Goal Zone

Friday, December 19, 2014

Liverpool line up Delph as Gerrard successor

Liverpool have allegedly earmarked Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph as a potential successor to Steven Gerrard. England international Delph is out of contract at Villa Park this summer, and the Reds are the frontrunners for his signature, The Mirror reports. Although Liverpool are keen to keep Gerrard after his contract expires next summer, manager Brendan Rodgers is already said to be weighing up possible replacements for the 34-year-old. Villa boss Paul Lambert has been tipped to cash in on Delph and defender Ron Vlaar to prevent them from leaving on free transfers in January.

"Handing in transfer request,a big mistake" - Christian Benteke

Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke has admitted that he made a mistake when he submitted a transfer request in 2013. The Belgium international made a u-turn and snubbed Tottenham Hotspur in favour of signing in a new contract at Villa Park in July of that year, and he insists that he has no regrets about his change of heart. "I don't have regrets about staying. Every choice I made I accept but I would not do the same mistake and everything that happened before," The Mirror quotes Benteke as saying. Benteke scored 23 goals in his debut season at Villa, and is keen to recapture his top form after returning from long-term injury and a ban.

Javier Hernandez not leaving Real Madrid

The agent of Javier Hernandez has insisted that the out-of-favour Real Madrid striker will not be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu in January. The Mexico international has struggled for first-team opportunities in his season-long loan from Manchester United, prompting speculation that a winter exit is on the cards. "Sometimes the media speculate too much and assume situations," Eduardo Hernandez told AS. "He will not leave the club [in January]. "He is eager to play more minutes but he knows that hard work will open up more opportunities. He has his future ahead of him. "Real Madrid are a team full of impressive players and obviously to earn a spot is difficult, but Javier has a great quality in working hard, like he has since the first day, and this is his quality." Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti recently claimed that the 26-year-old will get chances to shine, having played second fiddle to in-form Karim Benzema for much of the season. Hernandez has scored three times in seven La Liga appearances thus far.

FIFA confirm 2018 World Cup final, opening match dates

FIFA says the 2018 World Cup final will be played on Sunday, July 15.

Confirming the tournament dates Friday, the FIFA Executive Committee agreed that the opening match will be played on a Thursday, June 14.

The 2018 World Cup officially kicks off next March, with the first of more than 800 qualifying matches. FIFA says it agreed that some preliminary-round matches will start then in the Asian and CONCACAF regions.

The main qualifying matches and groups will be drawn next July 25 in St. Petersburg.

FIFA also confirmed the June 17-July 2 dates for the 2017 Confederations Cup warm-up tournament.

Fan banned from grounds for tearing Koran

A football supporter who tore pages of the Koran during a game has been banned from every ground in England and Wales for three years. Middlesbrough fan Julie Phillips ripped up pages during her side's 2-2 draw away to Birmingham City last December, and police said she had caused or contributed to other acts of disorder. Phillips, who had already been given a lifetime ban from Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, claimed that she did not know the book was the Koran. Cleveland Police applied to the court for the 51-year-old to be banned from games as it was the latest of a number of incidents involving the Middlesbrough fan. The police revealed that Phillips had been arrested at another game after allegedly racially abusing a steward.

Manchester United target Ivan Rakitic

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is lining up a move for Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic, according to reports. The 26-year-old joined Luis Enrique's side from Sevilla for £14m in the summer, but has failed to impress this season and has been linked with a move to the Premier League. The Old Trafford club are understood to be lining up a £20m bid for Rakitic after Chelsea entered the race to sign long-term target Kevin Strootman. However, van Gaal will face competition for the Croatian's signature from rivals Manchester City, according to The Express. Rakitic has four goals in 20 appearances for Barcelona this season, but has been used sparingly by Enrique in recent weeks.

Alex Song kneels to "King" Henry

West Ham United midfielder Alex Song has said that the football world will mourn the loss of "king" Thierry Henry following his retirement. The 37-year-old called time on his illustrious career on Tuesday as he gears up for a spell in media. Song, who played with Henry at Arsenal for a number of years, has now thanked the legendary Frenchman for having such a big impact on his career. "For me, I call him the King," he told the Daily Mail. "He was unbelievable. An amazing player and a great man. I knew him from when I was 17 and I learned a lot from him. Even now he'll say to me you need to this and do that. "So today, we miss a very big player. Not just here in England but in the world. Everybody knows his face. The things is did for football were good. "So I just like to say thank you to him for everything. 'I learned a lot from him, will always be his good friend and I am very happy for. I'd like to wish him all the best for 'the future in all that he wants to do. He achieved a lot of things in football. That's why I call him the King." Henry - also Arsenal's all-time record goalscorer with 228 goals - helped the Gunners to two Premier League titles and four FA Cups in his eight-year spell in North London.

Crystal Palace to launch loan bid for Ashley Cole

Crystal Palace have reportedly made plans to launch a loan move for Roma defender Ashley Cole when the transfer window reopens next month. Former England full-back Cole joined the Serie A side after leaving Chelsea in the summer, but he has found himself on the bench for each of their last five games. According to the Daily Mail, Palace boss Neil Warnock is keen to bring in a new left-back, and the club are hoping to take advantage of the 33-year-old's struggles in the Italian capital. The report claims that Palace competed with Roma for Cole's services in the summer before former manager Tony Pulis left Selhurst Park. Cole's wages could prove to be a stumbling block as he is believed to be earning close to £80,000-a-week with Roma.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho expecting quiet January

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that he has no plans on adding to his "very, very good" squad in the January transfer window. The Blues have enjoyed a fine start to the 2014-15 season and have only lost once from their 25 games in all competitions - a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United earlier this month. Speaking after the 3-1 League Cup win over Derby County, which saw them qualify for the semi-final, the Portuguese insisted that he will not be active next month. "No. We have a short squad but we've got good players, some younger, some older, but the squad is very, very good," he told talkSPORT. "Our project is to start and finish the season with the same group of players, so there will be nobody to leave and nobody to come in either." The Premier League leaders remain in contention to win four trophies this season. Mourinho's side will kick off their FA Cup campaign against Watford next month, with a last-16 Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain to follow in February.

Inter Milan rule out Mario Balotelli return

Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti has said that a January swoop for misfiring Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is not on the cards. The 24-year-old has endured a trying spell at Anfield since a £16m summer switch from AC Milan and has failed to score in his 10 Premier League appearances thus far. Consequently, a return to Italy next month has been mooted for the Italian - who began his career at Inter - but Zanetti says that the Nerazzurri will not be in the queue. "A Balotelli return? We all know Mario is a great player but I think it's difficult because he only just arrived at Liverpool," Zanetti, who played with Balotelli at Inter, told Sky Sport Italia. "In any case, after our game against Lazio we will hold meetings to see what we can do and what is needed in terms of the [transfer] market." Balotelli, who has scored twice in 14 appearances for the Reds, could be facing a two-game ban for posting an 'abusive and/or offensive' image on his Instagram account recently.

Soldado, Adebayor to make way for Jackson Martinez

A report has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur will consider selling Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor to fund a move for Porto striker Jackson Martinez. Soldado's struggles at White Hart Lane since joining from Valencia last summer have continued this season, while Adebayor failed to hit his best form during an extended spell in the side earlier in the campaign. In recent weeks Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino has used Harry Kane, and the Argentine could be tempted to let Soldado and Adebayor leave if clubs match their valuation of the duo. According to reports in Portugal, Spurs are one of a number of clubs keen on signing Martinez, but they would find it difficult to agree a deal with Porto, who are believed to want £40m for the Colombian. Martinez's agent recently claimed that his client would not be leaving Porto in January.

Thierry Henry keen to manage Arsenal

Arsenal Legend Thierry Henry has reiterated an ambition to manage the Gunners at some point in the future. The iconic striker hung up his boots at the age of 37 on Tuesday as the Frenchman now prepares to swap the field for a studio after signing up as a Sky Sports pundit. However, Henry has insisted that his long-term future is in the dugout, but he is under no illusions over the difficulty of earning what would be his "dream" job in North London. Asked if he harboured plans to lead Arsenal - where he scored a club-record 228 times in a highly-successful eight-year spell, Henry told The Telegraph. "That would be a dream come true but that's not how it works. You have to prove yourself first, you have to learn first. You need to be able to understand what it is to be a manager. "The plan is to start my badges and I guess Arsenal will help me. To pass your badges, you have to work closely with a club and I would like to think it is going to be Arsenal. You know I'm in London when you see me at Arsenal. "First and foremost, I don't know how or when, but everybody knows I would love to go back to Arsenal in some capacity. But I need to be equipped to go back. I want to learn the process, so I have to get my badges and what not. We will see what is going to happen." On Tuesday, Henry's former Arsenal teammate Ray Parlour tipped the ex-France international to enjoy a successful career in management.

"I refuse to play mind games with Mourinho"

Laurent Blanc is refusing to get involved with Jose Mourinho's "mind games" after Paris Saint-Germain were drawn against Chelsea in Europe. Monday's last 16 Champions League draw pitted the English table-toppers with France's reigning champions - a repeat of last season's quarter-final - and the media latched on to Mourinho's pre-draw comments that he'd be happy to face PSG. Blanc, who has been in charge at Parc des Prince for a year and a half, was prickly when asked about his retort to the former Real Madrid and Inter boss. "Did Mourinho win the psychological battle? If he wins a point, it is because he's playing a game. I have no game to play mind games with Jose," the Frenchman told reporters. "We know him. We know him very well. [The media] like that, you like his quotes. That's it. He's very strong in this aspect but not only that. "He had done the math as we did, I'm sure, and he knew the teams he could meet. He knows PSG was one of them and he thought: 'I will come with my little quote.'" "At the end of both games, we will be able to know if it was a good or a bad draw. The sure thing is that they are a great team, that's for sure. We know them well. "We still have memories of last year. We remember that game. I think they are stronger this year. It's going to be very interesting. We have to get ready. We still have time to prepare." PSG were knocked out of Europe by Chelsea last year on the away-goal rule after drawing winning 3-1 at Parc des Princes then losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Who is Thierry Henry?

If asked anytime in the next few years who Thierry Henry is, you meed not to say a word, because words may well not be able to properly describe in summary, the enormous magnitude, the presence of this individual brings to any gathering or team, so we saved you the stress.

The video below says it all...

Thierry Henry's 10 greatest Arsenal moments

After Arsenal legend Thierry Henry announced his retirement from football, We take a look at ten of the greatest moments of his Gunners career.

HAT-TRICK AGAINST Liverpool, PREMIER LEAGUE 2004

Henry's superb hat-trick was even more impressive when taking into account the importance of this game against Liverpool. The Gunners had started the week on course to win the treble, but losses to Man United in the FA Cup and Chelsea in the Champions League had left Arsene Wenger's side with just the Premier League title to aim for. Unbeaten in the league going into the game, when Liverpool took a 2-1 lead in the first half it seemed Arsenal's season was beginning to unravel. Cue the ever reliable Henry, who stepped up to score three. The best of the bunch was a terrific surging run through the Liverpool defence, shrugging Jamie Carragher off the ball, then slipping past the panicking Reds defence before slotting past Jerzy Dudek, in what would become a defining moment of the Gunners' unbeaten season.

Henry also scored this belter against Liverpool in the FA Cup in 2006

GOAL AGAINST TOTTENHAM, PREMIER LEAGUE 2002

Not only was this goal one of the finest ever seen at the old Arsenal Stadium, it was also that much sweeter for coming against the Gunners' fierce local rivals Tottenham. Henry had scored only once in his previous seven games and the usually confident striker was, for once, lacking his va va voom. It only took 13 minutes on the pitch for the Frenchman's prodigious talent to reappear, however. Picking up the ball up inside Arsenal's own half in a sweeping counter-attack , he sprinted the length of the pitch leaving Spurs players in his wake, to finish neatly past goalkeeper Kasey Keller. The famous knee-slide celebration in front of the Tottenham fans is now immortalised as a statue outside the Emirates Stadium.

HENRY INSPIRES INTER THUMPING, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2003

This was a brilliant night all round for Gooners at the San Siro, with Henry scoring twice as Arsenal put five past the Italian giants. Inter had beaten the Gunners 3-0 at Highbury, but their French striker played talisman in this brilliant 5-1 revenge win. Henry's second goal in the 81st minute was something special - he raced past the defence, beating Javier Zanetti and slipped the ball past Inter 'keeper Toldo from a tight angle.

HAT-TRICK IN THE FINAL GAME AT HIGHBURY, PREMIER LEAGUE 2006

It was an emotional day as the Gunners waved goodbye to the Arsenal Stadium - better known as Highbury - their home since 1913. The match against Wigan nearly went dramatically wrong, however, as the travelling Lactics went 2-1 up, but Henry scored his ninth hat-trick for the club to salvage a wonderful send-off to the 93-year-old ground. The day was complete when news filtered through that Spurs had lost to West Ham, which meant the Gunners pipped their north London rivals to the final Champions League spot.

THIERRY STUNS THE BERNABEU, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2006

Never one to shy away from records, Henry helped Arsenal become the first English side to win at Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium. The Gunners were missing key players through injury, but went in at half-time pleased with the 0-0 scoreline. Two minutes after the break, Henry scored the stunning goal you can see below, as Arsenal beat Madrid to put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals.

HELPING THE INVINCIBLES GO UNBEATEN, PREMIER LEAGUE 2003/04

Henry was the Premier League's leading goal scorer, netting 30 goals in Arsenal's amazing unbeaten season. Also notching up nine assists, it was arguably Henry's finest season for the Gunners and he was rewarded with PFA Player of the Year award, as well as the Golden Boot and a funny looking Barclaycard award...

SURPASSING IAN WRIGHT'S GOAL SCORING RECORD

Henry broke Ian Wright's Arsenal goal scoring record during a Champions League match against Sparta Prague on October, 18 2005. After studying videos of Wright's finishing, Henry scored a brace (goals 185 and 186) to enter the record books as the Gunners' all-time leading goal scorer.

AMAZING GOAL AGAINST MAN UNITED, PREMIER LEAGUE 2000

Henry scored a spectacular volley against Man United in 2000 as he lifted the ball over the head of his fellow Frenchman Fabian Barthez.

HENRY SCORES THE WINNER AGAINST UNITED, PREMIER LEAGUE 2007

In their first season at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners had been inconsistent. In a tight, brilliant match against Manchester United, however, Henry scored a last-minute headed winner to hand Arsenal a much-needed boost, helping their season get back on track and leaving Alex Ferguson fuming.

THE KING IS BACK, FA CUP 2011

After five years away from the club, Henry proved he still had the magic touch in an Arsenal shirt by scoring the winning goal against Leeds in a nervy FA Cup third round game. The striker made it 12 goals in 12 games against the Whites, but also added another to his Arsenal record goal tally, making it 227 in an Arsenal shirt and also making dreams come true for Gunners fans.