Tag Archives: royce

How will Spurs cope without Ledley King?

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King of the Lane ends his reign as injury-hit defender forced to retire

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UPDATED:

20:32 GMT, 19 July 2012

Fantasy football 2012

Ledley King's retirement prompts
questions about what might have been for the former Tottenham defender
but the issue for Spurs now is what happens next.

King announced on Thursday he was
quitting football at the age of 31, after years of battling injuries and
with no cartilage remaining in his left knee.

Calling time: Ledley King has retired

Calling time: Ledley King has retired

HAVE YOUR SAY…

Could Ledley King have been the best defender of his generation
King, who has captained Tottenham since 2005 and has suffered from chronic knee problems in recent years, has announced his retirement.

ledley King

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

He departs after 323 first-team appearances and 14 goals for Tottenham, the club he joined when he was 14 and with whom he won the Carling Cup in 2008.

He earned 21 England caps, scoring two goals, but the numbers don’t do justice to King’s enormous talent in central defence. His hampered movement and lack of speed began to be exposed in the second half of last season, but you can’t help but wonder what he might have achieved if his body had been as strong as his impeccable reading of the game.

England man: King won 21 international caps and scored twice

England man: King won 21 international caps and scored twice

Those silken performances, delivered in
recent years after training only in the gym or pool, once prompted
former manager Harry Redknapp to liken King to a Rolls-Royce. Spurs
chairman Daniel Levy called King ‘one of the most gifted
players in the history of the club’ and Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon
urged the club to retire King’s No 26 shirt. ‘The best defender I’ve
ever played with or against,’ Lennon added on Twitter. ‘He will be
missed greatly. Legend.’

King told Tottenham’s website: ‘I have missed a lot of football over the
years, but the Spurs fans have always been patient and incredibly
supportive with me. Sadly my injuries and inability to train have now
finally brought an end to my career.

Injury plagued: King career was blighted by injury

Injury plagued: King career was blighted by injury

‘Tottenham is a second home for me. I have been here since I was a boy, I
have always considered it my club and have always found it hard to
imagine wearing the shirt of another team.

‘I know that being a one-club man is a rarity these days, but I have
always enjoyed being part of the set-up here and the challenge of
putting this club with the elite where it should be.’

King’s loyalty — and the club’s allegiance to a defender who has played
only 44 matches in the past two seasons — means he will continue to
represent Spurs as an ambassador. A testimonial match will also take
place at the end of this season.

Silver lining: King lifted the Carling Cup after Spurs beat Chelsea in 2008

Silver lining: King lifted the Carling Cup after Spurs beat Chelsea in 2008

Andre Villas-Boas praised King’s ‘tremendous past’ last week. This feels
like the right decision for King, but now the Spurs boss must try to
replace him.

Numbers are not the problem, with William Gallas and Sebastien Bassong
linked with moves away from White Hart Lane, but finding the right
partnership may take time and that is in short supply if Villas-Boas’s
bid to win the title is to be a realistic one.

New signing Jan Vertonghen, 25, will be making his debut in the Premier
League this season, most likely alongside Younes Kaboul or Michael
Dawson. Steven Caulker is another intriguing option.

How Tottenham cope with life after Ledley could be the key to their chances of success this season.

Early days: King made his debut in 1999

Early days: King made his debut in 1999

Alex Song is playing well – Jamie Redknapp"s weekend watch

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Arteta has been a great signing… he lets Song strut his stuff

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UPDATED:

22:00 GMT, 25 March 2012

He's on Song

Mikel Arteta has been a good signing for Arsenal and his arrival has brought the best out of Alex Song. Arteta has been sitting deep and that has given Song the licence to play further up the field. It’s easy to pass it simply, but he has been hitting match-winning passes. Terrific vision and execution, almost like Paul Scholes in his heyday. He’s not getting enough credit for it.

Improvement: Alex Song has been fantastic in a more attacking role

Improvement: Alex Song has been fantastic in a more attacking role

More from Jamie Redknapp…

Jamie Redknapp's Weekend Watch: Time for Man City to send for a firework
11/03/12

Jamie Redknapp's Weekend Watch: See Naples and die
04/03/12

Jamie Redknapp: King is a defensive Rolls Royce
02/03/12

Jamie Redknapp's Weekend Watch: True Reds, true winners
26/02/12

Jamie Redknapp: Winning a trophy is Kenny's obsession
24/02/12

Jamie Redknapp: Maverick Tevez can still help City win the title
15/02/12

Jamie Redknapp's Weekend Watch: A sorry affair at Old Trafford
12/02/12

Jamie Redknapp: My family has gone from one storm to another… but I prefer this one
09/02/12

VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

Pulling through

Nobody would have wanted to play Bolton at the weekend. They used the outpouring of emotion that followed the hospitalisation of Fabrice Muamba as a positive, rather than as an excuse. Bolton have handled themselves very well over the past week, nobody more so than Owen Coyle, their manager. But they have been poor this season and it shouldn’t have taken this for them to liven up.

Never a winger

I was at Stamford Bridge and when Fernando Torres came on with 15 minutes remaining, I feared the worst. He is enjoying a mini revival at Chelsea and has been showing more effort, but they stuck him out on the right wing — just where Spurs wanted him! Torres is not, and never has been, a right winger, but that decision by Roberto Di Matteo shows just how much his stock has fallen.

You're on trial

Kenny Dalglish will be hurting after the weekend, but be sure it’s the Liverpool players who are on trial for the remaining games of this season. I will give them the benefit of the doubt. For the majority of the new signings, it is their first time at a big club where it’s not good enough to play well every other week. There is still a lot to play for and they can end up with two cups.

The best yet

Peter Crouch scored the goal of the season and possibly one of the best goals in Premier League history against Manchester City. You think of Paolo Di Canio’s volley, David Beckham from the halfway line, but if Wayne Rooney or Robin van Persie had scored it, we would be talking about it forever. Has Crouch blasted his way back into the England reckoning

Unbelievable: Peter Crouch scored an amazing goal

Unbelievable: Peter Crouch scored an amazing goal

Quality Arfa

The first 45 minutes of football by Newcastle at West Bromwich was the best I have seen from an away team this season. Newcastle’s front three of Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse and Hatem Ben Arfa caused havoc. Ben Arfa produced his best form in a Newcastle shirt. He is an enigma but in that form he is worth the hassle.

Falling short

If you still do the pools, West Ham will be bringing you cheer with five successive draws; a lot more than they seem to be bringing pleasure to their own fans, who expect promotion and seem to be watching it slip away. It’s a month since once of their strikers scored and No 9 Carlton Cole has only got one goal in 2012 — against Millwall on February 4. That has to improve.

Exquisite: Hatem Ben Arfa starred in Newcastle's great performance

Exquisite: Hatem Ben Arfa starred in Newcastle's great performance

On the way up

Jordan Rhodes could have left Huddersfield in the transfer window, with West Ham keen to sign him. He stayed, scored the winner against League One leaders Charlton on Saturday and has now scored 35 goals this season, a post-War club record. I wrote in this column earlier this season that he should stay and his chance will come higher up the food chain. It was the right decision.

Huddersfield Giants warn St Helens off Nathan Brown

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Brown's no Saint! Huddersfield warn St Helens off their boss after Simmons sacking

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UPDATED:

23:25 GMT, 19 March 2012

Hands off: Nathan Brown

Hands off: Nathan Brown

Super League leaders Huddersfield Giants have issued a ‘hands-off’ warning to St Helens over boss Nathan Brown.

Struggling Saints sacked coach Royce Simmons on Monday, naming performance chief Mike Rush as acting coach.

Brown leaves at the end of the season, after four years at the Giants.

And reacting to Brown being installed as bookies’ favourite to replace Simmons, managing director Richard Thewlis said: ‘We have a great relationship with our coach, who we are determined will leave our club with silverware at the end of this year.

There will be no changes to our plans.’ Brown said: ‘I am going nowhere. I have a job here until the end of this season and that’s that for me.’

Royce Simmons axed by St Helens

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Simmons axed in St Helens shake up as Cunningham and Rush take temporary charge

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UPDATED:

09:27 GMT, 19 March 2012

St Helens have parted company with head coach Royce Simmons just seven matches into the Stobart Super League season following the club's disastrous start.

Simmons, who was in the second year of a two-year contract, guided Saints to a fifth successive Grand Final last October but has paid the price for the club's worst ever run in the summer era.

Saturday's 12-8 loss at Bradford was their fourth straight defeat and they have taken just a point from their last five matches, their worst run since 1985.

Axed: St Helens have parted company with Royce SimmonsAxed: St Helens have parted company with Royce Simmons

Axed: St Helens have parted company with Royce Simmons

Simmons' right-hand man Kieron
Purtill has also stepped down and Saints have appointed head of
performance Mike Rush as acting head coach, with former captain Keiron
Cunningham as his assistant

St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus
said: 'Our season has got off to a difficult start and it is best to
make change sooner rather than later.

'We have every faith in Mike Rush and
Keiron Cunningham. They each know the club inside out and have all the
experience together to take us forward.'

Huddersfield 17 St Helens 16

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Huddersfield 17 St Helens 16: George inspires Giants to close gap at top

Huddersfield winger Luke George scored his second hat-trick of the season to help the Giants to a thrilling win over St Helens that takes them to within a point of Stobart Super League leaders Warrington.

George's third try, a 90-metre spectacular created by man of the match Danny Brough, was the highlight of a dramatic second half in which both teams had their chances to take the points.

St Helens, who led 12-4 at half-time, scored their third try through Ade Gardner eight minutes from the end to close the gap to a point but Jonny Lomax failed with the touchline conversion.

On the way: Huddersfield's Luke George goes over to score his side's first try

On the way: Huddersfield's Luke George goes over to score his side's first try

Saints have now taken just a point from their last three matches and, more worryingly, lost influential hooker James Roby with a knee injury.

Roby, generally thought to be indestructible, fell into a heap following a tackle from Huddersfield winger Jermaine McGillvary 27 minutes into the match.

He bravely attempted to play on but was forced to hobble a couple of plays later.

Fortunately for Saints, they had a more-than-adequate replacement in the versatile Lance Hohaia, who has played hooker with distinction for New Zealand, and he helped to fill the considerable void.

After watching his side concede 70 points in their previous two matches, St Helens coach Royce Simmons will be delighted with their improved defence but they met their match in the tigerish Giants.

Clash: Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook is tackled by Huddersfields' Kevin Brown

Clash: Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook is tackled by Huddersfields' Kevin Brown

St Helens were shaken by the early enthusiasm of their hosts, who took the lead in the 16th minute when George took Luke Robinson's pass to finished decisively at the corner for his first try.

It took Saints some time to find their rhythm but half-backs Lee Gaskell and Lomax gradually began to boss the game.

It was Gaskell who brought the visitors level in the 28th minute, jinking his way through the Giants defence, and Lomax's conversion edged them ahead for the first time.

The game was still finely balanced when Huddersfield centre Leroy Cudjoe misjudged the pace of Lomax's grubber kick on the last tackle and, after believing the ball was going dead, watched in agony as the Saints scrum-half dived on it for a crucial score.

Hat-trick hero: Luke George

Hat-trick hero: Luke George

Lomax's second goal established an eight-point lead but it was down to just two five minutes into the second half when Kevin Brown and Michael Lawrence combined to get George over for his second try and Brough landed the touchline conversion.

Brough missed a chance to level the scores midway through the second half when he put a penalty kick wide but he more than made amends when he set up what proved to be the match-winning try.

The scrum-half collected Gaskell's kick five metres from his own line and bemused the back-pedalling Saints defence on a glorious 50-metre run before finding Scott Grix, who sent George over for his third try.

Brough's conversion was this time successful after the ball amazingly rebounded off both uprights as well as the crossbar and, as if to emphasise, he could do little wrong, he extended his side's lead to five points with a drop goal.

That was to prove decisive when St Helens winger Gardner squeezed over at the corner to make it 17-16, with Lomax's conversion attempt well wide.