Twente defeated PSV Eindhoven 2-0 to take the lead in the Eredivisie, while bottom side Willem II lost 5-4 at home to Roda.Theo Janssen opened the scoring from the penalty spot for hosts Twente in the 64th minute at De Grolsch Veste.
And the midfielder claimed a brace and wrapped up the win with his second goal six minutes from time.
The victory sees Twente replace PSV at the top of the table.
The defending champions are now two points clear with five matches left until the playoffs.
Elsewhere, Willem II led Roda 1-0 at half-time through a penalty from Andreas Lasnik.
Norwegian Pa-Modou Kah equalised for the visitors before Bart Biemans restored the hosts’ advantage.
Goals from Morten Skoubo, Ruud Vormer and Davy De Fauw then gave Roda a 4-2 lead.
Lasnik made it 4-3 with his second, before Vormer netted to restore Roda’s two goal cushion, and give the visitors a 5-3 lead with seven minutes to go.
There was still time for Willem II to go down to 10 men with the sending off of Arjan Swinkels.
Maceo Rigters struck the ninth goal of the game three minutes into injury time to make it 5-4, but Roda hung on for a topsy-turvy victory.
NAC Breda won 3-1 away to De Graafschap, who finished with nine men after Rogier Meijer and Leon Broekhof both saw red in the last 10 minutes.
Heerenveen led 2-0 by half-time in their match at home to Excelsior, but Geert Arend Roorda equalised with a five-minute double, before Nayib Lagouireh snatched all three points for the visitors with a goal two minutes into added time.
In the late kick-off, Charlison Benshop’s 44th minute effort helped AZ Alkmaar beat Feyenoord 1-0 away from home.
In the wake of the Glazers takeover of Manchester United, many United fans have seemingly reached a crossroads. Should they stay and support their team despite the backlash against the club’s rising debt or should they join the revolution and desert their team in a season that may prove to be a defining one in the future of Manchester United football club.
Much has been said and written on the deepening financial crisis at Manchester United but I want to focus on what the Glazers debt means for the team and its supporters. Firstly, this off-season has seen Sir Alex Ferguson relatively quiet in his transfer dealings so far, spending £18 million on Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez. Compare this to Ferguson’s previous dealings in the transfer market where he spent upwards of £30 million on Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov and you could make a case for Sir Alex feeling the pinch somewhat this season. Also, Ferguson has yet to see any return on the £80 million paid by Real Madrid for the services of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The reported £700 million debt saddled on the club has severely diminished United’s spending power in the transfer market. With their cross-town rivals spending money like it’s out of fashion, there is a lingering doubt as to whether this current squad of United players can challenge for honours this season.
If United aren’t able to mount a serious challenge in the upcoming season, their already diminishing fanbase will take another substantial hit. To curb the falling number of supporters attending games at Old Trafford, the Glazer family have launched an all-out PR offensive to drum up more ticket sales.
In order to encourage more people to buy season tickets, the club have offered fans a free prize draw incentive if they chose to renew their season tickets before the June 13th deadline. The club then launched an aggressive campaign to shift tickets when they bombarded official website members with emails about season ticket availability, urging fans to take the club up on their deal.
This brazen attempt by the club’s hierarchy to increase attendance at Old Trafford to lessen the club’s debt points to the perils of the commercialisation of football.
The commercialisation of football, although inevitable given the amount of money in the Premier League these days has threatened to suck the very lifeblood out of one of our country’s most famous teams. The Glazer’s reduction of United to a pure business venture is a huge disrespect to the fans that are the heartbeat of each and every one of our football clubs.
The animosity towards the Glazers ownership has caused many supporters to leave the club in droves with the splinter support group MUST (Manchester United Supporters’ Trust) gaining traction in the opposition against the club. So much so that a consortium representing MUST called The Red Knights have been considering putting in an offer to buy the club back from the Glazers and return it to the fans.
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The five years since Malcolm Glazer bought Manchester United have been turbulent to say the least. It has brought its fair share of success on the pitch but increasing turmoil off it. Manchester United fans have been put in an impossible dilemma.
Will you support United despite the Glazers’ ownership? Or have you turned your back on United as a result of it?
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Chelsea are ready to make a move for Chile international striker Eduardo Vargas, as Nicolas Anelka’s time at the club comes to an end.
The Blues’ have had an inconsistent campaign so far, and manager Andre Villas Boas is expected to be given free reign to overhaul his squad come January.
Veteran attacker Anelka is in the last year of his contract at Stamford Bridge, and having started only three games this season for the London club is eager to find first team football.
The France international realises that Villas Boas wants to focus on young players, and has accepted that his future lies elsewhere.
“I’ve known for a little while where I’ll be on January 2,” he said to the club’s official website.
“The club, which is going through a difficult time, has decided to work with Chelsea’s players of the future and, as I am a good professional, I have accepted this.”
Meanwhile, The Daily Mail indicate that Universidad de Chile forward Eduardo Vargas is the man to replace outgoing Anelka, with The Blues ready to make a bid in January.
The 22-year-old South American attacker is rated at a value of £9 million, and the English newspaper have revealed that negotiations have began over a possible transfer in the new year.
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Arsenal, Liverpool, Napoli and Valencia are said to be interested also, but ascertaining a work permit could be an issue for the English teams, as Vargas has only played nine times for Chile.
Suspended Manchester City defender Kolo Toure believes his side have what it takes to be Premier League contenders in the future.Toure, who is currently suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, also thinks the club are yet to see the best of troubled striker Mario Balotelli, and predicts big things for the Italian.
“I’m feeling really happy at City now, we have some new players and a new vision of football,” the Ivorian said.
“We want to win things and at the moment we’re doing well and we hope to finish in the top four and see if we can qualify for the Champions League.”
“We are improving every season, last season we finished fifth and if this season we can finish in the top four that will be great and it will show we’re progressing and I think that is the most important.”
“To win the Premier League is very difficult because there are some top teams but when you have good players (and) you all want to win, that can happen definitely.”
Toure believes the senior players at Eastlands have a responsibility to the help the younger players, such as Balotelli, adjust to life in the Premier League.
“We have some young players some more experienced players and I think the experienced players just try to help the young players,” he said.
“I think Balotelli is a young player and he needs to adapt to the Premier League and the English culture and to the English spirit. I think from next season you will see better coming from him.”
With the new Premier League season just under way and with no new signings to bolster the current front line, Tottenham Hotspur will have to make do with what is already available to them.
The first match against Manchester City showed what a strong force Spurs are when going forward with their frightening wingers Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale plus Luka Modric heavily involved from central midfield. The fact the Lilywhites did not find was not down to bad finishing but due to an incredible performance from England goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Judging from Saturday’s game it seems Peter Crouch is slightly ahead in the pecking order to start alongside Jermain Defoe, who has an almost guaranteed starting place. But with a long season ahead it is still an open-game, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Robbie Keane and Giovani dos Santos will all feel they have an even chance of winning their place in Spurs’ attack.
Pavlyuchenko and Crouch impressed at different stages of last season. The Russian came from the wilderness to score five league goals since he was given his chance in late February while the England international chipped in with numerous assists and some vital goals, most memorably ‘that goal’ at Eastlands.
Keane and Giovani seemed destined to leave Spurs after both of them were sent out on loan in January but after an impressive pre-season from the pair, they look to have won over Redknapp at the perfect time.
So who does ‘Arry choose?
Peter Crouch
‘Crouchy’ has done a good job in his first season back at White Hart Lane, forcing his way into the starting line-up after some exceptional substitute appearances and with no disrespect, this is when he performs at his best. He is a great impact player who can change a game in the last 20 minutes but the team’s philosophy of quick passing football alters somewhat when he starts. His mere presence often cuts off creative thinking from the Tottenham defence when in possession who will prefer to lump it long to the big man rather than trying to build from the back. He scored eight league goals and made seven assists which helped Spurs finish in the ‘top 4’ which makes many believe “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” but in football it is a false notion to have. You must be pro-active and read a situation before it unfolds, a goal record like Crouch’s is one that only a player of his style could get away with. Another season with him as a starter will make Spurs incredibly predictable.
Roman Pavlyuchenko
‘Super Pav’ showed true professionalism for giving his all when called upon after many months of being frozen out of the team. Spurs’ number 9 is a good finisher and comes alive in the box but does not have what it takes to play week in, week out. His inability to think quickly combined with his, at times, slack touch and lack of creativity make him unsuitable to compliment Defoe’s style.
Giovani dos Santos
After a dazzling World Cup performance followed by an impressive pre-season, Spurs fans have finally seen what all the fuss was about with whiz kid Giovani . The boy has the ability to become one of the best players in the world and as his boss recently said; “if he gets his head together” there is no reason why he can’t. He is a talent that should be weaned into the line-up; an incredible dribbler, good passer and extremely skillful, he would be ideal to have as a second striker, if not now then definitely in the near future.
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Robbie Keane
And lastly, the forgotten man, Robbie Keane. A Spurs legend until his unsuccessful move to Liverpool in the summer of 2008 and it is clear that many fans still hold a grudge with him because of it. However, the team is a lot more fluent with the Irishman in the team, as he showed at the beginning of last season in the thrashings of Hull (2-5 away) where he made three assists and against Burnley (5-0 home), scoring four. It was those small teams that Tottenham struggled to pick off since Crouch broke into the first team versus Stoke in late October last year. His ability to be a creative force and a goal scorer in addition to his influence and enthusiasm are what make Robbie Keane the most suitable partner for Jermain Defoe
Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez has been a prominent figure in the transfer gossip pages over the last few windows.
The Algerian international is likely to be regularly mentioned this summer as well, and it seems that Manchester City fans are keeping a close eye on the situation.
Last summer, the Cityzens failed to land Mahrez in the January transfer window due to Leicester’s unwillingness to sell, and now supporters have spotted an opening.
The Express reports that the Foxes, as well as West Ham United, plan to move for City’s Patrick Roberts when his loan spell at Celtic comes to an end.
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The 21-year-old winger joined the North-West outfit from Fulham in 2015, but is yet to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s team.
Fans believe that the newly-crowned Premier League champions should try to get Mahrez as part of the deal.
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The publication claims that Roberts is rated at around £15m, while Transfermarkt have worked out a figure of £45m for Mahrez.
It is highly unlikely that Leicester would agree to a straight swap due to the vast difference in valuation, but that has not stopped City supporters from hoping.
Newcastle United face a tough final few months of the season as they fight to retain their Premier League status.Rafael Benitez guided the team back to the top flight from the Championship in the 2016-17 campaign in dominating fashion.However, since retuning to the elite league, things have not been smooth sailing.As it stands, the Magpies sit in 13th place but just two points above the relegation zone.Up front is where the team have struggled the most as they have netted just 20 league goals, with Dwight Gayle and Joselu top scorers on three each.Due to the poor figures, some fans reacted optimistically when young forward Ivan Toney returned to the club from his loan spell at Wigan Athletic.
The 21-year-old joined the Latics in the summer and scored six goals in 28 appearances in all competitions.
There have been rumours on social media that the youngster will be loaned out again for the rest of the season, but some fans would prefer him to stay.
Thierry Henry could be forgiven for having Robert Pires in mind; both are currently training with Arsenal. But the former Arsenal captain went on to compare Mesut Ozil to his former teammate, suggesting that there was a likeness to their style of play and contribution on the field, rather than stating the German was Arsenal’s modern equivalent to Pires.
Pires was a flair player; elegant and fluid. He was considerate with his passing; economical and hospitable. He knew how to make the most of his teammates and how to work in tandem with the other forwards. As Henry stated ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League tie away to Napoli, “football is about partnerships.”
I made the point recently that Ozil was a reference point for the other midfielders in the team. His arrival has lifted the mood at the club and his presence on the pitch has fed confidence to his teammates, yet he’s still regarded as the talisman in midfield, despite the form of others.
In addition, I also pointed out that Ozil’s contributions aren’t always seen from the stats page. His assists numbers over the past three years have been phenomenal, but it’s worth looking at how much he does for others in the way he plays. That was the point of Henry’s comparison. In terms of style and certainly build, Pires and Ozil are notably different.
But then there shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Pires was so educated on the ball. Like so many others who have walked through the doors at either Highbury or The Emirates, Arsene Wenger has looked to transform central players into attackers from the flanks. Tomas Rosicky seemed to be Pires’ most obvious replacement when the Czech international arrived at the club in 2006, seen as a natural No.10 but moved out onto the left.
Henry went on to state his wish to have had played with Ozil, such is the quality the German brings to the team. This is Ozil’s first season in English football, and at present it seems as though Aaron Ramsey is among a small group of players who could be in contention for the Footballer of the Year award in the Premier League.
But Ozil could be on a similar course taken by Pires. During his second season in the Premier League, Pires became one of the driving forces for Arsenal’s success as title winners. The fact that he missed part of the season due to injury further highlights how good he was to pick up the Footballer of the Year accolade. Henry clearly sees similar traits in Ozil. The talent is clear in the German. But what he brings to the team, more so than his actual style, is certainly comparable to Pires.
This week heralded the return of the Capital One Cup and the third round certainly lived up to expectations. We have now grown accustomed to the annual midweek programme in September that brings us evening football under the lights, the anthemic melodies of Texas’ Inner Smile and and most importantly the future stars the competition brings to our attention.
Indeed, the League Cup has now become synonymous as a pathway through which young talents emerge, intermingle with first team regulars and look to catch the eye in the hopes of a more frequent role at first team level in the league and potential overtures in Europe. Almost like a one off audition perhaps.
It may be difficult to pin point exactly when it became fashionable for managers to utilise the League Cup as a springboard and anticipated opportunity for fans to get a sneak peak of the stars of tomorrow, but we have now grown used to scrolling through our match day programmes to find a few names draped more in mystery than instant recollection.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has always made public his desire to blood younger talents in the competition and a pattern has started to emerge predominantly across the top two divisions with the many league regulars being replaced in the midweek by a cast of eager, hungry first timers hell bent on making an impression.
Over the years more and more Premier League sides and now Championship outfits alike are following the Wenger ideal by letting their precocious youngsters loose in the competition and who can blame them?
The Capital One Cup offers passionate fans a competitive environment and good old fashioned knockout football that can only be beneficial to the development of any young pro. Vociferous encouragement from the crowd and geeing up from a respected first team accomplice, is a far cry away from the ripple of applause that could be witnessed during a reserve or youth team fixture that would usually represent the surroundings for mere 20-somethings.
With this extra confidence and an understandable adrenaline rush having been given this experience it is no surprise that so many youngsters perform so well and become a first team fixture at their respective club given this initial opportunity.
With sides competing on a number of fronts including the Premier League, FA Cup and European tournaments, the Capital One Cup distinguishes itself on giving frequent first team opportunities to younger pros who wouldn’t gain as much playing time if the competition ceased to exist. Robbie Fowler, David Beckham and Steven Gerrard have all made their name in the League Cup and have gone on to achieve an impressive standing in the game.
This time last year Manchester United handed debuts to young Ezekiel Fryers and Larnell Cole in their fixture against Leeds at Elland Road, and way back in the 2003/4 campaign, a fledgling Cesc Fabregas then wearing squad number 57 scored his first ever goal for Arsenal in the League Cup in a home tie to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Highbury.
With some Premier League clubs entering the competition at the second round phase this year, there was plenty of evidence in the selected rosters that this occurrence of youth is just as prevalent as ever.
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West Ham brought on Matthias Fanimo and George Moncur in their victory against Crewe Alexandra, Aston Villa replaced Australian first teamer Chris Herd with young Irishman Graham Burke during a tie against League One Tranmere Rovers and Southampton boss Nigel Adkins saw Stevenage as the perfect location to hand opportunities to development squad members Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers and Cobey Moore.
This invaluable experience in the Capital One Cup opening phases has now become a staple part of the footballing calendar and more and more clubs are using it as the perfect and assumed opportunity to blood youth.
It is unquestionable that the Capital One Cup conveyor belt is certainly still in motion. All that is left to mystery is just who will become the young star that takes the Capital One Cup by storm this year and really makes a name for themselves.
The upcoming summer transfer window is a massive one for Tottenham Hotspur and Mauricio Pochettino.
Threatening for years to emerge as a serious title-contending force in the English Premier League, they were miles off the pace of Manchester City this season. With Liverpool improving all the time, Manchester United and Chelsea preparing themselves for another summer splurge and Arsenal about to embark on a new managerial era, this needs to be the transfer window that Spurs start showing serious ambition.
One of the key areas of the pitch that could do with improvement over the next few months is in central midfield.
Beyond the continually impressive Mousa Dembele, Spurs have lacked a solidity in the middle of the park that should be anchoring their more creative, dynamic and forward thinking players. Dembele himself is more of an all-rounder rather than a defensive specialist.
Harry Winks is a tidy player but is struggling to convince Pochettino he can be trusted to play regular top-flight football. Victor Wanyama is increasingly struggling to impose himself on the opposition despite his obvious physicality. In the case of Eric Dier, the Spurs manager can’t seem to decide whether to play him in defence or midfield half the time.
Last week the club have been linked with a £25m move for Boca Juniors’ Colombian midfielder Wilmar Barrios.
His role in Boca’s first team is perhaps best directly compared to that of Wanyama’s at Tottenham. He’s a player that screens the defensive line and fights flames before they burst into full blown fires.
With supporters crying out for more creativity and dynamism in the Spurs midfield, it might seem an odd priority for Spurs to pay a significant amount of money for a defensive midfielder, but his contributions in 2017/19 demonstrate a player who could replace the Kenyan in Pochettino’s starting eleven.
His defensive averages in key areas for the Argentinian side for the season past, as collated by WhoScored.com, not only outstrip Wanyama, but much of the entire Tottenham squad.
With 69 tackles in total, he’s averaging three per game, almost double the average of Victor Wanyama with 1.7. The Kenyan international also falls behind in averages for interceptions, clearances and blocks compared to the Colombian.
While the Premier League is obviously a higher standard than the Argentinian top-flight, it’s clear that Barrios is a player willing to impose himself on the match and turnover possession, rather than passively marking or jockeying his opponents.
With an 84% passing accuracy rating too, he can clearly be effective in moving the ball on to teammates.
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It’s an energy and commitment that could bring new life to Tottenham next season and allow their attacking players to shine, perhaps performing a similar role to that of N’Golo Kante at Chelsea, although obviously a direct quality comparison to the French international is a little early.
His appearance at the upcoming World Cup should be of particular interest to Spurs fans, who could get a look at how he does against more elite competition than his league opposition.
Is he the midfield enforcer Tottenham need? The potential is certainly there.