Nigeria international and Skoda Xanthi defender Olubayo Adefemi has died in a car accident, aged 25.Greek police said on Monday that Adefemi lost control of his car on the Egnatia motorway before crashing.
He was reportedly on his way from Xanthi to Salonika – in the Kavala region of northern Greece – to finalise details of his wedding.
The Greek Super League offered their condolences in a statement on Monday, saying: “The Super League and the entire Greek football family would like to express its deepest condolences and sympathy for the family of Olubayo Adefemi.”
Adefemi made 24 appearances for Xanthi in the Greek top-flight after signing from relegated French club Boulogne last July. He previously plied his trade for Romanian club Rapid Bucharest.
A former Nigeria Under-21 international, Adefemi made three appearances in the senior national side during Nigeria’s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign but was looked over for the South Africa finals.
As the countdown to the biggest game in European football continues, with the Champions League final between favourites Barcelona and Man Utd drawing ever closer, it’s clear that the battle will be won and lost in the middle of midfield; with that in mind, which midfield players offer Sir Alex Ferguson’s charges the best hope of containing and stopping the Catalonian juggernaut?
It’s clear that Barcelona are the best side currently operating in world football at the moment. Hyperbole has been poured on them by better writers than me, suffice to say that they are dazzlingly resplendent (will that do?). The metronomic stylings of Xavi and Busquets coupled with the ingenuity and craftsmanship of Iniesta make them formidable opponents. Not to mention the bustling play of perhaps European football’s most underrated player, Seydou Keita. A daunting task if ever there was one.
The battle in the 2009 final in Rome was won and lost rather unsurprisingly in the centre of midfield with Michael Carrick et al hopelessly out of their depth on that occasion. But this is a different final, and arguably both sides have evolved since Rome. Choosing which midfield to combat the Barcelona engine room, or ‘merry go round’ as Ferguson rather affectionately nicknamed the midfield trio prior to the 2009 final, remains the great Scot’s biggest selection headache.
The fact of the matter is that there is no set way to combat Barcelona. The option of flooding the midfield has been tried time and time again and to no quantifiable success. Crowding the midfield simply prepares the conditions for which the Cantera was originally designed for; passing quickly and accurately around the opposition in tight spaces.
Setting up with banks of four and playing on the counter attack, as Inter Milan did to great success last season under Jose Mourinho is another method. Yet it could be argued that Man Utd simply do not possess the players to pursue such a method. Positional discipline is not their strong suit.
It is almost a given that in order to stop Barcelona, or at least go toe-to-toe with them, you need to deploy a three-man central midfield. With this in mind then, which players should make the three? Or to put it more pertinently, which players are likely to comprise the three?
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The nadir of Michael Carrick’s Man Utd career came against Barcelona in 2009. He was a passenger in what was a poor team performance. Carrick’s form has only just started to fully recover after the lesson he was handed that fateful evening. Carrick though appears to be back in Ferguson’s good books and it’s worth noting that he’s started Man Utd’s recent big games against each of Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal and he looks likely to start. If it were me though, he’d start on the bench.
Ji-Sung Park is the quintessential big-game player and his energy could be a useful asset in the middle of the park (please forgive the unintended pun). His ability to both break up play, stick to a man and offer a threat going forward make him a guaranteed starter in my book and probably Sir Alex’s too for that matter.
Paul Scholes has been mooted in many parts as being a guaranteed starter for the final. If this nugget of information is true, then it is a worrying sign of things to come. It simply falls into the trap of trying to play Barca at their own possession-obsessed game. Scholes has been a liability at times this season. Bereft of what semblance of tackling ability he may have once possessed (no laughing in the back there), to put it quite simply, he’s an accident waiting to happen. An off-form Scholes should be consigned to bench duty for this particular tie.
Darren Fletcher is an interesting one. A nailed on starter in everyone’s eyes should he be match fit, but a debilitating virus has seen him miss nearly two months of football. If he can demonstrate his fitness between now and the Barcelona game, he’s an absolute shoe-in and integral to the way Utd will set up.
Anderson is a strange player. I can’t quite fathom what goes through his head sometimes. He also appears to be carrying a bit too much timber for a true box-to-box midfielder. He’s wasteful in possession and while he does offer energy and a combativeness that Utd may otherwise sorely lack, his unpredictability should see him miss out.
Ryan Giggs – easy peasy lemon squeezy. An absolute must. He will play a vital role in linking Utd’s midfield with their attack. Can still be a match-winner and still boasts a deceptive turn of pace. Barcelona will be wary of what he can offer.
For my money, fitness permitting of course, I would line up with Fletcher, Park and Giggs in the middle against Barcelona. The likelihood of this triumvirate getting the chance to take on Barcelona though looks slim. To my knowledge, the aforementioned trio that I’ve selected offer a good blend of the energy, creativity and positional discipline needed to match Barcelona. I’d wager that if Ferguson chooses to line up with a three-man central midfield, he’s likely to plump for Carrick, Fletcher (fitness permitting, of course) and Giggs, but as everyone already knows, attempting to second-guess Ferguson is nye on impossible at the best of times.
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It remains unlikely that Ferguson will look to start with both Nani and Valencia down the wings, but a 4-4-2 cannot yet be ruled out. The hindrance of such a formation against opponents such as Barcelona means that there is less pressure on the ball and less of a defensive shield against attacks. A 4-3-3 formation, while not perfect, may just offer that little bit more in what promises to be a truly engrossing spectacle.
What does everyone else think? Will Fergie line-up 4-4-2 or 4-3-3? And what would your midfield be for the final?
FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive, Robbie Savage’s Face in a Baby Scan
Racing Genk’s Belgian First Division title hopes have suffered a setback after they were beaten 3-0 by Club Brugge on Tuesday.The result means Genk missed a chance to move out to a six-point lead atop the Championship playoff table, opening the door for Standard Liege to claim top spot should they win at Lokeren on Wednesday.
After a scoreless first half, Croatian midfielder Ivan Perisic put Club Brugge in front just shy of the hour mark before Nigerian striker Joseph Akpala doubled the home team’s advantage 10 minutes later.
Genk pushed numbers forward in an attempt to get back into the game, but the contest was over with 12 minutes remaining when Akpala completed his brace to seal the victory.
The loss means Genk’s lead at the top of standings stays at three points, with just two games remaining.
Second-placed Standard Liege are just three points behind Genk, with a game in hand and a far healthier goal difference.
Lazio coach Edy Reja is hopeful his side will be able to hang on to fourth spot and qualify for the Champions League next season.The Biancocelesti moved into fourth position on the Serie A table with a 4-2 victory over Genoa on Saturday, but could drop to as low as sixth if Udinese and Roma take full points in their respective matches on Sunday.
Both sides play away from home, with Udinese travelling to Chievo Verona and Roma making the trip to Catania in what are tricky encounters according to Reja.
“I will not be watching the games, no. I don’t like to wish ill upon others, but if some results came from Verona or Catania then I’d be pretty happy about it,” he said.
“The thing about this season is that there are no dead cert results. I therefore have faith above all in sport.”
Regardless of results on Sunday, Reja said his side is prepared to fight for a Champions League place right until the final day of the season.
“I believe in the Champions League right to the end, even if the final game with Lecce certainly won’t be easy, as they are fighting to stay in Serie A,” he said.
“I hope today’s victory can give us an extra boost, because we were coming off three costly defeats.”
Palermo have parted ways with manager Delio Rossi for the second time this season, the Serie A club announced on Wednesday.Despite having led the Sicilian club to the final of the Coppa Italia and a seventh-placed league finish – earning Palermo a Europa League berth in the process – Rossi finds himself jobless once more.
Rossi first took the manager position at Palermo in November 2009, guiding the club to fifth in the Serie A standings at the end of the season.
His first tenure at the club came to an end in February after a 7-0 home loss to Udinese. But when replacement Serse Cosmi could not revive the club’s fortunes, Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini re-appointed Rossi to the role.
Palermo’s 3-1 defeat in the Coppa Italia has proved to be the final responsibility for Rossi, with the manager and the club reportedly failing to agree on a new deal.
“President Maurizio Zamparini and coach Delio Rossi met today to review their positions. They decided by mutual consent not to continue their working relationship,” Palermo said in a statement.
In an attempt to convince Luka Modric that his ambitions can be realised at White Hart Lane, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has announced that he intends to recruit new faces this summer and remains defiant in his belief that Tottenham can retain their star assets to offset the disappointment of failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League. “I think we have to show him [Modric] our ambition, which we will do,” Redknapp said, before continuing: “If we can add one or two good players to our squad there’s no reason we can’t have another great season. Tottenham could be a great club for him to stay with for the next few years. That’s what we’re hoping for.”
A number of Premier League clubs have begun what promises to be a busy summer of extravagant spending in wild fashion. Jordan Henderson has signed for Liverpool at a fee of £20million from Sunderland, Manchester United have spent a reported £16.5million on Blackburn’s Phil Jones and Newcastle have purchased no less than three players already with the transfer window set to officially reopen on July 1st.
As expected, north London has been the focus of several transfer rumours as Arsene Wenger plans to renege on his previous aversion to the transfer market as others from across the continent look to exploit Tottenham’s Europa League consolation by prising their best players away with the lure of Champions League football. Despite Gareth Bale’s sudden emergence, and Rafael van der Vaart’s spectacular maiden season contribution, Modric has been and remains Spurs’ most gifted talent and his open interview where he revealed an immediate desire to join Chelsea was released last weekend to little surprise.
On signing an extended deal to 2016 exactly 12 months ago, the Croatian stated: “Tottenham Hotspur gave me my chance in the Premier League and I want to go on to achieve great success here with them. Yes, there have been enquiries from other big clubs, but I have no interest in going anywhere. Last season’s (2009-2010) Top 4 finish was an indication of where we are as a club and I feel I can continue to improve and go on to achieve everything I want to at Spurs.” Although it will be difficult for even the most understanding of Tottenham fans to swallow Modric’s recent volte-face, a year of Champions League experience and appearances at both the San Siro and Santiago Bernabeu have whetted the 25 year-old’s appetite, and it seems likely that a suitable offer – in the region of £30million – will ultimately tempt Daniel Levy and the Spurs board to reluctantly sanction his departure.
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Even though Levy and Redknapp have appeared publicly implacable, they must remember that there are no loyalties in football, and that Modric deserves the chance to realize the glory he is capable of at another team with compatible aspirations they can realistically achieve. Highlighting perennial local rivals, Chelsea, as a possible destination will undoubtedly incense the White Hart Lane faithful more than had he suggested a possible move abroad, but I believe the decision should be left to the player himself seeing as his club have taken a step back in their progression.
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I for one hope to see him move on sooner rather than later, before his age prevents him from obtaining the silverware his abilities warrant, and it would be in Redknapp’s best interests to begin preparations for the next campaign without Modric in mind. His financial value should dictate a sizeable profit from the £16million outlaid three years ago and Redknapp is safe in the knowledge that he maintains a healthy relationship with a generous and progressive chairman who will strive to replace the midfielder will similar quality should the player’s exit transpire. For now, the ball is in Modric’s court, but Spurs would be wise to let last year’s Fans’ Player of the Year transfer his words in to actions, or risk intensifying a saga which will likely hinder planning for a particularly important impending season at the Lane.
What do you think Redknapp and Levy should do? Have your say on Twitter – and Facebook
Jonathan Woodgate is confident his shocking injury run is behind him after surviving his Stoke City debut.Woodgate, 31, played 62 minutes for the Potters in a 1-0 defeat against Aldershot and claims that club physios are gearing him up to play a big part in the season.
His previous outing came for Tottenham in February and lasted half an hour before his groin problem flared up once again.
“The backroom staff have been good since I have been here, a week now,” the centre back told the Daily Express.
“They have worked me hard and will keep on doing so. Hopefully it will benefit me for the rest of the season.”
Stoke boss Tony Pulis had planned to take Woodgate off after an hour – and hinted his new defender would not be ready for Thursday’s Europa League tie against Hajduk Split.
But Woodgate, who joined after Stoke’s gruelling pre-season fitness trip to Austria, added he would love to be involved against the Croatian outfit.
“I can only go on whatever the manager thinks but, as a professional footballer, you want to play every game,” Woodgate said.
Valencia continued their preparations for the new La Liga season by beating Dutch side PSV Eindhoven 2-0 in Germany.Goals from Pablo Piatti and striker Aritz Aduriz secured the victory on Tuesday, but the margin could have been greater were it not for the Spanish side’s profligacy.
Unai Emery’s men should have scored as early as the fourth minute, but Roberto Soldado managed to hit the legs of PSV defender Orlando Engelaar with the goal otherwise unguarded.
Valencia had another opportunity 10 minutes after half-time, but Nancho could not find the target with only the goalkeeper to beat.
PSV’s opening goal came on 66 minutes, but Georginio Wijnaldum was unable to connect with a low ball across goal.
They were made to regret the miss soon afterwards as Valencia scored from the goal kick that followed, Aduriz flicking the ball on for Piatti who slotted home.
Valencia got their second 12 minutes from the end when Solfiane Feghouli’s cross found Aduriz unmarked at the back post and the striker had an easy finish.
Elsewhere, Tottenham continue to search for their first victory in their pre-season tour of South Africa as they drew their second game with Orlando Pirates 1-1.
Rafael van der Vaart opened the scoring for the English Premier League side with stunning free-kick after 17 minutes.
The Dutchman curled home an unstoppable free-kick after David Bentley was brought down just outside the box.
Orlando had several good chances to equalise and their perseverance paid off just before half-time when Happy Jele beat Spurs goalkeeper Brad Friedel with a ferocious strike.
Both teams had chances in the second half in a match that could have gone either way.
The Daily Mail are reporting that Tottenham head the queue of clubs trying to sign troublesome midfielder Joey Barton.
A turbulent day on Tyneside ended with the Newcastle player being put on the transfer list without a price tag after his Twitter rants against clubs owners on Sunday.
Barton set a 4pm deadline to inform fans about his future but the club stole in first and effectively stated that Barton had been sacked.
Owner Mike Ashley, managing director Derek Llambias and manager Alan Pardew decided enough was enough and decided Barton’s disruptive influence at St James’ Park couldn’t be tolerated any longer.
The news alerted a cluster of Premier League clubs with the controversial star interesting the likes of Aston Villa, Blackburn, Fulham and Stoke.
However Spurs have now become the favourites to sign him with boss Harry Redknapp is keen to strengthen his midfield with a combative presence.
Barton’s desire and tenacious nature on the pitch appeals to Redknapp who has seen a move for West Ham’s Scott Parker fizzle out.
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There isn’t much to spend at White Hart Lane and the former Manchester City man’s free transfer status is an attractive proposition.
Whether Spurs or anyone other club are willing to take a chance on the midfielder who carries a lot of baggage remains to be seen.
Barcelona vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu has stated that the Catalan club got a very good deal for new signing Cesc Fabregas, and that the midfielder’s real value is almost double what was paid for him.
The Spain international moved back to his childhood club from Arsenal in a €34 million (£29 million) deal this summer, but the Spanish side’s executive feels the 24-year-old is worth much more.
“The transfer of Cesc was a very good deal for us. His real price was what Arsenal initially asked – at least €60 million. The fact that we announced in advance that we would only spend €45 million this summer worked to our advantage. Clubs were already aware of our position,’ he told Sport.
Fabregas has had an excellent start to the 2011-12 campaign at the Camp Nou, scoring goals against Porto in the European Super Cup and Villarreal in La Liga.
Meanwhile, Bartomeu also stated that rumours that big spending Manchester City had bid for Lionel Messi on deadline day were mere speculation.
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“Our policy is not to sell our stars but on this subject it certainly did not happen,” he concluded.