Mangala looks out of place, and a big-money January move for Aymeric Laporte pretty much shows that despite the Blues’ current comfortable position in the league table, there was a clear need for an upgrade.
That move has allowed the French defender to talk to other clubs and find a transfer of his own, even if it’s just a temporary deal. And Sky Sports News are reporting that Everton are the team ‘confident’ of landing him on loan until the end of the season.
You can see, though, why Evertonians would have reservations about the defender. He is, after all, seen not just as a weak link in the City side, but also as a flop of epic proportions, having been signed for over £30m back when that was a significant outlay even for the Etihad Stadium side.
But there’s a reason why Mangala has looked so shaky, and it’s not because he’s a bad defender.
Indeed, the fact he’s big, powerful and good in the air means he’ll usually have something about him when it comes to keeping the ball away from the goal, but some of his underappreciated qualities include his bravery, his ability to get a block in and his reading of the game, which is better than his ability to sort out his feet suggest.
And yet, the reason all of that wasn’t enough at City is quite simply down to the style of play.
He wasn’t great under Manuel Pellegrini, but the gung-ho style under the former boss coupled with the on-again-off-again fitness of Vincent Kompany meant that anyone would have struggled. Since the arrival of Guardiola, he’s been sidelined mostly because of his lack of ability with the ball at his feet.
Mangala has always been seen as something of a rough diamond, but one which certainly can’t be cut into the John Stones or Gerard Pique mould. Instead, he is a hulking stopper more at home in a team playing with a deep line than one looking to take control of the game, passing and pressing their way to victory. City this season have played with a high line and the Frenchman is clearly uncomfortable with that scenario. But under Sam Allardyce at Everton this season, he might find that this is a new system which suits him quite well.
With no space behind him to worry about, defending on the turn will be less of a problem, and when you take that away and put him into a defence which is well-drilled and competent, like you’d hope Everton’s will be under Allardyce by the end of the season, you might see a very different looking player – one who isn’t forced to do the uncomfortable things, and one who now looks like a commanding presence, not one scared of his own four shadows in the floodlights.
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To sweeten the deal, too, Mangala is a left-sided centre back, of which there aren’t too many around. And with left-back proving a problem position for Allardyce, it’s possible that the City defender could provide an unlikely versatility, potentially even filling in for Leighton Baines at certain times, too.
At the moment, there’s always a mistake in Mangala, but put him in a different context and he might well surprise you. Everton under Allardyce looks as good a place as any. And despite the doom and gloom around Goodison Park this season, there is still hope on the horizon, especially with a clever signing like this one.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has called on his side to take emotion out of the equation to ease to a second Premier League title in three seasons.
The Sky Blues top the table going into the final game of 2013/14, with their impressive recent run having moved them ahead of Liverpool – who have dropped four points in their last two games.
City know that a win – and most likely even a draw – at home to West Ham will see them claim the trophy and complete a domestic double that also includes the Capital One Cup.
In 2012 the Citizens entered the final day of the season with the title on the line and almost lost it to local rivals Manchester United before Sergio Aguero netted a vital injury time goal against QPR to complete a 3-2 victory and claim crown on goal difference.
Kompany was one of the stars of that day, but this time he wants his team to do things the easy way:
“We have been in this situation before. That gives you that little bit of time to take a deep breath and keep an overview of the situation.” He is quoted by the Daily Star.
“Two years ago it felt very full on, the whole game. There were a lot of emotions involved – scoring the first goal, going down – there were too much emotions involved.
“I think this year we will hopefully only have to show our emotions at the end of the game.
“There is no guarantee, that is one thing we have learned, but we have won a lot of games at the Etihad.
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“We just need to put ourselves back in the mindset that we can carry on winning games here.
“I am sure Liverpool players and fans will still hope as well, so therefore we just need to do our job.”
Young Liverpool winger Suso has agreed a new long term deal at Anfield and he claims that it is ‘the best day of his life’, as reported on liverpoolfc.com
Suso has been part of Brendan Rodgers’ redevelopment of the Liverpool squad that has seen youngsters given a chance in the first team and more often than not they have taken it. Although not stating how long the new deal runs for, the youngster is clearly excited by his future on Merseyside.
“I am really happy. Liverpool are one of the biggest clubs in the world and this is the right place for me.
“I am happy Brendan has shown trust in me. I had no questions about signing a new deal and I am really glad to have done so.
“I am comfortable here. I have played some games for the first team and I hope to continue doing that, but I need to work hard every day for that to happen.
“This is one of the best days of my life.”
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