All posts by h79snht.top

In light of the launch of the new football gaming phenomenon that is ‘Goaldash’ I decided to look at the top six Sir Alex Ferguson moments in charge of Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson has this weekend insisted he still has no plans to retire despite the fact he turns 70 at the end of this year and the veteran manager will clock up 25 years as Manchester United boss on November 6. Whatever you may think of him, Ferguson is a legend of the modern game and one that will be remembered as probably the greatest ever football manager. Lets have a look at some of his greatest moments during his 25 years at Old Trafford.

1.Securing the Treble 1998/99

Probably he greatest of all Ferguson’s achievement’s, which will be remembered forever by Red Devils fans, was that famous treble in 1999. After winning the Premier League and FA Cup United went and pulled off an astonishing comeback against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. Injury time goals by Sheringham and Solskjaer sent the fans into wild celebration and Alex Ferguson went into the history books as the only manager in English football to have won the treble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZzwWMum658

2. Beating Mourinho to the Premier League 2007/08

Ferguson and Manchester United had gone three years without a title and José Mourinho’s Chelsea looked an unstoppable force. But started United season on-fire with four goals against Fulham in the first 19 minutes of the season and continued this rich vein of from throughout the season. With Cristiano Ronaldo moving from good to great, Ferguson’s team swaggered to the title and Ferguson had his crown back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPntU3l1iAI

3. Winning his first Premier League title 1992/93

After struggling to even hold onto his job in his first season in charge at Old Trafford, Ferguson managed to turn a team of no-hoppers into the inaugural Premier League Champions. It put down a real marker that United were force once again after 25 years in the wilderness and Ferguson’s reign over English football had begun.

[divider]

Find Out More About GOALDASH by clicking here

[divider]

4. Winning his second Champions League title 2007/08

Defeating Chelsea on penalties in Moscow will forever be remembered as one of Ferguson’s greatest moments as his Manchester United side became the best club side in Europe for only the second time during his management. The game itself wasn’t a classic but United did enough to win the penalty shoot-out and guarantee Ferguson’s legacy remains.

5. Catching Newcastle United to win the Premier League 1995/96

The most romantic of Ferguson’s titles. Alan Hansen infamously stated that United could not win anything with kids, but they had Eric Cantona and Peter Schmeichel in the form of their lives: the pair combined in a series of 1-0 wins in the run-in as United destroyed Newcastle’s 12-point lead and drove Kevin Keegan to a very public meltdown.

6. Surpassing Liverpool’s 18 with Manchester United’s 19th Premier League Crown 2010/11.

Last season Manchester United became the most successful club in the history of English football and overtook great rivals Liverpool, something that famously Ferguson has always set out to achieve. Will it be 20 for United and Ferguson this season?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d691D1pyQZw

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

So what is Goaldash all about then?

‘Goaldash’ is a fabulous concept which fuses the Lottery format with pre-chosen football fixtures. Whereas you may use birthdays or your own favourite numbers to pick your six numbers, with ‘Goaldash’ you need to use your foresight of the Beautiful Game to select the six teams that are likely to score the quickest in the pre-selected 24 fixtures.

It only costs £1 a pop to enter and you have the chance to win a million pounds, every given week.

All you have to do is scour the 48 teams and pick out the 6 teams that are likely to score the quickest on the Saturday afternoon. The matches are chosen from the Premier League, the Football League, as well as the Scottish divisions therefore you will have plenty to work out and strategise before you make your selections.

Playing the Lottery has just got fun, especially as your odds are a damn sight greater.

Fancy your chances? Fancy winning £1million pounds? Why not give it a go!

[divider]

Swansea City’s approach has been a breath of fresh air to the Premier League and Brendan Rogers is finally chalking up the results their early season performances have deserved. The Swans boss is quick to point out that a lot of his success with the Welsh outfit is down to his predecessors who had already laid down an excellent platform for him to work from:

“Certainly Swansea is a club with a tradition of having teams that play good football, and obviously they changed their structure when Roberto Martinez changed from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3, and from that moment the club brought in coaches and managers who understood that way of working and playing. Certainly that enabled me to fast-track and implement my own ideas into the group. They’d had a very good year in the Championship where they had finished eighth. Paulo Sousa took over and did an excellent job and they reached seventh position, and then I had the big challenge to take the club forward on a very limited budget. So it was really about trying to implement my own ideas – but the core of the group knew and believed in that way of playing. It was then a case of developing and improving that way rather than having to create it right from the beginning.”

Brendan Rogers was fortunate to work under, and with, Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas during his time at Chelsea and both men certainly had an influence over him:

“I think you obviously have your own ambition, and you need people to give you a chance, who think you have the capacity to work at that level. But obviously when you get the chance to work with such managers it gives you a chance to learn from the best and develop, and Jose was a fantastic influence for me. When you move into management, you’re working alone – you can’t look to imitate or be anyone else, and you have to carry your own ideas with you. But the more experience you have the better, and I have been very fortunate to be able to work with lots of very good managers, world-class managers. I have then hopefully been intelligent enough to take on board the good and the bad, and work it into my own identity.”

Rogers is certainly making a good fist of his first time in the Premier League and having had the good fortune of working under a manager like Mourinho, he certainly has had a good grounding of how to grind out results in this division. Whether the Swans take a similar pragmatic approach that Chelsea adopt as the season goes on remains to be seen, but for the time being it is clear that Swansea are going to have a go their own way first.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

For more insight from Brendan Rodgers and other leading managers plus exclusive Barclays Premier League highlights go to www.yahoo.co.uk/sport

Much has been written on the life of Mario Balotelli, indeed he has now transformed himself into one of football’s favourite characters. To honour the Italian, here is the ultimate A-Z of Balotellisms.

A – is for AC Milan. Appeared on TV whilst in the employment of bitter rivals Inter wearing an AC shirt.

B – is for Bibotelli. We’ve all seen the video of him failing to put on his bib during a pre-match warm up. Twice.

C – is for Christmas Eve. Went into the Tudor Pub in Manchester and put £1000 behind the bar for the locals to enjoy. He then turned up to midnight mass and stuck another £250 in the donations pot.

D – is for Darts. And especially throwing them at youth team players. It was his idea of a ‘prank.’

E – is for Exaggeration. There are so many rumours flying around about Balotelli that you could literally make up anything. It has been suggested the Italian employs an agent to spread such information to get good publicity. The latest to do the rounds was that Mario paid for 100 homeless people to stay at the Hilton over Christmas.

F – is for Fireworks. Has a fondness for the flashy sticks of explosive. Especially when they’re let off in his bathroom.

G – is for Grass. Suffered an apparent allergic reaction during a match against Dynamo Kiev.

H – is for Homeless. Won a shedload in a casino during a night out with Chris Samba, only to give a tramp outside a cool grand.

I – is for Impoundings. His Maserati has currently attracted 27 impoundings since his move to Manchester that has resulted in fines of £10,000. Also parked across City’s training ground entrance and blocked out the staff.

J – is for John Lewis. Needed to buy an iron, mop and hoover for his Mum. Came back with a giant trampoline, Scalextric, two Vespa scooters amongst other things.

K – is for Killing Time. When selected as a substitute for Italy’s game against the Faroe Islands, Balotelli decided to pass the time by playing his iPad on the bench. Italian boss Cesare Prandelli was reportedly not impressed.

L – is for Ladotelli. Apparently visits clubs with friends and gets said friends to say to the girls, ‘Balotelli will see you now.’

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

M – is for Mafia. Was once given a tour of Naples by Mafia bosses. Questioned after by police for apparent links. Mario claims not to have known they were gangsters.

N – is for National Shirt. Mario turned out for Italy in a friendly against Uruguay but appeared for the second half wearing the old Italian shirt despite sporting the new kit in the first half. He doesn’t have much luck with tops.

O – is for Over Confidence. The one downside to Balotelli. He rather loves himself, something that comes across in a rather arrogant manner as displayed by his pre-season backheel against LA Galaxy.

P – is for Prison. Him and brother Enoch were stopped after trespassing in a Women’s Prison in Brescia. Mario said he was ‘curious.’

Q – is for Quad Bike. Designed his own racing track for his back garden.

R – is for Rooney. Spotted the prostitute Mr Rooney once had his way with in an Italian restaurant where he proceeded to chant ‘Rooney, Rooney’ at her.

S – is for Swearing. After City’s FA Cup victory, Balotelli said live on air to the BBC ‘I’ve been s**t this season. Can I say that?’ No Mario, no you can’t.

T – is for Truancy. When a young admirer asked for an autograph, Balotelli questioned why he wasn’t in school. Upon hearing the young lad was the victim of bullying, he promptly drive to the school and resolved the issue with the Head Teacher.

U – is for Unbelievably Rich. Balotelli was stopped by police in Manchester with £25,000 on his passenger seat. His reasoning? ‘Because I can.’

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

V – is for Violence. Balotelli is often known as a hot head on the field, but clashes with teammates have been frequent since his move from Inter. Had a recent dust up with Micah Richards, not to mention previous scraps with Jerome Boateng, Vincent Kompany and Aleksandar Kolarov.

W – is for Why Always Me. The infamous T-Shirt celebration after scoring against rivals Man Utd.

X – is for X Rated Magazines. Mario was once rumbled flicking through the saucy stuff on the top shelf of a newsagents.

Y – is for Young Player. Mario was at his humblest when accepting the award for Best Young Player in Europe. When asked about runner up Jack Wilshere, he replied:“What’s his name? Wil … ? No, I don’t know him, but the next time I play against Arsenal I will keep a close eye on him…Perhaps I can show him the Golden Boy trophy and remind him that I won it.”

Z – is for Zealous. After City’s astonishing 6-1 win over rivals United in which Balotelli played a key part, the striker drove round Manchester high-fiving anyone he saw sporting a City shirt, being the excitable young character he is.

Read more of my articles at The CoinToss

[ffcvideo file=”coffebreak2″ type=”mp4″ image_type=”jpg”]

Sir Alex Ferguson has switched his attentions to Borussia Dortmund star Mario Goetze, according to the Express.

The Manchester United boss has given up on his attempts to sign Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder and is now chasing the 19-year-old German prodigy.

United watched Goetze play and score for his country against Brazil last week and were impressed by the way he dominated the midfield.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have also been linked with the midfielder who has been described as the best young talent in the Bundesliga.

He helped Dortmund to the title last season and now Ferguson is set to swoop as he steps up his search for Paul Scholes’ replacement.

£20 million rated Goetze would prove a cheaper alternative to Sneijder who’s wage demands scuppered any chance of a move to Old Trafford.

The Dutchman’s reluctance to take a cut from his £200,000 at the San Siro coupled with Inter’s unwillingness to budge on their £35 million asking price ruined any chance of a deal being agreed.

A move for Goetze would also provide Ferguson with the challenge of moulding another young player into a superstar.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He know’s he’ll have a fight to wrestle the midfielder away from Dortmund due to his deal at Signal Iduna Park having another three-years to run.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

From Tottenham’s all-time record goalscorer to Arsenal’s all-time record goalscorer: Congratulations and well done, you lucky, lucky b*****d! And that is a message of genuine goodwill from me. Even with Thierry Henry and Paul Scholes both making sensational comebacks during the past couple of weeks, I think it’d be a bit far-fetched for me to get my old shooting boots out of the attic, at the age of 71. But I was full of envy when I watched Henry score the only goal of the match on his fairytale comeback against Leeds.

I quit professional football at the age of 31, a year after Spurs let me go to West Ham. Yet, in truth, all I really needed was a sabbatical – a year out of the game or perhaps even just six months. They always say that the timing of your own retirement is the most difficult decision any professional sportsman will ever make, and I’ll admit that I got my timing completely wrong. I don’t really even remember deciding I wanted to be a professional footballer. I just sort of became one. Then at 31, I suddenly decided I didn’t want to be one any longer.

[divider]

I wouldn’t be surprised if more managers didn’t look at the impact of an Henry or a Scholes and try to tempt a few more retired players back into the big time. Henry hadn’t retired, of course, but by quitting Barcelona to go and play in Major League Soccer 18 months ago, the Frenchman certainly went into semi-retirement, moving away from the intense pressure of international and European club football for a far gentler life. And yet, after a while out of the spotlight, Henry clearly could not resist the opportunity to come back on to centre stage.

Within a year of my own retirement, I was desperate to go back again – but it would not have been straightforward then, in the days before freedom of contract. How I’d have loved the opportunity to do what Henry has done and return to one of my old stomping grounds at Spurs or Chelsea. I now know that I wasted three or four years of prime playing time and I regret it. I started drinking too much when I retired and although I wouldn’t solely blame the end of my playing career for that, the adjustments needed to cope with retirement can be a tough time mentally for any sportsman or sportswoman.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

Making a top-flight comeback might only have delayed my problems by a few years, I couldn’t honestly say, but I sure as hell would have benefited from the sort of opportunity Henry and Scholes have been handed. As it happened, it was not for another four years that I started playing football again – in the non-league with Brentwood, then at Chelmsford City and Barnet. Crazy at it seems, I played some of my best football as a midfielder at Barnet in my late 30s.

I never did get the chance to add to my 266 Tottenham goals, though. 34-year-old Henry has moved on 227 for Arsenal, I see. He’s still got a long way to go before he catches my Spurs goal tally but you wouldn’t bet against him returning to the Emirates again after this brief loan spell. And I’m sure Henry realises, now more than ever, that you really are a long time retired.

Reading boss Brian McDermott has signed a new contract with The Championship club, despite reported interest from Wolves.

The Molineux outfit are looking for a new boss after sacking Mick McCarthy, and reports in the press have stated that the Madejski chief was high in the Midlands’ club’s priorities.

Despite this, McDermott is glad to have extended his stay with The Royals, and denies any contact from Wolves.

“I didn’t speak to Wolves,” he told Sky Sports.

“Wolves are a fantastic club with real good people running that club.

“They’ve got a really good team. I know Kevin Doyle

and Stephen Hunt

really well.

“For me it’s about the club that I’ve got here. The fans that we’ve got, they’ve been really, really good for me.

“It’s a good day for me. I’m absolutely delighted everything’s been sorted out. This has been on-going for the past three or four weeks.

“I’ve had good discussions with Anton [Zingarevich], our new owner. It’s very pleasing.

“We had these conversations a while ago. The most important thing for me was to get it sorted. It’s been sorted, so we now can concentrate entirely on what we have to do against Middlesbrough

on Saturday.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“It’s important Anton and I work really closely together because the relationship between the manager and the owner is vital.

“On Monday last week he said something to be me that was very, very important and once he’d said that there was only one place for me to be and that was here. That will be something that remains between me and him,” he admitted.

By Gareth McKnight

[ffcvideo file=”tfcbtitle3″ type=”mp4″ image_type=”jpg”]

Chelsea, still smarting over their embarrassing defeat at home to Arsenal last week, travel to relegation threatened Blackburn with boss Steve Kean expected to bear the brunt of more fan protests.

Rovers were seconds away from beating Norwich at Carrow Road last week only to see a farcical penalty las awarded against Steven N’Zonzi at the death with Grant Holt scoring to send them home with one point instead of three. Their performance warranted more than what they eventually got but being pegged back after leading 3-1 and being on the end of poor refereeing decisions is part and parcel of life at the bottom. Kean must feel the whole world is against him at the moment with several thousand Blackburn fans continuing to remind him of their displeasure over his tenure as boss. Despite his critics being a touch on the harsh side their anger could be justified with the fact they’ve won just one Premier League game all season and just three in the 24 they’ve played since January. The fact is that they continue to leak goals at an alarming rate despite a defence possessing Christopher Samba, Ryan Nelsen and summer signing Scott Dann who could be in for a second relegation in successive seasons after he went down with Birmingham in the last campaign. Coming up a gainst a Chelsea side desperate to bounce back after two defeats on the trot isn’t ideal for Kean and another defeat will surely force the clubs Indian owners to bring his job under review despite stating they wouldn’t sack him for the duration of his two year contract. Their record against the Blues doesn’t provoke much confidence with only one win in 16 top-flight meetings.

Andre Villas-Boas’ side are unbeaten in their last 10 against Rovers but shouldn’t go into this game thinking it’s going to be a guaranteed three points. Their last two performances have been well under-par with their Portuguese coach coming under increasing pressure to turn things around at Stamford Bridge. They surrendered third place last week after they were overtaken by Newcastle and will be out to reclaim their spot and keep themselves in with a chance of challenging for the title. One thing Villas-Boas needs to addresses the defence after they were carved open again and again by Arsenal last Saturday. They have failed to keep a clean sheet in 10 games since the opening day of the season with 15 goals conceded in the process with the fragile performances of John Terry causing concern. The back line was unable to cope with the Gunners pace or creativity with Ashley Cole also experienced an afternoon to forget up against Theo Walcott.  It’s a far cry from the days of Jose Mourinho where Terry was virtually impenetrable and the game plan was to snuff out the opposition attack rather than score goals. I’d expect Chelsea to adopt a similar approach at Ewood Park and play for a 1-0 like they used to do under the Special One. That could mean a reshuffle up top with Fernando Torres, Daniel Sturridge, Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba all battling for a place in attack with Villas-Boas likely to chose one out for four to lead the line.

Key Players

Junior Hoilett – It’s easy to point out that the Canadian winger has been Rovers’ best player this season. His pace and tricker on the wing is vital to the way they attack and his stunning goal at Norwich last week and he’ll be looking to do a similar job to the one carried out by Walcott on Cole last week.

Frank Lampard – If theres one man that can get Chelsea out of their current rut it’s Lampard. His performance last week was top notch with his desire in midfield and passing guile giving the Blues something going forward in what was a lacklustre display. The goals have started to flow again so expect to see him hitting a few long range efforts this week.

Prediction: 1-2

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Blackburn covered 119,527 metres in that game, and a frantic second half that saw six goals scored saw Rovers cover more ground in the second half (60,151m) than in the first half (59,376m) While most teams show a depreciation in distance covered in the second half, Rovers have covered more ground in the latter 45 minutes in 6 of their 10 games this season Frank Lampard has contributed 4 assists, meaning he has had a hand in 43% of Chelsea’s goals this season Lampard is also the top passer in the Chelsea squad, having completed 209 passes (one every 3 minutes 57 seconds) and has covered mnore ground than any Chelsea player other than Ashley Cole and John Terry for the Chelsea cause

[ad_pod id=’writer-2′ align=’right’]

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has acknowledged that the games against Estonia could be his last in charge of the nation, and states that his side are ready.

The emerald isle take on Estonia in a back-to-back tie to decide which of the country’s will compete in Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

When asked if he was aware of the importance of the games in respect to his future with the nation, the Italian coach was unequivocal with his retort.

“Yes, yes,” he told Sky Sports.

“But I am not nervous about this because I know football. I was talking the other day about standing on the edge of the cliffs – that’s our life, it’s a manager’s life.

“Our life is dangerous. I have a habit of looking down on dangerous situations.

“But I think I will live, if not here, then maybe there is another. I don’t know where, but sure, I am not stopping here,” he stated.

Trapattoni has admitted that if his side do qualify for the European Championships it would be a source for great pride.

“In football every Sunday, or in England Saturday, you see little teams beat the great teams. That’s football. For me, it is no surprise.

“But we must think these 180 minutes is our life, players, manager, the Irish people.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“I will be very proud if we achieve this result because it means up until now we have done our jobs well,” he finished.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’writer-1′ align=’right’]

Football FanCast is bringing Blankety Blank to the Premier League. Each week we’ll pick one of the hottest headlines from the back pages of the newspapers and it will be up to you to fill in the blanks.

This week the world of football has unsurprisingly been dominated by Cesc Fabregas’s move to Barcelona. After 3 years of bids, rejections and relentless flirtations, the Arsenal midfielder was finally reunited with his boyhood club. It was a particularly emotional move and Fabregas admitted that he had been unable to tell Wenger how grateful he really was. However, Fabregas’s gratitude will do little to fill the gaping hole in Arsenal’s midfield especially if Nasri follows him out of the door.

Here is a headline taken from Wednesday’s Daily Mail, just fill in the blanks and leave your suggestions below….

Wenger’s empty _______, Barcelona’s _________ and a _________who’ll forever have a place in Arsenal hearts.

Tottenham are on the verge of sealing a partnership deal with Ecuadorean club Independiente del Valle, as a result of which six of the South American side’s young stars will travel to White Hart Lane this week to begin trial periods at Spurs with a view to a permanent move. Among the triallists is Junior Sornoza, who starred for Ecuador at the South American Under-20 championships.

Although the link is yet to be made official, it represents a new approach to talent scouting by Spurs, who are not alone among Premier League clubs in turning their interests to South America in search of the next Lionel Messi or Ronaldinho. Manchester United have been in a partnership deal with Brazilian side Fluminense since 2007; Liverpool are believed to be pursuing a similar relationship with Uruguayan powerhouse Nacional.

Relationships of this nature are much more common between English and European clubs; a quick search on the internet will bring up countless such parterships. But the European football network is now so tightly interlinked it is becoming difficult for a club to spot a truly undiscovered prospect. Spurs have already established links in unusual places – they are currently affiliated with SuperSport United (South Africa) and South China (Hong Kong).

But the search for talent has, in recent years, been moving ever-closer to South American prospects. Although it is commonplace in Portugal, Spain and Italy (with many Brazilian-born players in the Portugal set-up, and numerous Argentines appearing for Italy),  the Premier League is relatively new to scouting in this region. The path has been laid, in large part, by Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Birmingham have introduced the likes of Jean Beausejour, Wilson Palacios and Cristian Benitez to the Premier League while Maynor Figueroa, Hugo Rodallega and Antolin Alcaraz are currently on the books at Wigan, who also gave Antonio Valencia his first big European break after two years in the Villareal reserves.

Now, though, there is an increasingly Latin feel to the Premier League; clubs are making conscious efforts to expand their scouting network to the continent. Recent seasons have seen Stoke City sign Diego Arismendi from Nacional and Blackburn pluck Mauro Formica from Argentine side Newell’s Old Boys.

The growing success of Central and South American sides in World Cup tournaments, signified by Uruguay reaching the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup, has provided an excellent shop-window for those nations’ key players, as well as the Copa Libertadores, which has marketed a constant stream of young stars being plucked from the continent into Spanish and Italian academies.

With the European game almost completely covered by vast scouting networks, English clubs must look to the next stage of talent identification. If they are to stay ahead of the opposition, it is vital for Premier League sides to start tapping into the previously unexplored depths of South American football talent.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

FREE football app where you get paid to view apps

[ad_pod id=’qs-2′ align=’left’]