In the show this week. Reading Reporter Jonny Fordham joins West and Williams in the studio too talk about all things Reading FC.
We start with the pre-season tour of Slovenia, We ask Jonny what he made of the trip, Who stood out and what is his opinion of young players like Jake Taylor and Michail Antonio.
West askes is the squad strong enough to make it back to the Premiership? this time around and we also discuss the in’s, out’s and rumours that circle the club at the moment.
This weeks big question is. Would you swap Ingirmason and Gunnarson for Khizanishvili?
Plus we take a look at the contenders for the N-Power Championship title.
All this and more on this weeks Reading Football FanCast
Click here to listen to the Podcast
Thanks to- Jonny Fordham www.Get-Reading.co.uk
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Captain Stiliyan Petrov has urged Aston Villa to make a swift managerial appointment following their disastrous start to the new season.
Petrov missed a penalty as Villa crashed out of the Europa League at the hands of Rapid Vienna for the second successive year on Thursday evening.
The Midlands club lost their qualifying play-off 4-3 on aggregate to miss out on a lucrative place in the group stages of European competition.
Caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald also presided over last weekend’s 6-0 thrashing by Newcastle United and Petrov believes the uncertainty over the managerial position is destabilising the club.
MacDonald stepped in following Martin O’Neill shock resignation on the eve of the new season.
“The uncertainty surrounding the manager’s position is making life very difficult,” said the Bulgaria midfielder.
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“It would be nice to know who will take charge and it would be nice to know as soon as possible.”
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In his new book Dalglish in his own words, Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish has revealed that he was overlooked for the vacant Liverpool manager’s job when Rafa Benitez was sacked by the board in the summer. Dalglish wrote:
“I had to let them [the board] know my real views. I wanted the job. I couldn’t miss the opportunity.
“One day, I was in a meeting with Christian and the chairman [Martin Broughton], and I formally put my name forward.
“‘We don’t want you, Kenny’, came the reply from Christian and the chairman. Fine. That’s their –prerogative.”
Instead, the Liverpool hierarchy decided to appoint former Fulham boss Roy Hodgson as the new Liverpool manager but their decision to not even consider Dalglish for the manager’s job is a huge disservice to a man who has become synonymous with the club during his fifteen years on Merseyside.
Dalglish arrived at Anfield in 1977, bought by manager Bob Paisley to replace Kevin Keegan who had moved abroad to play for German side Hamburg. And replace him he did as Dalglish quickly won over the Liverpool faithful and became a Kop legend in his own right. He was arguably the best player in a dominant Liverpool side that were the toast of domestic and European competitions. In his time as a player, Dalglish amassed an incredible haul of honours including 6 league titles, 1 FA Cup, 4 League Cups and 3 European Cup winner’s medals.
Following the retirement of Joe Fagan after the tragedy of the Heysel stadium disaster, Dalglish took over the helm at the club in a player/manager role and steered the club from the nadir of Heysel to continued domestic success. He clinched a league and FA Cup double in 1985-86, his first season in charge and he went on to win the league twice more with Liverpool in 1986-87 and 1989-90. Tragedy struck once again for Dalglish during his time at Liverpool as he was manager at the time of the Hillsborough disaster which claimed the lives of 96 people.
Since resigning from the Liverpool job in 1991, Dalglish has had spells managing at Blackburn where he won the Premier League, Newcastle United and Celtic but former boss Rafa Benitez offered Dalglish an opportunity to return to his beloved Liverpool in 2009 to oversee youth development while also being an ambassador for the club.
Dalglish accepted the role but he is a football man at heart. His ambassadorial role doesn’t satiate that desire of day-to-day contact and interaction with the players that he was so used to in his managerial days. Maybe the board were worried about Dalglish’s mentality as both his football career and personal life has been chequered with tragedy. Not only was he part of the Liverpool side which had to come to terms with the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters, he was battling personal strife as his wife Marina battled with breast cancer.
With Dalglish already occupying a role within Liverpool’s boardroom, there is the risk of tension developing between Dalglish and manager Roy Hodgson as Dalglish had expressed an interest in his job before he was appointed. However, Dalglish had been nothing less than professional and has moved to alleviate any fears over his relationship with Hodgson. In his book, Dalglish says he “fully respects” Hodgson and that he is willing to help Hodgson “in any way [he] can” to restore Liverpool back to the glory days that Dalglish enjoyed as a player and manager at the club.
Recent developments at Liverpool have threatened to diminish the identity of this most venerable club. First there was the decision by previous owner David Moores to sell the club to American businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett who have left the club ailing in desperate need of a buyer to avoid the devastation of administration. The two owners have reduced one of Europe’s great clubs to a financial opportunity as they hold out for an unrealistic £500m bid. Then there was the forcing-out of Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry by owner Tom Hicks. Parry had spent 12 years at the club but had increasingly come to blows with Hicks and Benitez over transfer policy.
Hicks and Gillett then installed self-confessed Chelsea fan Martin Broughton as club chairman to oversee the sale of the club. By doing so, Hicks and Gillett have attempted to eradicate any trace of passion and history from the club, treating the club merely as a business transaction rather than the embodiment of the loyalties and passion of half a city.
Broughton consulted Dalglish over the appointment of Hodgson but he would have failed to realise how intrinsic Dalglish is as a symbol to Liverpool football club. Hodgson has proven that he is an astute tactician during his time in European football and more recently with Fulham but there will be many on Merseyside that would have been happy to see Dalglish back at the helm of the club he so clearly adores.
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A welcome addition to our Champions League wag series – click on the image to view the gallery of Yolanthe Cabau
Fulham boss Mark Hughes has admitted that he sometimes found it difficult to manage Manchester City.
The ex-Manchester United forward was relieved of his duties at Eastlands ten months ago after failing to impress the club's cash-rich owners.
He told the Daily Mail:"It's good to be at a club now where I'm not being pulled in different directions.
"Eventually, I understood it was a feeling of relief that it was over (at City). I wasn't enjoying it there at the end. I had no bitterness, no regrets, but I was relieved to be away.
"How was I treated? At times, I had support. At times, I needed support and I didn't get it. And then there were times when support that was there was withdrawn, especially towards the end.
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"I toed the party line more than I should. I compromised my own values more than I should. It won't happen again but I'll say this – it's made me a better manager."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Kenny Dalglish has recently expounded his views on the hot topic that is Manchester City, with his experience within the game acting as his basis of reference and authority. The basic premise of Dalglish’s argument within his article is that Manchester City have spent rather too much, rather too quickly.
Owing to the vast sums of expendable cash that’s forthcoming to the club, people will inevitably deem success a prerequisite and if not quickly realised the consensus will emanate that there is a crisis. What generally results from money being spent lavishly and with a determination to gain success quickly is the lack of planning, consideration and endeavour. Dalglish wishes to exemplify Manchester City as a candidate of great expectations and resources to realise their desires, but one that is ultimately failing due to greed and dissension within the camp.
Dalglish believes that: “Real success takes time. By acting too quickly, you will get some players who have signed for what I’d call the right reasons. But it increases the risk of bringing in players who are there for more mercenary reasons.” When players are attracted to a club you’d ideally cite the philosophy, history and future plans as being the primary motivators, with the financial aspect, whilst being important, being an added bonus to the aforementioned reasons.
With Manchester City you can’t help but come to the conclusion that the monetary gains have motivated certain players more than the regime, the history or the plans. As long as that direct debit payment nettles into their bank account then what do trifles, such as giving committed and determined displays, matter to them.
Dalglish also points out the precedence they’ve set for themselves: “Any renowned player City approach will look at reports of Yaya Toure’s £240,000-a-week wages and want something approaching parity. City have made a rod for their own back and even the richest Sheik in the world isn’t going to let that continue forever.” So when prospective signings are approached the first item of business will be how highly regarded am I in terms of comparison with the current wages of certain players. This mentality, coupled with not being played consistently, would, due to human nature, create an unsettled relationship and one that balances on a precarious precipice.
But put back into perspective, Manchester City are certainly far from being in turmoil, they sit fourth on equal points with Arsenal and only three away from Manchester United. Neither of these clubs are being given such scrutiny as City, but this derives from the manner in which City are conducting themselves. Dalglish is correct in his thoughts that if City are to succeed, they require a carefully considered ethos to compliment the advantage of being able to buy any player that coincides with it.
When designing certain objects, you don’t amass your entire collection of favourite things, amalgamate them together and hope for the best. No, you plan, design, revise, assess, rework etc. but all with an end goal in sight that informs your present decisions.
For City money well spent doesn’t necessarily mean buying expensive brand name players, it means buying players that will play well and help you achieve your goal. This is what Dalglish said he performed whilst managing Blackburn to a Premiership title. In summing up he suggests that: “It is easy to blame the manager but the problems might run deeper than that. The saying ‘More haste, less speed’ comes to mind. City wanted a revolution – steady progress might have suited them better.”
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When last questioned about his managerial future, Arsène Wenger told the Mail on Sunday “Ideally I would not want to leave without this generation winning a trophy”. This quote came on the back of rumours over the summer that Wenger could move on to manage Real Madrid in the future. It’s unlikely that Wenger will move on in the near future, but who knows where he’ll be in 2-3 seasons time?
Although a Premier League without Sir Alex Ferguson is unthinkable, it is also somewhat inevitable. Of course, he’s still passionate about the game and any considerations about his future would be based purely on hearsay and rumour. However, he’s 68-years-old now and it may not be too long until retirement beckons. Whilst this question may be a couple of years away from being realised, I still think it’s important to consider: How do you replace two managerial legends like Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson?
One potential answer comes in the form of Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. He has a number of qualities that might just make him the perfect solution for Arsenal and United’s pending problems.
Firstly, at 38-years-old, he’s still young. In managerial terms, he’s barely out of the womb. The likes of Arsenal and Manchester United will likely be looking for a fresh face rather than an old, experienced type, since they’ll want to take on somebody who will be with them for the long-term. As a club you don’t want to be changing Managers at the same rate you transfer players – a manager should bring a sense of consistency and control to the squad. Guardiola’s youth means that he has the potential to stay at either club for a long, long time.
That’s not to say that his youth comes without experience. Consider what Guardiola’s already achieved in his short time at Barcelona. In his first season as manager Guardiola won the treble of La Liga, the UEFA Champion’s League and the Copa del Rey. The following season saw Guardiola steer Barcelona towards the clubs first sextuple. He’s the youngest manager to have ever won the Champion’s League. Despite his short time at the head of Barcelona, his list of achievements and plaudits go on and on.
You might argue that Guardiola is blessed with a group of players with whom it would be difficult not to achieve greatness. Yet what’s impressive about Guardiola is his style of management. He came to manage a Barcelona side that was already a huge success and yet was still keen to emphasise an even harder work ethic. Under Guardiola Barcelona have become arguably the best pressing and pressuring side in Europe.
Manchester United and Arsenal are two very attacking sides. Guardiola has ample experience managing a team most renowned for their superior attacking football. He has experience managing players with difficult egos. He has already proven himself at a young age. If he were available at the right time for either Arsenal or United when they find themselves searching for a new manager, you can’t help but feel as though he would be the perfect man for the job.
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Of course, we’re dealing with a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ here, but wouldn’t you like to see Pep Guardiola try his hand in the Premier League some day?
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It isn’t easy to design an all-time Premier League dream team. Everybody will have their own opinion on who is worthy, who deserves a place and who doesn’t. The first thing to note is that the team is dominated by players from Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. This might rile people a little, but could things really be any other way? These are the teams that have dominated the Premier League since its inception thanks to the quality and character of the players found within them. If you disagree with any of my choices or feel like I’ve made an egregious exclusion, feel free to air your views in the comment section. Below are my choices, but who would make your all time Premier League dream team?
Click on image below to see the Premiership Dream Team
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Speaking recently to Manchester City’s official magazine, Carlos Tevez said that it was time for City to “get their act together” and find a patch of form good enough to see them challenging for the Premier League this season. He added that “It is a case of thinking about it properly and getting our mindset right in order to get those half-dozen wins in a row which will give us that belief that we can be champions.”
Just a minute, Tevez is telling his squadmates to get their mindset right? Despite a decent win over Bolton over the weekend it was his remarkable theatre of dissension that cast a negative light upon both the game itself and City’s title-tilt. In the last minute of normal time, Roberto Mancini had the sheer audacity to substitute Tevez for James Milner. Tevez responded accordingly by seeming to shove Mancini as he walked off the pitch and the two exchanged ‘heated’ words. Exactly what kind of mindset does that demonstrate Carlos?
This comes on the back of a rumoured dressing-room bust up that the Argentine engineered against Mancini earlier in the season. The truth of the matter is that on the pitch, Tevez has been City’s best player this season. But will it be his goals or the damage created by his attitude that will be Tevez’s most telling contribution to City this season?
Bolton captain Kevin Davies who would have witnessed the event first hand, had sensible words on the subject. He took to his Twitter account and argued that “If you have a problem it is best to sort out behind closed doors rather than make an issue in front of millions.” He added, “Seeing Tevez’s reaction to being subbed assures me there [are] problems within at City, great players individually but as a team?”
That’s the problem with City at the moment, they are a collection of quality players, but they are not a team. Tevez’s antics are yet another reminder of this fact. It is this lack of unity that means City are not genuine title contenders this season.
I’ve seen some City fans attempt to defend Tevez’s action. I understand his importance to the team and how vital he will be if City are to have any success this season, but his response to being substituted was petulant at best and disruptive at worse. To use words like ‘passionate’ and ‘committed’ to attempt to defend the Argentine miss the point.
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A captain simply should not speak to a manager in that manner. It’s time for City fans to start expecting their players to perform off the pitch, not just on it. No more excuses.
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Someone, somewhere does not like Avram Grant. After taking Chelsea to within a flea’s eyebrow of a fantastic treble, the Israeli was cruelly denied on three separate coronation days in 2008. Similarly at Portsmouth, Grant inherited a sinking ship when he took over the reins at Fratton Park, only for another missed penalty to dog his attempts to break his English silverware duck in last year’s FA Cup final.
Now, with his West Ham side only 90 minutes from Grant’s third Wembley final, the former Maccabi Haifa man finds himself facing a fixture the English press have decided he dare not lose. After an extensive board meeting this week, it was decided that the perennially unfortunate Grant would be given a little more time to arrest the Hammers’ slide down the table.
Arsenal arrive at Upton Park on the back of a bizarre Carling Cup defeat away at Ipswich. Much has been written about how poor Arsene Wenger’s charges were on Wednesday, and they will be aware that another defeat against their struggling London rivals could be terminal for their season.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says his side are showing all the signs of genuine title contenders after their 3-0 win over of Wigan.
Wenger watched his men dismantle Wigan at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, with Robin van Persie firing a hat-trick and missing a penalty in an eventful afternoon.
The result saw Arsenal remain just two points behind Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table, which Wenger says his side are in with a good chance of topping.
“We know we now have eight home games and it’s important to win the home games – then we have a good chance (of winning the title),” Wenger told SkySports.
“We are up for it. We are hungry, we want to do well, we play well so it will be interesting.”
Wenger also admitted he would rest some players for Arsenal’s second-leg Carling Cup semi-final against Ipswich this week, despite the fact his side trails by a goal.
“We rotate from game to game. We play nine games in January which is a historical record for Arsenal.”
“We have a strong squad, some great players have not played today. Some of them might play on Tuesday,” Wenger said. “When you are in many competitions you just think about your next game.”
“We have some knocks and bruises. Fabregas, Nasri, Djourou has a shoulder problem – we will have to assess that on Sunday and Monday.”
“(Lukasz) Fabianski will still be out for Tuesday, (Manuel) Almunia maybe is coming back into the squad on Monday so he will be available.”
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez was disappointed with the referee’s decision to send Gary Caldwell off in the second half, when he was adjudged to have fouled Cesc Fabregas in the penalty box.
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“I know Cesc very well. He is a wonderful player and very clever, and he knows how to buy decisions off referees,” Martinez said.
“There is contact, but you do not know how much of that comes from Cesc looking for it, or from Gary’s leg. I don’t think that contact is intentional to bring Cesc down.”
“Cesc comes from different culture – you do not cheat, if you take a decision from the referee it is because you are clever and you are getting something for your team.”