The case of Harry Kewell is another miserable example of how wrong things can go once a player is hit by injury, and the impact it can have on the long-term sustainability of a players career.
The former Leeds United man joined Gerard Houllier’s side in 2003 in what some would probably describe as a dream move – the opportunity to represent one of the most successful clubs in the country, a big-stage moment, and the what is typically the pinnacle of a player’s career.
But it was anything but for Harry Kewell. It was a nightmare. The kind you cannot wake from, the one you amble around, watching time, memory and opportunity slip slowly out of your clutches.
Kewell has provided a poignant account of the miseries of his period at Liverpool, dubbing it “absolute nightmare” (as per EPSN via Liverpool Echo).
“I’ve had 14 operations and the majority were at Liverpool,” he said.
“You’d have an operation and you think ‘that’s it, that’s finished now’. I’m going to be brand new again.
“It doesn’t happen. An injury is like a jigsaw puzzle. You fix one area and something else goes.
“The bottom of the world is when you’re sitting on the end of the bed crying, and you’re going ‘am I ever going to play again?’ You’re sitting there going ‘what’s wrong with me’?
“Every time I’m kicking, I’m ripping a muscle. Every time I’m turning, I’m breaking down.
“I get back. I work hard for four weeks and I break down again. The pressure of people that keep going ‘what’s wrong’ with me.”
There are trials players must face in their career – ones that test the furthest reaches of one’s mental and physical resilience.
The Australian managed just 23 minutes before crashing out through injury allowing Vladimir Smicer the honours of competing in one of the most iconic moments in football history.
Over the space of two seasons Kewell failed that test. His extensive injuries ensured that he only managed 19 games in all competitions for Liverpool before being put out of his misery and moved on in 2008 to join Turkish side Galatasaray.
“He lost three and a half years of his career at Liverpool because the guys over there in England had, quite literally, no idea what they were talking about. You have to wonder what they’re doing over there. Perhaps they’re trying to protect their reputations, but they’re certainly not trying to protect their players,” his agent said in 2010 ( The Guardian).
“I think it’s a disgrace, as I think it was a disgrace the way Harry was treated. What goes around comes around, and people are now wondering, ‘How has he recovered like that?’ when everyone in England thought he was a broken toy.”
He did do remarkably well, to be fair. Scoring 34 goals in 91 games for his new club and continuing his career for another six years after leaving Anfield, playing for the likes of Melbourne, Al Gharafa, and Melbourne City, was far more than we could have ever anticipated from a “broken toy”.
Everton’s recent form has been woeful and now manager Marco Silva finds his position at Goodison Park under threat. The fact that the Toffees have only managed three goals in their last five Premier League games indicates where they’re going wrong.
Silva’s side lack creativity and cutting edge. Summer signing Richarlison has gone off the boil, as has playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson. However, in Ademola Lookman, Silva has a promising young attacker who he is seemingly reluctant to turn to.
The 21-year-old winger has started only three league games all season and has made the field in the Premier League only once since Everton’s loss to Southampton in mid-January. More often than not, Theo Walcott has made Silva’s starting XI ahead of Lookman.
However, the 29-year-old is in poor form, and has only scored one goal in his last nineteen league outings. Lookman demonstrated in a loan spell with RB Leipzig last season that he has end product, bagging five goals and four assists in eleven league games – he must now be given a fair chance to prove his worth on Merseyside.
It’s fair to say Tanguy Ndombele has been one of the big talking points at Tottenham this season.
After getting his Spurs career off to a cracking start with a superb goal on his debut against Aston Villa, the Frenchman has struggled for fitness and form, making just 27 appearances across all competitions.
Reports in recent weeks have claimed Spanish giants Barcelona are interested in making a move for the midfielder, with suggestions that they had offered Spurs the chance to sign Samuel Umtiti and Nelson Semedo in exchange.
Now, Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has revealed that Jose Mourinho is not ready to give up on Ndombele just yet, and that he and the coaching staff still believe they have someone who can go on to become a key part of the first-team – however, it’s suggested that there is a belief that those around the midfielder are trying to push him to leave the club.
After hearing about the latest report on the Frenchman, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.
One Spurs fan simply insisted it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Ndombele wanted out, and labelled the whole thing a “disaster”.
It would certainly be a crying shame if Spurs cashed in on Ndombele just a season after his arrival at the club.
Players from abroad need their time to adjust to the pace and intensity of English football, and after spending big-money on him to bring him from Lyon, a bit of patience is surely needed.
The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?
After an impressive pre-season in which he even netted the winner against Bayern Munich, Eddie Nketiah admitted that he was “ready” to fight for a place in the Arsenal first-team for this season.
But the Gunners opted to send him out on a season-long loan to Championship side Leeds, and the England U21 international struggled to get significant game-time at Elland Road. The young striker managed just 495 minutes of football in the league, and Arsenal rather unsurprisingly recalled him earlier this month.
Watch Arsenal Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
Initial reports seemed to suggest that he would be sent out on loan again, with Bristol City named amongst the front-runners for his signature. But according to Goal, after impressing Mikel Arteta during training, the Gunners head coach has personally intervened and decided to keep him for the rest of the campaign.
Quickfire Quiz: How much do you know about Arsenal’s history in the January transfer window?
After hearing about the news, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the decision to keep the 20-year-old for now.
A couple of fans dreamed up how Nketiah could potentially fit into Arsenal’s line-up, with one supporter in particular claiming that a front three of the striker, Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson will win the club the Europa League.
A few supporters discussed Alexandre Lacazette in relation to the decision to keep Nketiah, claiming that the Frenchman could now be set for a summer exit from the Emirates.
A couple of fans of the north London side praised Arteta’s decision-making, with one supporter saying this is the first move that has convinced them of his intelligence.
Having an extra striker on their books for the rest of the season will go a long way to easing the goal-scoring burden on the likes of Lacazette and Aubameyang. And whilst it can boost the Gunners in the short-term, it also has the added long-term advantage of Nketiah being able to get tuned into Arteta’s demands as a head coach.
These next few months will set him up nicely for him to stake a much bigger claim next season, and it seems like a very logical decision for the north London side to keep hold of their academy product for the time being.
Meanwhile, The Athletic journalist David Ornstein provides a major update on Arsenal’s transfer plans for January.
Arsenal are going through a rough patch of form as after their long 22-game unbeaten run, Unai Emery’s side made tough work of their match against Burnley and also dropped points against Brighton.
Up until recently, Emery’s side had proven itself to be one of the best in the league but following a raft of injuries, the Spaniard will need to reinvest into his squad next month.
Following injuries to Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding, Arsenal are severely lacking in defensive numbers. In midfield too, the Gunners lack much depth and going forward Emery needs a dynamic winger, although that deal may well have to wait until the summer.
With Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil’s respective futures up in the air at the moment, Arsenal need an attacking central midfielder but also further back. According to Argentine journalist Roberto Martinez, Arsenal are closing in on a move for Ever Banega who Emery was keen on signing over the summer.
The Breakdown
At 30, he might not be at his best anymore but he would be a great option for the Gunners and is only valued at £18 million. The Argentine has the experience and ability to play in the Premier League and has played some of his best football under Emery but it would be incredibly hard to prise him away from Sevilla halfway through the season.
He’s scored seven goals to go with three assists in 21 games this season and has been a huge reason to Sevilla’s rise to third this year.
Manchester City continue to excel in the Premier League and once again ran out winners this weekend as they look to defend their Premier League title.
Pep Guardiola’s men have been in superb form in the main once more, and it looks like they are going to be the team to beat once more in the top flight, despite the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool both putting in some excellent displays thus far.
The squad at the Etihad is one of the strongest in Europe, but there are still some question marks surrounding certain areas of the pitch, especially in goal, where second string ‘keeper Claudio Bravo continues to look shaky.
That’s why we here at the Tavern think the club need to be making a move for Stoke City ‘keeper Jack Butland, who amazingly stayed with the Potters over the summer.
Valued at a whopping £22m by Transfermarkt, the young England stopper has been a regular once again this season despite Stoke struggling in the Championship.
Butland though will want his move back to the Premier League if he can get it, and a move to City to become number two to Ederson might well be an appealing one.
Although he will want regular football, the sheer amount of games City compete in during a season mean he would get his chance to impress, and it could well be the perfect solution for both player and the club.
City fans, what do you think? Would Butland be a good signing? Let us know in the comments!
According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Fulham have won the race to sign Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri, who is rated at £27m by Transfermarkt.
[ad_pod ]
Seri, who has also been linked with West Ham United and Chelsea this summer, is believed to be keen on a move to the Premier League ahead of the new campaign.
Everton have also been credited with an interest, meanwhile, and their supporters have been reacting to suggestions that Seri is on the verge of joining Fulham.
With respect to Fulham, Seri was strongly linked with Barcelona last summer, and it would be a surprise if he moved to Craven Cottage ahead of the 2018-19 season.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”269905″ player=”12034″ title=”Football’s Coming Home The Myth Behind ‘Three Lions'”]
Fulham are seemingly going to pay £35m to sign Seri in a deal that will send shockwaves around Europe.
Everton fans, meanwhile, are still twiddling their thumbs as they wait for some transfer activity to arrive before the end of the month.
The Merseyside club’s supporters have been airing their views on the latest Seri news, and a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
For pretty much every Premier League club, this transfer window is all about going big and bold, undertaking expensive overhauls and shopping only in stores where they serve you cups of Guatemalan slow-roasted coffee as you browse. Midfielders with impressive highlight reels are going for £70m. Perfectly decent but unexceptional defenders are the focus of bidding wars far exceeding a small nation’s GDP. Money is being sloshed about with such carefree abandon that it has ceased to be a commodity and is now merely a meaningless number on a balance sheet.
Which makes the top flight club’s snubbing of some outstanding talent in the Championship all the more frustrating, because not only would each of the below significantly improve most squads – from those expected to fight relegation right up to sides eyeing up a Europa League spot – they’ll also knock a few zeros off the fee too.
Tom Cairney (Fulham)
The 26-year-old Scottish international must be wondering what on earth he has to do to secure a dream move. Throughout last season he was one of the Championship’s most consistently brilliant performers, endlessly scheming in the Craven Cottage centre-circle and ultimately boasting stats that saw him prominent in every chart worth its salt. For assists, chances created, and passing accurately Cairney was right up there and though Newcastle reportedly failed with a recent £20m bid surely an improved offer for an attacking midfielder on the cusp of his peak is worth serious consideration?
Jacob Murphy (Norwich City)
He may sound like an Irish ghost sent to haunt Scrooge but the young winger is fast gaining a reputation for skinning full-backs at will and banging in the occasional worldy for good measure. Once again it seems Newcastle are the only club to have shown genuine interest so far though West Brom and Swansea are reportedly ‘keeping tabs’ on one of the brightest stars in the England U21 firmament.
Murphy may still be some distance away from being the finished article but has shown in his breakthrough season at Carrow Road that he possesses every trait to get there sooner rather than later.
Pontus Jansson (Leeds United)
Having just signed a three year deal for the Yorkshire giants following his highly successful loan spell from Torino it would take a hefty bid to lure the Swedish centre-back anywhere else this summer but in comparison to the eye-watering sums being bandied around elsewhere for commanding defenders it would still amount to peanuts.
The twin presence of Jansson at the back and Chris Wood up front helped an otherwise ordinary Leeds side over-achieve last term and knock on the play-off door, and it was notable how quickly the 26-year-old went from cult idol – due to his fully committed style of defending – to gaining sincere admiration for his unquestionable quality.
Tom Lawrence (Ipswich Town)
Okay so we’re muddying the waters a little here because the Welsh wonder is a Leicester City player but it’s in the Championship where Lawrence has carved out his name as an attacking force to be reckoned with first excelling at Blackburn and Cardiff before being a rare cause for excitement at Portman Road last term.
Nine assists and nine goals – including several goal of the season contenders – has seen his value bumped up but the Foxes are still keen to sell and for £10m or under he’d still represent a terrific steal.
Marc Roberts (Barnsley)
The Tykes have a fine pedigree in producing top class defenders and though their present captain isn’t home-grown like John Stones or Mason Holgate it is at Oakwell where the 26-year-old has developed into a superb stopper with the world at his feet.
It feels inevitable that Roberts will move onwards and upwards this summer which makes the speculation surrounding a sideways jump to Birmingham all the stranger. The lad is Premier League quality available at a relative snip and more fool half of the top flight if they eventually spend five times more on inferior fare.
Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa)
19 goals in his debut season in the Midlands was a hell of a way for the Ivory Coast international to prove his year at Bristol City was anything but a flash in the pan and though Villa will be banking on him to fire them to promotion in 2017/18 they will be powerless to prevent a sizable bid getting through from one of the big boys.
Having arrived last summer for an initial £11m it would arguably take double that to prise him away but such is the premium on goals and prolific finishing at the highest level anything under £25m is chicken feed for a forward guaranteed to reach double figures in any league.
Hull City have accepted a bid in the region of £10m from Burnley for midfielder Robert Snodgrass, according to Sky Sports.
What’s the latest?
The 29-year-old has sparked a tug of war in this transfer window, with numerous Premier League clubs eager to sign him.
West Ham United have reportedly had a number of offers rejected by the Tigers, but The Telegraph claimed earlier this week that they were planning a fresh bid of £8m.
It seems as though they will have to go even higher if they want to land Snodgrass’s signature as Sky Sports have reported that Burnley’s £10m offer has been accepted.
The broadcaster claims that Middlesbrough remain in the mix as they have tabled a second bid, but as it stands, Burnley are winning the race to sign the Scotland international.
[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]
What does it say about Hull’s ambitions?
The Tigers are battling against relegation from the Premier League, so they are in need of all their best players.
Snodgrass is one of them as he is the club’s top-scorer this season with seven goals to his name.
The midfielder has also produced three assists and created 45 chances, which is more than any other Hull player, claims Sky Sports.
It does not make sense for Hull to sell, but there are various aspects that need to be considered, including whether Snodgrass himself wants to move on.
If the midfielder is keen to leave the KCOM Stadium then it will become increasingly difficult for Hull to hold on.
It could be the case that he is not favoured by new manager Marco Silva, who did not have Snodgrass in his squad for last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea because of an injury.
If Hull do not have a replacement lined up, then it sparks concern for the club’s survival hopes, particularly as they recently sold Jake Livermore to West Bromwich Albion.
Barring a brief hiccup against Arsenal, Manchester United have enjoyed a strong start to the season, finding themselves in 3rd place in the Premier League with 19 points after nine games.
Yet the legitimacy of the Red Devils’ title credentials is still open to debate and I’m sure even Louis van Gaal would admit that his side are still very much a work in progress.
Coming closer to emerging as the finished article could well require some tinkering of the squad in the coming transfer window, which is now not as far away as it may seem – just over two months away in fact.
So with that in mind, Football Fancast have conjured up FIVE ‘transfer issues’ the Manchester United boss must solve in the new year.
Some focus on what the United squad currently lacks and others on what they have too much of – but all require van Gaal’s attention in the January transfer window…
A SPECIALIST LEFT-BACK?
With Luke Shaw ruled out for the majority of the season after suffering a double-leg break against PSV Eindhoven last month, Louis van Gaal faces a bit of a dilemma at No.3.
Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian and Ashley Young are all capable of covering that position but none are what you’d describe as a ‘specialist left-back’, tailor-made to suit that role.
Darmian and Young both struggled to deliver against Wolfsburg and Arsenal respectively, whilst Rojo and Blind represent United’s cover at centre-half – another problem area we’ll come onto later.
Of course, restoring Shaw to his former role is the ultimate long-term objective. The England international was really starting to justify his £29million price-tag before his injury and LVG will be reluctant to complicate matters by adding another left-back into the mix.
But if the Red Devils can source a short-term solution in January – perhaps a player on loan or a youngster who can come into the team briefly – it would certainly solidify their squad for the second half of the season.
ARE THESE YOUNGSTERS REALLY NEEDED?
Football – Manchester United v Hull City – Barclays Premier League – Old Trafford – 6/5/14James Wilson celebrates after scoring the second goal for Manchester UnitedMandatory Credit: Action Images / Jason CairnduffLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your accoun
Manchester United don’t have the biggest of squads this season and Louis van Gaal has always been one for improving the opportunities of young players, so you get the feeling the likes of Sam Johnstone, James Wilson, Jesse Lingard, Patrick McNair and Andreas Pereira might become of some use before the end of May.
But none have received more than 45 minutes’ worth of action in the Premier League so far this term and the development of some could certainly be better served at other clubs.
Goalkeeper Johnstone, for example, is unlikely to see the light of day with David De Gea and Sergio Romero around, whilst Wilson’s lack of game time, despite the limits of United’s strike-force, speaks volumes about van Gaal’s doubts over the young striker. Both could do with loan spells in the Championship.
Lingard has already proved himself at that level put apparently not enough to become a recurring fixture in van Gaal’s plans. A move to another Premier League club for the second half of the season would be ideal for him, as it would McNair, who made 18 appearances for the Red Devils last term.
IS A CENTRE-BACK AVAILABLE?
An area Manchester United must improve upon if the market allows them to. Louis van Gaal’s devotion to signing a new centre-back is no great secret, having come up short in his pursuits of Mats Hummels and Sergio Ramos during the summer.
His preferred mould is obvious; vastly experienced, vastly talented and creative when on the ball; so if a centre-half of that description becomes available the Red Devils must be proactive about it.
A few options that come to mind are Schalke’s Benedikt Howedes, who recently made some murmurings about following Jurgen Klopp to Liverpool, Zenit’s Ezequiel Garay, who is clearly too good for the Russian top flight and is always linked with Europe’s top clubs, and Real Madrid veteran Pepe. He’s made just three La Liga starts this term and now appears to be behind Raphael Varane in the pecking order, but at 32 years of age doesn’t offer much longevity.
If LVG is prepared to deviate from his template slightly, we could see United go back in for PSG’s Marquinhos, who they were strongly linked with last January. The 21-year-old’s pedigree is undoubted and he could be willing to move on in the new year, facing the difficult task of usurping countrymen Thiago Silva and David Luiz from a spot in the starting Xi.
Convincing the Parisians to sell, however, could well require a fee between the £30million and £40million mark.
HOW TO GET RID OF VICTOR VALDES?
Louis van Gaal made known his opinions on Victor Valdes some time ago, effectively transfer listing him during the summer after refusing to represent United’s U21 squad, yet the former Barcelona No.1 is still somehow at Old Trafford.
He’s now reportedly banned from training at Carrington when the first team are around, but still earning somewhere in the region of £150k per-week. Constant reports on how the Spain international is being treated by van Gaal are starting to get a little embarrassing, so one way or another United really need to offload him in January.
The problem is that the Red Devils don’t want him to join another Premier League club, whilst interest from Sevilla and Valencia has amounted to nothing – allegedly due to Valdes’ wage demands.
But at this point, the goalkeeper’s plight is only causing unnecessary attention so even if it requires cancelling his contract via a huge pay-off, the Red Devils might as well just get rid.
ENOUGH FIREPOWER?
Football – Germany v Argentina – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Final – Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 13/7/14Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain celebrates a disallowed goal with Argentina’s Marcos Rojo (R)Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Andrew BoyersLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Manchester United have scored 15 goals in nine games this season, which actually leaves them fourth throughout the Premier League.
Yet, their two predominant sources for goals aren’t exactly the most dependable; Wayne Rooney is still struggling for form and although Anthony Martial has started his United career with a bang, it seems inevitable his tally will tail off at some point over the next few months.
The problem United face is quite simply a lack of readily available top class centre-forwards on the transfer market, which is how they ended up investing £36million in a teenager from Monaco during the summer. But another striker, even if he’s not the most talented to ever grace Old Trafford, would certainly boost their Premier League title credentials.
One option always worth keeping an eye on is Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain. He’s the best striker outside the Champions League at the minute following the Italian outfit’s failure to qualify last term and has started the season brightly, bagging six goals and two assists in eight Serie A appearances.
Alternatively, Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, Newcastle’s Ayoze Perez and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann are all young front-men enjoying good form, but all come with rather sizeable price-tags.