Pardew and Taylor should focus on clubs which aren’t English owned
Following the furore, if you can call it that, over the lack of English players in the Arsenal team on Wednesday, the proponents should be reminded several Premiership clubs including Chelsea and Man U aren’t English owned. And at the end of the day, the power and the money which runs the team lies with the owners.
Pardew should also focus on where some of the money came from to buy some of his players.
They should also be reminded that Arsenal developed the number one England left back, and honed the skills of England’s centre back. Currently English youth internationals, like Smith and Gilbert are coming through the ranks. And the Premiership is full of and brightened up by Arsenal trained English players with various English youth international experience ranging from Pennant, Bentley, Thomas, Bothroyd, Upson and Gray.
The experience of playing with foreigners has enhanced the technical quality of the England squad. It has never been as advanced as it is today.
Pardew said: “Arsenal are representing us, but I kind of wondered where that British involvement was when I looked at the team. That’s a shame. My personal opinion is that every English club should carry at least two or three English players in and around their first team. Foreign players have been fantastic. They have added massively to this game and we have learned from them, but we could lose the soul of British football.”
“It’s a shame. Jose Mourinho has taken a lot of criticism this week but one of his policies has been to sign the best Englishmen. It is a shame Chelsea are out of the Champions League. My personal opinion is that every English club should at least carry two or three English players in and around that first team.” [and of course play whether they are injured or not]
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: “It’s an English club but not an English success. It’s probably a greater reflection of youngsters from France and elsewhere. It’s hard to say that it speaks volumes for English football when none of the players are home grown.”
Wenger is rightly hacked off by the inappropriate comments of fellow managers, which smack of jealousy: “Yes, it is really disappointing. We are kicking racism out of football and racism starts there. The second part is that when you are manager, players accept the technical opinion of a manager, but not that kind of remarks.
“It is very, very disappointing to hear that because it is a regressive way of thinking. I never would like to say to a player: ‘Sorry, you are better, but you are not playing because you do not have the right passport.”
“It is just not acceptable.”
“When you represent your country, you represent your country. You know from day one that England is England. It has English players and an English manager.
“When you represent a club, for me it is about values and qualities, and it is not about passports. We do nothing wrong. Do we not respect every rule that exists at the moment? That is why I do not accept that way of thinking.”
Liverpool Preview
The Liverpool Post points out – the local team has eight goals in 13 games, one goal since the turn of the year from the strikers, and in Liverpool’s last 10 games a total of 165 shots have resulted in just five goals.
Alonso says: “It will be really difficult against Arsenal. I remember last season playing them when they played really good football, with short passes, and it was difficult to control them. But that is what we hope to do.
“We will see a different Arsenal team definitely, because they are at home. We have seen this season that when they are away, their performances have not been so good. But at home they are playing really well – it’s difficult to play at Highbury.
“I hope we can impose ourselves on them like we have in the last two games when we have played them at Anfield.”
Liverpool have won only one of their last seven visits to Highbury, and the team have scored just two goals in nine games since their last victory at Charlton in February 2005.
Benitez says:”We know Henry and we were controlling all of them when we played at Anfield. If you try and just target Henry then you can forget about some of their other players. They have a lot of good players. You have to try and control all of them.
“We must try and start with a high tempo at Highbury. We have done it at other grounds, so why not there?”
Sami Hyypia faces a late fitness test on the hamstring injury; John Arne Riise is out (hip). However, Mohamed Sissoko is back in training, but not in the squad.
Daniel Agger and Jan Krom-kamp come into contention.
Champions League odds
Some bookies, like Hills lengthened Arsenal’s odds (11-1) after getting Juve, but Corals slashed Arsenal’s from 10-1 to 9-1 to win the Champions League – owing to the route to the semis which will be against Ajax, Inter or Villarreal.
Corals make Arsenal 6-5 second favourites to qualify against Juventus, who are 8-13 to get though to the semis. Arsenal are 3-1 to reach the final.
Following Alan Pardew’s blast about Arsenal’s all-foreign line-up, bet365 go 8-11 that boss Arsene Wenger fields an Englishman in the quarterfinal first leg against Juventus.
Hills make Arsenal 8-1 to meet favourites Barcelona in the final.
The latest Hills betting is: 6-4 Barcelona, 7-2 Juventus, 6-1 AC Milan, 7-1 Lyon, 8-1 Inter, 11-1 Arsenal, 14-1 Villarreal, 28-1 Benfica, 100-1 Ajax.
Campbell back for Juve?
Wenger could have Sol Campbell back to play Juventus. The England defender has been out since suffering a personal crisis and injury, but is back in training.
“Sol is good. He has to play one or two behind-closed doors games which we’ll try to set up. He’ll be available against Juventus.”
Bendtner loan
The Mail reckons Crystal Palace are near to a three month loan deal for Niklas Bendtner.
Iain Dowie has made an inquiry for the Danish striker — who has scored 18 goals in 23 appearances for the reserves — and is waiting for the go-ahead from the Gunners. [With Lupoli possibly off to Derby and Bendtner to Palce it sort of devastates Neil Banfield’s Reserve forward line somewhat.]
Adebayor’s confidence grows
Adebayor speakes out in the Mail: “It was important for me to score my first goal for the club and it meant so much. I feel very lucky to be playing for Arsenal and that goal gave me confidence. It also gave my team-mates confidence because it shows I can play and the fans also know what I’m about now. That’s important to me.”
Senderos praises Keown
Meanwhile Senderos speaks in the Guardian singing the praises of Martin Keown who is involved with the club while he takes his coaching badges.
“He’s been a great help because he knows all about the English game and about the club and its history. He was such a good defender and he can always teach you tricks or things about the game. He’s always talking, always giving information when he is on the pitch training with us, which he does sometimes. He is always there behind us defenders to try to push us to the limit. Having him around is a very good thing.”
On Vieira, the defender says: “He remains in contact with the others and when he’s there [on the phone] I have a word.”
The reason Smith is back
Ryan Smith is back with Arsenal after Leicester City brought his loan spell to an early end.
City boss Robert Kelly told the Leicester Mercury: “The reason he came here in the first place was for first-team football. In our present situation we are fighting for our lives and that is not the best thing for a young player. We could not guarantee Ryan would get the involvement he wanted, so we felt it was best that he go back to Arsenal. I am sure he will do well and we wish him all the best.”
After a good first impression, he faded from the scene, partly through injury and had been on the fringe of the side for the last few weeks.
English refs don’t give protection
Arsene Wenger believes the protection given to his players by referees in the Champions League has enabled them to progress to the quarter-finals.
Wenger said: “We haven’t always been able to stand up to the physical approach. In Europe there are things that referees will not allow that are let go in the Premiership.”