Steven Gerrard is close to fitness and is set to be able to play in the FA Cup final against Chelsea, but Charlie Adam has been ruled out for the season due to injury.
The England international midfielder has had a troublesome campaign, and sat out Liverpool’s home defeat by West Brom last Sunday because of a hamstring problem; however he is back in training and is likely to play a part in the Anfield club’s run-in.
Adam however will not play again until next term, as ruptured ligaments in his knee will keep the Scotland international on the sidelines for the time being.
Kenny Dalglish has confirmed the blow, and also stated that Adam would be unlikely to be able to compete for Team GB in the Olympics because of the knock.
“There is no operation needed but he won’t play this season,” Dalglish told reporters, published by The Guardian.
“And I would think if they had any designs on having him in the Olympics he wouldn’t be fit for that either.”
Liverpool face Norwich at Carrow Road this Saturday.
By Gareth McKnight
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Sitting in second place with 88 points, having scored a record 88 goals, with three games still to play, it is clear that by anyone’s standards this has been a great season for Sheffield United.
After a worrying pre-season that had fans protesting over Danny Wilson’s appointment as manager, the Blades supporters soon changed their minds after an impressive display against Oldham on the opening day of the season.
One player who stood out for me that day back in August and who has carried his fine form throughout is Harry Maquire. Maguire came through the ranks at Shirecliffe making his debut against Cardiff last season with the unenviable task of marking Craig Bellamy. Since then he has never really looked back, notching up 50 starts in a year. In his first full season he’s been a rock in the heart of defence alongside Neil Collins and has only missed two games all season (one through suspension and the other through illness). As a result he is almost certain to pick up the young player of the season award.
After such a great season it is hard to pick out one individual player but for me I think that Kevin McDonald has been excellent. He made his debut against Bradford and showed his potential, firing over after just 90 seconds on the pitch. His unbelievable strength and pin-point passing has made him a key figure in our promotion push. He has missed a few games through injury and his influence has been felt with a draw against Tranmere sticking out as a game where we missed his ability. In fact, just days later when he returned we smashed five past play-off chasing Notts County with the former Burnley man playing a key part in the victory. McDonald also the capacity to pitch in with vital goals and with his contract expired in the summer I’m sure other clubs will be looking to get him on a free transfer. However I’m confident that Wilson will be doing everything in his power to keep ‘Super Kev’ at the club this summer.
After a horrible campaign last season which resulted in our relegation to League One there have been a number of players who have looked like completely different players this term. This includes Michael Doyle who couldn’t hold a ball up and seemed to lose it every time he touched the ball. However this season playing in the heart of midfield alongside McDonald has altered his play and as a result his passing has vastly improved. His wonderful strike against Yeovil may have sent 16,000 Blades fans into shock and his confidence has shoot through the roof this season. I think every United fan will be want him to carry this form into next season, hopefully back in the Championship.
Neil Collins has also found extra confidence after having a poor season during our relegation campaign. He has the ability to pass the ball well up-field and even on some occasions going for looping runs up-field including a memorable one against Bury. Collins has even popped up with goals this term, one of which secured a vital victory in the Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield.
Despite Collins’ fine form I think the biggest turnaround has to be with keeper Steve Simonsen who had to put it fairly had a terrible season last term. After a mediocre start to the season he seemed to have found his old form again but mistakes against Wednesday and Leyton Orient led to him being dropped to the bench which resulted in 17-year-old George Long making his first league start. However ‘Simmo’ was recalled after the Exeter match where Long had conceded four times and since then he hasn’t been out of the side. He came back a better player, making fewer mistakes and running his defence better.
However one man that deserves a special mention after struggling last year is Ched Evans who has a remarkable 34 goals in all competitions. He has been outstanding all season and his form has been noticed by everyone in English football. The Welshman has the ability to do everything on and off the ball, has blistering pace to get him away from defenders and also has a venomous shot to finish with. He’s had all kinds of pressure on his shoulders this season but he coped well to become something of a shining star in the Football League. If he can carry this brilliant form through to next season he could possibly help the Blades’ survive in the Championship, if that’s where we end up in May.
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As this is my first blog feel free to follow me on twitter @jakkUTBveall
Bolton Wanderers’ 11 year stay in the Premier League came to an end after a 2-2 draw away at Stoke. The reason we went down was simply due to a lack of consistency meaning that overall, we weren’t good enough.
Could a spell in the Championship be beneficial for the Bolton Wanderers? As of October 2011 the club were £110 million in debt and this figure continues to rise. This looks quite worrying for a team whose owner, Eddie Davies, is only worth an estimated £60 million.
As a result of this the club is looking to balance its books. A parachute fee of around £50 million and the aim of reducing the wage bill by half will come some way in fixing Bolton’s financial problems. The Wanderers took a step closer to achieving this with no less than 15 players who left the club a little over a week ago. Eleven of these players were released, with 3 returning to their parent clubs and Nigel Reo-Coker who decided to active a release clause in his contract.
Also in the past few weeks Bolton chairman, Phil Gartside, has revealed both him and the owner are fully behind manager Owen Coyle and all three of them are determined to get Bolton back in the top flight, but Is this decision a good or a bad thing? It is a bit of both really in my opinion.
On one hand Owen Coyle has to take some responsibility for the clubs poor performances last season, however, the Scotsman has proven he is more than capable to escape this league as he did with Burnley a few years ago. He has shown a lot of promise as a manager, he is young and he worked wonders with Bolton in the 2010/11 campaign.
On to transfers, out of the players released Ivan Klasnic and Gretar Steinsson are the only two who would have featured in the approving season and these two can be replaced with younger players. Also Ryo Miyaichi has shown an interest in returning to the Reebok on another loan period, the young lad showed some potential in the half a season he was here from Arsenal.
As always there are some ridiculous transfer stories and the one that stands out is Jordan Rhodes to Bolton. With a number of Premier League clubs interested in him, this rumour is one of those. Other rumours include Adam Clayton from Leeds on a free transfer. I’ve not seen too much of Clayton but the little bit I have tells me he would be a great signing for us.
Bolton are also in need of a new centre back after David Wheater was ruled out for 9 months, it’s pretty much guaranteed there will be a defender arriving. A few names have been thrown around, one being Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough) who Owen Coyle tried signing in the January transfer window but was unsuccessful.
There is also a lot of speculation surrounding Zat Knight and Jussi Jaaskelainen. Neither of these have signed new contracts and can leave on a free if they don’t. Jaaskelainen, who has been part of the Bolton set up since as long as I can remember, is rumoured to be attracting interest from a number of clubs including newly promoted West Ham and also West Brom.
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Another player who has been attracting attention is Lee Chung-Yong. The 23 year old, who is highly rated by Bolton, is being target by Trabzonspor manager Senol Gunes who was the in charge of South Korea and handed Lee his international debut. Chungy has only recently revered from breaking his leg in pre-season and made 2 appearances, both as a substitute. This means the transfer could be very risky as there is no guarantee Lee will be the player he use to be, plus the move could prove an expensive one for Trabzonspor as CYL is a great prospect. However, Lee only has only 12 months left on his current contract and maybe this could be deciding factor in him staying or leaving.
This season is a chance to rebuild the team, Owen Coyle has already stated he is after younger players to take the club forward and this could mean if the right players are brought in then Bolton Wanderers could have a bright future.
Chelsea’s run to the Champions League final this season under the guidance of then interim boss Roberto Di Matteo was not the first time that the club have reached the pinnacle of Europe’s premier club competition, having achieved the same feat in 2008 with then interim boss Avram Grant at the helm. Noticing a pattern yet?
No, this isn’t a tirade against the clearly precious bunch that run the dressing room at Stamford Bridge (although that was a bit of a dig, admittedly) but rather a wider look at the influence that a manager has in the modern game.
Sunderland serve as a fine case in point. The much-vaunted honeymoon effect after Steve Bruce was quite rightly sacked for not having the foggiest idea what he was doing at the club, saw former Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill take over thr reins. Bruce, rather bafflingly claimed that he was sacked because he was a Geordie managing in Sunderland, although I’m guessing that after significant outlay in the summer, winning just two of your opening 13 games didn’t help.
When Martin O’Neill came into the club, they lept up to 9th in the table and won four of his first six games in charge. He didn’t especially change the system, the personnel or the style of play early on, so why the sudden upturn in results? The honeymoon effect is directly linked to the point that football manager’s simply aren’t as important these days as they may have been in the past. The job is as much about managing and massaging egos as it is tactical analysis and recruitment. A change in a player’s mind-set is all it takes; give them something to aim for, to play for, and their peformances, both as a collective and an individual will sky-rocket.
Lee Cattermole stated this in the midst of the team’s fine run of form under O’Neill: “Martin brought a massive lift to the place, and if you look at the results after he took over it showed what an impact he had. He gave all the lads the confidence boost they needed and the fans got right behind us. With that we went from strength to strength.”
All seems very simple, right? New manager comes in, says some positive things, gives the players a pat on the back, they in turn go out on the pitch and start to play well.
Conversely, looking at Wolves, the fact that they botched the appointment of Steve Bruce and were left with a mish-mash, half-measure of Mick McCarthy’s assistant Terry Connor in charge had a huge bearing on their future. The mood around the club simply didn’t change, if anything it worsened with the departure of an experienced footballing man to be replaced by a rabit-in-the-headlights first-time managerial novice. The players knew nothing had changed, so their performances and results didn’t.
Half the battle is about perception. Footballers are famously not the brightest bunch of chaps about, by and large they’re quite simple people who think partaking in ‘banter’ is about as much fun as you can have with your pants still on. This is why a figurehead, such as a manager, who tells them what to do, when to do it and why is important, but not because of any real coaching qualities (although this may be solely an English disease) but because players lack leadership at times and need pointing in the right direction.
At some clubs, Chelsea for example, where the dressing room is filled to the brim with strong characters willing to speak up and put their point across, this figurehead becomes less of a leader but more someone willing to ensure that the status-quo is kept. It’s no coincidence that the two times that they’ve reached the Champions League final was with managers who basically changed very little to the team in terms of personnel.
Avram Grant was a penalty kick away from being the luckiest man in football, while Roberto Di Matteo merely restored the old guard and ensured them of their places. If anything, their performances under Andre Villas-Boas deserve even more scrutiny and criticism because of how brilliant they were after he was gone. The fact that they could lurch between two extremes of the scale simply because they liked one manager, and not the other is absurd, yet entirely true at the same time.
Looking back through history, Il Grande Torino serve as another excellent example. They dominated Italian football for nearly a decade, advancing the game with their revolutionary 4-2-4 formation, many of which have credited with being the inspiration for Total Football, until a tragic plane crash killed nearly the entire squad. They won five consecutive league titles, went four straight seasons at home undefeated and went an astonishing 93 games unbeaten in total in the league at one point.
They were at their peak between 1943-1949, but during that period they went through seven different managers. How is it even possible to go on such an amazing run without a guiding influence from above? Essentially, the team picked itself, they had nine of Italy’s starting eleven and each manager was instead not peforming the role we have come to associate with the position today, rather they acted as more of a fitness trainer and team motivator.
West Germany won the World Cup in 1974 beating Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels’ Dutch side 2-1 in the final. However, how they got there after losing 1-0 to and qualifying in second place in the first group phase behind political, cultural and geographical rivals East Germany is also worth drawing attention to.
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Germany boss Helmut Schon had already coached the side to a World Cup final against England in 1966 and finished third in 1970, but the toll that it took on him emotionally and psychologically, losing to the East Germans, proved too much to take and he’s widely believed to have had a mini-breakdown while at the tournament as the pressure and context of the game proved too much to handle. Franz Beckenbauer, the team’s captain and future World Cup winning manager himself, took over responsibility for picking and selecting the side and they went onto beat Yugoslavia, Poland, Sweden and Holland en route to winning the tournament.
There are of course many examples of a manager having a huge effect on the shape and success of a club. However, the honeymoon effect is an unexplained phenomenon in football. A football manager will always be needed, to pick and select the side, but the influence of the manager has hugely reduced. Tactical advancements are now smaller, the gap between the best and the rest in terms of physical requirements has shortened and as a result, someone who instills the players with confidence will always trump a tactical master over the course of a season. The rest as they say, is history.
The emergence of the digital age has changed the face of the planet in several ways – for better or worse. Globalization has been made possible, social networking has supposedly brought us closer and the exposure of information has even been credited with toppling dictators. But something far more revolutionary and impactful has occurred. Indeed, within footballing circles, the age of the ‘in the know’ is upon us.
Now known to most of us by the immortal acronym ‘ITK’, it’s actually quite difficult to define what makes somebody ‘in the know’. The notion of an ITK is hardly something new, either. The ‘wise old man of the boozer’ doesn’t roll off the tongue quite so easily, although we’ve all been enlightened in our favourite haunt by a man who claims to have the inside track.
Convincing people you’re engineering Terry Venables contract to manage your local club is one thing, but trying to legitimately claim you have a boardroom scoop on a Premier League club is quite another. And one simple scan of the Internet suggests that quite a few people fancy themselves as a modern day ITK. Have fans developed KGB-like surveillance skills or are they just a bunch of chancers looking for a bit of attention?
The answer is usually found within your own footballing community. Football clubs of all levels have substantial online followings and most sites come with something of a hierarchy of trust. Sites that are the best run, by the fans and with a trusted list of seasoned posters, tend to prove your best bet of finding a trusty ITK.
Some will of course be ridiculing the obvious logic in this, but the alarming amount of faith put in the wisdom of Twitter users using a suit and briefcase avatar as some form of ITK certificate, is rife. Speculation and rumours that swirl around football clubs are often founded in truth. No smoke without fire, and all that. There are always going to be people who love your football club that are either well placed as an employee or exposed to someone who is aware of boardroom goings on, who are going to want to share it to other fans. That is the nature of football.
Players, managers, chairman and agents. There are simply too many people involved in football, for a Pringles lid to be sealed over all the gossip and inner workings of the football world. But where as there are a select few who contribute online to the benefit of all supporters, a vast majority seems to be devaluing the notion of an ITK. Self-proclaimed, Twitter peacocks; wearing their ITK title with pride and firing unanswered Tweets out to Gary Lineker, in a pathetic attempt to increase their validity.
And this is where the problem lies. Harmless fun or tedious chancing? You take all transfer based or takeover speculation, at face value. But it feels like there is a staunch difference between fans exchanging a bit of hearsay and gossip and those proclaiming to have information that must be taken as gospel; especially when it is complete fabrication. You may think that you’re too wily to avoid such dubious sources. But the rumor always makes it way round.
But even then, the nature of such ITK information, be it from more esteemed sources or slightly more dubious ones, can be fraught with danger. Those taking the liberty to name a date for a transfer instantly seem to douse their claim with some form of holy credibility. And when it so usually does fail to prove accurate, the ITK’s head is on the chopping block, awaiting the guillotine of fuming posters on the message boards.
Unfortunately though, the harsh annihilation of ITK’s who dare hand out ill-advised transfer tips, is a double edged sword. Because for every kid who is having a bit of a wind on the message boards, there will always be one gentleman who had some genuinely well sourced information.
The way in which football business is dealt with, is of course, highly protracted and often very tedious indeed. There is every chance that an ITK did indeed get the date right, but was shafted by the delayed negotiation of something like an agents fee. Being greeted with a volley of abuse from a series of keyboard warriors isn’t likely to see them come back again too soon. Is there a right way to treat an ITK?
As already mentioned, supporters will know which sites and forums offer the best gauge of opinion and measure of goings on at their football club. And the chances are, if anyone really has any serious news that they think could benefit their club, they’re going to go to one of these sites to share it. Not under a pathetic pseudonym on Twitter.
Yet would it really feel the same without the ITK’s, in whatever guise they come in? However much rubbish some of them speak, it always gets fans talking. Spurs fans sense investment is around the corner – just about every Arabian royal family, government and business syndicate has been touted as either an investor or outright buyer. It could be absolute garbage or it could be solidified fact. But the point is fans feel something is around the corner and it’s got people buzzing.
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Footballing ITK’s are the ultimate footballing paradox. Whether it’s an absolute pearler of boardroom wisdom or a wicked rumor that sets you up for a fall, the ITK is a footballing fixture that isn’t going away any time soon. And whether that’s a good thing, you decide.
Do you have a trusty source that regularly produces the goods on the message boards? Are you sick to death of having your hopes crushed by a serial offender? Or do you just wish to wind me up with a transfer tip? Tell me what you think, follow @samuel_antobus on Twitter
After experiencing relative success in the transfer market already this summer with the signings of Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell last month Sir Alex Ferguson has hit the buffers in his recruitment drive. Brokering a deal for Brazilian international Lucas Moura has proved increasingly problematic with conflicting reports stating that his move to Old Trafford is imminent whilst others insist the 19-year-old will be staying put in his native land. Moura’s future intentions are unclear at this current juncture and United chief usually withdraws his interest to avoid becoming ensnared in long-winded negotiations. The fact Ferguson is persisting with a move is testament to the midfielder’s talent and the 70-year-old clearly sees something special in the teenager that he wants to harness and develop. Investment in youth has been Ferguson’s mantra this summer as he begins the process of leading the Red Devil’s through another transitional period.
This week on FFC should United think twice about his pursuit of Robin Van Persie and which Bulgarian forward could soon be leaving Old Trafford?
[divider]
Best of FFC
Why Sir Alex will safeguard Manchester United’s future
Should suitors think twice before bidding for Robin van Persie?
Does United star get the respect he deserves in England?
A long time coming for Ryan Giggs
An necessary signing for Manchester United?
Why Iker Muniain should ignore Premier League interest
25 of football’s top philosophical quotes
£35m fee slapped on Chelsea and United target’s head
Russians launch £5m bid for United forward
Sao Paulo open to Moura negotiations
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Best of WEB
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Is There Still Hope For Bébé? – Red Flag Flying High
Ten Years Of Rio – The Best Ever? – 7Cantonas
Sir Alex’ guide to being a “real fan” – United Rant
Lucas Moura Or Robin Van Persie? Sir Alex May Have To Choose – Red Flag Flying High
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10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Lucas Moura – RoM
“I think Manchester United would be the better option for him.” – The Busby Way
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Quote of the Week
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“Fair play to City. You’ve got to be a good team to win the league, so I wouldn’t take anything away from them. But if you gave us the last few games of the season and put us in that situation again, it wouldn’t happen. It was just madness. That’s down to us, though. We take full blame for it and don’t look to anyone else.” Rio Ferdinand insists Manchester United won’t repeat last seasons title collapse in the upcoming campaign
The jokes may not end for quite some time, and the only escape from the memory of a seemingly hellish first eight months in English football would be to win a major trophy. For Andre Villas-Boas, being an also ran simply won’t do. The echoes of “we told you he wasn’t good enough” would reverberate around White Hart Lane and the pressure to dismiss the former Chelsea manager would increase. At least that’s the way these things are seen from the English perspective.
There’s no doubt that Villas-Boas has had his reputation tarnished in England. But for good reason? Now Tottenham are the sad group of hopefuls picking up the pieces and praying for something that isn’t there. It’s a disappointing state to be in where a young, promising manager can so easily be cast aside. Yes his short time at Chelsea was a mistake—but a mistake from himself to join the club. Perhaps naively he thought he could make a positive impact at a club whose owner is notoriously short of patience.
In the long run and where greater perspective is necessary, there is little holding Villas-Boas back from being a successful manager.
You’ve got to applaud Daniel Levy for deciding to swim against the tide and place faith in the Portuguese manager. It’s hardly a gamble, at least no more so than any other managerial appointment at any other club. Instead, the Tottenham chairman has correctly turned his back on the dark cloud that hangs over his new manager; a cloud that is more in place due to the reaction of fans and the media, rather than his own shortcomings.
The football perspective in England has for too long been arrogant and, to a certain extent, obnoxious. There is a short-sighted view of the world outside of English football from a large majority and, apparently, England is the benchmark of football royalty. If you fail here, then that stamp will never wash away.
There’s no such view in other parts of Europe. Villas Boas, for example, is still highly regarded among the Spanish and considered a future candidate for one of the top jobs in La Liga. There is a greater sense of perspective and patience, rather than the mindless accusations towards a manager who was never really given a chance.
Maybe Liverpool, a representative of English football, should give back the trophies Rafa Benitez helped them win. Benitez’s career was not helped by his move to Inter, although he was dealing with a post-Mourinho club—scorched earth and all that. But the attitude and lack of respect directed at the Spaniard is simply nonsensical and, again, arrogant. His successes in England and Spain are not medals of failure and incompetence. Benitez is far from a poor manager. So what if he tried to introduce an unpopular system of defending? Surely he would have been praised if it did work out. Instead, his achievements and successes are forgotten and his desire to be a little forward thinking are mocked. And much like Villas-Boas, he has been cast aside because he couldn’t live up to the great expectations of the mighty Premier League.
It’s a fair argument to say that both men have made mistakes in their managerial career, and yes there are a number of Liverpool fans who would not welcome Benitez back at Anfield. But those mistakes hardly hold water against the bigger picture.
Platforms such as Twitter have made it increasingly likely for great waves to wash over those who fail in English football, whether it’s fuelled by journalists or fans. It’s also extremely easy to jump on the bandwagon and play a role in the witch hunt. But like our football, it’s rushed, uneasy on the eye and, at times, embarrassing.
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What many fail to weigh up in their final decision to cast someone aside is that the Premier League is the most competitive in the world. Success doesn’t come quick and easy, and yet most define a manager or player’s talent and ability based on an extremely short spell and their own desire for instant success.
Villas-Boas will never amount to a good manager in the eyes of some. Yet those same eyes view a couple of good games by Andy Carroll as a worthy statement of his talent and ability to contribute. Again, rushed statements and, at times, embarrassing.
Newcastle United look to have completed the transfer of Vurnon Anita from Ajax after Sky Sports confirmed the midfielder is having a medical at the club after a £6 million fee was agreed.
Personal terms remain to be agreed, but Newcastle are confident the deal will be confirmed within 24 hours.
Anita is set to become Alan Pardew’s first major signing of the summer, and looks to play an integral part in the Magpies bid to continue the impressive form they showed last season.
The players s father had previously stated the Dutchman had wanted talks with Pardew, regarding where he would fit in the side.
He had said: “Newcastle and Ajax are well agreed, but Vurnon wants to know what the plans of the head coach of Newcastle United are with him.”
“If the conversation between the head coach of Newcastle and Vurnon goes in a positive manner then the move can go through. It may be done within a week.”
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The 23-year-old has been a regular in the Dutch set up from Under-17 level, and has been capped three times by the senior side.
Arsenal’s imperious display in a 2-0 victory over Liverpool has reignited optimism at the Emirates.
Following two straight shut-outs the London club finally netted and tasted victory with Lukas Podolski breaking the three hour plus, goal drought.
Podolski alongside fellow new signing Olivier Giroud, has the ominous task of replacing last season’s Premier League top goal scorer, Robin Van Persie.
The win went some way to removing the shadow of the Dutchman that looms over the London club. Podolski told SkySports, “It was a good match, I think we played very well and the two goals were amazing.
“It was a good day for us and for me, scoring my first goal for Arsenal.”
Santi Carzola got the Gunners second goal, the Spaniard has become an instant hit on North London and once again delighted with his illusiveness and creativity.
The only man, who could rival Carzola for the man of the match gong, was Abou Diaby who was colossal transitioning from defence to attack. After a succession of injuries hampered recent seasons for the Frenchman, he could benefit most from Alex Song’s departure.
He added, “Last season was a difficult season for me. I’m just happy to be back and I hope I can stay fit for the whole season.”
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Reading boss Brian McDermott has revealed that the club are searching for a new training ground as they look to improve off the pitch.
Royals’ Hogwood Park base in Arborfield has undergone large-scale changes this summer, with new temporary buildings erected to help the club in their quest for Category 1 status in the Academy Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). In order to compete with their top-flight rivals, the club know that they will need a bigger facility than Hogwood, where they have been since the start of the 2004/05 season. McDermott told getreading:
“We’re trying to upgrade everything and doing the best we possibly can – we’re trying to get a new training ground. We will wait and see now. For me the club is going to be successful because we have such good people here – that’s the most important thing.”
McDermott’s transfer kitty won’t be affected by the club’s efforts to improve their training ground, and they know that by improving what they have, they will also be able to attract a higher quality of player to Berkshire. McDermott continued:
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“My playing budget is done. I think the business we did in the window is incredible. To get the players we did for the money we paid was incredible. We’re delighted with the business that we have done.”