Baggies hold Rangnick talks World Soccer Shop

West Brom have held talks with former Schalke and Stuttgart boss Ralf Rangnick as they step up their search to find Roy Hodgson's successor.

Rangnick: Talks with West Brom

Rangnick, 53, has emerged as the clear favourite to take over from new England head coach Hodgson. But reports that the Baggies have already made a formal offer to Rangnick are premature.

He first met with Albion officials when a guest of the club for the final home Barclays Premier League game of the campaign with Arsenal on May 13.

Compensation would not be an issue as Rangnick has been without a club since leaving Schalke eight months ago because of exhaustion.

He nudged ahead of Birmingham boss Chris Hughton after it emerged the npower Championship club were looking for around £2million in compensation.

Blues were also prepared to turn down Albion if they approached asking for permission to speak to Hughton who would then have had to resign to force the issue.

Rangnick had two spells at Schalke, leading them to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2010-11, in addition to a four year stint at Hoffenheim.

Source : http://soccer365.com//news/european_news/general/17454/baggies_hold_rangnick_talks

Euro 2012: Hodgson finalizes England squad

Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson has included Danny Welbeck and Glen Johnson in England’s final Euro 2012 squad despite the injury concerns surrounding the duo.

Welbeck picked up an ankle injury in the Manchester derby on 30 April 2012 following a speculative challenge from City midfielder Nigel de Jong.

The Dutch defensive midfielder has become notorious for his reckless play on the pitch. In 2010, the former Ajax star broke the legs of Stuart Holden and Hatem Ben Arfa.

Throw in the Dutchman’s karate kick on Xabi Alonso in the 2010 World Cup final and you’ve summed up De Jong’s game in a nutshell.

Welbeck enjoyed his best season in professional football for the Red Devils in 2011-12, bagging nine goals and four assists in 30 English Premier League appearances.

Furthermore, the 22-year-old Manchester-born striker tallied two goals in two UEFA Champions League games for United, while also netting two goals in the European Under-21 Championship.

Danny Welbeck is 6/1 to be England’s top scorer at Euro 2012, and 50/1 to be the top overall goalscorer in Poland-Ukraine.

Now then, onto Glen Johnson. The Liverpool right back has been bothered by an infected toe in recent days.

However, the toe injury won’t keep the Englishman out of this summer’s European Championships, which is definitely good news for England’s supporters.

Johnson registered one goal and three assists in 35 appearances for club and country in 2011-12, and is 66/1 to be the Three Lions’ top marksman at Euro 2012.

England’s 23-man Euro 2012 Squad:

Goalkeepers:

Joe Hart, Robert Green, Jack Butland

Defenders:

Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Leighton Baines, Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka

Midfielders:

Steven Gerrard, Theo Walcott, Frank Lampard, Ashley Young, James Milner, Scott Parker, Stewart Downing, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Forwards:

Andy Carroll, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Danny Welbeck

Euro 2012 Betting Odds: England

England are 1/2 to qualify from Group D and advance to the knockout stages of this summer’s competition.

In turn, the Three Lions are 17/10 to win Group D outright, with France given the same odds to top the group.

All things considered, I fancy Les Bleus to top Group D, with England advancing to the knockout stages after a second-place finish.

Not only are the French two-time European champions, but they have Karim Benzema, who missed the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, back in their side.

In addition, France have winger Franck Ribery at their disposal. The Bayern Munich play-maker is arguably the best player in Group D, and just recently ended his international goal drought against Iceland. That may just prove to be a lethal combination.

“It [scoring against Iceland] has done a lot of good for me and my loved ones,” said Ribery.

“It was becoming a weight on my shoulders and people were asking questions. At the same time, I am not a goalscorer, I like to make runs and good passes.

“But it did not surprise me because what I did [against Iceland], I had done for a whole year with Bayern and I just couldn’t understand why I failed to replicate this form with France.”

Which team will finish atop Group D in Euro 2012?

Source : http://www.soccernews.com/euro-2012-hodgson-finalizes-england-squad/95477/

Hodgson wants honesty from Barry

England manager Roy Hodgson will demand honesty from Gareth Barry over his groin injury before naming his Euro 2012 squad on Tuesday.

The midfielder was forced off less than 30 minutes into a substitute appearance during Saturday’s 1-0 friendly win over Norway, and requires a scan to determine the extent of the blow.

The scan could, however, be inconclusive, resulting in a dilemma ahead of the May 29 squad submission deadline over whether or not to select a player whose fitness is not assured.

“We only have a couple of days to sort it out and we can’t take any risks,” Hodgson told reporters.

“He is a very honest individual and whilst the scan will tell us a lot, if it doesn’t give us the answer we want I shall be having a very serious discussion with him. He will have to be honest with me and let me know exactly how it is.”

Should the Manchester City midfielder prove too much of a risk ahead of the tournament, the manager hinted that defender Phil Jagielka could be the chosen replacement from the standby list.

With only seven recognised defenders in the squad, the Everton centre-back could get the opportunity to build on his display in the November win against Spain and make up for missing the 2010 World Cup through injury.

“I am prepared to reconfigure,” Hodgson said.

“I am not necessarily looking to replace man-for-man in the midfield area because we have a lot of players in that area.”

Hodgson has received no further bad injury news, however, with Scott Parker suffering no ill effects from his recent Achilles problem and both Danny Welbeck and Glen Johnson improving.

Source : http://www.soccernews.com/hodgson-wants-honesty-from-barry/95386/

Eriksson: England will progress ´easily´

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Roy Hodgson’s side should ‘easily’ qualify from their Euro 2012 group.

Eriksson feels that, even without the suspended Wayne Rooney, England should have no problem advancing from Group D, which also contains France, Sweden and co-hosts the Ukraine.

In his column for the Times of India, the Swede wrote: “Despite Rooney’s unavailability, I would think that England should easily reach the knockout stage from the group and their real test should start from there.

“However, how far England would progress in the competition would depend on whether their experienced midfield stays fit throughout the tournament and how soon Hodgson can put together a perfect combination on the field.

“He gets two friendlies to work out what he wants to do in Ukraine and has already got off to a solid start with a victory against Norway on Saturday. I wish him the best for the tournament.

Eriksson feels Hodgson will be under more pressure to succeed given England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008 and the fact they have never won the competition.

“I have been the manager of England at the World Cup in 2010 and I know the pressure the English team manager has to handle,” he wrote.

“The pressure would be all the more on Roy Hodgson, since England had failed to qualify for the last edition of the competition and the fans would be expecting that their star players would bring home the trophy that has eluded them since the start of the championship.”

Source : http://www.soccernews.com/eriksson-england-will-progress-%c2%b4easily%c2%b4/95385/

Hodgson open to Jagielka option World Soccer Shop

England boss Roy Hodgson is expected to call Phil Jagielka into his Euro 2012 squad if Gareth Barry is ruled out by a groin injury.

Jagielka: Caught the eye - and could get his chance

Although Hodgson predicted a scan on the problem Barry suffered during the second-half of Saturday's 1-0 win over Norway would take place within 24 hours, it now transpires the assessment will not be made until Monday.

The chances of Barry satisfying Hodgson of his fitness before England's confirmed 23-man squad has to be submitted to UEFA on Tuesday lunchtime appear remote, although the Three Lions boss accepts he may have to take the Manchester City man on trust.

If Barry is ruled out, Liverpool's Jordan Henderson should, in theory, be the replacement as the midfield standby.

However, even though he won his third cap in the Ullevaal Stadium, Henderson has been below-par for long periods of his debut season on Merseyside and Manchester United's Michael Carrick might have been a better bet.

Hodgson has an alternative option though, especially now it seems certain both Danny Welbeck and Glen Johnson will be declared fit for this summer's finals in Poland and Ukraine after their recent scares.

Jagielka was outstanding alongside Joleon Lescott in central defence on Saturday.

It will not have gone un-noticed that Jagielka was also part of the England defence when they secured that excellent win over world champions Spain in November.

And it seems the Everton man will get the call.

"I am prepared to reconfigure," said Hodgson, when asked if he would be willing to replace a member of his midfield with an additional defender.

"I am not necessarily looking to replace man-for-man in the midfield area because we have a lot of players in that area."

James Milner proved his versatility by occupying a central midfield role against Norway, whilst Manchester United's Phil Jones has done the job for club and country.

It means England are not as vulnerable to Barry's absence as they were two years ago, when Fabio Capello selected the Manchester City man in his World Cup squad even though he was not fit enough for the opening game and failed to do himself justice even after that fateful draw with the United States.

"We only have a couple of days to sort it out and we can't take any risks," said Hodgson. "Gareth is a big man and when big men get injuries they sometimes takes a bit of time to heal.

"He is a very honest individual and whilst the scan will tell us a lot, if it doesn't give us the answer we want I shall be having a very serious discussion with him.

"He will have to be honest with me and let me know exactly how it is."

It was the same with Scott Parker following his recent Achilles problem.

The Tottenham midfielder repeatedly re-assured his manager he would recover in time and his 60-minute outing yesterday provided enough proof for Hodgson to turn an inquiry about Parker's health on its head.

"I don't understand the Parker question," he said. "I don't understand what anxiety I need to have over him.

"Every day I have asked him how he is feeling. Now he has given me the answer."

It means that Monday's medical bulletin is not being feared with quite the trepidation that might have been expected.

For, apparently, enough improvement has been shown by Welbeck and Johnson for Hodgson to allay any doubts over their involvement even if the former man in particular might not actually do any training before England depart for their base in Krakow on June 6.

"I am not worried about Glen Johnson. I am not worried about Danny Welbeck," said Hodgson. "We have sorted that one out.

"I am convinced they will be more than fit when they get on the plane to go to Poland."

Source : http://soccer365.com//news/european_news/general/17284/hodgson_open_to_jagielka_option

Kelly drafted in by England World Soccer Shop

England coach Roy Hodgson has added Liverpool defender Martin Kelly to his squad for Saturday's friendly away to Norway.

Kelly: Comes into England squad for friendly in Norway

Hodgson, who was recently appointed as the long-term successor to Fabio Capello, named his 23-man squad for Euro 2012 last week.

However, three of the seven out-and-out defenders selected in that squad have been given extra time off following Chelsea's Champions League win over Bayern Munich at the weekend.

Former captain John Terry, Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill will not join up with the England squad until next Tuesday, leaving Hodgson short of options for the game in Oslo.

To provide cover in his ranks, Hodgson has decided to turn to his old club Liverpool by drafting in Kelly for the match with the Norwegians.

Kelly has made 12 appearances in the Premier League this season and has featured 47 times for Liverpool in all competitions since making his debut against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in 2008.

The 22-year-old has won six caps for the Under 21s, scoring three times and was also a member of England's squad at the Under 20 World Cup in Egypt in 2009.

The Football Association has confirmed Kelly will return to Liverpool after the Norway fixture, with England then facing Belgium at Wembley on 2 June.

Source : http://soccer365.com//news/european_news/general/16937/kelly_drafted_in_by_england

Roy set for first England session World Soccer Shop

Roy Hodgson will start working with the bulk of the England squad for the first time when they report to their Manchester base on Wednesday.

Hodgson: Preparing for first training session as England boss

Hodgson has had to wait three weeks since becoming manager to link up with new skipper Steven Gerrard and the majority of the players chosen to play at Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine this summer.

The conclusion of the Premier League season and the need for players to take a short break before the summer exertions has delayed Hodgson's involvement with the squad.

It leaves the former West Brom boss just 19 days and two friendly internationals against Norway and Belgium to hone his plans before the Euro 2012 opener with France on June 11.

The players will undergo their first training sessions with Hodgson on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday before flying out to Oslo on Friday for the game with Norway the following day.

It is the first time they have been together since the 3-2 defeat by Holland at Wembley in late February - and it will be next week before a full compliment of players is at Hodgson's disposal.

The Chelsea contingent of John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill - plus stand-by player Daniel Sturridge - have been given extra time off after the club's Champions League heroics.

They will not report for duty until next Tuesday when England link-up at their accustomed Hertfordshire base ahead of the home clash with Belgium at Wembley on June 2.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is also working to the same schedule after playing with a minor injury during the latter part of the campaign.

But in any case Rooney is suspended for England's opening two Euro games and his first chance to be involved in the tournament will be against Ukraine on June 19.

Hodgson has still to decide whether Rooney will play against Belgium given that he has to make alternative plans against France and then Sweden. Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe and Danny Welbeck are the other striking options in the squad.

The main injury concern of the players reporting tomorrow continues to be Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker.

Parker, who skippered his country against Holland, was troubled by an Achilles injury during the latter part of the domestic campaign and he will be assessed by the England medical team.

Hodgson was optimistic about his chances when he announced his squad a week ago but will not make a final decision until May 29 - the date the final Euro squad needs to be submitted.

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson is on stand-by should Parker be ruled out.

Source : http://soccer365.com//news/european_news/general/16922/roy_set_for_first_england_session

International friendlies preview: Euro preparations commence

England will rest Wayne Rooney for their friendly with Norway after it was revealed he carried an injury towards the end of the season.

England manager Roy Hodgson also hinted that Rooney might miss England’s other Euro 2012 warm-up, against Belgium, a week later.

“He won’t be involved in the Norway game and I don’t know whether I will select him for Belgium at this stage,” Hodgson said.

His absence will give Hodgson a chance to decide who he will use up front for England’s first two group matches in next month’s tournament with Manchester United striker Rooney suspended for those games.

Norway turn their attention to their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign having missed out on a place in Poland and Ukraine, and will be looking to impress at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo.

In other action, world and European champions Spain play Serbia in Switzerland, with coach Vicente del Bosque calling up Chelsea pair Fernando Torres and Juan Mata into his Euro 2012 warm-up squad.

The recall boosts Torres’ hopes of being included in Del Bosque’s final 23-man squad, which will be named early next week.

Serbia, who failed to qualify for Euro 2012, will be led by new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic for the first time.

Elsewhere, Switzerland host another tournament favourite, Germany, in Basel, while fellow Group B competitors, the Netherlands and Portugal, go in as favourites against Bulgaria and Macedonia respectively.

Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland take on Slovakia, while fellow Group A rivals, Greece and Russia, play Slovenia and Uruguay respectively.

The current South American champions, Uruguay, are warming up for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers and sit undefeated and equal first on the standings after three matches.

And ahead of CONCACAF’s next qualifying stage, the USA host Scotland in Florida and Honduras play New Zealand.

World Cup preparations will also be in full swing when El Salvador meet Moldova and Costa Rica host Guatemala.

In other friendlies, Czech Republic play Israel, Denmark will face a stern test against Brazil, Ireland meet Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia should have little trouble in overcoming Estonia.

Source : http://www.soccernews.com/international-friendlies-preview-euro-preparations-commence/95066/