Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has dropped a huge hint that he is considering leaving the club before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.
The 26-year-old Togo international only joined the Citizens a year ago from Arsenal, but says that he fears becoming a back-up player at Eastlands, despite scoring 14 goals in 31 appearances last term.
Adebayor is quoted as telling Tuttosport:"Juventus are a great club at which I would like to play.
"Until some time ago I would not have accepted a transfer to other clubs.
"I wanted to wear the City shirt and have a better season compared to last year, but I know there will not be many chances for me and so I am considering the many offers I have received.
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"I am sorry to leave the Premier League, but in Europe there are other top leagues."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
He’s just 21 years old and has over 100 league appearances under his belt; Jack Cork has been very busy over the last few years improving his game. Having been loaned to Burnley again this season, Cork’s future at Chelsea FC is in the balance.
Cork joined Chelsea at the tender age of nine and since then he has worked his way up through the ranks. He has also played a key role in the England youth set up. Cork captained the Under 19 squad through to the 2008 European Championships and has since been called up several times for the Under 21’s.
To have over 100 league appearances at the age of 21 shows that Cork is serious about his football. He hasn’t minded going out on loan to numerous clubs, he’s gained experienced and it’s helped his game. He’s played for Bournemouth, Scunthorpe, Watford, Coventry and Burnley, where he’s currently on loan. Burnley manager Brian Laws was delighted to have him back at Turf Moor. “We know he’s a good quality player,” Laws told the Burnley website, “he’s hungry and had a great experience with us last season.”
Cork has reached the age in which he will soon need to make a difficult choice. At the end of last season Jack’s dad was quoted saying that Jack wanted to leave Chelsea and was willing to move down the leagues. Rumours then spread that Chelsea were looking at offers of around £2 million pounds for the young talent. After all this gossip many people were surprised when Cork re-joined Burnley on a season long loan.
Cork will eventually need to make a decision if it’s not made for him. Having played at Chelsea since the age of nine Cork will have a lot of loyalty to a club which he’s been brought up at. In saying this Cork needs to be realistic, the Premier League is home to talented players and he needs to decide if he can play football in the top flight. Cork clearly has enough talent to play in the Championship but it’s questionable whether he can maintain a first team place in a Premier League team. Chelsea may choose to cash in on the player sooner rather than later, it depends how much they value his talent and whether they see a future for him with Chelsea.
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The best example of a player who made it at Chelsea after the youth set up is John Terry. He worked hard as Cork has and is now captaining Chelsea to success. The only problem is that for every John Terry there are numerous young players that work hard and get released or transferred for little money. Whether in the Premier League or the Championship Cork has a future in football and not many 21 year olds can say that.
Sol has in fact been joined by a veritable host of celebrities – Camilla Dallerup, Watchdog presenter Julia Bradbury, Live From Studio Five host Kate Walsh, Christopher Biggins, former Atomic Kitten star Liz McLarnon, Channel 4’s A Place In The Sun host Jasmine Harman, former EastEnders actress Lucy Benjamin, cricketer Jimmy Anderson in some revealing black and white shots being released in a bid to get members of the public to clear their wardrobes to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.
The Give Up Clothes for Good campaign is a nationwide clothing and homeware collection scheme, with proceeds going to the fight against childhood cancers. The campaign has been held every other year since 2004 and is supported by discount retailers TK Maxx and HomeSense.
Nicolas Anelka believes Chelsea's impressive start to the new season can be traced back to continuity.
The Blues are the only Premier League team to boast a 100 per cent record following the first four games of the season.
On Wednesday night they thrashed MSK Zilina 4-1 in the Champions League to begin their European campaign on a strong footing.
During the summer transfer window, manager Carlo Ancelotti was quiet in the transfer market after adding just Ramires and Yossi Benayoun to his squad to replace released quartet Deco, Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti.
And it is that sense of continuity which Anelka believes is responsible for their early-season form.
He explained: "We didn't change the team very much. That means everybody knows each other, which makes it easier for everybody. So maybe that's why we seem to be doing so well."
Speaking about the strength of the Stamford Bridge squad, the French striker added:"A lot of players will sometimes be on the bench to rest this season and everybody knows that.
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"It's because we have so many games and we know it's going to be a tough season. Everybody accepts it, because we want to win. Chelsea have a lot of big players who can all score, which is good for the club.
"We try to do it on the pitch and show it to everyone who is watching. It's good for the confidence of the team. The side against whom we're going to play knows everybody can score, so maybe they will be scared."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
With Wayne Rooney set on leaving the green grass of Old Trafford for pastures slightly greener elsewhere, we count down 10 other players whose moves from one club to another never met the perceived image they had in their heads.
I’ll also be throwing in a couple of unfamiliar faces, whose failed moves should not be missed!
Click on West Ham misfit Joey Beauchamp to get the ball rolling
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Now we’ve seen it. A short list of players that thought they were able to fulfil their desires, improve their finances and shockingly fight the horrible feeling of being homesick! So heres a message for you Mr Rooney. Think long and hard before you make potentially the biggest mistake of your life!
Now it’s inevitable that I’ve forgotten players who thought the grass was greener elsewhere. Let me know!
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Chelsea haven’t exactly lamented the absence of Frank Lampard who has missed Chelsea’s last 12 matches, out of these games Chelsea have won nine, drawn one and lost two. This record would be a favourable one even with Lampard in the starting line-up, but without him, it goes to show how capable Chelsea are of continuing winning ways even if they do miss Lampard’s influence. The likes of Florent Malouda, Michael Essien and new arrival Ramires have filled the void left by Lampard without any signs of longing for his return. Having scored 27 goals in the Premiership and sitting commandingly at the head to the pack by five points, it seems as though Lampard might have been watching the games at home with a slight doubt over his starting prominence when he returns.
Do Chelsea need Lampard within their ranks at present or should they continue as they are, not wishing to disrupt the team? This question strikes as a non sequiter due to the fact that just because Chelsea are progressing without Lampard, it doesn’t follow that upon his return from fitness that they’ll be reluctant to play him. It should be self-evident what an exceptionally consistent and gifted player Lampard is after having scored 22 goals last season and having scored twenty or more goals for five consecutive seasons in all competitions. In the 2007-08 season when Lampard played a mere twenty-four games, as opposed to the regular thirty-five plus in all other seasons, Chelsea missed him in their bid for the Premiership and finished second.
Carlo Ancelotti confirms how auspicious it is to have Lampard in the squad by having said that Chelsea aren’t at full strength without him, when speaking he said: “The team has been doing very well without him, but when he comes back we will have a stronger team.” With the incessant amount of games a successful club has, the return of a star player such as Lampard is welcomed with arms opened so far wide you’d be reminiscent of a certain Stretch Armstrong.
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However, the thirty-two year old could be worth cashing in on and investing the money in a replacement. This imposed experiment has shown that Chelsea can survive without him and not only survive but flourish also, I ask then, would it be a worthwhile thought to entertain?
He has won every major trophy with Chelsea apart from that elusive Champions League title that is lusted after more than any at present by The Blues. He has three years left on his contract, which rises to a peak of £140,000 before being reduced in the final two years. Does this suggest that during those two final years of his contract, he may start learning a foreign language? If Chelsea win the Champions League this year and there is every possibility of that, Lampard will have won all there is and may be motivated to seek new experiences abroad.
Life after Lampard will have to be addressed in the coming years and possibly even sooner if my musings come to fruition. He is without question, when fit, one of the first names on the team sheet and will be in the coming weeks a massive boost for Ancelotti.
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The inclusion of Cardiff City striker Jay Bothroyd in the England squad may have come as a shock to many, including yours truly. But what I found truly shocking was that the dearth of English striking talent in the Premier League is so evident, Fabio Capello had to go into the second tier of English football to complete his squad.
Now I mean no disrespect to the Football League, but when choosing a national team, especially one of England’s respective calibre, you would tend to seek out your players from the upper echelons of the ‘Premier’ (hence the name) League in your country, and if they were unavailable, then you should look to the middle and lower sections of the table to find suitable replacements. Capello clearly saw no fit replacements in these clubs. So much so, that he felt it imperative to continue his search at the top of the Championship.
With the likes of Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent out injured, Capello has had his hands tied somewhat over the issue of strikers for the friendly against France, but what does the inclusion of Bothroyd say to the likes of Kevin Davies and Carlton Cole (even if Cole has since been called up to the squad as a ‘replacement’)?
What it says is that they are not good enough, and neither are any of the other English striking options in the Premier League. With their new squad rules, the FA are trying to get more English talent through the ranks at club level in the Premier League, but with the inclusion of Bothroyd in the squad, can these new rules be seen as closing the gate after the horse has bolted?
We have of course seen the Football League represented before in the recent past when Preston North End striker David Nugent was included in Steve McLaren’s squad to face Andorra in March 2007. At the time this decision seemed more like McLaren was giving lip service to the lower leagues rather than anything else, but Capello’s inclusion of Bothroyd seems slightly more serious.
I realise the France game is only a friendly and it is only fair to give in-form strikers the opportunity to shine whether they ply their trade in the Premier League or elsewhere, but Capello’s move to include Bothroyd in his squad is a damning indictment of the English strikers available to him in our nation’s top league. What also remains to be seen is whether the Kevin Davies’ of this world will see Bothroyd’s inclusion as an incentive, or an insult.
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Chelsea are already being linked with players for the January transfer window and next summer, but should Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger be the Blues’ number one target at the end of the current term?
I personally feel that the Germany midfielder is a perfect fit for Chelsea’s system and would help fill a void which has opened up since the likes of Michael Ballack, Deco, Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti have left the club.
Chelsea have been missing a key man in midfield in Frank Lampard for much of the current campaign due to injury and it is worrying that there is no ready replacement in place. Josh McEachran has won plaudits when he has had the opportunity, but at 17-years of age he needs more time to develop as a player without the pressure of stepping into big shoes like Frank’s.
Schweinsteiger has caught the eye of many admirers during his time with Bayern Munich both domestically and in the Champions League, but it was his displays in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup that led to many calls from Chelsea fans appealing to the west London club to sign the 26-year-old. The Stamford Bridge outfit were even linked to him pre-tournament after Ballack’s departure was confirmed.
The midfielder impressed in South Africa and was in my opinion one of the players of the tournament. He bossed the midfield for a young and exuberant Germany team that ended up finishing in 3rd place, with one of his best moments in the competition being the superb run and low cross which setup Arne Friedrich’s tap-in for Germany’s third goal against Diego Maradona’s Argentina side.
Schweinsteiger has been successful in a deep-lying midfield role, similar to the role played by Ballack towards the end of his time with Chelsea (a role which Jon Obi Mikel has made his mark on), but the Bayern man is also capable of playing a more offensive midfield position or even in a wider role. Due to his versatility he would arguably be well suited to the Blues’ 433 formation and Ancelotti’s originally preferred diamond option.
He has been at Bayern Munich for the entirety of his professional career, so it could be tough to prise him away and that is made especially hard considering the fact it is Real Madrid who are favourites for his signature should he leave Germany. Roman Abramovich has been rather frugal in the transfer market in recent years, but Schweinsteiger is a genuine world-class talent and could be worth the hefty price tag… I realise under current circumstances this is unikely, but I live in hope.
Schweinsteiger has never really been prolific himself, but can chip in with the odd goal (38 goals in 324 Bayern Munich games). More impressive are the amount of assists he makes (62 in his Bayern career). He has also earned 84 caps for his country and has scored 21 goals.
Who would you like to see the club go for (if anyone) in January or the summer?
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One story will undoubtedly dominate in the run up to this game which will prove handy for Roy Hodgson, who’ll welcome the distraction from his side’s terrible away record this season. He’s unlikely to escape the questions altogether but with Alan Pardew taking up more of the column inches, Hodgson can focus more on repeating the level of performance which saw his side cruise past Aston Villa at Anfield on Monday. Something which he’s struggled to do so far this season. And pretty much every other season he’s managed in the Premier League.
If positives can be found in Liverpool’s away record it comes from their last four games. Other than the disappointing showing against Stoke, they looked good for 45 minutes at White Hart Lane, handed Bolton their only home defeat of the season and picked up a point against Wigan. It’s not exactly title winning form but if Liverpool can start picking up more points away from Anfield then his hopes of making it in to one of the Champions League places come the end of the season may not be as slim as they currently appear. Especially not if some wise purchases are made in January.
The big question for this weekend’s game is just what effect the senseless sacking of Chris Hughton followed by seemingly equally senseless appointment of Alan Pardew will be on the players. If, as expected, recent events cause turmoil in the St James’ dressing room, Liverpool could continue their recent good record over Newcastle and secure just their second away win of the season at evens.
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Strangely it was without Gerrard, Torres and Carragher that the reds put in one of their more impressive displays of the season, albeit against a Villa side with a similarly poor away record. Not having them in the side, particularly Gerrard and Torres, will allow other players to take a more prominent role. Mareilles has more freedom to get forward from midfield and Babel may play from the start instead of getting ten minutes at the end of games, a situation which seems more conducive to getting a good performance from him. The Dutch player finished well against Villa and is possibly a better option than Ngog to partner Torres if Hodgson opts to play two up top.
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Top Odds:
Babel at 6/1 to score first is worth a look. Kyrgiakos at 9/1 to score anytime or even 25/1 to score first. Liverpool -1 goal at 11/4 could be a winner. The Reds have also won three of the last four by a scoreline of 3-0 which is a 17/1 shot. Liverpool to win at evens.
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As the Carling Cup semi-finals get underway this week, the old adage of the competition being second rate seems far from the truth. All four teams left in the cup will see it as a massive chance to win some silverware. Considering the debate over the importance of the much loved FA Cup which accompanies the third round every year, are we looking at the new trophy to win?
If you ask any fan up and down the country, they will tell you they would much rather see their side lift the famous FA Cup, I’m sure the players would as well. History would prove though, that as the big teams become stronger, any club outside of the top six stand very little chance of making it anywhere near Wembley.
So realistically, do the rest of the club managers look more favourably upon the Carling Cup? The likes of Chelsea rarely play their best team so the chances of beating them are automatically increased. Manchester United may have won it twice in the last two years, but in both seasons, the likes of Tottenham who faced them in the quarter-finals in 2010 saw it as a chance missed given Sir Alex Ferguson’s team selection.
Speaking to a Man City fan, he often wonders why Roberto Mancini hasn’t done more to try and get the trophy to Eastlands as it would send out huge signals that Manchester City are ready to win silverware. Until they do manage to win a competition, they will have to live with the burden of spending so much with few rewards, so why not the Carling Cup?
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So for Birmingham City, West Ham and even Arsenal, this week’s fixtures could be the biggest of the season. What would it say about how far Birmingham have come in the last few years if they could make it to a final of a domestic cup? Likewise it would provide a welcome distraction and maybe even a boost for West Ham after a disastrous season whilst as little as he may think of the cup itself, Arsene Wenger needs a trophy sooner rather than later. This isn’t to rule out Ipswich Town altogether – similar to West Ham it would certainly take their mind off league matters but as good as it would be for the game if a Championship club could make it to Wembley, they have a very tall order.
And what about the players themselves? Will there ever be a better chance for the likes of Mark Noble or Steven Carr to win a major honour?
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The competition was introduced with an American format in order to increase the excitement of a knock-out competition. There has to be a winner on the day of every round, apart from the two-legged semi, of course. It never did achieve such status as the fixtures fans dare not miss, but are we now starting to see the importance of the cup often disregarded?
You will often hear the Carling Cup described as the ‘Mickey Mouse’ competition but for all teams involved, there is nothing funny about getting through to the final. Whichever of the four sides go on to lift the trophy, I’m sure they will agree that the Carling Cup is definitely worth being part of.
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