Both Birmingham City and Aston Villa have, unsurprisingly, been charged by the Football Association for failing to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during Sunday’s Second City derby.
The charges relate to an incident following a poor challenge on Villa’s Jack Grealish, by City’s Maikel Kieftenbeld, which resulted in a melee involving a number of players from both teams.
BBC Sport report that both clubs have until Monday to respond to the charge.
The FA action was largely expected, and the fact that it may have perpetuated the disgraceful assault on Grealish by a City fan, meant the charge was somewhat inevitable.
It would be a surprise to hear that either club will contest the charge, which will more than likely result in a hefty fine.
Certainly the fracas set the tone for a feisty opening, and the FA are right to lay down the law on the rivals.
It is certainly not the example that players are expected to set for young fans, and their responsibilities as role-models need to be considered at all times.
Grealish, of course, went on to get the winning goal, and secure a precious three points in their push for a play-off spot.
Was the FA’s action correct? Should the club accept the charge and move on? Let us know what you think…
Alan Shearer slammed the Swiss national side regarding their handling of the incident regarding Newcastle’s Fabian Schar today, amid growing concerns that failure to change the concussion rules in football is putting players’ lives at risk.
Speaking in his column for The Sun, he called for a complete change in how head injuries are dealt with, and suggested football authorities should copy the protocols used in rugby, and other sports, on allowing medical teams to treat players immediately.
He also called for independent medical staff to be on hand to make the decisions regarding a player’s ability to return, taking any decision away from parties with a vested interest.
Fans have taken to Twitter to applaud the former England star, and there seems to be almost universal agreement that something needs to be done as soon as possible to prevent a repeat of the events in Georgia on Saturday.
Here are some of the comments:
Certainly, it is a very important issue, and one that should benefit from the amount of exposure it has received this week.
The authorities need to act now, and surely will, as there will be no hiding place if next time it happens, a player suffers severe brain damage, or even dies.
What are your thoughts about Shearer’s comments? Are his ideas for change the right thing to do? Let us know your opinion…
Nottingham Forest manager Martin O’Neill has confirmed, via The Nottingham Post, that he has spoken to owner Evangelos Marinakis about the club’s future plans on the pitch, and the first thing he should have asked the Greek tycoon about is tying Ryan Yates down to a new contract.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Marinakis has been in England for the last week or so because of the redevelopment plans for The City Ground, and he remained in the country to watch the 3-0 victory against Hull City on Saturday.
O’Neill has since confirmed, via The Nottingham Post, that the duo spoke to each other about a number of different subjects including potential summer transfers, but the priority should have been discussing the ever-improving Yates.
The 21-year-old has only become a regular fixture in the starting XI since the 66-year-old replaced Aitor Karanka at the helm, and he has more than taken his opportunity with six consecutive league starts.
Long-term contract needed
The impressive midfielder only signed a new three-year deal with the Reds last summer following successful loan spells with Notts County and Scunthorpe United, but now he is establishing himself as a key player for the Championship club.
Yates has many impressive aspects to his game and if he continues at the rate he is, he could be a huge asset for Forest in the future – both in terms of his quality and his price tag.
If the east Midlands outfit want to progress and get better then they need to be tying down players like the 21-year-old down to new long-term contracts, and that should be one of Marinakis’ main priorities over the next few months.
Leeds fans have debated the quality of Patrick Bamford all season long and though his goal return still leaves a lot to be desired, more and more supporters are becoming enamoured with his style.He is clearly a favourite of Marcelo Bielsa as he is the man he depends on to consistently lead the line for Leeds. It is a role he plays to great effect, both with and without the ball.Bamford links play with his 76% pass accuracy, and his desire also enables him to act as a threat on the counter-attack, as evidenced by the Whites’ second goal against Hull in mid-week.
Added to that, he has also developed a “nasty” streak in his game, ruffling up defenders and making a nuisance of himself when without the ball, and that is no doubt contributing to Leeds’ success, which has pleased some supporters.
Many fans believe the new side to his game has made him a better player, and anything that prevents him from being bullied by defenders means he should be better at holding the ball up and bringing teammates into play.
As the sole striker that is a vital attribute to have as it allows the more creative players to take up threatening positions, and even if Bamford doesn’t get onto the end of crosses and passes, a teammate likely will.
If he can maintain his style whilst increasing his focus on getting into goalscoring positions then he should improve his current goal tally of seven, and that will be huge in Leeds’ promotion push.
In other Leeds news, fans have been discussing the one factor which could still prevent Marcelo Bielsa’s team gaining promotion.
He’s grown quite a reputation for not being available or withdrawing from the squad on matchday and many Arsenal fans might have been worried when they didn’t see Mesut Ozil’s name on the team-sheet for Sunday’s North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
A back spasm was the reason this time as the Gunners went into the important encounter without their highest-paid player. The creativity and vision of a player like Ozil would always be needed in such a big fixture but when the final whistle blew most Arsenal fans had probably forgotten that the former German international wasn’t even on the pitch.
Unai Emery’s men made a massive statement as the blew Spurs off the park in the second-half, scoring three goals to nil to claim a famous 4-2 win over their fiercest rivals.
The manager opted for a back-three again, mainly due to the injury problem at left-back, that saw Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira start in the centre of the midfield with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a front-three.
Ozil could easily have started ahead of Mkhitaryan, but Emery stuck with the Armenian after having a poor performance at Bournemouth last weekend and despite Alexandre Lacazette available but only on the bench.
The manager imposed his faith in the exact same team that struggled against Eddie Howe’s men, which in itself might be one of the key differences of Arsenal this season.
Emery has made it clear that he won’t let his team place emphasises on one specific player to get results, instead, he forced an out of favour back-three system to work in one of the club’s most important matches of the season.
And, all of this against a Spurs team that put Chelsea to the sword at Wembley last weekend.
Going forward, Sunday’s victory will provide Arsenal with heaps of confidence that they don’t always have to rely on Ozil to get them over the line. The midfielder does remain a vital part of the squad but if he falls out with Emery, as it appears he has done, then it won’t spell the end of the road for the Gunners this season.
West Ham United should try to land the signature of Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook at the end of the season.
What’s the word?
There is no doubt that the club’s midfield has been struggling, as well as their defence, since the campaign began.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men are the only Premier League team not to pick up a point after four games, which has left them at the bottom of the table.
The club brought in nine new faces during the summer transfer window, but things have not clicked into place just yet.
Even though it is less than a year away, West Ham should consider making a move for Bournemouth star Lewis Cook next summer.
Why him?
The 21-year-old is showing signs that he can become one of England’s best midfielders.
The Under-17 European Championship winner – valued at £18m by Transfermarkt – has plenty of confidence and looks comfortable in the Premier League.
Cook is an all-round midfielder, who can find his teammates with a pin-pointed pass but is also not afraid to do the dirty work and get stuck into a tackle.
The young player has the ability to burst from the centre of the park with determined runs, and he could potentially become a star at West Ham.
Mark Noble will eventually have to be replaced, and Cook would likely receive more game time at the London Stadium than he would if he were to join a so-called ‘bigger’ club.
Depending on how the season pans out, the Hammers should certainly keep a close eye on Cook.
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is known to launch some subtle jibes at his opponents via the media.
This week, the Portuguese coach reminded Liverpool fans of their team’s recent fumble in the Champions League.
Last week, Jurgen Klopp’s men took on Sevilla in a clash that could have sent the Reds into the last 16 of the competition.
The team stormed to a 3-0 lead inside the first 30 minutes, but in the second half they crumbled as their Spanish opponents nabbed a 3-3 draw.
On Tuesday night, United took on Watford at Vicarage Road in the Premier League and they found themselves in a similar predicament.
The Red Devils took a thee-goal lead and inside the final 20 minutes, nerves jangled as the Hornets pulled two goals back to make it 3-2.
Before the final whistle, though, Jesse Lingard wrapped up victory for the visitors with an impressive goal.
After the match, Mourinho carried out his post-match media duties and aimed a subtle swipe at Liverpool’s recent result in Europe.
The Liverpool Echo quotes the manager as saying:
“Watford gave us a couple of minutes where they felt anything could happen. This is football. Last week, Borussia Dortmund-Schalke, 4-0, 4-4. A couple of weeks ago, Liverpool (at Sevilla), 3-0, 3-3. That’s football.”
According to an interview in L’Equipe, via GFFN, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko has demanded better communication from manager Mauricio Pochettino and hinted he could leave the club this summer.
The France international only joined Spurs in a £30m deal from Newcastle United last summer, but he has struggled to make an impact at White Hart Lane and played the full 90 minutes on just one occasion throughout the Premier League campaign, with the majority of his appearances coming from the substitutes’ bench.
It appears as though both Pochettino and the fans have been far from impressed with the contribution of the Frenchman considering how much he cost them last year, and he could be moved on this summer.
Tottenham supporters were quick to give their thoughts on the 28-year-old’s comments via social media, and they are delighted that he could be going, but also angry that he is blaming Pochettino for his disappointing form.
In one of the most exciting Premier League fixtures this weekend, Southampton play hosts to table toppers Liverpool at St Mary’s.
The Reds have been in scintillating form so far this term and are the leading scorers in the top flight with 30 goals from 11 matches, a tally boosted by their 6-1 thrashing of Watford less than a fortnight ago – in which they had five different goalscorers.
Meanwhile, Saints went into the international break on less of a high than their opponents on Saturday, as Hull ended their six-match losing run by beating Claude Puel’s men 2-1 at the KCOM Stadium.
However, only Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham have conceded less goals than the south coast outfit (12) this season.
This fixture has provided a number of classic matches over the years – highlighted by last season’s five-goal thriller at St Mary’s.
Liverpool looked to be cruising to a straightforward win when they led 2-0 at the break, but a Sadio Mane-inspired comeback saw Saints secure a brilliant 3-2 victory.
Will we see a repeat this weekend? Here are five key battles that could give us a hint.
Roberto Firmino vs Virgil van Dijk
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Firmino has been preferred in attack to Daniel Sturridge this season, and it isn’t hard to see why based on current form.
The Brazilian has scored five league goals, as well as picking up three assists, and links up brilliantly with Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho.
Meanwhile, Van Dijk has been a colossus at the back for Saints, winning the most aerial duels (4.4) per match of any defender that has made 10 or more Premier League outings this term.
Sadio Mane vs Ryan Bertrand
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Many Saints supporters were disappointed when Mane left the club to join Liverpool during the summer but the Senegal international has already proved he’s befitting of the title-chasing standard at Anfield.
The £34million man has been putting in consistently fantastic performances for the Reds and scored six Premier League goals, including two in the 6-1 win against Watford last time out.
Despite the front four’s nomadic format, Mane is likely to come up against left-back Bertrand for much of the game, and if the England international can keep the lively forward quiet, it will help his side pick up a positive result.
Philippe Coutinho vs Oriol Romeu
Along with Firmino and Mane, Coutinho has been in brilliant form to help Liverpool top the Premier League table.
The attacking midfielder has scored five Premier League goals and his interplay with national compatriot Firmino, as well as Mane and Lallana, has been nothing short of sublime.
However, Romeu has arguably been Southampton’s Player of the Season so far at the base of the diamond in midfield, and it will be the Spaniard’s job to mark the Brazilian magician closely.
Charlie Austin vs Joel Matip
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While Southampton have been relatively strong at the back, they have struggled to score goals – well, aside from Charlie Austin that is.
The striker is Saints’ main goal threat and has scored eight times in all competitions this term, including a penalty in the 2-1 loss to Hull last time out.
The former QPR man will be up against Matip, who has established himself as one of the most impressive defenders in the Premier League following a summer move from Schalke.
Dusan Tadic vs Jordan Henderson
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Although he suffered a broken nose playing for Serbia against Wales during the international break, Tadic is still set to feature on Saturday.
That will be a boost for Claude Puel, who has seen the 27-year-old create 31 chances this term – although incredibly, he is yet to pick up an assist.
While Liverpool’s front four has been running riot, Henderson has provided the defensive support in midfield. He’ll be keeping a close eye on Tadic, knowing that the Serbian has the potential to be a match-winner.