Howard Webb took centre stage at the Stadium of Light after his controversial penalty decision allowed Everton claim a well deserved point against rejuvenated Sunderland.
The World Cup final referee pointed to the spot after Leon Osman mis-kicked in the penalty area and fell to the ground with Leighton Baines converting from 12-yards after Jack Colback had given the home side a first half lead. The Toffee’s dominated for much of the game but their profligacy in front of goal cost them again with Baines whipping in a series of fine crosses from the left in what was an accomplished display from the defender. For Sunderland the draw means they haven’t beaten Everton in their last 14 encounters although there has been some progressing under new boss Martin O’Neill who claimed his seventh point from a possible 12 since taking over from Steve Bruce.
Confidence oozed out of the Black Cats as they went into this game looking to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season after beating QPR last Wednesday. They were pegged back for much of the first half though as the visitors dominated with Tim Cahill and Louis Saha both having chances to score with the former still yet to score in 2011. The Australian has an impressive goal scoring record against Sunderland but couldn’t find the net on his occasion with Kieron Westwood saving his effort from eight-yards before watching his header fly past the post. Saha also had opportunities to score and should have done better when meeting Royston Drenthe’s corner but could only head wide from close range. Despite being on the back foot for much of the opening half hour the home side suddenly burst into life and took the lead through Colback who fired crisply across goal with the ball clipping Sylvain Distin on it’s way past Tim Howard after Stephane Sessegnon burst into the area and teed him up.
Everton still managed to fashion more opportunities before the break with Leon Osman curling wide and Drenthe driving an effort wide from long range. It didn’t take them long to find the net after the break with David Moyes’ side benefiting from a huge stroke of luck after Webb awarded a penalty for a foul on Osman. The home support were incensed by the decision after midfielder appeared to loose his footing with Webb adjudging Lee Cattermole and Wes Brown had caused him to fall despite making no contact. Baines took no prisoners smashing the ball past Westwood and into the top corner before Drenthe tangled with Craig Gardner in the area with Webb waving away the protests this time. That seemed to take the sting out of the game with no clear cut chances being presented to either side although both seemed content to take a point.
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Dortmund’s triumph last season in the Bundesliga. Man Utd’s dominance at the beginning of this Premier League season. These two occurrences have one thing in common – an emphasis on youth. More so than ever before, younger players are being thrown in at the deep end at the higher echelons of the game and rather surprisingly, much to the chagrin of their elders, the majority have yet to be found wanting. With UEFA cracking down on the way clubs operate with concerns to their finances, football clubs are having to change the way they approach the make-up of their sides’, and this could have a lasting effect on the age structure of football.
Dortmund are a fine case in point. They cruised to their first Bundesliga title in 9 years last season, finishing 7 points ahead of nearest rivals, second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.
Under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, Dortmund won the Bundesliga last year with a squad that had an average age of 24.3 years old – the youngest Championship-winning side in Bundesliga history.
At the heart of this vibrant outfit were Nuri Sahin (22 years old) and Mario Gotze (19). Add into the mix Mats Hummels (22) Sven Bender (22) and Shinji Kagawa (22) and the spine of their side was largely made up of what would traditionally be considered youngsters.
But what exactly is a ‘youngster’ these days?
In seasons gone by a youngster could constitute a player up to the age of 23 years of age (sometimes still young enough to represent their country in an under-21 international tournament). However, nowadays, the old adage of ‘if you’re young enough, then you’re good enough’ seems to most definitely apply.
Players have begun to break through at a younger and younger age. Arsenal last season were built around the influence of Jack Wilshere, a player whose maturity on the pitch belied his relative inexperience at a mere 19 years of age. Cesc Fabregas broke into the very same side at just 16 years of age and was an ever-present until his departure to Barcelona this summer.
The much-vaunted Man Utd side this campaign, or ‘Fergie’s Babes’ as some have rather bafflingly termed them (note to the Sun; they’re not his babes, just how much did they collectively cost?) had a starting eleven with an average age of 23.9 years old, despite the presence of wiser heads such as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest legacy is his determination to constantly reinvent his Man Utd side and this season could arguably hail the dawning of his fourth great side. The likes of Wayne Rooney, David de Gea, Phil Jones and Tom Cleverley occupy key positions in a title-chasing side, despite none of them being older than 25.
So why are the top sides beginning to get younger and younger?
As far as I can make out, it simply comes down to the rigours and pace of the modern game. Seasons are much longer than they used to be, the pace of the game has quickened and there are simply more games than ever before to occupy a coaches mind.
Dortmund’s youth coordinator and scorer of that now infamous goal against Juventus in the 1997 Champions League final, Lars Ricken, had this to say on the matter: “Athletic demands have increased enormously, so it could be that the age structure is changing because young athletes can cope better with that.”
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Not since 2006 when Fabio Cannavaro won the FIFA World Player of the Year award has a player won an internationally recognised individual award older than the age of 25 years old. Of course this statistic is somewhat distorted by the two freaks of nature that are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the point remains (disclaimer: you can use stats to prove anything).
Traditionally, outfiled players approach their peak, dependent on their position of course, between the ages of 27-29 years of age, but is that accepted truth now starting to change?
The pace of modern football is quicker than ever before. The demands that it has on your body must have increased exponentially over the last decade. The space between defence and attack has also shortened when compared to a decade ago; this in turn means that there is now a lot more congestion in the middle of the pitch. Expansive play, which grants the player more time on the ball, is a lot rarer than what it once was.
Of course, there will always be exceptions to this rule. Xavi Hernandez, the metronome around which the most successful club and national side in world football conduct their style of play, is hardly a spring chicken at 31 years of age. Andrea Pirlo has revitalised his career at Juventus so far this campaign at the grand old age of 32 and I very much doubt whether any club given half the chance would turn down the services of Samuel Eto’o at 30 years of age.
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Germany’s strong showing at the last World Cup was, in the main, built around the fluid attacking play of a younger generation. Brazil are currently going through a rebuilding process of their own which has thus far been built around the mercurial talents of both Henrique Ganso and Neymar at just 21 and 19 years of age respectively.
While the age of the golden oldie is far from over, as Ryan Giggs demonstrated on Wednesday, there has certainly been a noticeable shift. Certain positions will always suit players with more experience, such as centre half or goalkeeper, but on the whole, the sides that have proved the most successful over the past 3-4 years or so on both the domestic and national stage have revolved around the individual talents of players around or under the age of 25 years young.
Football is a game that deals in cycles, and this article may be entirely redundant by this time next year, but the financial fair play rules that FIFA are looking to enforce, helping to bring the larger clubs into check, could not only promote competitiveness in the long-run, they could also have a lasting effect on the ages of the talent within those squads. The age structure looks to be shifting with an emphasis now placed on youth; it would be surprising if this concerted move was reversed any time soon.
You can follow me on Twitter at – http://twitter.com/#!/JamesMcManus1
Football has always had its fair share of run-ins with the law – just ask Terry Dyson. He was some striker was Terry – he’s still the last Tottenham player to score a hat-trick against the Arsenal – but things didn’t always go quite as well for him when it came to matters off the field. Terry was involved in the biggest football-related court case of my era when he was hauled up for receiving a batch of stolen Rothmans. Apparently, he’d got a couple of thousand from someone on the cheap, they got nicked and Terry was in the frame as well.
We went to Liverpool after he’d been done and there we were, me and Terry, knocking the ball into Bill Brown as part of our warm-up. All of a sudden the whole Kop – around 20,000 people – erupted into a chorus of, ‘Ee-aye-addio, Dyson nicked the ciggies’. I don’t know how they start these things, but it went all the way round Anfield. It was magnificent to experience and everyone was laughing, even Terry. “Hark at those b*******, Jim,” he said. “Well, you did nick ’em,” I replied and he countered, “No, I just received them.”
Harry Redknapp will know that, despite the outcome of his case, he’s going to get some stick at away matches as well. But the one thing he has got is a great sense of humour and laughing off the chants is the only way he’ll really be able to deal with it. I have to tell you that offshore accounts weren’t really something you heard mentioned back in my day – not unless you banked at Barclays on Canvey Island, anyway.
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Alfie Stokes, who played for Tottenham in the late 50s and early 60s, was another one who had found himself in a bit of bother with the beak. In his case, it was for the bus pulled away, the conductor would start collecting fares and the lads would jump off just before he got to them. It was a great trick and, being athletic, they could do it.
But Alf wasn’t quite so nimble this one day. He got caught and was hauled up before the magistrate. Bill Nicholson said to him: “Alfie, whatever you do, keep a low profile. We do not want any publicity out of this.”“Okay, guv’,” came the reply, yet he then turned up at court in his club blazer and tie – and you can imagine dear old Bill’s response to that. But they were all petty crimes, quite innocent, really.
When I was at Chelsea, I remember going round to Peter Sillett’s house one night because we were going to present some award and then have a couple of pints afterwards. I’m waiting while Pete and his wife are bathing the three kids and, suddenly, there’s a knock on the door. He opens it and it’s the gaffer, Ted Drake. In walks Ted and Pete’s gone, “For f***’s sake.” All the kids were being dried in Chelsea club towels. But it wasn’t just the players or managers back then, either.
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I remember at one club during the monthly board meeting, the groundsman would sneak up to the chairman’s motor, pop the boot and drop in a couple of bottles of scotch that had come from the club’s stash. Even the chairman was on the take. We had a band of followers at Tottenham and we all knew a lot of them were villains and petty criminals. They’d always be saying, “I’ve got a few washing machines, do you want one?” You’d ask what sort and they’d say, “Well, what sort do you want? I’ll get you one.”
I never did hear of any of the lads joining the police or becoming a judge once they’d hung up their boots. Although I did always used to chuckle at the fact that Alan Gilzean’s wife was a policewoman. It was the most unlikely combination and I’ve no idea how it ever worked. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, they always say. Perhaps that was what Gilly was thinking.
It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, the Sky Sports news ticker has transformed into that eerily seductive yellow. Jim White interrupts proceedings, you’ve edged to the very cliff face of your seat in anticipation and then your dreams materialise right in front of you. After months of speculation, weeks of negotiations and hours of medicals, YOUR club has finally signed THAT player.
It’s a momentous day; this is the man who can transform the fortunes of your beloved team. He arrives with a big reputation, he might even bag a debut goal but somewhere down the line the wheels of your shiny new superstar begin to fall off. He’s fallen out with the manager or started using the physio’s room as his new living quarters. Whatever the reason, he hasn’t lived up to expectations and is now likely to wallow in the reserves until being ushered out the back door, the minute that transfer window opens.
It would be easy to include Fernando ‘cow’s arse with a banjo’ Torres or Andy ‘cow’s arse’ Carroll in this list of faltering superstars but at least they are enjoying first team football at present. These ten players find themselves making impressive bottom indentations on the dugout bench or have been hastily shipped out on loan when no one was looking.
Click on Delph below to unveil the top 10 wasted talents in English football
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Post your suggestions @theunusedsub and I’ll make sure I lament their ability in a future article.
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Glenn Hoddle has put his hat in the ring for the vacant England manager’s position.
Hoddle was the head coach of the Three Lions between 1996 and 1999, before being sacked for making controversial comments about disabled people.
He has largely been out of work since then, but has admitted he would love another chance to lead the nation.
“If I were to die tomorrow, my life would be incomplete,” he told The Daily Mail.
“Would I get that opportunity (to manage England again)? Probably not. But I don’t dwell on the past and, if we fast-forward to the present, I think we have a batch of players capable of going to the Euros and doing well. I find it a very interesting moment.
“Because Stuart Pearce, Harry Redknapp, Roy Hodgson, myself – anyone – who went to the tournament with the status of a caretaker would have the pressure off him and the players would be liberated too, not least those who have been on the fringes and are accustomed to thinking that the manager doesn’t fancy them.
“Look at how a caretaker has worked for the England rugby team in the 6 Nations – they’ve done fantastically.
“Everyone’s got an edge. No-one’s sure of a place and everyone has an incentive. So I’d back the FA if they decided not to go for a full-time manager yet,” he explained.
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It has been a tough time for Arsene Wenger this season with pundits, ex-players and the press doing everything to stick the knife into the Arsenal manager this season. The decision to take off Oxlade-Chamberlain earlier this year against United caused more headaches than the Frenchman could have imagined and scrutiny over his management like he has never received before.
One aspect that is often overlooked is the very fact that he lost arguably his two best players this summer in Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas; therefore it is slightly harsh (especially with Jack Wilshere being injured all season) to start questioning Arsenal’s performances this season. It wouldn’t have been the first transfer mistake that the Gunners’ boss has made during his time at N5 and it will undoubtedly be his last.
This top 10 highlights the players that Wenger should have retained (with the exception of Nasri and Cesc) over the years and were perhaps moved on before their sell-by date.
Click on the Gunners badge below to unveil the list
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A major problem for Dagenham and Redbridge is having to repeatedly sell our best players.
The club’s brilliant reputation for signing rough non-league diamonds and making them better is a huge part in our success, yet also the biggest downfall.
Over the years the likes of Craig Mackail-Smith, Sam Saunders, Paul Benson, Romain Vincelot and Danny Green have all left the Daggers for clubs in the higher echelons of the Football League.
Take last season for example, the clubs highest ever League finish of 21st in League One, one point away from safety. This wouldn’t have been achieved without a squad effort, but yet again it was a couple of the rough diamonds who shined when given the chance to play at a higher level.
Danny Green and Romain Vincelot were pivotal performers in giving us hope of survival against the pundit’s predictions. Scoring 23 goals between them in a side battling against relegation is likely to attract many potential suitors, and it did. From the start of next season they will both be plying their trade in the Championship, Green having been one of the mainstays in a Charlton side that has finished with 101 points in League One. Add to these two the sale of prolific striker Paul Benson (who incidentally this season has done wonders for League 2 winners Swindon) leaves me wondering if Dagenham weren’t a ‘small, selling club’ where it would actually be.
However, and this is the most crucial part-the special nature of the club would not be the same if we had 10,000 supporters through the gates every game like the Swindon’s and Bradford’s of this world. The family atmosphere that a Dagenham and Redbridge home game provides for home supporters and neutrals alike is something I have not come across elsewhere in the Football League. Of course having a relatively small fanbase means the club simply can’t compete on wages even with the so-called bigger clubs in League 2.
So, when players eventually do move on to bigger and better things no one is surprised and no one begrudges them the move. The reality is without a clause written into their contract allowing them to move on if the opportunity arises the fans may not have seen them bring the club established Football League status.
We are Dagenham, and we know that John Still and co. will be working their socks off to find the next group of Dagenham diamonds to develop give the club success on the pitch and then sell on for profit.
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Whilst Euro 2012 may be the highlight of the year for many football fans, I for one am anticipating that start of something much more pivotal, far more crucial later in the year. Something that has taken meticulous levels of preparation and leaves football fans across the country frothing with anticipation. The Olympics you may ask? Perhaps the resumption of the Champions League? Neither. I can’t wait for the NPower League Two 2012/2013 season to get underway in August.
It’s a perennial question which flitters through the minds of many a football follower come the summer of an international tournament: club or country? A widely debated dilemma on the pitch, yet the wider assumption is that if you are English, and if you like football, you are obliged to spend a month of your life every two years pledging blind loyalty to your country by drinking yourself silly and waving a flag around. For many, however, national obedience is secondary.
From a personal perspective, I am English, and I am proud of it. I am also an Oxford United supporter, and of that I am a thousand times prouder. I cried when Oxford were relegated from the Football League, when we lost in a play-off semi-final, when we were promoted back into the Football League. I have never once shed a tear for England. I have visited over fifty different grounds following Oxford, yet have only ever been to one England game. Oxford United take up my days and weeks, always there ready to lift me up or drop me down accordingly; England pop up every couple of years like a distant parent and expect me to shower love upon them after years of absence. I’ll be proud as punch if England were to gain success this summer, but promotion from League Two is a far more pressing matter.
On a broader scale, there are numerous socio-cultural factors which dictate greater affiliation to clubs rather than country. Despite being a small, compact island, England still harnesses wildly varying regional differences. From Cornish Nationalism to the often seen ‘Republic of Mancunia’ banners, each English region displays assured signs of divergent cultural traditions, rituals and a shared history. Ask someone Liverpool whether they are English or Scouse and you’ll mostly hear the latter. Newcastle is often referred to as a ‘Geordie nation’.
Whilst regional differences in England are significantly less fervent than those of Spain or Italy, there still remain tangible contrasts which result in local loyalty supplanting that of the nation. England shares a great deal of cultural traits and our heritage is one which we can all engage with. Myths and legends of English victories in the face of adversity define us. But there’s just something inexplicable which commands that pride in your club overrides this.
Part of my reluctance in fully engaging with support of the national team is the element of falseness it brings, a certain plastic quality which resonates throughout. Just witness this weekend’s Jubilee events: what was the ratio of true patriotism to forced, collective gushing of flag-waving madness? This is not to say that genuine patriotic sentiment is not present during international tournaments, but it all seems predominantly imposed. The cheap adverts spouting nationalist drivel, the tacky poundland merchandise, bunting strewn outside pubs. There’s all too little substance to it. Within a week of England’s elimination it will all have vanquished. Those who do not follow football will become experts for two weeks, shout at Roy Hodgson for a bit and then waddle back to their office jobs. It’s not sustainable.
There are undoubtedly thousands of people who pour endless resources into following England home and away, true patriots who should be commended for their commitment. Yet there are also millions who are coerced into a nationalist frenzy by the companies intent on milking the England brand as far as possible every two years. This, of course, also happens at club level but only with the richest, most influential clubs. Below the elite, there are a large number of people who commit themselves for life to their local club, week in, week out, regardless of success. They do not need a Carlsberg advert or a cheap charity single to arouse their loyalties.
Euro 2012 will be a great feast of football, one which I am anticipating greatly. As an Englishman I will take great honour in watching our boys play. At the back of my mind, however, will be a nagging voice of expectancy longing for the patriotic carnival to come to an end so we can finally get back to what really matters.
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Do you think club or country comes first? Let me know @acherrie1
As the final whistle of this season was blown this weekend at Wembley and now everybody knows who they will be up against next campaign, managers and fans will turn their attentions to assembling their team’s squads for August and the season that awaits them.
Scouring forums, checking retained lists and reading local newspapers fast becomes a part of the football fans daily routine as they scout out potential signings for a club and follow the ins and outs of the clubs around them.
Now every club will have released their retained lists fan focus will turn to replacing those players who have either been released or turned down a contract offer. So far at Shrewsbury we have witnessed seven players depart, four of which were released and the other three leaving for other clubs and two players come in.
This leaves us with a lot of gaps in our squad that need filling and Turner will no doubt already be talking to potential signings with him confirming this week that the arrival of new faces were imminent.
So what positions need covering and who could be the men to cover them? With the release of Ben Smith and with Chris Neal still not having put pen to paper for next season (though it seems likely he will) bringing in a new goalkeeper should be our first priority. The release of Steve Simonsen after his heartbreaking penalty miss this past weekend at Wembley will no doubt have caught the attention of many managers in league one and I for one would be more than happy to see him arrive at our club. An experienced player and one who has just had a fantastic season at arguably the biggest side in the division would be a more than welcome addition to the side. Another name that is doing the rounds at the minute is transfer listed Paul Rachubka the Leeds United stopper was listed at the end of the season by manager Neil Warnock after a string of high profile mistakes for the Yorkshire club earlier in the season had seen him sent on loan to Leyton Orient and Tranmere. A lot of Shrewsbury fans don’t seem too happy about this so fingers crossed it is nothing more than idle speculation.
With the recent departures of Ian Sharps and Shane Sherriff we have lost our central defensive pairing which was so pivotal in keeping our unbeaten home record and sealing our promotion to League one. Whilst I feel Sharps will be replaceable Shane will not be so easy to replace. A name which seemed to be appearing on a lot of message boards and in Newspapers was that of Rory McArdle. The former Rochdale centre back has just been released by Scottish premier league side Aberdeen and in my opinion would be a fantastic signing. Another possible signing that has reared its head in the last few days is Huddersfield Town’s Nathan Clarke. A defensive pairing of Clarke and McArdle could certainly be a solid back two next season and with the return of Reuben Hazzell to fitness we would once again look very good at the back.
The big rumour going around Shrewsbury Town’s message board is our supposed interest in Ryan Hall of Southend United. The midfielder would require quite the transfer fee I Imagine and there appears to be no real substance behind the rumours. Hall would be a fantastic addition to the side but if the transfer fee is too high I’m sure Turner could find us better value for money somewhere else.
That just leaves up with the strikers. We have managed to keep hold of three strikers from last season in Bradshaw, Morgan and Gornell and we are now playing the waiting game for James Collins. The only name going around for us at the moment is that of James Brown from Hartlepool. Some fans were hoping for a bid for Lewis Grabban but to no avail and it would appear there are very few other rumours going around at the moment.
So who will our new signings be and more importantly when will they be announced? I for one hate waiting around and can’t wait to see us get some new signings in. Patience is a virtue though and I trust in Turner to bring together a great squad for next year.
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Rarely has the statement ‘you don’t now what you have until it’s gone’ been more applicable to a Liverpool player than with Lucas Leiva. The 25-year-old Brazilian was in excellent form before his unfortunate injury at the end of November last year. Following the departures of Xabi Alonso and then Javier Mascherano to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, Liverpool were in dire need of a player to plug the gap. Lucas did more than that.
Initially, many believed that Lucas was of a similar calibre to Arsenal’s Brazilian experiment – Denilson. The 2010/11 campaign proved that to be a fallacy, the point was emphasised as Lucas began 2011/12 in a similar fashion. Before his injury at the end of November, Lucas had the highest tackle success rate in the league. He appeared the perfect linking player between midfield and defence, there to break up attacks before passing the ball on to more attacking team-mates.
Before Lucas was injured Liverpool were, in the Premier League, conceding on average 0.9 goals per game. They were also earning 1.76 goals per game and were sixth in the table.
After his injury Liverpool conceded an average of 1.11 goals per game an earned around 1.2 points per game, they finished eighth in the league.
Now, clearly there were other factors that contributed towards Liverpool’s slide in form, such as the suspension of Luis Suarez. However, due to the club’s fixtures in the Carling and FA Cup Suarez’s ban don’t impede on the league as much as it could have done.
Moreover, considering that most of the teams Liverpool were competing against were involved in European football you would imagine that Liverpool, having no such distraction, would be less tired towards the end of the season. Subsequently, you would expect them to perform better than their rivals, not worse. It is also important to remember that Steven Gerrard returned from injury for the second half of the season and Liverpool’s form still dipped.
The problem for Liverpool was the lack of an ample replacement for Lucas. Jay Spearing was drafted in to take the mantle yet in his first game as Lucas’ replacement he was sent off for a rash challenge on Moussa Dembele.
Eight months on and Lucas is on the mend. His knee surgery had him crutches for over two months and the midfielder admitted that he was worried he may never be the same again.
“To be honest, in a few moments I thought I couldn’t come back any more,” the Brazil international told the BBC.
“It comes through your head that you might not be at the same level you were before, but at the same time you see big players who had the same injury come back and be even better. There is no need for me to be scared. Rather than stay protecting myself, I need to work on my head as well to come back and play the same way I was playing before. One of the things which made me strong in the team was how aggressive I was in tackles and things like that, so I cannot lose that.”
And Liverpool fans will indeed hope that Lucas not only returns for the beginning of the season, but returns with the same enthusiasm and form that earned him a place in Liverpool’s starting eleven.
The former Gremio man will undoubtedly need time to adjust after such as long period away from the game yet with the mentality depicted in his words he is already on the right path.
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Brendan Rodgers may not have the level of money that was available when the club’s American owners first arrived but in Lucas he has a player returning around which he can build a midfield. Lucas may be understated, but is importance to the team should not be underestimated.