Holland coach Bert van Marwijk is confident his side can beat Germany and avoid early elimination from Euro 2012 when the pair meet in Kharkiv on Wednesday.
A shock defeat at the hands of Denmark in their opening game has left the Dutch teetering on the verge of an early exit from the finals but Van Marwijk believes his side can come out on top against the Germans who have been tipped to win Group B.
However the 60-year-old did admit his unhappiness with the treatment he and his players have got from the Holland media but insisted he is used to fielding criticism as he paid little attention to any negative questioning during his post-match press conference.
“I am used to it by now,” he said. “We are here preparing for one of the most important games in the last few years and so I don’t want to talk about other things.
“The Germans are very strong, but we can beat them, but I won’t tell you how we are going to do that.”
After beating Portugal 1-0 on Saturday night German boss Joachim Low knows a win will guarantee progression to the quarter finals and is debating over whether he should alter the side that won in L’Viv.
Low is aware that a draw or defeat wouldn’t be good enough to secure a place in the knockout stage and emphasised need to stay focused during a fixture that is brimming with historical undertones.
“We have got to ensure we qualify for the next round so it plays no role what their situation is,” he said. “We want to win the game and take a decisive step towards qualifying.”
“For me, the phrase ‘never change a winning team’ does not apply. There are always different situations in which, as a coach, you get the feeling that a change or two may do you good.”
Team News
Joris Mathijsen could replace Ron Vlaar in the Holland defence after returning to full training whilst Klaas Jan Huntelaar could start at the expense of Robin van Persie or Ibrahim Affelay.
Germany have a fully fit squad after Bastien Schweinsteiger came through the Portugal game unscathed despite nursing a calf complaint that kept him out of the pre-tournament friendlies.
Key Player
Arjen Robben
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Despite misfiring against Denmark the Bayern Munich winger is still a vital cog in the Dutch attack. Having operated from the right in the opening game it’s likely Robben pitched there again to keep Germany skipper Phillipe Lahm occupied and create space down the wing for full back Gregory Van der Wiel to exploit.
Mario Gomez
Whether he’s in the game or not Gomez is always a threat and he displayed against Portugal that he only needs one chance to make a difference for Germany. His winning goal against Portugal displayed all the all hallmarks of a top strike and came after a frustrating 72 minutes in which scoring opportunities were scarce justifying Low’s decision to play him ahead of Miroslav Klose.
New Tottenham signing Gylfi Sigurdsson has admitted that a conversation with Andre Villas Boas was enough to convince him to sign for the north London club.
The Icelandic midfielder impressed last term on loan at Swansea, and has been the subject of a transfer wrangle between the Welsh club, Liverpool and Spurs this summer.
Despite this, the talented playmaker has agreed to move to White Hart Lane, and has revealed that a conversation with new club boss Villas Boas swung his decision.
“I like him (Andre Villas-Boas) and the ideas he has,” Sigurdsson told mlb.is, translated to English by Sky Sports.
“He has faith in me and I’m looking forward to working under his leadership.
“I enjoyed playing under Brendan and I am grateful for everything he has done for me, but after careful consideration I liked Spurs best.
“The team has world-class players in their ranks and they play good football, which I like.
“I was impressed with the club’s plans for next season and the coming years. There is clearly great ambition at Tottenham and the club intends to do big things.
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“It is a pleasure to see that Gareth Bale has signed a new contract. There are top players in the team and the club is getting a new training ground,” he concluded.
West Ham are set to try and lure Liverpool striker Andy Carroll to Upton Park by offering him £100,000 per week, Mirror Football report.
The England international forward is thought to be surplus to requirements at Anfield, with Brendan Rodgers willing to part with the burly frontman.
The Hammers want to bring Carroll to London, but it is believed that the player rejected the opportunity to move to Sam Allardyce’s men on loan.
However, West Ham are not taking no for an answer, and will return with a transfer bid for Carroll, and will try to convince him to join by upping his current wages to £100,000 per week.
Meanwhile, West Ham are also closing in on a move for former defender James Collins, The Sun report.
The Wales central defender left the Hammers to move to Aston Villa, but is set for a return to the club in a £2.5 million deal.
A deal for Collins is thought to be on the verge of completion, with confirmation expected on Wednesday.
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West Ham are concluding the final details of Matt Jarvis’ move from Wolves, The Daily Mail report.
The England international winger has been scouted by a number of Premier League sides after the Molineux outfit’s relegation, with the Hammers agreeing a reported fee of £10.75million including add-ons and personal terms with the player.
Sam Allardyce is excited about the club’s new record signing and intends to use Jarvis straight away once a deal is concluded.
“From my point of view it is a big piece of business. I think a quality young man who has got a lot of qualities that will add to the team we have already got,” Allardyce stated.
“When you are trying to create in the Premier League and score goals, he is one of those players who can certainly give defences a really hard time and that is what we are hoping he can do for us.
“This is not a player that is coming in from abroad or coming from a foreign club.
“He had a full pre-season at Wolves, he played on Tuesday night for Wolves and I watched him play against Leeds sat in my office waiting for our first game last week, and was obviously thoroughly impressed with him again.
“He has been a huge success at Wolverhampton Wanderers since his move from Gillingham and we hope he will be as big a success for us as he was for them.
“He is fit, he is eager and he is ready to go.
“This is a player of dribbling skills, pace, trickery, a player that not only provides chances but also relieves pressure on your defence.
“When he takes the ball he will keep hold of it and can take it from one end of the field to the other on his own and then produce a cross.
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“His stats are extremely good and he delivers in the business end of the field,” Allardyce concluded.
Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill was shocked that the Black Cats opening home game of the Premier League season with Reading was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Heavy rain fell over the majority of England, but the Championship game at neighbouring Middlesbrough went ahead without problems which led to Sunderland launching an internal investigation into the issue of why it affected them so badly.
Sunderland were set to let new big money signings Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson loose on the Stadium of Light pitch but both managers agreed with referee Neil Swarbrick that the game shouldn’t go ahead.
Water was left covering the top of the pitch and the drainage system had clearly failed which led to a surprising August abandonment of a Premier League game, quite unheard of until now.
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Martin O’Neill told the Independent: “It’s inexplicable, really. For it [the rain] to lie there there must be a problem with the drains.”
Manchester City could be hit by UEFA’s tougher financial stance, with 23 clubs already having their prize money withheld by Europe’s football governing body. Metro reports.
City, bankrolled by Sheikh Mansour, will have to keep tighter tabs on their spending as European heavyweights; Atletico Madrid, Fenerbahce and Sporting Lisbon are all currently under investigation for failing to state any overdue payments by the end of June.
These clubs have until the end of this month to provide an update on these overdue payments, but will no longer be under investigation once payments have been made in full or a decision is made by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB).
Malaga are the only Champions League club to be affected so far, but City will be worried, with their heavy annual losses likely to cost them when the Financial Fair Play regulations come into force.
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The regulations begin as of next season and clubs are allowed a £36million loss over the first two-season period- a figure which City are set to rapidly exceed with a stated loss of £197million in 2011.
This week saw the return of the Capital One Cup and the third round to be more precise. We have decided to look back at the greatest comebacks since the competition began in 1961.
1961 Final: Aston Villa 3-2 Rotherham United
Lowly Rotherham United made the inaugural League Cup Final in 1961 against all the odds and face high flying Aston Villa over two legs for the trophy.
The Millers secured an unlikely 2-0 victory on their own patch and so the Division Two side just had to hold on at Villa Park to make remarkable history. But it wasn’t to be.
Villa were on their home ground and were a tough team to beat in those days and thanks to a battling performance were able to win 2-0 and take the game to extra time, where Peter McParland scored a dramatic late winner to destroy minnows Rotherham and give Aston Villa the first ever League Cup trophy.
Third Round, 2009 – Stoke City 4-3 Blackpool
Ian Holloway’s Blackpool were a team on the up, battling for promotion to the Premier League and hoping to follow in the footsteps on Stoke City who had achieved that, but this night in the cup saw very little between the sides.
Blackpool goals from David Vaughan and Billy Clarke looked enough to send the visitors through to the last 16 but with 15 minutes go Danny Higginbotham grabbed a lifeline for Stoke.
A quick-fire double from Matty Etherington and Ricardo Fuller turned the tie on its head and it was now Stoke who looked set for the next round. An 82nd minute equaliser from Ben Burgess looked to be enough to send the game to extra time but Andy Griffin’s 96th minute winner stunned the Seasiders and sent the Potters through despite being 2-0 down with 15 minutes left.
1988 Final: Arsenal 2-3 Luton
The one and only time Luton Town have ever won the League Cup was possibly one of the most memorable games in the competitions history.
Town were massive underdogs going up against the mighty Arsenal at Wembley but took a surprising lead through Brian Stein early on in the game, shocking the Gunners fans. However, from then on it was all Arsenal and the favourites bagged two quick goals to put them firmly in control of the final through Martin Hayes and Alan Smith.
George Graham’s men seemed even more likely to go on and lift the trophy in the second half as the Gunners were awarded a penalty to put the tie beyond doubt. But, Hatters legend Andy Dibble pulled off a great save to deny Nigel Winterburn and the momentum well and truly swung Luton’s way.
Danny Wilson soon equalised for the underdogs and a dramatic late winner from Stein completed a surging second half comeback from Luton to win the League Cup.
Third Round, 2001: Liverpool 1 Grimsby Town 2
As far as quick-fire turnarounds go Grimsby Town have got to be the appreciated after holding Liverpool to a goalless draw at Anfield the game was in to extra time and the division two side were looking tired after giving it their all for 90 minutes.
Liverpool seemed to have finally put the game to bed when Gary McAllister smashed home a penalty in front of the Kop to break the hearts of the travelling Town fans, but Grimsby didn’t give up there.
A stunning second half of extra time saw the minnows snatch an unlikely equaliser through Marlon Broomes and just as the game looked to be heading to penalties, Phil Jevons popped up to win it for the visitors and knock out the holders Liverpool.
1967 Final: QPR 3-2 West Brom
In 1967 the League Cup was held at the national stadium Wembley for the first time after the scrapping of the two legged final and this year saw one of the greatest comebacks and shocks in the history of the competition.
Third division Queens Park Rangers from Loftus Road had the mighty task of overcoming current holders of the League Cup, West Bromwich Albion in a classic game in London.
The major underdogs seemed out of the game at half time thanks to two goals from Clive Clark giving Albion a 2-0 lead going into the break. But like most underdogs, QPR didn’t know when they were beaten and came out for one of the most incredible 45 minutes of their history.
The battling performance paid off and goals from Roger Morgan and Rodney Marsh somehow brought the minnows level going into the final ten minutes, where a superb striker from Mark Lazarus gave Rangers a shock win after a stunning comeback.
Second Round, 2009 – Newcastle United 4-3 Huddersfield Town
Despite having a rough time of it in the league, Newcastle were still hot favourites to overcome League One side Huddersfield Town at St James Park in the second round.
Things seemed to be going to plan with Danny Guthrie putting the hosts in front and with an experienced side being fielded by manager Chris Hughton the third round was almost in sight. However, brave Huddersfield kicked into life at the end of the first half and a brace from youngster Theo Robinson turned the tie on its head just before half time.
The visitors quickly added a third through Jordan Rhodes after the break and it seemed Newcastle’s form was going from bad to worst.
With the favourites seemingly dead and buried at 3-1 down a marvellous Geremi goal sparked them back into life and a late Shola Ameobi penalty followed by a Kevin Nolan header at the death somehow gave Newcastle the vital victory.
First Round, 2010 – Shrewsbury Town 4-3 Charlton Athletic
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Recently relegated Charlton Athletic were still a whole division about their counterparts on this cold evening in September 2010, but the action was more Premier League than Football League as the hosts came from 3-0 down to snatch a 4-3 win.
Three goals in the first half hour from the Addicks looked to have the game in the bag but a sterling come back began just before half time as Jake Robinson smashed home from close range to spark the hosts into life.
An O.G. and an O’Donnell strike somehow pulled the Shrews level with 25 minutes left and cup specialist Matt Harrold headed home a dramatic winner with just over ten minutes left to eliminate Charlton and complete the comeback.
Round Two, 2012 – Derby County 5-5 Scunthorpe United (P)
Possibly the greatest comeback ever, let alone in the League Cup as League One strugglers Scunthorpe came from 3-0 and 4-1 down to defeat Championship Derby on penalties earlier this season.
A comfortable opening 50 minutes for the fancied hosts saw goals from Richard Keogh, Jake Buxton and Theo Robinson have them 3-0 up and in the hat for Round Three. Maybe not.
Andy Barcham grabbed a conciliation goal for The Iron with 35 minutes to play, only for that to be cancelled out a minute later by Buxton’s second putting the Rams 4-1 up.
The real drama then unfolded with Mike Grella and Bobby Grant dragging Scunny back into the tie only for Derby to once again break away and steal another goal through Nathan Tyson, 5-3 with six minutes to go.
The game looked to be over as the fourth official raised his board for time added on, but simultaneously the visitors were awarded a penalty for handball and Grant smashed home his second to set up a nervy end for Derby. The script was ripped up once again as Connor Jennings snatched an unbelievable stoppage time equaliser to take the game to extra time.
A quiet 30 minutes resulted in a penalty shoot-out and having made that incredible comeback, there was no way Scunthorpe were going to let it go now and Tom Naylor missed the crucial penalty for Derby to send Scunthorpe through.
The first real feeling of victory for the Daggers this season did not actually come from the collection of three points. Going away from home and showing spirit to pick up something from the (often) long journeys up and down the country epitomises the minimum requirement to put a successful League Two campaign together.
The feeling of one point gained rather than two lost was certainly in abundance after goals from Michael Spillane and Sam Williams ensured the Daggers with a 2-2 draw from a team playing in League One last season-Rochdale. A slight weight had undoubtedly been lifted off the shoulders of the players. To fully realise the potential of increasingly good performances, the players needed to take the three points from the next game at home to Gareth Ainsworth’s Wycombe, and take three points they did. A convincing 3-0 win was long overdue and put some minds expecting the Daggers to have another season of struggle to rest.
Whatever ‘glamour’ teams can amass in League Two comes from a victory in front of a welcoming home crowd. Far from this glamour is a hundreds of miles round trip on a Tuesday night for fans and players alike when you’re expected to lose to one of the form teams in the league. However, in the last away match against Port Vale the young fought valiantly to a 1-1 draw at Vale Park, brilliant away point. There was some luck in the goal from Luke Howell which I’m sure everyone that has seen it will agree with, but in football we know luck does come into play on both sides, good and bad.
The most recent pilgrimage to Victoria Road was one of the best games I have personally seen, not just in Dagenham terms but all games I’ve witnessed. Ironically it was the first time my friend had come to see a Daggers game with me, good omen perhaps? The 4-3 victory over Bradford was a thrilling game that more importantly the Daggers came out with the points from. Whilst the team showed naivety in the second half, the quality of goals was something you’d pay to see at any level of the beautiful game. Beating a club like Bradford is always a good victory regardless of circumstances in the match. I write this article as a very optimistic fan, and long may the optimism continue.
Follow me on twitter @scottycrowe92
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As England prepare to play two more World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland in the coming week, former Arsenal and France legend Patrick Vieira has argued that young English players no longer dream of playing for their country, according to the Daily Mail.
Vieira has argued that he is often staggered by the number of 16 to 21 year olds who pull out of the England junior and senior sides due to minor injuries and then appear for their clubs the following weekend. He says that as a youngster he couldn’t get enough of playing for France and although he loved Arsenal, France was always his priority.
So is there any substance in what Vieira is saying? This is not the first time someone in the game has remarked about the lack of ambition shown by young English players to play for their country. In February 2011, Phil Neville branded some of the England under-21’s ‘disgraceful’ following 12 withdrawals in a friendly against Italy under-21. To this extent I believe both Vieira and Neville have a point. I think there has become a culture within the English game where players are too easily withdrawing from England squads so that they’re match fit for their club. This simply shouldn’t happen. Call me old-fashioned, but whether it’s a friendly against Georgia or a qualifier against Armenia, surely the pinnacle for your country?
I believe that the ongoing problem regarding international withdrawals in the under-21 game has come as a result of emulating the senior squads. This doesn’t always apply to all players who have picked up genuine injuries whilst training with England. However, in conducting my own research on this, I looked at the last five England squads that have been called up dating back to England’s 3-2 defeat to Holland in February and through to their recent qualifiers at Moldova and Ukraine last month. I found that in the past five squads, an England player has pulled out on 14 occasions. Several of these withdrawals have occurred from the younger generation i.e. Kyle Walker (Holland), Tom Cleverley (Holland), Theo Walcott (Italy), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Italy), and Daniel Sturridge (Italy). It just appears convenient to me that the withdrawals by the youngsters have come in friendlies, but should that matter?
I also think there are other possibilities as to why the younger generation are not as keen to play for England. The relationship between the England supporters and the fans has been poor now for as long as I can remember, perhaps to such an extent, that the job of playing for England has become a bit of a poisoned chalice. Whilst the media must take some responsibility for this unfortunate state of affairs, so must the current crop of players. In the past ten years, England has had some of the most disliked personnel representing the country in the history of the game. Often embroiled in scandals, the likes of Ashley Cole, John Terry and Wayne Rooney have made the national team hard to warm to. As a result, youngsters growing up in this era are perhaps keen to shy away from the unprecedented negative media attention that these players attract. The recent mention of a code of conduct exemplifies the point I am trying to make.
By the same token, premature international retirements have also set a bad example for youngsters. This has been happening for the past decade now. From Alan Shearer and Paul Scholes through to Ben Foster and Jamie Carragher, these players have made their statements that they don’t value playing for England as much as they should. As a result, they have diminished the respectability of wearing the England shirt.
I also wonder whether the modern day football is sometimes restricted by the changing dynamics of the game. Such is the intensity and the obsession with the Premier Leauge in recent years that perhaps means the national game has been pushed into the background as a consequence. Every time England are knocked out of a major tournament either Alan Hansen or Gareth Southgate will pop up and say something like ‘If you’re going to have a great national team you need to start sacrificing the quality of the Premier League’. But I don’t think this is particularly an issue. La Liga and Spain are the perfect example of being able to have a great domestic league and a great national team.
I think that more of a problem in the Premier League is the club’s manager’s distain for international football, in other words, the club versus country row. One of the great culprits of this is Arsene Wenger who seems to have a problem with every single player that plays for their country like the national set-up have committed an act of treason for fielding one of his players. I believe that this sort of over protectionism at club level has deterred young players from aspiring for their countires. So, in this sense, an argument may be that it isn’t so much that they don’t want to play for England, but they can’t play for England.
This has been a pretty negative article but I do believe there is light at the end of the tunnel, coincidentally with the opening of England’s new base in Burton, St. George’s Park. I think we now have a centre which will instil a bit more closeness and continuity in the England set-up and hopefully it will make the young players coming through a bit more attracted to playing for their country.
Also I believe it is important not to generalise all young players who do have genuine ambitions of being successful at international level. For example, James Milner is a great example of dedication to the cause at under-21 and international level.
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So do you agree with what Patrick Vieira’s view that youngsters don’t love playing for England? Or do you think that they are given a bad press?
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Former Arsenal defender Frank McLintock has revealed that the club are drifting at present and that having to wait two more years for success is not good enough, talkSPORT report.
McLintock was commenting after Arsenal’s AGM yesterday, where Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis claimed that success was not around the corner and that the club knew this when they moved to the Emirates Stadium.
“I think they’re drifting,
“They didn’t tell us [when they built the Emirates] it would take between seven and 12 years to start to achieve success.”
“We keep on selling our best players and bring in other players that are not quite up to the same standard and you have to be extremely lucky to continue to do that season after season. You might get away with it once or twice but you won’t get away with it four or five times.
“There is a lack of transparency. It would be nice if [Arsene] Wenger or the board came out and said this is the situation we’re in, these are our plans, it might take another year or two but this is where we’re going to go. But we don’t know. It’s always promises, promises and then in the end it’s disappointing.”
McLintock went on to discuss Arsenal’s on the field worries that can’t continue for much longer.
“The top four is essential, it really is, because you get so much money if you stay in there. But for a club like Arsenal that’s not enough,
“We have the most expensive tickets, the most expensive food and drink, but we don’t put top quality players on the pitch, so why are we playing so much for so little for so long?
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“Getting in the top four [every season] is a great record, but he needs a cup and how are we going to compete with these top teams and when is it going to happen?”