Germany coach Joachim Low is anticipating an "incredibly dangerous" England when the two old foes go head-to-head in the last 16 of the World Cup.
England's 1-0 victory over Slovenia and Germany's own 1-0 success over Ghana on Wednesday set-up another meeting between the nations in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
Despite not anticipating a meeting with England until the latter stages of the competition, Low has watched England's three group games with great interest and is expecting another monumental encounter between two European powerhouses.
"We are looking forward to taking on England, it's always special for us," he said.
"There is a great history in the World Cup between England and Germany.
"I've watched England's matches so far, they were struggling in the first two matches but that is quite normal, sometimes you only pick up speed as you go through the tournament.
"They haven't shown the best of form so far but make no mistake, this is a wonderful team.
"England have enormous experience so this team is going to be incredibly dangerous."
Meanwhile, Low believes Wayne Rooney is "ready to explode" despite the Manchester United striker drawing a blank on his three World Cup appearances in South Africa so far.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
He added:"Rooney may not have been a big gun so far but he is always ready to explode.
"He is difficult to mark and control so our defence will need to watch that he doesn't score."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
From World Cup winners to being on the brink of being knocked out of the World Cup at the group stages, the France squad certainly has undergone a dramatic change in recent years. Now with reports suggesting that some players might even refuse to play in today’s match against South Africa which could decide whether or not France progress past the group stage of the World Cup shows just how far the team has fallen. The big question on everyone’s mind is how a nation that was so revered for its talented players and success become an embarrassment to football?
In 1998 against all expectations France managed to lift the World Cup in their own country by beating Brazil 3-0 in the final. It proved to be a momentous occasion for the French and they would go on to reach even more success by winning Euro 2000 after defeating Italy in the final with a golden goal. They became the first side since West Germany in 1974 to hold both the World Cup and the Euro titles; however they would then go on to lose both in abysmal fashion. In the 2002 World Cup France crashed out of the group stages without scoring a single goal and finishing bottom of the group with only 1 point, a situation which threatens to repeat itself in 2010. In Euro 2004 they started strongly but went out in the quarter-finals by Greece. Despite them becoming the eventual tournament winners, with France’s superior quality they should have been able to deal with them.
For the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign France hired long-serving under 21 manager, Raymond Domenech to guide them through. His selection of players based on their star signs raised a lot of eyebrows, but nevertheless France were able to qualify for the tournament proper. After a slow start in the group stage Domenech was put under pressure but managed to get France into the World Cup final where they faced Italy. In a hard fought game against the Italians the match reached a turning point, with the scores level at 1-1 and the game deep into extra time, France captain Zinedine Zidane was sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi and ended the final match of his career in disgrace. France went on to lose the match 5-3 on penalties and arguably ever since Zidane’s red card the team has never been the same again.
Continue reading on page 2
Euro 2008 followed and France had an almost identical outcome to the 2002 World Cup, they finished bottom of the group with just a point, managing however to score a solitary goal. Italy proved to be their tormentors once again by defeating them in the final group game 2-0, which decided who would progress out of the group along with Holland. Immediately following the match Domenech bizarrely proposed to his girlfriend live on national television during his post-match interview! Somehow despite constant public pressure Domenech kept his job and lead France’s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. The campaign culminated in a play-off with France facing the Republic Of Ireland to determine who would be going to South Africa. The second-leg ended up going into extra time where controversially Thierry Henry handled the ball in the area before passing to William Gallas to score the match winner.
The result sparked mass outrage and there were calls for the game to be replayed but FIFA refused to let this happen and Raymond Domenech believed that his side had done nothing wrong. Now in the final game of the World Cup group stage France need to win against South Africa and hope that Mexico and Uruguay don’t end up drawing.
There has been a huge amount of turmoil in the last few days surrounding the France squad, the problems started when Nicolas Anelka was sent home from the squad after swearing at Raymond Domenech at half-time during France’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico for allegedly playing him out of position. The next day captain Patrice Evra got into a training ground confrontation with trainer Robert Duverne as he believed that he was the man responsible for leaking the Anelka story to the press. The team then refused to train for that day and it lead to the team’s managing director, Jean-Louis Valentin announcing his resignation short afterwards. Raymond Domenech has said that there is a possibility that some players could boycott the game against South Africa; the latest news is that Patrice Evra has been dropped from the team.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Even if France managed to pull together and progress from their group, you feel that their fans would rather see them eliminated as a result of this scandal. Clearly France are in complete disarray and all they can do now is look to the future and hope that they can put this whole escapade behind them and move on to a new era with impending manager Laurent Blanc.
What do you make of the problems surrounding France?
Argentina international Emiliano Insua is on the verge of leaving Liverpool and signing for Fiorentina as Reds boss Roy Hodgson steps up his search for a new left-back.
Fabio Aurelio was released earlier in the summer, leaving Hodgson without a senior left-back.
The former Fulham boss said:"We're short and that is going to be one of the priorities. We need to find a replacement for Emiliano and Fabio. That's one job we'll have to do.
"As far as we understand, the deal (for Insua) has been completed between the clubs and his agent is sorting out personal terms. Maybe it was the right time for him to move on."
Meanwhile, Hodgson has played down speculation linking Javier Mascherano with a move away from Anfield.
The Argentina international is currently on holiday after his exertions in the World Cup but has spoken at length of his desire to leave Merseyside, with Inter Milan his preferred destination.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
However, Hodgson added:"He doesn't need to make contact with me. I've made contact with him telling him I'm looking forward to seeing him in training when he returns from his holiday but I did make the point in the voicemail that I didn't expect him to contact me.
"I just wanted him to know that I'd been in touch and that I was thinking of him. I didn't ask him to call me back. I don't have a lot to say to him, to be honest, other than 'Welcome back'."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Arsenal’s Andrey Arshavin is something of a controversial character off the field. The Russian has plenty to say for himself and has some, let’s say, outspoken views on women. He wrote in his book that “if I had it in my power to introduce a ban on women driving cars and to withdraw all their licences, I would do it without thinking twice.” The midfielder also isn’t afraid to criticise the Gunners, saying in the Sun that “there was nothing special last season for me to think back about. The season was normal – even pitiful.” I’m not sure how well this goes down with Arsenal fans, let alone manager Arsene Wenger. The 29-year-old didn’t exactly have his best season in the 2009/10 Premier League campaign either, so maybe he should concentrate on letting his performances on the pitch do the talking. Here he is playing in the Emirates pre-season tournament, maybe AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso has found the only way to keep Arshavin quiet?
Leave your suggestions below…
This week you can win £50 worth of credit to spend on classic footy shirts!
classicfootballshirts.co.uk is the home of original, vintage football shirts. We offer shirts dating from the late 70’s through to today for many clubs and countries worldwide. We pride ourselves on the variety we offer with at least 18,000 products on the website and prices for some shirts as cheap as £7.99. Please take a look and we are sure you will find something of interest.
To see the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
And check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.
Last week’s winner: Justin Mottershead – click here to see all entries
Man City coach Roberto Mancini has confirmed he will allow Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given to leave Eastlands in search of first-team football. The Italian coach is blessed with having two high-quality goalkeepers to choose from this season, with the experienced Given and England prospect Joe Hart both vying to be Mancini’s first name on the team-sheet.
Hart looks set to become Mancini’s first choice goalkeeper however after being given the nod in Saturday’s opening game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur. Hart repaid his manager’s faith by pulling off a series of top-class saves in a man of the match performance at White Hart Lane. It doesn’t bode well for Given who wants to be playing regularly as he enters the later stages of his career. After making it clear he will not sit on the bench, Given may decide to move on and it looks like Mancini will not stand in his way.
Mancini said: “I hope Shay will stay with us because we are in four competitions but I respect his decision if he wants to leave.”
Given is under contract at City and Mancini seems to have backed down rather easily in giving the player the opportunity to leave. While Mancini is obviously being considerate to Given’s demands, the manager might have chosen to demonstrate his authority by challenging his goalkeeper to stay and win back his jersey. Instead the shot-stopper may look to move on, with both former club Celtic and West Londoners Fulham both interested in the player’s services. Arsenal are also interested in Given but City are unlikely to want to sell to their rivals.
At 34, Given is not heading for the retirement home just yet and could easily play at the highest level for another four years. Instead of allowing his No.1 to leave, Mancini could have allowed Hart to go out on loan for another season. Mancini is reluctant to do this however incase of injuries. After Given’s injury last term the club had to sign Hungarian international Martin Fulop in an emergency loan deal and Mancini would not want a repeat scenario.
Given was described by Mancini as ‘one of the best five goalkeepers the world’ only a few months ago and would leave big boots to fill in the City dressing room. The former Inter boss may also be concerned about a reoccurrence of the shoulder injury Given sustained against Arsenal in April and obviously now feels it is time to give Hart the chance to stake his claim.
Hart is certainly confident and talented enough to step up as the club’s first choice. The 23-year-old old was voted Birmingham City’s Player of the Year last season, helping the newly-promoted side to a ninth placed league finish. The Shrewsbury-born goalie was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award and also made the PFA Team of the Year. Hart also looks set to be named as England’s No.1 goalkeeper ahead of their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign after Fabio Capello gave him his fourth cap against Hungary last week.
Should Given decide to leave it would leave City short of a top-quality back-up goalkeeper with only Columbian David Gonzalez and former Arsenal player Stuart Taylor to choose from. Hart however will embrace the challenge and has the potential to enjoy the best years of his career as the number one at the City of Manchester Stadium.
Given himself could regret leaving the club should he decide to do so. Given has yet to win a major honour at club level and has a fantastic chance to do so at City. Yet to do this he may have to settle for a place on the bench and may not be content with winning his first trophy at club level this way. And should Hart have a dip in form or get injured then Given would have an opportunity to reclaim his place under Mancini. Arsenal will be monitoring the situation closely however and Given may yet get the chance to prove his Italian manager wrong at The Emirates.
Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton has backed Sol Campbell to hit back at his critics when the experienced defender makes his first start for the club in the Carling Cup clash with Chelsea.
The 36-year-old was snapped up by Hughton in the summer to bring the former England international's second spell at Arsenal to an end and the Magpies boss is delighted with his acquisition.
"All the things that we already knew about Sol he has demonstrated since being here,"said Hughton.
"He's a player of very good experience, he's good around the place, good on the training pitch, probably the only disappointment is that we got him as late as we did.
"Up until this moment, he hasn't been up to speed re his fitness. Everything else we've been delighted with.
"What you have at 36 is what you don't have as a younger player and that's experience. The position is a position of experience.
"Would he be as good an athlete as he was when he was a younger? You can ask the same question of any player that plays in any position.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
"But what he is, is a player of great experience and the position he plays, that's certainly a plus, more so than a minus, that's for certain.
"He's ready and available, yes. It'll be a nice game for the XI that start down there."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard insists there is no reason to panic despite their troubled start to the season.
The Reds have won just one of their opening five Premier League matches, while the pressure mounted on new manager Roy Hodgson following Wednesday's shock Carling Cup third round exit at the hands of Northampton Town.
But despite predictions of a season of struggle at Anfield amid the continued boardroom uncertainty at a club still up for sale, skipper Gerrard is not pressing the panic button just yet.
"There's a bit of doom and gloom about that goes with a few negative results," he told the Daily Mirror.
"We've had them against Manchester United (losing 3-2 last weekend) and going out against Northampton. But we've only had one seventh of the season, so it's crazy to panic.
"The important thing is to stay together. Two or three good, positive results will change the mood, lifts the cloud and then everyone will be looking forward again.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
"I don't think you can judge your position in the league until you've played 10 or 12 games. Yeah, we have five points and have already lost a couple of games, but if we string three wins together in this league, you're back in there for the European places.
"Let's just take a deep breath and assess the situation 10 or 12 games in."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has won praise from Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier for his performances in recent weeks.
The 26-year-old had become a peripheral figure at Villa Park under Martin O'Neill, but has been given a fresh start by Houllier and has been a regular starter in recent games.
"Right away I knew that I needed Nigel and I think he has done well for us," Houllier commented."We needed someone who has got the grit to win the ball back for us.
"Nigel has got a specific job for the team and he is doing it well.
"Don't forget, he had hardly played since the beginning of the season before he came into the side."
Reo-Coker joined Villa in the summer of 2007 from West Ham United and is closing in on the 100-appearance mark for the Midlands outfit.
His revival has also been hailed by team-mate Mark Albrighton, who added:"We definitely want to keep players like Nigel.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
"He does the dirty work in the middle and then gives it to players who will create the chances for us.
"I think he had a bad couple of seasons when he wasn't enjoying his football, but the gaffer now has given him a new lease of life."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
It seems very rich that Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck should call for a salary cap in the Premier League. After all, it was Bruce Buck, hired by Roman Abramovich in 2004 that offered massive salary’s to the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, John Terry and Frank Lampard. Should the Premier League really take the Chelsea man seriously. If Roman Abramovich had continued to spend such vast sums of money on Chelsea, and if Manchester City hadn’t been bought by the Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited – do we really believe Bruce Buck would be making such statements. Of course not. The Chelsea Chairman is anxious of Manchester City’s spending power and would like to see it reined in to help Chelsea compete long term.
Though we shouldn’t be lectured by Bruce Buck or any of the money men at Chelsea, a salary cap is something that the Premier League ought to consider based on its own merits. With Uefa introducing the Financial Fair Play regulations from the 2013-2014 season, where clubs will have to break even or be excluded from European competition – is it now the time to introduce such measures. These seem very sensible measures set out by Uefa but will a salary cap really change anything for Europe’s top clubs. For example, Manchester United make record losses. A salary cap would do very little to adjust the books because of the debt placed on the club. The same can be said for Barcelona. The club have massive debts, again a salary cap wouldn’t even dent the money owed by the club.
The salary cap could danger the quality of players in the English game. If the Premier League were to introduce such a cap then it must be a fear that players will simply move to countries outside of the cap. We would all love to believe that we have some of the worlds top players because of the standard of our game. Simply, this isn’t true. Our top clubs pay huge sums of money to attract and keep the top players. Hypothetically, if a salary cap was introduced last week, do we truly believe that Wayne Rooney would have signed a new deal at Manchester United?
[divider]
A salary cap, though a noble effort to bring English football into the real world – unfortunately it would damage the quality of the players in our league. Football clubs are private businesses and have the right to pay their employees what ever they feel is appropriate. Some clubs have been responsible and some have been so very irresponsible. However, this is the free market and as frustrating as it is to see young footballers role into clubs in top of the range sports cars while hundreds are made redundant, this is the price we all have to pay the success the league has had over the years.
The situation changes if Fifa were to introduce a worldwide salary cap. Clubs would have to be more responsible and players salary’s would be brought into the real world. This could bridge the gap between the superstars and the fans who pay so much each week to see them. On average Premier League clubs are paying 67% of turnover on wages and this financial in balance needs to be addressed. A salary cap would help but if agents are demanding such huge sums for their players, what choice to clubs really have. Before a salary cap, a code of conduct for agents and football club owners needs to be drawn up.
A salary cap is without doubt what the majority of football fans want to see. However, what fans also want to see is the best player possible playing at their club – and they cost money. We have to accept that with one we lose the other. What are our priories? Top players or bringing the game back to some sort of noble profession. The problem is we have allowed football clubs to offer such huge sums of money for too long now – can we really put an end to it in one swoop. A salary cap is dangerous but does need to be explored to see if it is applicable. Football needs to look at other sports and make sure we understand the pros and cons. If we encourage responsibility and better conduct by all, we will have a better game for it. A salary cap should only be introduced if it could guarantee better practice in the game.
Like what you read? Subscribe to my RSS feed or follow me on twitter here
Fancy playing your mates every week in a Premium Fantasy Football game?
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed that goalkeeper Chris Kirkland is poised to join Championship outfit Leicester City on loan.
The 29-year-old England international has lost his first-team spot with the Latics to loanee Ali Al Habsi and will head to his hometown club to help them try and challenge for promotion to the Premier League.
Martinez told the Evening Post:"Things have been delayed by Chris' bug, but we will be sitting down to have a chat about the situation.
"He got the bug last Thursday night and couldn't travel with the team to Old Trafford, but he trained all right on Monday.
"He's lost a little bit of weight, but he'll hopefully regain that very quickly. Now he's over the bug, we'll look into what we can do to help him enjoy his football.
"He needs to be playing football and be able to maintain that sharpness that you only get when you're playing regular football.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
"That's important, because we'll need him to be ready whenever he gets an opportunity to play for Wigan Athletic."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email