Patrick Vieira retires from France to focus on Man City, Nikola Zigic returns to camp, Martin O’Neill Inspired by Gareth Bale
Patrick Vieira’s aim:
In what could’ve been Vieira’s last World Cup, the former Arsenal midfielder was not included in the 23 man squad, and therefore didn’t take part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He therefore announced retirement from International football, effective immediately, and stated he would now focus completely on his club, Manchester City. He vowed to fulfil the promises he made to his manager Roberto Mancini, Brian Marwood and club chief executive, Garry Cook. He stated that these people trusted him with a job and he looks to repay them, and that would be his foremost aim. Vieira may well be happy of not joining the French squad in South Africa, as France failed to win a single match, and were eliminated in the first round.
Vieira was, however, devastated with France’s performance in the World Cup, and felt bad about how things transpired on the pitch. He claimed that he watched all the games in the hope that France succeeds but sadly they didn’t. He declared that every French player who didn’t make it into the squad must have been disappointed, and may have thought that had they played, they may had made the difference. He however said that he never had that choice, and respected the Coach’s decision.
France have had a tough year in football, having qualified for the World Cup following a controversial handball from veteran Thierry Henry. They never looked like the squad who would reach the final (like they did in the previous World Cup), but many expected them to atleast reach the Round of 16. Vieira was distressed with the fact they weren’t able to even qualify for the next round.
Nikola Zigic to return early to camp from holiday:
The tall Serbian forward, Nikola Zigic, is called back from holiday from his new club Birmingham City, with whom he signed a four year deal. Zigic is a former Valencia man, and signed with Premier League side Birmingham City in order to have a taste of English football.
Alex McLeish, manager of Birmingham City, called the striker back so that he can have enough time to adapt to the English style of play. He is expected to join his squad in time for their pre-season tour to Hong Kong, which starts from 14th July. Zigic was not a regular in Valencia, and this may have been the reason why McLeish called him back early from his holidays. Birmingham paid a hefty 6 million pounds for the tall striker, and expects him to fully cope with the club’s style of play. The manager was convinced that calling him in mid-July would give the striker a lot of time to adapt to the style of play. He added that he would be showing Zigic some footage of the previous season, which would give him an in-depth view on how the team plays. The manager was vocal about Premier League’s rough and tough style of play, and considered it to be the most ruthless league in terms of aggression. He, however, expects Zigic will fit right in, as he is a tough and strong player.
Martin O’Neill wants underachieving players to follow Gareth Bale’s example:
Many players of Aston Villa, including Steve Sidwell, Nicky Shorey and Luke Young, are all nearing the end of their deal at the club, and none of them have been impressive enough to be given new deals. Martin O’Neill, the Aston Villa manager, has urged his players to follow the example of Gareth Bale, who worked hard and has hit top form for his club, Tottenham Hotspurs.
He pointed out Bale’s performance, and recommended his players to follow his example, and try to up their game. He added that Bale was not a top player initially, but proved to be one when he worked closely with Harry Redknapp, and is now a regular for his team. He added that players need to play well in order to make an impact, and force the manager to make them start in every game. Only then will they be able to completely make a name for themselves, and establish their careers.
He also praised James Milner’s ability and stated that his performance cemented his place in the starting XI of the club, and confirmed that any player who would step up and play a better game would also earn a starting XI place.
Tags: