Great Dane Football Blog loves TIFO's as much as we love the game, so here is the 5 best from YouTube to make your Friday just a bit better.










5. Inter Milan surprised their team with a great TIFO before the UEFA Champions League Final 2010


4. Real Madrid has their own TIFO group, who made this before a Barcelona match


3. But their counterpart Barcelona also knows how to make a TIFO


2. However, Bayern Munich makes it so much better


1. But is it Dortmund that impress the most with their TIFO against Malaga last season


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The transfer rumours still keeps coming despite the fact that there  are 2 months to the window opens. Great Dane Football Blog gives you an update!


Sunderland will take their time appointing their new manager (The Daily Mail) - Probability: High

Sergio Ramos could leave Real Madrid in favour of a move to Manchester City, as Madrid refuses to give a higher pay (The Sun) - Probability: Low


Tottenham is hoping to add another young foreigner to the club, as they are preparing a bid for Athletic Bilbao forward Ibai Gomez (The Sun) - Probability: Medium


Juventus are keeping an eye on Romelu Lukaku, and is hoping to bring him to Italy next summer (The Mirror) - Probability: Medium

Tottenham is hoping to buy Tom Ince for £5m during the January transfer window, and then loan him back to Blackpool for the rest of the season (The Sun) - Probability: High








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It's time for the Wednesday Predict on the Premier League! Going in to 7th Round of the Premier League, some of the teams have played European football during the week; will it have an impact on the weekends results?



Manchester City v Everton

City of Manchester Stadium
05-10-2013 @ 12.45 UK








Manchester City(4-4-2): Hart; Zabaleta, Nastasic, Kompany, Kolarov; Navas, Touré, Fernandinho, Nasri; Aguero, Negredo.

Injuries: Demichelis (Knee). Doubts: None. Bans: None.

Everton (4-3-3): Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Barkley, Barry, Gibson; Naismith, Lukaku, Mirallas.

Injuries: None. Doubts: Alcaraz (Lack of match fitness), Koné (Knee), Pienaar (Muscle). Bans: None.

The Manchester City players will have a mid-week match against Bayern Munich in their legs, but that should not keep them from getting a good result against Everton on Saturday. That said The Toffees have played well so far this season and is at the moment 4th in the Premier League. There is no doubt that both teams have everything to play for in this match, and we will Romelu Lukaka will be eager to add to his goal account. However, Manchester City playing at their best will be a tough job for Everton why I believe this match will end in a win for the home side.



Liverpool v Crystal Palace

Anfield Road
05-10-2013 @ 15.00 UK









Liverpool (3-4-1-2): Mignolet; Touré, Agger, Sakho; Henderson, Lucas, Gerrard, Enrique; Moses; Suárez, Sturridge.

Injuries: Allen (Hamstring), Cissokho (Ankle), Coates (Knee), Coutinho (Shoulder), Johnson (Ankle). Doubts: None. Bans: None.

Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Speroni; Ward, Gabbidon, Mariappa, Moxey; Dikgacoi, Bannan, Jedinak; Puncheon, Chamakh, Jerome.

Injuries: Bolasie (Hamstring), Delaney (Ankle), Hunt (Ankle), Murray (Knee), Williams (Ankle). Doubts: McCarthy (Lack of match fitness). Bans: None.

It will be a hard challenge for Crystal Palace when they clash with Liverpool on Anfield Road. The Liverpool attack has become even stronger after Luis Suarez has returned from his ban, and together with Daniel Sturridge the Palace defends can run into some serious problems. Crystal Palace have had a hard time in their first Premier League matches, and the many injured players, at the moment, does not ease the task for Ian Holloway. This match only has one winner, and that is Liverpool.


Hull v Aston Villa

Kingston Communications Stadium
05-10-2013 @ 15.00 UK








Hull (4-4-1-1): McGregor; Rosenior, Faye, Davies, Figueroa; Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Livermore, Meyler; Aluko; Graham.

Injuries: Brady (Hernia), Koren (Foot). Doubts: None. Bans: None.

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Guzan; Bacuna, Clark, Vlaar, Luna; Westwood, El Ahmadi, Delph; Weimann, Kozák, Agbonlahor.

Injuries: Benteke (Hip), N'Zogbia (Achilles), Okore (Knee). Doubts: Agbonlahor (Knock), Weimann (Knock), Westwood (Thigh). Bans: None.

Hull finds themselves 8th in the Premier League after the first 6 matches, and can be well satisfied with their start of the season. Just like Hull, Aston Villa is in the top ten early in the season, but will have to do without the team's top scorer Christian Benteke for this match. The Belgian forward is out with a hip injury and will probably be replaced by Kozák or Helenius. However, this might not make any difference as the two teams look's much equal at the moment. This match could end with a small victory for Hull or a goalless draw.



Fulham v Stoke 

Craven Cottage
05-10-2013 @ 15.00 UK









Fulham (4-2-3-1): Stockdale; Riether, Amorebieta, Hangeland, Richardson; Sidwell, Parker; Ruiz, Berbatov, Kacanilik; Bent.

Injuries: Briggs (Hernia), Dejagah (Calf), Stekelenburg (Shoulder). Doubts: Hughes (Thigh), Parker (Calf).

Stoke (4-4-1-1): Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Pieters; Walters, Wilson, N'Zonzi, Arnautovic; Adam; Jones.

Injuries: Muniesa (Groin). Doubts: Etherington (Head). Bans: None.

Fulham is still struggling in the bottom of the table after last week's loss to Cardiff, and they are in desperate need for a win to turn the table. Meanwhile, The Potters from Stoke lost against Norwich last week and needs 3 points to keep distance to the relegation battle. However, it is still early in the season, but none of the team wishes to be stuck in the lower part of the table when October ends. Fulham still haven't won at home this season, why Stoke in my opinion are favorites for the win on Saturday.




Cardiff v Newcastle United

Ninian Park
05-10-2013 @ 15.00 UK








Cardiff (4-3-3): Marshall; Théophile-Catherine, Caulker, Turner, Taylor; Gunnarsson, Medel, Kim Bo-Young; Odemwingie, Campbell, Whittingham.

Injuries: Cornelius (Ankle). Doubts: None. Bans: None.

Newcastle United (4-3-3): Krul; Debuchy, Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon; Anita, Sissoko, Cabaye; Ben Arfa, Cissé, Remy.

Injuries: Gutiérrez (Hamstring), R Taylor (Knee), S Taylor (Hamstring), Ameobi (Knock). Bans: None.

Just like Swansea did in their first season, Cardiff have played well in the Premier League and made some surprising results. The next opponent is Newcastle looked as they had found their old level until last week when they lost 2-3 to Hull. Both teams will probably start in a 4-3-3 formation with some very strong attacks. Despite having players as Ben Arfa, Cissé and Remy in the front Newcastle attack, however, seems to lack some confidence while Cardiff's Campbell is showing great form.





Sunderland v Manchester United

Stadium of Light
05-10-2013 @ 17.30 UK







Sunderland (4-4-1-1): Westwood; Gardner, O'Shea, Cuéllar, Colback; Johnson, Cattermole, Ki, Giaccherini; Larsson; Altidore.

Injuries: Bardsley (Foot), Brown (Calf), Fletcher (Shoulder). Doubts: Dossena (Thigh). Bans: None.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Jones, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Fellaini, Carrick; Valencia, Rooney, Young; van Persie.

Injuries: Fletcher (Illness), Keane (Knee). Doubts: Cleverley (Knock). Bans: None.

Manchester United denies they are in a crisis, but with a bad result against Sunderland there can be no doubt. The champions are currently 12th in the Premier League before meeting Sunderland who is still looking for a new manager. There is no doubt that the moral in both squads is low, but if Manchester United manages to get a good result in the Champions League tonight, it might just be enough to get them back on track.


Norwich v Chelsea

Carrow Road
06-10-2013 @ 13.30 UK








Norwich (4-4-1-1): Ruddy; Martin, Bassong, Turner, Olsson; Snodgrass, Tettey, Howson, Redmond; Fer; van Wolfswinkel.

Injuries: Bennett (Knee). Doubts: Bassong (Hamstring), Garrido (Thigh), Redmond (Thigh). Bans: None.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole; Ramires, Lampard; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Eto'o.

Injuries: Kalas (Leg). Doubts: None. Bans: Torres.

After two games without victory, Norwich managed to take 3 points with them against Stoke last week. This week Chelsea is the opponent at Carrow Road, in a match where the Londoners are huge favorites. The Blue army won in Bucharest on Tuesday and find themselves 5th in the Premier League before this match. The fact that a win can bring them back in top 3 should be enough for Mourinho's men.



Southampton v Swansea
Friends Provident St Mary Stadium
06-10-2013 @ 13.30 UK








Southampton (4-2-3-1): Boruc; Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw; Schneiderlin, Wanyama; Lallana, Osvaldo, Davis; Lambert.

Injuries: None. Doubts: None. Bans: None.

Swansea (4-4-1-1): Vorm; Rangel, Amat, Chico, Davies; Dyer, Cañas, Shelvey, Routledge; De Guzmán; Michu.

Injuries: Hernández (Hamstring), Tate (Hamstring). Doubts: Rangel (Ankle), Williams (Ankle). Bans: None.

Southampton outplayed Crystal Palace last week while Swansea seemed to have control over Arsenal, but ended up loosing 0-2 to the Gunners. Now, the two teams meet in a match that historically will end in a draw. The last two meetings between the two sides ended in a 0-0 and 1-1 draw, and this match could well go the same way.



West Bromwich v Arsenal

The Hawthorns
06-10-2013 @ 16.00 UK









West Bromwich (4-2-3-1): Myhill; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Yacob, Mulumbu; Amalfitano, Sessegnon, Sinclair; Anelka.

Injuries: Brunt (Groin), Foster (Foot), Vydra (Hamstring). Doubts: Anelka (Knock), Morrison (Knock), Sinclair (Hamstring), Thorne (Lack of match fitness). Bans: None.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Arteta, Ramsey; Rosicky, Ozil, Wilshere; Giroud.

Injuries: Cazorla (Ankle), Diaby (Knee), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Knee), Podolski (Hamstring), Sanogo (Back), Walcott (Pelvic), Zelalem (Knock). Doubts: None. Bans: None.

West Bromwich took a surprising victory against Manchester United last week, and are keen on delivering another one against Arsenal. However, the Gunners are in their best form for years and are full of confidence after Tuesday's win against Napoli. West Brom will have to play up to their best against this Arsenal team with Mesut Özil in top form. That said, they have the ability to tease the slow Gunners defens with their pace, but by the end of the day Arsenal is just that stronger at the moment.



Tottenham - West Ham

White Hart Lane
06-10-2013 @ 16.00 UK








Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Rose; Dembélé, Paulinho; Townsend, Eriksen, Sigurdsson; Soldado.

Injuries: Adebayor (Personal reasons), Capoue (Ankle), Lennon (Foot). Doubts: Kaboul (Thigh), Rose (Ankle).

West Ham (4-3-3): Jääskeläinen; O'Brien, Tomkins, Reid, Rat; Morrison, Nolan, Noble; Diamé, Maiga, Jarvis.

Injuries: Carroll (Foot), Cole (Hamstring), Diarra (Knee). Doubts: None. Bans: None.

Tottenham is playing the season in good form and can make their way back to the 1st position in the Premier League with a win against West Ham. West Ham, on the other hand, needs a win to keep themselves away from the relegation line in the bottom of the league table. Christian Eriksen and Tottenham walks into this match as the favorites and are expected to get a good result against The Hammers, who on paper is the weakest team. There is no doubt in my mind; Tottenham wins.
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After more than 26 years with Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager, Manchester United is going through a troubled period with the new manager, David Moyes.

Every football fan knew that taking over for Sir Alex Ferguson would be the world's hardest job, and it has shown to be for David Moyes. 6 matches into his first season with the Red Devils, United is 12th in the Premier League with only 7 points; the worst start for the club in many years. Some might blame the manager, but here at Great Dane Football Blog the players seems to be the problem.

After the Ferguson era, Manchester United is going through a transition with a new manager, who at the same time needs to make his mark on the squad and bring in some new names. Let's face it, the squad have a couple of players who never reached the level hoped for with Ferguson as manager, and who are not worth their weekly pay.

Among the goalkeeper's, Anders Lindegaard never managed to grab the chance when he got it, and will be better of finding somewhere else to guard the goal. The same matters for Ben Amos who is not even close to getting in action. As long as De Gea keeps performing more or less stable none of the two reserves will get a chance, and it might be better for the club if they find a goalkeeper with a higher level than Lindegaard and Amos. However, finding a new goalkeeper should not be the main target for the next transfer window.

Looking towards your old manager?
Manchester United have one of the most routine defenses with Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra, but all three of them have reached an age where their career is lacking towards an end. That said, the squad has some very talented and young players in Rafael, Fabio, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. However, players with more Premier League experience are needed for the future why a name as Leighton Baines will be a pleasant add to the squad.

The midfield is probably the greatest problem for United. Paul Scholes retired for his second time this summer, and the midfield needs a man like him. Darren Fletcher is currently out with a long term illness and Ryan Giggs is probably not fit enough for a whole season. Meanwhile, United has players as Anderson and Ashley Young who are simply not worth the money they are paid. Moyes have brought in Fellaini from Everton in a try to close the gap on the midfield, but first of all United needs to get rid of the marginal players and spend the money more wisely on class players and real talent. Ross Barkley could be a future star on the Manchester team.

In front, Manchester United has a very good attack with van Persie and Rooney as the stars. Danny Welbeck will never reach the same level as the two first, but he is a well qualified reserves. However, it would not harm United to bring in a real goal maker to help van Persie. Here, a man as Christian Benteke would be an obvious transfer target.
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For the first time in many years, Arsenal have had a good start of the season while Napoli are proving that they can play football without Edison Cavani.


Arsenal V SSC Napoli
Champions League Group F
Arsenal Stadium
01-10-2013 @ 19.45 UK









How are the two teams form?

Arsenal are in front of the Premier League after a promising start with 5 wins and a single loss and are walking into the match with confidence. This weekend they won against Swansea despite being without some of the profiles on the team, why we can expect to see some of the reserves tomorrow, as well.

Napoli is going to be one of the most exciting teams to follow this season as they are going into a new era after Edison Cavani left the club earlier this summer. So far it is looking promising as the team is leading the Serie A.

The two sides met in a preseason cup at Emirates this summer, where the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

What are the probable lineups?

Arsenal is without a number of profiles including Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott for this match. The Italian visitors is currently without the midfielder Christian Maggio.

Szczesny

Sagna - Koscielny - Mertesacker - Monreal

Arteta - Flamini

Wilshere - Ozil- Gibbs

Giroud
______________________________________________

Higuaín

Insigne - Pandev - Callejón

Hamsik - Behrami

Amero - Britos - Cannavaro - Zuninga

Reina

What to expect from this match?

Both teams have started the season in great form, and this is very promising for the match. Furthermore, Arsenal and Napoli might end as the two teams battling for the win in Group F why a victory tomorrow can be vital.

I expect both teams to show some great attacking football, and hope to see a few goals. There is no doubt that both sides strikers are way  pacier than the opposite defenders and that turn out to be a battle within the match. The question is; which defends is the strongest?

What are the odds?

According to Oddschecker.co.uk, most bookmakers have Arsenal as favorites with odds 1. Meanwhile, a draw gives back 27/10 and a Napoli win 14/5 at BetVictor.
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OB.dk
  • Name: Kasper Larsen
  • Age: 20 (25-01-1993)
  • Position: Centre Back
  • Club: Odense BK (OB)
  • International Caps:
    • Denmark U21
      • 5 matches / 0 goals
    • Denmark U20
      • 3 matches / 0 goals
    • Denmark U19
      • 13 matches / 1 goal
    • Denmark U18
      • 7 matches / 0 goals
    • Denmark U17
      • 13 matches / 1 goal
    • Denmark U16
      • 6 matches / 1 goal
  • Value: £300.000
Christian Eriksen, Rasmus Falk and Daniel Høegh are all players from Odense's youth department who have managed to break through in the best Danish league and for Christian Eriksen in Europe. Now, the youth department have fostered another talent with a high potential; Kasper Larsen.

Like many other boys in Denmark, Larsen started playing football in a very young age as he started in the local club Sanderum Boldklub at the age of 5. After almost 7 years in Sanderum, the talent decided to try himself out in Odense and joined the U15 squad even though he was only 13-years-old, and it was not an easy start for Larsen:

“I played for the U15-team, along with Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Falk, and had some problems at the start. However, as time went by I developed and became a regular part of the youth team."

Not only did Larsen become a regular part of the U15-team, he managed to become a regular starter for all of the youth teams he played for in Odense, despite being repositioned from the attaching midfield to the centre-back. A position where he achieved his first Danish International youth matches, as well. Since he was 15-years old, the defender have won 47 caps for Denmark's youth teams and is one of the leading players on the current U20 national team. The defender is more than happy with his career for Denmark:

"I have had some great experiences with the youth national teams, and have been a significant part of every one of them, so it is something I appreciate."

After breaking through as a defender, Larsen started training with the Superliga squad in OB from the summer 2011 and was given his debut in March 2012 against Fc Nordsjælland. However, it was only 6 months ago he started training regularly with the team, and only as much as his high school would allow him. Luckily for Larsen, he was a part of Sports Class in high school, which allowed absence when he was away with the team or Denmark. 

For Troels Bech, Manager of Odense Boldklub, there were no doubts when he promoted Larsen to the Superliga squad:

"We have a very hungry player, who is capable of playing on a high level and not just here to learn. He wants to achieve something for himself and his team."

When Kasper Larsen was brought into the squad, the competition for the position as centre-back was hard, why the talent was used both as a left back and left wing as well as the central midfield. The talent believes that the many different positions on the pitch has been good for his development, which is supported by his manager:

"It is fantastic for his development that he in a young age already have won over 30 caps in the Danish Superliga. Some of them might have been on different positions, but it has given him some routine and I think it is important to remember that some of the best stoppers in the world started in other positions. Puyol started as a winger, and learned the offensive play that way," Bech says.

In 2009, the newspaper SportFyn reported that a number of unnamed Spanish clubs were following the talent. Larsen never thought of leaving OB back then, and he ensure his manager and the clubs fans that he will stay in Odense and fight to keep his position as centre-back. Meanwhile, Troels Beck believes that his young talent has his time in front of him:

"He doesn’t have to worry about playing abroad, if his development continues like this, it will come all by itself."


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