French whizz Matteo Guendouzi said he hopes he's embarking on a "big adventure" with Arsenal after a scintillating start which has drawn comparisons with the great Patrick Vieira. Matteo Guendouzi (R) has earned rave reviews in his first appearances for Arsenal. AFP/Roslan RAHMAN The 19-year-old midfielder, instantly recognisable by his long hair, had fans salivating in friendlies against Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in Singapore. Guendouzi, a strong tackler with confident distribution, was a dynamo at the base of midfield, where against PSG he played alongside the similarly hirsute Mohamed Elneny. Arsenal have long missed a midfielder of the stature of Vieira, a member of the "Invincibles" side, which went through the 2003/2004 Premier League season unbeaten. With only three appearances so far - also including this month's outing against Boreham Wood - it's early days for Guendouzi, an under-20 international signed from Lorient. But he said there was a positive … [Read more...] about Hair to the throne? Arsenal’s Guendouzi compared to Vieira
England 2003 world cup squad
Serbia defeat punctures Nigeria World Cup hype
Viet Nam News Football ABUJA — Nigeria’s 2-0 loss to fellow World Cup qualifiers Serbia in London this week served as a ’reality check’ to inflated World Cup hopes, according to team spokesman Toyin Ibitoye. Wins in recent friendlies over top-10 teams Argentina and Poland had boosted hopes of Nigeria’s 180 million people that this young side are capable of going beyond the country’s best performance of a last-16 finish in 1994, 1998 and 2014. "We hope to learn from this and correct our mistakes because this team have the ingredients of a great team and what is crucial now is how they react after this setback," Ibitoye said. "The loss to Serbia was a reality check." Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has in the past talked up the team’s potential to make history by becoming the first African side to win the World Cup this year. But the defeat by Serbia has brought the Super Eagles back down to earth with less than … [Read more...] about Serbia defeat punctures Nigeria World Cup hype
Brown, Robinson hand Capello double quit snub
Just hours after Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson said he was quitting, Brown, who was left out of the squad to face Hungary at Wembley on Wednesday, also called time on his international career. "After a lot of thought and with a very heavy heart, I have decided the time is right for me to retire from international football," said Brown in a statement. "At the age of 30 I feel it is right for me to stand aside and let younger players come through, which allows me to concentrate on my club career." Brown won 23 caps in an international career which began against Hungary in 1999. He was part of Sven-Goran Eriksson's 2002 World Cup squad in Japan and South Korea, but did not play a game. The United defender started in Capello's first two games in charge against Switzerland and France, but injury took hold once more and he failed to make Capello's squad for this summer's World Cup in South Africa. Robinson, the 30-year-old former Leeds and Tottenham 'keeper, had been named in the … [Read more...] about Brown, Robinson hand Capello double quit snub