Diaby a doubt for Arsenal September 10, 2012 ARSENAL midfielder Abou Diaby’s fitness is again a concern for the club after France manager Didier Deschamps revealed that he has suffered a new muscular injury. Diaby’s career has been regularly undermined by a succession of injuries and the latest will keep him from today’s World Cup qualifier at home to Belarus and potentially from [...]
Premier League clubs’ appetite for recruiting best foreign striking talent has taken its toll September 6, 2012 POSSESSION is the key area in which England must improve, so I was happy to see Roy Hodgson adopt an ability-over-age policy in selecting his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova, tonight, and Ukraine. Sometimes we discard older players too readily but the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Michael Carrick have [...]
Profits surge at Hargreaves as founder leaves September 5, 2012 HARGREAVES Lansdown founder Peter Hargreaves yesterday criticised big consumer companies for failing to treat customers as individuals. Hailing a “sparkling” set of full year results for the firm, he said clients’ trust in the firm had boosted its performance, a factor he said was all too readily neglected by other consumer and financial firms with [...]
Owen grabs lifeline and signs pay-as-you-play Stoke deal September 4, 2012 FORMER England striker Michael Owen insists he cannot wait to play again after yesterday securing a return to the Premier League by joining Stoke City on a one-year deal. Owen, a free agent since being released by Manchester United at the end of June, has been hampered by injuries in recent seasons but is hopeful [...]
Gunners recruits find feet as Rodgers rues Carroll absence September 2, 2012 LIVERPOOL (0) vs ARSENAL (2) ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger hailed a colossal midfield performance from Abou Diaby after the Gunners plundered their first Premier League win of the season and turned up the heat on new Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers. Summer signings Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla neatly teed each other up for a goal [...]
Goalless Gunners set to be shut out again at Anfield August 30, 2012 THEY say ‘In Arsene we trust’, but the patience of Arsenal fans must be wearing pretty thin. The dust mites in the Emirates trophy cabinet have had the run of the place for so long now that they have probably been joined by woodworm and it looks like another summer transfer window will slam shut [...]
Top flight clubs look to buy before 11pm transfer deadline August 30, 2012 PREMIER League transfer activity yesterday began to build to it’s traditional dramatic transfer window climax ahead of today’s 11pm deadline, with every club desperate to continue to strengthen to the last. A wave of momentum has built over the last 48 hours in the pursuit of myriad transfers that have both already been completed and [...]
Man City handed nightmare European draw August 30, 2012 PREMIER League holders Manchester City face a difficult task if they are to avoid another early Champions League exit, while Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United will all be hopeful of progressing to the latter stages following yesterday’s group stage draw. City were placed in the fabled Group of Death, with Roberto Mancini’s side taking on [...]
City could face Juve, Real and Dortmund August 29, 2012 THE group stage draw for this season’s Uefa Champions League will take place today, with the 32 teams allocated into four pots based on their Uefa coefficient. All 32 teams will be drawn into eight groups of four, but teams from the same country and same pot cannot be drawn against each other. Given Premier [...]
Walcott waits for Arsenal exit after rejecting new contract August 28, 2012 ARSENAL are facing the loss of a third key player this summer after England winger Theo Walcott rejected the latest contract offer from the Gunners. Manchester City are thought to be ready to bid for the 23-year-old, with Arsene Wenger forced to sell a player he signed as a teenager or risk losing him for [...]