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Muller eyes Golden Boot

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Germany youngster Thomas Muller is hungry for more goals after his brace sent England crashing out of the World Cup (Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain is the current favourite to secure the Golden Boot).

Muller struck twice within three minutes mid-way through the second half to hand Germany an unassailable 4-1 lead and now the 20-year-old is keen to add to his goal-tally.

“Two goals in one World Cup match does not happen too often,” explained Muller.

“But now I want more. I want to score five or six goals here.”

The Germans were considered outsiders at the start of the tournament and some even questioned whether Joachim Low’s men would qualify from a group including Ghana, Australia and Serbia.

However, following their comprehensive victory over England the price on Germany winning the tournament outright has significantly shortened and Muller believes his side can go all the way (check out the World Cup winner market).

Argentina await Germany in the quarter-finals in what should be a hard-fought contest between two organised and efficient sides. The South American giants are the favourites to progress through to the semi-final stage of the competition and Muller is wary of the threat the likes of Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi could pose his side.

Meanwhile, Miroslav Klose has suggested this could be his last World Cup despite his performances for Germany in South Africa.  The striker has an outstanding goalscoring record at international level and bagged the opener against England but at 32-years-old Klose feels it may be time to allow the younger German players the chance to compete at the highest level.

“As long as my legs carry me I will play football,” said Klose.

“But I’m very spontaneous. I would not put it past me in two or three weeks to step aside and give space to new players.”

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Cole set to decide future

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England (8/1 to win the 2012 European Championships)  winger Joe Cole will be at a new club within the next three weeks according to his agent Kevin Giesse.

Cole has just returned from South Africa with the Three Lions squad after the side crashed out of the tournament having lost to old rivals Germany 4-1 in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

The former West Ham United academy player did not feature a great deal for an England side that only managed to win one of their five matches in the competition.

Cole will be a free agent as of July 1 after he failed to renew a deal with Premier League champions Chelsea (13/8 to win the Premier League) having spent seven years with the club.

The 28-year-old was out throughout much of last season through injury but did contribute an important goal against Manchester United which helped the west London side win the league.

Cole was coming back into the side near the end of the season and scrapped into the England team after putting in some good performances in the pre-tournament friendlies.

The playmaker will now be looking to find first team football with a top club and potential suitors are queuing up for the player’s signature.

Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have declared an interest in the midfielder and could be in the front running to sign the player who might choose to continue his stay in London.

It’s Giesse’s job to find a club for Cole and overseas clubs have been mentioned as a possibility for the talented winger.

He said: “The boy has just returned from South Africa and now he will go on holiday. There are clubs interested in him, we are talking about a world-class player.

“I think by the end of the World Cup there will be developments and within two to three weeks there will be some news.

“Are AC Milan and Juventus interested? All negotiations are possible and that is not garbage,? he added.

Cole will be looking for a club that will challenge for honours at the highest level which is what he has been used to.

Whether this will be in the Premier League, Serie A or La Liga remains to be seen but the player will be hoping to be a key member of the England squad as they look to qualify for the 2012 European Championships.

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Toure set for Man City switch

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Yaya Toure is set to link-up with his brother Kolo at Manchester City and could complete his move to the Premier League big-spenders within days. (Man City 6/1 to win title outright)

Barcelona cleared the way for the Ivory Coast midfielder to move to Eastlands after confirming his departure on Monday and Toure is expected to be the first of a number of big-money signings by City manager Roberto Mancini over the next month.

Toure was expected to seal a move to City earlier this month but the deal was held up by the player’s participation in the World Cup and a change of presidents at Barcelona.

But new Barca chief Sandro Rosell takes over at the Spanish champions from outgoing president Joan Laporta on Thursday and Toure’s agent anticipates the transfer being finalised soon after that following the confirmation that the midfielder and teammate Thierry Henry will be leaving this summer.

Agent Dimitri Seluk told Sport: “I think we will have a solution this week. In fact, I would say that (it will be done) on the first or second of July – maybe on the second because the first will be a very busy day at Barca with the change of president.

“Yes, we have to talk, but of course, the reality is not going to change in one moment.

“Yaya wants to play the important games and he knows that he will be an important player at Manchester City.

“It is not a money problem, as I have said 1,000 times, but a problem of (the lack of) confidence (that Barca have in him).”

Seluk admitted that nothing has been signed yet but said that Toure?s wage demands are not excessive and he does not expect anything to hold up the deal.

He added: “I haven’t signed anything. However, Yaya doesn’t have an astronomical salary, not at all, so it won’t be difficult to be reach an agreement.”
Toure could be joined at Manchester City in the near future by Valencia striker David Silva and Aston Villa midfielder James Milner.

Silva, who is also wanted by Premier League champions Chelsea) has been given permission by his Spanish side to open talks on a possible £29 million move, with striker Roque Santa Cruz possibly moving in the opposite direction as part of a swap deal.

Milner has been a target for Mancini all summer and is expected to hold urgent talks with Villa at the start of next month following England?s disappointing World Cup exit.

City kick-off the 2010/11 season with a visit to Tottenham and Mancini would like to have all three players available for the clash at White Hart Lane (Man City 7/4 to win, Tottenham 5/4, 9/4 draw)

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Eriksson in line for Cottage move

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Sven-Goran Eriksson could be the man leading out Fulham for their Premier League opener against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium (Bolton 6/5, Fulham 9/5, draw 9/4 – 90 Minutes) on August 14 if Roy Hodgson departs for Liverpool.

The former England and Manchester City boss has been mooted as the man to takeover at Craven Cottage as his future with the Ivory Coast national team is in doubt after he failed to guide them beyond the group stage at the World Cup in South Africa.

However, the Swede’s return to English football will hinge on current Fulham boss Hodgson’s future given that he remains hot favourite at 4/7 to be Next Permanent Liverpool Manager.

The Merseyside giants are thought to be close to agreeing a compensation package with the Cottagers for Hodgson’s services. But it is being reported that he wants some guarantees about the club’s financial future and his possible transfer funds before he agrees to replace the outgoing Rafael Benitez.

Another potential obstacle to a deal going through to take Hodgson to Anfield is the prospect of the England manager’s position becoming vacant in the very near future.

Current Three Lions coach Fabio Capello insisted that he has no plans to resign following the side’s humiliating World Cup last-16 exit at the hands of Germany on Sunday afternoon in Bloemfontein.

However, the Italian will speak with FA chairman Sir Dave Richards on his return and could be relieved of his duties if the decision-makers feel he is no longer capable of bringing success to the national team.

It is thought that Hodgson will be amongst the frontrunners to replace Capello if he does depart as England boss and they will look for a quick appointment as the bid to qualify for Euro 2012 (England 2/7 group G Winner) starts this autumn.

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Simao upbeat despite Spain test

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Atletico Madrid winger Simao believes Portugal have nothing to fear despite being paired with pre-tournament favourites Spain (4/1 outright World Cup winners) in the second round.

The current European champions were the favourites coming into the World Cup but have so far failed to shine in their first three matches.

Switzerland caused a huge upset when they beat Spain 1-0 in the first match and, while Vincente del Bosque’s men went on to win their next two, they look a pale shadow of the side that romped to European Championship victory two years ago.

Portugal will be hopeful of taking full advantage of Spain’s recent downturn in form when the two sides meet in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Carlos Queiroz’s side squeaked through the group stages thanks in part to an emphatic win over North Korea.

While the 7-0 victory helped boost their goal difference it was in fact two solid defensive displays that made the difference as they drew 0-0 with the Ivory Coast and Brazil.

Portugal are now unbeaten in their last 16 matches and will prove a tough nut for Spain to crack on Tuesday.

The Spanish struggled against Switzerland, who were resolute at the back as they ground out a 1-0.

Portugal (10/3 to beat Spain) might offer a similar challenge and having seen their neighbours already lose once at this World Cup Simao is confident they can inflict a second defeat on the Euro 2008 winners.

“They’re one of the best teams in the world,” said Simao.

“They have a style of play like Barcelona, with lots of players from Barca, who play with two or three touches of the ball.

“But it’s 50-50. Without showing them a lack of respect, we’re not scared at all. We’ve got a great team too. And to become better, we have to beat Spain. They’re champions of Europe, but we have our own qualities.”

Simao claims that Portugal’s performances in the ‘group of death’ have given them a lot of confidence after they just made it to South Africa.

“We’re strong as well and I think we’ll give them at least as many problems. Instead of talking about Spain all the time, we need to focus on ourselves,” he added.

Portugal’s qualifying campaign left a lot to the imagination as they were forced to come through a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

While they look to be a long way off the Portugal side who reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup their defensive displays will have given them hope of progressing.

The winner in Cape Town will face either Japan or Paraguay (11/10 to beat Japan) in the quarter-finals and whoever they face either Portugal or Spain will certainly fancy their chances of getting through to the semi-finals.

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Redknapp keen on England post

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has indicated he may be interested in the England job – should current boss Fabio Capello leave the post. (Tottenham 50/1 to win Premiership)

Capello’s position has come under scrutiny following a disastrous World Cup campaign, which culminated in a last-16 exit at the hands of Germany on Sunday afternoon.

Many pundits had tipped England to go all the way this time but they showed a lack of ambition and drive and looked devoid of ideas in the final third of the pitch in Bloemfontein.

Despite the Germany defeat, Capello insists he “absolutely” wants to stay on as manager but the FA have said they will take up to two weeks to decide his fate.

Redknapp has been one of the most successful English managers of the last 15 years, enjoying spells at West Ham United, Portsmouth and Southampton, before making the switch to White Hart Lane in 2008 and would certainly be on the shortlist of candidates to replace Capello, should he leave.

The 63-year-old appears to have the Midas touch and transformed Spurs from a side fighting relegation to a Champions League outfit in under two years.

And now there have been calls for the popular tactician to be handed the England reigns, with many feeling it is high time an Englishman was in charge of the national side once again.

It is yet to be revealed whether Capello will be sent packing but Redknapp has made it clear that, if asked, he would not turn down one of the most prestigious and high-pressure jobs in the whole of sport.

“They (the FA) have got a manager and until he’s not the manager it’s difficult to talk about it,” he told Talksport. “But I’m English, who wouldn’t want to manage England.”

“There’s not an Englishman – whether it’s me, Roy Hodgson or Sam Allardyce – who would turn the job down because it’s our country and we want to manage our country. No-one is ever going to turn that job down.”

The Spurs boss is currently preparing for the new Premiership season, which kicks off for Tottenham in August with a fixture against Manchester City (Spurs 5/4 to beat City), but his thoughts are never far away from the national side and he has strong views on the type of person who should success Capello – whenever that might be.

“When he finally moves on, in four years or whatever, surely there has to be a young guy or somebody in this country,” he added. “Surely we have to find a manager from England, an English manager.”

And Redknapp took time to have a dig at the two foreigners who have failed spectacularly at the two past World Cups.

“We should be able to produce someone who can manage the England football team and let’s be honest, they can’t do any worse than what they’ve (Eriksson and Capello) done,” he concluded.

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Bielsa out to make Chile history

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Coach Marcelo Bielsa says he is confident his Chile side can rewrite history when they meet Brazil (1/2 to beat Chile) in their last-16 match on Monday.

Chile have a dreadful record against their South American counterparts having beaten them once in a decade, that win coming in a World Cup qualifier in 2000.

Brazil have lost just seven of their previous 65 meetings, winning the last seven matches and scoring 26 goals in the process.

They beat Chile twice in qualifying for the tournament – 3-0 away while they recorded a 4-2 home victory over their neighbours.

Monday’s match promises goals again with Chile having surprised many with their attacking approach to the game, playing three upfront with a man in behind during the group stages.

Despite only scoring three goals in the group stages Bielsa’s side created a hatful of chances as they proved themselves to be real contenders.

However, their lack of discipline could cost them with three players suspended for the second round clash.

Midfielder Marco Estrada was sent off in the 2-1 defeat to Spain (4/1 World Cup winners) while Waldo Ponce and Gary Medel received their second yellow cards of the tournament.

Chile have been shown ten yellow cards thus far and Bielsa will be hoping they can keep their cool against a Brazil side likely to frustrate by monopolising possession.

The five-time winners navigated the ‘group of death’ without losing a game and while lacking some of the flair we have come to associate with the Samba Kings they still look a real force.

Coach Dunga has been criticised for his style of play back in Brazil, especially after Friday’s dreadful goalless draw against Portugal as they were frustrated by Cristiano Ronaldo and co.

However, they are unlikely to come up against a Chile side looking to defend and will find themselves with more room to play at Ellis Park.

While Chile will have to be careful not to get caught on the counter attack by Brazil coach Bielsa is confident his tactics will end their ten year wait for a win over Brazil.

“You always believe you can do it, and overturn an unfavourable trend,” said Bielsa.

“Every game affords you this opportunity and Monday is a very attractive opportunity for us.”

The winner of this all-South American clash will face either Holland or Slovakia in the quarter final stages of the World Cup.

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Fabiano eyes United deal

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luis fabianoSevilla’s Brazilian international striker Luis Fabiano has revealed he will not sign for Tottenham as he wants to join a club like Manchester United where he feels he has a chance of winning the Premier League (United 2/1 Outright 2010/11).

The 29-year-old is currently looking to help Brazil clinch the World Cup (10/3 Winner) in South Africa and his two goals against Ivory Coast last Sunday ensured they went into the last-16 as group winners. However, beyond the tournament, Fabiano has stressed that he will not be signing a new contract at Sevilla as he wants to leave the Spanish Primera Liga side to secure a move to a team capable of winning top honours.

Tottenham, United and Italian giants AC Milan are said to be interested in taking Fabiano this summer, despite Sevilla stressing that they want to keep hold of him. And, while the player is looking to persuade his club to let him go, he will not entertain the idea of joining Harry Redknapp’s north Londoners because, “there would be no point me moving to a smaller team”.

Therefore it appears to be a straight choice between the Red Devils and Milan as Fabiano feels both clubs are capable of winning the Champions League next term. However the prospect of linking up with Wayne Rooney in United’s attack could sway him towards joining Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.

He told the Daily Star Sunday: “I think the way Manchester United play football is very attractive, I must be honest and say Premier League football attracts me and also the way Manchester United play football attracts me.

“You think about being Wayne Rooney’s strike partner and that is very attractive for any striker. I think the style of Premier League football suits me and I think I could score goals and be very successful there.

“Their coach is a winner, their players are winners and they are one of the few teams in Europe challenging for the top honours season after season.”

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Germany 6/1 to win World Cup

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England boss Fabio CapelloGermany have been shortened to 6/1 to win the World Cup after beating England 4-1 in Bloemfontein.

Goals from Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski put the Germans 2-0 up inside the first 32 minutes before England struck back through a Matthew Upson header which converted a Steven Gerrard delivery.

England could, and should, have been level a minute later when a Frank Lampard effort cannoned off the crossbar, over the line and then back out of the goal. The match officials failed to spot the “goal”, much to the frustration of the England bench and fans.

In the second half, England tried to press for their second but were hit by two swift counterattacks, which resulted in two goals for Thomas Muller.

It was no less than what Germany deserved, who were the dominant force throughout the game and were aided by some suspect defending from the English.

The result ends a dismal campaign for England as Fabio Capello’s men struggled to get out of Group C, a group which had been perceived as “easy” when it was drawn back in December.

Doubts still remain over the future of Capello as England boss although he categorically stated after the match that he will not resign. However, he went on to say that he would discuss his position with the FA upon the squad’s return to England.

Capello accepted that his side had made mistakes against Germany, but cited the referee as making the biggest error.

“We played well at 2-1, but after the third goal it was a little bit disappointing,” said the Italian.

“We played well. Germany is a big team. They played a good game. We made some mistakes when they played on the counter-attack. The referee made bigger mistakes.

“Little things always decide the result.”

Unsurprisingly, England’s players are pointing to the disallowed goal as being the turning point of the match.

Captain Steven Gerrard highlighted the decision but also accepted that England had not been defensively solid enough.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, he said “I think it’s difficult, we are suffering.

“It looks like we took a hiding today but that wasn’t the case. As a team we weren’t defensively solid enough.

“There were key decisions in the game. At 2-1 we had a goal disallowed. At this level the small details dictate games and that would have been a key goal for us and maybe we would have gone on and won it.”

Defender John Terry said that the 4-1 scoreline flattered Germany. He also highlighted his own disappointment.

“In the second half we played a lot better. The scoreline doesn’t reflect the way the game was – they got three goals from counter. We’re just disappointed; we wanted to be here until the end.”

In Sunday’s other game, Argentina beat Mexico 3-1 courtesy of a Carlos Tevez brace and a Gonzalo Higuain effort. They are 7/2 second favourites to win the World Cup whilst Higuain, who is the current top scorer in the competition with four goals, is the 7/5 favourite to win the Golden Boot.

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Stoch feeling ‘no pressure’

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Miroslav StochSlovakia midfielder Miroslav Stoch believes there is absolutely “no pressure” on his side ahead of their second-round match against the Netherlands. (Slovakia 15/2 to win the match)

The Slovakians campaign had been described as a ‘miracle’ by the press but the side have impressed during the tournament and reached the knockout stages thanks to a 3-2 win against World Champions Italy.

Two goals from Robert Vittek and a Kamil Kopúnek a helped the Slovakians to a 3-2 victory to send the Slovakians through to the knockout rounds in their first World Cup finals.

“We didn’t have anything to lose because no one expected us to beat Italy, they had all the pressure,” said midfielder Mioslav Stoch, who plies his club trade with Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

“It will be similar against the Dutch because they have to win, they are expected to, and the pressure will be on them.

“Whereas we again will have nothing to lose. Nobody expected us to go through then and no one expects us to now.”

The Slovaks now go on to face a Dutch team who have been highly impressive during the Group stages, comfortably winning all three of their games and Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss acknowledges that his side are truly up against it as they face a side with some of the best players in the world.

“The Dutch are a fantastic team,” he said. “They have a lot of players who play in the best club teams in the world, and with good coaches.

“They are one of the favourites in the tournament but you never know. It is like when we played against Italy, we have a good spirit and we must impress.”

“The favourites are the Dutch, like the Italians were, but you never know. We’ll see,” he added.

Slovakia’s fate may lay at the feet of playmaker Marek Hamsik who is integral to the Slovakians play and is their one truly top-class player.

Hamsik set-up two of Slovakia’s goals against Italy and is now set for a move to one of Europe’s top clubs.

He currently plays for Napoli in Serie A and last season steered them to sixth place in Serie A as well as pitching in with 12 goals. (Hamsik 15/1 to score the first goal).

“He’s a world-class player,” said Weiss. “He’s always put in great performances wherever I’ve positioned him, and it’s for all those reasons that I decided to make him captain.”

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