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2010-01-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

I have a new blog, so click the link and start following me please :) http://article2010.blogspot.com/

Tottenham 2-0 West Ham United - Spurs up to 4th

2009-12-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

Tottenham have leapfrogged Aston Villa up into forth in the Premier League table after a 2-0 win against London rivals West Ham.

Luka Modric opened the scoring just 11 minutes in at White Hart Lane after some excellent work from Aaron Lennon down the right side. It then took Spurs until the 81st minute to double the lead and secure the 3 points, as Jermain Defoe netted his 14th League goal of the season, and in the process reclaiming the status as the League’s leading goalscorer.

Spurs were impressive right from the outset, dominating possession and having numerous chances to put the Hammers out of the game. Gianfranco Zola experienced a disastrous first 20 minutes, as in the aftermath of Modric’s goal Scott Parker had to be replaced with a sore hamstring – Parker had earlier passed a late fitness test. Then Herita Illunga was forced to come off with exactly the same problem, and the Hammers were left with a big uphill struggle to get back in the game.

They fought well throughout the match but never looked like threatening Gomes’ goal. A number of late challenges saw Diamanti, Franco and Kovac receive yellow cards from Chris Foy, the latter probably lucky to stay on the pitch after stamping on Tom Huddlestone’s ankle.

Spurs pressed forward in the second half looking to kill off the visitors, who won at home for the first time since April at the weekend. The breakthrough eventually came from a Spurs counter attack, whereby Jermain Defoe gathered the ball in the inside left position, rounded a the West Ham defence, before unleashing a fierce drive that Robert Green failed to hold. The rebound fell back to Defoe who repeated the motion and claimed the points for the home side.

Problems mounting for Zola then, as both Parker and Illunga are doubts for the next match, and with Franco picking up his 5th booking of the season just a day before the 5th booking rule is abolished, the absentee list is even longer. It seems like the Hammers are in for a long and hard new year.

Campbell the answer to Fergie's defensive woes?

2009-12-12T05:44:00.000-08:00

Tottenham, to Arsenal, to Portsmouth, to Notts County, to.. MANCHESTER UNITED? That’s how the career of Sol Campbell could look should the former England International make an astonishing move to Old Trafford. United’s injury list reads more like a yellow pages directory at the moment, with Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, and more all out injured.

The situation is so bad that for United’s final Champions League group stage match, both Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher had to play at the back alongside Patrice Evra. Amongst the substitutes was Oliver Gill, son of Chief Executive David Gill, who provided cover should anyone else have gone down injured.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has remarked that Campbell could have a similar impact in Manchester as Henrik Larsson did a couple of seasons ago.

"Sol can do at the back what Henrik Larsson did up front for Manchester United two years ago. Campbell can prove, as Swedish star Larsson did, that he still has the quality to play at the very highest level and I’m not surprised by reports tipping him for a Premier League return."

The question is, would the United fans welcome the signing, or would his history as an Arsenal player hinder him?

The end for Ashton. West Ham striker to sue Chelsea?

2009-12-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

Some sad news for Football, and West Ham United striker Dean Ashton, as the 26-year old has been forced to call time on his professional career after failing to recover from a nasty ankle injury picked up in a training session whilst on England duty.

It was Ashton's first call up to the National side, one of many highs during a career that possessed so much potential.

The moment that effectively ended Ashton's career was a tackle by then Chelsea midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips. The tackle broke Ashton's ankle, and forced him to miss the entirety of the 2006-07 season. He bounced back the following year to net 11 goals in 35 appearances for the Hammers, but after scoring both goals in a 2-1 win against Wigan, the opening game of the 2008-09 season, Ashton twisted his ankle in Gianfranco Zola's first training session at the club in September 2008, and he would never play again.

Now, 3 years on from the initial injury, Ashton is contemplating suing Wright-Phillips, and Chelsea for the tackle that put an end to his dream. West Ham boss Zola doesn't see the logic in that decision though:

"He was playing for England but it could have happened at any time. There is no time for regrets or blaming anyone. It seems strange. I don't think he might want to do something like that."

Of course, Chelsea's argument is that they were not responsible for their player's actions at the time, as he was under the watch of the English FA, and the England staff. They cannot control what their player does if they are not present and in control of what he's doing. An appeal is inevitable should Ashton go ahead with the proposed move.

A very sad end to a very good player's career then. He started his career at Crewe Alexandra, under the guidance of stalwart manager Dario Gradi. In 5 years at Gresty Road, Ashton bagged 61 goals in 159 appearances, as well as scoring 4 goals in 9 games for the England Under-21 side in that time. He then moved to Norwich City where he played 44 games, notching 17 goals, before he made the £7m move to East London and West Ham United. Alan Pardew was the man responsible for bringing Ashton to the Premier League. He felt Ashton had a lot more to offer.

"I always felt, if Dean had stayed fit, I would have stayed at West Ham. I'm sorry it's come to this, because I had a lot of time for him. He had a lot of quality about him."

Ashton scored 15 times in 46 games for the Hammers, but how many more goals would he have netted should he not suffered that fatal ankle injury? Unfortunately, we will never know.

Liverpool crash out of Champions League

2009-11-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

David N'gog nicks the goal that gave Liverpool hope in Hungary

Liverpool’s awful start to the season got even worse this evening as they were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage for the first time in 7 years. A 1-0 win away at Debreceni was not enough to keep the Reds alive in the competition, as Italian giants Fiorentina overcame Lyon by the same scoreline sending them through to the next stage.

It was a typically cagey performance from Liverpool over a side whom Fiorentina and Lyon have put 13 goals past in 3 games, with Lyon finishing the group stage at home to the Hungarian champions on the 9th December. It was a performance that summed up the last few months for Rafael Benitez’ side, and one that was certainly not deserving of progression in the competition.

The only goal of the game came after only 4 minutes, when David N’gog poked the ball home inside the 6 yard box. Opportunities were few and far between after that, although Debreceni goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic made a couple of decent saves to deny Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard in the second half. The home side could even have got something out of the match at the end, as both Gergely Rudolf and Adamo Coulibaly had chances to snatch a late equalizer. Nevertheless, it was a proud effort from the group underdogs.

Liverpool now enter the newly named Europa League, for which they were dubbed favourites even before kickoff tonight, further underlining the difficulty of the task Liverpool faced. A chance maybe for Benitez and the boys to salvage some pride from what’s been a pretty woeful campaign so far.

So where have Liverpool gone wrong? I’ve highlighted a few key areas that need looking at if anything is to be rescued from the wreckage that is the 2009/2010 season.

1. Investment in the January transfer window.
Liverpool lack strength in depth, something that the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal don’t. With Fernando Torres out injured, David N’gog starts up front, and although the young Frenchman has netted a few times this season, he’s nowhere near the class of Torres and certainly hasn’t shown enough ability to suggest he could be a regular starter in any competition. The same has to be said for left-back Emiliano Insua who simply isn’t good enough to be playing at this level, at least not yet. He’s been exposed recently by nearly every player that he’s come up against, and hasn’t showed much promise going forward either. Money, as little as Liverpool have at the moment, needs to be spent extremely wisely in January to strengthen the squad.

2. Consistency in selection.
One of the areas that Liverpool perhaps do have reasonable depth is in the centre of defence. Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Sitirios Kyrgiakos, and even Daniel Sanchez Ayala have all been used in the heart of Liverpool’s back line recently, and they’ve failed to settle as a unit. Another 2 goals were conceded at the weekend to Manchester City, to add to the 18 they’d previously conceded in the League. Skrtel hasn’t had his best run of form of late, and Agger is only just recovering from a series of injuries. Kyrgiakos has looked unsteady since his £1.5m summer arrival from AEK Athens, and Carragher has been far from the kind of form he showed last season, and has received much criticism. It’s a tough one for Benitez who is clearly unsure as to what his best pairing is. I say stick with Carra and Agger for now, and get Skrtel training hard and improving his game, and should Agger pick up another knock then the Slovakian International can slot right back in.

3. More creativity in attack.
The loss of Xabi Alonso in the Summer to Real Madrid has received a lot of talk right up to this day. The simple fact is, losing Alonso means losing one of the best playmakers in Europe, and perhaps even the World. Alberto Aquilani was brought in for a big sum of money but spent the first 10 weeks of the season on the sidelines following ankle surgery. That meant that Lucas Leiva would get a long run in the side, and unfortunately despite being a part of Brazil’s recent squads, he doesn’t have anywhere near the level of ability, creativity, or finesse that Alonso brought to the centre of Liverpool’s midfield. It’s been evident that there’s been a shortage of something different, something inventive in the final third, and that’s limited the options that the likes of Dirk Kuyt, and Yossi Benayoun have had coming from wide positions. Getting Aquilani in the side is a must now, and supporting Torres should be the priority, whether that’s supplying him with good service, or making the effort to burst forward and get numbers in the box.

4. A little less conversation, a little more action.
Rafael Benitez’ future has been discussed more than any other Footballing topic this season and it’s clearly having an effect on everyone at the club. Benitez knows he’s under pressure, and so do the players, so I don’t think he needs reminding in every post-match press conference. Let the man get on with his job, and if the time comes to make a change, do it, but without the unnecessary debating, speculating, and whatever else comes with it.

So, there are the 4 key things that need addressing in order to get Liverpool’s season back on track, if that is even possible. They have a chance in the Europa League to get some silverware which would be a decent consolation for exiting the Champions League, and with the Merseyside Derby on Saturday there’s plenty for the Reds to look forward to. No doubt they’ll be chomping at the bit to get a result at Goodison to keep the fans content, and put their European nightmare firmly to the back of their minds.

Wigan players to refund supporters after White Hart Lane drubbing

2009-11-24T03:53:00.000-08:00

Following Wigan’s embarrassing defeat at White Hart Lane on Sunday, the players have decided it right to offer all those loyal supporters who travelled down to North London to watch the game a full refund of their ticket, providing they bought it at the ticket offices at the DW Stadium.

Captain Mario Melchiot said;

We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters, and this is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their tremendous loyalty. There’s not a lot else, just that as a group of professionals we were embarrassed by the way we performed. We feel it was below our standard and this is something we feel we owe to the fans.

That defeat has left Wigan Athletic 15th in the Premier League table after 13 games, 3 points adrift of the relegation zone, and now with a goal difference of -17. Inconsistency is the Latics’ major problem this season. Beating Chelsea being their ultimate high, and obviously this record defeat being the biggest low.

Good luck to Roberto Martinez for getting his players back on track in the next game, an important home tie against high-flying Sunderland.

Rampant Spurs put Wigan to the slaughter

2009-11-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

An incredible 5-goal performance from Jermain Defoe inspired a ruthless Spurs to demolish Wigan Athletic 9-1 this afternoon.

Peter Crouch opened the scoring in the first ten minutes with a stooping header, but the home side failed to add to the scoreline before half-time. However, amazingly they netted 8 goals in the second period, with Defoe’s first two coming within just 3 minutes of each other. Paul Scharner did a Thierry Henry to get Wigan seemingly back in the game by clearly using his hand to control the ball before smashing it into the net.

However, that proved to be Wigan’s only moment of joy at the Lane, as Defoe restored the 3 goal cushion just moments later, before Aaron Lennon made it 5-1. Defoe then added two more, and in the process passing Fernando Torres as the League’s highest scorer this season. A David Bentley freekick and a Niko Kranjcar strike capped off a remarkable performance for Harry Redknapp’s men.

Yet more evidence that Spurs in attack are as good as anyone in the Premier League. Once again, an inability to keep a clean sheets highlights that there’s still a lot of work defensively to be done, but I have a feeling ‘arry would have taken this result at the start of the day. Just a hunch.

As for Wigan, Roberto Martinez will probably want the earth to swallow him up tonight. What must those Latics fans be thinking?

Henry saga roars on - Replay, or no replay?

2009-11-21T03:09:00.000-08:00

Football’s latest controversy not only lies solely in the hands of Thierry Henry (excuse the pun), but could well be crucial in the development of technology within the game. As Rob asked in his recent post on the incident, what’s it going to take for the authorities to realise technology is required?

Technology aside, the big question is, what happens now? The whole of Ireland has called for the match to be replayed, and understandably so. Henry himself remarked that Ireland “definitely deserve” to qualify for the 2010 World Cup Finals, and a replay would be the “fairest solution”. It’s easy saying that after the deed has been done though.

I’m completely on the side of the Irish on this one. It was an act of blatant cheating on Henry’s behalf, and something that will take an extremely long time to be pushed beneath the surface, if at all. Of course, everybody in the whole World that’s interested in Football, and some people who aren’t, remember Diego Maradona’s “hand of God” in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. We English are still going on about it to this day. However, I don’t see a replay being beneficial for the game.

There’s no doubt that it was a major incident, that had big repercussions for both the Irish side in not reaching the Finals in South Africa, and for Henry who has been rightly slaughtered in the press. However, where is the line drawn between a major incident and a minor incident? Is it the outcome of the match? The importance of the match? There are dozens of incidents each week – such as a handball that results in a goal, a dive to win a penalty that snatches a draw or a win (a la David N’gog), or a goal in the 5th minute of injury time when only 3 were allocated – in the Premier League, Champions League, World Cup Qualifiers, Lower Leagues and what have you that could be deemed as ‘cheating’, but we don’t have replays of all those matches, simply because we accept what’s happened and move on.

Take Eduardo’s dive in the Champions League against Celtic as an example. There was uproar, calling for the Croatian to be banned, for Arsenal to be disqualified, and all sorts, yet when Eduardo was punished, everyone accepted it and there’s been hardly any talk of it since. Yes, the Henry incident potentially cost Ireland a place in the World Cup, but we can’t give them a replay just because it was an International match that decided who plays in the World Cup and who doesn’t. The World Cup isn’t of importance to a League 2 side battling relegation with their Football League status at threat. How would they feel if exactly the same thing happened in one of their matches and they were relegated as a result of it, yet Ireland got a replay because the competition in matter was the World Cup? It would set an unrealistic precedent that when every time an incident like this happens, there would have to be a replay. It’s not plausible.

I believe the necessary sanction is a ban for Henry from the World Cup next year. There’s no question that it was a deliberate handball. You’d have to be deranged to think otherwise. And who cares that he admitted it? That’s not going to change a thing in Irish minds. Henry is the responsible party for shattering Ireland’s dream, and he should be made to pay by sitting out the whole of the competition and hopefully watching his teammates crash out in the group stages.

Roy Keane laughed the matter off in a press conference, stating that Ireland should “get over it” and move on. Solid words from the Ipswich boss, but try telling a hurting Irish population that to their faces. They’ll take a long time to get over this one.

Brazil 1-0 England: Quality shines through

2009-11-15T09:31:00.000-08:00

England’s preparations for next year’s World Cup in South Africa got off to a slow start yesterday as they were confidently beaten by the World No.1 side Brazil. Nilmar’s 47th minute header was enough to see off the challenge of Fabio Capello’s men.

Admittedly it was a second string England side, but one that still consisted of regulars Wayne Rooney, Gareth Barry, and Shaun Wright-Phillips. However, England did learn a valuable lesson, one that they’ll need to revise up to and during next summer’s finals; Keep the ball.

Brazil were by far the better side, and whilst England were without a number of regulars in their XI, so too were the South American giants. Kaka and Dani Alves were arguably the only superstars amongst Dunga’s team. Despite the lack of first choice players on both sides, Brazil passed England off the pitch and showed much more invention and imagination in the final third. In sweltering conditions surely it was obvious that’s what England needed to do? Instead, possession was lost far too easily, and Brazil were seldom made to work hard to close their opponents down or retain the ball when they were in possession.

There’s been lots of talk recently about England’s hopes and chances of lifting the World Cup next year, but on the evidence of last night’s match, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Retaining possession is one of the basics of Football, right through from junior level to the professional game. It’s not especially difficult. A feature of Brazil’s play was how quickly they moved it. Often they’d play 2 or 3 touch Football throughout the match and they made it very difficult for England to win it back. A weary looking England was evidence of that at the end of the match.

Perhaps a stronger England side would have created a different outcome and produced a better performance. It was a chance for the fringe players to put their case forward to Mr. Capello before he picks his squad for the finals sometime next year. Unfortunately they’ll be some disappointed members of that particular England squad, none more so than Wes Brown, who I thought was distinctly average. His error mid-way through the second half allowed Nilmar in to win a penalty from the outstretched Ben Foster, who was lucky to stay on the pitch.

As the party settle back in England, they’ll be a lot for Capello to ponder ahead of the World Cup draw in early December.

Arsenal's young guns set the standard

2009-11-04T02:34:00.000-08:00

Arsenal are a rather special team, for many reasons. Manager Arsene Wenger has been in the job for more than a decade, which is an achievement in itself. In a day and age whereby managers come and go like candidates to be Sir Alan Sugar’s apprentice, 10 years in the job deserves a gold medal.

Secondly, the players he possesses in his vastly-talented squad. Down the years Wenger has constructed a young, agile, attacking side and has received a lot of criticism for not having a big ball-winner in the ranks. Especially since Patrick Vieira left. However, evidence this season suggests that Wenger knows exactly what he is doing.

Arsenal won the FA Youth Cup last season, which goes a long way to underlining the enormous potential that the next generation at the Emirates possess. Now, most of those players have gained some form of first-team experience, whether as a late substitute in the Premier League or even Champions League, or maybe starting in the early rounds of the Carling Cup. At some stage, that potential has been on show, and boy have people been impressed.

The recent 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the Carling Cup completely emphasises where Arsenal stand in relation to other sides in the League when it comes to their ’second string’ team. Compare the likes of Craig Eastmond, Kerrea Gilbert, and Kieran Gibbs to Liverpool’s Damien Plessis, Philipp Degen, and Emiliano Insua, and the Arsenal guys are streets ahead in terms of talent and ability. Even though Degen and Insua are full Internationals, the standard of Arsenal’s teenagers is far higher than that of Liverpool’s.

Throughout the age groups Arsenal’s youngsters are taught nothing but how to keep possession of the ball. There’s very little on anything else. Credit must be given to the backroom staff and Academy coaches at Arsenal who clearly do a wonderful job of improving these youngsters and making them exceptional footballers. At times during the Liverpool match, they kept the ball for 20+ passes whilst playing one and two touch football; just an incredible thing to be able to do at the age of 17/18/19 against Premier League opposition.

Arsene Wenger is without doubt the best in the world at getting the best out of his young guns, and inspiring them to play out of their skin. Year after year more talent is brought in from abroad, and brought through the youth ranks to compete at the highest level, and year after year they impress. It’s like a conveyor belt of outstanding talent.
So Arsenal have set the standard when it comes to their Youth development system and the players they bring through. The question is, will anybody be able to compete with them in 5/10 years time?

The fact that Arsenal haven’t won any silverware in the last 5 years may suggest that all the hard work pumped into the academy is going to waste. However, it takes time to develop a side of such raw talent into one that will become world-beaters if you like. Take Cesc Fabregas for example. A couple of years ago he was an outstanding player, but there were still aspects to his game that needed improvement and honing. Now he seems to be the complete player. With several players of similar potential to Fabregas coming through, if they can reach maximum potential in the next few years then Arsenal have a team full of superstars in the making. 5 or 6 Cesc Fabregas’ in the side makes for a cup-winning generation.

It’s worrying for the other sides in the Premier League that they don’t have the same potential. It’s unquestionable that Manchester United have a world-class youth setup, and the same goes for Chelsea, but neither side has brought through the kind of talent that Arsenal are showing off, perhaps with the exception of Federico Macheda. As for Chelsea, well their side is made of over-30’s with very little youth being filtered through. Roman’s billions have obviously blocked the route for youngsters through to the first team. That’s probably another area that Arsenal have got right.

The Gunners have spent money on recruiting players from around the world (e.g Andrei Arshavin, Thomas Vermaelen) but they’ve also left plenty of room to enable them to filter through their youngsters in order to give them invaluable experience at the top level. It’s an area that other teams can take example from in order to progress their homegrown footballers.

One thing that will be interesting to see this season with Arsenal, is that if they make it to the final of the Carling Cup or FA Cup with the youngsters they’re putting out, will Wenger stick with them for that crunch game against, say, Manchester United with the Rooney’s and Berbatov’s? One thing’s for sure; Arsenal will be a side to look out for in the next few years, and they’ll have a few players who make it very big in the footballing world.

Stoke exceed expectations as they push for top half finish

2009-11-01T05:22:00.000-08:00

Glenn Whelan celebrates his winner against Spurs

People have taken to Stoke like a bumble bee takes to honey. They arrived in the Premier League 18 months ago with the expectation that they wouldn’t be strong enough to stay in the division. Now, as a new decade is on the horizon, the Potters have done more than just keep their Premier League status.

Their direct style is typical of Northern sides; Bolton and Blackburn are easily comparable. A whole host of 6ft+ men make them extremely hard to break down and compete with, and with one of the county’s longest throwers of a Football in their ranks – Rory Delap – they’re also a force in the final 3rd. The likes of Abdoulaye Faye and Robert Huth provide excellent strength at the back, while James Beattie is a proven goalscorer up top.

It’s not rocket science to work out their secret then. One of the heroes of the Stoke side in recent years, in particular their key to survival last season, Ryan Shawcross is a perfect symbol of their style of play. A shaven-headed, 6′3″ centre-half from Manchester, Shawcross learnt his trade at United before being loaned out to the Midlands Club with a view to a permanent deal. In his first season at the Britannia Stadium, the season in which Stoke gained promotion from the Championship, Shawcross netted an impressive 7 goals from the back. His height is very dangerous from set-plays, in particular those Delap throws from either side.

Despite Stoke’s excellent start to the new campaign, manager Tony Pulis is refusing to get carried away and claims that he’s still concentrating on avoiding the drop. Stoke lie in 9th after 11 games, just one point behind Sunderland and only 3 off 4th place. A last-ditch win at White Hart Lane last weekend got people talking about a possible top 7 finish and therefore qualification into Europe. Chris Kamara, presenter of Goals on Sunday and much-loved pundit/commentator, admits that he backs them to clinch a Europa League spot too.

It’s a fact that the big teams find it very difficult to go to Stoke and get a result. They have arguably the best fan base in the Premier League in terms of passionate support. They make the Britannia a very hostile place to visit and make it very hard for visiting teams to play their Football. Arsenal and Liverpool found that out last season, and Manchester United almost slipped up earlier on this year as well.

A team like Arsenal, full of wonderful Footballers but not necessarily battlers, would be ideal prey for Stoke who would concentrate on kicking them off the pitch. Entirely fairly of course. That’s why teams will seldom take points from them at the Britannia. Home form will be crucial to determine Stoke’s season, as their away form can be very inconsistent, although pretty decent so far. They’ve lost only one on the road this season, that a 4-0 crushing at Anfield. Draws at Bolton, Birmingham, and Everton were followed by that impressive win against Spurs. However, last season’s form on the road suggests that there has to be caution about how they approach games against Hull and Blackburn away from home. They’d expect themselves to pick up points in these kind of games, yet can’t be too complacent.

So European contenders or mid-table solidity? Perhaps Europe is a bit of an ask at this stage. There are still better teams in the League who can do more than just battle. But they’re certainly heading in the right direction, and with the fans right behind them at the Britannia, who knows what may come about by the end of the season.

Fulham 3-1 Liverpool: All things red at the Cottage

2009-10-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

Two fairly atrocious decisions from referee Lee Mason, and some bizarre substitutions from Rafael Benitez made for another woeful afternoon at the office for the Liverpool gaffer.

It was a game that people were cautious about following the 2-0 win over Man Utd last weekend – it’s one of those Liverpool should win but very often don’t. Fulham opened the scoring half way through the first half thanks to Bobby Zamora, before Fernando Torres levelled just before the break with his 10th League goal of the season. However, it went very quickly downhill from there for the visitors, who conceeded to Erik Nevland after 73 minutes before the first of the red cards.

Philipp Degen’s challenge was late. Nothing more. It was worthy of a yellow card. Nothing more. Disbelief was the common emotion when Mr. Mason produced red for the Swiss full-back. Clint Dempsey certainly made the most of the tackle, which on replay shows Degen actually made contact with the American with his back. As for Jamie Carragher’s sending off, it was pretty similar to that one on Michael Owen 6 days ago, apart from being much less of a foul. Carra was guilty of getting on the wrong side of Zamora, a bit of tugging on shirts followed from both parties, before Carragher made a perfectly timed, perfectly legal lunge for the ball. However, the referee saw something that no one else saw and handed the Liverpool skipper his first red card of the season.

Clint Dempsey wrapped up the win for Fulham just before full-time, but all the talk now will be about Benitez’s future, again. Especially after taking a furious Yossi Benayoun off before all the drama unfolded. Time will tell.

King jailed after club assault

2009-10-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

10 months after Marlon King was accused of sexually assaulting a young student in a London nightclub, the Wigan Athletic Forward has been slapped with an 18-month jail sentence after being found guilty of sexual assault and actual bodily harm.

King, who was celebrating both his wife’s pregnancy and scoring a winning goal just hours earlier, grew increasingly frustrated when women enjoying a night at London’s Soho Revue Bar turned down his advances. It was when a 20-year old university student gave him the cold-shoulder that King eventually snapped, first of all indecently touching her before striking her to the floor with a blow that completely shattered her nose.

King claimed that he was a victim of a case of mistaken identity, but with so much evidence stacked up on him due to witness reports, one in fact from a Football coach, there was no chance that he’d get away with the offence. The 29-year old was therefore found guilty.

Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan has revealed that he will sack King from his contract in the very near future. King’s reputation will be permanently damaged now, due to a moment of incredible stupidity and brutality. Will anyone want to take him on after this? From past incidents you’d probably have to say yes. In 2004 Lee Hughes was convicted for causing death by dangerous driving following a late-night incident in the village of Meriden, Warwickshire. The original sentence was 6 years, but in August 2007 he was controversially released and immediately joined Oldham Athletic.

The question is, should King be allowed back into Football? The argument is that for the average Joe, they wouldn’t have a hope in hell of getting their job back if something like this happened to them, so why should Footballers? It’s a sensitive subject, but one that needs to be looked at. Not only does it say to Footballers ‘you can do what you want’, but it sets the worst example to youngsters in terms of behaviour.

Perhaps the tarnished reputation of these idiots is bad enough. It’s very much debatable.

Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United

2009-10-25T09:54:00.001-07:00

I’m going to enjoy this; results like these don’t come along that often. Oh no wait, yes they do – this is Liverpool’s 3rd consecutive win over United – forgive me.

Coming into this afternoon’s game everybody was talking about how much longer Rafael Benitez would last at the helm. Now, just a couple of hours after, discussion has switched to the re-launch of Liverpool’s title bid. It was inevitable that would happen should Liverpool have got the 3 points, but I’m afraid I’m going to play the pessimist and say lets not speak too soon.

Liverpool were brilliant today, no doubt about it. The spark that they lacked in midweek against Lyon certainly returned against a lacklustre United side, who threatened very little throughout the course of the match. The home side’s best chance of the first half fell to Fabio Aurelio, whom after testing Edwin van der Sar with a 25-yard free kick, had a close-range header saved by the Dutchman – a chance that Aurelio probably should have scored.

United’s best chance of the half came via Wayne Rooney’s head, but Pepe Reina wasn’t made to work very hard by the England centre-forward. Little changed in the second 45, with Liverpool continuing to dominate and create chances. The deadlock was eventually broken after 66 minutes when Yossi Benayoun’s wonderful through pass found the run of Fernando Torres, who shrugged off Rio Ferdinand and fired past van der Sar. Question marks will again be raised over Ferdinand’s defending; he wasn’t tight enough to Torres to start with, and ended up wrong side, allowing Torres to graze through with ease.

The visitors failed to test Reina even after this goal. Nani skimmed the crossbar from a very tight angle and had a free kick saved by Reina with comfort, but Sir Alex will be disappointed that his side couldn’t conjure up more chances, especially against a Liverpool defence heavily criticised recently for leaking goals.

The referee did his best to try and get United back in the game. Numerous decisions went their way, and it’s plain to see why. Mr. Ferguson throwing another half-time tantrum may have something to do with it. Nemanja Vidic received a red card in the 90th minute for a reckless rugby tackle on Dirk Kuyt – Vidic probably lucky to have lasted that long if truth be told. It can be argued that Jamie Carragher should have received the same sanction just moments later for a seemingly last-man challenge on Michael Owen, but Andre Marriner produced yellow instead. Javier Mascherano also received his marching orders in the 95th minute for a silly lunge at Edwin van der Sar in the corner. Unnecessary and costly from the little Argentinian; he’ll now be banned for a game, meaning the Liverpool backroom staff will have to work extra hard to get Alberto Aquilani up to match fitness for next weekend.

I’d like to pinpoint a few one-to-one battles now:

Torres v Vidic: Not only was this United’s 3rd straight defeat against Liverpool, but it was also Vidic’s 3rd straight red card against the Reds. And it’s easy to see why. Torres ran the big Serb ragged at Old Trafford in March, and he did the same today. Too quick, strong, and skillful for the defender, who had to resort to fouling Torres to stop him getting away. Sir Alex revealed before the match that Vidic was “looking forward” to the tussle with Torres. Perhaps that’s what he’d like to have thought.

Valencia v Insua: This was United’s main route of attack. Insua looked vulnerable whenever the ball came his way, and United attempted to expose him on every possible occasion. Valencia was quicker and simply better than Insua, and it begs the question why United couldn’t have exploited that area more.

Mascherano/Lucas v Scholes/Carrick: This was probably the best game I’ve seen Lucas have. He seldom gave the ball away, and kept it very simple which is what you like your crap players to do I guess. Scholes and Carrick had little time on the ball thanks to the closing down from Mascherano and Lucas throughout the game. Those raking passes we’re so used to from Scholes weren’t so evident today.

Carragher v United: Jamie Carragher was immense. Yes, he probably should have been sent off, but that doesn’t take away the fact he was heroic. Every tackle he got right, every aerial battle he won, and United didn’t look like scoring while Carragher was on the pitch i.e the whole match. He’s received a lot of stick recently for being off the pace, but today he’s silenced his critics, if only for a few days.

A fantastic win for Liverpool then. Better than United in all areas, they wanted the ball more, and they wanted the win more. Pressure off Benitez for a short while, but now the hard work begins. Back these performances up and we’ve got a chance. For now, I’m a happy Liverpool supporter.

Kick Racism out of Football

2009-10-22T04:19:00.000-07:00

My post yesterday on the alleged racist abuse that Rangers’ star Maurice Edu received from his own fans got me thinking – Can these incidents ever be stopped?

Your average African/Asian/Caribbean Footballer won’t be adverse to remarks made about their race or ethnic background, and that’s a horrible truth to admit. I’ll give you a few shocking examples of incidents whereby players have received racist abuse from fans, opposition players, and even the board members of their own clubs.

1) Now-AC Milan central defender Oguchi Onyewu, who’s an American of Nigerian descent, has been punched and shouted at by fans of Standard Liege, whom he played for before joining the Italian giants.

Also, during the 2008-09 Championship playoff, Anderlecht defender Jelle van Damme repeatedly called Onyewu a “dirty ape”. After the match van Damme denied it and claimed that Onyewu had called him a “dirty flemish”. Two weeks after the incident it was announced by Onyewu’s lawyer that he would attempt to sue van Damme in a bid to end on-field racism in European Football.

2) Republic of Congo International Zola Matumona left FC Brussels last year after he accused Club Chairman Johan Vermeersch of making racist remarks towards him during a crisis meeting at the club. It is reported that he told Matumona to “think about other things than trees and bananas”.

3) During a Spanish training session in 2004, the Spanish media filmed coach Luis Aragones trying to motivate Jose Antonio Reyes by making racist remarks about his then-teammate at Arsenal Thierry Henry. The phrase used translates into English as “show that you’re better than that black s***”. Unsurprisingly the incident caused uproar back in England with widespread calls for Aragones to be sacked and severely punished. However, the Spanish FA declined to act against Aragones and politicians were slow to denounce the remarks.

England visited Spain a short while after to contest a friendly match at Santiago Bernabeu, home of Real Madrid. The atmosphere was extremely hostile, and throughout England’s singing of the national anthem, Spanish fans racially chanted towards the England team. Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole were the unfortunate victims of the chanting.

Aragones’ comments were much blamed for inciting the incident, and even Tony Blair, the Prime Minister at the time, got involved. However, Aragones somehow won his appeal over the offence, with the misdemeanour being downgraded to “conduct which could be considered to be racist”.

So these are the kind of incidents that need to be kicked out of Football. But how?

Placing lifetime bans on the cretins that do these things is a start. Hefty fines is another way. Even prison sentences if you want to go to the absolute extreme. But I’m just questioning whether this will really diminish racism and whether the endless ‘give racism the red card’ campaigns are just a waste of time.

The reason people give racist abuse is because they're ignorant, primarily. They’re ignorant people who don’t know a thing about social and moral etiquette, whether Football-related or not. Spain and Latin America are renowned for being primary culprits of distributing racial abuse, so that’s got to tell you something about what they’re taught, and the behaviour they learn. Are they not being told that racism is a bad thing? Isn’t it time they were?

In this country and the rest of the UK racist abuse is still evident. We know that from the Maurice Edu incident. But it’s definitely not on as big a scale as it is in Europe. So this perhaps suggests that the campaigns do in fact work, and that people are taking note. They also know that big punishments will come their way if they’re caught, something that the Spanish for example know they’ll escape because the Spanish FA and government are far too lenient and probably just as bad.

This probably suggests then, that similar regimes and schemes should be introduced into the European and World game. There are a few, like “Football united against Racism”, but no where near as many and certainly not as passionately put in place as in the UK.

So for me, it is about campaigning. At a glance you would say propaganda doesn’t work due to the lingering cloud of racism over Football still, but on closer inspection the situation in the English game is greatly improved thanks to such schemes as the “stand up, speak up” scheme pictured at the top of this post. Fine tuning, and introduction of more regimes in Europe is now what is required.

The David Beckham Hairstyle Gallery

2009-10-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

To check out this post, please visit http://wdkf.co.uk/2009/10/20/the-david-beckham-hairstyle-gallery/

It was too complicated to copy and paste it onto here. Ta!

"We can still win the title" - Who's Benitez kidding?

2009-10-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

Just. No.

I’m a true optimist right, but I’m afraid on this occasion even Rafa’s got the better of me. Despite Liverpool’s dire start to the season, somehow, from somewhere, Mr. Benitez has conjured up the enthusiasm and confidence to say Liverpool can still win the Premier League. Is he mad?

It is early days, but not so early as predict the outcome of the rest of the season. This week is a crucial one for Benitez, probably for his career at Anfield. A Champions League tie on Tuesday is followed on Sunday by the visit of Manchester United and all their beachballs. Should Liverpool fail to secure points in both those matches, the door will swing wide open for Benitez to make his exit.

This time last season Liverpool were in a similar predicament. Benitez as well. A Champions League win, also against French opposition in the form of Marseille, kept Benitez his job in effect, after reports suggested he was on the way out. If ever there was a time for an encore, it’s now.

Those of you who read the papers will have probably picked up on the criticism of Benitez for not praising his players enough. Now I never read the articles about this, but I was told that he’s never praised Jamie Carragher or Steven Gerrard for a good performance? Surely that can’t be true. Is he losing the dressing room now as well?

He’s desperate to stay at Liverpool, that’s for sure, and who can blame him? He’s fallen in love with the club and it’s fans, and having spent 5 years there, it’s always going to be a hard thing to leave. He delivered a 5th Champions League trophy in his first full year in charge, as well as bringing Fernando Torres to the club, a signing that pretty much made him a legend. But all that seems long forgotten.

The recent past and the present is what Liverpool fans, and more importanly messrs. Hicks and Gillet are looking at right now. He’s not delivering the goods, and it’s time something was done about it. I’m sad to say that I want Benitez to leave. In my eyes he’s a legend, and a top Football Manager. Winning the European Cup was a big thing for me, and all other Liverpool fans. But I’m afraid now we want the Premier League. And I don’t believe Benitez is the man to deliver that particular trophy.

He’s too cautious as a Manager, in England anyway. The style of play that is needed in the PL is an attacking one. Take United and Arsenal for example. Free-flowing, passing Football, and plenty of goals. Liverpool, seldom set the League alite with a 5-0, 6-0 display, and far too often settle for 0-0 draws at Stamford Bridge. Not good enough.

Possible candidates for the hotseat?

Jose Mourinho has to be favourite for me. He’s always stated a desire to get back into managing in England, and despite not being on most Reds’ fan’s christmas card list, he’ll win silverware.

Jurgen Klinsmann was very close to taking over 12 months ago before that Marseille win, and who know, his name may pop up again.

Martin O’Neill? Claudio Ranieri? Who do you think?

Benitez keen to bring Heskey back

2009-10-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

"I don't know what I'm doing wearing this shirt either, Stevie"

This doesn’t please me.

Apparently Benitez is keen on finishing 8th place as well. At least that’s what will happen if he continues to concentrate his interest on donkeys. Take note Lucas Leiva.

Emile Heskey is good for one thing, and one thing only. He’s a big guy, a strong guy. Therefore, long, aerial balls could potentially be very beneficial. Heskey’s strength allows him to win a lot of aerial battles, which ultimately makes him a useful target man.

He’d be an even better target man if he didn’t fall over every 20 seconds. The guy is huge. Man up.

He’s complimented Wayne Rooney in attack reasonably well for England of late, but for a striker, he has a woeful goalscoring record, target man or not target man. 7 goals in 57 England games? Please. Surely there’s someone better. Oh yes, there is: Jermain Defoe.

If you compare Heskey to other target men around the World, you’ll notice that he’s simply not as good.

Luca Toni – Italy – 16 goals, 47 games.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden – 22 goals, 59 games.
Dimitar Berbatov – Bulgaria – 43 goals, 72 games.

You do the Math.

It is suggested that Rafa is interested in bringing Heskey back to Anfield for a second spell after finally recognising the need for a second striker to play alongside Fernando Torres. Back in the year 2000, Heskey moved from Leicester City to Liverpool for an astonishing £11m fee, and spent 4 unproductive years at the club. Now, nearly 10 years on, take £9.5m off that price and you’ve got what Heskey will supposedly re-join the Reds for.

Emile himself has stated that he’d consider a move back to Merseyside, and it’s hard to believe he’d turn it down should an offer come in. In the meantime, Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has told Heskey to stop worrying about his England place for next year’s World Cup, and to start focussing on securing Villa a decent finish in the Premier League.

The insignificance of Scottish Football

2009-10-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

So, who will win the SPL this year? Celtic or Rangers?

It’s this question that underlines the insignificance of the other teams in Scottish Football, and again raises the point that perhaps the two Glaswegian giants should be allowed to play in the Premier League.

Having watched last weekend’s Derby match, it’s plain to see that the standard of Scottish Football is very poor compared to the Premier League, often dubbed as the best League on the planet. Yet the hype surrounding the Scottish game seems unusually over-the-top.

It was an exciting game, but not for Footballing reasons. Both sides struggled to string more than 5 or 6 passes together, challenges were flying in left, right, and centre, and aerial balls were the flavour of the tie. Very little flowing Football was played.

On commentary it was said that the Celtic – Rangers Derby is bigger than most other Derby’s around the World, yet I’m struggling to put my finger on why that is. Glasgow is certainly a City divided into Green and Blue, so the supporters play a major role in bigging up the clash. But does that make a Football match a classic? Its supporters?

A few years ago it was said that Celtic and Rangers should be allowed to make the switch to play in the Premier League, allowing the other sides in the SPL the chance to compete for the title, for the first time in as long as I can remember. With the gulf in class between the Glasgow Clubs and the rest of the SPL sides, not only does it bring into question the standard of the teams down the bottom of the table, but it gives us reason to doubt their involvement in the League altogether. I mean, what are they competing for?

It’s very likely that 3rd position is held by Hearts come the end of the season, which means they qualify for the newly-named Europa League. This leaves 9 other teams effectively battling it out to survive the drop. If we took Celtic and Rangers out of the SPL, it would open up competition for the likes of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, etc. to actually aim for some silverware. There’d be some motivation.

Not only is the SPL a seemingly pointless inevitability, but the two Scottish Cups are too. While Celtic have been on the receiving end of a few shocks in recent times, most notably to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, having one of Celtic or Rangers in the Final is seldom a rarity. Compare the CIS Insurance Cup to the FA Cup and there’s nowhere near as much romance, as many shock results, or as many classic moments, simply because the standard of the teams in the lower divisions is so bad that they don’t have a hope of challenging the bigger teams.

Last year it wasn’t much of a surprise to see East Stirling, of the Scottish 3rd Division, being beaten 7/8/9-0 every week. In fact it actually became a regularity by the end of the season. I guess the reason for the poor standard of Scottish Football is lack of interest, or at least not as much interest, as in other Leagues. It doesn’t get as much publicity around the World, certainly not as much as the Premier League, therefore less money is pumped into the game.

But I believe if you took The Bhoys and The Gers out of Scottish Football, it would give much more opportunities to the lesser sides to cause a few upsets and put themselves on the Footballing map. As for two Scottish sides playing in England, I don’t think anyone would have a problem with that so long as they’re being beaten, which I think would probably happen.

There have been a few occasions whereby English and Scottish sides have clashed in the Champions League, but that’s a different situation to playing in the PL every weekend against Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, etc. It’d be a tough change.

Independent Schools Football - There's more to it than you think

2009-10-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

Charlie Pilkington for Shrewsbury v Lancing

You may be forgiven for thinking Independent School's Sport is centred around Rugby and Cricket, therefore not realising that Football is in fact bigger than the two in most cases. Independent Schools, such as the one I attend (Shrewsbury School), are renowned for their big playing grounds, excellent facilities and top-class coaching, thus giving pupils every possible chance to maximise their potential.

Four weeks into the new term and the Football season is already shaping up to be a classic for Schools all over the country. My objective here is to raise a bit of awareness of the Independent Schools game, as well as teach you a few things you may not know.

History
In 1868 Shrewsbury School was named as one of the nine 'great' schools of England, along with Charterhouse, Eton, Harrow, Merchant Taylors', Rugby, St Paul's, Westminster, and Winchester. It also holds the original copy of the rules of Football within it's Library.

In the year 2000, under the guidance of then-coach Mark Dickson, Shrewsbury won the Independent Schools Football Association Cup, also known as the ISFA, or 'Boodles', something that disappointingly hasn't been achieved since. This year, Shrewsbury are determined for victory.

ISFA 2009-10
Two rounds in to this year's competition and things have gone very well for Shrewsbury School. Under new coach, ex-pro Steve Biggins, we have a fresh new outlook with a view to winning trophies in the short-term.

We were drawn against KES Witley in the 1st round, which meant an 8-hour round trip down to Surrey. It was a potentially tricky encounter which we made fairly light work of in the end.

We were awarded a rather dubious penalty after just 4 minutes, which striker Roy Chatterjee slotted away. Roy now has a record of 10 goals in 8 games this season, a tally any striker would be proud of at any level. It wasn't until the second half that we finished off KES though, with 2 goals from winger Pat White, and another from Chatterjee. There could, and probably should have been more goals for us in the second half, particularly if a 35-yard thunderbolt from your's truly hadn't hit the crossbar.

In the second round we were drawn with a home tie against Brighton-based side Lancing. A 10-hour round trip down south would not have gone down too well with the boys, so we were definitely grateful with the home tie.

Shrewsbury dominated throughout the match, and Lancing were eventually flattered by the 2-0 scoreline. Chatterjee and White were again amongst the goals, but an all-round solid performance sees us through to tonight's third round draw.

The thrill of the big stage
All schoolboys aspire to play Football, Cricket, Rugby on the big stage, and the ISFA gives us exactly that opportunity. This year the final of the competition will be staged at Stadium MK, home of MK Dons. It's this prize that adds something special and gives an extra motivation to boys all over the country. It's not everyday you get the chance to participate in such a competition with the knowledge that you have the opportunity to play infront of a few hundred, possibly a thousand people, at the end of it.

2008-09 ISFA Cup Final

It's not only the final that draws people to watch either. At Shrewsbury we are lucky to have a lot of boys and girls that come to watch our matches, sometimes over 100. Matchday programmes are produced, our names are read out over a tanoy system, and chants ring out from the fans. It's a proper atmosphere at a proper Football match.

Shrewsbury's pitch has recently been described as being better than Aston Villa's. The headgroudsman used to be involved with the preparation of Wolverhampton Wanderer's pitch before taking up the mantel at Shrewsbury. The matchday atmoshphere, big crowds, a wonderful pitch, and a great team spirit is making this season very special indeed, and hopefully come next year, Shrewsbury will be appearing in the final of the ISFA.

I'll be sure to keep you updated with our progress throughout the season.

http://www.isfa.org.uk/boys/news.php?go=newslist&cat=Home%20Page/Latest%20News

Team profile
1. George Barker - George has made an excellent start to the new season, looking extremely solid. A much improved player who will be very grateful for having an excellent defence infront of him.

2. Ben Williams - Shrewsbury's head of school has made the break into the First team this season after excelling for the Second XI both last season, and at the start of this. Able to operate anywhere across the backline, Ben provides very useful backup.

3. Alex Blofield - Alex is an experienced Shrewsbury 1st XI Centre-half, who was a regular in the side last season. A tall, elegant player, who is fantastic in the air and isn't shy of a tackle.

4. Will Taylor - Will is another who played a number of games for the 1st XI last season, although not as regularly as Alex. He's able to play at right-back or centre-half, and possess great pace and tackling ability. His height adds to the physical presence across the back.

5. Charlie Pilkington - Charlie has had a fantastic start to the season, excelling on the pre-season tour to Spain, before putting in some excellent performances back home. He's good on the ball, has an admirable work-rate, and has quickly become a fan's favourite. Long may his form continue.

6. George Curtis - I'll try not to say too much about myself. I make up a 5-man midfield, playing the advanced role alongside captain Robbie Williams. Passing is my strong point, and due to my height, I'm also good in the air. Just the one goal so far this term, but I'll be hoping to add to my collection shortly.

7. Ed White - Right-winger extraodinaire, Ed has a wicked right foot on him. Our equivalent to David Beckham, crossing and set-pieces are very much Ed's strong point. His long-range passing is probably the best in the team, and his work-rate leaves very little to be desired. A regular in the side last year as well.

8. David Lloyd - Plays along side Alex Blofield at the back, and allows very little to pass through him. Certainly loves a tackle and doesn't back out of any battle. As committed as they come, sometimes a bit too much, he would say himself. Being one of the quickest in the side means very few goals will be scored past him this season, that's for sure.

9. Roy Chatterjee - New to school this year after being awarded a Sports scholarship, Roy's goalscoring ability is second-to-none. Give him half a yard in the box and he will punish you. He has the pace to match any centre-half on the school circuit and is a prize assett for us this season.

10. Robbie Williams (captain) - Robbie is a fantastic player to have in your side. Having previously been on Wolves' books, Robbie brings skill and elegance to the midfield as well as a wonderful striking ability. 30-yard screamers aren't a rarity with Robbie, and nor is beating players with ease. Captain of the side, he gains great respect from the boys.

11. Tom Elcock - A little dynamo in the midfield, Tom works his socks off every game. An excellent tackler, which enables him to break up the play and therefore feed Robbie and myself to press forward. He's just returned from injury, so will be hoping to regain full match fitness soon and get his place back in the starting XI.

12. Tom Elliot - Holding midfielder Elliot does a solid job infront of the back four. Gives the team good balance, and allows the likes of Robbie and myself to push forward and create chances.

15. Pat White - Twin brother of Ed, Pat plays on the left wing and creates chances all day. Fantastic with the ball at his feet, he beats players with ease and has a superb left foot. His right isn't bad either. Plenty of goals will be scored by him this season.

17. Christian Barrow - Shrewsbury's answer to Jose Bosingwa, Christian's committment cannot be faulted. Another one who loves a tackle, and another guy who has the pace to burst on to the byline and get crosses in.

Alex Blofield, David Lloyd, Ed White, Pat White, and Robbie Williams were all selected to play for the ISFA National side this season.

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool: Cautious Reds found wanting

2009-10-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Liverpool’s bid for a first Premier League title took what will probably be a fatal blow today at the hands of an impressive Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Second half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda secured another 3 points for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, which moves them to the top of the table, 2 points clear of Manchester United.

From the outset it was clear of Liverpool’s gameplan. As is the norm with Liverpool when they travel to Stamford Bridge, they set up with a defensive outlook with the aim to contain Chelsea and look to hit them on the counter-attack. Only one goal at Stamford Bridge in the PL under Rafael Benitez suggests that that tactic probably needs a rethink.

Fernando Torres had the chance of the half for the visitors. A floated cross from the right by Dirk Kuyt was met by the Spaniard, only for his tame header to be held with comfort by Chelsea’s stand-in ‘keeper Hilario. Liverpool would go on to rue that miss, as 15 minutes into the second half Anelka struck to send the Blues fans into raptures. Javier Mascherano was guilty of losing the ball inside the Chelsea half, leaving Liverpool exposed at the back. Didier Drogba was put through by Michael Essien, before crossing for Anelka to cleverly guide home at the far post.

Things got no better for Liverpool who never looked that threatening until Florent Malouda slotted home a second for the home side in the 90th minute. Yossi Benayoun had a golden opportunity just seconds after to scrape a goal back for Liverpool, but his shot shaved the outside of Hilario’s far post.

After this defeat, it seems Liverpool’s title hopes are over. They’ll have to settle now for battling out for 4th spot along with Manchester City, Aston Villa, and the likes. As for Chelsea, moving above United in the table will give them great confidence and motivation heading into the next round of PL matches.

Chelsea v Liverpool: Battle of the Number 8's

2009-10-03T04:56:00.000-07:00

Fans of Chelsea and Liverpool would have been scowering through the 2009/2010 fixtures list in mid-July, with the aim of pinpointing arguably their biggest games of the season. This contest certainly falls into that category.

In years gone by, matches between Chelsea and Liverpool have been displays of technical class, wonderful ability, and plenty of goals. One gets the feeling that this tussle will fail to disappoint.

There’s a lot at stake for both sides on Sunday. Chelsea lost their first League game of the season last weekend at the hands of a plucky Wigan, whilst Liverpool travelled to Italy in mid-week only to be outplayed by a very impressive Fiorentina side. Remarkably, that defeat at the DW Stadium prompted some people to start casting doubts over the future of Carlo Ancelotti. Now we know that in this day and age managers seldom get the rub of the green when results aren’t going their way, and usually it’s 10/15 matches into a season when they get the boot, but talk of Ancelotti going after just one defeat this season is completely ludicrous.

Many have touted the Italian as being the ‘next Scolari’, but so far there’s very little evidence of that. Yes, Chelsea lost to Wigan, and yes they can’t afford to be losing those kind of matches on a regular basis, but it’s just one blip out of 38 Premier League matches. I’m sure they’ll bounce back sooner or later.

As for Liverpool, Rafael Benitez is a manager under far more pressure than his Chelsea counterpart. A poor start to the season in all competitions has already dispelled some fans’ hopes of winning the League, or Champions League come next summer. The depth of the squad at Anfield, as well as the quality of players has constantly come under scrutiny, and there is no doubt that Sunday will be the Reds’ biggest test yet. Should they come through that with 3 points I’m sure all those doubts will disappear, for a day or two at least. However, should Liverpool fail to bag at least 1 point, more question marks, and more pressure will build on the Spaniard.

The key battles haven’t really changed from previous clashes. The main talking point will be the two no.8’s in the middle of the park. Messrs Lampard and Gerrard. Many say they can’t play together, but the spotlight will now be on the two battling against each other as they sought to regain some Premier League momentum for their teams.

Lampard is renowned for his ability to find space and pop up in the box unmarked, therefore scoring his fair share of goals. I would hope Javier Mascherano would be given the job of marking Lamps out the game, and therefore dispelling Chelsea’s main midfield threat. Gerrard on the other hand loves running with the ball, making those darting runs forward, and of course supplying Torres with pinpoint precision. Goals from Gerrard are guaranteed throughout a season, and he very often pops up at vital times. Michael Essien will probably be given the job of keeping Stevie quiet. A difficult task nonetheless.

The Torres – Terry contest also throws up some interesting talking points too. Torres has been in great form in the early season, and been rewarded with the Player of the Month for September. John Terry, England captain and one of the World’s best centre-halfs, will have his work cut out, but he’ll more than be up to the prospect of keeping Torres quiet.

Finally, Didier Drogba and the whole of the Liverpool backline will be a very interesting watch. Drogba’s physical, bullying presence will keep Jamie Carragher and the likes on their toes, and with Drogba’s reputation for going down a little too easily, they’ll have to be careful not to concede any silly free-kicks close to goal. Especially with the likes of Lampard and Ballack, two first-class free-kick specialists, amongst the Chelsea ranks.

Whenever Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge Rafael Benitez always seems keen on employing a cautious, counter-attacking setup. This time however, having already conceded too many points for my liking this season, a more aggressive, ‘in-your-face’ approach would be very refreshing to see. Yes, we may concede a goal or two, but with Torres, Gerrard, Benayoun, and Kuyt all finding the net with consummate ease at the moment, the likelihood is we’d score a few too.

Chelsea play attacking Football wherever they go. They have great ability in the final third, as well as a solid defensive unit that deals with the counter-attacking threat. Where they are perhaps vulnerable is with a big striker up against Terry and Carvalho, something Liverpool don’t really possess although Torres does put himself about a bit, and down the wings. Bosingwa and Cole’s defensive ability leaves something to be desired.

For me, the team that wins will be the team that gambles the most. Risks will have to be taken, but calculated risks. Sitting back and waiting to counter is a dangerous tactic and probably one that should be abandoned for this match. Aggressive, attacking, inventive play will be the winner on Sunday.

A fascinating contest lies ahead then. I’d be very interested to hear some predictions from readers – Preferably in Liverpool’s favour.

My Prediction: 2-3

Xavi: Fabregas has Barca DNA

2009-10-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Really Xav, really? If we're being hyper-critical of this statement we'd say it's not physically possible. But I'm sure Cesc appreciates it.

So, Xavi and Cesc - Spanish National teammates, former Barcelona teammates (although they never played together), and general good mates. The little Barca maestro has expressed his desire to play alongside Fabregas on a day-to-day basis at Camp Nou, a statement that risks infuritating Arsenal who have never previously taken kindly to 'tapping-up', and false rumours. But who does?

"I'd like to play with him", Xavi told Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo. "I've always said that in the National team I link up with Cesc very well, despite the fact that many say we can't play together". Oh the famous 'they can't play together'. Gerrard & Lamps. Proven. Ballack & Lamps. Dubious. Xavi and Cesc? Surely not.

Xavi went on to say, "we demonstrated in the final of the European Championship that isn't true. I especially hope that Cesc comes. He is a football player with Barca DNA and he is showing at Arsenal that he is on another level".

I'm not sure Mr. Wenger will be too happy with Xavi's comments, but Footballers will do anything these days to get to play with their mates.

So, if Fab does leave the Gooners, where would it leave them? Have they got sufficient backup? Would they need to purchase more than one player to replace him? Would it be a mistake to rejoin Barca? These are all questions that probably will be answered one day, although I can't see Cesc leaving just yet. For the Premier League, I sincerely hope not.

The AFC Bournemouth story

2009-09-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things you won’t know about AFC Bournemouth. Some of you may not know that they once held the longest name in the Football League – Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club Limited. Perhaps you don’t know that their red and black kit, introduced in 1971, was based on the old AC Milan strip. The 1970’s was also the era that Ted McDougall (I have a picture of him scoring a diving header against Aston Villa on my wall – that’s how good he was) scored 9 goals in an 11-0 victory against Margate. These are all things of the past, but it’s the present that the Cherries’ fans will be most happy about.

At the beginning of the last League 2 season Bournemouth were deducted 17 points for entering administration by the authorities. It was a bleak time for the club, who already had a very small squad, made up of seasoned veterans and raw schoolboys with not much inbetween, and it was clear that it’d be a big struggle for a club who have not lost their Football League status in 85 years.

Kevin Bond was the manager at the start of the 08/09 season, but was a man under pressure. Having been assistant to Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, and then Martin Jol’s first-team coach at Spurs, Bond came with a big reputation, but failed to deliver the goods. On the 1st September 2008, Bond and his management were sacked. Jimmy Quinn, another big Footballing name, was named as his replacement but only lasted until early December. A 2-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Barnet confirmed his dismissal. It was after this latest event in an episode of awful affairs for the Southerners, that their blessing in disguise appeared.

The sacking of Quinn allowed Eddie Howe to be named as caretaker manager, and despite losing his first two games, Howe was pronounced Bournemouth’s permanent manager until the end of the season, with a view to extending his contract. This made Howe the youngest manager in the Football League, at just 31 years of age. It was the first good decision the Bournemouth board had made in a very long time.

From when Howe was given the permanent job at the Fitness First Stadium, Bournemouth won 8 of their 13 games that season. That record was enough to keep them in the division, a remarkable feit for a club who were very close to completely folding just 12 months earlier.

In the Summer of 2009 a consortium, including former vice-chairman Steve Sly, completed their takeover of AFC Bournemouth. This backing has given them great stability, perhaps not financially but at least as a Football League Club and now, as the new season is well under way, the memories of last year’s trials and tribulations seem very distant indeed.

However, any club who have been through what Bournemouth have been through recently would struggle to rebuild in any quick time, as Bournemouth have found out. Despite securing their status as a League Club, and entering the new campaign with no burden or penalty against their name, no money has been available to purchase players, not since January this year. The situation has got so bad recently, that in their last home League match, amongst the Bournemouth substitutes was assistant manager Jason Tindall, 15-year old Jayden Stockley, and only one other player – Alan Connell. Bournemouth still won the game 1-0, but one has to wonder whether they can keep up such performances with such lack of squad depth. It’s doubtful.

For the time being all people associated with the seaside club will be thrilled to see them top the League 2 table, and to have put all the problems behind them. None more so than my Father, who’s an avid Bournemouth fan, and even I, as a neutral, am delighted to see such a turn around in fortunes for a real community club.

A dozen or so years ago each of my family registered themselves to have a brick engraved, with a word/phrase of our choice. My choice was ‘calcio’ (Italian for ‘Football’), perhaps ironic in the face of such unfootballing matters. Unfortunately I’m yet to re-visit the stadium to see my brick in the flesh. I get the feeling it’d be a great day out, to visit a club so many people hold in high regard, and to see the improvements made in the past decade.

Things are at a high right now, and there’s even talk amongst fans and pundits that in the not-so-distant future Harry Redknapp will attempt a takeover of the club he once played for, and managed in his younger days. Harry still holds residence near Bournemouth, in the seaside town of Poole, and has never fallen out of love with the club he grew up supporting. Such a takeover would rival that of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s at Notts County, but for differing reasons. Pride and joy would be the motivation for Redknapp, whereas money has spurred Sven and the guys in Nottingham to press for Premier League status within 5 years. A shame really. There’s no romance in that.

It’s stories such as these that puts the growing wealth of Football into perspective. A club with no money has managed to survive and rise to the top of it’s division due to a tightly-knit community and bunch of players, passionate support and real drive for success. If only we had more AFC Bournemouth’s in this world.

If any of you get the chance to visit Bournemouth this season, I’d be very grateful if you could report back with your feelings, opinions, and views about the club.

The ones you knew nothing about: Champions League underdogs

2009-09-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

This season's Champions League has thrown a few names at us that very few people from this side of the continent have heard of. With another night of great European action soon to commence, I've decided to give you a run-through of the teams that'll be looking to announce themselves on the European stage.

The badge you see above belongs to Russian champions FC Rubin Kazan, who have also held the names Iskra and Rubin-TAN throughout the late 20th century. In 2003, Rubin made the break into the Russian Premier League, finishing 3rd in their first season, and thereby qualifying for the UEFA Cup (now Europa League).

It took them just 5 years to reach the summit of the Russian top flight, and therefore qualifying for the Champions League for the first time ever. In their history, Rubin have boasted Sergiy Rebrov, and Savo Milosevic amongst their most famous players, and a certain Cedric Roussel whom Coventry City fans will remember.

In their first Champions League game of their first ever campaign, Rubin were soundly beaten 3-1 by Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev, but more than held their own in their second encounter, against much more illustrious opponents Inter Milan, led by Jose Mourinho of course. A 1-1 draw in Russia was less than expected and has certainly given Mourinho and his men a shock. Top scorer Alejandro Dominguez got the goal.

Hungary's reigning champions Debreceni VSC make up Liverpool's group, which also includes Fiorentina and Lyon. They will be proud to hold the record for being Hungary's most successful club since the year 2000. Or maybe they won't be.

Anyway, Debreceni are a club who were founded way back in 1902, and like Rubin Kazan underwent numerous name changes during the communist era of the mid to late 1900's. They play their football at Olah Gabor Utca in Debrecen, a stadium that holds over 9,000 people. However, as it does not meet the UEFA standards, Debreceni have to play their European home games down the road in Budapest, at the Puskas Ferenc stadium. That's a bit like Fulham being told they have to play at Stamford Bridge.

They more than held their own in the opening group match at Anfield, being defeated by just the one goal, scored by Dirk Kuyt. A second round match against Lyon will give them the opportunity to record their first point.

Perhaps the least well known of this year's participants is Romanian outfit Unirea (careful how you pronounce that) Urziceni. They're the Romanian champions, and according to their website are the most successful team from Lalomita county. Is that good?

Unirea have never taken part in Europe before 2008, a year that they made the break into the then UEFA Cup. However they only made it to the first round.

They play their home matches at the 7,000 seater Tineretului Stadium, but will be forced to play their European matches in Bucharest for the same reasons as Debreceni.

They make up a group with Rangers, Sevilla and Stuttgart, so perhaps potential for an upset or two this year. That's actually all there is on Urinea. If anyone could provide me with a few more facts, I'd be oh so grateful.

Cypriot champions Apoel Nicosia probably have the hardest task out of all the 'minnows'. They're placed in a group with Chelsea, Porto, and Atletico Madrid.

Apoel have had a fairly illustrious history, as far as Cyprus goes. In 1963/4, taking part in their first ever European competition, Apoel defeated Norweigan side SK Lyn in the UEFA Cup winner's cup, and triumphed 7-0 over the two legs, before being thrashed 16-1 on aggregate by Sporting Lisbon as they are today. In the 1995/6 campaign, Apoel won the league without losing a game, a feit that had never been achieved before by a cypriot club.

They more than held their own in the first round match of this season's Champions League too. A 0-0 draw with Atletico suggests they're not a team to be underestimated. Nuno Morais is a name to watch out for. The young Portuguese was on Chelsea's books last season.

So there's a little low-down on the clubs you probably knew nothing about. Now when one of these 4 sides creates a real upset, you can thank me for bringing them to your attention.

Hart and Brown favourite for the sack

2009-09-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

It's approaching that stage of the season when the clubs down the bottom of the table start to think about change. The fans grow increasingly impatient and demanding, owners and directors are put under immense pressure, and players lose complete confidence in themselves, prompting a change of manager and a new boost for the club as a whole.

7 games in and Portsmouth remain pointless. They've shipped 13 goals in those 7 games, and only managed to hit the net on 3 occasions. It's this kind of form that may find manager Paul Hart forced out of the club in the very near future.

A number of things have contributed to the demise of a club who under Harry Redknapp just a few years ago had a solid squad of players, were playing well, and were contenders for Europe. In fact, they were participants in Europe last season, hosting clubs such as AC Milan no less. However, the change from a vastly experienced, hugely knowledeable manager, to a guy who has never managed in the Premier League before, has obviously proven too big a step for Pompey.

They're desperately short on confidence and enthusiasm. While every club in this situation would deny that and say there are always plenty of positives to take from it, there's no hiding from the fact they're in deep trouble, even at this very early stage in the season. The table doesn't lie, and nor do results. Hart's signings have been questionable too. Spending £5m on Watford's centre-half Michael Williamson seemed a bizarre choice. That sort of money could have bought 2 Niko Kranjcar's.

Goals are obviously prooving a massive stumbling block for Hart's men. Only 3 this season, excluding the 4-1 defeat of Hereford in the Carling Cup, suggests that they severly lack the firepower upfront. Kanu isn't a proven goalscorer, Danny Webber isn't a Premier League standard player, and Frederic Piquionne is still finding his feet in England. And now that Kranjcar has left, for a ridiculously low price, means that there's now a lack of goals from the midfield. In fact, Younes Kaboul is Pompey's highest scoring player this season, from centre-back. Disturbing.

Paul Hart is currently joint favourite to be sacked first this season.

Odds: 11/10 (SKYBET)

The man Hart is currently battling in the sacking race is Hull City's Phil Brown. His reign as manager at the KC has been much less straight forward than Hart's at Pompey.

Having taken over from Phil Parkinson in December 2006, Brown saved Hull from relegation before guiding them to the Premier League in the 2007/08 season. They made a fantastic start to their first ever PL campaign, breaking into the top 5 early on in the season. But a spectacular drop in form, and some woeful results meant that come the last day of the season Hull were favourites to go down. Despite losing on the last day to Manchester United, other results went their way, and they survived. By the skin of their teeth.

Many people believe, including me, that the demise started at half-time in the home game against Manchester City (pictured above), in which Hull trailed 4-0 at the break, and went on to lose 5-1. Instead of doing the normal, traditional thing of taking his players to the dressing room for a half-time team-talk, Brown kept his men out on the pitch and preceeded in humiliating them infront of the Hull supporters. From that match on, Hull went on to win only 4 of their remaining 25 games in all competitions. Make your own minds up.

So Brown seems to have lost the dressing room at Hull, and confidence is at an all time low. A 6-1 defeat at Anfield on Saturday further worsened Hull's position, as well as Brown's tenure at the club. Just one win in the opening 7 games of the season means that the Tigers are going to have to use every sinew of energy to fight against the drop this season. As for mr. Brown, his time at the KC seems very limited indeed.

Odds: 11/10 (SKYBET)

Despite Bolton not having such a bad start to the new campaign, at least not as bad as Pompey and Hull, Gary Megson's position is constantly under threat. He was the fan's last choice to take over from Sammy Lee 2 years ago, and since then has failed to win them over. His style of play is very direct, and not in the least bit attractive, and his loud-mouthed, aggressive management style hasn't made him a Premier League favourite.

Bolton lie in 13th position after 6 games this season, with 2 wins. A game in hand could allow them to consolidate their mid-table position, so you may be wondering why he's among the favourites to be sacked first. While the results haven't been awful, the performances have been pretty bad. No one likes to see route 1, hoofing it up the field, type of football. Perhaps the Bolton fans would take that if they're winning, but I just don't see Megson lasting that much longer. The reason being, if Bolton start having a poor run, the fans are going to jump right on his back straight away, and pressure will mount rapidly.

Not a fan's favourite, but a favourite to get the boot.

Odds: 8/1 (SKYBET)

http://www.bet123.net/wp/premiership-betting/416/premiership-sack-race-200809-who-will-be-the-first-premier-league-manager-to-lose-their-job - The rest of the odds.

Can we really win the World Cup?

2009-09-24T11:16:00.001-07:00

It’s been a difficult few days for English Football, with controversy surrounding the Manchester derby, the Robbie Keane ‘penalty’ debate, and Sol Campbell’s not-so-surprising departure from Notts County. But I’m here to put a smile back on your faces with a positive overview of England’s World Cup qualifying campaign and their chances of winning next year’s World Cup.

Every year the England team is branded as a team to watch out for, to not underestimate, and to possibly win the World Cup. And every year we are disappointed. When it’s not David Beckham kicking out at Diego Simeone, it’s David Batty missing a fatal spot-kick. When it’s not Wayne Rooney stamping on Ricardo Carvalho’s goolies, it’s Darius Vassell scuffing a pk straight into the hands of the Portuguese goalkeeper, Ricardo.

However, under the wily management of Fabio Capello, England have rapidly built a team that looks more capable than ever of winning Football’s biggest prize. The majority of you will have watched England’s qualifying campaign, and what a mightily impressive one it’s been too. 8 wins out of 8 and never have we looked like being beaten. A mesmeric 4-1 win in Croatia was backed up by a 5-1 demolition of Kazakhstan, before a potentially sticky encounter in Belarus was overcome with a 3-1 scoreline. The positive thing is, not only have England been slotting the goals home, but the scorelines don’t flatter them. Performances have been top class, and consistent, while attitude off the pitch seems to have improved greatly since the much disrespected Steve McClaren thankfully departed as England manager.

Fabio Capello has knitted a team who are united, and together in what they do. Team spirit seems sky high, confidence is growing with every match they play, and the work ethic is second to none. The Italian stallion certainly seems to have got the boys firing on all cylinders, and the pre-World Cup signs look very promising indeed.

The next question as far as the National Team is concerned is who will be going to South Africa? Now, every single England fan will have a different opinion on this topic, and I’m here to throw a few names out of the hat and stir things up a bit.

I’ll start with the backline.

Currently, England have many possible alternatives across the back. In goal, Ben Foster, Robert Green, David James, Chris Kirkland, Joe Hart and even Paul Robinson will be aiming to impress the gaffer in the coming months. Foster’s form of late has been dubious to say the least. A howler against Manchester City at the weekend allowed Gareth Barry to slot home, although luckily for Foster, United went on to steal the game. If he’s to be on the plane come next summer, errors like that have to be eradicated. Robert Green, David James, and Joe Hart all look pretty solid at the moment and aren’t doing a lot wrong. The key for them will be staying fit, and continuing to play well. Chris Kirkland and Paul Robinson are the outside bets. Robinson had an up and down England career before getting the boot in David James’ favour, while Chris Kirkland failed to cement a place in the Liverpool side, and has never really had a chance at International level. For Wigan he’s gone almost unknown. While not playing especially bad, he’s not exactly set the world on fire, and if he’s to push for a place in Capello’s 23-man squad, he’ll have to up the ante and really play well this season.

The defence looks very solid at this moment in time. Lead by whole-hearted skipper John Terry, who’s obviously a certainty for South Africa, England have looked hard to break down, and good going forward from the full-back positions. Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole are also stick-ons, while I’m sure Rio Ferdinand and Matthew Upson will be in the final squad. Joleon Lescott, all £24m of him, should be lurking around as well, although he’s not been at his best so far this season.

Depth in the full-back areas doesn’t seem too much of a problem, although Micah Richards, whom you’d expect to be Johnson’s back up, has looked rather vulnerable of late, and on the left side Leighton Baines is playing in an Everton side shipping goals. Stephen Warnock and Nicky Shorey will definitely be eager to stake their claim for Ashley Cole’s number 2 slot.

A few wildcards would be Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross, Curtis Davies of Aston Villa, and even Bolton’s Gary Cahill who seems to do little wrong at the Reebok. Jack Rodwell and Anton Ferdinand would be a couple of names people may not think of, but still have a decent shout at being involved in the squad. Rodwell in particular has been hailed as the next big thing, although he’s been playing in the holding role for Everton this season. One would say that if he’s to make the break through, centre-half would be his best option.

England’s midfield also looks very strong, not only on the field, but in depth too. Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Gareth Barry make up the heart of the midfield and have performed superbly of late. Tom Huddlestone will be looking to break into the side, as will Owen Hargreaves when he returns from injury. A fixture in the England side 18 months ago, injury has curtailed his career once again, but should he make a strong return for United, you wouldn’t bet against him making the final squad. However, would Capello drop Barry for him?

Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon, and James Milner look the perfect candidates to play on the wings. Ashley Young would also be in the mix – his recent performances for Villa have been nothing short of outstanding. Question marks remain over Lennon’s ability to cross the ball, but that can be worked at. Theo Walcott, who is currently out injured, will undoubtedly feature in the friendly matches preceeding the finals, and should be a strong candidate also. His hatrick against Croatia dispelled any doubts about his ability at the highest level, although they were few and far between. Joe Cole is yet to make a first team return for Chelsea, but I’m sure he’ll be featuring at some stage. A world-class player, and one 99% of England fans would have in their starting XI. He also gives 110% every single game, and that’s the kind of personality England needs all over the park.

Perhaps the biggest talking point of the England midfield is David Beckham. No longer a regular starter, Beckham has cemented himself as a kind of super-sub. Able to change the game and offer England a new dimension, Becks would be a more than capable reserve and someone who sets a great example off the field for the youngsters of the side. The model pro, someone you’d definitely pick.

We’re not looking too shabby upfront either, with Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey currently enjoying a decent partnership. However, Jermain Defoe would probably be most people’s choice to partner Rooney upfront, especially with his fantastic early season form for Spurs. Peter Crouch and Carlton Cole have also been involved with England lately, and if Michael Owen keeps up his decent form then he’ll no doubt be in with a shout. Gabriel Agbonlahor would be a very good option too. His pace causes havoc in the Premier League and he scores his fair share of goals as well. Should he go to SA, he’d be a great option in the last 15/20 minutes of a game, with a tired defence, to try and finish the game off.

So there’s plenty of options for Capello, and I’m sure plenty of names I haven’t mentioned here will have a shout. This is perhaps England’s best chance of winning the World Cup in a very long time, certainly since I’ve been around. Lets hope it’s not ‘one of those years’ again.

My 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa:
R Green
D James
J Hart

J Terry
R Ferdinand
M Upson
A Cole
G Johnson
J Lescott
M Richards

S Gerrard
F Lampard
G Barry
T Huddlestone
A Lennon
J Milner
S Wright-Phillips
D Beckham
J Cole

W Rooney
J Defoe
P Crouch
G Agbonlahor

Having looked at our team, it’s time to take a little look at some of the other candidates to win the World Cup, and what England will need to do to beat them.

Italy’s recent form has been dubious. They’ve not played well, and struggled in games they shouldn’t have struggled in. Should England come up against the Italians, you’d think Capello would have the know-how to overcome them. The midfield battle would be crucial, and on paper you’d say England have the wool over Italy. Up front, Luca Toni would be a problem for Terry and the likes to deal with, but all-in-all England look a stronger side. And they’re playing better.

Brazil are obviously going to be favourites. Kaka would need to be marked off the park for England to stand a chance. Gareth Barry would have his work cut out, as would the England defence. Luis Fabiano has been in great form recently for club and country, and would be a dangerous threat. From the full-back area, Dani Alves would cause a lot of problems down England’s left. His pace and trickery means Ashley Cole would be cautious about bombing forward and leaving that left-hand side exposed. Lets hope one of the other big guns do us a favour and knock them out. Would be a cracking contest mind.

Finally, the old enemy. Germany. We dislike them severly, and that would be a major motivation for our boys to take them to the cleaners. However, sometimes that can be a bad thing, especially for Wayne Rooney. When tempers reach boiling point, Rooney gets involved in little tussles that affect his game. He has matured a lot in the last few years, especially after the Carvalho incident, but a World Cup semi-final/final would be the ultimate test of his nerve. If England keep their cool in the heat of battle, they’ll be major contenders.

Where now for the forgotten ones?

2009-09-20T05:23:00.000-07:00

The 'beautiful' game. One of excitement, passion, skill, determination, hard-graft, controversy, joy, and despair. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the game we all love that we forget about the bad, the ugly, and the downright shocking side of the game that we perhaps can't see directly.

That's a side of the game that allows young kids, some my age, some younger, and some older, to be pointlessly kept at a Football club, before having the humilation and pain of being released into the open.

Football produces many many talents. Superstars, megastars, and in some cases even celebrities. However, it's only a select few that actually make it to this level. So what of the forgotten ones?

I'm a person speaking from experience. When I was 12/13 years of age, I was a part of an academy set up at my local Football League club, who currently play in League 2 along with the now extremely wealthy Notts County. Having played for the club for two seasons, scored the only goal of a national competition against West Brom, and done pretty much nothing wrong, I was sent away without so much as an explanation.

I remember that moment very clearly, and I'm sure I always will. There were about 15-20 of us sat in the changing room, not knowing what was happening, before the coach walked in and plonked himself on the bench inbetween a couple of lads. He then preceeded, in a very Sir Alan Sugar type way, to send us off one-by-one with the words "you can leave now". I had no idea what this meant. Do I go and come back tomorrow? Do I go and never come back? Surely this isn't the way a 13-year old Football-mad boy, who has dreams of playing for his local club and beyond should be treated.

I guess I was lucky being so young, as I still had my education ahead of me. Quite the contrast to a guy who's cousin I've played with for 5 years at my Sunday League club Ludlow Town. I won't name names, and I won't mention the club he was involved with, but lets just say they're a huge club, and you can find him on Football Manager 2009.

Having been with the club for 3 years, player x (as I'll refer to him) was this year released from his contract and left to find his own way. He has no qualifications, no aspirations other than to play Football, and no guidance. He was a regular for the club's reserves, playing alonside players who have gone on to make their Premier League debuts, and successfully at that. At one stage, he asked to be loaned out due to his frustration at not progressing through to the first team, but the club refused, instead keeping him playing for the reserves, where he would gain no experience, and wouldn't improve his game at all.

He now plies his trade with a side playing in the Zamaretto Premier League. Yes, I know what you're thinking. He's received no backing, no help or support from his previous club, and due to that he has no qualifications to go out and find a job. He applied to Npower for work, but they rejected him, and now he's resorted to helping out a friend at the Shropshire council. If this is correct treatment of a budding young player, then Michael Jackson is not dead.

Another story I've been told about is that of a friend of my Father's, who used to play for the youth team of a now Championship club. One day, he walked into the changing room before a training session only to be greeted by the words "what the f*** are you doing here? You've been released. F*** off". Clearly distressed, the player found it hard to come to terms with such treatment and hasn't been involved in Football since.

These are just 3 cases out of thousands every year. Young player's dreams shattered by horrific treatment from clubs, and just left to do their own thing. Every single club should have a policy in place whereby they can help their young players with education, finding a job, and just getting to grips with everyday life after Football.

Unfortunately, this doesn't look like happening. Football clubs don't care about who they release, or how they do it. To them, it is no concern. All they are interested in is making sure the players that they do keep on become the best. It's sad, very sad, but this is the reality of Football nowadays. It has to stop.

Discuss.

All eyes on the Lane as Premier League resumes

2009-09-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

Attention has turned back to the Premier League for this weekend following a 2 week break for the International schedule. A great week for England finishes with the news that centre-half Rio Ferdinand could be back to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane tomorrow. Ferdinand will no doubt be keen to stake his claim to be included back into Fab Cap’s team.
Spurs go into the match with the reigning champions with a 100% this season under Harry, and this is without question their biggest test yet. A backline that continues to be questioned faces up to a bang in-form Wayne Rooney, and a Dimitar Berbatov just starting to find his feet at Old Trafford. No doubt he’ll be receiving a mixed reception on his return to the club he was so prolific for.

Spurs, of course, have their own in-form striker in Jermain Defoe, who despite having little impact in midweek against Croatia, has netted 4 times in the opening 3 PL games, including a hatrick against Hull City at the KC Stadium. With United’s backline experiencing a few injury worries recently, Defoe will be hungry for more, but should Ferdinand make a return, even a striker of Defoe’s obvious ability will have a tough time. Rio may not be at his fittest however, which could allow Defoe to use his pace and exploit that slight weakness.

A pretty even contest looks on the cards then, with two sides renowned for scoring plenty of goals.

Prediction: 2-1

Struggling Portsmouth have a massive game at home to Bolton, a clear 6-pointer there. Should Pompey fail to bag their first 3 points of the season against their fellow-strugglers, big questions will be asked about Paul Hart’s position. Not given a huge budget, but at the same time not a poultry one, Hart has failed to get his boys firing so far, and after losing Glen Johnson, Jermain Pennant, and now Niko Krancjar in the transfer window, their squad lacks the depth to be able to break into the top half.

As for Bolton, their form in front of goal is leaving much to be desired. The much hyped, yet disappointing Johan Elmander is looking dreadfully short of confidence, and they’re struggling to provide many chances either, without the likes of Kevin Nolan in the side. A long hard season looks on the cards or both these sides.

Prediction: 0-0

Another 6-pointer at Ewood park sees Sam Allardyce’s Blackburn taking on resilient Wolves, who have made a decent, yet not spectacular start to their new PL campaign. Andy Keogh’s header at Wigan ensured their only win of the season so far, but a positive, confident display against Rovers this weekend may just see them secure a very handy win.

Prediction: 0-1

Wigan Athletic have had a mixed start to the new season, impressively defeating Aston Villa on the opening day before being beaten by Wolves and hammered by United at the newly named DW Stadium. Hugo Rodallega is the man to watch for the Latics, impressing most with his pace and agility as well as THAT strike at Villa Park.

They take on West Ham at the DW tomorrow who themselves have had an interesting start to the season, perhaps marred by the events of two weeks ago – violent crowd trouble in the League Cup against Millwall overshadowed a good cup win. 3 points here would be very welcome, although a point wouldn’t be a disaster.

Prediction: 1-1

Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool play host to Burnley who have shocked everyone with their enigmatic forward play and not least their brilliant defeat of United at Turf Moor. Another huge test for Owen Coyle’s men, against a Liverpool who will be looking to make up for a beleaguered start to the campaign.

Prediction: 3-0

Chelsea travel to the hostile Britannia stadium to take on a Stoke side exceeding expectations. Carrying on from a very good season last term, Pulis’s boys have looked equally solid, apart from the one setback at Anfield a few weeks ago. You wouldn’t bet against City claiming at least a point in this one.

Prediction: 0-1

Not one of the weekends immediate highlights, but Sunderland v Hull should still provide us with some entertainment. Since acquiring American teenager Jozy Altidore from Villarreal, Hull look rejuvenated, whereas Sunderland’s start to the season has been mightily impressive. Steve Bruce has built a decent unit at the Stadium of Light, and another 3 points here would consolidate their position well inside the top half of the table at this very early stage.

Prediction: 2-2

Last but my no means least is the biggy on the blue side of Manchester. Arsenal are the visitors to Eastlands, to take on a Manchester City side boasting Carlos Tevez and former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor amongst their starting XI.

Arsenal’s lack of depth in the central of defence may prove a problem, although William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen have looked more than solid so far. Goals won’t be a problem, that’s for sure, with Arsenal hitting six against Everton followed by four against Pompey the following week. Definitely one for the neutrals.

Prediction: 2-2

Kakuta saga stirs things up

2009-09-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

I get the feeling this one's going to be around for a long time yet. Joleon Lescott and Manchester City eat your hearts out.

The controversy surrounding the Gael Kakuta affair has definitely had a massive affect on football. After Lens' complaint to FIFA about Chelsea's actions, it seems to have given the rest of Europe confidence and knowledge that should the same thing happen to them, i.e. a young talent pinched by a bigger club, they can receive protection from the governing bodies.

The most recent development in the 'baby farming' scandal has seen Italian giants Fiorentina launch a complaint to FIFA over Manchester United's signing of 16-year old central defender Michele Fornasier. The news comes just days after the Frenchmen at Le Havre launched a similar complaint over the signing of Paul Pogba.

United snapped up Fornasier after seeing him perform for Viola in Northern Ireland this summer, and as Italian teams are unable to sign players younger than 18-years old, they had to concede the youngster to the Red Devils. FIFA are currently awaiting documentation from Fiorentina to begin a formal complaint.

Lazio are also pretty miffed that United 'stole' Federico Macheda from their hands two years ago, but never conjured up an appeal. They just asked for a change in the regulations, which looks very probable following recent developments.

It would certainly make it a lot fairer for Italian clubs, and other European giants, as they have really no hope of keeping hold of their young stars. The sooner FIFA act, the better in my opinion.

Kenny banned for 9 months

2009-09-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sheffield United's Irish 'keeper Paddy Kenny has been hit with a 9 month global ban for failing a drugs test. You'd have thought they'd have learned by now, wouldn't you?

Kenny tested positive for the banned substance Ephedrine following last season's play off semi-final against Preston. A statement from United said that the substance wasn't used to enhance performance, but despite this, he's been smacked (excuse the pun) with a ban lasting exactly the same time as Rio Ferdinand's back in 2003. However, Rio got that for missing his drugs test.

A blow for United and for Kenny. The Blades have lost a very good 'keeper, while Kenny has lost his reputation for being a decent lad, even if he does claim it wasn't for boosting his performance. Poor from you Pad.

Djourou sidelined for 6 months

2009-09-07T04:01:00.000-07:00

Arsenal centre-half Johan Djourou has been ruled out of action for up to 6 months after undergoing knee surgery. The Swiss International sustained the injury last month prior to a friendly with Italy.

So where does this leave Arsenal?

Having sold Kolo Toure to Manchester City, Djourou would have been confident of staking a claim for a regular place in Arsene Wenger's side. The arrival of Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax probably dispelled those hopes slightly, but with Arsenal also looking to offload Philippe Senderos in the near future, Djourou would have been near the front of Wenger's plans.

With the transfer window now closed, and with only 3 fit central defenders, Arsenal may have a couple of problems, should William Gallas, Vermaelen, or Senderos pick up knocks. It may open the door for a couple of youngsters to make the break through to the first team, or perhaps Wenger may even draft in a replacement on loan, as there is no deadline for loan signings in England.

Whatever the reaction to Djourou's injury, a few questions will be raised of Arsenal's backline. Gallas and Vermaelen have made very impressive starts to the season, in particular the Belgian who has a £10m price tag to live up to. Other teams will be taking note of the Gunner's lack of depth in this department, so it'll be fundamental for them to try and keep Gallas and Vermaelen fit. Alexandre Song is a player who has filled in at centre-half in the past, but you certainly wouldn't rely on him to fill the vacancy on a permanent basis.

A few things to ponder then, for Mr. Wenger.

England: Too many superstars?

2009-09-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

Having witnessed England scrape past a very mediocre Slovenia side on Saturday, I couldn't help but ponder England's trials and tribulations over the past few years. They're a team who continue to be surrounded by question marks, and I can't see that changing in the near future, no matter how hardCapello works.

Can Lampard and Gerrard play together? Which formation should we be playing? Why is Gerrard playing left wing? Why does Heskey constantly get a start? These are all questions that have been asked in the recent past, and as of today, are yet to be answered by anyone. Despite the Slovenia match being no more than 'preparation' for Wednesday's much more important clashwith Croatia, Capello still fielded a full-strength side, with the odd exception. Jermain Defoe probably should have started instead of Heskey. Nevertheless, on paper England should have hammered Slovenia, who only had 2 players British fans would have recognised. Bostjan Cesar and Robert Koren have both had spells with West Bromwich Albion. Instead, it was a flat, cautious performance from a side ranked 7th in the World. That's 47 places above Slovenia.

The visitors failed to show any kind of attacking intent or ability for the whole of the 90 minutes, yet somehow managed to score through substitute Ljubijankic. Although this was only a friendly, had England been as cautious in attack in a game that mattered, the final outcome may have been different.

The question I want to ask is do too many cooks spoil the broth? England's makeup is one of mainly 'superstars'. Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, and David Beckham are all amongst the top earners in World Football, but when it comes down to it, they seldom click for England as a unit. To this day I'm yet to seeLampard play as well for his country as he does for Chelsea, with or without Gerrard playing alongside him. It also continues to stagger me how Ashley Cole gets into the side, let alone being the most expensive left-back in Football. The simple fact is, all these players are picked on reputation. Some of them can back that up, and I'm not denying that. Rooney is a World-class talent, and he often performs admirably for England. Gerrard also, generally plays very wellwith the three Lions on his shirt, and Terry is a genuine winner, but as a team, I'm yet to be convinced.

6 or 7 'superstars' out of a team of 11 aren't necessarily going to win you silverware. The best International sides in the World are made up of one or two, three at the most, players who cangenuinly be called superstars. Brazil have Kaka, Robinho, and Ronaldinho. Spain have Torres, Fabregas, and Villa. The rest of their sides are made up of proven performers who don't always steel the limelight. They work well as a unit, and there's never just one person who stands out. England, however, seem to be the opposite.

All the aforementioned players are classed as World stars. They're players you'd put in your World XI, or Fantasy sides. You forget about the players who have proved to everyone that they are very very good players in the Premier League, the best League in the World. If you take Gerrard,Lampard, Terry, and Rooney out of the side you can easily replace them with Carrick, Huddlestone, Baines, and Defoe. These are not World class glamour-boys but they're players whom you know will do the business. So why aren't they in the regular starting XI at Wembley? If the so-called stars can't work together as a team, why not give the players that you can rely on to do just that a chance?

England has a massive pool of players. Definitely one of the biggest in the World, possibly the biggest. The problem with the English way is that we're afraid to change. We have the attitude that the same players will put it right in the end, but that's not the case. If you look at the England team of 4 years ago, it's very similar to that of today and we've still won nothing. But if you take the Italian team of 4 years ago, a lot of players have gone, whether dropped, retired or what have you. The point is, change isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yes reputations are built and they're built for a reason, but having a reputation for being one of the most expensive players in the World isn't the done deal. In International Football it's the team that counts.

You may think that my argument is unjustified considering that England have won 100% of their World Cup qualifiers under Capello, but it's all very well beating teams like Belarus and Andorra at a capacity Wembley, but when it comes down to the World Cup quarter-final next year against Brazil, Argentina, Italy, I very much doubt we'll come out on top, especially based on performances like the Slovenia game and certainly based on previous performaces in major competitions. Capello will obviously be very reluctant to make any wholesale changes in the build up to South Africa 2010, but after that I'd like to see some change. If I was England manager, I'd get rid of Lampard, in my opinion the most over-rated player on the planet, I'd get rid of Ashley Cole, and David Beckham, and I'd draft in young, homegrown talent who have proved in the Premier League for their clubs, that part of a well-functioning, performing team unit, that they can cut it.

I'll give you a little flavour of what I think the England team should be, right now.

GK - Robert Green
RB - Glen Johnson
LB - Leighton Baines
CB - John Terry (c)
CB - Matthew Upson
RM - James Milner
LM - Ashley Young
CM - Steven Gerrard
CM - Tom Huddlestone
CF - Wayne Rooney
CF - Jermain Defoe

Sub - Ben Foster
Sub - Ryan Shawcross
Sub - Joleon Lescott
Sub - Michael Carrick
Sub - Shaun Wright-Phillips
Sub - Joe Cole
Sub - Carlton Cole

There we have pure talent, and players who have consistently performed well for their clubs over the last few seasons. I may have missed a couple of players off their whom should perhaps be there, but I think you get the idea.

Kaladze apologises for costly OG's

2009-09-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

"Everybody touch my arse, it'll make me feel better!"

Georgia captain Kakha Kaladze has apologised to teammates and supporters following a brace of own goals in his country's World Cup qualify at home to Italy.

Kaladze, who plies his trade in Italy with AC Milan, stuck the ball past his own 'keeper twice in the second half to gift an unimpressive Italian team a 2-0 victory. The centre-half was clearly very upset after the match, apologising profusely and accepting all blame for the defeat. "My team did well and we showed our heart. I'm so sorry, it's my fault. It hurts me. I don't know what to say."

You have to feel for Kakha after this Frank Sinclair-like effort. Not only did he score two own goals, but he achieved it in his first game for seven months following knee surgery. Way to re-introduce yourself K!

However, Kaladze can take heart from the fact that he won't receive the same treatment at Milan as South Korea's Ahn Jung Hwan did upon returning to former club Perugia after the 2002 World Cup. Having scored the penalty that knocked Italy out of the competition at the second round stage, the Italian club terminated his contract leaving him clubless. Having actually helped Italy on their way to qualifying, perhaps a statue of him will be built outside the San Siro, such is importance to the Italian people that their nation does well.

Liverpool name Champions League squad

2009-09-06T04:48:00.000-07:00

Liverpool have announced their 28-man squad for the first group stage of this season’s Champions League. A couple of players will be unknown to the majority of people, but Liverpool’s lack of squad depth gives the chance for some youngsters to hopefully make an impression.

The squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers
Diego Cavalieri
Pepe Reina
David Martin

Defenders
Glen Johnson
Daniel Agger
Fabio Aurelio
Sotirios Kyrgiakos
Emiliano Insua
Jamie Carragher
Stephen Darby
Martin Kelly
Martin Skrtel
Andrea Dossena

Midfielders
Alberto Aquilani
Steven Gerrard
Yossi Benayoun
Javier Mascherano
Lucas Leiva
Jay Spearing
Damien Plessis
Albert Riera

Forwards
Fernando Torres
Andriy Voronin
Dirk Kuyt
Ryan Babel
David N’Gog
David Amoo
Nathan Eccleston

No surprises then as Liverpool go in search of a 3rd Champions League Final appearance in 5 years. There’s a chance of a competition debut for a number of youngsters, although the probability is that they’ll only be called upon if completely necessary. C’mon the Reds!

"We're playing 4-4-f*****g-2"

2009-09-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Spot the odd one out? Capello.

He's not a knob.

'Mike Bassett, England Manager' is the most legendary Football film ever made. Forget 'Damned United', 'Football Factory', 'Mean Machine'. They've got nothing on Bassy. He danced half-naked on a bar infront of Pele, opened his curtains to the media completely starkers, and he liked the Christmas Pudding formation. Yes, I know it's all fiction, but sshh. His hilarious antics but awful tactics and managerial ability make him the best and worst manager England never had. He'll always be remembered as the guy who loved Kipling (not the cake maker), and the infamous speech that led to him announcing England would be playing "four-four-f*****g-two". Brilliant.

Steve McClaren is just an idiot. He stood on the Wembley touchline with an FA sponsored umbrella, and a Wembley cup of Coffee (Probably decaf), and attempted to interact with a Dutch journalist (in English) by inheriting a Dutch accent. One of the most hilariously cringeworthy Youtube videos I've ever seen, and one that summed up his time as England manager. England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 with McClaren in charge, something that the majority of England fans have chosen to forget. Unfortunately for McClaren he'll always be remembered for exactly that, along with the umbrella incident. Everyone is glad he's buggered off to Holland. They can have him.

Then there's Fab Cap. I don't care that he wears speedos and poses like a page 3 girl. He's a pure legend, and I respect him no matter what he does. He can wear pink bunny ears, and jump up and down on the touchline shouting "I love cake!" for all I care. I love the guy. England are unbeaten in all competitive fixtures under the Italian, and haven't even dropped a point. Now just 3 points away from qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Capello is right up there with the very best of England gaffers. What a hero.

Can't wait to see who England's next manager will be. Christopher Biggins? Barbara Windsor? The Hulk?

England see off Slovenia test

2009-09-05T11:35:00.001-07:00

A penalty from Frank Lampard and a Jermain Defoe strike has helped England overcome a sticky test at Wembley against Slovenia.

With an important World Cup qualifier coming up on Wednesday against Croatia, Fabio Capello would use this game as preparation for his players ahead of the match that could see England qualify for next year's World Cup in South Africa. England dominated the first half with John Terry and Wayne Rooney both hitting the woodwork from set pieces. Indeed it was Rooney who made the biggest contribution to England's first goal, albeit with a little help from the referee. Rooney was 'bundled' over by Slovenia's ex-West Brom centre-half Bostjan Cesar, although replays showed Rooney went down far too easily. In fact it was Cesar who came out worse from the challenge, having to be dragged off the field and replaced by a substitute. Frank Lampard tucked away the spot kick with ease and confidence on the half-hour mark.

Slovenia had limited chances in the first half, although Milivoje Novakovic should have done better from 6 yards after 20 minutes.

Capello made 4 changes at half time, with James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe, and Michael Carrick all coming on at the expense of Gerrard, Wright-Phillips, Heskey, and Lampard respectively. Defoe, who's been in fantastic scoring form for club and country recently, doubled the home side's lead just after the hour mark with an expertly placed drive from the edge of the box. Despite England continuing to be the better side, substitute Zlatan Ljubijankic pulled a goal back for the visitors after 85 minutes, but it proved to be no more than a consolation for the side that travel to Poland in the week.

A decent workout for Capello's men, who face a much sterner test on Wednesday. Croatia will be without playmaker Luka Modric for the trip to Wembley, surely a disadvantage for them.

Pogba signing now under question

2009-09-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

Following Chelsea's illegal approach for Lens starlet Gael Kakuta, an approach that has recently been severely punished, Lens' French counterparts Le Havre have decided to launch a complaint to FIFA about Manchester United's approach for midfielder Paul Pogba.

You may remember my article on Pogba some weeks ago now. If you don't, look at it. Thanks.

The French side, notorious for producing exciting talent and then having them pinched by Premier League clubs - note Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama-Pongolle - were upset with United's inquest into signing Pogba, deeming their act as 'foolish'. Now, with the knowledge and confidence that FIFA are willing to act on such misdemeanous, Le Havre will be taking action.

United have denied they are in the wrong, claiming everything they have done has been within the UEFA guidelines. However, Le Havre managing director Alain Belsoeur is determined for the English champions to be treated in the same way as Chelsea.

"We are still pursuing our case. It's a very serious case. We are confident that we'll win because it is in the best interests not just of our club but of sport." Belsoeur went on to say, "We spend €5m (about £4.3m) on our academy every year out of a turnover of €12m. It is a huge investment. We do that to give a chance to our players to develop for our first team, not to be an academy for others."

From a neutral perspective it would seem strange should FIFA find United guilty and not put the same ban on them as they have done with Chelsea. Punishments are punishments and at the end of the day, and whether it's Manchester United or Mansfield Town, everyone has to be treated the same. English clubs have a history with snapping up young Frenchmen. I've already mentioned Le Tallec and Sinama-Pongolle who both made the move to Anfield, and Charles N'Zogbia was the subject of some controversy as well, when he made the switch from Le Havre to Newcastle in 2004. The signs from FIFA and the governing bodies are positive however. Punishments and bans such as the Chelsea ban will show clubs that they have some sort of protection when it comes to bigger clubs poaching their young talent. However, in this day and age, the likes of United, Real Madrid, Manchester City are going to come looking for young, fresh talent, and whether they like it or not, the Le Havre's of this world are going to have to deal with it.

La Manga - That's Spanish for 'Footballers getting smashed and raping young women'

2009-08-26T12:32:00.001-07:00

As I'm jetting off to La Manga on Friday on Footy Tour, I thought I'd do a tincy wincy piece on the place Footballers love to go and do naughty things.

Now, one thing I won’t be doing is what these lovely people did in March 2004. That’s Matthew Elliott, Keith Gillespie, Frank Sinclair, Paul Dickov, Richard Scowcroft, and Lilian Nalis for those of you who were wondering. They all appeared in court on allegations of rape, but got away with it. They’re Footballers so duh. They’re obviously gonna be found innocent.

Relaxing by the pool, playing Table Tennis, lying in the sun, having endless kickabouts, and drinking Sangria sounds like a much better idea to moi.

La Manga resort is notorious for it’s first-class Sports facilities. Leicester are one of dozens of teams who have visited the resort for pre-season training camps and friendlies in the last decade. Sheffield United were there at the start of this season, amongst other clubs.

Unfortunately it’s also notorious for Footballers getting smashed, and we all know when you do that, you end up with a jumper over your head. Bad times.

Upton Park update

2009-08-25T14:54:00.001-07:00

Awful scenes at Upton Park.

Crowd trouble marred an excellent win for West Ham over Millwall in tonight’s Carling Cup 2nd round tie. A 44-year-old man has been stabbed, but is currently in a stable condition in hospital after crowd violence broke out outside Upton Park.

A 29-year-old who witnessed the incidents unfold said: “It’s the last thing you expect to see. There were West Ham fans on one side, Millwall fans on the other, both being separated by the Police. Bottles and bricks were being thrown and hitting people on the front. There were bloodied faces everywhere”.

The Police have described the violence as “pre-planned” and “high-level”. The trouble broke out after Junior Stanislas scored the first goal. Hundreds of West Ham fans ran on the pitch, prompting the Millwall players to leave the pitch immediately. One fan even ran past a Millwall player, who clearly tried to advise him to get off the pitch, and stuck his middle finger up at him.

That particular situation was diffused in time for the match to continue, but outside the violence showed no signs of relenting. Riot Police have gathered at the local tube stations prepared for ongoing violence as people depart the ground.

One very moving scene at the end of the game was a tearful Jack Collison. Collison lost his Father in a motorcycle accident at the weekend, and as he was shepharded off the pitch he burst into tears. The remaining West Ham fans all stood to Collison and gave him an emotional round of applause.

Obviously very disturbing scenes at Upton Park tonight, and it wouldn’t be the first time Millwall fans have been involved in such an incident. It’s not good for the game, and the thugs and hooligans that are involved in the incident should be banned for life and locked up.

Carling Cup Round 2 Roundup

2009-08-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

No big ’shocks’ in today’s 2nd round ties.

Portsmouth got their first win of the season by thrashing Hereford United 4-1. Goals from Piquionne, Utaka, Krancjar, and Hughes securing Pompey’s place in the next round.

Blackburn saw off League 1 side Gillingham with goals from David Dunn, David Hoilett and Morten Gamst Pedersen. Gillingham scored through a Simeon Jackson penalty.

Hull City also saw off League 1 opposition in the way of Southend United. A 3-1 win saw Jozy Altidore claim his first goal for the Club, and other strikes for youngster Tom Carney and Geovanni gave Phil Brown’s men the win. Franck Moussa scored for Southend.

Burnley scraped past Hartlepool with a 2-1 victory after extra time. Steven Fletcher scored both the goals for Owen Coyle’s side, but a brave effort from League 1 Hartlepool.

Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers were other PL teams to make it through to the third round draw. The Blues saw off the challenge of Southampton, a potentially tricky tie, while Bolton beat Tranmere Rovers with a Mark Davies strike.

Wolves have seen off Swindon Town, but just. 0-0 after normal time, and extra time, but Wolves won 6-5 on penalties.

West Ham United beat Millwall 3-1 after extra time, but the Football was overshadowed by severe crowd trouble outside the ground. Update to follow. Junior Stanislas got the late goal for the Hammers in normal time after Neil Harris’s opener. Stanislas then netted from the spot in extra time before Zavon Hines rounded off the performance with a 3rd.

Other 2nd Round results:
Peterborough United 2-1 Ipswich Town
Port Vale 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Preston NE 2-1 Leicester City
QPR 2-1 Accrington Stanley
Reading 1-2 Barnsley
Leeds 2-1 Watford (aet)
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Middlesbrough (aet)
Swansea City 1-2 Scunthorpe United (aet)

Violent scenes at Upton Park

2009-08-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

Typical. Just after posting an article on how well things are going at West Ham United, this happens. Although it’s not really a fault of the Hammers.

Millwall were the visitors to Upton Park this evening for a Carling Cup tie, but unfortunately it’s not the Football that’s making the headlines. A man has been stabbed and violent battles have broken out outside the ground between rival fans who failed to get tickets for the match.

Reports are that “hundreds” of fans are involved in the incident, and officers have made two arrests. Police say the stabbing is connected to the fighting and the man is currently being treated by paramedics.

It’s same old same old as far as Millwall fans are concerned. They’re renowned for their trouble and violence both home and away, and there are no signs that they will relent in the near future. We obviously hope that there will be no fatalities linked to this violence.

Update as soon as we get more news.

Zola continues Italian Job

2009-08-25T11:40:00.001-07:00

It’s been a tough 12 months for the boys at Upton Park. A row between the board and manager over the sales of Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney to Sunderland lead to the resignation of Alan Curbishley. That was followed by major sponsors ‘XL’ going bust, and then an ex-Chelsea player taking over as manager. Not ideal for West Ham fans, but it seems Zola was indeed the right man to take on the role.

Zola arrived at Upton Park last season a unknown quantity. He’d never managed a side before, let alone a PL team with European aspirations, and everyone was rather sceptical. But he slowly and surely stabilised his side and guided them well clear of the drop in his first season. Now, with the new season underway, he’s quickly changing the outlook of his side to suit his style.

The Hammers are close to capturing the signing of Livorno striker Alessandro Diamanti, a 26-year-old who scored 16 times in Serie B last season. Perhaps a bit of a gamble for Zola, as Diamanti doesn’t really have a proven track record in a decent League. However, perhaps Zola knows something we don’t. Diamanti could be a superstar in the making, and if anyone would know about it, it’d be Zola.

Another player that has recently been linked with a move to the East London Club is AC Milan’s Right-Back Massimo Oddo. The Italian International spent the whole of last season on-loan at Bundesliga side Bayern Munich after struggling to hold down a place at San Siro. Now he claims that West Ham have made an inquiry for his services.

Oddo is now 33 years old, and that coupled with the fact he can’t get a place in the Milan side suggests that he could be on his way out. However, Oddo has made it clear that he wants a permanent move rather than a loan move away from Italy.

“I have already had an experience on loan, which is not ideal for a player. Hence, I don’t want to go away and then come back to the same conditions as I was in the previous year. I have to look not only at my interests but that of my family. To go away for a year with young children and face a new culture doesn’t seem the ideal situation.” He obviously gets homesick, our Massimo. If he was English he’d jump all over the chance to get out of here for a year or so!

If Oddo does make his desired permanent move to the Hammers it would be part of an exchange deal with Frenchman Julien Faubert. Faubert started his career in London with an injury that kept him out of action for the first 3 months of the season, and since recovering he’s never really made an impact. A move to San Siro may just revitalise him and kickstart his career.

Having watched West Ham take on Spurs at the weekend it’s plain to see what Zola has done with his side. They play good Football, they’re a strong side especially through the middle, and their fanbase is second to none. A push for Europe is a definite. All that’s left to say now is: Bravo Zola, siete una leggenda! Safe.

Pressure mounts on Benitez as Liverpool fall to 3-1 defeat at the hands of Villa

2009-08-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

I'll keep this short and simple.

Liverpool only lost twice in the entirety of last season, but with only 3 games gone in the 09/10 season, Rafa's boys already find themselves with 2 defeats against their name.

Villa turned up at Anfield today having lost their first and only PL game of the season, a home tie v Wigan, but they showed no signs of that against a sloppy Liverpool side. An open first half ended with Villa 2-0 up, after Lucas slotted one past his own 'keeper, before Curtis Davies headed home just before the whistle. Fernando Torres netted for the Reds with 20 minutes to go, but hopes of a comeback were short lived as Steven Gerrard brought down Nigel Reo-Coker in the box, allowing Ashley Young to slot home from the spot.

The match ended with boos from the Liverpool fans, clearly frustrated at another defeat in a game that they really should have won. Pressure continues to grow on Rafa Benitez who has failed to bring home the PL trophy in the 5 years he's been at Anfield. A squad that lacks depth, unstable owners, and a whole lot of question marks surround the Spaniard, and if the team don't start winning soon, the door could well be open for Rafa to pack his bags and leave.

England bring the Ashes home

2009-08-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Can we play you every weeeeeek, can we play you eveeeeeery week?!

England have won the Ashes! Ah the pleasure in typing/thinking/saying/shouting/singing that is indescribable.

Andrew Strauss and his boys have done the nation proud in regaining the little urn, by thrashing the Aussies in our own back yard. England have won the 5th and final Test by a massive 197 runs. Graeme Swann took 4 wickets on the final day, while Steve Harmison cleaned up the tail with 3 quick wickets. Emotional and jubilant scenes followed, as not only have England brought back the Ashes, but Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff has bowled his last ball in a Test match. Not his greatest match, but his run-out of Ricky Ponting was definitely a turning point in the afternoon. Ironic for such a great all-rounder that his final contribution in the whites is a run-out from mid-off. Gotta love the man.

England got off to a flyer by taking the wickets of Simon Katich (43) and Shane Watson (40) early on in the day, but Captain Ricky Ponting (66) and Mike Hussey (121) dug in for the tourists, until that decisive Flintoff run-out. From then on in, wickets continued to fall throughout the afternoon, until Alastair Cook clung on to the winning catch off Mike Hussey. Graeme Swann taking the last wicket of the series.

Andrew Strauss was given the award for England's player of the series, while Michael Clarke won Australia's award. Stuart Broad won man-of-the-match for his wonderful spell of 5-37 in the first innings, plus some important runs down the order. So Freddie gets the greatest send-off he could have hoped for, and the celebrations have begun.

"I'm gonna take the mrs out for a meal tonight and then spend the day with the family tomorrow", he claims. As if! As Ian Botham said, "he'll be taking the mrs out for a Bacon & Egg roll at five in the morning!". Great scenes at the Oval, and the great thing is, they'll be at it again in 18 months time!

Twitter Tatter

2009-08-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

So I was browsing through my Twitter, and as there's a lot of Football on this weekend, all the pros are tweeting their hearts out. Here's just a little view of what they're getting up to.

I'll start with Alecko Eskandarian, the LA Galaxy forward.
alecko11Headed to the HDC to watch the WPS Final, LA vs NJ. My prediction? 2-1 NJ and my twin sis Heather O'reilly will be WPS Finals MVP.

There are more abbreviations in there than a list of the World's most famous charities! Prizes for knowing what he's actually talking about (except Katie for obvious reasons).

Next up is Stuart Holden, USMNT player, revealing his generosity to a Twitter friend.
stuholden22RT @keikamara: FOR 4 GAME TICKETS...WHAT DID I DO WHEN I SCORED MY 1st GOAL FOR THE DYNAMO? 1st complete answer wins my box seat BLESS.

Think I wanna get myself to one of his games!

Holden in the action again here, exchanging pleasantries with close mate Jozy Altidore.
stuholden22@JozyAltidore17 how did the debut go ? Congrats on the win bruv!

And Altidore's reply.
JozyAltidore17@stuholden22 it was sick my man I loved every second can't wait for the next game

Nice to know the dude's enjoying life over here. S'not all doom and gloom afterall!

Finally, Giuseppe Rossi treats us to an insight as to what life as a professional Footballer is really like.
GiuRo22heyyy...took a dip in the pool cuz its sooo hot now...gonna be watching soccer games the whole weekend..good one tonite - milan vs. siena.

I'm sure they work hard reaaaally.

Congrats, Jonny Trott!

2009-08-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

'mon the new kid!

A little congratulations is in order for one Ian Jonathan Leonard Trott. He battled his way to a maiden Test hundred today, and what a time to do it. England were 39-3 when Trott came to the crease, but a big partnership with skipper Strauss, and some very handy ones down the order with Broad, Swann and Anderson took England to a lead of 546.

Trott was eventually caught in the gully for 119 but received a standing ovation as he trotted (excuse the pun) off the field. The cameras caught a glimpse of his parents in the crowd - slightly embarrassing for his Mother who was shedding multiple tears - but a lovely, touching moment nonetheless. Well done Johnny boy!

Is Ravi Bopara the new Mark Ramprakash?

2009-08-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

He's no Usain Bolt, but he could still be pretty special.

Ravi Bopara's International career has had more ups and downs than Katie & Peter's relationship. He burst onto the ODI scene in the 2007 World Cup down in the Caribbean, making a name for himself with a remarkably composed 53 against Sri Lanka in the Super 8's, a game England had to win, but didn't - by 3 runs. But it's not all been plain sailing.

His languid, yet effective style makes him a joy to watch. Cover driving, pulling, and clipping off his legs are all strengths of Bopara's, all evident in his 3 consecutive Test hundreds against the West Indies, home and away, earlier this year. However, a drop in form, and a loss of confidence has brought to my attention a very similar International career from a very similar Cricketer.

Surrey's Mark Ramprakash has been piling on the runs in County Cricket for years now. In particular the last 3, in which he has averaged over 100 in all 3 seasons. Despite this wonderful First-Class record, his Test match statistics are very disappointing. Throughout his International career, the question was raised time after time as to why he wasn't reproducing his County form in the World arena. It continues to stump pundits, fans, and himself to this day. An average of just 27 does little justice for his astounding ability.

As for Essex's number 3, he seems to be heading in a very similar direction. He's still a very young man, with a lot of years ahead of him, but one has to question his mental ability to cope with the step up to the International fold. That's clearly what it was for Ramps - a mental thing. He's proved that he has as much ability as your next England batsman, but when it came down to it, his fairly brittle mental state, at least when walking out with the Lions on his chest, cost him what should have been a much longer England career. Last season Bopara made big runs for Essex, including a double-hundred in a 50 over match. That's an incredible feat, and you have to be a special player to be able to do that. Since being dropped by England, he's made 201 in the County Championship against Surrey, suggesting that it wasn't his form with the bat that cost him his place for the final Test, but his fragile mind.

It'd be a shame if Bopara let that get the better of him, and sabotaged what could be a fantastic, blossoming England career. It's not something that can be easily rectified, but with more experience perhaps a stronger frame of mind will come with it. Yes he did score 3 consecutive hundreds earlier in the year, but that was against West Indies. With all due respect, they're not an Australia or a South Africa. Having not even made a fifty in this year's Ashes, his place for the South African tour is surely in jeopardy, especially as Jonathan Trott cracked a brilliant 119 today on debut. The only thing Bopara can do now, is make sure he's getting runs on a regular basis for Essex, and hope the selectors give him his third chance in Test Cricket.

Ramprakash certainly received his fair share of chances, but failed to ever capitalise on them. He never cemented his place in the side, and that's exactly what Bopara has to do. Scoring runs against the weaker sides is one thing, but delivering the goods in a high pressure, Ashes situation is a completely different slice of cake. We hope Bopara isn't the new Ramprakash, and we hope that with experience and matches he'll gain the mental strength to be able to deal with the high pressure expectations that come with being an International Sportsperson.

Hull off the mark & stalemate at St. Andrews

2009-08-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Question; Who's the most relieved man on the planet right now?
Answer; Mr. Philip Brown.
(Click here for Today's other match reports, and general news)

The little-known name of Kamel Ghilas ensured Hull bagged their first points of the PL season, and giving Manager Phil Brown a reason to sigh very heavily. It was The Tigers’ first home win in the PL since December. The Hull faithful were to catch a glimpse of new American signing Jozy Altidore when he came off the bench to replace Caleb Folan in the 60th minute, and no doubt Jozy will have been ecstatic to play a pretty major part in Hull’s first win of the season.

A fairly dull first half saw chances for Bolton’s Johan Elmander, and Hull’s Stephen Hunt, as well as an effort from scorer Ghilas that brought a decent save out of Wanderers’ ‘keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

The second half brought little more to enthrall the crowd. Elmander had another chance rather early on, but nothing came of it. Then, Altidore making his PL debut replacing Folan, set up Ghilas for the winner with a header over the Bolton defence that he smashed past Jaaskelainen. Altidore had a chance of his own a few minutes later, lobbing Jaaskelainen but placing the ball wide of the far post. Little else followed for either side, but a much needed win for Phil Brown’s men, who are now lifted out of the relagation zone at this very early stage in the season.

Further south, Birmingham and Stoke played out a bore draw at St. Andrews with Stoke ‘keeper Thomas Sorensen claiming man-of-the match. He kept out efforts from Gary O’Connor and Franck Queudrue amongst others, but watched his side fail to hit the back of the net at the other end. Both sides will be fairly content with a draw, although pre-match, both Alex McLeish and Tony Pulis probably viewed this as a should-win.

Another op for Freddie?

2009-08-22T05:23:00.001-07:00

"F-f-f-f-fuckkkkkkkkk".

Oh Freddie Freddie Freddie. When shallst thou be healthy again?
There are yet more reports that the big man will require another operation on his dodgy knee after the Oval Test match. That'd make Freddie the most operated-on man since David Busst snapped his leg in about 24 places.

He's clearly struggling though, but despite that Andrew Strauss made the strange decision to bring him on to bowl when messrs Siddle and Hilfenhaus were occupying the crease late in the Aussie innings. Surely a Harmison, or an Anderson would have been a better option, considering their not limping around on half a leg?

Still, you can't knock big Fred. He keeps bouncing back, thundering in off his long run-up, and defying the physiological odds. If he is to have another operation, he'll be ruled out for the ODI's against Australia, and the much hated Champions Trophy in SA in September. That'd put us right in the brown stuff, with KP already ruled out of both competitions.

Any other normal person would be dead by now, but after hundreds of injuries, thousands of operations, and millions of miserable mugshots, Fred is still with us, and battling on with the rest of the England boys as they approach a memorable victory at the Oval that will see the Ashes return to the place it belongs.

Wickets tumble on enthralling day

2009-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

15 wickets falling on the second day at the Oval. I'm mad, right?
But you would be mistaken in thinking that I was incorrect if you didn't watch one of the best day's Test Cricket in a long time.

An overnight 307-8 was where England stood as the bell rang out over the Oval pavilion on the second morning. Stuart Broad, James Anderson, and Steve Harmison were the men given the difficult task of lifting England up to a respectable but below-par 350. A total that would challenge Australia, but by no means right them off.

The day started badly for England, however. James Anderson recorded his first Test match duck as he was undone by a Ben Hilfenhaus in-swinger. Anderson trudged off with his record shattered, and ending at 58 innings without a Test duck. AB de Villiers lead the way with that statistic - he played out 78 innings before recording his first duck.

Some decent hitting from Broad and Harmison saw England up to 332, before Broad edged a Hilfenhaus cutter to Ricky Ponting in the slips. A slight delay followed, with a bit of confusion. It turned out that as Hilfenhaus bowled that ball, Broad's leg stump bail had fallen off. However, both sides accepted it, and that was that as far as the England innings was concerned. Andrew Strauss would probably have been very disappointed not to at least reach the 400 mark after an excellent start to their innings, but the pitch was already showing signs of wear and tear that would no doubt aid Graeme Swann with his off-spin.

Australia's innings started slowly, but Shane Watson and Simon Katich dug in and took the score up to 73 before the first wicket was lost. Broad in the action again as he trapped Watson in front, LBW for 34. And there started one of the greatest collapses the Oval had ever witnessed. Broad went on to claim 3 more wickets in his next 3 overs, giving him figures of 5.1.16.4 mid-way through the afternoon session. Ricky Ponting dragged one on, Mike Hussey was trapped leg-before by a full in-swinger, and Michael Clarke drove on the up to Jonathan Trott at short extra-cover. That was Trott's first catch in Test Cricket, and boy did he enjoy it.

shame about the mugshot, but a great moment nevertheless

After Broad's burst, it was Graeme Swann's turn to steal the show. On a big-turning pitch, the Notts off-spinner had the Aussies in one hell of a pickle. He first did for Marcus North, who on second look was very unlucky to be given out LBW after getting a fairly noticeable inside edge onto his back pad. A rye smile from North followed, but jubilant scenes from England said it all. They were dominating proceedings. It wasn't too long after that Simon Katich reached his fifty - a gritty, very Katich-like knock, much needed by the tourists. Australia would dearly have loved Katich to go on and make a match-saving ton, but it wasn't to be. When on exactly 50, he got a healthy inside edge onto a Swann delivery that failed to turn, and ballooned the ball up to short-leg where Alastair Cook took one of the simpler catches of his blossoming career. Katich trudged off furious with himself, and with the scoreboard reading 109-6.

Brad Haddin is renowned for being an excellent player of spin. However, it wasn't spin that claimed his wicket. It was that man Broad again. A beautiful away-swinger pitched full on middle stump, that Haddin played all around, crashed into the off stump and set the Barmy Army off again. 111-7, and only one thought on Aussie minds - to avoid the follow-on. Mitchell Johnson made 11 before edging a Swann turner, while Stuart Clark and Ben Hilfenhaus made just 6 apiece before falling to Swann and Flintoff respectively. Swann finishing with series best figures of 4-38. Clark was very unlucky to be given out bat-pad when the ball clearly missed the bat by a couple of inches. Asad Rauf not doing himself any favours with that one. Peter Siddle remained unbeaten on 26, making him one of only 4 Aussie batsman to make double figures. All out, 160.

England came out to bat in the knowledge they led by 172 with 9 and a bit sessions left in the match. They lost Alastair Cook (9), Ian Bell (4), and Paul Collingwood (1) cheaply, leaving them 39-3, but they end the day on 58 with no further losses. Andrew Strauss (32), and Jonathan Trott (8) are the not out men, and they have the comfortable task of ensuring England set a solid base tomorrow morning, from which they can press on and get a huge lead, before attempting to bowl Australia out for a second time.

There is no doubt as to who's day it's been. Stuart Broad has had a mixed time of it lately, particularly after the Cardiff Test. He's had his critics, but it seems ever since Mitchell Johnson got involved with him while Broad was making runs at Headlingly, he's been a different bowler. Figures of 6-91 at Leeds, followed by 5-37 in this match. His variety has been his downfall in the past, but today he used it to perfection, causing every batsman he bowled at problems, and keeping composed after taking his first couple of wickets. There's been much talk as to whether he could be as good as Andrew Flintoff, and with performances like these, you have to agree. We've seen the potential he has with the bat - an average of over 32 with two fifties has taken care of that side of his game - but it's his bowling that needs to really progress in the next 12-18 months if he's to stake a claim for being England's next genuine all-rounder. I don't think there's any doubt that if he continues to work hard at his game, and put in full-blooded performances

like we've seen today, that Broad can do just that. As an England fan, I'd love him to fulfill his potential, and some. He's got a bright future ahead of him that kid, we just need to give him some time, and he'll become one of the best.

A mention for Graeme Swann too. Only 6 wickets in the series prior to today, and 4 of them in one innings. There were questions over his form after Cardiff, a pitch that offered considerable turn, but he's answered them today, on a surface that has turned more than Sophia Gardens. 4-38 is a fantastic return for a finger-spinner on any Oval pitch, and even more so against Australia. So well done to him, and the rest of the England boys.

Match in the balance after Siddle's 4

2009-08-21T04:38:00.000-07:00

Peter Siddle's 4-wicket haul on the first day at the Oval restricted England to a below-par 332. Ian Bell's 72 was the highlight of the England innings, who after being 176-2 would have been hoping for a score of over 400.

Siddle finished with figures of 4-75, his second best return of the series after an emphatic 5-21 in the first innings at Headingley. There were 3 wickets for the series' leading wicket-taker Ben Hilfenhaus, and two for Mitchell Johnson, who once again was the most expensive and less threatening of the 4 seam bowlers. Jonathan Trott's wicket came courtesy of some sharp work by Simon Katich at silly point - Trott going for 41, an impressive start to his Test career.

With the pitch being described as the worst at the Oval in over 20 years, a result seems increasingly likely. There was sharp turn on the first day for Marcus North, only a part-time off-spinner don't forget. Graeme Swann, therefore, should be able to exploit the substantial rough outside the right and left-hander's off-stump.

If England are to fight back and win from this position, their bowling has to be immaculate. Swann will need some wickets for his confidence, and to answer the few growing critics that he has, while Andrew Flintoff will no doubt be pumped up in his final Test match outing.

Argentine star Boselli a target for PL Clubs

2009-08-21T04:33:00.000-07:00

It is understood that 24-year-old Argentine striker Mauro Boselli is a target for several Premier League Clubs.

Boselli helped current club Estudiantes to Copa Libertadores victory earlier this year, an achievement that has caught the eye of Managers in England. Boselli also finished top scorer in the tournament, with 8 goals, including the winner in the final against Brazilian side Cruzeiro.

Manchester City had been linked with a move for the striker earlier in the year, but now with the likes of Adebayor and Tevez at Eastlands, any renewed interest seems unlikely. However, as the transfer deadline nears the end, Bolton, West Ham, Hull, and Wigan are all deeply interested in securing his signature.

Boselli's British representitive Barry McIntosh deems it only right that his client should receive such interest.

"Mauro is one of the best strikers in Argentina and it is little surprise there is such interest in him. We cannot go into detail at this point, but a move before the transfer window shuts does look possible."

Boselli's career record isn't the best, but there's still room to improve. Since making his first-team debut back in 2003 for Boca Juniors, Boselli has played 99 matches and scored 25 goals. That's less than a goal every 3 games. However, playing in a higher standard of League, with better players may just give him the opportunity to shine. Whoever captures his signing will have acquired an excellent young player.

Michel Salgado - Remember him?

2009-08-20T13:19:00.001-07:00

He's back on the Football radar. 33 year old Michel Salgado has made the surprising move to Ewood Park, to join up with Big Sam Allardyce and his Blackburn side.

The ex-Real Madrid man played a major part in the success of the Club during Vicente del Bosque's reign, but as the impatient President and Directors chopped and changed their number 1, Salgado found himself shut out at the Bernabeu. A combination of injuries and poor form contributed to that too. Salgado made just 17 appearances in his last two seasons in Spain, before being released at the end of the 08/09 season.

It's not surprising that Allardyce snapped him up. He's a player of great experience, and in his day he was a class act. I'm sure he still will be a class act, especially for Blackburn, although some of his old flair will obviously have been lost. However, since young Danny Simpson has left the club, the right back position has been a bit of a problem area for Big Sam, in pre season and the opening game of the season - the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Salgado will give Rovers width, experience as I mentioned, some hard-tackling, and probably a bit of play-acting, which can be expected from a Spaniard with long, blonde hair. An accentric character, who I'm sure will slot nicely into life in Lancashire. It's a far cry from Madrid though!

Allardyce has likened the new signing to Fernando Hierro's stint at Bolton, when he was Manager at the Reebok. "It will give us bigger status. He will demand more from the players rather than me or the coaches. I want him to bring a Real Madrid attitude to the dressing room. That is what Fernando did at Bolton and we all benefited. Hopefully that will be the case with Michel."

As for Salgado himself, he's just happy to be back in action. After turning down Chelsea to stay with Real a few years ago, looking back he feels he made the right decision. "I had a chance to come to Chelsea but I was lucky too because my team was Real Madrid. I love the club, I was there 10 years - it is a lifetime. I am proud of playing for them for so long. Now I want to enjoy the next two years, playing in the Premier League. It is one of the best in the world. Not only that it is pure football - fantastic games and a fantastic atmosphere. This will be a good experience for me, my wife and children. I have joined a historic club.''

A signing that will no doubt excite the Ewood fans, and hopefully make an impact on the Premier League in a positive way.

Dugout of the week

2009-08-20T12:12:00.001-07:00

We see these kinds of dugouts quite often, in Italy, Brazil, Argentina. But seldom in England, let alone in non-league Football.

This very Continental idea is home to Corinthian FC, a Kent based Club who play in the Premier Division of the Kent Leagues. They were formed in 1972 by millionaire builder Ron Billings, primarily to give his sons something to do. Corinthian FC play at Gay Dawn Farm. You wouldn't boast about that, would you?

The Hoops aren't to be confused with another Corinthian FC, a London Club who were used as a development side for the England National team back in the late 1800's. You all knew that anyway.

Picture by Daniel Braddock.
http://www.pyramidpassion.co.uk/index.html

Kyrgiakos to join Liverpool

2009-08-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

Samaras look-a-like?

Good luck pronouncing this one.

Liverpool have completed the signing of Greece International centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos - that's Sot-ear-rios Ker-jee-akos for the Graham Taylor's out there. The deal comes subject to a medical, and the fee is believed to be around the £1.5m mark.

With such a low price tag, Kyrgiakos is either a big gamble on Benitez's part, or a bargain from AEK Athens. At 30 years of age, Kyrgiakos should be at the top of his game, so perhaps it's the latter.

Rafael Benitez seemed positive about the new signing. "He is a player with experience who will hopefully help us in defence". I don't like the use of the word 'hopefully'. It gives an air of the unconvincing. Rafa went on to say: "He has experience in British Football with Rangers. After that with Frankfurt and the National team. He's a good player in the air, strong and aggressive. We were looking for a player with experience".

Does this spell the end for Daniel Agger? With Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel now regulars in the side, and the arrival of Kyrgiakos whom I'm sure will be next in line seeing as Agger's injured, the Danish International may just find himself out in the cold. Unless Rafa has plans to play either a 5-3-2, or play Agger at left-back. But that'd mean the end for Fabio Aurelio. AC Milan have recently shown big interest in Agger, and with the transfer window deadline still two weeks away, there's still plenty of time for them to come calling again.

It'll be interesting to see how Kyrgy fits in to Rafa's plans. He'll be arriving before the weekend, so the Kop may get a first glimpse of him during Monday night's home match against Villa.

The H Factor: Harry's impact at the Lane

2009-08-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Tottenham - over the last few years has been a story of three little Piggies. Martin Jol built what seemed to be a solid platform at White Hart Lane, only for the big bad Wolf, Daniel Levy, to blow it down, much to the fan's discontent. Along came Juande Ramos, but his structure didn't last very long at all. He barely collected the wood before Levy came and blew his house down. But now Tottenham have a new era, and a new Piggy at the helm. Harry Redknapp has laid the foundations for his sturdy looking team, and Levy is yet to spoil his party.

Redknapp has been around the South Coast for as long as a lot of people can remember, from his playing days right through to his current Managerial endeavours. His playing days saw him wear the shirt for 4 Clubs, and he even ventured into the US in an attempt to make an impact on American football. West Ham, Bournemouth, and Brentford were his British-based Clubs, while Seattle Sounders were the boys across the Atlantic that gave him a chance there. In a career that lasted 18 years, Redknapp knocked up 276 appearances, scoring just the twelve goals. But it would be his Managerial expertise and prowess that would leave a big imprint on the Footballing life of Harry Redknapp.

In 1983 Redknapp took up the role as Manager of his beloved hometown Club Bournemouth - this after he had a stint as Assistant Manager in Seattle. In 9 years at the seaside Club, Redknapp managed to gain promotion from Division 3, and even beat Manchester United in the FA Cup third round. Some achievement. Redknapp then followed his mixed spell at Bournemouth with a long stint at West Ham, where he truly made his mark, and enhanced his reputation. He is still held responsible for the upbringing and nurturing of players such as Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, and Frank Lampard - all whom have gone on to play for England on numerous occasions and are now major parts of their respective clubs. Portsmouth followed his West Ham days, where he made an immediate impact, lifting Pompey to the Premier League in his first full season. He then managed to keep them in the top flight the following season, before a spat with then Chairman Milan Mandaric prompted him to resign. Harry then took up the post at local rivals Southampton, much to Pompey fan's disbelief. Cries of 'judas' rang round the Football World for a lengthy amount of time. That is of course until he returned to Fratton Park for his second spell at the Club. In 2008, Redknapp finally called time on his Portsmouth career, to make the exciting trip to North London to take over a struggling Spurs side.

Redknapp stated that he couldn't turn down the offer. The chance to join such a big Club was too tempting for him, and as he said himself, it may be his last and only chance to do so. Harry made immediate change. He stabilised the Squad, and managed to save Tottenham from a very unlikely relegation battle by winning ten of his twelve games in charge at the back of the 08/09 season. Now, he's brought back Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, and Pascal Chimbonda to the lane, as well as capturing the signature of Wilson Palacios. It's those players that have made the difference to Tottenham since Redknapp's arrival.

He's definitely one for getting the best out of his players. Since bringing Defoe back, he's looked a different player. He's already banged in 5 goals this season for Club and Country, and there's no doubt there's a lot more to come. "Jermain has been brilliant for us so far this season. He looks stronger and fitter than ever". Robbie Keane's career seemed to have stalled when he linked up with Rafa Benitez at Liverpool, but since returning to his beloved Spurs, he's been given the captain's armband, and has been playing better than ever. One may argue that we didn't see the best of Keane because he never really got a chance at Anfield to make an impact, but that's no fault of his. And as for Darren Bent, he couldn't hit a barn door if he tried when Jol and Ramos were at the helm, and even though he's a pretty average player, he ended up as the Club's top scorer last season - the majority of his goals coming under the Redknapp reign towards the end of the campaign. He's now moved on to Sunderland where his confidence is sky high, and is banging in goals left, right, and centre. Two in two so far for Bent.

It's not hard to put your finger on how Redknapp gets the best out of his players. He's one of the most respected Footballing figures in Europe right now, and has been for a long time. Players look up to him, perhaps almost as a Father figure, or at least as a friend. He knows where to draw the line between a bit of friendly banter off the pitch, and getting down to business on it, and that's where the respect comes from. The players know he can be a banter merchant and a bit of a joker, but when it comes to matchday they know to perform, and they know where they stand. His honesty shines through most of all. If he has something to say, he'll say it. He doesn't beat around the bush and try to hide things like a Wenger, or a Benitez would do. He says it how it is.

Obviously his knowledge of the game is as good as anyone else's. His tactical awareness, man-management and everything else you can think of that goes with being a Premier League Manager is first-class. Ramos panicked when things weren't going his way. He tried to make changes that everyone could see weren't going to work. Redknapp has kept it simple though. He's stuck to what he knows best, played players in their best positions, and as I said before, he's got the best out of his lads. Tottenham will go places with Harry in charge. They've already made a wonderful start to the new season, beating Liverpool at WHL, and demolishing Hull at the KC. Europe is certainly on Spurs' minds, and in this current form, who'd dare bet against them?

Spurs and Reds run riot

2009-08-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Tottenham continued their fantastic to start to the new season with a crushing win at the KC Stadium against Hull. After defeating Liverpool at White Hart Lane on the opening day of the campaign, Jermain Defoe helped himself to a hatrick, while Robbie Keane and Wilson Palacios added to the scoreline, as Spurs completed a 5-1 demolition of Phil Brown's men. Palacios' strike was his first for the Club since joining in January from Wigan. Hull's consolation strike came from new signing Stephen Hunt, but this'll be a bitter pill to swallow for Brown, who would have been hoping to put the opening day defeat to Chelsea behind him by at least securing a point from this game. Hull's next match is a 6-pointer against Bolton at the KC, a game Brown will be desperate to win.

As for Defoe, he seems to just get better and better. He made the strange, and unsuccessful move to Portsmouth last season to work with Harry Redknapp, but since moving back to the Lane, he's been on fire. Redknapp described his form as the best he'd ever seen from the little striker, who hit two goals last week for England against Holland, helping them recover from a 2 goal deficit to claim a draw. "He's been fantastic all pre-season", Harry remarked. "He's a fantastic striker and we've seen today just what he can offer". Spurs will be hoping that he can stay fully fit, and keep up his form - if he does that, they'll be major contenders to break into the top four.

Liverpool were amongst the goals as well this evening, hitting 4 past Stoke City, and keeping their first clean sheet of the season. Goals from Fernando Torres, Glen Johnson, Dirk Kuyt, and David N'gog made for an emphatic result, thoroughly deserved and needed after the defeat to Harry's men on Sunday. Still, there's a difference from beating Stoke 4-0 at a packed Anfield, from travelling to Old Trafford on a cold Sunday afternoon with 60,000 people up against you. But we'll see what occurs for Liverpool as the season pans out. No doubt Rafa Benitez will be delighted with the win, and with Manchester United surprisingly losing to Burnley tonight, will be pleased that the Red Devils haven't got away from them early in the season.

Liverpool's next match is a televised home game against Aston Villa, who haven't made a great start to the season, but they're always a threat. There is still grave concern over the depth of Liverpool's squad, but for this evening, all's good on the Red side of the Mersey. Well done boys!

Denly gets the call

2009-08-18T03:38:00.000-07:00

Seems like the England selectors have been taking note of my 'Eye on England' for Joe Denly.

The Kent batsman has received his first International call-up, and it's some call! He's been selected in the ODI Squad for the matches against Australia, plus the Champions Trophy in South Africa later in the year. Congrats Joe!

A very talented batsman, Denly has been on the tip of selector's tongues for a long time now. Having played numerous games for the Lions, he'll have some kind of flavour for facing International bowlers. Hopefully he'll give the England top-order what they've been missing for a very long time now - a bit of flair.

While Denly has been included in both Squads, Kevin Pietersen has been included in neither. The Achilles injury will keep KP out of all International action this Summer, meaning if England are to win any major honours in the next few months, they're going to have to do it without their star batsman. A challenge, but one I'm interested and excited about. I want us to do well without Pietersen, to shut up all those cynics out there who think England are a one-man team. Jog on.

Andrew Flintoff has also been included in the Squads, despite suffering from a Knee injury that has forced him to hang up his boots on Test Cricket. At least with Flintoff in the side, we have some prowess with the ball. As we saw at Headingly in the 4th Test - without Flintoff, the side falls apart.

Adil Rashid, who impressed in the World Twenty20 in this country, keeps his place in the Squad. Whether England will play with two spinners remains to be seen, but Graeme Swann will remain the primary spinner. Tim Bresnan, who did an admirable job earlier on in the summer against West Indies gets a call, as does Irish-born batsman Eoin Morgan, who's had little impact so far since making the switch of allegiance.

Squad for ODI's v Australia & Champions Trophy:
A Strauss (Captain), J Anderson, R Bopara, T Bresnan, S Broad, P Collingwood, J Denly, A Flintoff, E Morgan, M Prior, A Rashid, O Shah, R Sidebottom, G Swann, L Wright.

Hertha want Voronin back

2009-08-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

Why?

Desperate? Piss-take? One of the two.

German Club Hertha Berlin have the unexplainable desire to take Liverpool Striker Andriy Voronin back to Germany. The Ukraine International spent last season on loan in Bundesliga, and scored 11 goals in 20 appearances for the Club.

Voronin is out of favour at Anfield, for good reason, and it looks like Rafael Benitez wants to shift him out. The problem is, no one had wanted him up until now. Having started his Liverpool career fairly well, with a goal on debut at St. Etienne, Voronin completely lost his form through the middle of the 2007-2008 season, and was cast aside promptly. At the start of the 2008-2009 season, Hertha came calling and snapped him up on a loan deal. Now back at Anfield, Voronin made little impact when coming on as a substitute in the defeat to Tottenham.

For me, having watched him play on numerous occasions, he's definitely having the same for breakfast as what Lucas has. Liverpool have had their fare share of failing centre-forwards in recent times - Fernando Morientes is one that springs to mind - but Voronin has hit a new level of rubbish-ness. You may think I'm over-critical of Lucas and Voronin, but anyone in their right mind can see that they're not worthy of the Red's shirt.

So if Voronin goes, that's half of the catastrophes out the door. I'll be on the phone to Mr. Gegenbauer asap, asking if he'll take Lucas away as well.

El hombre de Wigan

2009-08-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Wigan. Not a club you would generally associate with elegance, beauty, and silky smooth Football. They’re a club you’d put in the physical, route one, bullying bracket, without being unfair or critical. Over the years their style of Football has remained pretty much the same – the ‘Northern’ way if you like. Being from the Lancashire region, in which teams such as Bolton, Blackburn and Burnley come from, you’d expect nothing more and nothing less.

Recent Managers such as Paul Jewell, Christ Hutchings and Ray Mathias have done little to change Wigan’s style of play. Players like Jason de Vos, Emile Heskey, Arjan de Zeeuw and David Unsworth all play into that style – big, bullying, physical men who wouldn’t necessarily think about trying to play the ‘beautiful’ game.

However, Wigan’s answer to Pep Guardiola has something to say about that. Only two seasons ago was Roberto Martinez lifting Swansea City to the summit of League 2, a competitive division in it’s own right. That is no mean feat, don’t be fooled. Martinez’s youth, for a Manager anyway, and hunger for the game was unquestionable. He looked like a man in complete control of his emotions, his tactics, and his general ability as a leader. Wigan saw something in that, and pounced. Had they not brought Martinez to the JJB, bigger Clubs would no doubt have approached Swansea.

Martinez was an excellent Footballer himself. Having started his career at little-known Spanish outfit Balaguer CF, before moving to Real Zaragoza. From there he swiftly made the decision to move to England without so much as scoring a goal for the La Liga side. In a period of 6 years from 1995-2001, Martinez made 188 appearances for Wigan scoring 17 goals, which can be argued doesn’t do his ability and talent justice. He was a fantastic passer of the ball, something that has clearly rubbed off onto his Management style. Set-pieces were a forte of Martinez, something that attracted great praise and acknowledgement from fellow Players and Managers.

Following his long and successful spell with Wigan, Martinez went on to have spells with SPL side Motherwell, and League 2 side Walsall before settling down in Swansea in 2003. In 3 seasons with the Welsh Club, Martinez racked up 122 appearances, scoring 4 goals – again, perhaps not a true reflection of his ability. Martinez ended his career at Chester City, in 2007, a player that somewhat underachieved, particularly in the goals scored column. However, soon after ending his playing career, Swansea snapped him up as their Manager. In his first season, Martinez won 3 Manager of the Month Awards and as I mentioned earlier, gained promotion to the Championship. After an impressive first season in England’s second tier, Wigan signed the Spaniard on a 3 year contract, beating the likes of Celtic to his signature.

Martinez style as a Footballer is slowly becoming more and more evident in the way he Manages his teams. When at Swansea, he played an attractive, attacking style of Football and took a very average mid-division side to great success. Now with Wigan, he’s continuing along the same route. Having brought in players such as Jordi Gomez, Abian Serrano, and Antonio Amaya, it seems that the old bullish Wigan way is slowly but surely falling out of place. Whilst we don’t know a lot about those players, the fact that they are Spanish gives us a clue towards Martinez’s thinking. All Football fans will know that the Spanish pass the ball. There’s none of this wacking it up the pitch and letting the bloke upfront barge his way through the opposition centre-backs nonsense. Proper Football is the way forward.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say Wigan are the new 1990’s Middlesbrough, but they’re heading in the same direction. When Brazil fever hit Teeside, with the arrivals of Juninho and Emerson, ‘boro fans everywhere sought after instant silverware. Wigan have to be more realistic in their approach. They’re not a club with a huge amount of money like the much precedented Manchester City’s of this world, but they’re a club with a stable platform, an excellent chairman, and now a talented, enthusiastic Manager and group of Players.

Wigan’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at the weekend is evidence of Martinez’s impact on the Latics in this short space of time. Beating Villa on home soil is hard enough, but beating Villa AT Villa is even tougher. Martin O’Neill has a well-balanced, well-structured setup at Villa Park, but were outdone by an impressive, young Wigan side. The likes of Hugo Rodallega, Jason Koumas and Scott Sinclair all have wonderful ability. Time is on their side too. Having rebuilt the side with youth, Martinez has plenty of time to work with his players and develop them into a side that can maybe one day press for a Champions League place – perhaps that’s a bit unrealistic, but Europe League is a definite possibility.

Roberto Martinez has really stirred up things at Wigan, and for the good. The only thing Dave Whelan has to think about, is making sure no one goes near his enigmatic Manager. With Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and the likes all approaching the end of their careers, big clubs will have vacancies, and there is no doubt in my mind that Martinez could fill one of those vacancies in the future.

Football's most tedious discussion resurfaces

2009-08-17T12:39:00.001-07:00

Yes, you have read this story in 17 different newspapers in the past 5 years, and yes it’s back again. For the umpteenth time in the history of the Premier League, the old row over goal-line technology has hit the surface once again.

This latest uproar comes courtesy of a truly hilarious and ridiculous incident during Crystal Palace’s match with Bristol City at the weekend. Hilarious because it happened to Neil Warnock, whom I dislike severly, and ridiculous because it was. Palace’s Freddie Sears effort flew past City custodian Dean Gerken and hit the stansion in the top corner of the net. However, referee Rob Shoebridge and his assistant, Chris Knowles, failed to realise what 14,000 other people did realise – that the ball had gone in the net. Dear oh dear. If we’ve learned that Arsene Wenger doesn’t in fact need to go to Specsavers, we’ve learnt that Messrs Shoebridge and Knowles need to take the Arsenal boss’ place.

City went on to win the game 1-0, and as you would expect, Warnock was furious and claimed his side has been “cheated”.

The incident brings back memories of similar incidents in recent years, most notably the Pedro Mendes ‘goal’. The now-Rangers man was playing for Spurs at the time in an important encounter at Old Trafford against Scumchester United. Mendes’ long-range lob beat United ‘keeper Roy Carroll and bounced at least 5 inches over the line, but neither referee nor assistant spotted it, despite Carroll’s obvious disappointment at conceeding the would-be wondergoal (he sat on the ground for about 10 seconds with his hands on his knees!).

Keith Hackett, the General Manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board (easier done than said), is adamant that the use of goal-line techonology would be a positive step for the game.

“I think the major issue centres around the fact for a number of years PGMOB have been calling for goal-line technology to be introduced. In fairness the Premier League worked with Hawkeye to achieve a product that the Premier League wanted to put into an operation as an experiment with the full support of the Football League, Football Association, LMA and PFA. All the parties were in favour but, at the international board meeting in Gleneagles a year ago, FIFA and Sepp Blatter decided the experiment could not go ahead.”

I think that on such matters, and difficult decisions, levels of tedium should be taken into account and a decision should be based on that. Therefore, this case should have been decided at least 3 years ago, when the tedium levels hit more epidemic proportions that Swine Flu. Introduce bloody goal-line technology and lets talk about something more interesting. Mr. Blatter, are you reading?

A seagull with a mission, and all change for England

2009-08-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so a lot can happen in a week.

This is the infamous Seagull that decided to uphold play in the match between the Aussies and the England Lions because he was hungry for a bail. Yes, a bail. Perhaps not the tastiest of choices, but a gull's gotta do what a gull's gotta do!

Back to more Cricketing matters, and England have made the tough, but probably the correct, decision to drop under performing batsman Ravi Bopara. Bopara has made just 105 runs in 7 innings in this year's Ashes, a tally that clearly isn't good enough for the England selectors to give Bops another chance.

Jonathan Trott will make his Test debut at the Oval in the deciding match of the Summer. The Warwickshire batsman has been his county's top scorer in all competitions this season, so one can't argue that he doesn't deserve the call-up.Oh, but look - he's a South African. Commeth the day when England find a decent batsman from ENGLAND.

It bewilders me how the England selectors continue to show so little faith in our home-grown talent. James Hildreth, Alex Gidman, Paul Horton. They're all out there. A name that has been bandied around recently is that of Surrey antique Mark Ramprakash. I think Andy Flower and the boys were ready to dip in and purchase a zimmerframe for Ramps, who 20 days short of being 40, would be England's oldest Test Cricketer since Geoffrey Boycott. Perhaps Bob Willis will be called out of retirement in time for the Oval decider.

Spurs 2-1 Liverpool: Lacklustre Reds pay the price

2009-08-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Eugh.

Liverpool paid the price for a below-par performance at White Hart Lane on Sunday with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of an impressive Spurs side.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto opened the scoring for the home side on the stroke of the break with a powerful drive into the top corner of Pepe Reina’s net. Liverpool equalised soon after half-time with a Stevie G penalty, brought about by some impressive work from Glen Johnson, making his debut for the club. However, Harry Redknapp’s side had the last laugh, with new recruit from Newcastle Sebastien Bassong heading home from a Luka Modric freekick.

There was obviously something missing for the Reds throughout the 90 minutes, and it was clear to everyone apart from Rafa Benitez, it seems, just what that was. The presence and class of Xabi Alonso. Rafa replaced the now Real Madrid man with Lucas Leiva, possibly the worst Premier League player Liverpool have ever had, including Karl-Heinz Riedl. Alonso’s ability to pick a pass from 40 yards made Liverpool a threat from all over the park in previous years, but now with two ‘workhorses’ in Lucas and Mascherano in the middle, there was no such luxury.

Looking at the Liverpool bench, it’s evident that Benitez needs to spend a bit more time in the transfer market too. The likes of Voronin, Dossena, Sanchez Ayala, and Kelly are simply not good enough to be able to change a game when coming off the bench, and in comparison to Spurs’ subs, they were considerably weaker. Harry had the likes of David Bentley, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko to call upon, but without a second class striker, and with Daniel Agger and Alberto Aquilani out injured, Rafa had nowhere to turn.

Tensions rose towards the end of the match when Sammy Lee was sent to the stands by referee Phil Dowd. Rafa Benitez wasn’t best pleased either, displaying his disappointment in a post-match interview.

“We didn’t play well, especially first half, but we were much better in the second. We pushed harder and had more options in the final third, but clearly we have to improve if we want to win these kind of games”.

Damn right, we need to improve. We don’t have the strength in depth that United, Chelsea, Man City do, and we don’t have the quality in the middle now that Alonso has left. Aquilani is out for 2 months, so in the mean time, either Lucas has to perform a miracle and play well for once in his life, or Rafa has to get someone else in, either on a short-term loan, or permanent. Preferably the latter.

Liverpool won’t be winning the League this year, i can safely say that. If we continue to play like that, we’ll be lucky to finish in the top half.

Next 5 matches:
Stoke City – H
Aston Villa – H
Bolton – A
Burnley – H (no Djimi Traore, thank the lord)
West Ham – A

From where I was sitting, I saw nothing!

2009-08-14T07:39:00.001-07:00

Who would be a manager, eh? Not only do they have to control a group of mischievous, binge drinking, gambling addicted idiots but from what we gather from post-match interviews, they have a severe case of missing the most crucial incidents and decisions, UNLESS they go against their team. It’s usually because a steward was standing in their way, or they were on the phone to the Mrs, or some other really valid excuse.

However, as if we didn’t know already, Mr. Arsene Wenger of Arsenal FC has admitted that he faked it all. Well I never. I’m not being funny, but Arsene didn’t really need to ‘admit’ that for us all to believe. It was as clear as daylight.

Speaking ahead of his side’s League opener against Everton at the weekend, Wenger stated that loyalty to his players is far more important than answering questions from the media. (I’m sure a few media personnel will have a word or two to say about that).

Asked whether Wenger had ever been economical with the truth, the Frenchman replied: “Yes, because you are thinking ‘why has he (the player) done that?’ and you know you cannot explain”. So why not just say he’s a cheat then? We can all see it, we all know what’s happened – the hundreds of camera angles take care of that.

“From where I was sitting, I couldn’t see it” is now code for “yes, he dived – he’s a cheat”. However, you can understand where Arsene is coming from – it’s his duty to protect his players from criticism and such like – but for years now the FA and all other major governing bodies have been trying to clamp down on foul play such as diving and manipulating the referee into making decisions. Surely these acts of protection and denial give encouragement to players to continue doing such things, as they know that they will get the backing of their gaffer.

It’s a different story when the bad refereeing decision, or a dodgy offside flag goes up AGAINST Wenger’s team – he’ll give it some after the match, claiming the referee is biased or not fit to officiate a PL match, or the linesman wasn’t doing his job properly – but when the rub of the green is going his way, he’ll keep quiet and act innocent. I think it’s wrong that they are allowed to behave in this way. We know that in Football, and in Sport in general there are going to be some bad decisions, and it’s tough to accept them, especially in such high-pressure arenas and situations like you get in the PL. But berating officials when they get something wrong against you, and then turning a blind eye to something that happened for your team isn’t the way to go about it.

Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably the King (it pains me to use the word ‘King’ in the same sentence as Fergie) at manipulating referees to such an extent that they are influenced during the match. Then when the rare occasion of a bad decision goes against United, you see him parading onto the pitch post-match and giving Howard Webb, Mike Riley, Steve Bennett a complete earful. It’s not fair on officials to be treated like that, and it’s not fair on opposing teams who have to be on the receiving end of a Ferguson tantrum – they ultimately affect a referees thinking.

Rafa Benitez received a lot of criticism when he spoke out against Ferguson’s influencing tactics, but none of that criticism was justified. He was 100% right in what he said, and I was so glad to hear about it – it was about time someone stood up and said something, and stopped letting Fergie get away with it. Benitez is a good one for staying quiet on the subject of criticising match officials. Seldom do you hear the Spaniard ranting Kevin Keegan style on TV after a bad match, and seldom do you hear about him getting involved in pre-match disputes about the men in the black.

The FA keep claiming they’re putting measures in place to give the referees more protection, but from where I’m sitting, I can’t see anything happening. Or perhaps that steward just got in my way. But seriously, last season a ‘rule’ came into place which allowed only the Captain of the team the right to speak to, challenge, whatever you want to call it, the referee, but on more than one occasion, much more than one occasion, did we see a mass of players aggressively approaching a referee. Chelsea are the main culprits – an Old Trafford Tie of the Avram Grant era springs to mind, when John Obi Mikel was sent off for a late lunge on a Utd player (prizes for naming that player). I’m looking forward to seeing if the FA’s latest attempt to give the referees some protection will actually work – I’m not 100% sure what they’ve actually changed, but we’ll see I guess.

It’s time that Wenger & Ferguson get a grip on their emotions, and be real here. It’s Football – you’re going to get done out of a few decisions – but deal with it. There are 20 teams in the PL all experiencing the same referees/linesman/officials – the World is not against YOU. I’m fed up of the words “I didn’t see anything”. I want managers to clamp down on cheats, and not protect them, and I want them to stop moaning about ‘bad’ referees.

Bring on tomorrow.

Torres signs new deal

2009-08-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Fernando Torres has agreed a new contract with the Reds that could see the Spain International stay at Anfield until 2014.

Such relief for me and my fellow Liverpool supporters, as Torres has been linked on a number of occasions recently to Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City – that’s an insult for a start. But Torres has now committed his future to the Merseyside Club, ensuring the Liverpool faithful can enjoy more wondergoals, such as the Van Basten-esque screamer against Blackburn last season.

The only question that remains over Torres now, is what sort of hairstyle he’ll be modelling come Sunday afternoon.

He's neven going anywhere!

2009-08-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or does anyone else think that the name Neven Subotic belongs in a Bond movie? Or perhaps a disease on your feet?

Subotic has recently been linked with a move to Arsenal but his agent, Stephen Kelly (very Football, no?), claims it is all speculation: “There is nothing in the reports linking Neven with Arsenal.. He only recently signed a new 5-year deal at Dortmund and it would take big money for any move to happen”. He says it like spending big money is a novelty.

The Gooners aren’t the only team to have shown interest in the 20-year old 6ft4 Centre-Half (that’s scary – i’m 17 and already 6ft3!). Last season, Everton expressed their desire to bring a then teenager to Goodison, but nothing ever came of it.

Arsenal have been looking to fill the gap that Kolo Toure has left since his departure to Manchester City. First they tried luring Federico Fazio, the young Argentine, to London, in vain, and now they seem to have missed out on Subotic – although you should never believe anything an agent says. It’s usually bull.

Subotic Fact-ory:
Born 10th December 1988.
Parents Zeljko and Svetlana.
Moved to Germany in 1994, before moving to Salt Lake City in 99.
Spotted by Mr. Kelly playing for USA under17’s in Netherlands.
Signed by Mainz where he made his First-Team debut at the end of the 06-07 season.
Signed for Dortmund in June 2008 on 5-year contract.
Has represented Serbia 4 times and has scored 1 goal.

Seems like a very interesting chap, does our Subo. Oh god, lets not call him that – any association with Susan Boyle can’t be a good thing.

Gerrard pulls out of England Squad

2009-08-11T05:10:00.001-07:00

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has pulled out of England’s Squad for the Friendly against Holland on Wednesday with a groin injury. The news will come as a concern for Red’s gaffer Rafa Benitez, who will obviously want Gerrard fit for Liverpool’s Premier League opener on Sunday against Tottenham.

The FA stated that they would “err on the side of caution” with their squad, due to the timing of the Friendly which happens just days before the Premier League kicks off. The FA have previously received criticism from Managers for arranging Friendly matches so close to big Premier League games, and it wouldn’t be a surprise should this latest injury to Gerrard fuel up more discussion on the subject.

Dugout of the week

2009-08-11T05:02:00.001-07:00

This week’s dugout of the week comes courtesy of Alton Town FC. The Hampshire based club seem to have nicked their local bus shelter to employ as a dugout – but at least you can sit in it, unlike Hurtspierpoint FC’s excuse for a dugout in my first edition! Oh I can here all the elderly folk crying out over their stolen shelter.

Alton Town FC ply their trade in the Wessex League Premier Division, and way back in the 1972-3 season they reached the first round proper of the FA Cup! They play their home matches at the Bass Sports Ground which seats 120 people and also has a small Director’s Box. Not too shabby for a non-league side.

At least after a disappointing home result, the Alton boys can expect the local bus to come and pick them up!

Picture by Daniel Braddock.

http://pyramidpassion.co.uk/

Fab tells Becks to get out, or be left out

2009-08-10T04:29:00.000-07:00

LA Galaxy star David Beckham has been told by England gaffer Fabio Capello to get out of America or be left out of his World Cup 2010 squad. Beckham, who had a 5 month loan spell at AC Milan last season, has been on the receiving end of a lot of stick from the Galaxy fans recently, and has also been getting into a bit of petty trouble on the pitch too. Tut tut ‘goldenballs’.

Now Capello, renowned for his no-nonsense style, has given Beckham the ultimate ultimatum. 34 year old Beckham has always expressed his desire to continue playing for England until he finished his career, and with recent rumours suggesting he wants to make a return to the San Siro, this could be the final curtain call for Beckham in his quest to fulfill his National career.

Becks has had his fair share of controversy throughout an illustrious career, so he won’t be adverse to a bit of stern talk from Fab Cap. The pair have shared a mixed relationship, ever since working together at Real Madrid. Becks of course was controversially left out of the Real team but worked his way back in and became the driving force behind a La Liga win that gained great respect from Football fans and Capello himself.

The question for DB is, can he still cut it at the very highest level, a World Cup? We’ve seen throughout the past 10 years or so, he’s always put his critics to bed, and if he is to make it into the 23-man squad for the South Africa based tournament, he’ll have to do that just one more time.

Espanyol shocked by death of Captain

2009-08-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Espanyol have confirmed the very sad news that their captain Daniel Jarque has passed away at the age of 26. Jarque, who was pronounced captain of the side just a month ago, died while on the phone to a relative in the early evening of Saturday 8th August.

Reports suggest that Jarque suffered a heart attack just hours after completing a training session on the club’s pre-season tour of Italy. Espanyol were due to play Bologna on Sunday, but have cancelled their tour and will return to Barcelona in the next 24 hours.

A club statement said: “RCD Espanyol, broken with pain, wish to put themselves at the absolute disposition of the family of our Captain Dani Jarque, to whom go our warmest thoughts”. The news of Jarque’s death comes two years after Sevilla’s Antonio Puerta collapsed during a La Liga game and was later pronounced dead.

Barcelona President Joan Laporta offered his club’s condolences: “We are filled with extreme dismay at this tragic event which we deeply regret. Today we are all in mourning. I want to send on behalf of FC Barcelona, our deepest sympathies to RCD Espanyol for the painful loss of their Captain Dani Jarque, and to his family”.

Jarque was a bright prospect for the Barcelona based club, and had received interest from Liverpool and Tottenham last season. He had represented the club since 2001, and also played for Spain at all youth levels without being capped by the full National side. It’s a tragic loss for Football, and all our thoughts will be with his family and friends at this very hard time.

Rest in peace, Daniel Jarque.

Pellegrini excited for new season

2009-08-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid’s Chilean Coach Manuel Pellegrini has revealed his excitement and optimism for his new look Galacticos ahead of the new La Liga campaign. Pellegrini, who joined Real at the end of last season following the departure of Juande Ramos, believes his side has a realistic chance of winning the Treble this year.

"The responsibility of coaching Madrid is always the same. You always have to finish first, but your options grow bigger with the players that have arrived. We have a great squad, but now we have to show it. There are two aims: go for three trophies and at the same time make sure people enjoy the game. We can aim for the three trophies."

Who would dispute him? With a whole host of new players brought in, including of course Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, the Galacticos look as strong as they did when the likes of Zidane, Figo, and Ronaldo were plying there trade at the Bernabeu. One may think that buying too many superstars ruins the dimensions and balance of a team, but in the case of Pellegrini’s men, not only have they strengthened their side with a number of superstars, but they’ve also added the likes of Alvaro Arbeloa, and Raul Albiol to there side. The strength in depth that they have, will allow them to rotate their side indefinitely, and also give the younger players some valuable experience.

Real are the Manchester City of Spain. Immeasurable amounts of money, irresistible amounts of class, and infinite amounts of ambition. Pellegrini is Real’s 8th Manager in the last 5 years, and to me looks like the most likely to succeed. Real are infamous for ditching their gaffers, particularly after gaining considerable success. Vicente del Bosque is the primary example of that, having won the Champions League AND La Liga in a season before receiving the boot. However, Pellegrini could be the exception. He has vast Managerial experience, first in Chile, before moving to Argentina where he won 3 major honours with San Lorenzo and River Plate, before making the trip across the Atlantic to Spain where he has been impressively successful with Villarreal. Being 55 years old suggests he has great knowledge of the game, and the fact he has made it so far in his Managerial career suggests his hunger for the game is unquestionable. Now, having brought in so many big-name players for so much money, it seems the only path for Pellegrini is success. All he needs is the little bit of backing from the Directors and President of the club – something that previous managers have failed to receive – and the road to success will well and truly be his.

Pellegrini is clearly very well-respected within Football, something that will definitely rub off on his players. The fact that Kaka, Ronaldo, Alonso etc. were attracted to the Bernabeu suggests the Manager played a big role. The likes of Schuster and Ramos were unable to attract big stars to play for them, but now under ‘The Godfather’ as I like to call him (due to his grey hair and Godfather-ish look funnily enough) the stars are flooding in. Times look good for Europe’s most successful club, and with all the forementioned attributes they will definitely be fighting for Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey success next season.

Battle of Britain part 1..

2009-08-07T04:17:00.001-07:00

We usually have to wait until the latter stages of the Uefa Champions League before we are treated to the mouth-watering prospect of a match between two British (usually two English) teams facing each other. However, Christmas has come early this year and our present? Celtic vs Arsenal in the final qualifying round for Europe's most illustrious trophy.

It will be the first time ever the sides play each other in a competitive fixture, and Tony Mowbray's men will be sure to cause an upset when they host the Gunners at Celtic Park in mid-August. Celtic's victory in the pre-season Wembley Cup tournament, in which they beat Tottenham, will give them confidence ahead of the clash with Spurs' North London Rivals.

As for Arsenal, they need to put behind them some dubious season starts in the last few years and make sure they're at the races come 2 or 3 weeks time.

No doubt should all English participants make it through to the knockout stages of this year's competition, we will be in for a lot more 'Battle of Britain' match-ups. The most notorious and frequent of recent years has been Liverpool vs Chelsea, a fixture that always brings a disappointed sigh from Blues fans when their ball is picked from the infamous Champions League bowl. Liverpool certainly have the wool over Chelsea in this competition, so I won't be complaining should there be yet another replay of this match.

I always look forward to an England v England clash in the Quarters, Semis or even Final. Something about it just makes it more enjoyable and exciting than watching the Italian teams, or the Spanish battle it out against each other. Possibly because both teams play in the League that we watch, and we know that they'll always provide exciting attacking football usually thrown in with a bit of drama. But the fans seem to rise to the occasion as well. There seems nothing better than to get one over on your League rivals in a European competition, hence why Liverpool are practically invincible at Anfield when it comes to playing Chelsea in this competition, although one could argue about that in the last year or two.

They make the best matches because they have the best players and the best fans, who make the best atmosphere. I've never been that interested in watching a Champions League match between two sides from Italy, Spain or any other country for that matter, neither have I been interested in watching a match between sides not from this country. The English League, the players involved, and the charismatic, energetic, fanatic supporters make for brilliant England-on-England tussles.

Other matches to look out for in this, the final stage before we progress to the groups, are Fiorentina's 1st leg visit to Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon, and French Champions Lyon hosting Belgian outfit Anderlecht.

Liverpool agree Aquilani deal

2009-08-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

Liverpool have confirmed that they have agreed a £20m deal for Roma’s Italian Midfielder Alberto Aquilani. Speculation had been rife ever since Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid was confirmed.

Liverpool will be hoping that the man with the initials ‘AA’ can come to their rescue and fill in the hole left by Alonso. With Javier Mascherano also rumoured to be on the way out, Aquilani’s signing looked essential, and the club and fans will be delighted to have captured his signature.

Dugout of the week

2009-08-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

In order to celebrate the beauty and overall greatness of football, I’ve decided to do a feature on dugouts. Every week I will post a ‘dugout of the week’.

This rather unique idea is courtesy of Hurstpierpoint FC, members of the Sussex County League Division 3. The club was formed way back in 1888, and have been members of the Sussex Leagues since 1983.

I don’t know about you, but I’d hate to be a sub every week playing for these boys. Something gives me the impression that I wouldn’t be very comfortable, especially being 6ft4.

Photograph by Daniel Braddock.

http://pyramidpassion.co.uk/

Aquilani to replace Alonso?

2009-08-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

Liverpool are lining up a move to sign Roma’s Italy International Alberto Aquilani in a £17m deal as the Reds seek to replace Real Madrid bound Xabi Alonso.

25 year-old Aquilani has made just 11 appearances for the Italian National side since making his debut way back in 2006. However, with the likes of Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, and Francesco Totti above Aquilani in the pecking order, it is easy to see why.

The 6ft1in Midfielder made his Roma debut back in 2003 and has been held in high regard by the club ever since. In 2001 he turned down offers from both Arsenal, and Chelsea in order to play for his beloved Roma, a city in which he was born. He was nurtured under current England boss Fabio Capello before making the break into the First Team as a regular during the 2004-05 season.

Aquilani is considered to be an excellent passer of the ball, a la Alonso, and should he make the move to Anfield, will fit straight into Benitez’s plans. It’s an exciting prospect for Liverpool fans, as the only other big money signing to have arrived on Merseyside this summer was Glen Johnson from Portsmouth. If Liverpool are to challenge for the Premier League title this season, money needs to be spent on players like Aquilani.

Aquilani won’t be the only Italian at Liverpool, with Andrea Dossena and on-loan ‘keeper Danielle Padelli also on the cards. So if he does make the move, he should fit into Liverpool life pretty well, although I’m not quite sure about the standard of Bella Italia’s in the Liverpool area.

Refs guaranteed pre-match protection

2009-08-04T11:22:00.001-07:00

The FA have banned Managers from berating the referee before kick-off, in an attempt to give the men in black more protection. According to the FA any Manager who makes derogatory comments about an official before the start of a match will face disciplinary action. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t this the case anyway? Managers are always slagging off the refs in pre-match interviews, ultimately being cautioned or fined by the FA.

The FA will also be clamping down on harrassment of the referee during games, in an attempt to stop incidents such as the Chelsea vs Barcelona Champions League encounter last season, in which Didier Drogba lost the plot and called Norweigan referee Tom Henning Ovrebo a “f****** disgrace” (which he was) live on Sky Sports.

Our poor refs do get a lot of stick, but most of it is justified. Mike Riley is the primary victim, most probably because of his weedy, push-over appearance. Howard Webb, big guy, has been touted for some time now as the Premier League’s top ref, while Mark Clattenburg, also a big lad, was given similar accolades two years ago, although his reputation seems to have disintegrated, especially after his woeful decision to allow Manchester United a penalty against Tottenham last season. Had he not given the jammy buggers the spot-kick, Liverpool would have won the League. Not that I’m bitter.

Italy’s recently retired Pierluigi Colina was arguably the most respected referee in the World throughout his career. His goggly eyes, stubborn face, and sometimes jovial character made him a player’s favourite. If only we had some Colina’s in this country! No one’s gonna back away from Mike Riley in a stare-off are they?!

It’s part of the game though. What’s football without a bit of pre-match, in-match, and post-match verbals from Sir Alex and co? Personally, I love the stuff. Anything with the possibility of Ferguson getting in trouble, I’m there!

Who’d be a ref eh?

Ronaldo has legs insured

2009-08-04T05:08:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid have insured new signing Cristiano Ronaldo’s legs for £90m. So if the Winker gets injured, Real can rest easy in their sleep in the knowledge that they lose no money. This means that Ronnie officially has the most valuable legs in the world. As if we didn’t know that already.

Ronaldo is not the only Sportsman to have a part of their body insured. Michael Owen had his legs insured for £60m, while David Beckham had his whole body insured for £100m, and Australian cricketer Merv Hughes had his moustache insured for £200k. I wonder how much I could get my backside insured for.

Stalemate at Edgbaston

2009-08-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

England remain 1-0 up in this year's Ashes after a bore draw in Birmingham. England were bowled out for an impressive 383, but failed to bowl Australia out on the final day despite two late wickets last night from Graham Onions and Graeme Swann.

Shane Watson (53) made his second fifty of the match, before Mike Hussey (64), Marcus North (96), and most notably Michael Clarke (103*) who steadied the Aussie ship and saw them to a draw. With two days washed out it was rather inevitable that the match would end in a draw.

The teams now head for Headingly where the 4th match will start on Friday. England have further cause for concern over Andrew Flintoff, who seemed increasingly immobile throughout the last day. As for Australia, Brett Lee looks set for a return in place of Mitchell Johnson, and there still remains doubt over Brad Haddin's broken finger. Graham Manou may have to deputise for second consecutive match, although Manou himself had to receive treatment after a blow on the hand from Stuart Broad.

Redknapp to tempt Cole

2009-08-03T08:10:00.001-07:00

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp looks set to make an attempt to prise England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole to White Hart Lane. The two worked together at West Ham United when Harry was gaffer there, and are now set to link up again at another London club.

Cole's 2008/09 season was curtailed through injury, enabling him to make just 19 First Team appearances. Now, with Florent Malouda, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien regulars in the side, and with the recent arrival of Russian international Yuri Zhirkov, Cole could find his Chelsea action limited this season. Recent talk of Andrea Pirlo, and Franck Ribery also making a move to the Bridge will do nothing to reassure Cole.

As Joe recovers fully from last season's injuries, he'll be looking to re-establish himself in Fabio Capello's England squad, and a move to Spurs, where he'd be guaranteed First Team football, may just be more beneficial for him. Indeed, with Aaron Lennon on one side, and Cole on the other, Tottenham's midfield would be a force to be reckoned with.

If Cole does make the move to north London, it'll be interesting to see Chelsea fan's reaction to his departure. He's certainly a fan's favourite at the Bridge, and I don't think they'd take too kindly to him being allowed to leave, especially to a fellow London club. Perhaps Mr. Ancelotti should think carefully before making that decision.

Controversy over.. Pogba?

2009-08-01T06:03:00.001-07:00

If you were glancing through the football headlines this morning, you could be forgiven for misreading Pogba for Drogba, with the latter being in the news so much in the past 6 months. However, I introduce to you, Manchester United's new 16-year old prodigy, Paul Pogba!

The young Frenchman has caused a stir between his new club and former employers Le Havre. Pogba, his parents and Le Havre football club agreed a 'non-solicitation agreement' back in Autumn 2006, followed by a proposed trainee contract that would see him through to the end of the 2009/10 season. However, with Man Utd offering big money for the youngster's services, his parents decided to cut short that agreement much to the displeasure of the French club. A statement from the club's official website says, "Le Havre want to express their indignation at the actions of Manchester United officials and their pursuit of Paul Pogba."

Le Havre have also called on the football authorities to act in order to prevent similar situations occurring in the future. I'm sure Paul doesn't mind though. A hefty sum of money on the table, the chance to work with Alex Ferguson at the biggest club in the world, and playing in front of 70,000 people every other week are things every 16-year old kid dreams of.

Paul Pogba fun facts:
Born on 15 March 1993
Captains France under-16 side
Defensive Midfielder by trade
Turned down interest from Arsenal to join United

He must be a pretty decent player if he turned down Arsenal to join Utd! Apparently Liverpool showed a bit of interest to, but they have bigger fish to fry. One thing's for sure - it shall be interesting to have Pogba and Drogba playing in the same match. That could get very confusing!

Mascha 'fed up' with life on Merseyside

2009-08-01T04:10:00.001-07:00

Liverpool's Argentinian workhorse Javier Mascherano has claimed he is 'fed up' with life in England and is ready for a move in the same direction as Xabi Alonso, to La Liga. But hang on a minute Javi. What's wrong with Liverpool? Treated like a god, earns a boatload of money, wins trophies, and plays alongside Steven Gerrard. Seems alright to me!

Mascherano has stated his desire to join up with fellow-countryman Lionel Messi at Barcelona. However, Mascherano's proposed move to the Catalans depends on whether Liverpool receive the right offer, as Mascha's agent, Walter Tamer, somewhat stated rather obviously. "I think if there is no good offer, they will not let him go". Probably Walter, probably.

Should Xabi Alonso leave Anfield, which is looking more than likely, Benitez will surely have to battle hard to keep Mascherano. Should he fail in his attempt to keep either of them, we'll be left with Lucas Leiva to fill Mascha's boots, and that doesn't fill me with joy. I'm continuously puzzled as to why he's still playing Premier League football - he's possibly the worst PL player I've ever seen, along with that Swedish bloke who played for Leeds all those years ago. I can't even remember his name, that's how bad he was.

Anyway, enough slagging off our Lucas - next thing you know, he'll have launched a complaint on Twitter about me.

Onions inspires dominant England

2009-07-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Graham Onions set the tone for England on the 2nd morning at Edgbaston, by taking two wickets with the very first two balls of the day. Firstly, Shane Watson was trapped in front by a nip-back'er, before moments later, Michael Hussey left a straight one that clattered into his off-pole.

Onions went on to pick up two more wickets, as England bowled the tourists out for a below-par 263. The total would have been far less had Nathan Hauritz (20*), Peter Siddle (13) and Ben Hilfenhaus (20) not added 60 for the final two wickets.

Onions, together with Jimmy Anderson, fully utilised a swinging ball and the Australian batsmen were helpless. Michael Clarke can argue that he was a little unlucky with his LBW decision - Hawkeye showing the ball was missing leg-stump - but there was no uncertainty in the dismissals of Ricky Ponting (38), Marcus North (12), and the debutant Graham Manou (8). Ponting was the victim of some hostile bowling from the impressive Onions, North undone by an Anderson outswinger that was claimed admirably by Matt Prior behind the stumps, and Manou castled by an unplayable delivery from the same man. Anderson went on to claim 5-82 in a pacey spell.

England went into bat in the afternoon with a minimum of 50 overs still left to bowled, a total that would be cut down to 36 due to rain and bad light. Alastair Cook (0) went early to the bowling of Peter Siddle, a delivery that he would have been better off leaving. The highs and lows of cricket evident in this dismissal - the disappointment of Cook overshadowed by the joy of Manou, who claimed his first International dismissal with the catch behind. Manou was drafted into the lineup just minutes before the start of play yesterday as a replacement for Brad Haddin who broke his finger in last minute preparations. The change was so late that there wasn't even time to award the South Australia keeper his Baggy Green cap. That ceremony was delayed for the second morning. A special moment none-the-less for Manou, who wouldn't have expected to be making his debut at all this summer, let alone in such dramatic circumstances. Shades of Glenn McGrath from 2005, when he trod on ball in the outfield just before play. Perhaps a good omen for England.

After the departure of Cook in the second over, Ravi Bopara and Andrew Strauss were forced to be extra watchful, and Bopara's elegant strokeplay coupled with Strauss's calm aura, settled nerves around the ground. Bopara (23) has often been criticised for his laziness at the crease at times, and that was certainly his downfall today. Facing his first ball after Tea, the Essex man dragged a wide one onto his stumps with a nothing shot, gifting Hilfenhaus his first wicket. Bopara's expression said it all - one of frustration and displeasure. Once again Bopara looked good, but has failed to make a significant contribution. For a player of such talent and ability, one is frustrated by Bopara's constant momentary lapses in concentration.

England ended the day on 116-2, with Strauss (64) and Bell (26) unbeaten at the crease and looking solid. For Australia, all eyes were on Mitchell Johnson, and despite going at less than 4 an over, which is somewhat of a rarity for Johnson in this series, he seldom looked threatening. His best moment of the day came with a shapely inswinger to Ian Bell, that thudded into the Warwickshire man's pads, bringing a loud appeal from the slip-cordon and bowler, but to no avail. On second look, Johnson looked to be very unlucky, but as the saying goes, 'when you're in form, things go for you. When you're striving for form, everything goes against you'. That incident, coupled with his horrible misjudgement of an Anderson hooper in Australia's innings, kind of sums up Johnson's couple of weeks. He's just not at the races at the moment, a shame for Australia who were really banking on his bowling this summer. With Brett Lee touted to be fit for the Headingly Test, Johnson's time seems to be very nearly up.

The forecast for the next 3 days isn't great, and we'll be hard pushed to see a result, but where there's a will, there's a way!

Kolo adds to the growing list at Eastlands

2009-07-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Manchester City have today confirmed the signing of Arsenal centre-half Kolo Toure for an undisclosed fee. Toure joins former Arsenal striker Adebayor, along with Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Gareth Barry as the summer signings at the blues, and his agent Saif Rubie claims it's purely a football-related move.

"Kolo was very impressed with the chairman and the club as a whole. Anyone who knows Kolo knows that he gives 110% on the football pitch, and his hunger for the game is unquestionable. He finds it very hard to leave Arsenal, as it was like a second home to him and Arsene Wenger was the man who gave him a chance, but he now feels ready for the new challenge at Manchester City".

The news comes on the same day City confirm young full-back Nedum Onuoha agrees a new five-year deal with the club.

Edgbaston Test to be a washout

2009-07-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

The third Ashes Test of the summer, due to get underway tomorrow, looks destined to be a complete washout. With the forecast predicting rain for the rest of the week, and all weekend, it seems hard to believe any significant play will happen.

Steve Rouse, the Warwickshire groundsman, is staying optimistic however, and he believes that with a bit of luck, play might be possible on Friday and Saturday, but that clearly isn't enough time to force a result, something the Australians must do in order to get back in the Series. "The boys (groundstaff) will be working all night in an attempt to get the ground ready, but it seems very unlikely that any play will be possible tomorrow", Rouse states. "The forecast is for rain tomorrow, but it should clear up by Friday, so hopefully we can get underway at some stage".

Even for the most extreme optimists, any prospect of play seems a long way off, and for Australia it is exactly what they didn't want. 1-0 down in the Series, and with only 2 matches to play after the third Test, a lot will have to be done to turn around the deficit. Australian Vice-Captain Michael Clarke is remaining positive, however. "We showed how we can play at Cardiff. We dominated that Test Match and were very close to a win, so the boys believe we can turn the Series around. We're excited about Edgbaston, and we want to show how we can play and hopefully we can get a result".

On the day that Andrew Strauss claims Australia have lost their aura, the tourists are still in a quandary about whether to drop the out-of-form Mitchell Johnson for Stuart Clark, and whether to stick with Phillip Hughes, or replace him with fiery all-rounder Shane Watson. With the conditions as they are at Edgbaston, it may be a good idea to include the extra batsman, but perhaps not at the expense of Hughes. Marcus North's performance at Lord's leaves something to be desired, and although he scored a century at Cardiff, albeit on a road of a wicket, his place in the side is all but assured.

England seem settled on their lineup despite Ian Bell falling awkwardly on an ankle during a friendly game of football between teammates. Bell is due to slot in at number 4 in the order, meaning Ravi Bopara keeps his place at 3. England will be confident of defending their 1-0 lead especially if current conditions stay the same throughout the summer.

Transfer news

2009-07-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Inter Milan have sold striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona for an undisclosed fee, with Samuel Eto'o and Alexandr Hleb going the other way - Eto'o also for an undisclosed fee, and Hleb on a year's loan.

Tottenham are close to capturing the signature of Peter Crouch from Portsmouth for £10,000,000. The deal will go through only after Darren Bent is sold to Sunderland, a deal that will conclude in the next 48 hours.

Steve Finnan is in talks with Portsmouth after being released a year early from his Espanyol contract. The ex-Liverpool right-back joined the La Liga side at the start of last season, and is now prepared for a return to the Premier League.

Manchester City's latest targets are two defenders. Arsenal man Kolo Toure, and Everton's Joleon Lescott have both been linked with moves to Eastlands recently, and with big money on the table, who would bet against them making the move?

Portsmouth centre-half Sylvain Distin has been linked with both Aston Villa and Liverpool in recent times, but it looks as if Villa have won the race to capture the Frenchman's signature. Portsmouth however are demanding £4,000,000 for the ex-Man City man, but Villa are only prepared to pay £2,500,000. Liverpool will be waiting in the wings should the deal break down.

Finally, Blackburn have expressed a desire to sign Zenith St Petersburg striker Pavel Pogrebnyak as a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz. The deal is still in early days, so it is hard to say whether it will happen, but it'd be a decent capture for Rovers who have already made 4 new signings this summer.

Terry to stay at Chelsea

2009-07-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

Chelsea fans will be relieved to hear that recent speculation over their captain John Terry joining Manchester City, remains at just speculation. Terry has put pen to paper on a new deal that will see the England centre half stay at Chelsea for a further 3 years, suggesting that he will see out his career with the London club.

Reports suggested that Terry was on the verge of joining the Eastlands club, but after new manager Carlo Ancelotti reassured him that no big-name players were going to be leaving in the summer transfer window, Terry took the opportunity to sign the deal with his beloved blues.

Chelsea have failed to make any significant signings this summer, but will be very satisfied with tieing down their skipper for the foreseeable future. Terry revealed that the club had made a few offers for unnamed players but failed in their attempt to capture any new signings. However, with the side now gelling as a unit, and the squad staying very much the same, perhaps it is not necessary that Chelsea delve into the transfer market, especially as their start to the new season is just a couple of weeks away.

Bell to slot in at no.4

2009-07-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

England captain Andrew Strauss has confirmed that Ian Bell will bat at number 4 in Thursday's 3rd Ashes Test at Edgbaston. Bell comes straight in to replace the sidelined Kevin Pietersen, meaning that Ravi Bopara keeps his place at number 3 in the order.

Bell's Ashes record isn't too impressive, with an average of just less than 25. However, with the knowledge that he is in the side for the next 3 Tests, he will be confident to improve upon that record. Kevin Pietersen described Bell earlier in the week as a "world-class talent", but if that label is to stick, he has to produce the goods on his home ground first.

The Warwickshire right-hander's highest Test score came last summer against South Africa at Lords, where he scored 199. However, since then, Bell has only picked up one half-century in 12 innings, without a century, and his last appearance in the England whites was in the West Indies in the winter, at Kingston, a game in which England were skittled for just 51 in their second innings.

England fans will be hoping that Bell can recapture his form of 2006, a season in which he made 3 centuries in 4 innings against Pakistan at home. It's these kinds of performances that enhance his reputation as a top-class talent, but he now needs to show that talent on the biggest of all stages.

The corrupted game

2009-07-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

The beautiful game as we know it, is no longer as pure as it used to be, and it's not something we can help either. The constant takeovers of Premier League clubs by Middle Eastern, and American businessman has made the football side of the game a growing irrelevance.

The perfect example of this is Manchester City, who were taken over by a UAE consortium before the start of the last season. The ridiculous sums of money that they are continuously offering up to clubs for their star players undermines the less well-off clubs and the final standings of each League season are becoming more and more predictable. Manchester City finished in the bottom half of the table last season, and below Stoke City, so there is an argument to say that it doesn't make a difference. However, with the Blues bringing in players such as Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor for outrageous amounts of money, it's surely only a matter of time before the changes are noticeable. It takes time for any team that makes wholesale changes to their squad to gel, and become a unit, so once City do just that, I am sure they will make the break into the top 4.

Whilst it is part of the game, unfortunately or fortunately, it doesn't seem right that a club fighting for survival just a few years ago can make such dramatic steps to become a successful football club. Surely there has to be some kind of barrier to prevent these sorts of takeovers and make the Premier League a division every team can compete in, and start on a level playing field. Of course some clubs are going to be richer than others, due to season ticket sales, sponsorship and what have you, but why not leave it at that? There is no need for such greed in our beautiful game, and football's governing bodies should be putting restrictions and barriers in place to prevent such happenings.

Chelsea set the precedent back in 2004, when Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club in a 7-figure deal. That takeover brought instant success, firstly by capturing the signing of Jose Mourinho as manager, followed by several big-name, big-money signings that lifted Chelsea to the top of the Premier League, and ultimately gave them champion status. Now with Aston Villa, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Newcastle all receiving high-calibre takeovers in the last 4 years, it is just a matter of time before every single club in the Premier League, and some in lower divisions, become victims of billionaire takeovers. Such a thing would have an affect on the level of football, of course. The world's best players will be playing in our league, but do we really want that happening, knowing they're only there because they're being paid £180.000 a week? Surely it'd be far more enjoyable, and beneficial to watch home-grown, young, quality players ply their trade in the world's greatest League, in the knowledge that they are there purely to play football because they love it.

The recent news of Sven-Goran Eriksson becoming Notts County's Director of football further underlines the economic power of football. Notts County have recently received backing from a Middle Eastern company, and there is no doubt in my mind that had that not happened, Sven would still be the manager of Mexico to this day, and not fishing around in the lower league's of English football. Recent speculation has claimed that Christian Vieri will be the Nottingham club's first big signing, a move that would bring joy and jubilation to the fans of the club. It's great for a small club like Notts County to receive such press, and have a big name like Sven working for them. But my concern is that in 10, 15, 20 years, this will be the norm, and football won't be the same again.

I'm sure that 90% of football fans, if not more, are willing the FA to do something about this, but the question is, how can they stop it happening? Football, after all, is a business, and businessmen see the profit in investing in such a business. You can't stop a company purchasing what they want, as they have rights. That would leave it in the football club's hands, but that's not going to happen - if a billionaire comes along and says he wants to buy the shares in a football club, the owners are seldom going to reject, especially if the offer out-values the club itself. Therefore, it seems a lost cause to try and prevent the constant takeovers of English clubs, and football as we know it, seems to be losing it's identity in the midst of such ruthless business.

Eye on England: Michael Lumb

2009-07-25T07:08:00.001-07:00

Michael Lumb. 12/2/1980. Hampshire CCC.
Michael Lumb has made big steps since moving from Yorkshire to Hampshire 3 years ago. Particularly this season, Lumb has started to become more consistent and has quickly gathered a reputation of being a quick-scoring, hard-hitting top order batsman. He made a staggering 124* against Essex at the Rose Bowl in the domestic Twenty20 competition and his performances in the One-Day format have also been very impressive. Lumb was recently named in England's 30-man provisional squad for September's Champions Trophy in South Africa, and if he continues his current form, there is no reason why Lumb shouldn't be making an appearance or two in the country of his birth in a couple of months time.

Is the Galaxy love affair over for our Becks?

2009-07-24T10:09:00.001-07:00

David Beckham's stint with the Galaxy has brought it's fair share of controversy, thrills, and spills, and this latest chapter for Becks may just be the last. After being booed onto the field prior to the friendly draw with AC Milan, it appears the fan's love for Becks may have turned sour. His 5 month loan spell with the Italian club hasn't rested well with some fans, and David will surely be thinking about securing a permanent move across the Atlantic.

Not only would a move to AC be beneficial for David's football, but Victoria would be completely in her element. The ex pop singer, turned fashion fanatic has always expressed a desire to live and work in Italy's second largest city, world-renowned for it's pricey shops and smart businesspeople.

One could argue that Beckham's move to America was destined to fail. He's playing for a mediocre club that would struggle in the Premier League, in a mediocre League, with mediocre players, backing up suggestions further that Beckham was only in it for the money. It therefore seems that a move to Milan is quite probable, although perhaps not this year. It'll be interesting to see what occurs in January, when the European transfer window re-opens.

Beckham's original stint with Milan was very successful. He scored some important goals and played very well, well enough to earn a recall to the National side from Fabio Capello, another reason for why Beckham would want a move to the Italian giants - he's on the National coach's radar, and playing well.

Unfortunately for the Galaxy, the novelty of having such a big superstar playing for them seems to be wearing off, and fast. A move back to Europe seems the ideal route for Becks, a move that would round off an illustrious career.

England's next generation

2009-07-22T15:50:00.001-07:00

1. Joe Denly - Kent.
Joe Denly has been a key figure at the top of the Kent order for some time now, and his name has been bandied about several times with regard to a place in the National side. This year could be the year for Joe, if he really pushes on and makes hay for Kent. With a tour to South Africa in the Winter approaching, you feel that if Denly is to make his break into the side, now is a great chance.

2. Steven Davies - Worcestershire.
Worcestershire's young keeper has made a real impression on everybody since making his debut in 2003, at the age of just 17. His tidy glovework, and impressive run scoring has alerted the attention of England selectors, and he has been touted as a future England wicket-keeper for some time now. He made his International debut in the West Indies early this year, top-scoring in a Twenty20 match with 27. There is no doubt that Davies has the potential to become and England regular, and he would certainly fit in very well in the side.

3. James Taylor - Leicestershire.
Having bowled at James myself (I attended the same school), I know exactly how good a player he is. He has received high praise from his colleagues at Grace Road, and with two First-Class hundreds under his belt already, it is clear James has found the step up to the big time rather easier than most. Now a regular in Leicestershire's young side, and a prominent figure in the under19 set-up, James' next challenge is to reach the full National side, which doesn't seem too far off, especially if he carries on performing like he is.

4. Daniel Redfern - Derbyshire.
Redfern hasn't quite made the impression on the County Circuit that many people expected him too, but with experience at under19 level behind him, he will be looking to establish himself in the Derbyshire side, and in 4 or 5 years push for a spot in the National team. A lot of hard work to be done however, for Daniel.

5. Eoin Morgan - Middlesex.
Morgan has been a consistent run scorer in the Middlesex middle order for a few years now, and was rewarded with a place in England's ODI squad for the short series against the West Indies, and was named in England's 15 for the World Twenty20. The left hander, who made the jump from Ireland to England earlier this year will be looking to hold down a spot in England's One-Day middle order, and establish himself as a consistent, reliable player for England in the next few years.

6. Adil Rashid - Yorkshire.
Rashid made a fantastic start to his First-Class career taking 6-67 against Warwickshire at Scarborough. Since then he has averaged below 35 with the ball and a touch above 33 with the bat, including two mature hundreds. He has experience at International level after touring the West Indies in the winter and being involved in England's squad for the World Twenty20 this year. In the next 12 to 18 months Rashid is expected to become a part of England's Test and ODI plans.

7. Tim Bresnan - Yorkshire.
Another Yorkshireman making strides to the big time, Bresnan has already been capped at ODI, Test, and T20I level. He's constantly been on the fringes of selection and now with the retirement of Andrew Flintoff after the Ashes, Bresnan must be confident of stepping into his shoes.

8. Liam Dawson - Hampshire.
Left-arm spinner, and talented right handed batsman Dawson has made big strides since making his Hampshire debut back in 2007. Dawson has a Championship hundred and a few fifties under his belt, and if his bowling can keep developing then he must be a contender to fill the all-rounder spot in years to come.

9. Azeem Rafiq - Yorkshire.
Like Adil Rashid, Rafiq made an impressive start to his First-class career taking wickets and even scoring a hundred in the Championship. It's early days but Rafiq looks a hot prospect for the future and with England's constant need for a class spinner, Rafiq could develop into the answer.

10. Chris Woakes - Warwickshire.
Another young quick bowler, who relies on seam movement and swing rather than exceptional pace. Ashley Giles, Warwickshire's Director of Cricket, has high hopes for Woakes, and he was selected in England's 30 man provisional squad for the 2009 World Twenty20.

11. Steven Finn - Middlesex.
Finn has burst on the scene for Middlesex, and the 6ft8 fast bowler will surely be on the tongues of England selectors in the next couple of years. A must for the future, but like all quick bowlers of his type, staying fit will be key to a successful career.