Republic of Ireland captain, Robbie Keane, says that his country can take many positives out of the defeat they suffered at the hands of Brazil.

Ireland lost the game 2-0 and although Brazil did not play particularly well, it was clear that there is still a huge gulf in difference between Ireland and some of the world’s best teams.

The pace and movement of the Brazilians was just too great for Ireland to cope with and it would have taken a brave man to bet against the multiple World Champions before the game kicked off.

Keane said: “We dominated the game in the first half, when we knocked the ball around really well. We can take a lot of positives from that, but afterwards we perhaps showed them too much respect and let them have the ball.”

“We can learn from that, and it is up to us to work hard. The younger lads coming into the squad can take this experience into the next games now. You should go into every game thinking you can win, now matter who you are playing against. We stood up against France and Italy, and have done that in the first half against Brazil.”

“It does not matter if you are playing the world champions or anyone else, it is about getting confidence and winning games. We are close, but not close enough because we have not achieved what we wanted to in getting to the World Cup. It has all been ‘what ifs’ but when you look at the games, we have stood up against some of the best teams in the world.”

Ireland are a team that produce far too many inconsistent results. When things are in their favour and the crowd are on their side, they jump into games full of passion and venom.

This makes them a tricky lower ranked team to play against but it is clear they still have work to do. They would have still been hurting from the defeat against France, which cost them a World Cup spot.

Midfield player, Glenn Whelan, added: “It is a big thing now about moving on and we are trying to put the France situation behind us. We do not want to get in the play-offs again, we want to qualify straight away.”

The defeat against France was one, which hurt the side badly. It was also covered in controversy after Thierry Henry deliberately handled the ball in the build up to the goal, which knocked Ireland out.

However, they will have some revenge further down the line and France will get a lot of criticism even while they’re at the World Cup.

Striker, Kevin Doyle, also said: “We are very organised, it is a simple thing really because everyone knows their job. The manager has had a settled team and he has given us confidence because he has won so many things. When he tells you something, you listen.”

Tottenham Hotspur have turned their attention to try and sign Aston Villa versatile player, Nigel Reo-Coker. Spurs had been reported as trying to track Arjen Robben of Real Madrid, a high class player who has been put on the transfer list. However, with a number of clubs interested in him, Harry Redknapp has been forced to turn his attention to the domestic transfer market.

Reo-Coker has been proved a very agile player who can play in a wide variety of positions. This could have been the club’s undoing because Reo-Coker is said to have been getting increasingly frustrated by Martin O’Neill’s reluctance to allow him to play outside of the right back slot where he feels he is at his most effective.

Although Reo-Coker clearly wouldn’t be as high a quality signing as Robben, Spurs would be getting a player who has captained a club from a very young age and someone who undoubtedly has a lot of quality and experience to offer for a very young man. However, if Sours can revitalise a bid for Robben then it is unlikely he would join according to his agent, who is also his father.

He said: “It’s absolute nonsense. Arjen will certainly not join Tottenham. I will even bet a bottle of wine Arjen won’t play there.”

It’s a done thing then, especially when a large quantity of alcohol is put on the table to substantiate any doubts that anyone would have had. Many people would say that Spurs would be better off without Robben. Originally he was meant to join Manchester United but snubbed them for Chelsea where it was proved his quality was not good enough for the Premier League.

He subsequently went to join Real Madrid and now that better players than him are being bought like sweets from a candy shop he will be forced to join a club that is not as high in calibre as the big sides that he has already played for.

Reo-Coker would be a better bet in all the aspects that don’t relate to quality or skill of perfromance. He would sweat blood for the side and has already proved that he can play any role that the manager has asked him to. He also doesn’t seem to have an ego and this will please Redknapp at Spurs as this is one of the main attributes of a player that he will be looking for, all the time he is the boss at White Hart Lane.

Spurs are set to lose some quality in the middle of their team over the coming days and Redknapp will need someone who can play alongside Wilson Palacios and make good of the ball winning to turn it into quality for the likes of Robbie Keane to latch onto.

There are also reports that Spurs tried to sign the player in January so there is already an over lying interest in him from Spurs. Once a bid has been lodged or the club have been able to talk to the player then it could be a near formality that personal terms are agreed and a deal can be done.

Tottenham Hostpur are joining the race to try and sign Real Madrid striker, Jan Huntelaar. With the arrival of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo at Madrid there is a smaller chance that the Dutchman will get an extended run in the side and Harry Redknapp is said to be an admirer of the young man who set the world alight during the early part of his career at Ajax.

Huntelaar could be just what Spurs need as he seems to be a more energetic and enthusiastic version of their current Russian striker, Roman Pavlyuchenko. The Russian has already expressed his dissatisfaction at not being able to become a first team regular and with Redknapp’s promise of Champions League football next year, this could be the first of many high calibre signings to go to White Hart Lane this summer.

The problem is that the Madrid striker would not come at a cheap price. Owing to the fact that Madrid have spent so heavily so far this summer, they will have to make good the difference by selling off a number of fringe players at good prices. This could mean that Huntelaar would attract the majority of the Spurs budget for the summer and it would be a huge risk for Redknapp to take when his side clearly needs work in a number of areas.

However, Spurs fans can all be upbeat about the fact that so far they have managed to keep the squad in tact. There had been numerous rumours about players being linked to other clubs, none of which would have helped the side if they eventually became a reality. Aaron Lennon for example has not even been speaking to Manchester United and Luka Modric is still sitting in the heart of the side and pulling all of the strings.

It really would be a fantastic signing for Spurs if they managed to pull it off because there are a number of current Premier League teams that have a lot of money ready to spend. What this means is that all of the other clubs have to be a lot more shrewd and wise in the way that they go about their business. This could be the best sort of signing that Spurs can attract because they do not have the financial muscle to compete with others when it comes to attract better players.

The difference that the Dutchman would make would be a big one. Spurs do have a very good work ethic and they are a very aggressive and passionate side. The fact is that they do lack a little bit of quality when it comes to the attacking part of the team. Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe will work their socks off but they are not the most versatile pairing in the game and Huntelaar would provide a big target man with a better touch than the Russian who already plays that role at Spurs. Spurs have a lot of work to do if they think they can sign this player but it would be fantastic if they pulled it off.

Tottenham Hotspur have already started making space for summer transfers to arrive as Harry Redknapp starts to set up his revolution at White Hart Lane. Chris Gunter looks set to go and play for an unnamed Championship club next season after a bid was received yesterday.

If the money is right then it is likely that Spurs will allow the Welshman to leave as they look to improve their squad for a Champions League push next season. However, the right back is highly thought of at Spurs so the club may argue for a longer loan deal as opposed to a permanent transfer.

Either way it is the surest sign yet that Redknapp is looking to fulfil on the promises he made to make big changes at Tottenham this summer. Gunter is unlikely to be the only Spurs playing looking set to leave this summer as both space and money is needed to bring in high calibre and quality players ready for a European challenge.

Spurs paid £3 million for Gunter in January 2008 from Cardiff City and will be more than happy if they can get any thing like that sort of return this time round. Alan Hutton is thought to be preferred to Gunter in the right back slot and with other players in the squad more than capable of playing there, it could be the right time for Gunter to move on.

Although it may be harsh on the young man, Spurs are going to have to make sacrifices if they are going to maintain their push for a Champions League slot next season. As the club have adequate cover in Gunter’s position, any potential fee may be used to improve other areas of the squad.

Other high calibre players that have been linked with moves away from Spurs are winger, Aaron Lennon and striker, Roman Pavlyuchenko. Both of who would be likely to net massive revenue for the club and provide Redknapp with a well balanced cheque book to go and seek replacements.

The core of the side is very strong with an established defence and keeper, a more than talented midfield and captain, Robbie Keane, leading the front line. Therefore the areas of the squad that the manager will be looking to make space for will be down the flanks of the starting side.

Hence why Gunter may be considered surplus to requirements. Whoever he ends up playing for at the start of next season will have a more than talented player who maybe should feel a little hard done by. His potential exit is nothing more than an example of the results pressure on modern football brings in order to get high level European football.

Spurs may rate the Welshman highly but at the end of the day someone has to step down and make the room, unfortunately in this case it was him. Gunter will probably hope that the club send him on loan so he can work his socks off and then go back to

Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, has made a pledge to attract big names to Anfield this summer as the Merseyside club will be looking to push on for title glory next season.

Despite the failure of Robbie Keane’s move from last season, Benitez insists that he will improve his squad for next year so that Liverpool make a better go of it in terms of pushing Manchester United for what is currently their league title.

Liverpool will be seeking to improve their squad in a number of areas, most notably the defence and in attack. With Sami Hyypia having just left there is a space in the centre of their defence and for all too long Fernando Torres has been carrying the burden of the attack on his shoulders.

The most high profile of Benitez’s reported targets is Valencia’s David Villa, who is apparently keen to join Torres and form the strike partnership that currently appears on a regular basis for the Spanish national side.

Speaking today Benitez has said: “Everyone knows how good Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are and they do play very well together. But we have 60 games or so a season. That means there are going to be plenty of chances for everyone so I don’t think it would be a problem.”

“Obviously it depends on the quality of the players. I think we will manage. We have been working hard identifying the players, it is just a question of signing the right ones and I am confident we will.”

Every season Liverpool seem to find themselves knocking on the door of success but never quite breaking into the next level. They have the security of Champions League football next season, without having to qualify and this could be a big pulling factor for any foreign players mulling over a move to the club.

The problem for Benitez has been the inconsistency of his side. When they play well there are very few teams that can get near them in terms of quality but when they don’t play well, the holes are there for everyone to see and it is this they will be looking to correct.

Their squad is clearly not as strong as Manchester United’s. Once Benitez can have quality cover in all eleven positions on the pitch can Liverpool then think about winning things again. The reason they always fall at the final hurdle is that fact that the players that come in to replace Gerrard and Torres are not good enough.

Liverpool have all of the necessary ingredients to beat anyone in a single match but they do not currently have the quality to make it through an entire season on top. Benitez has to be very clever in his signings as it is likely that the high profile players he is targeting will have other interested parties.

If many players were currently offered a contract at United or Liverpool, probably seven or eight out of ten players would pick United and that at the moment is the difference. Benitez has his work cut out but many would back him to get it right.

Real Madrid have started targeting other attacking stars after their proposed move for Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo now looks dead.

The latest speculation to come fresh off the rumour mill is that Madrid are preparing a bid for Tottenham striker, Roman Pavlyuchenko, this summer. Pavlyuchenko has struggled to make it into the first team under Harry Redknapp and is keen to get a move to Spain and a fresh start.

Real’s frailties have been all too apparent this season and Juande Ramos is already preparing his squad for the new challenges that will arise next season. The Russian striker could fit well into the Madrid side, he has plenty of strength and skill, combined with a healthy dose of determination.

It is also likely that Spurs will be looking to drop a few players from the squad this season as they shape up for a push into the top four next year. The Russian said today: “When my friends told me that Real approached Tottenham about me, I didn’t believe it. I thought it was some kind of wild rumour. Later I discovered that my move to Spain was indeed a possibility. But Spurs bosses didn’t allow for it.”

The problem for Mdrid is that if Pavlyuchenk does not want to move then it could be another player they look set to miss out on. Despite his inability to get into the Spurs side he has settled into English life and football, it is doubtful that the Russian will want to take on another culture and language having just got the grasps of another one.

Madrid have also reportedly approached Valencia in order to gain the services of striker, David Villa, for the next campaign. With Valencia in financial trouble this option is much more realistic, but apparently Villa has his heart set on a move to England to join up with Fernando Torres at Liverpool, a move which could see the Merseyside club jump in quality next year.

However, Real should not give up on Tottenham’s Russian import. There are many reasons why he would be a good signing for them. He is a very tall player who can drop off the front man, a virtue that not many big players possess. This could allow Ruud Van Nistelrooy, when fit again, to play for a lot longer in his career as he will have to do less work off the ball.

Pavlyuchenko is also clearly the sort of player that Real do not currently have. They are a slick pass and move side that rely on precision and pace, a lot of teams have realised this in Spain and work to cut it out. Then introduction of Pavlyuchenko will give something different to the side.

If Real make a good big then Spurs could well listen. Even if the Russian states that he is happy and settled at Spurs it is no secret in the football world that every player has a price and they could let him go as they have the cover in Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe and Darren Bent.

Time is running out on both Liverpool and Newcastle, but they definitely seem to be heading in two different directions. Liverpool thumped the Geordies for the second time this year with a 3-0 win at Anfield today (May 3rd). It could have been 6-0 with a little luck on Liverpool’s side. With Liverpool, time is running out on the season and if they win all their remaining games, it’s still not good enough to catch Man United, who are three points clear with a game in hand.

The reds don’t really have anybody to blame but themselves though, as they didn’t start playing attractive and attacking football until it was too late. They seemed to reenergize their season after thumping Real Madrid in the Champions League and then laying a beating on Manchester United in a top-two league showdown and even managed to score handfuls of goals in 4-4 draws with Arsenal in the league and Chelsea in Europe.

But they shot themselves in the foot earlier in the season with uninspired and unimaginative 0-0 draws with Stoke, Fulham, and West Ham. It seems manager Rafael Benitez just doesn’t really have the common sense to let his team loose and play the type of football they’re capable of. He did way too much analyzing and his tactics left many fans scratching their heads in amazement at some of his odd player selections and substitutions throughout the early part of the season. He totally blew the Robbie Keane deal both on a personal level and financially. Keane was shafted at Liverpool by Benitez’s refusal to play him and then the return of the Irishman to Tottenham cost Liverpool millions.

The same deal applies to Newcastle, but the situation is a little different than Liverpool’s as they have gotten progressively worse during the season whereas Liverpool got better.

It looks like they’re doomed to be relegated this season unless they can come up with about six more points in the final three weeks. And when you look at some of the talent on the team it’s a bit puzzling. With Mark Viduka, Obafemi Martins, Andrew Carroll, and Michael Owen up front, this team should be scoring some goals. They also have some decent players in Damien Duff, Alan Smith, and Nicky Butt. However, Viduka, and Owen are either injury prone like you wouldn’t believe, or they just don’t feel like playing. When they’re both healthy, it’s ridiculous to leave one or both of them on the bench. They may only be dressed for 10 games a season together so they have to be played alongside each other at every opportunity possible.

Newcastle also lost the plot off the pitch this season with the revolving door system of managing. They somehow blew the return of the messiah when Kevin Keegan left shortly after returning and then for some odd reason hired a no-hoper like Joe Kinnear, who proceeded to ruin his relationship with the press in his very first profanity-filled conference with them. There’s no way they should have given that thug Joey Barton a second chance either. This guy should be locked up, plain and simple. And now poor old Alan Shearer is in charge and is showing his brilliance as well by leaving Owen on the bench today.

There were other distractions including ownership trying to unload the team, but it basically comes down to hiring the wrong people to run the club. Some of the managers they’ve had up there such as Glenn Roeder and Kinnear were doomed from the start because of their unimaginative views on the game.

These two teams are on different paths at the moment, but neither will live up to their true potential unless management understands the game properly and utilizes their players in the proper manner. I’m sure Liverpool fans appreciated the 4-4 draws a hell of a lot more than they did the scoreless ones. At least it shows there is an effort there to go out and try to win.