West Ham United's Benni McCarthy has been left out of South Africa's World Cup squad.
South Africa's all-time leading scorer has been criticised for his lack of fitness in the build-up to the finals and coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has left the 32-year-old out of his final 23-man squad.
Parreira revealed his decision to snub McCarthy after leaving the 78-times capped striker out of the side that thrashed Guatemala 5-0 in a warm-up match on Monday.
Three other Premier League-based players in Aaron Mokoena, Kagisho Dikgacoi and Steven Pienaar have all made Parreira's final squad.
"There's nothing wrong with him (Benni), we know all the players we need by now," he said after the warm-up victory.
"It's a daily assessment and we're not going to judge a player on one match.
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"They all know that the decision is coming and I would say that everyone deserves to be in the squad but, unfortunately, that cannot happen."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Martin Dubravka’s January move to Newcastle United did not exactly capture the attention of the club’s supporters.
Indeed, little was known about the 29-year-old ahead of his arrival at St James’ Park on transfer deadline day at the start of 2018.
Newcastle acquired his services on loan from Sparta Prague, and it did not take long for the stopper to make an impression, with his debut coming in the club’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on February 11.
Dubravka has continued to impress between the sticks for Newcastle, and kept another clean sheet against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
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There was one outstanding save from the Slovakia international against the Blues when he tipped an Olivier Giroud effort over the crossbar.
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Dubravka’s future is still unclear, although it is understood that Newcastle have the chance to make the loan move permanent this summer, and the club’s supporters are absolutely desperate for that to occur.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
West Ham have a new boss, a new approach, a new formation and new players . Slaven Bilic is in the process of transforming Big Sam’s West Ham squad to his own, but he is still short in some areas.
The Croat is well known for utilising a 4-2-3-1 formation and in many of his games in charge of the Hammers this pre-season, it is a set up he has chosen to continue with.
It hasn’t always been successful, though, as the Hammers have drawn 3-3 and 0-0 with Peterborough and Charlton respectively, and have beaten League 2 Southend 3-2 .
Whilst pre-season results should be taken with a pinch of salt, it is clear there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to Bilic’s new style to get it up to scratch.
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And when you go through Bilic’s squad, he has already built the basis of a good 4-2-3-1 playing team. His defence and keeper are solid. Adrian is a quality Premier League stopper, and then in Angelo Ogbonna, Winston Reid, James Collins and James Tomkins he has four good centre-backs. Aaron Cresswell and Carl Jenkinson provide the perfect attacking full-backs for the formation, who can get up and down and give support to the attack.
Then in front of them he has good defensive midfielders in Cheikhou Kouyate, Mark Noble and new signing Pedro Obiang, who will all shield and control the game.
Then he has talented play maker Dimitri Payet, who will play in the no.10 role for the Hammers this season, then wide right or left he has Enner Valencia supporting main striker Diafra Sakho.
But there is one player missing, and that is a real quality out-and-out winger, someone like Kevin Mirrallas for example. Someone who can provide real pace, real width and some quality in the wide areas.
It already has been well documented that the Everton man could be bought this summer as he is in his final year of his contract at Goodison Park, and the Hammers have already reportedly put in bids for the winger.
He is valued at around £8m and a deal for the winger could certainly be done, considering that he has fallen down the pecking order on Merseyside, reportedly because of his frosty relationship with Toffees boss Roberto Martinez.
That’s largely down to the winger’s attitude, and when Mirallas stole penalty duties off Leighton Baines against team orders last season, which certainly did little to help the pair’s relationship. Especially as he went on to miss the subsequent spot kick.
Given that, and the fact he is in the final year of his contract, the Hammers could do a deal for Mirallas providing they match Everton’s valuation of the winger.
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The Belgian would be a great signing for the Hammers, too. He would add some pace on the wing, an added goal threat and would be someone capable of providing something different out wide. Mirallas is player who is a dangerous in dead ball situations, which the Hammers may be missing following Stewart Downing’s departure to Middlesbrough.
The Hammers need a winger and Mirallas is certainly the right man for them. He’s the right age, experienced in the Premier League and has the quality needed to improve Bilic’s new look side.
It was announced in the past fortnight that Arsenal could launch a bid to bring former Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas back to the Emirates. According to The Metro, the North London outfit have a £25million buy-back option, which could now be activated as speculation grows over the Spain international’s future at the Nou Camp, with Man United in particular sniffing around.
The midfielder may edge upon world-class, but he will be not enough alone to propel Arsenal back towards the Premier League title race, with solid additions required in all departments.
With that in mind, we look at the FIVE players from across Europe who could follow Cesc’s lead this summer and join up with the Gunners.
Click on Tim Krul to reveal the FIVE possible transfers to follow Cesc to Arsenal
Newcastle fans have been discussing a possible return to Tyneside for Andy Carroll, and most fans are in agreement they would not take the towering striker back.
According to reports, Andy Carroll has been sent home from West Ham training after a dispute with David Moyes, and the rumour mill is already churning out possible landing spots for the ex-Magpie.
Carroll has managed three league goals in just seven starts due to injuries this season, and the training ground bust-up could certainly mean the 29 year-old is on his way out of West Ham.
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Capped nine times by England, Carroll made 80 league appearances on Tyneside before moving to Liverpool in 2011, grabbing 31 league goals during that time.
Newcastle are having their own problems in the striking department, with none of Islam Slimani, Dwight Gayle or Joselu able to consistently find the net.
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The Magpies have been linked with a move for Hull City’s Abel Hernandez, but could Carroll be a better option?
Fans don’t seem to think so, thanks mainly to his injury record, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
With every passing day, the likelihood of Liverpool selling wantaway winger Raheem Sterling only grows stronger.
The England international’s lengthy contract saga, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2016/17 campaign, is no great secret, but it can be summarised by three major stories from the last three months. In April, Sterling revealed in a candid interview with BBC Sport that he’d already rejected a £100k per-week offer from the Anfield outfit. In May, renegade agent Aidy Ward claimed the 20 year-old wouldn’t pen extended terms ‘even for £900k per-week’, whilst also branding Anfield legend-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher a ‘knob’. And yesterday evening, Liverpool reportedly turned down a £25million bid for Sterling from Manchester City.
The Citizens’ failed swoop appears to be a statement of intent more than anything else. Liverpool’s alleged £50million valuation of the prodigious winger has been adopted by so many tabloids and websites that it must have some validation somewhere along the line, which City must be well aware of. Not that they’re the only club apparently in for Sterling; Arsenal, Chelsea and even Manchester United have all been linked over the last few months.
The vultures are circling closer and closer, sensing the weakness of their transfer prey, and at this point Sterling’s move away from Merseyside seems inevitable. It’s now a question of best-case scenarios for Liverpool; commanding a lucrative enough fee that saves them face, compensates for the displeasure of watching Sterling claim trophies at a rival club and allows them to source an adequate, equally talismanic replacement.
At which point, I turn your attentions to Real Madrid – long-term admirers of the Three Lions prodigy who haven’t been linked with him as prevalently as his Premier League suitors over the last few weeks. In my opinion, shipping the 20 year-old off to the Bernabeu this summer is the best realistic outcome Brendan Rodgers’ side can hope for.
Of course, the obvious benefit is that Sterling will no longer be in the same division, meaning Liverpool won’t have to be reminded of how they were forced to cash in on their most promising talent prematurely during every instalment of Match of the Day – not to mention the two occasions per season when he’ll face his former club in the Premier League.
But it also gives Liverpool the luxury of spinning the story a little bit; the idea that Sterling didn’t leave them for just anybody – the first club to come along and flutter their eyelids at him – but one of the largest, most prestigious and successful institutions in the history of European football. Even the most militant of Kopites will be open to admitting Liverpool are a few shades shy of the La Liga giants in terms of global standing.
Perhaps most important of all, however, is the fact Real Madrid throw around more dollar bills than Charlie Sheen in a strip club. Last summer, they splashed out £65million on James Rodriguez purely based on his form at the 2014 World Cup and the year before they broke the world-record transfer fee for Gareth Bale, a player who – by in large – had only really demonstrated consistent world-class quality for a single season in the Premier League.
Whoever’s in vogue, Real Madrid feel compelled to get their hands on; a combination of their renowned ‘Galacticos’ policy and the populist platforms upon which their presidential elections are run. So with a new manager arriving in Rafa Benitez, coincidentally enough one of the most successful managers in recent Liverpool history who admitted his ‘admiration’ for Sterling last week, logic suggests Los Blancos will be on the prowl for new talent this summer, especially of the youthful variety.
They’ve already wrapped up deals for two of Brazil’s most exciting youngsters in 23 year-old midfielder Casemiro (bought back from FC Porto) and Dani Alves’ successor to the right-back throne, Danilo. Interestingly enough, Benitez’ rumoured plans to utilise Cristiano Ronaldo as a centre-forward next season leaves a Sterling-shaped hole in their starting Xi.
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But if there’s one lingering concern, it’s that Sterling isn’t quite in vogue as he was six months ago, when announced as Europe’s Golden Boy for 2014. Back then, he was Liverpool’s front-man and producing match-winning displays on a regular basis. Since his contract dispute unearthed, however, Brendan Rodgers has reduced him to considerably less exciting role of right wing-back, whilst all the negative press has undoubtedly impacted the attacker’s form, scoring just once in his last eleven Premier League outings.
If Real Madrid’s interest proves to be genuine, however, Liverpool must capitalise on it. At this point, it’s the only ending to the lengthy contract saga that doesn’t conclude on a completely sour note.
Micah Richards could feature for Manchester City when Wigan visit on Wednesday after nearly six months on the sidelines.
Richards may be handed a place on the bench for the visit of the Latics following a knee injury that has seen him miss the majority of the campaign, with his last appearance coming in the win over Swansea at the end of October.
Maicon is available following illness and Jack Rodwell could also be involved following a hamstring problem but David Silva is expected to miss out with a similar injury.
City will contest the FA Cup final with Wigan in May but assistant boss David Platt insists his side will not treat Wednesday’s Premier League fixture as a warm-up for the Wembley showpiece.
“It is not a case of because we are playing them tonight we will know how to play them in the cup final. I don’t think it has any correlation whatsoever,” said Platt. “Each team has four or five games before then.”
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Following a football club around the globe is an expensive hobby, and Liverpool fans will certainly be thinking that this week as they make plans for a trip to Italy.
On May 2, the club’s travelling supporters will flock to the Stadio Olimpico for a crucial Champions League semi-final tie against Roma.
The atmosphere will either be jovial, tense or miserable depending on the outcome of the first leg at Anfield, which will be staged next Tuesday.
In order for a fan to grab a seat at the Italian ground, they will have to pay £73 each, according to Liverpool Echo journalist James Pearce.
The hike in price compared to the group fixture against Chelsea has been met with some frustration from fans, but many think that the increase is down to the fact that the May clash is a semi-final.
Others opted to poke fun at the situation by claiming that Roma have made the tickets more expensive because Liverpool swiped their star player Mohamed Salah last summer for a reported £35m fee.
Liverpool fans, who are keen for the club to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele this summer, have a reason to be optimistic heading into the semi-final due to the fact that they are the only team in the competition that have not suffered a defeat.
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The Reds overcame Manchester City 5-1 in the quarter-finals to reach the last four.
Robin van Persie has not had the best season under his new gaffer, and after only scoring 10 goals he has now also lost of the role as penalty taker.
Manchester United’s manager Louis van Gaal has stripped his compatriot of his penalty duties after his miss against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, which cost them dearly. The 31-year-old had the opportunity to equalise after referee Anthony Taylor ruled that Saido Berahino had handled it in the box. Van Persie’s shot was saved by the Baggies’ Boaz Myhill and after the game Van Gaal told reporters that he was no longer the first choice penalty taker. He said: “He is now at the end of the road.”
The outburst is just one of many the ex-Holland manager has had about his team, and the miss sums up Van Persie’s season at Old Trafford. Injury and lack of form have curtailed his first-team opportunities this season and with only 14 months left on his contract, he could be on his way out of the door sooner rather than later. The gaffer is not happy with any of his strike force having said: “I miss a striker that scores!” and it is now believed that the Red Devils are set to edge Van Persie towards an exit in the summer transfer window by offering him millions to leave the club.
Van Gaal is known for being a brutal and blunt manager and if you are not performing you are out. It is thought the 63-year-old manager is keen to revamp his first-team squad over the summer and he wants to cut what he classes as the deadwood out of the team. According to the Daily Mail, United officials have agreed to pay the remaining half of a £10million loyalty bonus he agreed to when he joined the club from Arsenal as long as he leaves Old Trafford in the summer.
Inter Milan, Juventus and Lazio have all expressed an interest in the striker so her will not be short of other clubs to go to if it takes the offer Man United are setting out for him. Over the last few months it has become clear that he has not been enjoying his third season at Old Trafford. Compared to his other seasons he has not been having the success he has previously had. He has only scored a third of the goals he has in previous seasons. During his first campaign at the club he scored 30 goals in all competitions but since then he has struggled and generally his performances have weakened.
Van Persie seems to have lost his flair and while he is still a superb footballer the way he’s playing shows he is not happy with his current situation. The expression on his face when his penalty was saved showed fans just how he feels – he is fed up – and it does not seem likely that if he is offered the rest of his loyalty fee he will be still a Manchester United player next season.
It is time to move on for Robin before a great thing turns sour. If he leaves now fans will still love him. If he stays and carries on his slump in performances it will turn a bitter relationship.
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Michael Owen today announced that he is set to retire from professional football at the end of this season.
In a statement released on his website, the 33-year-old striker said: “It is with an immense amount of pride that I am announcing my intention to retire from Professional Football at the end of this season.”
Owen, who has only appeared in six matches for Stoke City this season, is a far cry from the speedy striker that took the Premier League by storm in the late 1990s.
Owen made his professional debut with Liverpool at 17. Less than a year later, he made his international debut with England, becoming the youngest player to represent his country at the time. His astounding goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup is the most famous of his 40 goals scored during his 89 caps for England.
However, continuous hamstring injuries greatly deteriorated Owen’s effectiveness. After leaving Liverpool in 2004, he spent time with Real Madrid, Newcastle United, and Stoke City.
Owen’s statement expressed the utmost gratitude toward everyone who has helped him on the way. While thanking his family members, he paid special regards to his father Terry Owen: “From those freezing local parks to terrorising the best defenders in the World on the biggest stages of all. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Some more of his career highlights include: 2-time Premier League Golden Boot winner (1997-98 and 1998-99) and Ballon d’Or winner (2001).
Click on the man himself to see his career in pictures