Tap For Menu  
Single word yields best result

Football News: Chelsea Midfielder Hits Out At Shakhtar For Blocked Liverpool Move, Scottish Football Shows The Quality Extends Beyond Cup Draws And Onto The Pitch And More

Chelsea Midfielder Hits Out At Shakhtar For Blocked Liverpool Move, Scottish Football Shows The Quality Extends Beyond Cup Draws And Onto The Pitch And More
Image from: getreading.co.uk

1. Transfer round up
Papito Merencia, unattached to RVVH Ridderkerk
Johannes Kukebal, unattached to Paide
Roland Bilala, released by Bukovyna
Adigun Salami, unattached to Middelfart
Rodri, released by AS Eupen
Gorka Larrea, unattached to Indy Eleven
Marius Zaliukas, unattached to Zalgiris
Dean Morgan, unattached to Newport County
Aleksandr Makarov, CSKA Moscow to Baltika, on loan
Soo Yong Yoon, Djurgardens IF to Assyriska FF, on loan
Kamil Kurowski, Legia Warsaw to Grudziada, undisclosed fee
Aaron Olanare, Ghuangzhou R&F to CSKA Moscow, on loan
Martin Kase, FC Flora to Paide, undisclosed fee
Vitali Kalenkovich, Baltika to KS Samara, undisclosed fee
Karl Ivar Maar, FC Flora to Paide, undisclosed fee
Goran Milovic, Hajduk Split to Chongqing Lifan, undisclosed fee
Andriy Pylyavsky, Zorya Lugansk to Rubin Kazan, undisclosed fee
Egor Klymenchuk, Metalurg Zaporizhya to FK Minsk, free
Sergiy Kulynych, Metalurg Zaporizhya to FK Minsk, free
Williams, America to Social FC, on loan
Linus Sjoberg, Ostersunds FK to Vasteras SK, free
Mirnes Selamovic, FK Radnicki Lukavac to FK Gorazde, free
Piotr Parzyszek, Charlton Athletic to De Graafschap, free
Archford Gutu, Kalmar FF to CAPS United FC, free
Matheus Ribeiro, Atletico Paranaense to Atletico Goianiense, free
Giannis Dermitzakis, Ergotelis to OFI Kreta, free
Filip Knezevic, FK Partizan Belgrade to FK Cukaricki, free
Soslan Kachmazov, Alania Vladikavkaz to Banants Yerevan, free
Gal Arel, Gimnastic to Zawisza, free
Tymur Rustamov, Obolon-Brovar to Bukovyna, free
Nikola Gacesa, Bocholt VV to Panegialos, free
Ilias Tsiligiris, Olympiakos Volos to APS Eolikos, free
Toni Pezo, NK Vitez to NK Metalleghe, free
Vladislav Ignatjev, Kuban Krasnodar to Lokomotiv Moscow, free
Jose Pedrosa Galan, Aris Limassol to Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt, free
Leo Gamalho, Avai to Nacional, free
Ilya Galyuza, Belshina to Dnepr Mogilefv, free
Pengfei Xie, Hangzhou Greentown to Jiangsu Suning, £3.05m

2. Calamity James backs his replacement
Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James has given his backing to his replacement in the Liverpool net. James, known as Calamity for his capacity to make errors more often than saves, has now backed the latest error strewn netminder to play for the Reds. "I think it [the criticism] is unfounded," James told Talksport. "You could argue having been three years at Liverpool he should be the finished article but there is still so much more that can come out of Simon Mignolet and therefore the five-year contract he got is justified." Not sure many would agree with that assessment, but then James thought he deserved a contract when he was with the club, when all he ever did was strut about pretending to be a model when he should have been training.

 

3. Hoffenheim coach resigns due to ill health
Huub Stevens, the Dutch coach of TSG Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, has announced his resignation with immediate effect. With just three days until his side were due to take on Werder Bremen, it was a surprise announcement. The 62 year old Stevens is set to leave for health reasons. Stevens' assistant Alfred Schreuder is expected to take charge of the relegation threatened club.

4. Barca reserves extend Barcelona's unbeaten record
Gary Neville's Valencia nightmare has shown no sign of abating as his struggling side were held to a draw against what was essentially a Barcelona reserve team in the second leg of their Copa del Rey clash. With a 7-0 lead from the first leg, Barca were able to rest Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr for the match, but still came away with a 1-1 draw, extending their unbeaten run to 29 games in a row, setting a new club record. The Catalans boss was able to leave 11 first team regulars behind to rest and relax ahead of a busy few months, but still do enough to get the draw thanks to 19 year old Cameroonian midfieler Wilfred Kaptoum's equaliser after Alvaro Negredo opened the scoring.

 

5. Here is Kaptoum's goal for Barca:


Have to question the defending....

6. Lovely piece of skill
By West Ham United's Martin Samuelsen, currently on loan at Peterborough United, against West Bromwich Albion:

 

7. The top two side in Scotland producing some 'quality' football
Would you really believe that Aberdeen and Celtic are the best that Scotland has to offer right now? It is like a throwback to the old days of long ball hoof it up football.



8. Reading FC submit plans for development next to the Madejski Stadium
Reading have put forward a proposal to develop land next to their stadium into a residential, retail and leisure complex. Their proposal for Royal Elm Park includes over 600 homes, a park, shops, restaurants and an ice rink. Among the plans is a replacement for the current overflow car park with a new multi-storey car park to free up space. There is also set to be a convention centre named 'The International' with capacity to host live entertainment as well as conventions. There are also plans to improve transport links to the stadium from the town centre. Nigel Howe, Chief Executive of Reading Football Club, commented: "Royal Elm Park is a unique opportunity for Reading to deliver a world-class convention centre that will put the town on the map and enable us to compete on a world stage. It will also benefit the football club and will be important for Reading's future growth, attracting national and international investment and offering tangible benefits for local people with new homes, jobs and an improved match-day experience."

 

9. Torquay plan to stay fully professional even if relegated
With Torquay United struggling financially following their relegation from League Two, their position at the bottom of the National League (5th tier of English football) is a serious problem for the ownership consortium. Already the club has been forced to shut down their academy due to a lack of funding, as well as leave their training ground and lose their new manager Paul Cox in September over wages. They are now groundsharing their Plainmoor ground with National League South (6th tier) side Truro City. Chief executive Steve Breed has said he wants the club to stay fully professional even if relegation happens. "We have to build plans for staying up and for going down," Breed told BBC Radio Devon. "It's not a defeatist attitude, but we need to be prepared if the worst happens and we are relegated this season. I still feel we should be a league club. Everything around this football club is geared to it being a professional, full-time football club." Breed continued: "I would hate to think we would go part-time at this club, I really would, but finances dictate and I can't guarantee that we would stay as a full-time club. I'd like to think we would, and there's been no talk whatsoever about us going part-time, but you never know what the situation is around the corner. I believe the only way we'd get up from the league below is to stay full-time."

10. Willian hits out at Shakhtar for blocking Alex Teixeira's move to Liverpool
Willian has accused his former club Shakhtar Donetsk of harming fellow Brazilian Alex Teixeira's international hopes by blocking his move to the English Premier League. January saw Liverpool try and sign Teixeira, only to miss out, despite the player confirming a desire to join them, and the Ukrainians instead sell him to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning. "I wish him all the best in China," said Willian. "I'm sure that the financial aspect was crucial for his decision. He's a very good player and could easily adapt to English football. I'd personally be happy if he'd come to the Premier League or even to another big European club, as it would increase his chances to play for Selecao." He was not so complimentary about Shakhtar: "They prefer to sell to small clubs that can afford a higher fee than selling them to traditional clubs that wouldn't pay the same amount of money. That's the case for Teixeira, and it has also happened with me. I know myself how difficult it is to negotiate with Shakhtar Donetsk. I suffered for two years there willing to leave the club."

Written by Tris Burke February 11 2016 10:38:52