As a fascinating Saturday of Premier League football drew to a close, the Manchester United manager addressed the media with fury in his eyes.
It is fair to say Sir Alex Ferguson was not overly pleased with the officials time keeping during Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Tottenham at Old Trafford.
Ferguson told the BBC – now no longer the subject of his anger –the amount of stoppage time added on by the officials was an “insult.”
Ferguson said: “They gave us four minutes [injury time], that’s an insult to the game. It denies you a proper chance to win a football match.”
“There were six substitutions, the trainer came on, so that’s four minutes right away and the goalkeeper must have wasted about two or three minutes and they took their time at every goal kick.
“That’s obvious to everyone today and it’s a flaw in the game that the referee is responsible for time keeping. It’s ridiculous that it’s 2012 and the referee still has control of that.”
In theory the Manchester United manager is correct. Roughly 30 seconds were lost for each United goal, and around a minute for Dempsey’s second half strike.
Add to that 30 seconds for each substitution, any injuries and Tottenham’s time wasting, there should have been more than four minutes added on.
But Ferguson’s attack on the officials could not be more ‘pot kettle black’, from the man who has made the phrase ‘Fergie time’ one of the most commonly known in British football.
How often do you see the correct amount of stoppage time added at the end of a game?
Hardly ever is one answer, never another. The amount of stoppage time at the end of every match is always questioned one way or another. Saturday was no different.
Saturday’s post match interview was just another example of Ferguson the sore loser, the man we seem to meet after every Manchester United defeat.
Not only did his comments draw attention away from the fact Tottenham had put in a fantastic performance, his comments were also simply dillusional, especially when you look back at the countless stoppage time debacles involving him and his side down the years.
What will it be next week? Ferguson “insulted” his side did not get given a penalty?
Did you hear him complaining about the amount of time added on at Anfield two weeks ago?
Daniel Agger and Martin Kelly both picked up injuries that needed at least two to three minutes of treatment each. There were five second half substitutions, three goals, as well as a penalty and other stoppages.
The officials added on just five minutes, but Ferguson left happy as his team fortuitously picked up three points.
Whilst he has a fair point that the officials need to look at how much stoppage time is added on, this is not an isolated incident and has been going on for years.
Just because his side have been the victim on this occasion, Ferguson feels he has the divine right to pipe up and question the whole system.
But now football’s godfather has spoken out, and alluded to the fact referee’s should not be responsible for the amount of time added on, expect to see a change in the system sooner rather than later.
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Rightly so in many respects, because the lack of time added on does so often short change teams and supporters.
But why is it only now Ferguson has spoken that press and pundits are nodding their head in agreement?
This has been going on for years and years, and Ferguson has been one of the biggest obstacles for officials to overcome in their quest to simply add up the lost minutes of each half, with his manic watch pointing and words in the ears of various fourth officials.
If Ferguson is successful in his quest to take the task of adding up the amount of stoppages out of the referee’s hands, it is solid proof he holds more power and authority than any manager in world football.
Expect a change in the way stoppage time is handled very soon.
Follow me on Twitter @LukeGreenwood89 and let me know you’re thoughts on Fergie’s latest rant.
The upcoming summer transfer window is set to be an exciting one for Celtic and their supporters.
After completing a superb ‘double treble’ in the 2017/18 season, their summer business is about maintaining their successful squad, making small adjustments, signing one or two first-team ready talents and securing some highly-rated youngsters.
It could also be a summer of transition with interest in the likes of Moussa Dembele, Stuart Armstrong and more expected to be high.
With Steven Gerrard arriving as manager across the city, this could be the transfer window that the Hoops push the boat on more than ever, to ensure that there’s no chance whatsoever of Rangers competing.
Lots of names have been linked with a move to Celtic Park, from the likes of attacking prospect Rhian Brewster to more established midfielders like John McGinn.
We’ve collated a list of many of the names mentioned alongside the Hoops over the last few months and you can vote for your favourites and least favourites below…
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According to Sky Sports, Everton are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Nice midfielder and reported Arsenal target Jean Michael Seri, who is rated at £22.5m according to Transfermarkt, either during the January transfer window or in the summer.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Gunners have long been linked with a move for the impressive 26-year-old, with The Sun reporting back in November that the Ivory Coast international is still a target for Arsene Wenger.
However, Sky Sports says they have been joined in the race to sign the midfielder by top flight rivals Everton, although the player’s preference is to join a Premier League club competing in the Champions League.
How has Seri done this season?
He hasn’t been quite as impressive as he was last season with performances that saw him come close to joining Barcelona during the summer, but he has still done well.
The 26-year-old has scored one goal and provided a further five assists in 21 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 outfit, compared to seven goals and nine assists in 39 outings in total last term.
To be fair to the Ivorian, he has largely been playing in a deeper role in midfield during the current campaign than he did in the previous one.
According to WhoScored.com, Seri has still made 35 key passes in 16 appearances in the French top flight and the Europa League this season – he made 80 in 38 matches in both competitions last term – while he has an impressive passing accuracy of 91.1% across both competitions.
Would Arsenal still want him?
It’s difficult to say.
If he did join the Gunners he would probably play a similar role to Aaron Ramsey or perhaps even Granit Xhaka, but the north London outfit may feel that they need a player that will sit deep and protect the backline rather than another individual who seems to be a little more effective offensively than he is defensively.
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If he could be brought in for a reasonable fee then he could still be an option, but Arsenal are surely likely to look elsewhere if Wenger does decide that he needs to find an alternative to the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin in the middle of the park.
The ire of the Everton fans was understandable, their subsequent taunting of David Moyes at Old Trafford a result of his own mishandling of a transfer situation in the summer. And, of course, it’s part and parcel of the game.
There’s nothing disgraceful in what can be seen as generally harmless taunting of a now rival manager. There are far worse things said in a football ground than “you’re getting sacked in the morning.” But such is the nature of football that it would be a little thoughtless and inconsistent to say the Everton fans should continue to show Moyes unwavering adulation for his contributions at the club.
Their appreciation was clear at the end of last season. Moyes received an appropriate send off and a general feeling of well wishes for his journey at the top of English football. Though it may be inaccurate to say Moyes has burnt his bridges at Goodison Park, it is fair to say the Everton fans have a right to feel aggrieved over the approaches for Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini during the summer.
If Moyes was still manager at Everton, would he have so willingly let two of his best players go simply so they could further themselves in the game, while at the same time paying little notice of a transfer bid that could rightly be seen as derisory? Despite what he says, of course he wouldn’t. If Moyes adopted an underdog mentality when playing away at one of the big clubs, why would he not use the same principles when dealing with one of the big clubs in the market? The fact that Manchester United ended up signing Fellaini alone for £28 million shows just how insulting the bid was for the duo.
There is always ill feeling when a departed manager returns to his old club with a stronger financial backing and attempts to cherry pick the best in the squad. The situation is made even graver when insults of inferiority are so thinly veiled. Following that episode, Moyes should have known what was coming.
Moyes’ new position in football also, arguably, gave him some ammunition in patronising Roberto Martinez’s work since joining Everton in the summer.
Everton have only lost once in the league this season and they’re five points clear of United. But Moyes commented that Martinez was doing a good job at “keeping it going.” That, in a way, is fair. Martinez has built on the solid defence that he’s inherited at Goodison Park, but he’s also greatly improved their attacking play, with increased passing numbers and chances created. Above all, he’s looked to develop a fearless attitude when playing in high-profile matches away from home. Hardly the effect of simply keeping it going.
In hindsight, there would certainly not be any regret from Everton supporters at swapping Moyes for Martinez. The Spaniard may even bring some tangible success like he did at his previous club. On the whole, there is nothing but positive things said about the former Wigan manager and his application.
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At the same time, the appreciation for what was achieved under Moyes will not be lost. The chants at Old Trafford, something not at all uncommon, don’t change that.
See who England will face in Brazil on our World Cup Draw LIVE Blog below!
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will bring back his big guns when Manchester United arrive at Anfield on Sunday.
Rodgers left the likes of Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Joe Allen, Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger behind for Thursday’s trip to Switzerland to take on Young Boys in the Europa League.
He was left impressed by the way his young team performed coming away with a 5-3 victory, and Jonjo Shelvey is in contention to start after the 20-year-old emerged from the bench to score the two decisive goals on Thursday.
Manchester United arrive at Anfield on the back of four straight victories in all competitions, and are set to recall Robin Van Persie and Patrice Evra to the starting line up.
Whilst Liverpool are still searching for their first Premier League win of the season, United have not won at Anfield since 2007, losing four or their last five.
The animosity between the two sides that has been a feature in the last year since the Suarez, Evra row will be put aside, with it being Liverpool’s first home game since the Hillsborough enquiry came to light.
Key Battle: Steven Gerrard v Michael Carrick
Steven Gerrard has yet to really find his form so far this season, playing at the tip of a midfield three just behind Luis Suarez. It will be up to Michael Carrick – set to make his 350th Premier League appearence – to halt the threat of the Liverpool captain. You feel Gerrard is due a big game, and there is no bigger occasion than this. It is so often the case that if Gerrard plays well, Liverpool do. You can see him being the key to Brendan Rodgers hopes of recording a first Premier League win as Liverpool manager.
Prediction : Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United – I feel that Liverpool are due a touch of fortune, and with an emotional crowd behind them, may just be spurned on to victory. It is often the case that the Reds perform best when they have been under fire.
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United have looked somewhat shaky at the back this season, and no doubt Luis Suarez will be in the mood to shine. It will be tight, but I fancy home advantage to tilt it in Liverpool’s favour as it has done so often in this fixture during the past five years.
Aston Villa secured a vital victory in the first leg of their English Championship play-off semi-final on Saturday, winning 1-0 away to Middlesbrough.
In a competitive match, it was Mile Jedinak who netted the goal that puts Steve Bruce’s side in pole position to make it to Wembley.
Fans were delighted with the result and although a better all-round team performance could have secured a more comfortable victory, they recognise that at this stage of the season it’s an absolute battle if they want to reach the Premier League.
One man stood out more than most for supporters and that was midfielder Jack Grealish, who ran the show in the middle of the park and ensured that Villa never lost their foothold in the game, pushing his team forward consistently across the 90 minutes.
Also providing the corner for Jedinak’s goal, fans believe the 22-year-old is fulfilling the potential he’s had for years.
According to reports by Italian media outlet Corriere dello Sport, AS Roma are ready to offer Grzegorz Krychowiak an escape route from what has been a disappointing loan spell with West Bromwich Albion this term.
The 27-year-old joined the Baggies on a season-long loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain towards the end of the summer transfer window, but he has struggled to make a big impression with the struggling west Midlands outfit.
With the manager that brought him to the Hawthorns – Tony Pulis – being sacked and replaced by Alan Pardew, the Poland international’s future is up in the air with the new boss ready to send him back to PSG in order to free up space to bring a new player in this month, according to talkSPORT.
Corriere dello Sport says that Roma are ready to bring him to Serie A if the loan is ended early, with the player keen to find some form before the World Cup in Russia this summer.
Meanwhile, West Ham United were heavily linked with a move for the defensive midfielder during the summer, but it was reported that former manager Slaven Bilic turned down the opportunity to sign the Pole in favour of trying to bring William Carvalho to the London Stadium.
That deal never materialised though and his successor David Moyes will be keen to strengthen his Irons team this month, and bringing Krychowiak to the capital could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons West Ham should hijack Roma’s bid to sign the midfielder…
They need a defensive midfielder
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Former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic wanted a new defensive midfielder during the summer transfer window, and the disappointing performances from the likes of Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate in general this season suggest that shouldn’t have changed even though the Croatian has been replaced by Moyes.
Even though Krychowiak perhaps hasn’t done as well as he might have expected to at West Brom, it has been a tough situation in a team that is struggling at the bottom of the Premier League, and his form for Sevilla previously and the fact that he earned a move to Paris Saint-Germain show the quality and potential he has.
His qualities
While Krychowiak hasn’t been at his best for West Brom and has perhaps taken longer to adapt to Premier League football than he might have liked, some of his statistics this season still show the strengths in his game.
According to WhoScored.com, he has made 35 interceptions in 15 Premier League appearances this term, while he has won 16 of the 22 aerial duels he has faced.
In 26 outings for Sevilla in the 2015/16 campaign, he won 76 of the 107 he faced, while he also won 64 of the 77 tackles he attempted.
Strong physically and the air and decent in possession, there is no doubt that he could add something to the West Ham midfield.
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Loan deal
While Moyes will be keen to add to his team during the January transfer window, the Scot won’t have the biggest budget and the opportunity to potentially sign a player like Krychowiak on loan until the end of the season could be a tempting one, and would allow them to cover his wages.
With a spot in the Poland World Cup squad up for grabs and another chance to prove himself in the Premier League following a disappointing campaign for West Brom, he would be motivated and could turn out to be an inspired addition for West Ham.
Leigh Griffiths was destined to be playing in Scotland’s top league come September 1st, but a turn around in fortunes has seen the Scot net quite a few times for the Old Gold.
His time at Wolves began under Mick McCarthy who signed the highly rated youngster, in 2011 for a fee reportedly around £150,000, bought in as ‘one for the future’ the fans trusted that McCarthy had uncovered yet another rough diamond, that he was going to merge and mould into a stellar first team player, much like he did with Matt Jarvis.
After failing to appear in Wolves’ Premier League campaign in 2011, he was sent out on loan to the green half of Edinburgh, needless to say, this is where his career would really take off. However, not everything was hunky dory. To begin with, Griffiths had numerous fallouts with the Hibs manager, Pat Fenlon. He was critical of Griffiths conduct in front of supporters, after he was suspended for a second time for the same offence. Relations between the management and Griffiths in the early years of his Hibs career were not great, though the club swiftly denied reports of a training ground bust up. However, things began to pick up for Griffiths toward the end of the 2011/2012 season, scoring a vital winning goal in the Scottish cup semi final against Aberdeen. Griffiths’ total for that season was 11 in 36 – not bad, but not great.
Wolves, the following season, felt Griffiths was surplus to requirements and he was told to say up in Scotland. A blistering start to the season saw him earn the player of the month award for August and his first cap for Scotland, this came off the back of him scoring 11 goals for Hibs. He was a revelation for Hibs, despite a dip in form after winning his first cap. Come January, Dean Saunders out of desperation or tactical insight (I fear it was the former) recalled Griffiths back to the Midlands, so he could be ‘assessed’ by the management, what they had to assess him for, I do not know. Alas, his reinstatement back into the first team did not happen after the club issued a statement regarding Griffiths’ conduct on, yep you guessed it, Twitter. He was frog marched back to Edinburgh and would remain there till May.
Without wanting to bash Dean Saunders, it did highlight his inability as a man manager. There was, on his doorstep, a young, vibrant, energetic player, who was in great form and itching to play football. Saunders failed to pocket all this talent and instead, let him go. One reason for this could have been the potentially negative effect on the dressing room, Wolves were in a dire situation, they had been humbled away at Luton Town and were facing another relegation fight. The last thing that Dean Saunders would have wanted is player who is going to spout his mouth off every five minutes, it does not matter, to a degree, how good he is, it had to be all about the collective in a situation like the one Wolves were facing. But surely it was worth a gamble? Especially with the injuries Wolves had in the latter half of the season. We saw how unpredictable and volatile a footballer he may be, but we have seen with the current manager that if he is treated right, he can be a real asset to a team.
Yet again, Griffiths was charged after posting another offensive tweet, it seemed that this young man failed to have the attitude that was needed to play top level football. Time and time again, Wolves have had to let players go because of their negative attitude, players who have a lot of genuine ability but who just do not have the right application – see Freddy Eastwood as an example.
What Griffiths soon discovered is that, excuse the cliché, doing your talking on the pitch, actually endears you to the fans that are paying to watch you. The Scot scored in every match in February, earning him his second player of the month award. Things were quickly on the up for Griffiths, as he bagged his first ever hatrick in a Scottish cup-tie against Kilmarnock.
That season was the making of Griffiths, he scored twenty-five goals for the club and was nominated for both player and young player of the year, winning the latter. In addition, he was included in the SPL team of the year and won the Scottish football writers player of the award. It was frustrating, as most things are for Wolves fans, to see a striker, who was ours, score for fun. Questions were asked to the management about why this precocious talent was not being given an opportunity in a Wolves shirt, those goals he is scoring in the SPL could have been goals for Wolves, potentially – who knows. He could have made the difference in our fight to stave off a successive relegation.
The season finished and with morale at the Midlands club, at an all time low, fans just presumed that Griffiths would remain at Hibs – not a candle was held for the return of the prolific goal scorer.
However, things were about to change at Wolves, another changing of the guard gave renewed hope for Griffiths, he was recalled back to Wolverhampton, despite Hibernian’s best efforts to sign their top scorer. New manager, Kenny Jackett, completed the best bit of summer transfer business – he kept Griffiths at the club, he was going to be playing for Wolves, in League One.
Awarded the number nine shirt, Jackett gave Griffiths some confidence, an arm round his shoulder. Griffiths can be a unpredictable character, as we have seen. But Jackett’s told him that ‘you are my main man and shall be for the foreseeable future’. However gutted fans were to see the previous number nine leave, it had to be done if Griffiths was to step up into the first team, it could be argued that, if Ebanks-Blake had stayed, Griffiths would be permanently plying his trade in Scotland. Jackett made a swift, decisive, strong decision to cut loose the old Wolves and bring through new blood.
Jackett has not been given enough praise for the reintroduction of a twenty-five goal a season man. Another manager would have cut their losses and sold Leigh Griffiths, Jackett did not, Jackett saw the potential in him, as he has done in so many other players at the club, he saw the mercurial talent that this young Scottish lad had and fought to keep him at the club – for me, this is the most important piece of business Wolves have done in the past five years.
So, what has Leigh Griffiths brought to this new look Wolves side? Who sit second in League One on 13 points. Well, to start with, he has brought four goals in five league games, but in addition he has brought a level of clinical finishing that has not been seen since Ebanks-Blake’s early years at the club. I first saw him Griffiths against Real Betis, in a pre season friendly, and you could see his talent come through, even then, in a nothing game – his movement off the ball, the ability to drag defenders all over the place, his speed, his awareness and, most importantly, his destructive finishing.
Leading the line, or playing as part of a two, Griffiths looks comfortable, despite his young age. Being in Scotland for those couple of years have made him into a man, because of the monopoly that is Scottish football, the pressure, from the management at least, has been reduced slightly. This has been vital in his development as a player, he has been allowed to make mistakes and it seems he has learnt from that and grown as a result. He gradually became the main man at Hibernian, and thankfully did not shy away from the pressure, but instead lapped it up. He was enjoying the fans singing his name and scoring plenty of goals in the process.
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It seems that he is forming a partnership with Kevin Doyle, a partnership that has seen Wolves unbeaten in League One. Long term, it seems that Sigurdarson will take the Doyle role, once Doyle departs, and a long-term strike partnership will be forged.
With Griffiths, Wolves have an ace up their sleeve, not many teams in League One have a goal scorer, in fact, not many teams have a reliable twenty a season man. Wolves do. It seems on first viewing that Griffiths is a poacher, born offside, like a Bent or a Del Piero (though obviously no where near as good). But on closer inspection, Griffiths can drop deep if he feels he needs to, but having Kevin Doyle next to him eases that burden. Doyle is the older, more experienced player who does all the hard work and can let Griffiths grab all the headlines.
On the goal scoring front he can scores all different types, take Port Vale away, for example, he worked his backside off to get the ball from two Vale defenders, he then eventually thundered the ball in the top corner. Another example, Gillingham at home, his ability to trap the ball from a substantial height and then to angle his body in such a way that he can volley it first time past the Gills keeper is remarkable.
Griffiths has an incredibly bright future ahead of him, if Wolves are promoted in the next two years, the sky is the limit for him, and the club. With him at the helm of Wolves fight back to the Promised Land – who knows what we could achieve? Griffiths is symbol of a brighter future, a future that is breeding young, hungry, exciting and attacking players to restore some pride back into the Old Gold.
Brendan Rodgers has deflected criticism aimed at his ‘keeper Pepe Reina after the Spaniard’s error almost cost Liverpool a place in the Europa League group stages.
The Reds drew 1-1 with Hearts on the night, going through 2-1 on aggregate, but it could have been a very different story had Luis Suarez not scored the decisive equaliser two minutes from time.
Hearts’ David Templeton gave the visitors the lead after launching a seemingly routine shot at goal from just outside the area, but Reina somehow spooned the shot into the net.
Despite the error, Rodgers remains confident in his shot-stopper’s ability: “Pepe has been brilliant since I’ve been here. He’s been a pivotal part of how we work. He’s been excellent off the field, a real good guy who understands the ideology of what we’re trying to do.
“Unfortunately for goalkeepers it’s part and parcel of the game. There’s no blame attached – unfortunately for goalkeepers they make a mistake and sometimes it leads to a goal.”
It sums up an unconvincing two-legged victory for Liverpool, who needed an own goal from Andy Webster in the first leg to take a lead back to Anfield.
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Rodgers’ side will now play Udinese, Young Boys and Anzhi in the group stages following lunchtime’s draw.
You can follow all the deadline day deals on our live blog right here
Newcastle United lost in the English Premier League on Saturday, defeated 2-1 away to Watford.
First half goals from Roberto Pereyra and Andre Gray secured the three points for the Hornets, despite Ayoze Perez pulling one back shortly after the break.
In his post-match comments, manager Rafa Benitez accused his players of already being ‘on holiday’, with nothing tangible to play for before the end of the season.
Fans were certainly frustrated with the result and performance, aiming particular criticism at defender Paul Dummett who conceded a penalty and also mishit a clearance in the build up to Watford’s opener.
The performance comes after another poor display last week at home to West Bromwich Albion.
Some now believe he should be replaced this summer. Do Newcastle need to sign an upgrade at left-back or will he do next season as Newcastle look to avoid any thoughts of relegation?
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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…