Real Madrid Vs Celta Vigo 7-1

Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo 7-1
Laliga (Real Madrid vs Celta vigo) Real madrid win by 7 goals, Where Magical Ronalda alonely scores 4goal on behalf of Celta Vigo. This was really amazing and Audience crowding game. It was observed to be more interesting match.

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Time was right to sell Suarez, admits Liverpool owner John W Henry

The Anfield chief says this summer was the right moment for both player and club "to make a break" but insists Brendan Rodgers' attack will remain "explosive" without the striker

Liverpool owner John W Henry believes this summer was the right time to sell Luis Suarez to Barcelona.

The 27-year-old, whose 31 goals helped Liverpool finish second in the Premier League last season, joined the Spanish club in a €88 million deal earlier this month.

Suarez is currently serving a four-month ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's World Cup fixture on June 19.

But despite Suarez's departure, Henry believes that Liverpool's attack will remain "explosive" next term.

"It was time for Luis and time for the club to make a break," Henry told NBC.

"He brought so much to the club but we brought a lot to Luis.

"[Without him] I think you will still see a very explosive Liverpool offense."

Meanwhile, Goal understands the Court of Arbitration for Sport could reduce Suarez's ban, meaning he could play for Barcelona in their opening Liga fixture against Elche.

Rodgers confident of new Liverpool contract for Gerrard

The Reds skipper has one year left on his current contract but, after retiring from international football on Monday, reports suggest that the midfielder will renew until 2016

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers expects the club to tie up a new deal for captain Steven Gerrard.

The midfielder is set to enter the last season of his present deal but reports suggest that he could pen an extension until 2016.

Gerrard retired from international duty with England on Monday and Rodgers reiterated his belief that the 34-year-old will extend his domestic career as a result.

"I am very happy that Steven is now going to commit to Liverpool and I am sure that [his contract] is something that we will look at," he told the press.

"He is in really good condition and I'm sure it is something that will happen at some point.

"Listen, for his own mind, I'm sure he will want it sorted out, absolutely. You never want to leave players with not too long to go on their contract.

"A lot has gone on at the club over the course of the summer. It is something I am sure will get sorted.

"I know he can continue to play beyond this season. I have always said that. Now he doesn't have international football, he will have that freshness."

Rodgers also added that there is no update on the future of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who spent last term on loan at Serie A side Napoli.

"He's back in training. Pepe made it clear last year where he is at," he added. "He is working well and there has been no real conversation as yet. He is just working hard to get fit and we will see what happens over the next few weeks."

Lallana to miss start of season after suffering knee injury

The new €32 million signing is now expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks after damaging ligaments in training, ruling him out of a return to former side Southampton

New Liverpool signing Adam Lallana will miss the start of the new Premier League season after suffering a knee injury in training.

The midfielder moved to Anfield for a €32 million fee after representing England at the World Cup but damaged his lateral collateral ligament on Friday.

Lallana is now expected to be sidelined for "up to six weeks", likely ruling him out of Liverpool's first game of the season against former side Southampton.

"Lallana has been assessed by Liverpool's medical staff and does not require surgery," a club statement read."

"No specific timeframe has been placed on a return to fitness, but injuries of this nature can result in a spell of anywhere up to six weeks on the sidelines.


"The England international will undergo further assessment by the club's medical team in the United States and on return to Liverpool."

Guardiola responsible for Bayern success, says Rummenigge

The FCB director has stressed that the club's successful season so far is no coincidence, but is largely the result of the Spaniard's presence

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has hailed Pep Guardiola's contribution to the Bundesliga giants' recent successes and feels the 43-year-old has helped increase the club's popularity, too.

The former Barcelona coach replaced Jupp Heynckes as the man in charge of the Bavarians at the start of the 2013-14 season after last term's historic treble win, and Rummenigge is impressed with Guardiola's work so far.

"This individual is a stroke of fortune for Bayern Munich as he combines quality and hard work in an unparalleled way," Rummenigge told the official Bayern website.

"Everything that looks so effortless in public is the product of hard work from Monday to Friday. The intensity on the training ground, which I regularly see from the window of my office, is a marker.

"It’s no coincidence we’re writing this success story now.

"And we show the necessary respect to every opponent. I’ve never heard Pep utter a single arrogant word. That really pleases me and that struck me in his time at Barcelona.

"Our popularity has never been so high before. That’s also down to Pep."

Bayern are unbeaten in the Bundesliga under Guardiola, collecting 62 points from 22 encounters.

Klopp upbeat over CL qualification

The Dortmund coach thinks the battle for the Bundesliga’s top spots will go the wire and hopes his side can build on their victory in midweek

Jurgen Klopp has urged his Dortmund side to put in a repeat performance of their 4-2 Champions League win over Zenit on Tuesday, as BVB prepare to face Nuremberg on Saturday.

Klopp's side were beaten 3-0 by Hamburg last weekend but bounced back to seize control of the first-leg of their last-16 Champions League tie in midweek.

“It’s going to be a tight race in the league until the end,” said Klopp, speaking to the Dortmund’s official website.

“That’s why the defeat in Hamburg was so painful. The three points there would have done us really good. If we play like we did against St Petersburg, we will get enough points to secure an automatic spot.

“Nuremberg will come here with a lot of confidence. We must find the right approach and push ourselves to the limit. Only then will we be a tough side for Nuremberg as well, and only then will we be able to beat them.”

However, Klopp could face issues in defence with Sokratis Papastathopoulos a fresh doubt following Mats Hummels' return from injury.

The 46-year-old added: “He will only do an individual training today. We have to wait and see. He has a nasty swelling in the area of the Achilles tendon. Mats (Hummels) trained normally on Wednesday.” 

Bayern Munich are beatable, says Neuer

The former Schalke goalkeeper doubts the Bavarians will be able to replicate Real Madrid's 6-1 thrashing in midweek when they host die Knappen on Saturday

Manuel Neuer has insisted that Bayern Munich can be beaten by Schalke this weekend if they do not put in a top performance.

Jens Keller's men were humiliated in a 6-1 defeat at Veltins Arena in the Champions League in midweek, triggering jokes in social media that they could concede double figures on their visit to the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

The Bavarians are yet to lose in the league this season and have won all their home Bundesliga games, but Neuer, who made his name starring in goal for Schalke before he joined die Roten, thinks his old side have the attackers to hurt them in Munich if they do not bring their best form.

"They don't have the players to sit back and defend - their strength lies in attack," the Bayern shot-stopper told reporters on Thursday.

"Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jefferson Farfan don't like to work in defence, they prefer to stay up front. The same goes for Max Meyer and Julian Draxler.

"We know we are beatable, we know it's dangerous to let things slide. The coach always has new challenges for us.

"We've just worked together with Pep Guardiola for more than half a year now, but he does not see us where he wants us to be. That's the positive aspect: there is still room for further development."

The ex-Veltins Arena goalkeeper suggested Schalke's hammering at the hands of Real Madrid was an anomaly and does not think it is likely that Bayern will replicate that result this weekend.

"I know them better then anyone else, of course," he continued. "They wanted to show a great match againt Madrid.

"If they had had a better day they could have competed. Of course you can accept losing against that team, but not like that.

"They've shown a good start in the Bundesliga. We don't plan to see them off with six goals though, we just want to win the match."

Bayern have an all-but-unassailable 19-point lead in the Bundesliga over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen after 22 matchdays. 

'Neymar has magic in his feet' - Maxwell

The wing-back has hailed his compatriot's contribution to Barcelona and is hopeful PSG can make an impact in the Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain defender Maxwell has taken the time to praise Neymar and believes his compatriot has already proven his worth for Barcelona since joining the club from Santos ahead of the 2013-14 campaign.

Neymar, 22, recently returned to match action after a month on the sidelines due to injury and Maxwell hopes the Brazil international will soon be back to his usual best.

"Neymar has magic in his feet. He has put in some great performances for Barcelona," the PSG left-back was quoted as saying by Marca.

"I hope he is soon able to find his best form again after his injury."

Maxwell then went on to discuss PSG's Champions League ambitions, while hailing star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's match-winning performances this season.

"The first thing is to get through to the quarter-finals. If we manage to, we hope to be at the same level as the big teams we'll face.

"Zlatan is currently on fine form. He is even scor¡ng with his head! That's something we haven't seen before."

PSG beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in the first leg of their round of 16 tie.

 

Martino: 'Faultless' Barcelona can target treble

The Argentine thinks his men are perfectly placed to lift silverware on three fronts this season and expects them to bounce back from last week's defeat to Real Sociedad

Gerardo Martino has hit back at his critics by insisting Barcelona remain on course to win the treble this season.

The Catalans lost 3-1 at Real Sociedad last week, but sit only three points behind Liga leaders Real Madrid ahead of the Madrid derby to be played against fellow title rivals Atletico.

And with his men holding a 2-0 lead lead over Manchester City in the last 16 of the Champions League, Martino thinks Barcelona still occupy a position of strength despite recent performances coming under scrutiny.

"Back at the start of the season, all of us would have settled to be in this position – we are still in with a chance of three trophies with 20 games left to play," the 51-year-old told reporters.

"We still have options and we are going to battle to win everything. When you suffer a defeat, you always want the next game to arrive as soon as possible so you can put it behind you.
"Whenever I have coached a side which is self-critical, like this Barca side is, I know that their reaction will be faultless.

"Their [the players'] words sum up what this club is about. I feel flattered by their support and the way they placed the blame on themselves and not me. If we remain united, everything else doesn’t matter."

Martino admitted that Barcelona would be hosting Almeria on Sunday with an eye on the result of the Madrid derby, but underlined that nothing less than a win would do at Camp Nou.

"If we win our match, we’ll be left with three possible outcomes. We have to play against both Madrid and Atletico and ideally, we want to reduce the distance between them before we meet," he continued.
"It’s impossible for us to ignore what happens in the derby but whatever happens, we still need to beat Almeria." 

Barcelona's Fabregas unimpressed by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich

The Bavarians and los Blancos are viewed by many as the form sides in Europe right now, but the former Arsenal captain does not see any reason for the Blaugrana to fear either

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas does not rate Real Madrid or Bayern Munich - in spite of the pair's resounding victories in the Champions League round of 16.

Los Blancos won by a 6-1 avalanche against Schalke, while reigning European champions Bayern defeated Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates.

However, Fabregas claimed Madrid's game in Gelsenkirchen was effectively over the moment the capital club doubled their lead, while he still expects Pep Guardiola's men to have problems finishing off the Gunners at the Allianz Arena.

"The Champions League does not usually see this kind of results [Madrid's landslide win], but I was not impressed," the 26-year-old told Mundo Deportivo.

"Schalke surrendered with the scoreline at 2-0, right after they could have made it 1-1. Neither does Bayern winning the German league and cup 90 percent of the time mean anything to me.

"They have a momentary 2-0 lead against an English team. We shall see in the end."

The Catalan instead talked up the strength of his boyhood team, saying the Blaugrana will do everything they can to successfully defend their Liga title, as well as progress to the next stages of Europe's elite club competition.

"Barcelona is the world's most demanding club," he continued. "We must be more united than ever now. "We know that if our team plays at 100 percent then we can win almost every game.

"[Champions League opponents Manchester] City are still alive, as are Arsenal and Manchester United. The qualifiers are 180 minutes.

"We played a very good 90 minutes, but are aware another difficult game will follow. We found that out against Paris Saint-Germain [when they sneaked into the semi-finals last season on away goals]."

Gerardo Martino's team will be protecting a 2-0 lead when they take on City in the return leg at the Camp Nou on March 12. 

'Premier League the best in the world? Nonsense' - former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane

The Republic of Ireland assistant says David Moyes will be shocked by the lack of quality in the players at his disposal, and also criticised Michael Carrick for a flat interview

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane says Premier League clubs - and in particular the Red Devils - have fallen behind the best sides in Europe.

Keane watched United's 2-0 loss to Olympiakos in Athens on Tuesday night as a pundit on ITV, and while he also believes David Moyes will be "shocked" about a "lack of quality" in the players he is working with, he believes English clubs in general have declined.

"I think we’ve been brainwashed by the [idea that] the Premier League is the best league in the world. Nonsense," he said.

"It’s the best brand, but we’ve seen over the last few weeks with a lot of the English teams struggling that these teams have fallen behind the top teams in Europe, and United in particular."

Moyes' side mustered just one late shot on target against the Greek side, who were rarely troubled by the reigning Premier League champions.

And Keane says the United boss will privately be shocked that the team he inherited from Sir Alex Ferguson is playing so badly.

"I think David Moyes will be shocked," he added. "He went into United in the summer expecting great things, he’s probably looked at them at close quarters and I would say, privately, that he is shocked with the lack of quality that he is working with.
"It’s been a tough night for supporters and for Moyes and his staff. I don’t think anybody of us could’ve predicted that. They just never turned up.
"Let’s also give credit to Olympiakos, they were very, very good, they were on the front foot and technically they were better than United tonight."
Keane also criticised Michael Carrick after the midfielder gave a television interview in the wake of the defeat.
"That interview was just like their performance: flat," Keane added. "Say a bit more, have a bit more urgency even in the interview, that just reflected it, flat, no urgency, they keep saying 'Next game, next game', for some of them there won't be another game, that's the reality for him."
After Keane's co-presenter pointed out that Olympiakos fans in Keane's close proximity may have been feeling sorry for him, the Irishman replied: "The fans were probably looking at me and thinking 'What's happened to Manchester United?'"

Eto'o: I don't have to explain anything about my age

The Cameroon striker has hit out at suggestions that he is older than 32 after a private conversation involving Jose Mourinho was recorded by a French television station

 

Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o has hit out at allegations suggesting he is older than 32 years old.

Jose Mourinho was left fuming after a private conversation was recorded by Canal Plus and revealed the Blues boss saying: "The problem with Chelsea is we lack a scorer. I have one [Eto'o] but he's 32. Maybe 35, who knows?"

But when questioned about Mourinho’s comments after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Galatasaray on Wednesday, Eto’o told Mediaset: "I do not have to explain anything.

"I triumphed with all the teams I played for, I'm the player I am and I want to help Chelsea to win a cup this season."

At the Turk Telekom Arena on Wednesday, Fernando Torres’ early opener was cancelled out by Aurelien Chedjou’s strike after the break and Eto’o has urged Chelsea to take advantage of playing at home in the second leg.

"It’s a good result for us," said the striker. "In the return leg, however, we must be very careful and take advantage of the home advantage. We need a goal to qualify." 

Lampard: Chelsea need Premier League 'help' to compete in Europe

The 35-year-old believes the Blues, and other sides involved in continental competition, are handicapped by the current fixture list in the English top flight

 

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has called for a re-think on Premier League scheduling for clubs competing in the Champions League, and would like the same support enjoyed by their European rivals.

Jose Mourinho's table-toppers are preparing themselves for a west London derby at Fulham on Saturday - just 72 hours after they drew 1-1 with Galatasaray in Istanbul.

And, given the lack of rest afforded to the Blues, Lampard believes the Premier League should follow models used elsewhere in Europe, where domestic games are often moved to allow Champions League clubs more time to recover from continental competition.

"It's not ideal," the England international is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "We don't expect any favours and certainly know we won't get them. It's about resting up and getting ready to go.

"I don't know about the Premier League but other countries seem to look after their teams representing them in the Champions League. I'm not sure we do so much here.

"I'm not trying to get one over on other Premier League teams, it just seems a general rule. There could be a bit of common sense if you are getting back at 6:00 (on Thursday)."

However, Lampard is confident Chelsea's squad is capable of coping with the rigorous schedule, and says the players just have to accept the situation.

"We can't moan, we've got a fantastic squad with fit young players. We have to get on with it," he added. 

Mancini: Chelsea deserved to lose

The Italian thinks Galatasaray were the better team in the Champions League clash on Wednesday, but is relatively pleased with the 1-1 result nonetheless

 

Roberto Mancini felt Chelsea deserved to be beaten by Galatasaray in the opening leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.

Solid early pressure from Chelsea rewarded them with a ninth-minute opener from Fernando Torres at the Turk Telekom Arena, but Gala controlled the game for long spells.

Mancini reshuffled his pack to tactically stifle the Londoners and the hosts gained their reward through Aurelien Chedjou's equaliser just after the hour.

The 1-1 draw means that the tie is still finely balanced heading into the return at Stamford Bridge on March 18, with an away goal giving the Premier League side a slight edge, but Mancini felt that his side could have been heading to London in a more comfortable position.

Asked by Sky Sports whether he was disappointed to be coming away on level terms, the Italian said: "Yes, because in the second half we probably deserved to score another goal.
"We gained a lot of confidence from the second half, but we had too much respect for Chelsea. Maybe we were too deep in the first half, we played with fear but I'm happy.
"One-one is a good result, we have another game."

Jose Mourinho's Blues will host Mancini's men on March 18 as they pursue Champions League glory for the second time in three seasons.

Ronaldo turned down Barcelona, says Calderon

The Portuguese star could have joined Real Madrid's rivals after erstwhile Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson "offered" him to the Catalans

Cristiano Ronaldo turned down the chance to join Barcelona before signing his world-record deal with Real Madrid, former ex-Blancos president Ramon Calderon has revealed.

The Portuguese star joined Madrid in 2009 for a fee of €94 million from Manchester United and has become a huge hit at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning the 2013 Ballon d'Or for his sensational performances for both club and country.

However, former Madrid president Calderon insists former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to engineer a move to rivals Barca for the attacker - but Ronaldo refused.

Asked whether the Scot tried to send Ronaldo to the Blaugrana, Calderon told talkSPORT: "It is totally true. In the few weeks he tried to avoid him going to Real Madrid, offering him to Barcelona.

"Barcelona were very happy but in that moment it was very crucial as Ronaldo said: 'I'm not going to any other club but Real Madrid.'‏

"That's why we signed the deal. Everyone was happy: Manchester United got the £80 million [€94m], Real Madrid got the best player in the world and Cristiano got what he wanted because players like him are not only looking for money, they look for glory, and they look for anyone who is giving them that opportunity to win titles, to be the best in the world, to win golden boots. 

"There are only three, four or five clubs that can give him what he wants."

Ronaldo has scored 22 goals in 21 league appearances for Madrid this season, but it is his work ethic and determination that separates him from other players, according to the former Madrid chief.

"Cristiano is the best of the best because every day he gets up in the morning and his only obsession is to be the best. He wants to be better than the day before," Calderon continued.

"I always told players coming to Madrid that this is the most difficult time of your career because anyone who plays against Real is going to give 150 per cent of themselves in order to beat you.

"I think it is very important for young players to understand how important it is every time you are playing or working to want to be the best.  I think that is the secret of Cristiano." 

Miniature Messi: Introducing new Barcelona wonderkid Alen Halilovic

The Dinamo Zagreb wonderkid has announced that he will be signing for the Catalans on a five-year contract. But just how good can the teenager become?

It was a winter of discontent for Barcelona in the transfer market. Not only did they not sign anyone, but the chaos surrounding Neymar's transfer last summer saw their president resign and the club accused of tax fraud allegations that they continue to deny.

However, a month on from the madness of the January window, the Catalans have got back into the swing of poaching the best talent on the planet by swooping for Croatian wonderkid Alen Halilovic in a deal worth an estimated €10 million from Dinamo Zagreb.

Although the move is yet to be officially confirmed by either club, the 17-year-old took to social media to share his joy with the world that he has signed for Gerardo Martino's men.

"Thanks Dinamo Zagreb for everything!!" the three-times capped Croatia international wrote on his Instagram account. "My first club and biggest love!! Now is time to move on to Barcelona."

Halilovic has undeniable talent and, considering Dinamo's modest financial status, it was no surprise that the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United have been scouting him since he emerged as a star-in-making 17 months ago.

His debut off the bench in September 2012 in a 3-1 win over bitter rivals Hajduk Split made him the youngest ever debutant in the Croatian top flight at 16 years and 102 days. Ten days later the attacking midfielder broke another record - this time becoming the league's youngest ever goalscorer after netting with a superb Lionel Messi-esque chip.

Despite the clamour of interest, it was Barca who convinced him to part with Dinamo in June - when his first professional contract ends - to give him the chance to link up with the likes of Lionel Messi in the distant future.

 

Far from concidentally, the left-footed youngster's pace, dribbling ability, deadly finishing and deceptive strength considering his small frame have earned him comparisons to Barca's Argentine superstar - perhaps prematurely.

Barca are certainly getting a player with huge potential, a player who could develop into a world class attacker, but the fee of €10m is in danger of immediately piling the pressure on the teenager's shoulders.

Since he first shone at Dinamo early last season, there have been further flashes of brilliance but Halilovic has struggled to maintain consistency in a team where, in recent years, the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Milan Badelj dazzled at a similar age.

Still, Halilovic has an ability that only the top attacking players in world football possess: to ghost past players with ease in the final third. It’s this talent which undoubtedly persuaded Barca to fork out such a sum for a teenager despite already having what appears to be a conveyor belt of talented attackers emerging from their B team.

If Halilovic is to be a success at Camp Nou, Barca must keep the pressure off the young Croatian. This points to immediately putting the player to the B team to continue his development, alongside players of a similar age and talent.

Dinamo could never offer Halilovic a similar alternative - he embarrassed opponents at times representing Dinamo’s youth teams but the pressure, at times, has proven a little too much in front of the roar of the Maksimir Stadium. With that in mind, B team football could prove to be the perfect tonic for Croatia’s biggest talent.

Upon his emergence from the Dinamo youth ranks, there was genuine belief within the club that Halilovic was the best player in a generation to emerge from a club which has produced the likes of Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar. Now he begins his road to leaving those names in the dust and living up his miniature Messi moniker.

Ignore the Premier League hype: English football is nearing rock bottom

After the abject showing of Premier League teams in Europe, expect no better from the national side with English participation in top-flight matches at an all-time low

 The Premier League likes to consider itself the Hollywood of the football industry.

It is the biggest and the best, they say. Eyes from every corner of the globe are attracted to the razzmatazz, the superstars and the quality of the performances.

But in the last year or two, English football has produced some dodgy scripts that don't live up to the billing, let alone award-winning acclaim.

After last year's Champions League semi-finals were made up of two teams from Germany and two from Spain, none of the four English representatives in this year's competition were able to win the first leg of their last-16 ties last month.

Arsenal and Manchester City are packing up the set and turning off the lights after both lost their home legs 2-0 to Bayern Munich and Barcelona, respectively. Manchester United suffered an embarrassing 2-0 defeat away to Olympiakos and few would rate their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals given their awful performances under David Moyes.

Which means that Chelsea are likely to be the sole representatives of the Premier League in the last eight of the Champions League, providing that they can get past Galatasaray, with whom they drew 1-1 in Istanbul last week. The Turkish chamions, incidentally, were smashed 6-1 when Real Madrid came calling last September.

Roy Keane was eviscerating in his assessment of the quality of the Premier League as his eyes bulged and face turned a shade of puce following United's display in Greece and few, if any, would argue with the former United captain.

The Premier League may pay the biggest wages and market itself brilliantly to the beer companies, betting websites and banking institutions but it is no longer the best competition.

Amid the wreckage England manager Roy Hodgson is left trying to build an Oscar-winning cast with only a handful of decent actors.

Figures obtained by Goal from Opta show that English representation has dropped to a record low this season, with players from these shores playing just 31.97 per cent of minutes in the Premier League so far.

In La Liga, the home of the reigning World Cup and European champions, Spanish players account for 61.35% of all minutes played while the figure stands at 48.21% in the Bundesliga, the home of the Champions League holders.

The old argument used to be that playing alongside the best in the business would raise the level of the young Englishmen coming through at clubs' academies. But the domestic game is left in a situation whereby the club teams are struggling compete in Europe and the national team lacks anything like the depth of talent that its competitors can boast.

Spain, the reigning world and European champions, for example, were able to leave Fernando Torres, the most expensive footballer in the history of English football, Juan Mata, Manchester United's record signing, and £26 million Spurs striker Roberto Soldado out of their squad ahead of their midweek friendly against Italy.

Just 159 of the 511 players to have played in the Premier League this season - less than a third - are English. The downward trend has steadily continued since 71.9% of native players featured in the league's inaugural campaign in 1992-93.

The major worry is whether the trend will even stop, let alone whether it can be reversed and it will take some time for the Premier League's £340m elite player performance plan to produce results in the form of home-grown players.

The same goes for St George's Park, which is likely to be more useful to the FA as a production line for quality youth-team coaches than for young players.

On Wednesday, England's build-up to the World Cup begins in earnest with a friendly against Denmark at Wembley but hardly anyone expects the Three Lions to fare any better than progression from the group stage in Brazil this summer where they are due to face Uruguay, Italy and Costa Rica.

Hodgson's most recent 30-man squad includes some exciting young talent. Few could complain, for example, about the quality of the performances produced by Liverpool duo Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling in recent weeks.

The problem is that there simply aren't enough young Englishmen playing at the top of the domestic game. It is so desperate that the FA has even been considering poaching patently non-English players for the national side, like Adnan Januzaj, the 18-year-old Belgian of Kosovan-Albanian decent who could qualify for the Three Lions under residency rules in time for World Cup 2018.

The best opportunity for a young English player is more likely to come in the lower leagues, with 53.64% representation in the Championship and 67.46% in League One.

That route has certainly worked for three Southampton players - Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert - in Hodgson's latest squad. You've got no chance of making it if you're not playing.

Sunday's Capital One Cup final between Manchester City was an exciting game to watch but the four goalscorers were an Italian, Ivorian, Frenchman and a Spaniard. There's a joke in there somewhere - maybe something along the lines of 'what good does that do for the England team?'

When Arsenal were completely outclassed by Bayern Munich in February, the goalscorers were both academy graduates. The four Champions League semi-finalists last season - Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Madrid and Barcelona - were all built around a core of players from their own country. It is almost like they stumbled across a formula of which no-one in the English game had ever thought.

Only twice in the last 15 years has an all-English XI been fielded in the Premier League.

The last team to do it was Middlesborough under Steve McClaren on the final day of the 2005-06 season. Before that you have to go back to February 28, 1999 - 15 years ago last Friday - when John Gregory's all-English Aston Villa side were thrashed 4-1 by Coventry City.

It all paints a depressing picture but the fact is that, on the big awards nights, it's other clubs and other national teams walking away with all the prizes. 

'Put Schalke to the sword' - Goal's World Player of the Week Arjen Robben

In hindsight it seems laughable that there were rumours Arjen Robben would be surplus to requirements at Bayern Munich following Pep Guardiola's appointment as coach last summer.

The Netherlands winger has flourished under his new boss and no more so than in recent weeks. The 30-year-old was excellent in the 2-0 Champions League win over Arsenal at the Emirates and then struck a hat-trick to put Schalke to the sword in a 5-1 win on Saturday.

Goal's Alec Fenn said: "The last thing the Schalke defence needed was the sight of Arjen Robben sprinting towards them after being torn apart by Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale on Wednesday.

"The winger smelt blood from the first whistle and scored his first of the game on 15 minutes with a lovely chip over Ralf Fahrmann.

"His second, on 28 minutes, was a trademark bending effort into the bottom corner from the right with his left foot and he wrapped up his hat-trick from the penalty spot late on to make it 10 goals in 18 league games."

Liverpool owner John W Henry admits Suarez did have €49 million clause

The Reds chief confirms that a bid from Arsenal just slightly over the Uruguayan forward's release clause was rejected during last summer's tense transfer negotiations

Liverpool owner John W Henry has confirmed that Luis Suarez did have a €49 million release clause in his old contract but revealed that the club refused to sell the striker to Arsenal because "contracts don't seem to mean a lot in England".

Arsene Wenger's side submitted a €49m-plus-€1 bid in an attempt activate the Uruguay international's clause but the Reds claimed that the player only needed to be informed of offers over €49 and were not obliged to sell.

Liverpool maintained their no-sale stance regarding Suarez throughout the summer transfer window and the forward signed a new long-term deal with the club in December.

"Luis Suarez is the top scorer in the English Premier League, which is arguably the top soccer league in the world," Henry is reported to have said at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

"He had a buyout clause of £40m. Arsenal, one of our prime rivals - this year we're tied for second - we're actually second because of goal difference - offered £40m plus £1.

"What we've found is that contracts don't seem to mean a lot in England - actually, in world football.

"It doesn't matter how long a player's contract is, he can decide he's leaving.

"We sold a player, Fernando Torres, for £50m, that we did not want to sell - we were forced to. Since apparently these contracts don’t seem to hold, we took the position that we're just not selling.

"It's been great for Luis, it's been great for us.

Ibra eclipsed as Maxwell leads PSG’s Brazilian job on Marseille

The Swede was outshone in the Classique victory as the left-back struck the opener while compatriot Lucas Moura lit up Parc des Princes with his weaving runs

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has established himself in France as a specialist at playing Olympique de Marseille. Of course, Ibra is a potent forward against any side, but he has typically saved his best for the men from Provence.

It therefore came as something of a surprise that he was pushed to the periphery at Parc des Princes on Sunday, with Maxwell providing the cutting edge that wrought the opening goal five minutes into the second period of their 2-0 Classique win.

While left-backs are stereotypically cast as ‘unlikely heroes’, the same cannot necessarily be said of the veteran, who celebrated signing a new contract with the club a little under a fortnight ago by registering his third goal of what has been another impressive campaign.

He may not be associated with the glamour of an Ibrahimovic or even an Edinson Cavani, but the former Barcelona and Inter defender remains more than just a reliable presence for the Parisian side.

It would be unfair to cast the 32-year-old as a late bloomer, but there can be little doubt that he is now enjoying something of a belated golden age in his career.

Remarkably it took the Champions League winner until 2013 to make his debut for the national side, but now he appears a likely figure to appear for the Selecao as they chase a dream World Cup triumph on home soil in the summer.

While Maxwell thrives in Paris, Lucas Moura has spent six months treading water, though since returning from the winter break the young attacker has looked increasingly confident. His performance against OM suggests that he is a player who could also have an impact in the summer for Brazil.

A samba of stepovers over the ball with seven minutes left was showboating at its finest and left Jeremy Morel staring helplessly, highlighting the ease with which the powerful attacker is playing, though it was his driving run moments later that set up an opportunity that Ibrahimovic clipped over that was more productive.

Particularly during the first period, his direct running and willingness to commit defenders was a bane of the visiting side. One remarkable run saw him carry the ball half the length of the field, powering by tackles as the Ronaldo of old might – the Brazilian one, that is. Such a gift is not to be easily overlooked and, if he can marry such forceful running with a continued end product, there may yet be space for him in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s thinking.

The foundation of the 2-0 win might have been laid in midfield, but steely defensive duo Thiago Silva and Alex also impressed, with the latter admitting he holds out hope of receiving an unexpected late World Cup call.

Sunday night was wall-to-wall positive news for PSG, who welcomed back Edinson Cavani back into the fold with a thumping header for the second as they moved eight points clear of Monaco and edge ever closer to the Ligue 1 title.