Football News: Celtic Can't Compete With English Clubs As Gill Unhappy With Manchester United's Style Of Play And More
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1. Deila admits Celtic can't compete with English clubs
Celtic manager Ronny Deila has warned Hoops fans that the club is now only a stepping stone to the English Championship and Premier League for most players due to finances. Despite the arrival of Danish international centre back Erik Sviatchenko in the January window, Deila knows that he is unable to compete when a Championship side steps in for one of his targets. Deila even admitted that Sviatchenko himself said he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Virgil van Dijk to the Premier League. Deila said: "If Sviatchenko had been playing in England we would never have got him. We can't get players from the Championship down there. That's the truth. If you go to England it's three times your salary and a higher level. So it's fair to say that coming here is a middle step for players. Erik mentioned it to me when we talked on the phone. He said: 'I see you had Denayer and van Dijk last year and I see where they are now.' That was a positive thing for him. He sees that if you come here and do well, it's possible to take the next step. I agree with the fans who get irritated by that, Celtic being a stepping stone. We are a very big club - but we're not a rich club. There is a difference. With the size of this club, it shouldn't be that way. I get irritated myself by it. You can imagine what Celtic would be like if we were in the English Premier League. Then we'd be in the same category as Real Madrid and Barcelona. You could go from Celtic to these clubs in the same way they go from Man United. Big transfers. That is the level Celtic would be at if they were in that league. So the problem is not the size of the club but the fact we play in the Scottish league. But if we were in the Premier League I don't think it would be just me who wanted to be manager. I'd have to work hard to keep my job!"
2. Hearts to offer Paterson a new deal to get him ready for the English Premier League
Heart of Midlothian's 21 year old fullback Callum Paterson has been a stand out performer for the SPFL outfit and now manager Robbie Neilson intends to offer him a new contract. The Scotland U21 international is out of contract in 18 months and Neilson wants to see him spend a couple more years in Scotland before moving down south to join the English Premier League. The Jambos boss said: "An extension for Callum is something we will look at, possibly when the window is shut. He is the one for me who is probably ready to step down there - but at the moment he would probably be looking at the Championship. If he stays a bit longer and develops himself further as a defender and tries to get into the Scotland set-up then his next step could be straight to the Premier League. At the moment I don't think the clubs that will be looking at him will be at that level and I think he should stay until he is ready to go to the top level. Callum is physical, strong and athletic and you have to be like that to play in England. When he does eventually go down he will just be average size. You stand in the tunnel and they are all 6ft 3in, 6ft 4in. But Paterson is one who has the physicality to go down there. It's vital to go down at the right time. Too early and they go down there as development players and waste away until they end up going out on loan. They should stay here, play games and wait until somebody has to come in with big money because if someone spends big money on you then there is pressure on them to play you." Neilson has admitted that he is likely to lose Swedish striker Osman Sow, who only joined the club in the summer after a trial.
3. Another nice backheel goal
Added to the one Chelsea's John Terry scored late against Everton, and the one scored by Diomerci Mbokani for Norwich City against Liverpool, Konstantinos Mitroglou has hit a back heel goal for Benfica in a match against Arouca.
4. Liege midfielder criticises new signing Victor Valdes
Former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes is set to leave Manchester United to join Standard Liege but not everyone at the club is convinced it is a good deal. Standard midfielder Mathieu Dossevi has stated that the Spanish stopper is not needed. "Personally, I am torn," the 27-year-old told radio station RTL Sports. "He's obviously a very big player, but that is not the position where we necessarily need reinforcements. [Current no. 1] Guillaume Hubert is doing well, why do you have to replace him? He showed all his qualities in recent weeks. We have the chance to qualify for the final of the Belgian Cup thanks to him."
5. No wonder Hammers missed Payet
A short highlight reel for Dimitri Payet's first half performance for West Ham United against Manchester City. They really do not have anyone with that much quality on the ball to replace him with while he was out injured.
6. LFC vice-chairman leaves
Liverpool will be searching for a key employee as their vice chairman has left the Fenway Sports Group owned football club to head up the team working on the construction of the new AS Roma stadium. David Ginsberg has been chosen to replace the outgoing Mark Pannes by AS Roma president and majority shareholder James Pallotta. Ginsberg has previously worked as an investment banker for Pallotta.
7. Goal of the season?
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has scored a genuine contender for the goal of the season against Crystal Palace.
8. Bellamy admits he rejected Cardiff job because the club deserved better
With Cardiff City fans suggesting the club should turn to its former striker Craig Bellamy to lead it, Bellamy has admitted he turned the club down in the past because he felt it deserved better than him at the time. Bellamy was offered the manager's job, on a temporary basis, by owner Vincent Tan, in the wake of the Malky Mackay sacking. Bellamy told Soccer AM: "It was temporary at the time. I was offered it, but I wasn't ready at that time. Cardiff being the club that I had grown up with deserved better at that particular time than what I was. So I made it clear that for Cardiff City to have a good chance of staying in the Premier League, I certainly was not that option." As well as working as a pundit for TV stations around the world, Bellamy volunteers to help coach Cardiff's youngsters.
9. David Gill joins chorus of disapproval over van Gaal
While David Gill is no longer chief executive at Manchester United, he is still a director at the club, so his word carries weight within the walls of Old Trafford. Gill has now added his voice to the disaffected with the way the club are going under manager Louis van Gaal. Clearly we all hope the results will be better - everyone's disappointed. [...] [This is] undoubtedly a season of underachievement. I think everyone would agree with that given the investment that was made. [...] I don't want to talk about quality [of football]-but I'm not going to sit here and say it's that attractive. For me, what we did in the past was great-you've got to have the players to do that. The Ryan Giggs running down the wing, [David] Beckham etc, [Paul] Scholes. Manchester United going back to the 50s with Matt Busby, when I started supporting them, with George Best, they played in a certain way. I'm sure we want to do that. We want attacking football I'm sure that will be a key part going forward.
Louis van Gaal admits he deserves the booing https://t.co/xdU0qOVyYG #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Jif4ZtjLeG
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 23, 2016
10. Paul Pogba has an interesting new hair cut
Sometimes words fail me:
Written by Tris Burke January 24 2016 13:05:36
