2015
Rahul W rejects Dortmund!
With the previous Dortmund resigning, there was much speculation as to who would take over at the prestigious club. Rahul W was offered the club and was pleased to have been considered. Many Villans were nervous to be losing their manager who has been doing well, in the business end of the season. There was no reason to fear though, their manager was not a snake like Fabian Delph going to leave them at such a stage. With Villa in the midst of a promotion run, there is no need for Rahul to be going anywhere, even if it is Dortmund. Rahul W is pleased to announce that he will stay at Villa unless he gets an offer from a world-class team that he cannot reject. Till then, Villa are in safe hands.
Bragging Rights
Bragging Rights
V
Thursday night marks the second clash of the season of AC Milan & Juventus the 2 Italian flagship sides in the new league format of football 'Top 100' with the 2 sides sitting pretty in comparison to counterparts Internazionale & AS Roma whom currently face relegation as Division 1's 19th & 20th placed sides respectively.
Juventus are the leading Italian side currently in the standings as was to be expected at the start of the season however the season has debatably been a very mixed one with the Old Lady losing almost as many games as they have managed to win.
Milan have undergone another campaign of change with the club once more seeing more than one head coach take on the once prestigious task of chasing titles with the Rossoneri. New head coach Stephen Beddows, Russian sympathiser & believed communist has endured a torrid time since taking over at Milan & has amassed a record of 4 losses, 3 draws & only the 2 wins which some believe must improve otherwise heads will roll & be shipped back to Russia.
Beddows for the chop!?
Juventus boss DP has claimed that the Old Lady are ready to take another 3 points from Milan this season after their 2-0 win early in the season over previous gaffer 'Sir Simone' whom DP claimed was at least up to the challenge of taking the Rossoneri forward.
"Simone had class, he did however come into some luck in the transfer market with some decent investments, whilst also shifting some deadweight & gravediggers from the squad. Beddows has managed to undo it so far by bringing in hyped up & overrated players into his team looking for quick success which he's thus far failed to achieve.
Balotelli is possibly the biggest joke in professional football, diamond engraved boots, haircuts the local yobs haven't the cojones to walk the streets with, but the lad can party, maybe he'll throw one after the game to celebrate a Juve win & the end of Beddows tenure as Milan head coach"
Shots fired by DP
With the first season of the new format of Top100 almost two thirds through, Juventus are sitting on the edge of the clubs aim for the season to finish within the top 4 league positions, currently 3 points adrift which at the very least DP is very confident of picking up in the upcoming fixture.
Club Brugge v Anderlecht Manager Interviews
Club Brugge climb to 3rd place while Anderlecht fall to 7th in Division 5 after Club Brugge to do the double over Anderlecht in a very dominant performance. After the game we had a world with the 2 managers.
MIKE HUNT: Mr Muja, first of all unlucky on your derby defeat. You looked to get off to a flyer with Joel Campbell's early goal. Did the goal come too early?
MR MUJA: In my opinion a goal can never come too early. But after you gain the lead, you have too control the game, stay focused and most of all, keep playing your football. And we just didn't do that.
MH: You set out to attack, which backfired today, do u regret attacking a very strong defensive outfit?
MM: I've always had an attacking philosophy and i always will. Plus, we have great history at this club. Great history and an amazing group of supporters. An attacking style suits us well, it's what the fans want, it's what i want and it's what has been getting us a lot of wins. So, no, i don't regret this at all.
MH: You still occupy the final playoff place, what is your target for the rest of the season?
MM: Well, we suffered a tough blow in this derby loss. It's a blow we have to recover from and we have to do it quickly. There's a lot of games left and a lot to play for. Of course, our aim is to gain promotion, but i had a timetable of three years in my mind for that goal. I didn't expect us to be where we are today. But, in football, as in life, you have to seize the day. So maybe this is our chance to clinch a playoff spot and gain promotion straightaway. We'll have to play our best football to reach that goal, though. And we can't afford slipups like in our last game.
Next we caught up with the winning manager, Gordon 'Gino' Kinnear.
MH: Gino, congratulations on the win. What did you say to the boys at half time at 1-nil down?
GK: I told them not to panic. Apart from the goal, they had not given us any problems. Keep playing the way you are and the goal will come. I told Melgarejo to push up down the left as I sensed they were struggling down that side. Decided to go 3-5-2 by bringing Victor Vazquez and Javier Acquino to strengthen the middle of the park and try over run them in midfield. Once we got the equaliser I thought we had it in the bag and Pabon came up with the winning goal, and not for the first time.
MH: A couple of knocks for Pabon & Claudemir in quite a rough affair, will they be back for your short trip to Liege on Thursday?
GK: Both will be back training tomorrow. Claudemir took a thigh knock and Pabon took a kick to the ankle that the referee missed. In fact the referee seemed to miss most things except for booking two of our guys. Both players will be touch and go for Liege on Thursday and we certainly won't risk either of them if there is any doubt.
MH: That now makes it the double over Anderlecht in the derbies, not only bragging rights in work but that also lifts you into the automatic promotion places. Do you think you can go on and secure promotion?
GK: We have a talented bunch of players here but they know that there is no pressure on them this season to earn promotion. Do I think we can secure promotion? Yes of course but it is not an expectation. We have already done better than we had planned for as the season was all about building a side that can grow together and make progress every year so promotion and even a play off place will be a bonus.
A BIG THANK YOU TO BOTH MANAGERS FOR THEIR QUICK RESPONSE :)
In Brugges: Club Brugges v Anderlecht Match Preview
Anderlecht make the 100km journey across Belgium to face Club Brugges looking for revenge after Kinnear's men won 3-1 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.
Mike Hunt of the Daily Bush caught up with Club Brugges boss, Gordon 'Gino' Kinnear at Brugge Airport after they returned from Buenos Aires...
MH: After your long journey to Argentina and coming come after a heavy 5-2 defeat, what are you looking to do in preparation for your Belgian Derby?
GORDON KINNEAR: We won't do much different to what we usually do. The 5-2 defeat was very much one of they nights. We actually created more chances and had more shot on goal than River Plate but our defence just didn't click on the night. We will look over the tape and see what we could have done different but it wont affect our preparations for Anderlecht.
MH: With De Bock out injured do you feel your defence can hold be strong enough against Anderlecht?
GK: De Bock tore his calf muscle and he will be out for another fortnight and we certainly missed his presence in Argentina. Melgarejo filled the left back position and although there is no way any blame for the goals can be laid at his door, he feels, as do we, that his better work comes further up the park. We have one or two options we are looking at, including playing three at the back, but we also hope to have another experienced defender arrive at the club over the next 48 hours.
MH: On paper this looks to be a very even clash and can be backed up by how close you 2 are in the league. What is your prediction for the game?
GK: While our season has been better than we expected, the one disappointing thing is that we have won just 2 of our 11 home games which is very frustrating for us and more so for the fans. We can make a lot up to them if we can beat Anderlecht on Sunday. They will come here looking to make up for the result at their place but we believe we have the measure of them and that we are the best side in the country. Both clubs are in the hunt for promotion and there is always a chance we could meet in the play offs at the end of the season so another win for us would give us the psychological edge.
MH: Gordon, thank you for your time and good luck for the game.
Mike Hunt also caught up with Mr Muja of Anderlecht to discuss his chances in Sunday's derby game...
MH: With 7 wins and a draw in your last 10 games, you will be seen as the form team. Will this be an added pressure seeing as you lost the reverse fixture earlier in the season?
MR MUJA: Well, i don't see it as extra pressure. A derby is always special. Doesn't matter how many games you've won or lost before. Doesn't matter if your first or last in the league. Everyone will give a 100% to win this one game and everything is possible.
MH: Pabon has been the star man for Brugge this season, how do you feel your side can stop him?
MM: I don't want my players to go out there to stop someone, but to enforce our own playstyle on our opponents. I'm confident that we will bring our A-game and do just that.
MH: With both clubs sitting in playoff places, what is your prediction for the game?
MM: Predicting a game is never easy. But we're on a decent run. We're confident and more then ready for this game. We know Brugge has a nice young core of players, but i think we have all the tools to beat them.
MH: Thank you very much for your time and good luck in the derby.
All change as Levante stay the same
Levante have made some significant moves in the transfer market recentley. Belgian utility man Jelle Vossen has come in from Burnley for a fee of £1.2m, plus Victor Casadesus. The other men to have joined Les Granotes are Alejandro Gomez from Atalanta, and Gareth Barry from Everton. Gomez' arrival saw youngsters Ivan Lopez and Victor Camarasa head to Italy, whilst Gareth Barry arrived for a club record £11m.
Gareth Barry
With all the money leaving the club, some had to be brought in, and so the club found itself accepting a £10m offer from Aston Villa for Ruben Garcia. Garcia was the man that ideally the future of the club would have been built around, but given the league position and the need to improve other areas, he had to be sacrificed.
Ruben Garcia
The club have also made an agreement with Real Madris that Clinton N’Jie’s loan move will be made permanent before the end of the season. This will probably happen sooner rather than later as the young striker has been one of the few bright spots so far this season, and is currently the clubs joint top scorer on 7 goals.
Despite the changes, the clubs still sits in the danger zone at the bottom of division four. That said though, since Gomez and Barry came into the side, the club have won two, and lost one. The defeat coming last night against Koln in Germany.
The two victories were an impressive 3-2 win against Chievo in Italy, and a 1-0 victory at home to Espanyol in an all Spanish affair. That second victory being especially pleasing as Levente lost 9-1 to the same opponents earlier in the season.
Things are still tight in the league, but it is slowly starting to string out though, and Parfitt is aware that he needs to see the club string a few wins together. The club have only recorded back to back wins twice all season, this is going to have to improve if the club are to stay up.
There is still time for a turnaround, but it is slowly running out, and the next fixture is a tough game at home to high flying Bordeaux.
Stuttgart News
Stuttgart NEWS TUE 03 Nov 2015
"Our Bright Future"
Nuno Bento has been discussing his hopes and expectations for some of the younger players working under his guidance this season.
The opportunity has arisen for a number of our Academy youngsters to take part in the season. This is because members of our first team squad are not showing potencial! Reducing wages, bet in new young players will be our way to be in Top 100 league. We cant afford the best players to put us in a good level to compete whit top clubs, so we have to be the number one in scouting. Our young player will have a important role. Timo Werner have been named new captain at young 19!
Timo Werner (Captain)
Nuno Bento made clear that the club as already some players whit big potencial and that had to reject some good offers for is players he said "No U21 player will leave the club till i have the chance to know them better. We have the potencial so lets see what we can do now!"
Scout report from Stuttgart was given to Journalists;
U21 Rising Stars
Mouez Hassen - Nice (France U21)
After a handful of appearances in the 2013/14 season, Mouez Hassen has made the next step up to become number one for OGC Nice. It’s always tough to ask this of a player so young but Hassen has shown he is more than up for the challenge. 2014/15 will always be considered his break-through season, having now just missed out on top spot in the goalkeepers category in this 100 Best Young Players to Watch in 2015 feature.
Timo Baumgartl - Stuttgart (Germany U20)
The 19-year old center back has been at the heart of the Stuttgart defense this season, so surely some criticisms will be levied his way. The truth of the matter however is that its rare that defenders that young are ready made to be a rock at the back, and as long as he is handled right and matures over the season, Baumgartl could well prove his detractors wrong.
Bielik - Arsenal (Poland U21)
The Polish youngster is highly rated at Arsenal and has been adapting to English football. Already had one appearence for A team against SW despite is 17 years old.
The list was completed whit many other bright future players as Thiago Maia, Edouard, Maffeo, Boeder, Reinne-Adelaide, Patrick Roberts, Zelalem, Ryan Ledson...
Beside this, Bento also reported that all players from team A are still on sales he said "From team A only Rudiger will stay will us, so all managers are invited to bid for our players!"
This was Mark Schwegger for Stuttgart News whit Nuno Bento
Meet the Gaffer: Episode 1
Welcome to the first edition of “Meet the Gaffer”, where we will be speaking to Rahul W of Aston Villa, who currently sit occupy the final playoff place in Division 3.
We'll start off with a few questions to get to know Aston Villa boss, Rahul W...
Favourite Football Team: The best club in England, Manchester United
Favourite Footballer of all Time: Juan Mata. Unconventional but I love the guy!
Favourite Band/Singer: Milky Chance
Favourite Film: 'Zindegi Na Milegi Dobara'- Hindi movie
Favourite Actor: Heath Ledger (for Joker in The Dark Knight)
Favourite Food: Greek Food
Now onto the serious part...
Q. Rahul, you’ve had a fairly inconsistent season so far, but are currently sitting in the playoff positions. Are you happy with your season so far?
A. To be honest, it is a surprise we sit in the play-off spots (even if it is only by a point). Only 8 points separate us from 2nd, which reveals the inconsistency which other clubs have been facing as well. I have been fairly happy with the way the season has gone otherwise, my team is based on a collective team effort and it is showing. Making it to the 4th round of the Cup and Shield has also been a highlight, taking down Arsenal and Chelsea along the way. All in all, the only blip has been the inability to get the winning streaks going.
Q. You’ve only done 1 transfer with another Manager, why do you feel this is?
A. The desire for part-exchange among the top tiered clubs. Most managers rarely sell for cash (a reasonable amount) and with the limited external market in this GW, internal dealing is the only way. Sadly, having lost the likes of Delph and Benteke, Villa do not have many players who may attract the likes of top clubs. I do not intend to sell those players though, which is why internal dealing has been very less for me. Financially, we are sound which allowed us to spend on Ruben Garcia, but with the lack of options it isn't too easy to sign better players through internal dealing.
Also, I've down 2 transfers: the aforementioned Ruben Garcia deal and a swap for Filip Djuricic and Jordan Amavi. Filip has done well so far for us, which is pleasing.
Q. Who do you feel is/are your key players moving forward with Aston Villa?
A. Moving forward, there are a few players which remain key to us. At the back, the leadership of Micah Richards, the midfield pairing of Gueye, Sanchez and Veretout, and the attacking talent with Gil, Garcia, Ayew and Djuricic.
More importantly, the future star, Jack Grealish, one who has attracted interest but will not be going anywhere. The fact that he has not been sent out on loan shows the talent he has. He's one to stay.
However, as I've mentioned, the team effort counts. We've had 12 different players in the TOTW this season, some squad players too. Players keep stepping up, so no matter who I play there is always someone who does well. 18 different goalscorers are proof to that. Why, even 77-rated and 20-year old Callum Robinson had a game in the league due to the main team being in the red zone and responded with a brace against PSV in a 4-2 win. Simple brilliant. Truly love the project at Villa for these reasons.
Q. If you could manager any other team in Top100, who would it be?
A. This is a good question. Tough to answer though. I'd like a punt at a big club some day though, maybe at Utd. You never know. Some good projects at club through the GW, difficult to choose among 99 clubs! ;)
Q. What is your aim for the rest of the season?
A. The aim is simple: have to consolidate the play-off position while push for automatic promotion. There is enough time to do it, and I'm sure we can challenge. Maybe make some transfers along the way too. Things look bright at Villa that's for sure.
Leading the sack race
The crisis for Levante deepened further last night, as they recorded a fifth defeat in six games. New tactics were employed in a bid to turn things around, but by the time they got going, Besiktas were already 3 - 0 ahead.
Mario Gomez opened the scoring within seven minutes, putting the ball past Ruddy in the Levante goal. Things may have been different though had Vaklav Kadlec put his header just inside the post rather than just outside a couiple of minutes before Gomez' opener.
Oguzhan Ozyakup doubled the home sides lead on 36, scoring direct from a free kick given away by Sebastian Bassong. Two minutes later, Ozyakup did it again. This time it was the other Cameroon defender, Jean - Armel Kana - Biyik giving away the free kick. The young Besiktas star converted the resultant free kick for his second goal in two minutes.
At that point it was seemingly game over, although Levante did pull one back just before half time. Diego Souza went down, and although the decision appeared a soft one, Clinton N’Jie converted fron the spot and ensured that the away side had something to cling to in the break.
Six minutes after the break, Angel Romero had made it 3 - 2, and Levante were right back in the game.That was as good as it got though. Romero had an opportunity to score on 65, but the Besiktas keeper made a good save, and the home side controlled the second half for large periods.
The defeat now means Levante are bottom of the table, and five points off safety. It looks an increasingly difficult task to stay up now, but Parfitt insists he will stick with the club and wont give up.
Dead man walking?
The manager retains the backing of the board for now, and has several transfer targets in mind, although most are currenty serving T/B’s elsewhere. For now, the club have made a bid for a player, but are currently waiting to see what happens.
Parfitt has also this morning declared that anybody not currently serving a T/B would be available for a move elsewhere.
This could potentially mean club record signing Vaclav Kadlec and young winger Ruben Garcia could be on their way. Time will tell, but if Levante are to have any hope whatsoever of avoiding the drop, changes need to be made.
Vaclav Kadlec Ruben Garcia
Mid Season Stats
MID SEASON STATS
After 19 games of the Season, here is how the player stats and a couple of team starts are looking...
Most Goals: Junior Neymar (Real Madrid) 16
Most Assists: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) 18
Best Average Rating: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 8.47
Most TOTW Apps: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 6
Most MOM's: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Junior Neymar (Real Madrid) 6
Most Clean Sheets: Miguel Angel Moya (Atletico Madrid), Sven Ulreich (Bayern Munich), Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Igor Akinfeev) (Manchester City), Diego Alves (Valencia) 6
Team Best Discipline: Chelsea (14 Yellow 0 Red)
Team Worst Discipline: Paris SG (39 Yellow 4 Red)
Division 2:
Most Goals: Luis Nani (Fenerbahce) 10
Most Assists: Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray) 12
Best Average Rating: Marko Arnautovic (Bayer Leverkusen) 8.17
Most TOTW Apps: Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg) 4
Most MOM's: Patrick Hermmann (Borussia Monchengladbach), Iker Casillas (Porto) 5
Most Clean Sheets: Asmir Begovic (Everton) 8
Team Best Discipline: CSKA Moscow (10 Yellow 0 Red)
Team Worst Discipline: Fiorentina (39 Yellow 6 Red)
Division 3:
Most Goals: Imanol Agirretxe (Basel) 10
Most Assists: Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle United) 11
Best Average Rating: Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) 8.10
Most TOTW Apps: Geronimo Rulli (Boca Juniors) 4
Most MOM's: Papiss Cisse (Newcastle United) 6
Most Clean Sheets: Marinato Guilherme (Lokomotiv Moscow) 8
Team Best Discipline: PSV Eindhoven (11 Yellow 1 Red)
Team Worst Discipline: Shakhtar Donetsk (27 Yellow 4 Red)
Division 4:
Most Goals: Paul-Georges Ntep (Chievo) 13
Most Assists: Nicolas Maurice-Belay (Bordeaux), Robert Snodgrass (Levante), Luis Pizzi (Hamburger) 10
Best Average Rating: Bafetimbi Gomis (West Brom) 8.33
Most TOTW Apps: Domenico Berardi 6
Most MOM's: Domenico Berardi 6
Most Clean Sheets: Marco Sportiello (Atalanta) 11
Team Best Discipline: Genoa (11 Yellow 0 Red)
Team Worst Discipline: Levante (25 Yellow 3 Red)
Division 5:
Most Goals: Marko Marin (Dnipro) 13
Most Assists: Marko Marin (Dnipro) 12
Best Average Rating: Halil Altintop (Augsburg) 8.00
Most TOTW Apps: Marko Marin (Dnipro), Vitorino Hilton (Montpellier) 5
Most MOM's: Demba Ba (Sao Paulo) 5
Most Clean Sheets: Sergey Rzyhikov (Rubin Kazan)
Team Best Discipline: River Plate (15 Yellow 0 Red)
Team Worst Discipline: AZ Alkmaar (28 Yellow 5 Red)
Manager of Quarter 2
Click Read more to view the Manager of the Quarter Shortlist…
Roy Keane (Real Madrid)
| League | A | Lyon | 1-0 W |
| League | A | Lazio | 1-0 W |
| Cup | A | Milan | 1-1(P) W |
| League | H | Barcelona | 3-1 W |
| League | A | Sevilla | 1-1 D |
| Cup | A | Juventus | 0-1 L |
| League | H | Milan | 3-0 W |
| League | A | Inter | 5-2 W |
| Cup | H | Barcelona | 3-3(P) W |
| League | H | Man Utd | 2-2 D |
| League | A | Arsenal | 2-2 D |
| League | H | Man City | 3-2 W |
Mike Scalotti (Bayer Leverkusen)
| League | H | Wolfsburg | 1-0 W |
| League | A | Porto | 1-0 W |
| League | H | Monchengladbach | 1-0 W |
| League | A | Fenerbahce | 1-2 L |
| Cup | A | Augsburg | 1-1(P) W |
| League | H | Napoli | 0-3 L |
| League | A | Everton | 4-1 W |
| League | H | CSKA Moscow | 2-0 W |
| League | A | Monaco | 2-1 W |
| Cup | A | Juventus | 1-1(P) W |
| League | H | Spartak Moscow | 1-0 W |
Lee Masters (Shakhtar Donetsk)
| League | A | Dinamo Moscow | 4-0 W |
| League | H | Internacional | 1-0 W |
| Cup | H | Sao Paulo | 1-0 W |
| League | A | West Ham | 2-0 W |
| League | H | Lokomotiv | 4-1 W |
| League | A | Boca Juniors | 1-0 W |
| League | A | Lille | 0-1 L |
| Cup | H | Athletic Club | 1-1(P) W |
| League | H | Ajax | 2-1 W |
| League | A | Stoke | 4-0 W |
| League | H | Basel | 3-1 W |
Greg Owen (Lokomotiv Moscow)
| League | A | Internacional | 1-0 W |
| League | H | West Ham | 2-0 W |
| Cup | H | Koln | 3-1 W |
| League | A | Boca Juniors | 2-0 W |
| League | A | Shakhtar | 1-4 L |
| League | H | Lille | 2-1 W |
| League | A | Ajax | 5-3 W |
| Cup | A | Fenerbahce | 5-3 W |
| League | H | Stoke | 3-2 W |
| League | A | Basel | 2-1 W |
| League | H | Leicester | 1-1 D |
Sean Cass (Atalanta)
| League | H | Malaga | 1-0 W |
| League | A | Sassuolo | 0-0 D |
| Cup | H | Augsburg | 3-1 W |
| League | H | Hamburg | 1-1 D |
| League | A | Hertha BSC | 2-0 W |
| League | H | Genoa | 1-0 W |
| League | A | Besiktas | 3-0 W |
| Cup | H | Sporting CP | 1-0 W |
| League | H | Hellas Verona | 3-0 W |
| League | A | Chievo | 2-0 W |
| League | H | Espanyol | 1-0 W |
PMW - The Sitting Duck
The Greatest and most efficient manager in SM Top 100, Beddows, spoke tonight of his hatred of PMW and how he laughed harder when Beddows' Milan dispatched Inter 2-1 this evening than when Scotland crashed out of the Rugby World Cup in the last minute.
Beddows' brilliant Milan destroyed Inter with a wonder free-kick from Adriano and was backed up with a shot from 70 yards that went beyond the keeper from Bonaventura to win it.
Bonaventura then received a second yellow, which Beddows disputed in his post match press conference as play acting by PMW’s fakers!
PMW’s side now find themselves in the relegation zone and PMW appears to be a sitting duck, known for his inability to handle difficult situations. Milan and Beddows meanwhile find themselves on course for challenging for the title!
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| PMW arriving at the San Siro ahead of tonights Derby with his new friend |
Still rooted.....
After a five game unbeaten run consisting of two wins and three 2 - 2 draws, Levante’s spell of good form came to a grinding halt with back to back single goal defeats in goalfests against the top two sides in the division, going down 3 – 2 at home to Sassuolo, and 4 – 3 away to Hamburg in Germany last night.
The Spanish clubs achilies heal remains the defence, with the club having conceded 46, the highest in the division by some distance. There are no such worries at the other end of the park however, the club having scored 35, a total which only three division four clubs can better.
The most recent addition to the squad is Belgian utility man Jelle Vossen, who arrived last week from Burnley, with £1.2m along with Victor Casadesus heading to Lancashire. The 26 year old can play either in central midfield, or as a striker, so will provide good cover in two positions. Although Parfitt has brought in his own squad of players, he is still keen to add, with the defence remaining a priority. The issue is that funds are still low, and the only option is to wheel and deal with the players already in the squad. Due to this issue, it is felt unlikely that the club will be adding too many more players, but given the amount of comings and goings to date, a little bit of calm could br just what the doctor ordered.
Jelle Vossen
Next up, Levante entertain Hertha, the side directly above them in the league, before taking on Genoa to mark the half way point of the season. Parfitt has set his side a target of four points from the next two games, and feels that anything less will leave the club with an enormous mountain to climb in the second half of the season. If the club are to stay up though, then four wins are not going to be anywhere near enough. The team have already dropped 9 points from leading positions so far this season. Holding on in the four games and scoring those points would have Levante in the play off zone rather than the relegarion zone. Time will tell if the side can get it together and stay up, but the man in charge feels that there are plenty of sides in the fight to stay up, saying after last nights defeat that anybody up to Malaga in 8th spot will still have one eye over their shoulder.
Beddows Breaks his silence on Zenit's form
Many have speculated incorrectly, some have publically doubted his place in the top 100, a few have even claimed him not up the task at Zenit but this evening post-match Beddows has explained all and the reasons why his Zenit side have struggled so of late.
“Putin came to see me a few weeks back and explained that whilst Division Two is important there were more political problems in the world and that he needed my help.”
“So I got the lads together and explained what Mr Putin had requested – that Zenit formed the Zenit Pals Battalion and go to the front line in Syria.”
“Off we went, the whole squad, after a few days training we were in the air, on the ground doing our bit for Mother Russia and helping to quash the advances of the rebel scum!”
“It of course has led to great fatigue amongst the players and as such our results have suffered. But world peace is more important than football!”
Beddows then called on the other Russian based managers including Razzaque (Dynamo Moscow) to take on the mantle, follow Beddows’ lead and join him and his players on non-match days in Syria to help rid the world of terrorism. It remains to be seen if Razzaque will join Beddows but he has allegedly via his publicist announced that he will make an announcement tomorrow.
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| Razzaque set to announce his plans tomorrow |
Gameweek 16 Team of the Week
Division 1 Team of the Week - http://smtop100.blogspot.co.uk/p/division-1-totw.html
Division 2 Team of the Week - http://smtop100.blogspot.co.uk/p/division-2-totw.html
Division 3 Team of the Week - http://smtop100.blogspot.co.uk/p/division-3-totw.html
Division 4 Team of the Week - http://smtop100.blogspot.co.uk/p/division-4-totw.html
Division 5 Team of the Week - http://smtop100.blogspot.co.uk/p/division-5-totw.html
Noisy says No to Bavaria
Fenerbahce boss Noisy got a call on Monday asking him whether he would like to take on the task of Bavarian Giants Bayern Munchen as the Club had sacked there inconsistent manager after a lack of activity at the Club.
After a long and hard think and a check on the Munchen squad to see they had been decimated and now contained divas like Hazard and Ronaldo quickly made my mind up.
It was a straight forward easy NO... We are focused on getting Fenerbahce into Division 1.
Our current form is remarkable to say the least with the Club winning 16 of the last 17 games and currently on a 13 game winning streak which sees us sit 10 points clear at the top of the League and also still in Round 3 and Round 4 of the Cup competitions.
Next up we face Putin wannabe Beddows Zenit side and since his famous dig at our prestigous club Zenit have gone backwards with some even calling for Beddows head.
The bubble will burst at some point but for the moment we shall just enjoy it.
Fenerbahçe Hadi gidelim
Parfitt Love Triangle Exposed.....?
Rumors were coming out of Spain last night that Levante boss Parfitt was in contention for the vacant position at Bayern Munich.
When asked, Parfitt admitted that an approach had been made, but he has decided to stay on at Levante. The decision does on the face of it seem to be a poor one, but the man himself feels that he has something to work with at Levante, and is looking forward to the challenge of moving the club away from the division four danger zone.
He did confirm that the decision was indeed very difficult though, comparing it to having to decide between sticking with the missus, or taking off with Fearne Cotton. In the end though, as much as Cotton is perfect, you know what you get with the missus.
Lovely Fearne Cotton
Things are looking a little more positive on the pitch now. Two wins in a row against fellow Spanish opponents, a 3 - 2 victory away to Celta Vigo, and 2 - 1 at home to Villareal last night have seen Levante move off bottom, and currently sit 17th in the league. The league is incredibly tight at the moment however, with the club sitting only four points behind Espanyol, who occupy the final play off spot at present.
The current form table also makes for pleasent reading. Levante are currently in 7th spot form wise, picking up nine points in the last six league games. Considering they only show fifteen for the season as a whole, the turn around in recent weeks has been impressive.
Vaclev Kadlec has been instrumental in the clubs turn around in fortunes. Parfitt has moved him away from the wing and given him the number nine role, and the player has responded in style. He has now notched six goals and is currently the clubs top scorer.
It isnt all down to Kadlec though. Diego Souza and experienced new signing Roberto Trashorras, have helped to control the midfield, whilst another new signing, Ibrahima Balde, has helped relieve some of the pressure on Kadlev up top.
Roberto Trashorras and Ibrahima Balde.
Not as attractive as Cotton
Next up, Levante travel to the Hawthorns to face bang in form West Brom. Whilst the fixture is far from easy, they will travel in good spirits, and Cotton or no Cotton, Parfitt hope's to bring something from the match back to Spain.
That sinking feeling.....
Levante last night sunk back to the bottom of division 4 after a 4 - 3 defeat to Udinese in Italy. The final match in a run of three against Italian opposition once again exposed the Spanish clubs frailty at the back. This was the second time in three games that a 2 goal lead had been relinquished.
Last Thursday night the club faced Torino in Turin, and found themselves 2 - 0 and 3 - 1 ahead, before goals in the 76th and 84th minutes earned the home side a draw.
Last night Levante were 3 - 1 up after 50 minutes, although Sebastian Bassong hadn’t helped the cause with a dismissal on for two yellow cards. The first for a foul on Pedro Leon after 24 minutes, and the second on 41 minutes for shouting abuse at the referee.
Parfitt was understandably furious with the Cameroon defender, saying that an international of his quality should be far more professional. He will now miss the next game, and Parfitt has said that there is no guarantee he will walk back into the side on that performance.
Followin Bassong’s red card, Levante extended the lead on 50 minutes through Robert Snodgrass. but goals on ‘71, ‘75, and ‘80 put paid to any hopes of taking any much needed points.
The result sees the pressure firmly on Parfitt after a win and two draws from the three previous league games had given him some breathing space.
Are the fans turning on Parfitt? This one certainly is
The next game is against Feyenoord at the Ciudad de Valencia, before back to back Spanish derby games against Celta Vigo away, and Villareal at home.
Two more new faces have been drafted in to help the fight and bring a bit more South American flair to the side. Brazilian midfielder Diego Souza arrived from Russian club Metalist in exchange for £3.8m and Jose Morales. Souza made his debut last night and had a reasonable game.
Diego Souza showing some of the skills Parfitt hopes will help Levante
Chilean defender Jean Beausejour has also signed from Colo Colo, with £1.3m, David Navarro and Juan Delgado all heading to Santiago in exchange.
New signing Jean Beausejour
Beausejour was in the stands watching last night, but it has been confirmed that he will make his debut in place of Bassong on Sunday night.
Along with the two new senior players, a young English goalkeeper and three young outfield players have come in from the MLS over the last 7 - 10 days. Defender Matt Miazga has arrived from New York Red Bulls, attacking midfielder Dillon Serna has moved from Colorado Rapids, and Jose Villareal, who can play in midfield or up top has moved from LA Galaxy. The goalkeeper is highly retad Daniel Bentley, who joins from Southend.
Although none of them are ready for the first team yet, the club has high hopes that as time goes by, they will become integral members of the first XI.
Daniel Bentley Matt Miazga Dillon Serna Jose Villareal