Craig Bellamy: Christian Benteke is a “brilliant signing” for Liverpool
Former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy believes Christian Benteke is a “brilliant signing” for the Reds, as per the Daily Mail.
Bellamy – now retired – spent two separate spells at Anfield, helping them win the Capital One Cup in 2012 and reach the Champions League final in 2007, but it is now a new striker on Merseyside that has taken his attention.
The Welshman was always known as a man who would not let his opinion rest and he’s still the same after hanging up his boots.
The former Blackburn, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Manchester City forward has told the Daily Mail that Liverpool’s big summer signing Benteke is a “brilliant” one.
“I think Benteke is a brilliant signing – he’s definitely a player who is going to do well,” said Bellamy. “They’re desperate for [Daniel] Sturridge to have an injury-free season as he holds a lot of the keys as to how Liverpool will do.”
Liverpool started the season well, picking up seven points from their opening three league games against Stoke City, Bournemouth and Arsenal.
The Reds did not concede a single goal and looked threatening in attack. It was a positive start after last season’s horror show ended in disgrace, and Benteke even scored on his Anfield debut against Bournemouth.
However, things went sour again last weekend as West Ham beat the Reds 3-0 at Anfield. It was a mirror-image of last season’s collapses and things now look dire again heading into an away game at Old Trafford after the international break.
Arsenal’s season so far: The good, the bad and the ugly
Jonathan Spencer reflects on Arsenal's start to the Premier League season after four games
The good
Arsenal have a 100% win record on the road so far this campaign. Yes, they have only played Crystal Palace and Newcastle away, but they have looked commanding in both, whilst not playing at their best. You can argue Newcastle were down to 10 men for 75 minutes of the match but before that, they were in cruise control. Arsenal’s last defeat away from home in all competitions came against their arch-rivals, Tottenham, in early February. Arsene Wenger’s side look much more resilient nowadays and are more than happy to sit back and defend, then try and hit the opposition on the counter-attack, which they can devastatingly do so. This strong away record leaves them in good stead for the season, as they are sure to pick up their worrying home form.
The bad
No cutting edge. Worryingly for Arsenal, at The Emirates, they have been on a goal drought that has continued on from last season’s campaign. Out of their last six home matches, Arsenal have failed to score in five of them. At the moment, the club are being questioned about where the goals are going to come from this season. The club’s top goal-scorer this season is Olivier Giroud with one. Even against a 10-man Newcastle, Arsenal failed to penetrate the defence, with their only goal coming from a Fabricio Collocini deflection. It’s all well and good having world-class midfielders, such as Mesut Ozil, but if the strikers don’t deliver, the German’s talent will go to waste. No wonder he is often unfairly criticised.
The ugly
Failure to sign a world-class striker in the transfer window, coincided with Danny Welbeck now out with a worse than anticipated prognosis. In the last three summers, Arsenal have brought in Ozil,Alexis Sanchez and Petr Cech. The one real position that needed strengthening was the centre-forward role. Manchester City have Sergio Aguero and Chelsea have Diego Costa. If Arsenal want to compete for the Premier League title, it was necessary to sign a top striker. Although Wenger states there was no striker available that could strengthen the squad, sometimes you have to pay over the odds. To win the league now, financial power is vital. If Arsenal put in a high money bid for Karim Benzema, they may well have got the man the fans wanted. As Gary Neville said, Wenger is too naïve and it will cost them dearly this campaign.
Man Utd’s season so far: The good, the bad and the ugly
Jonathan Spencer runs the rule over Manchester United's start to the season, looking at the good, the bad and the ugly
The good
Although Manchester United’s defence conceded two poor goals against Swansea in their first defeat of the season, they now look more robust. They have kept four clean sheets in six matches so far in all competitions. Adding Morgan Schneiderlin to their ranks has helped protect the back four hugely and Chris Smalling has looked influential and domineering so far. Now, with the David De Gea transfer to Real Madrid not going through, they have arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League back in between the posts. It looks important this defensive form continues because creating plenty of chances and scoring goals may be an issue for them this season. The one doubt many sceptics have is whether Daley Blind will be able to cope with the physicality when he faces strong and powerful forwards.
The bad
Just like Arsenal, they are short of players who can make a massive impact in front of goal. After selling Robin Van Persie to Fenerbahce and with Radamel Falcao currently playing at Chelsea, they are missing a recognised centre-forward. Yes, Wayne Rooney has scored 233 goals during 485 matches with the club but nowadays he is not equipped to play as a lone centre-forward. In the Premier League, he has failed to capture the eye and has found it difficult to impact the match. Ominously for Louis van Gaal’s side, they have only scored three goals in the Premier League so far. United face an uphill battle again this season and will be content with a top four finish.
The ugly
Sense of desperation in the transfer market. The Anthony Martial transfer is very questionable. The Monaco chairman confirmed that the transfer could reach close to £58m. This is an excessive amount of money for a 19-year-old that has scored 11 goals in 49 matches. Does this tell us that Van Gaal is very worried about the shortage of attacking options within the club? There will be huge amounts of pressure put on to the shoulders of Martial and if he fails to deliver, fans may well turn on him due to his transfer fee. This seems very much like a panic buy and it also shows just how significant money is to the modern game.
Bayern chief: Arsenal and Chelsea ‘going all out’ for youth development
According to reports from talkSPORT this morning, Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has claimed the Premier League’s top clubs are ‘going all out’ to improve their youth development.
Rummenigge, who scored 217 goals in 416 appearances during his ten campaigns with the Allianz Arena outfit and claimed back-to-back Ballon d’Ors in 1980 and 1981, was talking to German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung.
He believes the Premier League’s top clubs are not only investing their huge television revenues in new signings but also their academies, claiming that Manchester City’s youth set-up is the best he’s ever seen.
Since The Citizens were taken over by Sheikh billionaires in 2008, they’ve been criticised for failing to nurture young talent towards first team level, whilst the majority of academy products to have previously made their senior squad – such as Steven Ireland and Micah Richards – have all left the club.
It’s an accusation that’s also been thrown at Chelsea in recent years. Despite their youth teams winning the UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup for 2015, the only academy product currently enjoying significant status in the Blues’ first team is captain John Terry – who made his debut in 1998 – although 21 year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek received his senior debut under Jose Mourinho last season.
But Rummenigge believes England’s biggest clubs are ‘going all out’ to improve their youth systems. He said; “in view of the increased television money in England, things are not going to get any easier for Bayern in future.
“I’ve taken a look at Manchester City’s youth academy and all I can say is it doesn’t get any better than that. I have also visited Tottenham’s, Arsenal’s and Chelsea’s and it’s the same wherever you go. I can tell you that the English are going all out, also in terms of youth development.”
The Bayern president also revealed Manchester United tabled an offer for Thomas Muller this summer, stating; “I’m talking about figures which were very high indeed. If I were a bank manager then I would have had to accept it. But as a football club we allowed ourselves to close the door on it, and this door is remaining closed. I can promise that to everybody.”
Man City defender has words of warning for Manchester United new boy Martial
Man City defender Eliaquim Mangala has warned his compatriot and Manchester United new boy Anthony Martialthat his life will be transformed by his transfer to Old Trafford.
The French striker completed an eye-watering £36 million move to United from AS Monaco during the summer, for a fee that could rise to £58 million according to clauses [BBC Sport].
Martial’s switch came as something of a surprise due to the fact that the 19-year-old remains unproven and has only completed one full season with AS Monaco.
He managed nine goals in Ligue 1 last term, and is yet to make his France debut. In completing a move to the Premier League, the forward became both the most expensive teenager and the most expensive Frenchman ever.
While Martial will doubtless be delighted at having secured a big-money move to join up with Louis van Gaal, one of his new Premier League rivals has issued a warning.
City defender Mangala has backed Martial to improve quickly, but has noted that the striker’s life will never be the same again.
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“Martial will be looked at differently, because Manchester United bought him so expensively,” the stopper began, as reported by Le 10 Sport.
“He must concentrate on his football, everything else is a part of the world of football. We see great fees in transfers. When we compare it to the past, we can see that it’s going a bit too far.”
Mangala himself knows how a bit transfer fee can transform perceptions, having never quite managed to establish himself since leaving FC Porto for £32 million in 2014 [BBC Sport].
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