Monday, 9 September 2013
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Rotherham 3 Sheffield United 1: match report
United took the lead on 35 minutes when Jose Baxter collected Tony McMahon's throw-in on the right. There looked to be nothing on for the for the former-Everton man but, when turning with the ball, he found the Rotherham defence in accommodating mood.
Cutting along the bye-line unbridled by a tackle, Baxter looked as if he was about to cut the ball- back but surprised everyone, not least home 'keeper Shearer, by firing low into the far corner.
Rotherham began the second-half with Daniel Nardiello on for Craig Morgan and a more positive aspect to their play as they reverted to 4-4-2. Within minutes Mark Howard had to be at his best to deny the rampaging Alex Revell, on 49 minutes Revell rose like a Deliah Smith cake only to see Howard get his way by collecting the striker's downward header at his left-hand post.
Rotherham's incessant pressure paid-off on 51 minutes when Kieran Agard latched-on to poor United clearance and found himself in more space than Captain Kirk. Agard had time to control the ball and steady himself before unleashing a twenty-five yard thunderbolt that beat Howard all ends up.
Sheffield United were as rattled as shutters in a cyclone. Rotherham kept up the pressure and both Frecklington and Revell went close to giving the home side the lead.
Rotherham were not to be denied. On 70 minutes Neill Collins bundled-over Nardiello and referee Andy D'Urso pointed accusingly at the spot. With the photographers perched behind Howard's goal like seagulls on a seawall, Nardiello sent his spot-kick low the United keeper's left to give the home side a deserved lead.
Five minutes later, an errant back-pass from Harry McGuire was seized upon by Rob MIlson who, from 18-yards tried to find the same spot in the back of the net as Nardiello and succeeded.
The win maintains Rotherham's unbeaten league form and lifts them to fourth in League One, albeit manager Steve Evans was given to sober assessment.
"I'm delighted with the win, obviously, but we've a had a good rather than great start to the season, " said the Millers boss.
"I got it wrong in the first-half but right in the second. We changed it around and it worked. We had to get more support to our front two and quicker, which is what we did and they couldn't cope with it."
Sheffield United manager David Weir could not hide his disappointment.
"The manner of the way we collapsed in the second-half is very, very disappointing, " said Weir.
"We contributed in no small way to our own defeat and didn't deserve to win"
ROTHERHAM UNITED (4-1-4-1) ; Shearer; Brindley ,Davis,Morgan (Nardiello 46), Skarz; Mills; Milsom, Frecklington, Pringle, Agard; Revell.
Subs: Collin (GK),Hylton,Tubbs, Nardiello, Tidser, Rowe.
Booked: Morgan (14)
SHEFFIELD UNITED (4-4-2); Howard; McMahon, Maguire, Collins, Hill, Flynn (Bunn 69); Coady,Cuvelier, Doyle; Baxter, Porter (Taylor 69).
Subs: Willis (GK); Westlake, Bunn,McGinn, Ironside, Taylor, McFadzean.
*Booked: McMahon 82*
Ref: A. D'Urso (Essex)
Read Attachment ATT51433-20130907-181634-001 ( text/html)
Theo Walcott says England won't play for a draw in Ukraine despite taking top spot with Moldova win
Kiev holds fond memories for Walcott as it played host to the stunning volley he scored against Sweden at Euro 2012.
He is looking forward to going back to the Ukrainian capital, but is aware that the hosts will be desperate to secure another victory having boosted their goal difference with a 9-0 win over San Marino on Friday.
"It's going to be really nice looking for that goal again and I go there feeling very confident as do the team as well," the 24-year-old said.
"That was a great occasion for myself scoring that night but I need to concentrate on getting the points now on Tuesday.
"They did very well on Friday. They scored nine goals so they will go in to the match on a positive note."
After an unsettled beginning to last season, Walcott has found himself very much central to the plans of both Arsene Wenger and Roy Hodgson this term.
The 24-year-old is not the only Arsenal player to have impressed the England manager, however.
Hodgson spoke of his delight at having a fit-again Jack Wilshere available for the game against Moldova, where he combined well with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the midfield.
Debate has raged over the last decade about the supposed inability of Gerrard and Lampard to play alongside each other in midfield, but Walcott thinks Wilshere's presence helped the two old heads combine well at Wembley.
"I bet Frank and Stevie feel very old next to Jack," Walcott said with a smile.
"It definitely did work, they communicated well and blended well, the rotation worked well and they all had a part to play in the (Gerrard) goal so there are a lot of positives to take from that.
"We have lots of players in that position but they did very well against Moldova."
Wilshere had to sit out training on Tuesday with a stomach bug and there are still concerns about his fitness following a lengthy ankle injury layoff, but Walcott is convinced the 21-year-old will be fit for Tuesday.
Walcott added: "Jack is a strong lad, he always wants to play football and I am sure he will be absolutely fine. He will recover."
(Edited by Kristian Walsh)
Wales will need to bring in new security measures for Gareth Bale, says Chris Coleman
The £86 million Real Madrid star was an unused substitute for the Dragons in Skopje and needed guards to intervene as two Macedonian supporters approached him during the interval at the Philip II Arena.
Wales manager Coleman believes new measures will have to be introduced to protect Bale, who now holds the tag as the world’s most expensive player.
Coleman said: “We have to sit down and plan differently how we do things because that is what is going to happen. It’s all new to us.
“Gareth has been a great player for two or three years but he’s gone to the club where he has with a record move.
“We have to control the circus, it’s new territory. We have to handle it and we will. We have people here to look after the players, we’ve had more this week for obvious reasons.
“But you can’t stop everything as we’re in a foreign country. You can’t control everything.
“We’re all proud of Baley and we have to accept what is coming when he is with us. We can’t let people use it as a tool against us. I’d rather have it than not.”
Bale remained on the sidelines and Coleman revealed the 24-year-old will not start against Serbia on Tuesday night.
Welsh fans were left frustrated and angered by Coleman’s decision to take Bale to Macedonia before leaving the former Tottenham star on the bench.
Bale had a limited pre-season coupled with a foot injury and Coleman revealed he has to keep club sides sweet so they turn up in the future.
Coleman said: “I’m not thinking about just one game. I’ve got to look at the bigger picture. When we are selecting the team, we are thinking of sending players back fit and not risking them.
We have to build long-term relationships and look after players properly.
It’s the same for all of them, whether it’s Gareth, Aaron Ramsey or Jack Collison.
“Will Gareth be ready to start? No. Can he play a part? We’ll see.” Coleman has suffered a trio of further selection problems with Wales skipper Ashley Williams suspended for the Group A showdown at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams and Wolves defender Sam Ricketts are both doubtful after picking up injuries in the shock loss at the Philip II Arena.
With both of his recognised centre-halves unlikely to figure, Coleman is expected to send an SOS to West Ham’s James Collins.
Coleman added: “James is always in my thinking. Absolutely. My defenders have done very well in the two or three games. Ashley and Sam haven’t done anything wrong, but it’s one area we will now need to look at.”
Coleman’s international record reads just three wins from 11 games yet the Wales chief has agreed a new two-year deal.
He said: “The new contract has all been agreed. We just wanted to get these two games out of the way as they are the most important thing.”
Wayne Rooney staying on at Manchester United was the key to summer transfer activity at Old Trafford
It is remarkable that, once again, Rooney has been the dominant English footballer going into a season. Dominant not just because of his ability, which he has at times struggled to fully exploit, through fitness and other issues, but also in terms of the talking points and headlines he has generated.
That ability is not questioned — the application of it sometimes is – although United do not subscribe to the school of thought that after nine years it might have been in the club’s and player’s interests for him to move on.
Maybe if he was sold abroad, if that craved interest from Barcelona or Bayern Munich had materialised, United may have thought differently. But they had no intention of allowing Rooney to remain in the Premier League if he did not remain with them.
Hopefully that faith — and the measured approach of United’s new manager David Moyes, who spoke about helping Rooney break the club’s goalscoring records but also the need for him to get back to the “level” he can achieve, will be vindicated. Certainly Rooney appears calmer than during the summer.
The determination to keep Rooney is why United showed no interest in Mesut Ozil when he was offered to them weeks ago before he joined Arsenal last Monday — not even inquiring about the price and certainly not making an offer — or Willian when he was made available by Anzhi Makhachkala.
Instead, for Moyes, Rooney was to be his first-choice number 10 — the main playmaker with the team-strengthening priorities in other areas. United now hope — and believe — that they have not only convinced Rooney it is in his best interests to stay but that he will further his career with them.
That “focus” on Rooney, however, did not distract from other business. The planning for the next transfer window — and, more crucially, the next one after — started last week immediately after this window closed. There will be no inquest, as none is felt needed. Far from being a chaotic failure, as some have suggested, United are pleased with their work. Time will tell.
There are still those clear plans as to where the club wants to strengthen: central midfield, left-back and, eventually, a top-quality central defender with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic well into their thirties and their understudies suffering from injuries. United will also investigate as to whether there are any “top stars” who can be dislodged. The club is keen to flex its financial muscle. But only for the right player.
There have been suggestions that United now need a director of football but there is no inclination at the club to follow this route. David Moyes, with the mandate of a six-year contract, has been given the responsibility of who to sell and who to buy with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward then tasked with negotiating the deals. That traditional approach, which United claim shows huge faith in the manager, and also a commitment that he is in the job for the long haul, will continue.
Certainly the unique nature of this window — with a rush of money from the new television deal inflating prices and Moyes not in place until July 1 — affected matters. United did not want to impose players on the new manager, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans, so he started with a clean slate — while the club also believe that the work he has done on the training field will hopefully see a fresh approach from some players, such as Anderson and Nani, who appeared surplus to requirements.
The first-team squad is exceptionally big, with four new additions, but will be trimmed next year once Moyes has decided who to move on.
The deals that United did pursue were clear. They wanted Baines, they wanted Fabregas and they also wanted Marouane Fellaini and there was always a quiet confidence, which proved correct, that signing the Belgian midfielder would be the easiest of the three to land.
Why then did United not trigger the £23million release clause in Felliani’s contract at Evertonand allow it to lapse? The answer is simple: they decided on a strategy to try and get Baines and knew that if they signed Fellaini early then Everton would have the money they needed and be able to resist any attempt to also sign Baines.
So United made a joint bid, after having an initial offer of £12million for Baines rejected, although the level at which they initially went in at was undeniably low. But they also knew that both players wanted to join them.
At the same time United were offered Fabio Coentrao by Real Madrid but did not want to give up on Baines. “It was always going to be difficult to get Leighton out which is why we did a joint bid,” the source said. “It was the tactic to try and make it happen.” As soon as it eventually became apparent that Everton would not countenance losing both players, no matter the offer, United moved for Fellaini, disputing they paid the £27.5million it was claimed they did, while they were then offered — and agreed — to take Coentrao on loan. That deal collapsed solely because Real were unable to sign up Guilherme Siqueira from Granada as his replacement.
The failure to sign Fabregas is also explainable. United had received encouragement that although, in his heart, the midfielder wanted to stay at Barcelona his head was telling him that he was effectively competing with Pedro and Alexis Sanchez for one place. “He was very much thinking about his future,” the source added. “But it was always a less than 50 per cent chance that we could get him although it was definitely worth trying.” In truth, also, there was a will to try and make a mark with Fabregas.
There was a sense of nervousness if a player from his former club — Fellaini – became Moyes’ first big signing while there were even indications, right up until the window closed, from those close to Fabregas that he was still unsure of what to do.
“We have been looking since 2007 for top-class central midfielders to improve the team,” the source said. “And that search will continue.” Ander Herrera, from Athletic Bilbao, was a player United had tracked for two years so was not a panic buy alternative to Fabregas.
One offer was made, of around £20million plus £3million in add-ons, and rejected and United then walked away. There was no deadline day attempt, no wrangle over Basque tax laws — and no representatives from United sent to the offices of the Spanish league.
Where does it all leave United and Moyes? There will be no repeat of this window, it is hoped, with the club wanting to do its business, in future, early. There is also, though, no sense of panic and certainly no pressure on Moyes with United extremely happy with the way he has gone about his job as their new manager. And not least with the way that he has handled Wayne Rooney.
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