Manchester City are going to lodge a complaint with UEFA following the racial abuse Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli received from sections of support at Porto’s Estádio do Dragão. The sound of monkey chants could be heard and City is hoping the UEFA delegate will report the incident so action can be taken. Toure revealed after the game that one of the reasons he moved to the Premier League is that Black players don’t receive such abuse in the football stadiums in England.
Elsewhere in the news, Andre Villas-Boas admits that he lost some of the support of his players at Chelsea; Harry Redknapp believes a part-time England role could work ahead of the Euros, while Arsene Wenger is set to dump some of his Euro flops this summer.
Andre Villas-Boas admits that he has lost some of the support of his players, but believes that Roman Abramovich is fully behind his Chelsea project – Guardian
Manchester City is set to lodge a complaint with UEFA after Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli were racially abused by the Portuguese crowd – Guardian
Harry Redknapp believes that he could partake in a part-time role for England that will see him finish the season off at Tottenham, before taking the reins for the Euros this summer – Guardian
Arsene Wenger is reportedly ready to dump some of his Arsenal flops in the wake of the Gunners crushing defeat in Milan. The Frenchman was left furious at the performance and is prepared to make changes in the summer – Daily Telegraph
Manchester United were hit with an injury blow last night with Antonio Valencia out for 4-6 weeks after damaging his hamstring in the Red Devils’ 2-0 victory against Ajax – Daily Telegraph
Everton captain Phil Neville is on a revenge mission as he hopes to guide the Toffees a step closer to Wembley. Defeat in the 2009 final has left a bitter taste for Neville and he is determined to put things right this season – Independent
The American giant AEG are set to launch a £450m takeover of Tottenham Hotspur. AEG own the 02 Arena as well as LA Galaxy and if a deal to takeover Spurs is successful, Daniel Levy will be asked to remain on as Chairman of the football club – Daily Express
Both Manchester United and Manchester City are battling it out for Derby County starlet Will Hughes. The youngster has been in great form in England’s U17 tournament in the Algarve, where the Three Lions have cruised through their group stages – Daily Mail
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Tottenham are facing a transfer battle with Inter Milan to secure the services of Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao – TalkSport
Eden Hazard has talked up a potential move to Arsenal claiming that they are one of the options available to him at the end of the season. The Lille ace is attracted to the French contingent at the Emirates, as well as his compatriot Thomas Vermaelen – Sun
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has stated that he is hopeful midfielder Fabrice Muamba will make a full recovery.
The former England under-21 international collapsed on the White Hart Lane pitch in his side’s FA Cup clash with Tottenham on Saturday, and was rushed to hospital in a saddening and shocking incident.
Despite the Premier League player’s life being threatened by the health problems, Coyle has stated that things are looking better for Muamba.
“Two things Fabrice has on his side are he is a fit young man and the life that he has had. He has had to fight every step of the way along his young journey. These are two things that I’m sure will stand him in good stead,” the Scottish coach told The Telegraph.
“I’ve managed to get to see him myself, as have close family members. I had a conversation. A few words exchanged [although] that will remain private as you will understand, which is a great sign.
“I must stress it’s still very early in the process – Fabrice has still a long way to go. But there’s encouraging signs. We think that’s really positive as we move forward from that point,” he confirmed.
Meanwhile, it looks likely that Bolton will play their Premier League fixture with Blackburn on Saturday, despite Muamba’s ongoing health problems.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
This is arguably the most important week in Reading FC’s history. With the tough game at playoff-hopefuls Brighton and another away game at Southampton on Friday, the run-in is not allowing Reading fans to catch their breath at any moment.
It was a different story during the 05/06 season. Reading were promoted with a record breaking 106 points, scoring an unbelievable 99 goals and losing only twice in the process. Promotion was secured in March and, whilst no fan will admit it, the form we were playing in meant that the expectation of gaining Premier League status came a while before it was mathematically confirmed.
But this season is something quite alien to a Reading fan. Our late surge last season came too late to prove a real challenge to the top 2 and fans were happy with a playoff place. This year anything less than automatic promotion will be a disappointment. With a tougher string of final games than Saints and West Ham, Reading really need to grind results out and that is exactly what happened last night at Brighton.
Nearly doubling the amount of shots on target Reading had, the home side looked like they were good for a win. However, Reading knew they had to get an early goal in order to relax on the ball, especially with an injury-stricken midfield, and Ian Harte’s deflected free kick went in on 14 minutes; his third goal in four games. Brighton did look dangerous, with Vicente striking the crossbar and Federici saving a Barnes penalty, Reading did well to hold on; as they say, a sign of a good team is one that can win ugly.
This momentum will be taken to St Mary’s on Friday evening and what a huge game it is going to be. Reading have proved they can get 3 points at tough away fixtures, having done so at the likes of West Ham and Middlesbrough since the start of the new year, and there is no better chance than Friday’s televised game to show that we have the quality to be a Premier League side.
Gus Poyet has admitted that Reading are the best team in the league and hopefully Nigel Adkins will have to concede the same thing in his post-match interview on Friday night. Ricky Lambert is clearly their man to watch but our defence is capable of holding him off. With 19 clean sheets this season, our back 5 will be a tough match for Lambert, the league’s leading goalscorer who has netted 10 more times than his nearest competitor.
Reading’s midfield is a bit of a concern with many injuries – Leigertwood and Tabb both doubts again, whilst Jem Karacan is out for the rest of the season with a broken ankle suffered in the win against Leeds. Our makeshift midfield will have to step up once more on Friday; local lad Hayden Mullins will likely start again with Jobi McAnuff continuing in the centre to replace Karacan’s composure on the ball – McAnuff has proved he can do this in previous games.
Whatever happens this week, the match is set up to be the game of the season and the atmosphere will be electric. If Reading win we will have gained 43 points out of 48 which is not the form of a team looking for a second place finish; it is the form of champions.
Thoughts? Contact me on Twitter @JackPeedell
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Thanks go to Joe Deeks for his input on this article.
And so it came down to this, the final day of the Bundesliga, the fight for survival.
In the red corner, weighing in with 30 points from 33 games, the winners of the inaugural Bundesliga – the extremely unreliable FC Cologne.
In the blue corner, weighing in with 28 points from 33 games, the club from the capital – the equally unreliable Hertha Berlin.
Now all boxing analogies and hyperbole aside, Saturday held a lot of importance for these two clubs. Of course, such is the way the Bundesliga works, the most either could achieve on Saturday was the relative safety of the awkward Relegation Play-Off.
It was the importance of the occasion which helped to make Saturday afternoon’s events all the more dramatic. Both Cologne and Hertha had the advantage of playing at home. However, the Billy Goats faced Bayern Munich, a side looking to keep themselves in good shape ahead of the DFB-Pokal Final and the Champions League Final.
Hoffenheim weren’t going to be an easy proposition for Hertha Berlin but they certainly weren’t as tough opposition as Bayern were to Cologne. The final results showed this.
Understandably, the relegation threatened duo started tentatively on Saturday but it was Hertha who struck first as Anis Ben-Hatira’s free-kick from wide on the right went all the way in to the delight of the Olympiastadion. Otto Rehhagel’s side had the advantage. The dour face of General Manager Michael Preetz, even when they’d scored, illustrated Hertha were by no means secure.
The mood was further lifted in Berlin with news Thomas Müller had opened the scoring at the RheinEnergieStadion. Such was their inferior goal difference to Hertha, Cologne now had to come from behind and beat Bayern. The problem for Frank Schaefer’s team was that not once during the campaign had their opponents gone in front in the Bundesliga and lost.
The last time it happened was actually against Cologne last season but there was to be no repeat on Saturday. Instead, things kept on improving for Hertha Berlin. Ryan Babel was harshly sent off for Hoffenheim just before half time. It meant Hertha continued to gather momentum which they took into the second period.
Meanwhile at the RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne made an impressive start after half time. Fortune didn’t favour their brave approach though on this occasion. Playing in such an open manner against Bayern is always risky and it didn’t pay off as Geromel diverted Franck Ribery’s cross into his own goal. This was quickly followed by a third by Arjen Robben. Milivoje Novakovic grabbed a consolation before Thomas Müller completed the scoring making it 4-1 to the Bundesliga runners up.
The news from Berlin wasn’t positive for Cologne either with Ben-Hatira scoring his second and ending their chances of automatic relegation, or so it seemed. Someone forgot to inform Hoffenheim’s Marvin Commper who ensured a bizarre finale to the season by halving Hertha’s lead with minutes left.
The scoreline now 2-1 and another goal for Markus Babbel’s side would condemn Hertha. In the final minutes, Thomas Kraft was forced into a save giving Hoffenheim a late corner. Up came goalkeeper Tom Starke but Hertha cleared and with no one guarding the goal at the opposite end, Raffael was able to run the ball in, cue roars of relief around the Olympiastadion.
Simultaneously in Cologne, there were some rather unsavoury scenes as some discontented supporters lit flares behind Manuel Neuer’s goal. Referee Florian Meyer took the sensible step to blow for full time as a plume of black smoke engulfed one end of the stadium. Players and officials rushed down the tunnel but one man trudged off at a slower pace than the others.
That was Lukas Podolski playing his final game for Cologne prior to his move to Arsenal. Seeing “Prinz Poldi” leaving the pitch with clouds of black smoke behind him was poignant. Indeed, he departs with his hometown club in disarray. That said Cologne’s exit from the Bundesliga epitomised the ridiculous nature of their season. Predicting whether they’ll make an immediate return is difficult at this time.
As for Hertha Berlin, they’ll have been delighted their former coach Markus Babbel didn’t end up coming back to haunt them. That relative honour might fall to Fortuna Dusseldorf, their opponents in the Relegation Play Off. Hertha fans know their team haven’t played that well under Otto Rehhagel but with the organiser supreme, they managed to win the fight for survival – for now.
For more on the Bundesliga, follow @archiert1 on Twitter
Matchday 34 Results:
Augsburg 1-0 Hamburg
Borussia Dortmund 4-0 Freiburg
Cologne 1-4 Bayern Munich
Hannover 2-1 Kaiserslautern
Hertha Berlin 3-1 Hoffenheim
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
AC Milan’s decision to release Mathieu Flamini back into the footballing wilderness yesterday may spark up some interest from fans of his former club Arsenal. Many will be using him to illustrate the point that leaving the red of half of North London for pastures greener does not always work out (Mr Van Persie take note). Others may well see it as an opportunity for the 28 year old to put a red and white shirt on again.
But is it worth Arsenal’s trouble? He became a highly regarded defensive midfielder during his original spell, but after turning his back on the Gunners for higher wages at the San Siro, his commitment to the North London club can be brought into question.
It is no secret to many that holding midfield is an area Arsenal could do well to strengthen. The inconsistency of Alex Song last season was originally met with speculation regarding the signing of Rennes’ Yann M’Villa as a replacement, and now Mathieu Flamini could be in the picture as a free transfer to M’Villa’s £17 million price tag.
A problem for Arsenal could be Flamini’s wage demands. One of the reasons why he left the Emirates in the first place, talks with Milan in renewing a contract broke down as they wanted him to take a wage cut. Something Arsenal are also keen for their players to do, their reduction of the Emirates wage bill may not be in keeping with offering the 28 year old a salary big enough to entice him. Another issues lies in the Frenchman’s fitness levels. Having missed the whole of last season suffering from a knee injury, Arsenal will be taking a huge risk if they were to invest big wages on a player who could just find himself making up the numbers in the treatment room.
There is however, reason to suggest it would be a sensible move for both parties. Flamini’s form in his final season for the Gunners was impressive, putting him on the Rossoneri’s radar. For many, he was the gritty defensive midfielder Arsenal so badly craved and arguably, never replaced. His knowledge of the English game as well as his well suited physicality have already been proven, and he would not need the time to adjust the Premier League that a player such as M’Villa may find himself requiring.
There is no denying Flamini’s talent. Having already proved himself in the Premier League, he was then at times, a first team regular in AC Milan’s Serie A team. Should injuries not take their toll, the recapturing of the 28 year old may prove to be a controversial but shrewd piece of business for the Gunners.
Whether or not Arsenal fans would be happy too see Mathieu Flamini back in their side would all depend on whether or not the gamble would pay off. After leaving North London in 2008, Flamini claimed Arsenal had ‘missed their chance’; well they just might get another chance with the Frenchman.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre Villas-Boas is resigned to losing playmaker Luka Modric to Real Madrid, and is interested in buying Joao Moutinho from Portoas a replacement, reports Talk Sport.
Villas-Boas has been a long term admirer of Moutinho, who he worked with at Porto, and was impressed with the 25 year olds performances at Euro 2012.
The departure of Modric to the Bernabeu alongside Rafael Van Der Vaart’s rumoured return to Hamburg could see the Spurs midfield overhauled, as the signing of Moutinho would see him join Gylfi Sigurdsson at White Hart Lane.
However, the new Spurs boss was quick to state; ‘Those sort of players will always be interesting to us. It doesn’t mean it’s the only target we are looking at’. It would seem Villas-Boas is eager to fill Modric’s boots with an equally capable player, but Moutinho is not necessarily the only candidate.
Porto are currently suffering from financial instability are set to be aware of Spurs’ interest in Moutinho, but have slapped a £31.5 million price tag on their number 8. This will mean that the funds Spurs generate from Luka Modric’s transfer would be key to the deal going through.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Manchester Untied and Arsenal are interested in securing the signing of Victor Wanyama from Celtic, according to The Daily Mail.
Scouts from the pair watched the Kenyan in the Hoops’ 1-0 friendly defeat to Norwich City on Tuesday and could step up their interest in the player in the coming weeks.
However, the 21-year-old has allegedly also attracted the attention of Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City who may be able to offer him a greater chance of first team football.
Wanyama is reportedly unsettled at Celtic Park having grown frustrated at having to play in defence rather than his favoured position of defensive-midfield.
The Scottish side have slapped a £7m price-tag on the youngster in an attempt to ward off interest from south of the border, but with four Premier League teams showing an interest it could be difficult for Celtic to hold onto their man.
Sir Alex Ferguson has refused to consider adding a defensive-midfielder to his side so it remains a mystery where the Kenyan would fit into the side.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Arsenal are believed to be close to the capture of Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla but Wanyama would represent a very different option in midfield.
How long can Spurs hold on to Luka Modric before they reach breaking point? It’s been a testing week for chairman Daniel Levy and manager Andre Villas-Boas as the Croatian midfielder went AWOL last Friday deliberately missing training and the clubs flight to Los Angeles to for pre-season tour of the United States in order to force through a move to Spanish champions Madrid. The 26-year-old has his heart set on a move to the Santiago Bernabeu but his behaviour shows a distinct lack of respect to the club where he effectively made him name. After missing out on the Champions League and sparking a period of transition with the appointment of Villas-Boas the last thing Spurs need is the distraction of a summer-long transfer saga. Modric’s immature conduct certainly threatens to undermine the clubs preparations for the new Premier League season and it’s up to Levy to decide whether holding out for £40 million is worth it.
This week on FFC do Spurs really need a new goalkeeper and which of his former clubs is Villas-Boas set to raid as he continues his recruitment process at White Hart Lane.
[divider]
Best of FFC
Can Villas-Boas Thrive Under this transfer set-up?
One area that Villas-Boas needs to splash the cash?
This Tottenham Saga has to End Now
Why his Tottenham exit was an uncomfortable necessity
Fast becoming a dying trait in football
Should Tottenham really consider cashing in?
Why patience must be a virtue for Tottenham supporters
Playing hardball could cost Tottenham dear
Why this should never be acceptable in football
Tottenham close in on £9.5m Frenchman
Tottenham set to move for Porto starlet
[divider]
Best of WEB
[divider]
Levy or Modric: Who’s the Dirty rat? – Spurs musings from Jimmy G2
What Was It That Modric Told Pienaar? – Harry Hotspur
Levy v Luka – Dear Mr Levy
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Andrè Villas-Boas Going All Out To Snatch £14M Striker? – Transfer Tavern
I see dread people – Dear Mr Levy
9 O’Clocker: He Could Be Villas-Boas’ Very First Coup – Harry Hotspur
[divider]
Quote of the Week
[divider]
“Redknapp barely talked to me. I was playing really well when he hired Friedel. So I was really surprised and decided to ask him about that. Redknapp asked me to be calm, because I was his goalkeeper and he trusted me, as he told me. But that didn’t happen. In the 2010-11 season, I made only two mistakes but I didn’t give them so much importance and I didn’t think I was going to be sacked from the team because of that. Heurelho Gomes admits he is glad Harry Redknapp left Tottenham this summer
Southampton look set to have completed the signing of striker Emmanuel Mayuka from Young Boys Berne according to The Daily Mail.
The 21-year-old is understood to have penned a five-year-deal with the Saints, having passed a medical on Tuesday.
Mayuka has been granted a work permit and is just awaiting entry clearance before the deal can be fully confirmed, which is due to happen before the end of the week.
The signing will be a big boost for Nigel Adkins, who has been looking to strengthen his strike force all summer as he bids to establish his Southampton side in the Premier League.
‘Emmanuel is a lightning-quick striker who I am sure will excite the fans,’ Adkins told Southampton’s official website.
‘He is only 21 years old but already has a great deal of experience, notably so at international level.
‘He will bring something different to the group that we already have here at Southampton, and I look forward to seeing him pull on our shirt for the first time.’
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Mayuka bagged 32 goals in two seasons during his time in the Swiss league with Young Boys. He has also impressed at international level, and was his country’s joint top scorer during Zambia’s successful 2012 African cup of Nations campaign.
Adkins is still hopeful of adding to his squad before Friday’s deadline, with an £11million deal for Bolonga’s Gaston Ramirez next on the agenda.
It’s often been said that the powers that be within the realms of English football aren’t particularly au fait with pulling in the same direction. Whilst the Premier League has always felt too wrapped up in it’s own hype and commercial shtick to cater to the greater needs of English football, the cataclysmic fallings of the FA at just about every level, has seen the real priorities undermined.
Indeed, as a variety of men in suits participate in one of the biggest tugs of war in UK sport, it has been the very genesis of the game in youth development, which has immeasurably suffered as a result.
But times are now, finally changing. A smattering of new, more technically proficient young talent in the likes of Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain have emerged with the long overdue construction of the National Football Centre up in Burton.
And as the Premier League announce the formation of a new Under-21 league for 17 Premier League and six Championship clubs for this coming season, it finally feels as if the penny has dropped for English football’s governing bodies. It feels strange and almost begrudging to bestow credit upon the Premier League bureaucrats. But this decision has the real capacity to make an impact upon the game at both club and national level.
The Premier League under-21 competition will consist of 23 teams. As already mentioned, 17 of these teams are Premier League affiliates and six are from the Championship, all of whom are deemed to have Category One status academies.
The first elements of the competition will seek to place the teams into a more evenly competitive set-up. All 23 teams have currently been split into two groups of eight and one group of seven. As of January, the teams will be placed into three new groups, based on their performance in the past four months in order to generate more even and fair competition. From this point, teams will play out of their groups into a knockout round and then to a final in something that represents a ‘Champions League-lite’ format.
Some could question the logic in the creation of yet another tier of youth football in the Premier League. There is already a Premier Academy League, set to evolve into the Elite Player Performance Plan and clubs arrange a number of fixtures for their youth teams in house. Add to that the culture of loaning players out to get real game time in the lower leagues and you could wonder if clubs really need the hassle of another league system.
But it is important to reaffirm the aims of the Under-21 league before people begin to probe it. The focus of this league is to try and smooth one of the hardest journeys of a young footballer’s career, from academy to first team. It is there to showcase and finish off the development process, not to instigate it. But that doesn’t mean it is any less important.
The bread and butter of skills that are cultivated in the academy and the millions of pounds spent doing so, are rendered redundant if there is no path to the first team. This league will hopefully change that.
Because you can have the best coaches in the world, as we are trying to develop up at St. Georges Park, but it won’t make an inch of difference if the players simply aren’t playing. Young players need a route in and the caliber of training can be as high as it wants but it will never replicate the real thing- they must have game time.
And the under-21 league, on paper, offers the perfect compromise. It is designed to fit in and around the first team fixture list- so in theory, if a young player was to catch the eye of the gaffer when playing for the under-21’s, he could make the team for the Saturday, as their fixtures are scheduled to be played mid-week. The principal is of course set to be a lot longer-term than that, but the idea is there.
But it could act as the perfect buffer to aid the transition from academy to first team level. The addition of three, overage players (and one overage goalkeeper) echoes elements of the Olympic football set up and the tiny smattering of experience is also a nice touch to give these players a helping hand, but not enough to turn it into an overblown reserve league. The competition will be forged with the hunger of these players- the prize of a place in the first-team can be a real reality.
Speaking as the U21 league was launched, Premier League director of youth Ged Roddy said:
“As a first team manager there is a great benefit in knowing that you can have your U21 player on the bench for the first team, but if he doesn’t play then there’s still the option for him to have high quality competitive football that weekend.”
Roddy’s words emphasize the longevity in this project. The league is there to aid the development of these players. It is there to offer real playing time to these players and a fluid route to the first team. But the fact that the Premier League has devised this ensures there will always be an element of cynicism behind its motives.
There has already been talk of a television rights deal being put in place for the next season. Initially, the clubs will have the rights to show the games, but there is a school of thought that the Premier League could be set to generate a profit out of this. The exposure that it could bring to the U21 league could be a double-edged sword; players will be able to perform on a whole new level and make a real name for themselves. Those involved would have to make sure, however, that any financial gain doesn’t loose sight of why the league was devised in the first place.
But the fact is that there is no posturing, no debate and no more consultation. This is real and it is starting within a matter of weeks. The fact that younger payers have been given the platform to ease their route into the first team at their respective clubs is something that we must applaud. It will ultimately be down to managers to take the punt on a player. But hopefully the next generation now have an opportunity to not just knock on the door, but knock it down completely.
National Group 1: Arsenal, Blackburn, Bolton, Everton, Norwich, Reading, West Brom, West Ham.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
National Group 2: Aston Villa, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, Tottenham, Watford.
National Group 3: Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Wolves.
How do you feel about the new U21 Premier League? Optimistic that this can really aid the development of English football or is it just showcasing a depth of talent to a wider audience? Tell me what you think on Twitter, follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me your views.