FOCUS Milan’s biggest regret: Simone Verdi, the Italian Ronaldinho

AC Milan may be all high and mighty right now, but there’s one Italian name Adriano Galliani wishes he could add to his AC Milan teamsheet: that of Simone Verdi. 

 

The Bologna midfielder has been grabbing headlines for weeks now with his positive displays, smashing in spectacular goals against Sampdoria and Sassuolo.

 

What isn’t often mentioned is that the 24-year-old used to play for Milan’s youth setup, before beginning a long journey which took him to Juve Stabia, Empoli, Eibar and Carpi. Believed by some to have lost his way, the midfielder toughened up during his travels, learning that he needed to give 110% if he was going to survive, and that his indisputable class wasn’t going to be enough.

 

Remembered in Milan for pulling off Ronaldinho-like magic, Verdinho made his Rossoneri debut aged 17 against Novara in the 2011 Coppa Italia.

 

Now an untouchable cog in Roberto Donadoni’s Bologna, Verdi is now seen as a potential surprise inclusion by Italy Coach Giampiero Ventura, something the gaffer has actually admitted. Beyond that, the youngster leads a calm life, often being picked up by his brother and parents after training and enjoying a quiet life outside of football.

 

Who knows how much this quiet Ronaldinho will fetch if he keeps this up?

More games: friv

Video: No Ronaldinho, no problem for Goa as they grit out a 2-2 draw against Kolkata

In the other game of the evening, a scorcher from Mumbai's Romulo went through the back of the net.

The Goa 5's started their home leg of the Premier Futsal league on Tuesday in haggard shape. Their best player, some would argue the best in the tournament, Ronaldinho had left them midway, due to other commitments. His replacement, former Brazilian captain Cafu, was yet to join them.

To make matters worse, in front of their fans, they trailed 0-2 to the Kolkata 5's thanks to two exceptional goals: one from Pula, who twisted around to fire in a long-ranger, and the second from Carioca, who received the ball with his back towards goal and proceed to embarrass the goalkeeper.

But despite being under the cosh, Goa displayed tremendous resilience to force their way back into the match. A blistering counter-attack from Vampeta allowed him to easily side-step it past Kolkata's keeper Cidao. Three minutes later, in an almost similar move, Cidao came miles off his line and was suitably punished by Vampeta again, as Goa came back from a two-goal deficit to escape with the honours even.

There were silky skills on display in the other game of the evening, a closely-fought contest between Mumbai and Chennai. Foglia put Mumbai ahead 1-0 after muscling the ball away from Chennai skipper Sean Garnier. However, Chennai were level soon via the skipper, who chested Nanda's cross into the net.

Romulo gave Mumbai the lead again with an absolutely scorcher, burning its way through the net, before Chennai levelled again via a fierce shot from Angellot. Chennai even took the lead for the first time through another Angellot goal, but Mumbai's comeback was spearheaded by the wily Ryan Giggs who showed tremendous presence of mind to run onto a pass and direct it goalwards.

Then, in the last quarter, Foglia gave Mumbai a vital 4-3 victory after placing another goal between the keeper's outstretched legs. Thus, Mumbai became the first team to book their place in the semi-finals.

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Euro 2016: France are still waiting for the real Paul Pogba to turn up

If he does, starting with the game against Albania in Marseille on Wednesday, expect plenty of 'Pogmania' in the tournament.

A dictionary about Paul Pogba would read: 1) La Pioche: The Pickaxe, as midfield pivot; 2) Pogiba: for his dribbles during the last World Cup; 3) Il Polpo Paul: Paul the Octopus, for his long legs that look like tentacles while tackling or running; 4) Pogboom: for his explosive style and energy on the pitch.

At Euro 2016, "Pogmania" may also become mainstream vernacular – not a moniker for his sublime skills, brute brawn and midfield motion, a combo French fans have been enchanted by, but a reference to Pogba’s outings, projectively steeped in grace and glory, at the European Championship.

Yet, last Friday in France's opening game against Romania, Pogba didn’t star for the hosts. He was subdued, if not anonymous. West Ham’s Dimitri Payet darted and dazzled on the wing, at times bamboozling defenders with his nifty footwork. Then, with Les Bleus in despair, stalled by stage-fright and anguish, Payet received the ball outside the box, slid inside and let fly a Beckham-esque shot, regal in curve, radiant in finality.

Payet’s goal had a French chic, in line with the zip and oomph of his Premier League season for West Ham United. When the fourth official showed his number, the enormity of his feat struck. Tears welled up in his eyes and he left the field to a rapturous applause.

An underwhelming start

Pogba watched it all from the bench. French coach Didier Deschamps had substituted his No 15 for Manchester United’s Anthony Martial after 77 indifferent, and slightly underwhelming, minutes. Pogba has somehow always underachieved with Les Bleus, and rumours are circulating that Deschamps is prepared to axe his poster boy.

It's not that Pogba didn’t try. In the opening exchanges, the 23-year-old was a zealot, one of eleven in fact, but, for much of the 90 minutes, he drifted in and out of the game. He struck a neat volley, which Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu parried. Overall, he played disappointingly.

At Juventus, Pogba enjoys an attacking role, but Deschamps asks him to play deeper for France. The French midfield, however, looked laboured, slow in both ball circulation and transition. Pogba got a bit exasperated, at odds with his many pursuits this tournament. He has always wanted to be the best after all.

Ingrained competitiveness

Pogba cultivated that ingrained competitiveness in Roissy-en-Brie, an eastern suburb of Paris, where he grew up and played with his elder twin brothers, Mathias and Florentin, against bigger and stronger boys. Pogba senior had dreamed of a professional career and wanted his sons to succeed. He had them study videos and quizzed them.

Today, Paul, Mathias and Florentin are all internationals. The twins play for Guinea. At an early age, they enrolled at the local club US Roissy-en-Brie. Paul Pogba moved to Le Havre, a French club famed for its youth development, and, then, at the age of 16, to English giants Manchester United.

His spat with Sir Alex Ferguson remains nebulous. Pogba, so focused on self-improvement, felt alienated and frustrated with the Scotsman’s persistent promise of playing minutes at the highest level. In his last season in England, Pogba got seven cameos at senior level, but his discontent simmered.

He left for Juventus with an explicit motive: first team action and game development. Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal became tutors for technique, aggression and passing abilities. He added a latent steeliness to his game, derived from the physical and tactical encounters in the Italian Serie A.

At the 2014 World Cup, Pogba’s youthfulness led to inconsistency. Wilson Palacios of Honduras wound him up in the opening game and his retaliation deserved a red card. Rio Mavuba and Patrice Evra pleaded with Pogba to calm down. Against Ecuador, Pogba was ominously quiet, but he came good with a goal in the round of 16 against Nigeria.

The new midfielder

On the back of another Italian championship with Juventus this season, Pogba is more mature, more decisive, the way he wants it to be. The Frenchman once said that he wants to be "the new midfielder". When asked to elaborate, he projected a science-fiction player, who can defend, attack, score, give assists, tackle, win back the ball and be a leader on the field, all at the same time – a surreal concoction of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta.

In real terms, Pogba is an avant-garde decision maker, who in a split second executes game play all over the field, a box-to-box midfielder, a number eight, but with a touch of Zinedine Zidane. His ambition is to become a legend of Zizou’s magnitude. Zidane’s 1998 World Cup win was celebrated as a triumph for Les Bleus’ multicultural DNA.

Pogba is both black and a Muslim, the son immigrants and from Paris' suburbs. He can carry those values and emotions forward and, in his own right, transcend the French game. He must, however, improve his performances, starting with the game against Albania in Marseille. If he does, expect plenty of "Pogmania" in France.

Ronaldinho eyes return in second half of year

Rio de Janeiro, May 6: Ronaldinho has vowed to return to football later this year as he seeks to kickstart his stalled career.

The 36-year-old former Barcelona star has not played competitively since ending a disappointing two-month spell with Rio de Janeiro outfit Fluminense last September, reports Xinhua.

"At the moment I'm only getting involved in [promotional] events but in the second half of the year you can be sure that I'm going to play again," Ronaldinho told reporters at an event in Sao Paulo on Thursday night.

In March, Ronaldinho's brother and manager, Roberto Assis, said the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner was hoping to sign with a club in the US or China.

He added that the attacking midfielder had ruled out returning to a Brazilian outfit. 

Ronaldo and Ronaldinho eliminated from Legends World Cup

The star quarter-final clash is undoubtedly Lionel Messi vs the late, great Johan Cruyff, while Pele, Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo were among those who won their bouts.

World Cup-winning former Brazil forward Ronaldo was the most high profile of the eight eliminated Legends World Cup stars as Cristiano Ronaldo came back from behind in the final few hours to topple his namesake.

The current Real Madrid No.7 edged the vote with 51 per cent of of the 54,000 votes cast in the 48 hours leading up to the full-time whistle, despite being behind the retired Ronaldo for most of the race.

Another close-fought battle came between Barcelona icons Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, which the Argentine edged with 51% of the vote too.

Ronaldinho did the equivalent of scoring after the whistle had been blown by overtaking Messi once the voting deadline had passed, but it was too late to stop Messi from sealing a quarter-final tie with the late Johan Cruyff, who saw off competition from Alfredo Di Stefano.



Without doubt the closest battle was between Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas and Dutch icon Marco van Basten. The footballing giants were separated by just SIX votes of the 6,062 cast upon the deadline, with Puskas winning the photo finish.

The Hungarian has a quarter-final game against Diego Maradona to look forward to on Saturday. The Argentine made light work of his contest with fellow cult icon George Best.

The winner of that last-eight battle will face either Pele or Zinedine Zidane in the semi-finals. The Brazil phenomenon eased past Eusebio while Michel Platini faced the biggest thrashing of the last 16 with just 17% of the tally against Zidane.

The final last-16 spot went to Paolo Maldini having won the battle of defensive giants against ex-West Germany skipper Franz Beckenbauer, meaning he lined up a last-eight tie against Ronaldo.

Legal eagle wants to lift S.League to new heights

TODAY reports: “My primary goal as club chairman is to support Singapore football and bring back the passion and belief that, in my opinion, have been lost in recent years,” says Tampines Rovers chairman Krishna Ramachandra.

SINGAPORE: He snapped up nine top players from the disbanded LionsXII side, secured a deal with Ronaldinho to set up the Brazilian legend’s football academy in Singapore and, if all goes to plan, he may soon make the S.League’s long-time dream of a former English Premier League star plying his trade here a reality.

That is the remarkable job Krishna Ramachandra has done in his short tenure as Tampines Rovers chairman since taking over from Teo Hock Seng back in November last year.

In just two months, the 44-year-old lawyer has created more buzz in the S.League than the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) could over the past few years — which is exactly what he wants to do.

“My primary goal as club chairman is to support Singapore football and bring back the passion and belief that, in my opinion, have been lost in recent years,” said Krishna in an interview with TODAY.

The father of three — two boys and a girl — said he grew up in the generation of the Kallang Roar and tries his best to watch matches at the National Stadium whenever possible. And he hopes to see that recreated in the coming years.

“Everyone loved the Kallang Roar,” said Krishna, who is the head of Duane Morris & Selvam’s Corporate Finance and Investment and Private Client Practice Groups. “If I can recreate the nostalgia and emotion felt in those days through Tampines, it would be remarkable.”

With such eye-catching collaborations and big-name signings on the agenda, one wonders where the Stags are getting all the resources from. “That’s a good question,” answers Krishna with a laugh.

“The FAS and the S.League have been incredibly supportive with their subsidies and, apart from that, we are still blessed to have the funding from our main sponsors, Hyundai.”

Taking over from Teo, who led the Stags to five S-League titles, was never going to be an easy task, but Krishna, who was recommended for the job by his predecessor five years ago and spent the subsequent years as his understudy, said he has been relishing the experience so far.

“Mr Teo was a great mentor and his style of leadership and management is inspirational,” said Krishna.

“So far, it has been exciting and I can feel a positive buzz around the club. The fact that there are volunteers who want to help out convinces me that there is an innate enjoyment and desire to embrace football, which makes my job much easier.”

BALANCING YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND ACHIEVING SUCCESS

He plans to focus on two main areas in the next five years in his efforts to bring back the lost glory to local football: Youth development and helping the current crop of National Football Academy and national team players to aspire and strive for greater things.

Said Krishna: “For me, these are two philosophies that work hand in hand. There needs to be a right balance of both and one must not be shunned for the other. Or else it won’t work out.”

With so many national players in the squad, and with Jermaine Pennant waiting in the wings, it is clear that Tampines are favourites for the S.League title.

The Stags finished second last season, ceding the domestic crown to Brunei side DPMM. Some observers have even tipped the Stags to make a real impact in regional competitions such as the AFC Cup this season, and the AFC Champions League in future.

However, Krishna is not getting carried away just yet.

“Enjoy the game, I say that to the fans and that’s what I always tell the players as well,” he said. “I don’t want to pressurise the players.

“In fact I would be more than happy if they set their own targets because, as a team, they know what they can achieve.”

Ronaldinho Has Offers From England and No Plans to Retire

Brazil legend Ronaldinho has offers on the table from English clubs and is not considering retiring just yet according to his brother Roberto de Assis Moreira who acts as his agent.

The 35-year-old recently left Fluminense, prompting questions of whether 'Dinho was ready to finally hang up his boots.

His brother, however, has dismissed such talk, revealing that the Barcelona icon's body is 'in perfect condition' and that his competitive attitude will ensure he keeps playing football.

"I have had more than one call from England," he said according to The Sun (via ​Joe.co.uk). "My brother is a competitor. He loves to win. That is what people do not realise about him.

"He still wants to play. He has never had serious injuries; his body is in perfect condition.

"I think he has three or four years left to him, maybe more."

While technically a free agent at the moment, Ronaldinho is set to take the pitch for Fluminense once more as the club take part in the Florida Cup this month.

Fluminense president Peter Siemsen ​confirmed the news last month while speaking to Radio Tupi.

He said: "Ronaldinho and Fluminense maintain a great respect for each other. And for the American market is very attractive brand of player."

Is this Former Chelsea Superstar, the Best Man to Play at Arsenal after David Seaman?

Many have criticised the transfer policy of Arsene Wenger over the years, the fact that he does not spend enough to strengthen his squad has often come back to haunt him in the long road of the Premier League title race. We have seen how his teams have capitulated post-December either due to a dip in form or the numerous injuries, which for some reason happens more at Arsenal than any other club.

While Arsenal are still reeling under the problems of injuries to players this season, one signing was all the French manager made for the club. That was the signing of experienced Premier League veteran Petr Cech from Chelsea. It was a surprise to see Jose Mourinho give up such a talented football to a direct rival and it has paid off for Arsenal this season.

Petr Cech Arsenal

While Arsene sent Szczesny out on loan at Roma, Petr Cech didn’t start the season in the best way by conceding two goals in a 2-0 home loss against West Ham United but his performances have gotten better as the season has progressed and he has added something to the Arsenal backline that has been missing since the days of David Season, authority and dependability between the sticks.

Cech could be the best goalkeeper in years for Arsenal

David Seaman is a legend at Arsenal, apart from the World Cup in 2002 when Ronaldinho caught him off his line, the Arsenal goalkeeper is probably one of the best English goalkeepers to have played the modern game and Arsenal have lacked someone even remotely as good as Seaman over the years.

It isn’t due to a lack of options, Arsenal have tried a range of goalkeepers, starting from the hot-headed Jens Lehmann to Lukas Fabianski to Manuel Almunia, almost every goalkeeper has had their follies which has cost Arsenal sometime or another. Even the latest signing, David Ospina had a recent howler in the Champions League which cost Arsenal at least a draw at home.

Petr Cech is a leader at the back, Arsenal have needed someone like this for years and at only 33-years-old, Cech, unlike most other positions which require players to mull retirement at this age, can continue notching up appearances and performing to the highest level. Just like Gianluigi Buffon, Cech can play for years on end and as in the case of most goalkeepers, get better.

Petr Cech

Arsenal didn’t buy any outfield player in the summer transfer window, unheard of in the Premier League context, but the signing they made was one of the most important. Cech has experience of winning titles, medals and of leading from the back. The defence will be accentuated with the composure and reliability of Cech, we saw that against Liverpool where the Czech goalkeeper did extremely well to keep the likes of Coutinho and Benteke out.

Cech might have been one of the more economical buys in this transfer window but in the case of Arsenal, he could be their greatest buy this season and easily is the best goalkeeper they have got since the days of David Seaman. The question that needs to be asked is, can Arsenal win the league with this squad?

The three secrets of Barcelona star Neymar's adaptation

When Neymar Jr goes out to play he turns the pitch into a huge canvas. He comes from the classic Brazilian school. The Barcelona No 11 is a prodigy of individual technique. His happiness, like with Garrincha, comes from dribbling.

Neymar, however, differs from his compatriots, by being the first "crack" from his country that has run his career so far in a 100 per cent professional way.

From when he exploded at Santos FC in 2010, at just 18, a project was organised around him to give him the fundamentals to go on and win a Ballon d'Or. 

With his family company NR Sports, it wasn't just about image rights, but a comprehensive vision encompassing speech therapy, psychology, 'media training' and personalized fitness. 'Ney' was formed on and off the pitch.

"Neymar Jr is a perfectionist, sometimes it's better to say nothing because he's obsessed, he knows perfectly where he's gone wrong and can improve," said his coach at Santos, Muricy Ramalho. 

The main challenge Ney had when arriving at Barcelona was not to compete with Messi, and much less stoke up memories of Ronaldo, Romario, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. His opponent was himself. His process of adaptation was completely different to the 4Rs - all of them had come to the Camp Nou after playing for a different European club. 

His professional environment took work. Neymar's father told SPORT: "Neymar Jr is a Brazilian footballer who comes from a culture that trains twice a day and plays many more game. The first year we realized that the culture of Europe is a single workout with more intensity, Neymar needed to know how the new system worked." 

And after the first year, Neymar and his father decided to establish in Barcelona their own sports structure, with two professionls from Santos FC, whom they knew perfectly: Ricardo Rosa as a trainer and the physiotherapist Rafael Martini. They subsequently denied that the decision did not sit well with some of the Blaugrana coaching staff.

"We coordinated with Barcelona and introduced his own trainer and a physiotherapist, we judge it necessary to leave Neymar in the best possible physical condition along with the club and the results have come - Neymar has a higher percentage of finishes [in games], we managed to protect him from injuries," said his father.

"It is true that Neymar has gained muscle mass, but we are looking for other things, this structure is to prevent certain injuries occurring, preventive work is done."

Meanwhile, the forward was very receptive to the indications of the club. "The club nutritionist changed his diet," added his father. "Culturally this is something difficult for Brazilians, who have a base of rice and beans."

"Everything changes with respect to Brazil. Schedules, habits need to adapt and we have done everything possible to speed up this process, last year this was ok, we won the treble, and this year we go for more!"

Ronaldinho struck down with virus

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ronaldinho has been ruled out of Fluminense's next two Brazilian Serie A matches due to a virus, the club said on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old missed Fluminense's 3-1 defeat to Flamengo on Sunday after complaining of fever and muscle soreness.

Doctors ordered the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner to rest after he underwent tests on Tuesday, newspaper O Globo reported.

Ronaldinho has made six appearances for Fluminense since joining the Rio de Janeiro club in July.

He has yet to score and was jeered by fans during the team's 2-1 loss to Atletico Mineiro on August 30.

Fluminense will meet Coritiba away on Wednesday followed by a trip to Sport Recife on Sunday.

The four-time Brazilian Serie A winners are currently ninth in the standings with 33 points from 23 matches.

Done Deal: Liverpool seal transfer for 'over-achieving' attacker who idolises 'Ronaldinho' and Gerrard

Over the last couple of months, a whole host of Academy players have secured long and short-term loan deals, and promising winger Ryan Kent is the latest youngster to leave the club on loan.

On Thursday, Liverpool FC posted the following confirmation on the club's official twitter account:

"Liverpool FC can confirm that Ryan Kent has completed a youth loan move to Coventry City".

The Liverpool Echo further clarified:

"The 18-year-old winger will join Tony Mowbray’s League One outfit on a youth loan until January".

Reacting to the deal, Mowbray enthused:

“He [Kent] is my type of footballer. He can handle the ball, play off both feet, travel with the ball and play anywhere behind that main striker, so it makes sense".

Kent - who is yet to feature for Liverpool's first team - added:

"Coventry are a club with a lot of pedigree, with a lot of good players, and a good manager and I can't wait to get started. I hope I can bring a lot of flair and energy to the team."

Kent's description on the official LFC website:

"A dynamic winger who can play on the left or right side, Kent loves to take on defenders and cause endless problems for the opposition".

Hmmm. A 'dynamic winger' who can play 'left or right', and 'loves to take on defenders'. Well, it's not like Liverpool need a player of that description right now, is it?

Steve McManaman certainly thinks that Kent is destined for great things. In May, he told the Liverpool Echo:

“Sheyi (Ojo), Ryan Kent and Harry Wilson, when they attack players, they’re very, very confident and they’re playing very well. I think they’ve come on leaps and bounds this year, I’m really impressed. If anything they’re over-achieving".

Kent - who idolises Ronaldinho and Steven Gerrard - is the same age as Jordon Ibe, so why didn't Rodgers just keep him in the squad and give him a chance to make an impact?

Ronaldinho in need of rest at Fluminense

Ronaldinho had a quiet game as Fluminense beat Paysandu in the Copa do Brasil yesterday, being substituted after 70 minutes and is not yet at his best according confirmed to his coach Enderson Moreira, who wishes to give the former AC Milan star a little rest despite his club’s hectic schedule.

Moreira told gathered press that it would not be easy to do without his side’s playmaker: "We had a fitness program for him already. But the big problem is the sequence of games. You will see the injuries that will effect all teams. This will be true of muscle injury or glitches. We saw Ronaldinho a little tired today and the idea is to let him rest for the match against Joinville. But we'll see after the trainings how he feels. "

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 12th (NB: this is not necessarily Jacob Steinberg’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 12th

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker): 1,500-1

The reaction will be like a knowing tut from your mum when you cheerfully ignore her pleas to wear a jumper before venturing outside into the cold and return home with a sore throat and an all-consuming desire for sympathy.

If West Ham find themselves shivering in the winter months, they will not be able to say that no one warned them about the consequences of letting go of Sam Allardyce. They have been told repeatedly and ploughed on regardless, paying little heed to the received wisdom that saying goodbye to Allardyce is asking for relegation.

The one snag in that theory is that Newcastle United were relegated not because they sacked Allardyce but because Mike Ashley was presiding over a shambles, Bolton Wanderers went down five years and three managers after his decision to leave and Blackburn Rovers, well, Venky’s were too busy concentrating on signing Ronaldinho and David Beckham to hire a proper manager. It is true that West Ham are playing a dangerous game by trusting that Slaven Bilic represents an upgrade on Allardyce a year before their move to the Olympic Stadium, and Thursday night’s defeat at Astra Giurgiu means the team go into the Premier League season having already been knocked out of Europe, but it is not guaranteed that they will struggle domestically.

West Ham needed a fresh start after four years of grumbling about Allardyce. His relationship with the board and supporters had reached the point of no return at the end of last season. Although he won promotion in his first season and established West Ham in the Premier League by instilling a tougher mentality at a club whose players have had the attention span of Homer Simpson confronted by a dog with a puffy tail in the past, there was always discontent over the style of football, which was perceived to be negative and dull. Allardyce could have sneezed on the touchline and the crowd would have taken it as a sign that he was sticking 10 men behind the ball.

The reality of the Allardyce era lay somewhere between the stereotype of constant tedium and his Allardici self-hype. His football could sometimes be invigorating if one had an open mind about it, especially when Andy Carroll’s absence forced him to think outside the lump-it-in-the-box template in the first half of last season and he hit upon a diamond formation which brought the best out of Stewart Downing. However the manner of West Ham’s plummet from the top four after Christmas sealed Allardyce’s fate and a dreadful run of results convinced the owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, not to offer him a new contract. Injuries did not help Allardyce’s cause but those who insisted he had run out of ideas pointed out that he was overseeing relegation form: West Ham’s only league wins in 2015 came against Burnley,Hull City and Sunderland.

So in comes Bilic, a charismatic former West Ham defender who enjoys the backing of the crowd for now, although anyone who recalls the rancour that followed the Croatian’s controversial move to Everton in 1997 knows that attempts to depict his appointment as an emotional homecoming are slightly wide of the mark.

Bilic is still popular in east London, however, and it has been likely that he would be West Ham’s manager one day ever since his Croatia side made an impression on people in this country by qualifying for Euro 2008 at England’s expense. He has always wanted to manage in England and, unlike Allardyce, he will endear himself to supporters by saying the right things. In Turkey he was seen as something of a politician during his time at Besiktas and that charm, his appreciation of knowing what people want to hear, should buy him more time if West Ham do not hit the ground running.

A manager’s utterances should not be that important, yet they do matter in times of adversity. Although Allardyce was abrasive and never got to grips with understanding West Ham, his immense self-confidence gave him a thick skin despite the criticism that flew his way throughout most of his tenure and ensured that his players respected him.

Pinteres

 Stewart Downing impressed last season but has left for Middlesbrough. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

It is not that Bilic will be a happy-clappy cheerleader, constantly banging on about the West Ham Way and the undisputable fact that they won the World Cup in 1966, but the early impression is that he will bring a touch more glamour and excitement than Allardyce. He is the kind of person who instinctively appeals to supporters and another populist move was the addition of Julian Dicks, a West Ham legend, to Bilic’s staff. Dicks managed West Ham Ladies last season, but he does not have much coaching experience.

Equally, however, Besiktas were unable to use their stadium because of construction work during Bilic’s two years there and their title challenge last season was held back by their Europa League campaign. They pushed Arsenal hard despite losing 1-0 on aggregate to them in their Champions League play-off last August, they took four points off Tottenham Hotspur in their Europa League group and beat Liverpool on penalties in the round of 32. However a source of concern is that Bilic was not appointed in the immediate aftermath of Allardyce’s departure. It had been widely accepted that Allardyce was going by the time he left on the final day of the season but Bilic was not installed until 9 June.Whether these changes will prove enough on the pitch remains unclear and it is not immediately obvious that Bilic is a better manager than Allardyce, who, for all his faults, understands the demands of English football. Bilic had a positive impact with Croatia and they were unfortunate to lose a dramatic quarter-final on penalties to Turkey at Euro 2008. His time at Lokomotiv Moscow was a disappointment and he did not win the Turkish league with Besiktas.

West Ham were frustrated in discussions with other managers. David Moyes decided to prolong his stay at Real Sociedad, Unai Emery could not be tempted away from Sevilla after they qualified for the Champions League and Rafael Benítez surprisingly decided to accept an offer from Real Madrid instead. Marseille’s Marcelo Bielsa also featured in the club’s thinking. In the end, they plumped for Bilic.

Preparations for the new season have not been ideal, with West Ham’s unexpected entry into Europe via the Fair Play League forcing them to start their season with a qualifier against the Andorran part-timers of FC Lusitans on 2 July. They have been mixing pre-season friendlies with competitive, meaningful matches and it has not been straightforward doing so while some players have been missing, others have been getting up to speed and transfer business is still being conducted.

Reading too much into pre-season games is a waste of time, but a couple of unconvincing performances have made the mood more cautious. A side that was packed with reserves needed penalties to beat Malta’s FC Birkirkara on penaltiesin the second qualifying round and how very West Ham that they should qualify for Europe because of their fine disciplinary record and then pick up three stupid red cards in their first five matches. Diafra Sakho and James Tomkins reacted to provocation against Lusitans and Birkirkara respectively, and West Ham squandered a 2-0 lead against FC Astra Giurgi after James Collins was sent off for two quick bookings in the first leg last week.

Ultimately going out to Astra on Thursday night might have be a blessing in disguise. West Ham finished 12th last season, which hardly suggests that they are equipped to deal with the demands of the Europa League. Better sides than West Ham have struggled to recover after their exertions on a Thursday night and their squad lacks depth. The priority is staying up; imagine the embarrassment if West Ham’s final season at Upton Park ends with them going down and beginning the Olympic Stadium era in the Championship.

That is the worst-case scenario, although with a couple more additions in key areas, West Ham should be strong enough to finish in mid-table. They played well for an hour against Astra. Bilic used a 4-3-1-2 formation which had Dimitri Payet operating in a free role and the French winger can be expected to dazzle after his arrival from Marseille. Tempting Payet to West Ham is a sign of ambition, assuming he settles in England and that he does not turn out to be more of a Rémy Cabella than a David Ginola. Payet created plenty of goals for Marseille last season.

However the 2-2 draw with Astra was marred by Enner Valencia’s injury. Shortly after Valencia had given West Ham the lead with a powerful header from Payet’s cross, he was taken off on a stretcher. The good news is that he does not need surgery on his knee and ankle and should be out for roughly 10 weeks rather than the six months that were initially feared. The bad news is that Valencia’s absence means that with Andy Carroll not expected to return from his knee injury until October, West Ham are one Sakho injury away from having to rely on Modibo Maïga and Mauro Zárate up front.

What will Bilic have planned for Carroll when he returns? Carroll was Allardyce’s biggest signing at £15m from Liverpool two years ago but he has been blighted by injuries at Upton Park, every promising run of form scuppered by another lengthy spell on the sidelines. As likable as the big striker is, he is veering dangerously close to being written off as a dud. Yet although he may not be an automatic starter under Bilic, he can still be a hugely effective option, not least when he is paired with another striker. His lack of pace makes West Ham predictable, easy to defend against and too quick to launch the ball long when Carroll plays on his own up front.West Ham must sign a striker, because Maïga is out of his depth and Zárate is a luxury player who hangs on to the ball for too long. They are trying to get a work permit for Atlético Madrid’s Mexican forward Raúl Jiménez and are also targeting Queens Park Rangers’ Charlie Austin. Jiménez was not prolific for Atlético; QPR will need to lower their £15m valuation of Austin.

They were at their most devastating as an attacking force last season when Sakho and Valencia started together. Sakho surely would have scored more than 12 goals after joining for £3.5m from Metz if his season had not been prematurely ended by a thigh injury in April and the pair were pivotal in West Ham’s victories over Liverpool and Manchester City during the autumn.

Pintere

 What will Slaven Bilic do with Andy Carroll when the striker is fit? Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Image

That was when West Ham were playing with a diamond in midfield. Downing was superb in that system and watching him link up with Payet would have been a delight – yet he was allowed to follow his heart and move back to Middlesbrough. Payet was supposed to complement Downing rather than be his replacement and his departure has left West Ham searching for another creative player.

Matt Jarvis has no end product and even less confidence, Morgan Amalfitano is too inconsistent to start regularly, Martin Samuelsen is only 18 and West Ham have taken a punt on Manuel Lanzini, a 22-year-old Argentinian forward who has joined on loan from Al Jazira Club in Qatar. For what it is worth, Lanzini’s nickname is The Jewel and will hopefully turn out to be more useful than the last South American player brought in from Qatar, Nenê. Payet will need some more assistance than just Lanzini and West Ham are targeting Barcelona’s young Croatian, Alen Halilovic.

Another Barcelona player who could join is Alex Song, who was on loan at West Ham last season. He made them tick before Christmas and although his form fizzled out, signing him on a permanent basis would undeniably be a coup. The deal was held up after Song injured an ankle.

If it goes through, he will slip into a midfield that already has a solid look to it. The versatile Cheikhou Kouyaté had an outstanding debut season in England and Mark Noble is dependable, while Pedro Obiang was highly rated at Sampdoria.

Diego Poyet, neat and tidy, will hope to be involved more and Reece Oxford, who is only 16, has been assured as a defensive midfielder in pre-season, but Kevin Nolan’s best days are behind him. The captain is too slow, although he can be a useful ally for Bilic in the dressing room if he is ready to accept a reduced role.

Leadership should not be an issue, though. West Ham’s defence will be tough to penetrate if Bilic organises the team well. In goal, Adrián has developed into a cult hero, saving more than his fair share of penalties, and will be backed up by Darren Randolph, a free transfer from Birmingham City.

The right-back will be Carl Jenkinson, who has joined on loan from Arsenal again, and the diligent Aaron Cresswell will continue on the left. Joey O’Brien will provide cover for Jenkinson, Stephen Hendrie for Cresswell after his arrival from Hamilton Academicals.

Bilic’s options at centre-back are enviable. Winston Reid’s partner is likely to be Angelo Ogbonna after the Italy international left Juventus and Tomkins and Collins are able deputies. The Canada international, Doneil Henry, will push for recognition, while Reece Burke has impressed during a few cameos. Allardyce was content with only three centre-backs, a gamble that backfired on a couple of occasions, but West Ham have competition for places now.

There are holes that need to be filled elsewhere, but many of the pieces are there for Bilic, who needs to assemble them in the right order quickly. West Ham are in a unique position, the pressure on them to stay up more extreme than it has ever been. Relegation this season would be disaster from both a financial and PR perspective. Leaving Upton Park will be enough of an emotional wrench without people queuing up to tell them how misguided they were to get rid of Allardyce come the end of the season.

Ronaldinho: My legs are trembling

The veteran revealed his desperation to pull on a Fluminense shirt for the first time after completing his move to the club

Ronaldinho says his legs are "trembling with desire" to play football after joining Fluminense on a free transfer.

The 35-year-old left Mexican side Queretaro earlier this summer after spending last season with the club, but still retains the drive to play on.

He said: "It's good to return for a big club. I'm very happy and motivated.

"I wanted to play after seeing the stadium (Maracana) and the fans with all their support. My legs are trembling with desire to play. On July 27th, I start preparations."

Ronaldinho added that his decision to join the club was the result of his desire to lift the Brazilian championship - a title that has so far eluded him during his career.

"If I could be on the field today, I would. It proves my desire to make history in this club," he continued.

"What motivated me is a title that I don't have, Brazilian championship. It motivates me a lot. It is a great club with great players, we have everything to be champions."

The former Brazil international had also been linked with Vasco da Gama but said there was never a firm offer on the table.

"It's my brother that talks to clubs. I talked with other players here in Fluminense to find out how everything is here, it motivated me. The rest I leave with my brother.

"Fred told me about life at the club and living in Rio - I hope we can be successful together."

'Lionel Messi is Pele of this generation'

Former Brazilian football player Juliano Belletti says his ex-Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi is the "Pele of this generation". 

Rio de Janeiro: Former Brazilian football player Juliano Belletti says his ex-Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi is the "Pele of this generation".

Messi returned to his best in the second half of the season to inspire the Catalan giants to a treble but came under criticism once again following Argentina's defeat in the Copa America final.

Belletti, who bagged two La Liga titles and one Champions League with Messi at Camp Nou, says the Argentine does not deserve the severe jeers from his countrymen.

"Messi is the Pele of this generation. I do not understand the criticism of him in his own country. You cannot criticise a player like Messi. But it also happened to Ronaldinho in Brazil," Belletti was quoted as saying by goal.com.

The Brazilian also jumped to the defence of his countryman Neymar, who was red carded in the Copa America during the group stage and then was suspended for the rest of the tournament.

"He's young. People think he's older than he is. He still has time to mature. He should rest well and have a good holiday because he deserves it," the former defender said. 

Ronaldinho's top five Barcelona goals

On Sunday afternoon, Ronaldinho was unveiled as a Flamengo player at the age of 35.

Since 2011, the playmaker has been plying his trade in his native Brazil and Mexico, yet it was during a five-year stint at Barcelona where he truly made his stamp on club football.

As he prepares for a new adventure with the eighth club of his career, Sports Mole has selected five of the best goals that the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year scored while at the Camp Nou.

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5. Real Madrid (November 2005)

Such was the standard of performance that Ronaldinho produced at the Bernabeu, many supporters of Real Madrid - Barcelona's most bitterest of rivals - stood to applaud the Brazilian. He scored twice in a 3-0 victory, the first of which was particularly memorable. Having accelerated away from a sliding Sergio Ramos, Ronaldinho cut inside a wrong-footed Ivan Helgura, before sending a low shot inside Iker Casillas's near post as the Madrid goalkeeper anticipated an effort across the face of his goal.

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4. Osasuna (February 2004)

For much of the 2003-04 La Liga campaign, Barcelona's position in the top four and subsequently their place in the following season's Champions League was under threat. But, this winner against Osasuna lifted Barca into fourth spot and from that moment onwards the going was much smoother. When Edgar Davids drilled the ball back into the home side's penalty area, there was still plenty for Ronaldinho to do. Yet, he made light work of lifting the ball over Alfredo and then smashing a volley into the bottom corner of the net. It secured a first victory for Barca away in Osasuna for some 10 years.

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3. Chelsea (March 2005)

Barcelona may have exited the Champions League to their Premier League counterparts in this round of 16 encounter, but Ronaldinho was still able to contribute one of the competition's best ever goals. Twenty yards from goal and with Ricardo Carvalho in close proximity, Barca's number 10 shimmied, dummied and faked all on the spot to open up just enough space for him to toe-poke a shot beyond a rooted Petr Cech in the home goal.

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2. Villarreal (November 2006)

Barcelona have scored a number of memorable goals against Villarreal in recent years, but few have been better than this one from Ronaldinho, who earlier in the game had fired in his 50th league for the club. The chest control from a trademark Xavi cross forced Ronaldinho away from the target, but rather than allow the ball to drop, he instead took virtually everyone by surprise with an acrobatic overhead kick that whistled into the roof of the away side's net.

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1. Sevilla (September 2003)

If Ronaldinho was feeling any pressure on his home La Liga debut in Barcelona colours, he certainly didn't show it. Having inherited possession just inside his own half, Ronaldinho - with his famous long hair bobbing around wildly - proceeded forward with haste. Now deep into Sevilla territory, he danced away fromJose Luis Marti and Francisco Casquero before he lashed a thunderbolt shot past visiting goalkeeper Antonio Notario and in off the underside of the crossbar. All in all, it wasn't a bad way for Ronaldinho to open his Barcelona account following a summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain.