Football Commentator

Weeding out the reputable betting sites

2008-07-28T11:26:00.004+01:00

There is a worthwhile site out there if you want to bet on football. Sports Intensity provide free, in-depth, knowledgeable, and objective sportsbook information to the betting community.

There are 3 things to know: companies for football bets are recommended after fairness and service tests, lots of uprfont info is passed on and most importantly, companies to avoid are listed.

Sports Intensity is worth a look.

Milan: fashion center and now a haven for washed up strikers

2008-03-11T14:29:00.002Z

Andriy Shevchenko has announced to Chelsea management that he wants to return to Italy at the end of the season. Italian press claims that he met with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and that little resistance was offered to the suggestion.

Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo was the last wash-up to land on the shores of Italy, after a lackluster spell, it appears his career may be over due to injury. For Shevchenko the loss of Ronaldo leaves an opening for a cut rate return to his former club.

He should have better luck there with Alberto Gilardino a world class flop and only Pato to compete with for a place.

The Shevchenko's have apparently already been house hunting in their old stomping grounds.

Wouldn't it be comedy to see Mourinho take over at Milan now?

Alonso should be respected

2008-03-11T14:19:00.002Z

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is dead wrong. Xabi Alonso made a decision not to travel with the Liverpool team yesterday for their tussle with Inter Milan as his girlfriend was on the verge of giving birth.

This is a mistake. Events like these don’t happen every day. A man deserves this moment regardless of what is at stake, and in this case of bunch of boys punting a ball around. A little perspective on what is meaningful in life would be useful. Also a bit of respect for what is meaningful for the individual.

Alonso has been on the back foot at Anfield ever since the arrival of Javier Macherano and the recent emergence of Lucas.

Apparently Alonso was prepared to join up with the team after the birth but Benitez then announced that he was not going to be travelling and had to make due with what he had.

Ultimatum at Liverpool: you have 1 day

2008-03-04T12:12:00.003Z

Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have denied, denied, denied that they have discussed a sale of the club to the Dubai based investment fund DIC, but the most open secret since Elton John and Freddy Mercury is now coming to a head.

Gillett and Hicks have 1 day to take it or leave the offer from the government run fund. The offer on the table is 400m pounds.

Tired of the runaround, well it’s not the first time: DIC has played this ‘last chance’ card before and are much more eager to buy than the owners to sell even though their tenure at Liverpool so far has been nothing short of an embarrassment. So typical with a desperate buyer, Gillett and Hicks are trying to gouge out a huge sale price.

Tom Hicks has especially been adamant that there is no negotiation taking place. Pffff, raspberries everywhere.

The current Liverpool owners are becoming very, very unpopular among fans for a variety of high profile blunders. Recently one of the owners sons was chased from a pub.

This is what you get when you bed non-fans from non-football countries. I remember all the back slapping and ya-hoo ride ‘em cowboy to the title blather on the message boards.

It’s looking more obvious by the day that this club ownership merry-go-round in the Premiership is doing nothing good for fans. A few transfer and a higher ticket price, some PR headlines when it starts, obituaries when it goes sour. That’s all.

Liverpool have gone to the rodeo and been ridden by a pair of cowboys -but pulling away the veneer, the cowboys are wearing suits, and there are no bulls, just bull****. You my friends are just the kind of donkeys that are perfect for riding their money bags into the sunset with.

"You'll never walk alone" is now officially "you'll never ride alone".

Nani emerging

2008-03-03T15:45:00.002Z

Manchester United scored an impressive win against Fulham over the weekend with their biggest guns on the bench. This gave an opportunity for Nani to show some of his skills and he didn’t disappoint.

Now for me, Paul Scholes was the best player on the pitch Saturday, the diminutive red-head’s passing was stunning and his awareness on the pitch something to behold, but in terms of creativity and ‘up-and-coming-ness’ it was Nani’s show.

There were some glimpses early on in the season, but in recent weeks Nani is starting to look really impressive. At Sporting Lisbon, his previous club, Nani was the star of the team and was playing much better than you have ever seen him for United. It’s taken some time for him to adapt to the Premiership and his new team and we are starting to see dividends.

Nani’s movement was excellent against Fulham. His trickery was purposeful, sending the Fulham fullbacks into knots. His crossing was precise and his shots on goal forced saves. What else can you ask from a winger?

The only downside to all of this is a touch of petulance. Nani fakes injury which is very annoying to watch and brought out boos from the crowd every time he touched the ball after an incident with Paul Konchesky intended to draw a yellow card. Konchesky set him straight moments later when he deservedly dumped him out of bounds in a heap. From that one Nani bounced up and moments later tested the keeper yet again. He’s a determined chap, that much you can say for him.

Football’s top 10 highest paid players in the world revealed

2008-02-29T20:57:00.004Z

A survey came out today that publishes a list of the highest paid footballers in the world. Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all represent the Premiership and dominate the list while AC Milan and Barcelona are the only non-English sides listed. It certainly appears the money is in England now.

The list in order:

1. Kaka (AC Milan) 6.6m pounds
2. Ronaldinho (Barcelona) 6.31m pounds
3. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) 6.04m pounds
4. John Terry (Chelsea) 6.04m pounds
5. Fernando Torres (Liverpool) 5.86m pounds
6. Andiry Shevchenko (Chelsea) 5.77m pounds
7. Michael Ballack (Chelsea) 5.77m pounds
8. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) 5.69m pounds
9. Theirry Henry (Barcelona) 5.69m pounds
10. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 5.69m pounds

Pressure getting to Grant

2008-02-29T20:26:00.003Z

Chelsea manager Avram Grant has hit out at the media for its post defeat coverage of their Carling Cup final to Tottenham.

Strangely, he hit out at the lack of respect for giving him no credit for achievements. What achievements Avram? I thought you lost, and as of yet, have won nothing. What have you achieved? I think the media has fairly given you credit for stabilizing the team, but more than that there is nothing to show that you are actually up to the job.

While Grant insists that he is in charge, there is no doubt that the hand of Abramovich has played a heavy hand in the running of the club.

While Chelsea have remained competitive, their defeats have come at the hands of Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham. The draw to Liverpool didn’t help, did it? Nor the draw with Olympiacos.

In comparison, Jose Mourinho suffered only 2 losses in 2+ years in charge to the biggest clubs in England.

I would suggest this is more evidence of the slow decline in Chelsea’s fortunes. As it continues to become clear they cannot deal with the largest clubs in England any longer, the comparisons to Claudio Ranieri will start.

Flashy ride to relegation

2008-02-29T12:43:00.002Z

Robbie Savage has provoked an angry reaction from teammates at Derby County after showing up to training in a brand new 160,000 pound Mercedes Benz.

Savage is entitled to drive whatever he likes, but will almost certainly be dropped against Sunderland this weekend after failing to register any impact whatsoever at his new club –that is except to raise the sunglasses of the other players as theymake a double take at his new wheels.

Savage arrived from Blackburn Rovers for 1.5m pounds in the January transfer window and has been in poor form as Derby, with just nine points and a single win, are likely to go lower than the 15 points Sunderland scored back in 2003.

Savage will be showing his flash ride in the Championship next season, that you can take to the bank.

More money than you can shake a stick at

2008-02-29T12:25:00.003Z

If you think Alex Ferguson was pissed the last time Real Madrid were making headlines trying to tempt winger Cristiano Ronaldo away from Manchester United, then he will go red when he hears about their latest tactics.

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon is all over the Spanish media telling anyone that will listen that he still has a chance to sign his dream-boat. And this time we are not talking huge transfer fees, the latest attempt to lure Ronaldo will go right to his pocketbook in the way of making him the highest paid player in the world.

To fuel speculation, Jorge Mendes who is Ronaldo’s agent, has been meeting with Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic. While he claims its for other matters, don’t believe it. Real have a history of destabilizing players thru the media and the love affair with Ronaldo has not lasted the better part of 3 years. Let's just say the meeting wasn't exactly private.

The proposed salary: over 8m pounds per year, and with income tax in Spain about half that of England it would roughly equal 200,000 pounds a week were he being paid within the Premier League.

Ronaldo has scored a whopping 29 goals this season for United and signed a new 120,000 pound a week deal for 5 years. It’s more than likely that Mendes is trying to renegotiate terms and squeeze a few more quid out of Old Trafford, and why not? A winger that can score 30 goals in a season should be the highest paid player in the world.

At the moment Brazilian international Kaka is the highest paid player in the world, where AC Milan shell out 130,000 pounds a week.

I doubt Ronaldo would like to leave, I would imagine Manchester making him top of the salary heap will quiet Madrid.

Ten Cate in row with Captain

2008-02-27T13:26:00.002Z

Henk ten Cate has never been the calm type. In fact, he has often been criticized by former players for his temper, aggressiveness and often abuse coaching methods. It appears the former Ajax manager has not let anyone down at Chelsea after a furious row has been reported taking place the day before the Carling Cup final.

Ten Cate joined Chelsea to bolster Avram Grant's staff back in October after leaving Ajax. He confirmed a ‘difference of opinion’ regarding the intensity of a training session but eye witnesses see it much differently.

Terry and ten Cate squared each other up and apparently let loose with a tirade of swearing and yelling – all done in front of owner Roman Abramovich. It was also ten Cate who stepped to Terry after the captain complained. They were separated by other Chelsea players. While ten Cate thinks everything is fine, it may not be as after the session, Terry refused to accept an apology.

Apparently there was a lot of tension among the Chelsea players as players were left guessing at team selection for the final.

Chump-bonda

2008-02-26T16:29:00.002Z

Pascal Chimbonda has probably played his last Cup final for Tottenham Hotspur as he was fined a week’s wages as punishment for his reaction to being substituted during the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea.

Chimbonda was replaced by midfielder Tom Huddlestone in the 61st minute after playing out of position on the left as a tactical change. With the match finely poised and Tottenham trailing, Chimbonda took his sweet time leaving the pitch and further reacted by going straight down the tunnel and into the dressing room.

Chimbonda apparently apologized to manager Juande Ramos at full-time and joined the team in celebrations but it appears his party will be cut short as the team will now look to offload the trouble making player.

The French international claimed to be annoyed at the choice and claims everything is fine. Well, maybe for a few more months as the player's poor attitude is not conducive to the large salary he enjoys. A move is almost guaranteed as Rangers right-back Alan Hutton was brought in during the transfer window and Tottenham have cover.

Remembering David Busst’s horrific injury

2008-02-26T15:57:00.005Z

Eduardo da Silva’s horrendous leg break over the weekend when Arsenal faced Birmingham has rekindled interest in what was probably the worst injury in the history of the Premiership. David Busst suffered a severe leg break during a corner when Coventry played Manchester United back in 1996.

Busst lay in agony after a collision with Denis Irwin as he charged the back post after a flick on. The crowd was shocked into silence as Busst required his legs strapped together before being stretchered off.

Players from both teams were visibly shocked at the event. Most couldn’t bear to watch as the blood stained pitched required the grounds keepers to clean up scene.

He required a total of 20 operations, but the injury ended Busst’s career because of complications after the fact.

See the entire worst moments in football series

Striker snubs United

2008-02-26T14:32:00.004Z

Lyon striker Karim Benzema is as hot a property as world football has ever seen and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has been snubbed in his bid to sign the 20 year old revelation.

Benzema played a starring role for Lyon as they secured a surprise 1-1 draw in the Champions League against United in France. Benzema scored the opening goal with quick feet and deadly precision and was a constant menace to United’s defense. He has been a menace all season, leading all scorers in France.

But United won’t be seeing Benzema at Old Trafford as Lyon have slapped a whopping 70m pound price tag on the player and Benzema quoted as saying he will be in Lyon next year.

To compound the decision Benzema has claimed that the Premier League is not of interest to him and that Spain and Italy are.

Regardless, Alex Ferguson has officially notified Lyon of his interest.

Tottenham win League Cup over Chelsea: tale of the missing manager

2008-02-25T13:38:00.003Z

Tottenham Hotspur have ended their 9 years without a trophy with a 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea yesterday in the Carling Cup final at Wembley.

Jonathan Woodgate proved the hero as the January transfer window signing proved in the right place and a touch lucky to pull Tottenham ahead just minutes into extra time.

It’s an unusually high number of mistakes from Chelsea keeper Petr Cech this season, a testament to the increased amount of pressure he has been under as clubs are attacking Chelsea more.

Chelsea were listless in the first half until Didier Drogba scored from a 40th minute free kick. Chelsea took control of the match for a while but Tottenham were resilient (2 words you don’t see next to each other very often) and battled back to earn a penalty 20 minutes from time. It should have ended at the 90 minutes but for Didier Zakora’s comic enterprise in front of goal: with only the keeper to beat he shot directly at Cech and then ballooned the ball over the bar on the rebound.

The win guarantees Tottenham UEFA Cup football next season, a competition that Tottenham manager Juande Ramos had won twice consecutively with Sevilla.

It was a tale of the missing manager

Jose Mourinho left Chelsea early in the season and was replaced by Avram Grant, a Russian billionaires puppet. Ever since, Chelsea have been lucky they have a very professional group of players because it could have gone much worse. That extra 2% Mourinho brought was missing from the side as they often looked void of ideas.

If you look at Cheslea’s fortunes this season under Grant you might suggest he deserves some credit, maybe a bit for stabilizing the side, but nothing else. Chelsea are no longer feared and tactically don’t really look any more attacking under the Grant regime than under Mourinho. The formation has not really changed and the team is not scoring any more often, but what they have been is much more vulnerable in defense and seem incapable of beating teams of similar means in the Premiership.

A listless draw against Olympiacos serves to suggest the club is in decline as their mortality surfaces again and again.

Here is the stat of stats: Mourinho ‘s record. Seven Cup Finals from FC Porto to Chelsea, played seven and won seven. Avram Grant is 0-1.

Avram Grant has inherited one of the best squad in the world but he can’t and won’t make it count. Anelka out wide? Come on.

In the end Tottenham deserved their victory. They out-fought their bigger rivals and held on. Chelsea were left surrounding the referee at the end of the game, when they should have surrounded their owner and manager for taking Mourinho away.

Did intent break Eduardo’s leg or was it money in the modern game?

2008-02-24T15:54:00.007Z

No, there was no intent yesterday when Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor horrifically injured Arsenal striker Eduardo Da Silva, but there was a more subtle motivator behind the injury: money. Huh? Yes, money.

Relegation is a death sentence to a club in a top flight league. It was not that way 20 years ago. But today, the gulf in finances between the top leagues and the lower divisions is a chasm. The pressure is intense for clubs like Birmingham, just once place outside the relegation zone, and it causes players to risk the bodies of the opposition in a quest for that little bit extra to bring in a result.

You may say that is the way it should be, that it makes the intense competition that is modern football but I disagree. Over and over again I see so many close calls that it’s amazing these types of injuries don’t happen every week.

Players just aren’t careful enough and although its anti-win-win to suggest you show a bit more caution on the pitch it’s what needs to happen. Week in and week out team sheets are littered with injuries. This can’t continue because modern football now sees a top club stacked with top players who hardly play, why? Because managers need the depth because they know their players will go down injured and need a ready replacement in that event. It’s a shame, because if you want to see more competitive football then have these players playing for 2nd and 3rd tier clubs instead of filling reserve sides for the top 4. Today what we have is overmatched sides struggling for a win and willing to take unwarranted risks to achieve a result.

Sports and opposition are one thing but just like cops need robbers, Arsenal needs Birmingham. And the Premier League needs them both. While it might not be what you want players on your club to do, pulling out of a challenge is what is best for football as a whole.

Argentinean Second Half Kicks off with surprises

2008-02-24T15:00:00.002Z

The second part of the Argentinean soccer season started with some surprises. Boca Juniors, Rosario Central, Independiente, Racing and Olimpo, Velez Sarsfield and Colon all played with shockers.

It's difficult to explain, but February marks the start of the second half of the season with a completely separate championship from the first half's season. The two halves of the seasons are called the "opening" and "closing".

The shockers were the superpower and perennial favourite Boca Junior's tie and also Independiente's defeat by the "opening" champion, Lanús. The favourite was River Plate, that in their stadium defeated Gimnasia of Jujuy 2-0 with goals scored by Matías Abelairas and Paulo Ferrari.

In Rosario, Boca could not beat Rosario Central who finally draw the score only 6 minutes to finish the match. Rodrigo Palacio opened the score and then the ex Argentinean player in World Cup 2002 Christian "Kily" González tied the match with a 40 mts shot.

Independiente had a very difficult game verus Lanus but they played so bad that the 1-0 ended a good score line. The last champions of Argentina defeated them with an own goal scored by the ex-Lanús player, Leandro Gioda.

Racing and Olimpo played an uneventful match that resulted in a 1-1 tie. First Javier Paez scored for the Bahía Blanca team but Facundo Sava tied for the local. Although San Lorenzo has incorporated many stars like Andrés D´Alessandro from Zaragoza and Gonzalo Bergessio from Benfica, they couldn´t avoid that Newell's Old Boys from Rosario won 2-0 with goals scored by defender Nicolás Spolli and forward Santiago Salcedo.

Vélez Sarsfield and Colón of Santa Fe played the match of the weekend. In the José Amalfitani stadium of Buenos Aires the locals won 4-3 with two goals by Gustavo Balvorín (currently the top scorer of the tournament), Santiago Silva and defender Mariano Uglessich. For the visitors Pablo Aguilar, Darío Gandín and Alejandro Capurro scored.

The other scores are the following: Arsenal 2 (Luciano Leguizamón and José Luis Calderón) – Huracán 0, Tigre 2 (Martín Morel and Guillermo Suárez) – Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata 1 (Ignacio Piatti), San Martín de San Juan 2 (Martín Bravo and Mario Pacheco) – Argentinos Juniors 0 and Estudiantes de La Plata 2 (Ezequiel Maggiolo y Pablo Piatti) – Banfield 1 (Darío Cvitanich).

Soccer returns to Argentina with some surprises and after the first matches River Plate sounds like the most serious candidate to rise up to the cup at the end of the season. But for that we must wait 18 more weekends that will hopefully be as amazing as this last one.

Contributed by: Leandro Compton Hall

City get their way

2008-02-05T15:49:00.001Z

Zimbabwe striker Benjani has made his transfer to Manchester City from Portsmouth official for the discounted price of 3.87m pounds. The transfer had been in doubt when the player arrived in Manchester only an hour before the window closed.

It’s a partial victory for City, who had demanded new terms on the deal, but they may still end up paying the entire fee if Benjani makes 75 senior starts, as well as a few other terms. The contract was also shortened from 3 ½ to 2 ½ years.

Benjani also passed a medical on Monday amid rumors that the player had a knee problem.

No Bale this season

2008-02-04T18:44:00.001Z

Gareth Bale will not play any more football for Tottenham this season. The foot injury he suffered against Birmingham City in December was worse than expected and the Premier League strugglers will have to do without one of their young stars.

The diagnosis was sprained ligaments in his foot, after having a cast removed today, the surgeon in charge has pushed the return date back. It’s a setback for Spurs as the squad has reached some good form recently, especially defensively. Getting Bale back would have bolstered this rise, but the form was achieved without him, so it will have to continue that way.

Bale, 18, joined Tottenham in the summer from Southampton and has only played 12 matches for the club. Juande Ramos used right back Pascal Chimbonda on the left in Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Saturday.

Benfia sign best prospect in years

2008-02-04T14:41:00.000Z

Benfica have signed their finest striker prospect in many, many years. Ariza Makukula was playing for Maritimo on loan from Sevilla. Standing 6’ 2” and built like Yakubu, he’s a powerful striker who causes defenses tons of problems.

The contract was for 4 1/2 years and about 2m pounds… a steal for the recently capped Congolese-born Portugal international.

Makukula scored seven goals for Martimo and was a joint third in the scoring charts. He was selected for the Portuguese team last October when Nuno Gomes was out injured. He scored on his debut, and helped Portugal qualify for Euro 2008.

Luiz Felipe Scolari has again picked Makukula for the friendly internationals against Italy in 3 days time.

The Benjani mess

2008-02-04T14:26:00.000Z

It appears that Manchester City are looking to renege on a transfer deal made for striker Benjani from Portsmouth. It appears that Sven-Goran Eriksson wants the Zimbabwean international on loan.
Were the deal done a few hours earlier, there would have been no argument and Benjani would have probably started against Arsenal. A 7.5m fee was agreed but there has been an argument as to whether a deal was done before the transfer deadline.

Benjani appears to be the big loser in all of this, he’s frozen out of both sides and not appears to be ready to join a team that doesn’t really want to sign him. He arrived in Manchester just 50 minutes before the January transfer window closed to sign a deal which he signed, so I ask, what is City complaining about? “Feeling pressured” just doesn’t cut it. City were pressured because they moved 2 strikers and were left empty handed after a series of potential deals fell thru. With nothing to show for the transfer window, the only pressure came from the fact that they needed a player.

City claim that they didn’t have enough time to complete a medical, and they wanted transparency as to ownership rights for the player and the fact that he was named in Lord Steven’s report. But Walter Pandiani switched from Deportivo la Coruna to Birmingham after the deadline day because of insufficient time. I see no reason this couldn’t be settled the same way.

The rumor is that Manchester City were suffering from buyer’s remorse. I don’t see why, I think he’s a great, hard working player. The Premier League are expected to decide the outcome on Monday.

Arsenal sign 15 year old striker

2008-01-31T12:46:00.000Z

Gillingham have sold hot prospect Luke Freeman to Premier League giants Arsenal. The 15 year old was the center of transfer attention from West Ham and Newcastle but was sold to Arsenal for a 200k pound fee. The contract is for 2 years, he will become part of the Gunners's youth squad.

Freeman gained some notoriety by becoming the youngest ever player to play in the FA Cup.

"He is left-footed with a good eye for the goal. He is brave and has a good, positive personality. He is only 15 years old of course so we need to be patient but he's a very interesting prospect. He is another one for the future." - Arsene Wenger

The Gills manager Mark Stimson confirmed the deal and Freeman as one of England’s brightest prospects. While he fought to keep the player at the club where he would get first team football, the lure of Arsenal was too strong.

Argentine teen striker swooped up

2008-01-25T16:45:00.000Z

Chelsea have beaten out Manchester United and Liverpool and completed the signing of Argentine teenager Franco Di Santo on a four and a half year contract from from Chilean side Audax Italiano.

Di Santo is an Argentina Under 20 international and joins Chelsea for a 3m pound fee. Standing 6ft 4in the forward tends to tower over South American opposition, even at his height the inevitable comparisons to Maradona persist.

Di Santo holds an Italian passport and takes the spending by Avram Grant to 27m pounds during the transfer window after signing Nicolas Anelka and Branislav Ivanovic.

“It is going to be a dream to be next to Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Andriy Shevchenko and Nicolas Anelka. I am going to watch how they play and if I am called on to be part of the team, I will give my maximum ... To be changing next to Drogba will be something out of another world.” –Di Santo

How good was Fernandes last night?

2008-01-24T21:56:00.000Z

Portuguese international Manuel Fernandes has made his second debut for Everton last night against Chelsea and he looked fantastic. After completing his second loan move to the club, first from Benfica, now from Valencia, it appears things have been righted and he slotted right in.

The reception he received last night was excellent, and his form looked like he had not left for over half a year. From the get go, he was busy and involved. I thought his passing was particularly good, jabbing balls regularly into the feet of Mikel Arteta, they proved to be the cornerstones of Everton’s best moves.

Everton played well last night but were undone by Chelsea’s quickness. Everton’s back line play well, especially as a unit but pace is lacking and it made Chelsea look more dangerous than they really were.

Manuel Fernandes will help this problem point. He’s quick and has excellent timing and had some excellent defensive moments last night. He was also out of position a few times, but we can probably chalk that up to a lack of time with the team.

Everton’s best spells were early on and midway thru the second half, and coincidentally they came when the ball was being played thru midfield. How many times was a hopeless ball launched at Andy Johnson last night with nobody within 20 yards? When Osmon and Fernandes were on the ball, Arteta and Cahill were fed and Everton looked able to get the goal they needed to even up the aggregate score.

The thing I noted most was the class and confidence Fernandes gave the side last night. I was impressed how well he worked in tandem with his midfield and back line, and I am sure Mikel Arteta is pleased as well. Now if they could just do something about Carsley (I know, I know, but I don’t rate him). Everton lost last night, but looked really good despite it.

Time to make his starting place permanent and complete the loan move as soon as is contractually possible. Manuel Fernandes is as talented as any holding midfielder in world football and could be that little extra that David Moyes claims Everton lack.

With Bianchi gone, looks like one of 3 to replace him

2008-01-24T21:32:00.000Z

Rolando Bianchi has returned to Italy joining Lazio from Manchester City. Bianchi was signed from Reggina but has not settled, and sealed a loan with an eye on a permanent transfer. As a replacement, City have targeted Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano, Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito and more recently Eidur Gudjohnsen from Barcelona as potential replacements.

Deals for Lyon’s Fred and Lukas Podolski from Bayern Munich appear dead. With that, Sven has to target other players.

Fabiano is joint leading scorer in Spain with 13 goals this season appears interested in a move, but his latest comments appear to indicate he can attract a larger club and a bigger salary. Maybe it’s just posturing. I don’t see a better opportunity for him, so it looks promising.

Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito has also been tipped. The 22 year old Argentine is highly rated in Spain but new manager Javier Irureta appears very unwilling to negotiate but 15 goals in 24 matches and a good offer can change that. City would have to spend almost 20m pounds to make a deal, though so this would be a surprise to see happen.

An option has also appears today as signals have reached Barcelona that Eidur Gudjohnsen is welcome back to England, the former player desperate for regular football. The price may be right also. An offer in the range of 7m pounds and a guaranteed starting spot could see a deal.

One thing is for certain, Manchester City have sold before buying and are thus in a bind. Other clubs will try and force the price as they know the club will be desperate to hold on to their solid start to the season.

Boro agree terms with striker

2008-01-24T21:04:00.000Z

Middlesbrough have agreed on personal terms with Heerenveen striker Afonso Alves, the 26 year old Brazilian is ‘Boro manager Gareth Southgate’s long prized transfer target. It appears he has his man.

Alves has apparently muddied his own waters by signing a contract with AZ Alkmaar who has taken the case to the KNVB to force the move, or more cynically, get some compensation from the situation. At this point, why would they want a player who doesn’t want to play there.

Alves visited the Riverside on January 13 where he was given a guided tour by Southgate.

The KNVB has ruled against Alkmaar.

Boro appear to be splashing out on Alves to the tune of 10m pounds. The move could signal the possible move from Newcastle for defender Jonothan Woodgate as the club seek to fund the transfer.

African Cup of Nations Drama, unfortunately off the pitch

2008-01-24T20:51:00.001Z

For all the good football on show at this month’s African Cup of Nations, Benin coach Reinhard Fabisch has revealed he was asked before the team’s match against Mali if he would help fix the result.

Benin lost in the Group B match by a 1-0 score line. The game was decided after they conceded a penalty during the second half. Doubts are now in the air about the penalty, whether the player (Alain Gaspoz) was implicated or even the match referee. You can bet if they approach the manager, they would also approach players.

Fabisch was approached in the team’s hotel:

"He wanted to find out from me if there was any possibility of manipulating the match," Fabisch said of the approach. I told him: 'Look, you have two minutes to leave the hotel or I will call the police'."

The incident took place Saturday, just two days before the game in Sekondi.

Fabisch had subsequently warned his players to inform the team of any approaches.

Benin play Ivory Coast in Sekondi this Friday.

Arsenal drubbed, Adebayor head butts teammate (video)

2008-01-23T14:37:00.000Z

Things got ugly last night. Arsenal were throttled 5-1 by Tottenham Hotspur in the Carling Cup. Emmanuel Adebayor head butted his teammate Nicklas Bendtner. Not good.

The Togolese international striker came on as a substitute for Theo Walcott in the second half with the side already 4-0 down. Adebayor seemed completely out of control and couldn’t handle the situation.

The incident happened as the pair were in the box waiting for Cesc Fabregas to take a free kick in the 80th minute. Adebayor lashed out at Bendtner and eventually head butted him, leaving him with a cut on his nose and triggering a frenzy of team mates stepping in to separate the pair. William Gallas eventually restored order but Adebayor seemed to remain a bit crazed as seconds later he should have been sent off for a hand in the face, which would have been a second bookable offense.

Arsene Wenger claimed he didn’t see it.

Referee Howard Webb took no action against the players but they could still face disciplinary action as the video can be studied by an FA panel.

Spurs took the matchup 6-2 on aggregate and have booked their place in the final at Wembley, well deserved as the fracas between Arsenal players overshadowed their excellent performance.

The rest of the game was tense between the Arsenal strikers. Mathieu Flamini was seen screaming from the bench at Adebayor to calm down and Arsenal's team staff had to hold Adebayor back before entering the of the tunnel to avoid further confrontation.

Unfortunately the video does not show everything, but watching the second half, it’s pretty clear Adebayor is frustrated with Bendtner’s effort culminating in the first scene where he is doggedly chasing the ball, then a moment later, Bendtner fails to pass it to Adebayor and tries to go it alone. This seems to really anger Adebayor, as you can see when he marches away and glares back at Bendtner.

Then the whistle goes and on the top right he dashes over to Bendtner. The incident continues in the top right as the close up of the placement of the ball for the free kick takes place. Bendtner is then doubled over.

Seconds later, Adebayor should have been red carded as the hand to the face looked pretty deliberate to me:

Note: Video flagged for copyright violation, but you can see it here:

http://ballhype.com/video/adebayor_head_butts_bendtner_arsenal_vs_tottenham/

Tiago to Tottenham rekindled after player outburst

2008-01-18T17:17:00.000Z

Portuguese international midfielder Tiago Mendes has declared he must leave Juventus after 2 horrible performances and 2 half time substitution which sees the potential for Tottenham to revive their bid for the player after Juande Ramos has said he wants to sign a central midfielder.

Tiago’s outburst came after Juventus won their Coppa Italia match against Empoli:

"I can't stay here any longer, the best thing for me would be to leave."

Tiago signed for Juventus from Lyon over the summer for 7m pounds but has not settled in the Italian League as it appears his playing style has clashed with the league and teammates.

Last Saturday he was in the starting 11 to face Catania but a woeful first half performance saw him hauled off at the break. It happened again Tuesday night against Empoli with Juventus trailing 4-3 on aggregate.

Tiago, 26, has been linked with a transfer for several weeks now and has resigned himself to an exit. Tottenham’s bid was rejected recently but talks seem imminent as the manager has given up as well.

Ranieri has done his best to defended the player but now:

“He played really badly, he didn’t play with the right tempo and he was always passing the ball backwards. It was a performance without personality”

Harsh words. Would it be any better at Spurs?

Platini’s greatest goal

2008-01-18T16:40:00.000Z

Michel Platini was one of the greatest players ever, and an icon at his former club Juventus. For such a studied player, his greatest goal came from a brilliant piece of improvisation back in 1983 versus Ascoli.

The play started out with the famous number 10 playing the ball into feet from midfield and receiving it back in a classic 1-2. But the ball came back behind Platini and off the ground which forced the playmaker to improvise.

And improvise he did, as he flicked the ball in the air over his head directly into his own path, in the box with a chance on goal but still a lot to do. The ball bounced high for Platini but he made due, redirecting the ball with the sole of his raised foot into the corner of the goal well outside the path of the keeper. A sumlime demonstration of talent:

See the entire greatest goals ever series

Manchester City striker on his way

2008-01-18T16:20:00.000Z

Manchester City and Birmingham City have agreed to a transfer fee for Greek international striker Georgios Samaras. The player is currently negotiating personal terms with Birmingham.

Samaras joined Manchester City for 6m pounds from Dutch side Heerenven FC two January transfer windows back in 2006.

Samaras has had an up and down ride at City since his arrival. He scored six goals last season after an impressive start at the club but, after being given a chance, has been left out of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s plans.

The 22 year old has featured in a total of 65 games for the club scoring 12 goals.Charlton Athletic and Coventry City were interested in a loan deal for Samaras but it appears a permanent deal is on the cards.

Bolton striker bid rejected

2008-01-18T16:06:00.000Z

Bolton Wanderers have failed to land striker Louis Saha from Manchester United after a 7m pound bid was rejected for the French international. Bolton are looking for a boost up front after selling Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea last week.

Gary Megson, new Bolton manager, has money to spend after the 15m pounds garnered from Anelka's sale and it appears he’s going to spend it during the window as Bolton are in a fight to stave off a relegation to the Championship.

Saha has been recovering from an injury and appears to be ready to re-join the side.

United rejected the bid outright and told Megson the player was not for sale.

Veterans back to fitness could be big boost

2008-01-18T15:53:00.001Z

Paul Scholes looks set to make his long delayed return for Manchester United in their FA Cup fourth round match against Tottenham at the end of the month. Scholes suffered a knee injury against Aston Villa back in October.

The 33 year old retired England international has completed his recovery and is just waiting from clearance from the team doctors. The veteran comeback also included Gary Neville from his ankle injury which has seen him out for 11 months.

As United have maintained pace with Arsenal at the top of the table, these returns could serve as a big boost entering the latter part of the season.

AC Milan’s extraterrestrial (video)

2008-01-18T15:23:00.000Z

“There are some extraterrestrials in football and from what I saw yesterday at San Siro, Pato is certainly one of them” said Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri as has described AC Milan youngster Alexandre Pato who made his debut against Napoli recently.

The 18 year old sensation’s debut was long awaited since signing for Milan in the summer from Internacional Porto Alegre. He was ineligible until this month due to Brazilian transfer laws for players under age 18. A media frenzy ensued all over Italy, and he did not disappoint with Italian papers calling his performance electrifying. AC Milan won 5-2 win at the San Siro.

You can see the highlights here:

Pato was showered with praise from all things Milan: Paolo Maldini, Carlo Ancelloti, Leonardo and a host of other former and current players.

The best praise of all comes from me: he actually made Ronaldo look good.

Is the tide turning on Liverpool owners?

2008-01-17T20:42:00.000Z

Dismay is taking hold at Anfield since Tom Hicks, Liverpool co-owner, let it out that Jurgen Klinsmann was approached in November to take over as manager should Rafa Benitez be fired (I mean quit). You’d think a lesson was learned since Tottenham was caught with their pants down approaching Juande Ramos. But what happened? And is Liverpool getting a case of buyer’s remorse?

First of all, nobody knows why Tom Hicks spilled the beans. My guess is he beat a newspaper to the scoop and headed off the surprise. The other possibility is to sound out to the football world that he’s not afraid to do whatever it takes. Letting people know about Klinsmann sends a signal.

One thing is for sure, Benitez’s position at the club is seriously weakened. I think in America, they call this "blowback".

Hicks defended his approach calling it an “insurance policy” in case Benitez quits. But why would be led to believe this when the manager has been nothing but dedicated. For one, I don’t believe this.

It appears Hicks has also led himself into legal repercussions in what is called a “constructive dismissal” because the owner has undermined someone’s position while still in it. This undermines an implied mutual trust that is part of any employment contract and entitles Benitez to compensation.

Are Liverpool supporters getting frustrated with the ownership? Rumors of selling the club are out there. It seems that the Texan style of ownership doesn’t really mix too well with European football. It just seems like Hicks and Gillett are learning on the job.

While it’s easy to heap pressure on the manager, what about owners that are failing to own the club in a way that lends towards success. I find it troublesome that the elements of Liverpool that are good are not being supported. Rafa Benitez has been a good for Liverpool. Hicks and Gillett have spent money, but are failing to let people get on with their work.

I remember all the glee about the money pouring in when they bought the club, looks like money is just money. Money gives access, its what you do with it.

'Geordie messiah' to be unveiled as new United manager

2008-01-16T17:44:00.000Z

That is how highly regarded Kevin Keegan is among Newcastle United fans. Tyneside has a new manager, and he hopes to bring the club back from all of their recent problems. One thing is for sure: you won’t get boring football from a Keegan team.

The news was dramatic, the 56 year old former Liverpool icon managed Newcastle from 1992 to 1997. Didier Deschamps was strongly linked with the post but the surprise announcement will be welcome at St. James Park. Keegan managed Newcastle to promotion in 1993 and almost won the league in ’96.

Keegan’s last foray into management came with Manchester City in 2005, before that he was England manager and also had a stint at Fulham. Since Keegan left Newcastle 6 managers have taken up the post, all have failed and it’s been 4 decades since Newcastle has won anything.

Former Chelsea player wants Newcastle hotseat

2008-01-16T12:45:00.000Z

Former Chelsea midfielder, triple Serie A champion, and World Cup winner Didier Deschamps wants to take on the hot seat as Newcastle United manager.

According to his agent Jeannot Werth, no official approach has been made but Deschamps wants to make it clear he wants an interview. This is very similar to how Fabio Capello sounded England out about the national post, and the former Juventus player has emerged as the bookmakers’ odds on favorite to get the job.

Last week Sam Allardyce left the job amid unrest from the Newcastle supporters.
The 39 year old has also been the Juventus manager and is the bookmakers' favourite to succeed Sam Allardyce after it appears the field is very thin on candidates. The only condition that Chairman Chris Mort has place on the new manager is that he must speak English.

While the resume is thin, Deschamps did bring Juventus from forced relegation back into Serie A after a recent match fixing scandal involving a number of clubs and referees.

A second former Chelsea player, Gianfranco Zola has been rumored as being his number two in charge.

Has Tottenham beaten out rivals for Brazilian?

2008-01-15T22:46:00.000Z

Tottenham is on the verge of edging out Paris St. Germain, Portsmouth, West Ham, Middlesbrough and Manchester City to the signing of Brazilian international striker Fred from Lyon.

Seems a bit counter intuitive to me. Tottenham has scored 42 goals this season, no worries there, but has leaked an incredible 40, that’s a relegation number. Dimitar Berbatov doesn’t look to be heading away from the Lane, and the club has seen the return of Ledley King which will hopefully lend some stability. I don’t see a reason to do it except that they are picking up a pretty good bargain, around 9-11m pounds.

Harry Redknapp may offer Jermain Defoe a way out of Tottenham.

Another reason the Fred deal looks set is because Jermain Defoe has been told he can go and Darren Bent is being shopped around. Personally, I’d rather have Fred than either Defoe or Bent, but how can it be that players can barely last a season after a 16m pound move. I mean, hey, this wasn’t just up to Martin Jol.

Fred, 24, has lost his regular starting spot at the 5 times French champions to Karim Benzema who has wowed everyone with some stunning football.

Fred has finally spoken out to the media about his future:

“I hope my future will be sorted on Wednesday, I have two offers, one from Tottenham and one from Paris St Germain”

Is Benitez really sunk?

2008-01-15T21:20:00.000Z

Amazingly yes, just about. Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez appears to be on his last legs as manager of Liverpool and for one, I think it’s a disgrace.

Benitez will battle to keep his post but it seems only a matter of time like it did with Martin Jol and Sam Allardyce. Will he stay on for the rest of the season? Probably because I am really convinced that Jose Mourinho is going to be the next Liverpool manager.

To be so badly undermined when owner Tom Hicks admitted that he had attempted to recruit Jurgen Klinsmann to replace Benitez is a hard pill to swallow. This man has won the Champions League and has brought the team back to life. Fernando Torres would never be a Red without him. And that brilliant goal at the weekend shows why Liverpool are going to be a force soon. Unless the revolving door starts up again.

Benitez, it has been revealed, was already aware of the meeting with Klinsmann in California all the way back in November. So it looks like he was going to be sacked if he did not make it to the next round of the Champions League. The party line is he was contacted in case Benitez left for Real Madrid. BS.

As of now, Benitez is a lame duck. How can he effectively manage the transfer window and the dressing room with endless speculation? Usually you can blame guys like me for that, but this time it came from right in your own backyard. George Gillet and Tom Hicks have not been terribly slick in their management of Liverpool so far and while they have put in cash, it takes more than that to really succeed. Look at Newcastle. Now Benitez is not a saint in this, but really, have his comments in the past led to this? No. Pressure for success has. Liverpool want it yesterday.

Often times, this kind of pressure makes want it yesterday become wish it were last season.

City’s worst nightmare: Premiership giants at the gate

2008-01-15T21:03:00.000Z

Micah Richards is holding out for big money. Stalled contract talks have England’s big 4 clubs watching closely as the finest young defender in world may be on his way. Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea would probably climb over each other for a shot at Richards. Should a move away from Manchester City become a reality, you’ll see a bidding war that has never been seen for a defender before.

City fans hope that the stall is part of the process of negotiations, with Richards apparently wanting 70k pounds per week and the club offering around 50k pounds. The offer on the table would see Richards the highest paid player at the club by a mile. But 70k is not too much considering the talent and the big 4 won’t hesitate one iota forking up the cash. A defender with his pace and leaping ability is a very rare commodity and City has had a lot of success this season because of him. Just consider how many goal saving tackles that have been shown on Match of the Day.

Richards departing would be a nightmare for City fans and you can’t blame the club, they are doing everything they can to keep him. Will money trump the young man’s loyalty? It usually does.

You can’t fault Micah Richards for having aspirations but if City should land in the Champions League next season there is no reason to leave. Personally, he should stay 2-3 more years regardless and really cement his abilities in a place which will be forgiving and appreciative.

Redknapp leaves Portsmouth training early, signs of flight

2008-01-11T17:26:00.000Z

An official approach has been rumored for 60 year old Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp by Newcastle United, as earlier he drove away from the club’s Eastleigh training base with Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie, fueling speculation of a flight.

The mysterious departure took place around noon and he also cancelled a news conference scheduled for today.

While Redknapp was quoted with the explanation that he was meeting with Storrie regarding a few new players he wanted before the weekend, it is more likely that the meeting was regarding Newcastle. While Redknapp said there had been no contact, the comments came before the noontime exit. Things can change quickly and Redknapp has not ruled himself out.

Curious though:

"Money would not be an issue to me, I wouldn't go anywhere just for the money."

Well, why would he leave Portsmouth, playing better, better players, settled, and a team getting better? A big transfer kitty won’t hurt, but how much more can a club possibly spend before they are actually better?

Redknapp just signed a new contract in October to remain at Portsmouth until 2011. But Newcastle owner Mike Ashley would have to make a huge payout to release Redknapp from his Fratton Park contract.

Big Shock: Big Sam out at Newcastle

2008-01-09T18:18:00.001Z

Former Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is now the former Newcastle United manager, as the club have announced a parting by “mutual consent”. This makes Big Sam the 8th manager to leave his post this season, almost half the Premiership.

Newcastle currently sit 11th in the Premier League table, which gave Allardyce only 24 games in charge at the club and adds his name to the seemingly endless list of former Newcastle managers. Alan Shearer appears to be in pole position to leave the warm and comfy seat on Match of the Day and take over the reins.

Nigel Pearson, the first team coach, will take charge of the upcoming Premier League game on Saturday with Manchester United. Newcastle just can’t seem to stabilize under any circumstances. The supporters had very high hopes that Allardyce would bring the club around, and I fully expected him to succeed. In fact, if they would have given him more time, he probably would have. Newcastle had lots of problems, but none were unsolvable, the only thing you can’t control is the pressure at a top club and supporters clamoring for something better. They wanted better than the 0-0 FA Cup draw against Stoke.

For a former Newcastle player with no experience in charge, this will be a very big uphill climb if in fact Shearer takes over, one I must say that he probably can’t succeed in. All power to him though, but this is a nut some decent managers have not been able to crack.

McFadden's audacious smash

2008-01-08T21:06:00.000Z

Against France, Everton striker James McFadden scored the best goal of his career, and an audacious strike which beat France during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

You have to give McFadden credit, and the commentator has it just right: there was nothing for him to do except hold the ball up and wait for support. He could have passed left, but again, just 2 men forward against the entire French back line means there was nothing on. But instead he instinctively turns in space and takes a chance at it and pulled off an amazing goal out of nothing:

See the entire greatest goals ever series

Hennie Meijer scores a brilliant goal

2008-01-08T20:53:00.001Z

Former Ajax, Roda JC, SC Heerenveen and FC Groningen striker Hennie Meijer (also spelled Meyer) had a long career playing in Holland. He was famous for his ability to score goals and his pick of the bunch, for me was this great strike scored when he was playing for FC Groningen in the late 80's.

Berg had a long playing career which lasted from the early 80's into the late 90's. In this goal he out sprints the defender, leaves both him and the goalkeeper in a heap and smashes the ball into the net, great goal:

See the entire greatest goals ever series

Is Fernandes heading back to Everton?

2008-01-08T16:29:00.000Z

There has been ripe speculation surrounding Everton and Valencia over a potential move for Portuguese international midfielder Manuel Fernandes but reports are contradictory which has sparked comment from David Moyes, and then more speculation and then a run in with Spanish police to boot.

Lend Money in the USA and Make Profit!!
Fernandes angered Everton supporters over them summer when the then Benfica player grew tired of Everton’s dilly-dallying and decided to sign for Valencia instead. The move has not turned out so well for the talented player and a move back to Everton was apparently awaiting a signature until, it appears, Spanish police have told the player he cannot leave the country while an investigation takes place. He also angered Benfica supporters when he promised he would stay.

Some reports have him stealing a watch, others vomiting in public, others after an argument in a nightclub. If anything, it appears English speaking newspapers should invest in some better translators.

Another report suggests that Fernandes is free without charge, but that no deal is actually in place. And yet another report suggests that no discussions have taken place at all.

What to believe? How about none of it.

The only thing we do know is that Valencia want to sell. Sporting Director Miguel Angel Ruiz has publically commented that he wants to transfer the 12m pound player.

He’s available: that much we know.

Moyes, for his part has rejected the speculation which appears to indicate that it’s the press inventing this, or is it the fans that want the player.

Any way you look at it, he was good, wasn’t? Fernandes made a mistake not being patient and joining Everton. People make mistakes, the fans appear ready to forgive, and he appears ready to sign. Will Moyes and the board agree? The only thing left is the very fickle Everton transfer policies.

Forget Cisse, this is the guy City should sign

2008-01-08T16:01:00.000Z

Manchester City would flourish if they sign Brazil international striker Fred. The 24-year-old, who is Dunga's first choice, is available for transfer by Lyon who has been starting breakout striker Karim Benzema.

Lend Money in the USA and Make Profit!!
Fred is a world class finisher and is very, very well suited to the Premiership. For around 9m pounds City can sign him. In my opinion, I’d much rather have him than Djibril Cisse or Nikolas Anelka who costs more and can always be troublesome, though his previous stint at City went ok.

Fred scores goals. He has netted in 90 of his 130 starts in Brazil and scored 25 in 55 matches for Lyon, most of those goals coming early in him time there. Lately he’s been used as a substitute but still manages to score. Of his 9 international appearances he has scored 5 times. What you are reading here is that he can score anywhere he plays and does. City would be very lucky to have him.

Now, the cold water. Paris outfit PSG have been negotiating a transfer for the player as well and appear close as representatives from all sides met over the weekend. Better hurry City, you won’t find this kind of class for this price anywhere on the planet.

Defoe told to pack up, what is Ramos doing?

2008-01-08T15:29:00.000Z

You can probably be forgiven for wondering what the hell Juande Ramos is doing at Tottenham. First, the team is barely playing better, is still leaking goals at a break-neck pace from set piece and now has told Jermain Defoe he can leave if he wants to.

Lend Money in the USA and Make Profit!!
Defoe, pride dented, has insisted he wants to stay.

Defoe was just as surprised as I was to learn the news:

"He called me into his office and told me. I thought it was a joke. I thought he was going to say I would be starting against Arsenal in the Carling Cup. He just said 'you can leave if you want to'. Yet I have no intention of leaving this club because I love it here."

Considering Darren Bent has not come full circle, Berbatov’s exit speculation at a fever pitch, and all the other problems at the club you might think Defoe is just the kind of player that Tottenham need on the books at the moment. He’s scored some valuable goals this season and been quite useful off the bench.

The only logic I can see in this is that Ramos has players he wants to sign and needs funds.

How many managers go thru this same cycle? Didn’t Sanchez get fired at Fulham after signing a bunch of players (virtually identical to what he already had by the way) and now it’s up to Roy Hodgson to work with them until he wants his own players.

Doesn’t this revolving door in the Premiership get annoying? New blood can be very useful, just look at Manchester City, but tell me what Tottehnam hope to achieve letting Defoe go?
What about letting Chimbonda go? You know that guy that laughs when he is told to play centrally? Laugh at your salary Pascal and play where you are told and be thankful you have the life you do, instead of being a schlep like me writing a blog.

Defoe, to his credit has said nothing except that he wants to stay. He’s not a problem player, and is willing to fill the role he is given. Has Juande Ramos done anything better than Martin Jol so far? I’d be pressed to find it.

West Ham summer signing finally ready to play

2008-01-08T15:11:00.001Z

West Ham United midfielder Julien Faubert has finally made his return to the pitch after a serious Achilles injury which has seen him miss almost half a year of action.

Lend Money in the USA and Make Profit!!
Faubert scored after only 39 seconds during West Ham's reserves 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa. He played 45 minutes without complications.

The Frenchman was on the verge of additional international call ups when he suffered the Achilles injury in his first appearance for West Ham in a pre-season friendly back in July. At 24, Faubert joined the London club for 5 years from Bordeaux for 6m pounds.

West Ham has improved from their subpar performance last season and sit a respectable 10th in the table at the moment.

Will Capello give the forgotten great a chance?

2008-01-05T17:23:00.000Z

New England manager Fabio Capello flies into the England today and will head to Birmingham for tonight’s FA Cup match between Aston Villa and Manchester United. But will he come to see fresh faces, England regulars or will an England manager finally give Gareth Barry a real chance?

Lend Money in the USA and Make Profit!!
Everyone knows that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard don’t play well together in midfield, but star-power has always forced managers to select the pair instead of constructing a team which is balanced and has good chemistry. Barry has the perfect resume.

All indications are that Capello is there to see Gabriel Agbonlahor who has truly been outstanding, but he should keep a close eye on Barry who has been so consistent throughout his career, a real leader on the pitch and, oh ya, takes penalties really well.

If any manager is willing to buck big names for a good side, its Capello, and personally, I would view his inclusion of Barry as an indication of great things. His first game in charge will be in February against Switzerland.

City and Villa make formal inquiries for striker

2008-01-05T17:00:00.000Z

Manchester City and Aston Villa have both made formal inquiries to Newcastle United for Nigerian international striker Obafemi Martins. The news has piqued the interest of Portsmouth and Tottenham for signs that Newcastle will be accepting offers.

Lend Money in the USA and Make Profit!!
Manchester City has already admitted they are looking to bolster their front line but an official approach by Aston Villa could lead rise to the speculation that Gabriel Agbonlahor could be headed to Arsenal. I was surprised at Villa’s move, but in any event it appears the race is on with no less than 4 clubs interested.

Martins has a release clause in his contract of 13m pounds, a number which is keeping a move from happening. It has been indicated that Martins prefers a move to Manchester City but only Aston Villa appear willing to meet that price tag.

Martins has signalled his frustration at Sam Allardyce’s tactics this season, especially his substitution rate, he has started 11 games, 9 of which saw him substituted, he’s been a sub 6 times.

As for Tottenham and Portsmouth, the chances are remote. Portsmouth have resigned themselves to the fact that John Utaka will be leaving at the end of the season with interest from allover Europe (note to interested clubs, he needs to learn to cross better). Tottenham would be better served working on their back line than buying yet another player. With 4 good strikers on the books, Martins would not add anything unless Berbatov leaves.

As for City, they have money and Newcastle knows it. If any club mentioned here needs a striker its them. Can you imagine Martins’s pace running onto Elano’s thru balls?

Lend Money in the USA and Make Profit!!

Lots of rumors, but...

2008-01-04T20:05:00.000Z

Lots of rumors in the European tranfer window, Berbatov to Manchester United, Anelka to Chelsea, Mascherano to Juventus, and Agbonlahor to Arsenal but so far no deals of any real significance have been done. Is this a sign of caution? No money? Negotiating tactics? Maybe all of them. One thing is for sure, when a transfer window is not front loaded its usually a sign that few deals will be made.

If you look at the Premiership, its looking like a 2 horse race between Manchester United and Arsenal. For Liverpool and Chelsea to catch up using transfers, they would have to invest big money to make that happen. The most I see either club doing is shoring up their squads. I don’t see either club moving for an impact player.

The real place for movement this January is at the bottom of the table. Lots of new managers are going to get funds to help their sides make a push up the table, but these are going to be small deals. Sunderland, Fulham and Derby County all need help now.

Manchester City need a striker, that is likely to happen and Tottenham need to stop leaking goals, but Spurs have let in something like 19 from set pieces: to me that means you don’t need new players, you need some better coaching.

Blackburn need help at the back, and they are pretty one dimentional up front, there might be a signing my Mark Hughes in there.

Otherwise, Arsenal are stacked. Manchester United have enough to do to integrate what they already have signed. Liverpool might sign support, and so may Chelsea, otherwise this transfer window has little excitement to offer, better to focus on the games.

Newcastle: you get what you pay for

2008-01-04T19:29:00.000Z

Sam Allardyce is under pressure at Newcastle United and it appears to be getting worse as it has emerged that one of his expensive signings over the summer will not be returning for at least 3 games. Joey Barton is in trouble again.

Barton was freed from prison earlier this week where he was held on charges of assault. Newcastle paid Manchester City 5.8m pounds for Barton last summer and there is a good chance he may never play for them again.

Barton was initially refused bail by a magistrate and it leaves Newcastle's lawyers to determine if the bail conditions will allow him to play. Why would they want him to? I’m not sure I’d want someone who is likely be a sociopath playing for my club.

Sam Allardyce's magic has disappeared, after all the troubled players he’d brought into Bolton Wanderers it looks like the trouble with Barton will never end. Newcastle have had their share of of notorious characters like Lauren Robert over the years so what did Big Sam do first? Sign Joey Barton.

So Joey spent New Year’s in jail. What a comedy. Just look at his history:

• Beat up Ousmane Dabo
• Assaulted a 15 year old Everton supporter
• Stubbed a cigar out in a youth player's eye
• Showed rear end to Everton crowd during Premiership match

For me, its time to expel Joey Barton from English football. Problems are there to be sorted, he has shown that he just can’t so let him rot in ‘what could have been’ and get into pub fights.

Incredible freestyle football dribbler

2007-12-20T14:48:00.000Z

Not that I have watched 1000's of these guys, but this one is by far the best freestyle I have ever seen. His name is Tsatsulow, and he calls himself a "street soccer freestyler". Check out these amazing skills here:

A two horse race already?

2007-12-18T04:02:00.000Z

While the points may not yet tell the tale, the trend going into the middle of the season is for Arsenal and Manchester United to pull away in a two horse race. Chelsea and Liverpool are talented, but the top two looks to have more horsepower and edge to pull away.

If you notice, Avram Grant has lost twice to the top 4. That 2% that Mourinho added has cost them, while they have beaten teams they should have beaten, they have lost to Arsenal, a team they have not lost to for over 2 years. Losing John Terry, that happened last year as well, remember?

Liverpool have the same syndrome. A draw was at least demanded at home for their onset of players, but another loss to the top 4 sucks the air out of their confidence. Its not Benitez can’d do it. They beat Chelsea solidly early in the season, before Mourinho left. They have what it takes, but the rotation policy doesn’t explain their inconsistency. Winning the Champions League didn’t send them to the next level. They are a player or two away, and Fernando Torres is truly El Nino.

Chelsea is out of it as far as I am concerned. Liverpool, with the potential of a group of very fit players at the end of the season could make a strong run if they hit a stretch of form. I know what Benitez is trying to do, and I respect his confidence that at the end of the season he will be there with so many combinations tested that he may play his best 11 for a stretch of 10 games and win them all.

Arsenal and Manchester United are not going to pull away from eachother. The gap between them is so close. It looks like William Gallas, scoring the winner at the weekend really looks like the team’s new Patrick Viera and a side with so much pace and incredible passing is hard to beat not to mention attractive to watch. With Crisitano Ronaldo the owner of the team and a great defense who can bet against United? There is so much stability there, and is the team that can cope with injuries better than any other team in the Premiership.

Lend Money and Make Profit!!

Karim Benzema (w/ video)

2007-12-17T20:55:00.000Z

Karim Benzema is brimming with confidence and French outfit Lyon will soon be brimming with offers as the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United are all looking to bring in the young star who been an absolute revelation in France. Oh, so are Inter Milan and AC Milan.

How good is he? At 19 he not only leads the French League in scoring but is also keeping Brazilian striker Fred on the bench. Fred, you know, a Brazilian international. When you hear the words “Brazilian international striker” you will assume a starting place but not in this case. This 19 year old is now a French international and before long will be keeping Thierry Henry on the bench.

How good is he? Ask the Manchester United scouts who watched him single handedly floor Rangers on the way to helping Lyon on the way to the next round of the Champions League.

For Arsene Wenger, this could be the solution to replacing Thierry Henry. Robin van Persie is always injured, and to challenge for a Premiership title you need fit players. Benzima is highly regarded by Wenger, but with all the interest, the price might have climbed too high to make him a Gunner. Lasanna Diarra was mentioned as a player in a swap deal.

Alex Ferguson is certainly keen to bring Benzima to Old Trafford, but Lyon's price has done nothing but go up. The intention was a swap deal which would send Louis Saha and Mikael Silvestre the other way to Stade Gerland. It appears that Lyon want around £6m pounds in addition. It won’t stop United, Benzima has all the makings of a superstar striker. Fred now on the bench, will Wayne Rooney be next??

Must take a moment here to praise the immense job the backroom at Lyon is doing feeding the club with new and exciting talent. Its like a revolving door over there, and nothing but class seems to take over from the great players that leave. 3 or 4 times now I have said “that’s it, they have sold one player too many and will now pay” but no. A new starlet steps right into to fill the boots. Wow, its all you can say. Lyon are, in my opinion 4th in the list of top academies in the world behind Ajax Amsterdam, Sporting Lisbon, and Arsenal. Impressive stuff.

Here he is in action, not alot of tricks and the like, but you have to admire how clinical his finishing is:

And:

And the destruction of Rangers:

Lend Money and Make Profit!!

Arsenal prevail in war of attrition against Chelsea

2007-12-16T18:33:00.001Z

It was a great match. Poised, competitive, at times hard nosed and at times flowing. Arsenal were too much for Chelsea though as William Gallas sealed the three points just before the half and it remained there despite lots of attacking football to end 1-0.

Arsenal, in truth, deserved the result. They created more chances and defended better. They have Manuel Almunia to thank for some good saves and an all around faultless display. You can’t say the same for Peter Cech, as it was his error that led to the goal as he came for the ball during a corner and missed it completely to gift Gallas the chance. Gallas rose well above Tal Ben Haim, on as a substitute for the injured John Terry, and nodded the ball into the unprotected goal.

Chelsea threatened after the half, especially in the last 20 minutes as Arsenal appeared to tire. They had a flurry of close calls but could never squeeze that extra bit of quality out of themselves to salvage a point. Arsenal need to do a bit of fitness work though, they looked wooden-legged in the last 10 minutes but had 4 amazing chances on the break as Chelsea were entirely pushed forward looking for that equalizer.

It was a hard fought game, testy at times. Ashley Cole was booed throughout and was regularly whacked by the Arsenal players. Gael Clichy was excellent in defense, quick, he cancelled out Shaun Wright Phillip’s attempts to play down the wing. Centrally, Gallas and Toure were excellent.

For Chelsea, they seem quite capable of winning the easy ones, but this makes it 2 losses in a row against the Premiership’s big guns since the departure of Jose Mourinho.

The Blues lost to Manchester United in Avram Grant’s first game in charge, now to Arsenal. It’s much as I suspected: Chelsea have lost that extra 2% that Mourinho added, and at this level, that extra 2% is the difference between losing 0-1 and winning 2-0.

Arsene Wenger had never beaten Jose Mourinho in 2 seasons, now the new guard has lost in their first attempt. In time, you might see this trend continue and it will be Avram Grant’s undoing. All along I have considered him lucky to have such a professional team, luck only gets you so far.

As for Arsenal, yet another determined display. Coming on the heels of dropping 5 points last week, this is as welcome a result as Arsene Wenger will ever see. With their nose still ahead in the Premiership chase he will need to see a few more to make it happen this year.

Lend Money and Make Profit!!

City, City, City!

2007-12-15T18:13:00.000Z

Sven-Goran Eriksson continues to do a brilliant job at Manchester City with a perfect home record to show for it. With a 4-2 win over a determined Bolton side today, they move into fourth place in the Premier League.

It was by no means a runaway 4-2, City scored the first goal but broke down in the first half to let in 2 to fall behind. Bolton were playing well, it looked unlikely anything could be salvaged.

It was the ninth win at home for City, a very, very impressive record going into the toughest stretch of the season. City are on 33 points and with Liverpool taking on Manchester United they could see the weekend out in a place to qualify for the Champions League.

The more I watch City, the more they begin to resemble Arsenal. Sven is pushing possession football on the squad in training and it shows. After the break they made some tactical changes and took the game back over.

There were chances for both sides. Anelka hit the post, and Kevin Nolan was stopped by a brilliant save. But Bolton are still wandering, especially at the back, when at times they were Keystone Cops.

City went ahead early through a Rolando Bianchi redierct but El-Hadji Diuof made it level on 31 minutes. Kevin Nolan scored from a Ricardo Gardner cross just before the half.

City evened the scoring in the 48th minute as a Dietmar Hamann shot was deflected into the goal and shortly after Darius Vassell put City ahead for good, a fourth was added as substitute Kelvin Etuhu, who I thought was impressive, scored his first Premier League goal in injury time.

Lend Money and Make Profit!!

Rafa re-opens transfer money debate at Liverpool

2007-12-15T14:05:00.000Z

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has given an interview to Spanish paper AS in which he discussed the amount of funding that has been spent on players at the club and complained that the Reds are not even at the same level of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal but are expected to be title contenders.

From the owners perspective, the team has spent alot, from Benitez’s perspective, their spending is not even in line with the top 3. Manchester United have spent some 70m pounds this season, only a fraction of what Liverpool have spent.

Benitez:

“There's a misunderstanding when people speak of the money Liverpool have spent. Between what we have spent and recovered, we're at a similar level to those at the top but not the biggest sides ... we have spent 40 something million and recovered 26 million.”

He’s actually correct. Liverpool have really spent very little when you compare the players which have left the club and those that have joined. I’ve always agreed with Benitez on the transfer row. The American owners don’t yet understand the intricacies of the European transfer market and Benitez does.

Benitez again:

"Many people say we have to win the title because of the money we have spent but other teams such as United, Chelsea, Newcastle United or Aston Villa have also spent a lot of money. Arsenal have been spending a lot on young players for years and now are reaping the rewards. "

Last year Jose Mourinho complained that he had defensive problems and needed a central defender. Now Benitez has the same problem. I will fault Rafa for not considering injuries at the beginning of the season and signing someone, but this is the moment to correct it.

"We have a central defensive problem because it was not possible to close a deal for Gabriel Heinze and then Daniel Agger was injured. That is forcing us to play with Sami Hyypia, who is 34, and Jamie Carragher for two games a week and with the intensity here, it is not easy to support this. Our idea is to bring a balance to the team in that position."

Agreed. The owners must face reality and not just focus on the new ground.

Lend Money and Make Profit!!

Arsenal dip could prove very costly

2007-12-10T16:02:00.000Z

Arsenal entered the week 6 points clear of Manchester United with a game in hand. But a draw away at Newcastle and a loss over the weekend to Middlesbrough has seen the Gunners slip and widdle a lead going into the all important December schedule to just a single point.

It was their moment to consolidate their points and considering Arsenal must face Chelsea next, and it could quickly become the stretch of the season in which Arsenal lost the title race.

It might not be fair to look at his small stretch and extrapolate the end of a title race, but every lead is squandered somewhere, and this could easily become that moment. Arsenal’s 15-game unbeaten run has now ended and it shouldn't’t have happened to a relegation threatened Middlesbrough.

Last year Chelsea had a bad run when Peter Cech and John Terry were injured and could never recover from it. That didn’t happen in April.

Arsenal's team bus becoming lost on its way to the Riverside Stadium is certainly symbolic of the 5 points that were dropped. Credit to Newcastle: scrappy and determined in their draw, and Boro, who defended resolutely and took their chances. Both teams had managers under pressure for a result and it couldn’t have come from a better place for them.

Arsenal are really missing Cesc Fabregas. He’s scored goals all season from central midfield and has been responsible for some critical passes. Robin van Persie is desperately needed, but annoyingly he always seems to be injured. Newcomer Eduardo Da Silva is still waiting for his first Premiership goal. On Sunday he was substituted at half time, a sign of Arsene Wenger’s growing impatience.

Youth skipper close to Premiership move

2007-12-06T21:00:00.000Z

Tottenham Hotspur are fighting with Liverpool over the transfer for 19 year old Sporting Lisbon midfielder Adrien Silva.

Silva, who plays in central midfield has been held from the starting lineup in Lisbon because of fellow youth stars Miguel Veloso and Moutinho, is getting attention from all over England. He's very skilled and a natural leader. Spanish side Sevilla is also looking to bid for the 3m pound rated player.

Silva sees the move to the Premiership as a dream, is well aware of scouts watching him and welcomes the transfer. He's noted for his ability to play box to box and work ethic.

Jose Bosingwa

2007-12-05T15:45:00.000Z

Jose Bosingwa has been one of the most impressive full backs in Europe this season. Playing on the right for FC Porto and the Portuguese national side, he's improved steadily until you can now safely call him world class. Over the summer he was almost an Aston Villa player, but was also tipped to join Middlesbrough and Tottenham. Price became a stumbling block, but regret may be setting in as Bosingwa continues to impress.

Bosingwa was born in the Congo but emigrated to Portugal as a child. As a youth he joined Boavista FC, Porto's local rivals until Jose Mourinho, then the Porto manager, swooped him up for his squad.

Bosingwa quickly established himself as a club favorite as his quickness and pace saw his easily control wingers and offer support down the wing. He is extremely fit and has a few tricks in his bag. He did an excellent job for Portugal through their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with excellent crossing and poise in defense.

At 25, he is entering his prime for his position and continues to attract interest. Aston Villa really wanted to sign him but the price seemed to hover around 9m pounds, too much for O'Niell's budget. A potential move in the January for any club in the transfer window looks unlikely as he is Cup tied and, frankly, his stock has gone up. While he may not have the muscle that the Premiership seems to demand these days, he's very smart and uses his quickness very effectively in defense. Definitely one of the finest defenders in Europe at the moment.

Note: I was interviewed for the second time today by New Zealand's BSports Radio in Auckland. It was a lot of fun, email me if you want to listen to the interview.

Also: You can now subscribe to Football Commentator by Email

Was a Liverpool game fixed?

2007-12-05T14:04:00.000Z

Yesterday I reported on a 96 page dossier handed over to Europol for investigation for match-fixing. Could the Liverpool record breaking Champions League win over Besiktas have been fixed? It has reportedly been on the list of suspected matches within the dossier, one of a total of 26 matched mentioned, 15 being closely scrutinized.

Liverpool blasted the Turkish club 8-0 at Anfield last month, the largest margin of victory ever.

An article in Germany's Suddeutsche Zeitung reveals an influx of bets on the winning margin just before the kick-off at Anfield. There is no suggestion that the Premier League team was involved, the implication being that Besiktas players threw the match.

Liverpool have not admitted any contact by UEFA regarding the match but this adds to a long list of suspicious bets placed in Europe.

Chelsea on the verge of 16 year old starlet

2007-12-05T13:42:00.000Z

Chelsea are busy negotiating to sign 16-year-old Malmo FF striker Marko Mitrovic who has been dubbed 'the new Zlatan Ibrahimovic'. The young Swede has been capped at the youth level and has been courted by Blackburn, Arsenal, Inter Milan, and Dutch outfits Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven, but it appears Chelsea are leading the chase.

With the imminent departure of Didier Drogba, Chelsea need to strengthen this area of the club, and while this may be a signing for the future, its a certain sign of intent.

Malmo's sporting director Hasse Borg has admitted that they are in talks with Stamford Bridge. Malmo is also the club that fostered Zlatan Ibrahimovic. On trial over the summer, he has already played two games for the Chelsea juniors.

Note: I was interviewed for the second time today by New Zealand's BSports Radio in Auckland. It was a lot of fun, email me if you want to listen to the interview.

Is Mourinho trying to force the hand of big club?

2007-12-05T13:24:00.000Z

When I read that Jose Mourinho was interested in the England manager's job, I was surprised, very surprised. I started to wonder what has caused the change of heart. Why would he take a job in which he wouldn't play in a tournament for 3 years? The former Chelsea manager has recently been linked with the Tottenham and Liverpool job, but he can't work in England until next year. Could he be trying to force the hand of Barcelona?

My feeling here is that he wants to pressure Barcelona to sign him. If Barca were aware that he might be unavailable, its reasonable to think they might move faster to replace Frank Rijkaard and swoop for Mourinho.

This would be the only explanation I can muster, Mourinho is not the type of manager to wait 3 years to achieve something and could be using the FA as a lever towards a move to Spain.

Match-fixing scandal looms

2007-12-04T18:29:00.000Z

UEFA has begun a full scale match-fixing investigation after Interpol turned over a 96 page dossier with information on Champions League, InterToto and UEFA Cup matches which are thought to be part of a betting scandal. 15 games are being examined. As of yet, no Premiership sides have been implicated.

German magazine Der Spiegel published details of three fixtures in the UEFA report.

Many millions of pounds were won on 3 different matches: an InterToto Cup game between Estonia's FC TVMK Tallinn and Finnish club FC Honka Espoo, 1m pounds were won by Asian bookmakers on the first leg of the UEFA Cup qualifier in July as Estonian side FC Narva Trans lost to Swedish club Helsingborgs 6-0. Suspicion arose after betters continued to pile on huge bets on a Helsingborgs win by a +3 goal margin even as the game was still 0-0 on 25 minutes.

Another UEFA Cup qualifier between Serbian side FK Bezanija and KSB Besa Kavaje of Albania was so loaded with suspicion that it caused Asian betting markets to collapse.

The fact that such huge sums were won on such small fixtures indicates a very large scale problem and one that could see massive repercussions in Europe.

Corruption probe sees 5 arrests, lands big fish

2007-11-28T20:51:00.000Z

5 arrests have taken place today in connection with a police probe into bung payments within the Premiership. Portsouth manager Harry Redknapp is the biggest fish caught in the probe, bu but Leicester City chairman Milan Mandaric, Rangers midfielder Amdy Faye (on loan from Charlton), and prominent agent Willie McKay all also brought in by police.

Portsmouth have confirmed the Redknapp news and he was held at Chichester police station on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.

Mandaric, as well as the others brought in were all arrested in pre-dawn raids after 60 police officers searched eight addresses.

It appears the transfer of Faye from Auxerre to Portsmouth in 2005 is the source of the problem. Mandaric was the chairman at the time, while McKay acted as agent.

Tottenham defender Pascal Chimbonda (a player McKay also represents) was arrested on suspicion of fraud back in September, and is currently out on bail.

Could Liverpool be angling for Mourinho?

2007-11-27T15:26:00.000Z

I've been very suprised at the recent strife at Liverpool between the clubs owners and manager Rafael Benitez. Could this be deja vu because it sounds all too similar to what happened at Chelsea with Jose Mourinho.

The way this is playing out in public is a very worrying sign of things to come at Anfield. I was very sceptical of the notion that Mourinho would be pushed out of Chelsea but I was dead wrong, and that has made me speculate that Liverpool have their sights set on a return to England for the special one with a switch of color from blue to red.

Could Jose Mourinho be the next Liverpool manager in waiting? Have there been secret approaches in Setubal to line him up for next season and could this be an explanation as to why Liverpool are hedging on transferring any new faces (not to mention handing the transfer reigns over to Rick Parry) to the club and saving the funds for a Mourinho entry? It's a very interesting idea.

My feeling is the owners have lost confidence that Benitez is the kind of manager to bring Liverpool to the next level. Insiders have speculated that the club has not improved much since the big spending summer and the player rotation policy has annoyed players and fans alike.

How can a manager who has brought a European crown, a final and is in the position to make a strong run at the Premiership (not to mention the total dismantling of Newcastle at the weekend) this season be under pressure? Simple. Liverpool have their eye on Mourinho and are looking to next season already.

Thoughts?

On the Hunt

2007-11-27T13:35:00.001Z

Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt is a bit of a dirty player. The foul over the weekend on Gelson Fernandes of Manchester City seals it.

The new tendency for referees to keep the red in the pocket this season is going to cost someone a career. 11 v 11 for 90 minutes, but the shocker that earned him a yellow card deserved a red and a host of games suspended. Hunt went in with studs at the knee and was nowhere near the ball. Fernandes was very lucky. It was a career ending tackle.

Hunt, you may recall was the player that dropped a knee and made the collision with Petr Cech forcing him out for many months and causing him to now wear a protective helmet. Opinion was divided at the time, but not for me. Hunt lowered his knee and should have pulled out. He's reckless and plays football with no consideration for anyone's safety.

Too often these types of reckless players are given excuses that they play with tons of effort and desire, but I don't see it that way. Its more a matter of doing anything, hurting anyone to get ahead.

A couple of years back Arsene Wenger was chided for suggesting Ruud van Nistelrooy was 'a bit of a dirty player' but he was right. I saw it too. He was smart about his behavior but the pattern was there. Hunt has the same tendency.

Youth comes at a price in Premiership

2007-11-27T12:05:00.000Z

Football stars are getting younger and younger, but the race to youth is costing clubs dearly. Over the weekend we saw Tottenham gift West Ham, Manchester United hand Bolton a winner, and Sunderland open the flood gates against Everton. Kids were all at fault.

I have complained about this before, younger players may be exciting and athletic, but they are not skilled like you see here. Clubs are obsessed with giving younger and younger players a go, but all I see happening is more mistakes and a replacement of ability with the power footballer, where brawn makes up for missing years of refinement.

Will this trend stop? No, of course not. Especially considering the price of a seasoned professional. Should it? It's debatable. Just look at 1995 and the great Ajax team that won Europe and the 'you can't win anything with kids' of Manchester United that won the double. On the other hand, look at these clangers from the weekend:

Sloppy defending saw Tottenham's Younes Kaboul, 21, clear into Luis Boa Morte which ended up gifting Carlton Cole an open goal. Kaboul was substituted shortly after the half. Snicker if you want, but I doubt Ricardo Rocha would have done that. Look how many goals Tottenham have conceded.

Manchester United's Gerard Pique, 19, has tons of talent, but a rush of self assurance saw him leave his marking duties in the box and miss a clearance to gift Anelka a Bolton winner.

And Sunderland defender Paul McShane, 21, was under no pressure but completely missed a clearance to gift Everton the opener. His performance went downhill from there as three times Sunderland conceded from long, long, long balls and were a shocking mess at the back the entire game to the tune of a 7-1 scoreline that could easily have been 12-1.

Let's not even discuss Newcastle. If you thought Titus Bramble was the problem, well...

Of course a young player needs a chance to prove himself and you improve most thru match play. Understood, but too often a player at age 26 is considered too old.

And that leads me to my last point. England are going to miss Euro 2008. My number one reason for this failure is a tie between McClaren's inept tactics and England players obsession with money, but a second is harder to discern and has to do with all this young international potential entering the Premiership from abroad stifling the development of English kids who end up aged 26 in the Championship and considered past their chance.

There needs to be a balance between youth and experience, and this mania towards youth has gone too far.

It's a shame, especially considering the stayed excuse is to say English players are too expensive. I disagree: the obsession with youth drives price speculation. The mantra "give young players a chance" should be replaced with "have a second look at someone that is not 18, might not become World Player of the Year, but might also not gift points".

Where will this end for Owen?

2007-11-22T14:00:00.000Z

It seems like Newcastle striker Michael Owen has an injury magnet attached to his boots because he can't stay on the pitch. Is his body breaking down or just unlucky?

Either way, something has to give. Owen has contributed almost nothing since joining Newcastle and risks becoming the Jonathan Woodgate of strikers.

This time Owen injured a thigh during a friendly with Austria. He's in Germany now for treatment. After paying 16m pounds in a move from Real Madrid, Newcastle have seen very little return on their money. Before this, Owen had a stomach injury, before that it was (I don't remember), and before than a knee injury that saw him miss almost an entire year. Where will this end?

My thoughts on who the next England manager should be

2007-11-22T13:44:00.001Z

While there will be speculation of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill taking over the England job, the only person I would consider is former AC Milan and Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello.

Time to be realistic. In a perfect world, I would hand the job to Mourinho but he doesn't want it regardless of how much speculation and what betting odds are. O'Neill could be tempted but I don't know how well he will fare.

The problem, as I see it, is that the England players need a swift kick in the ass and Capello is the man to do it. He ruffled feathers at Madrid but tell me if he wasn't Spanish champion at the end of it? The England side need some feathers ruffled and maybe some egos brought back to Earth. Like how about starting with breaking up the Gerrard-Lampard midfield that has never and likely will never work? Capello has what it takes to make such a change and he'd do it for a result.

Oh, and you know, Capello said he would be interested in the England job. That counts for something. So does the fact that he has been champion with every side he has ever managed.

For my golden parachute its Capello. Get that man in there and get an 11 on the pitch that will contend for the next World Cup.

Grab your coat, there is the door, McClaren fired

2007-11-22T13:30:00.000Z

After only 18 matches in charge, former Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren era is over following England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008. Assistant coach Terry Venables has also been shown the door after an unanimous decision by the Football Association board during an emergency meeting.

McClaren's position had become untenable after the 3-2 defeat to Croatia at Wembley on Wednesday.

This makes the hapless McClaren's reign the shortest time in charge of any England manager.

Oh, and McClaren will cash in more than 2m pounds in the footballing worlds version of a golden parachute. To be compensated for such an awesome failure is more untenable than McClaren's job. The 'Umbrella Man' can now go wipe his nose with all that cash.

He was the wrong man for the job to begin with, so in many ways the failure to qualify lands at the feet of the FA. Next time, don't settle for a coach.

Oh... Croatia got a third, England out

2007-11-21T21:38:00.000Z

Everyone had already written Peter Crouch into their headlines as the hero for England but it was not to be. A manager clueless of international tactics and players looking more interested in salaries than the Euro 2008 Finals lose in the final qualifier and are thus dropped from the finals.

After one of the worst first halves I have ever seen, England managed to regroup from a 2 goal deficit after Frank 'dissapearance' Lampard slotted in a penalty and Peter Crouch lashed in the equalizer. At 2-2, England were thru. Scenes of jubiliation, the day was saved.

Or was it. Substitute Mladen Petric blasted a monster 25 yard drive across England goalkeeper Scott Carson and into the bottom corner. Ah, and then the silence.

England had 15 minutes to recover from the hammer blow but it was not to be. Croatia held their nerve and Steve McClaren was left holding his umbrella. Hold your member, buddy, because its all you have left. Oh, and quit, quit right after the game.

Liverpool: we wuz robbed

2007-11-21T16:36:00.000Z

Dirk Kuyt can add himself to a list of Liverpool footballes who have been robbed in the last year and a half, this player being robbed while he was away on international duty with Holland.

Jerzy Dudek, Daniel Agger, Peter Crouch and Pepe Reina have all had their homes broken into since last year. The theives are mainly targeting the players while playing for Liverpool or on international duty.

Dudek was on holiday in Poland when thieves took a Porsche, jewellery and his 2005 European Cup medal. Crouch and Agger were robbed back in September 2006 while away on international duty. Reina was hit while away during last year's Champions League semi-final.

Baptista back to England?

2007-11-21T14:51:00.000Z

Former Arsenal player Julio Baptista left England in a huff complaining that the pace of play was too fast and no time for creativity was possible. So why would there be rumors of leaving Real Madrid and of a return to the Premiership? It starts and ends with Juande Ramos, new Tottenham manager.

Reports say that Baptista, a Brazilian international, is set to sign for Tottenham as the fee with Madrid is negotiated but everyone around the deal is claiming ignorance.

Baptista was a former Sevilla player alothough he and Ramos crossed paths as he left and Ramos came, but nevertheless, Ramos is an admirier and Madrid manager Bernd Schuster is clearly not.

Real Madrid failed to sell Baptista in the summer as no taker would meet the asking price. But Real are likely to drop the asking price and less than 10m pounds could do it.

For United, transfer rumors point to Portugal again

2007-11-21T14:23:00.000Z

Manchester United is starting to make a habit out of looking to Portgal for new recruits and the latest comes in the form of Sporting Lisbon's start midfielder Miguel Veloso.

Veloso is a holding midfielder, a position in which United hardly needs to add players. But the reviews of the players performances have been so strong that it seems like Manchester can hardly resist.

But United are not the only potential suitors for Veloso. Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham have all expressed interest in signing the player. United's ace in the hole is that they have a first refusal agreement with Sporting and can take the player to Old Trafford should they be willing to match the highest bid.

Sporting claim they don't want to sell their best players, but that is a farce. Its almost an unwritten law at the club that whenever you value reaches a certain level, you are sold. Veloso's manager has already been told that they will allow a move for the right price. Now its a matter of time.

Next week could be the make or break moment for Veloso as Sporting travel to Old Trafford where he will be watched very closely. Veloso won his third international cap over the weekend when Portugal won against Armenia and had a solid display in an otherwise ordinary match. A deal sending him to Manchester would almost certainly mean someone would become surplus to requirements.

Lehmann caught

2007-11-19T14:38:00.000Z

Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has compounded his recent bad press with a middle finger gesture aimed at German fans while chanting for him to be replaced in the weekend’s international against Cypres.

Lehmann denied the obscene gesture and claims he was scratching his head (with his middle finger) as the crowd chanted for Robert Enke to go on. I think the picture makes it very clear that he was letting the fans know what he thought. Think about it, how often do you use your middle finger to scratch anything?

Lehmann’s recent behavior has descended from foolish to all out comedy. He recently claimed he was humiliated at his place on the bench. It’s all falling apart, isn’t it? It’s why he needs to go.

Barcelona swap rumor is rubbish

2007-11-19T14:24:00.000Z

I’ve published rumors over the years generally because there is some modicum of logic to it, but the ridiculous rumor that Manchester United are negotiating a swap deal with Barcelona for Samuel Eto’o for… wait… Louis Saha is total rubbish. If only Arsenal knew they could have had Eto’o for such a song.

Apparently there is a 5m pound payment along with Saha in the offer. Somehow, Louis Saha has increased his value 10 fold while constantly injured. Alex Ferguson is increasingly sick of Saha's constant injuries so would Barca want him then??

How rumors like this get going is beyond me.

George Best's stunning goal

2007-11-17T15:37:00.000Z

George Best had a stellar career, the former Manchester United great scored his greatest goal not in Manchester but in the United States where he played for the former NASL's San Jose Earthquakes.

This 1981 supergoal saw Best saw the commentator say "that's the greatest soccer goal I have ever seen". Best passed off to the right wing and received a back pass about 15 yards outside the box. From there, he went on a winding run through the spine of the defense beating three defenders three times each. His ability to use the defenders momentum against them was unparalleled.

Here it is:

See the entire greatest goals ever series

Arsenal to take depressed Brazillian on loan?

2007-11-17T13:08:00.000Z

The saga of 25-year-old Brazilian international Adriano has been a nightmare of his own making for the past 2 years and Arsenal could be set to offer him a reprieve from Italy's Inter Milan and take him on loan to the Emirates.

Adriano, who was once touted as a 50m pound striker has seen his stock plummet to unheard of levels and has made just four league appearances for Inter this season.

Adriano claims to suffer from depression and is currently in Brazil for treatment. He's not going to be back until January and the rumor has it Inter will invite loan offers to offload the troubled striker.

While some players invite some sympathy, Adriano does not from me. Always there for the party, he has put his focus on football aside and let girlfriends, drink and friends steer him away from what could cure his depression: some goals.

Adriano would be eligible for the Champions League if Arsenal were to make a deal, rumor has it that midfielder Gilberto Silva may be off to Inter.

Careful Arsene. Don't disrupt the flow. Buy Agbonlahor instead.

Arsenal after top England prospect

2007-11-17T12:58:00.000Z

Arsenal are flush with cash after a record profit report. Top of that list is Aston Villa star and England under-21 international Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Agbonlahor started playing regularly as of last season and has done nothing but impress for Villa with crucial goals and exceptional displays of attacking prowess. Something Arsenal have lacked is that deadly accurate striker and Agbonlahor paired up with Robin van Persie would be a potentially brilliant combination. Also considering van Persie always seems to be injured, the youngster would slot in and provide goals when their main striker is out.

While Nicklas Bendtner has played well it doesn't look like he'll ever become an Arsenal regular and could be moving on.

The rumors I have heard quote 15m pounds for Agbonlhor, which I think would be a great price considering how much Spurs paid for unproductive Darren Bent.

See what I mean about Anderson?

2007-11-13T14:09:00.000Z

Against Blackburn Rovers, new Manchester United midfielder Anderson showed again why I don't think he is as good as people claim.

There were lots of comments in my last entry on the subject, most disagreed. The most common argument was regarding how talented he is but nobody could point to much game changing impact. Talent, that may be true, he has lots and is tenacious, but he’s nowhere close to a finished product. What I do admire about him is how quick and willing he is to go after the ball. All the comparisons to Edgar Davids are justified; they are very, very alike. Now, that aside.

Anderson’s passing was very weak against Blackburn. I paid special attention to it as I watched the match. Many claimed that I hadn’t seen him play, well I have about 4 or 5 times now and what I saw this time was the same as the last: aimless passing and regularly out of position. I counted nine bad balls, I might have missed a few and about 3 good passes, one great pass and the rest of his touches had no impact. I also saw him contort the United shape as he wandered out of position. It’s a testament to how good Owen Hargreaves is that he covered for Anderson and kept the back line protected. I think many watchers confuse talent with impact. Anderson has talent, but it’s Hargreaves that makes the real impact.

Maybe one point we can all agree on is that the hair just isn't working for him.

Barton back at it

2007-11-13T13:44:00.000Z

Joey Barton, the name that is quickly becoming synonymous with troublemaker was back at it again over the weekend when his new club Newcastle drew against Sunderland.

Barton apologized for a dangerous tackle on Sunderland's Dickson Etuhu during the derby match. Dangerous tackle? You mean an attempt at a knockout punch. The wet noodle Football Association has declined to take any action against Barton. The event was not seen by referee Martin Atkinson. If he had it was a certain red card.

Etuhu knew exactly what Barton had done to him and the pair faced off after the incident as the half time whistle blew. Barton not only went in with studs high but with fists.

Barton claims he was simply rusty. Good excuse. Were you rusty when you beat Dabo?

He tried to break his leg

2007-11-09T13:19:00.000Z

Benfica midfielder Augistin Binya deserves an 8 match ban for his horrific tackle on Celtic midfielder Scott Brown that could have ended his career.

I am amazed Brown got up from the challenge. When I saw it, I thought, whoa, that is a broken leg. I can't understand what Binya was thinking. He had a decent game, although Benfica were tiring quickly as the game wore on but that challenge, that was strait out of the book of horrors.

Judge for yourself, it was 110% intentional for my money:

See the entire worst moments in football series

Anderson over Carrick? You must be joking

2007-11-09T12:49:00.000Z

Anderson over Carrick? Is there a joke I haven't been let in on? Is Alex Ferguson getting senile? Manchester United are starting to favor him and I can't see why.

Owen Hargreaves is finally fit and all summer I'd expected a pairing with Michael Carrick in midfield as Paul Scholes started to fade with age. It hasn't happened yet and the underwhelming Anderson has been getting the starts and Carrick has been sitting on the bench.

What gives here? Especially after a few chosen words about how the young Brazilian had not been developing? I don't understand it. A couple of weeks ago I watched Anderson closely in one of his first Premiership starts, I counted about 8 aimless and badly reasoned passes out of about 10 and thought: hmmm, its to the reserves for this one. Actually the opposite has happened and I don't get it. Especially since I saw Carrick's performances labeled sloppy.

While Carrick and Hargreaves are both more defensive midfielders, I actually thought it was a good idea to play them together, especially since you have a pair of wingers in the team (Nani and Ronaldo) who aren't noted for their defensive attributes (actually, Nani is a better defender than I give him credit for). My logic was that a pair of sturdy central midfielders that pass the ball well would serve the side better than a traditional playmaker, especially since Ronaldo and Nani wander centrally and Tevez drops back a lot (too much actually).

While you can't argue with goals, and United has scored a lot of them recently, you can argue that Anderson didn't know much about them save for a couple of decent setups. For my money, I would continue to give Carrick the chance to play slightly more upfield and see how it goes for a while.

Allardyce: big job means more press

2007-11-09T12:32:00.000Z

Newspaper reports suggesting that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley are contemplating replacing Sam Allardyce with Blackburn Rovers' manager, Mark Hughes are rubbish and should be ignored. Why Big Sam can't hack the press is another story.

While it has not been the dream start he wanted, after a famous first game win at Bolton, Allardyce has earned the chance to turn the side around and will get it. Why he is going nuts at the press is more a reflection of his own temperament and frustrations than the press itself. He should know by now the press will always stir the pot.

Allardyce should put down the newspaper and accept his higher profile. This is Newcastle's best start to a season for 10 years. I don't imagine that most Newcastle fans or the board expected much better of a start to a season than this. As you might recall, the club had lots of problems to sort out.

Hey, it could be worse. We could all be laughing at his finely groomed moustache.

Piqued interest from Spain for United starlet

2007-11-09T12:03:00.000Z

There were recent rumors that Manchester United defensive prodigy Gerard Pique was slated to leave United after it appeared that Athletico Madrid were ready to buy him and give him a starting place.

The 20-year-old Pique spent last season on loan at Real Zaragoza and was impressive. This week the central defender scored his first goal for United in Wednesday's Champions League matchup against Dynamo Kiev.

While Alex Ferguson has insisted the player has a future at United, he said the same thing before shipping Guiseppe Rossi out to Spain. But Pique is a different player, in a different position and, if he stays at United, will certainly have an eventual spot in the side. But how many years away is that with Vidic and Ferdinand in their primes? Will the captain of Spain’s under-21 side be satisfied to plug holes when injuries appear ala Wes Brown? He wont, and shouldn't, he's too talented.

Real Zaragoza made a big offer at the end of last season which was rejected. They still appear interested. Pique was at the Barcelona academy before joining United where he was a teammate of Cesc Fabregas. While Fabregas has cemented himself into the Arsenal side, Pique has not. While its understandable to a degree because of the physical attributes required for the different positions, it appears to be a fading argument. Big clubs are waiting to offer him a starting place.

For United, its time to play him or get out of his way. I can't see him getting the role he can command at a smaller club so I wouldn't be surprised if a move were forced.

Bolton climb mountain

2007-11-08T21:47:00.000Z

Bolton had a very tough task on hand tonight in the UEFA Cup: away against Bayern Munich and did very well to earn a hard fought draw. Relegation zone, one win in the league, struggling, but with a new manager in Gary Megson and a recent creep in their form, there was a chance which they took.

Kevin Davies' scored a late goal in the 82nd minute as he slipped the ball under keeper Oliver Kahn, the funniest keeper in Europe to score against. Bolton actually took the lead when Ricardo Gardner had a shot deflected after only eight minutes. But on the half hour, a low driven strike from Lukas Podolski put the game on terms but he claimed a second goal just after the half to see the German Bundesliga leaders (with an amazing +23 goal difference so early on) ahead.

It was Gary Megson's first time at the helm in a European competition and judging by the result there might be more in Bolton's tank that we've seen so far this year.

Tottehnam with UEFA win

2007-11-08T21:25:00.000Z

It was bottom against second from bottom in Group G with Tottenham having lost their last match 2-1 to Getafe in Martin Jol’s last game in charge. Israeli side Hapoel Tel-Aviv proved little competition for Spurs as they lost 2-0 allowing Tottenham into second place and Tel-Aviv bottom.

Tottenham's new manager Juande Ramos steered Sevilla to victory in the last two UEFA Cups saw victory with goals from Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov. Ramos was impressed with the improved display from his players:

"I was impressed with the performance, although we did not play at our best, and I was also thinking about the Wigan match. I saw the team grow in confidence and I am confident about Sunday's match.”

Hapoel were reduced to 10 men when Gal Shish was booked for a second time and provided little resistance from there.

In truth, Tottenham should have scored more goals but the result was satisfactory all things considered. Ramos has been doing a reasonable job thus far and has started to stabilize the team. Tactically they are starting to play better, and goals are starting to emerge. Now if only Berbatov’s moodiness can be solved, we have a winning side here.

Honestly though, Berbatov is probably going to leave after this season. He’s a self centered player, a great player, but not too interested in Spurs. It’s a shame on many levels, but he’ll force a move in the summer, mark my words. Otherwise, Tottenham still have a host of quality players and plenty of potential. Now they have a manager with something to prove.

Hapoel lie bottom of their domestic league and you could see why, they gave the ball away as often as they completed a pass. Eventually their carelessness did them in, Robbie Keane was fed by Malbranque down the left side and scored from 12 yards. Malbranque was again at the center of the action as he skinned the defender, crossed for Berbatov for the easiest of finishes.

The only negative point is that Spurs should have gone for the bigger result. They were so superior and a big result would have done a lot for the sides confidence.

What a result

2007-11-08T20:44:00.000Z

What a result for Liverpool. A record-breaking 8-0 win against Besiktas at Anfield finally resembled the 6-0 thrashing of Derby earlier this season.

Now let’s just hope that the rotation policy won’t disrupt the form and flow of the side that played against Besiktas. You can bet a result like this will silently challenge Rafa Benitez to leave things be.

The play was brilliant, as good as Arsenal was a few weeks ago against Slavia Prague in which they demolished them 7-0. Benitez called it “almost perfect”, almost because the other team had one chance.

But this result will be meaningless unless Liverpool beat FC Porto and Marseille next month. Liverpool have scored only one point in its first three group games and sit third in Group A with 4 points. Marseille sit on seven and Porto, eight.

It was Liverpool’s biggest win in the European Cup in 27 years and could be the spark the team needs to get their challenge in the Premiership back on track.

Liverpool win approval

2007-11-08T20:24:00.000Z

Liverpool have been given the go-ahead to re-design their stadium to the tune of 400m pounds in Stanley Park. The city council's planning committee gave permission to move just yards from their current Anfield ground to a 76,000 capacity stadium, the same as Manchester United has at Old Trafford.

The new stadium will initially hold 60,000 but will allow for extensions. Interestingly, the turf will be sunk 26 feet into the ground to allow more room for tribunes. Anfield holds 45,000.
Liverpool had already planned a new ground but new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett ordered a return to the drawing board. Ground may be broken right away and is planned for completion in 2010.

Government funding will be used to redevelop the old Anfield ground and will include a new park, sports centre and hotel.

Want scores?

2007-10-26T14:46:00.000+01:00

I came across a great site the other day with a very comprehensive list of live scores. The site is called FlashScore and it lists football scores from about 40 or 50 different countries and competitions.

Often times I am traveling and cannot see soccer live, so this site has proved useful to see what the results are for the day and follow a game that I cant watch live. It also has a schedule page which will tell you when all the games are on.

Beyond football, FlashScore also has scores from an array of sports such as hockey, tennis and basketball. There are also features such as personalization and sound alerts. Its one of the best live score sites I have ever seen. You can check the site out at http://www.flashscore.com/.

Jol sacked: speculation finally ends

2007-10-26T14:43:00.000+01:00

Martin Jol has been sacked as manager of Tottenham after three years in charge. Looks the the UEFA Cup defeat to Getafe last night coupled with the loss to Newcastle at the weekend did him in.

Reports swirled around the club’s White Hart Lane stadium and the news was confirmed the news after the match. Assistant Chris Hughton was also sent packing. Development coach Clive Allen and youth team manager Alex Inglethorpe will caretake the club for Sunday's game against Blackburn Rovers.

Heated speculation now turns to Sevilla manager Juande Ramos. Sevilla’s director of football Ramon Monchi in the stands at the Spurs game against Getafe which naturally implies he was there to negotiate with Tottenham.

Unfortunately for Martin Jol it was only a matter of time. Speculation was rife after Spurs representatives were caught in Spain talking to Ramos, and news like that just makes a slippery slope slipperier.

With the club relegated if the season ended today, the disastrous start was too much to overcome. The timing might work out well as Jol could fill the vacant spot over at Ajax. I wish him well; he seemed a good man and a decent man manager. I think with some more experience he could be back in the Premiership again.

Lehmann needs to go

2007-10-25T17:11:00.000+01:00

With clangers in the opening games of this season, Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann needs to keep his mouth shut.

You could call him outspoken, but for me he’s just egocentric. Well known for giving his opinions, demanding his starting place is a bit too much. He should realize he needs Arsenal more than they need him. If I were Arsene Wenger, I would sell him in January. Arsenal have a top class side and look like they can win a major honor this season. They don’t need a distraction.

Why Lehmann complains about feeling ‘humiliated’ is beyond me. Why doesn’t he switch places with a migrant worker who gets his passport taken and a fraction of promised wages before being dumped back on the border of his own country at gunpoint when they are done with him? Then let’s see if his position of wealth and fame is so humiliating. I gotta tell you, the attitude of professional footballers makes me want to turn of the TV sometimes. There is a lot more to be humiliated about in this world than sitting on a bench and collect a massive salary every month. I wouldn’t mind some of that humiliation.

Lehmann also has to get his language right. Humiliation implies someone intentionally tries to make a fool out of you. As far as I recall, Jens wasn’t made to wear a clown nose and ballerina costume in training, so what is he humiliated about? Overlooked, maybe, slighted, possibly, but humiliated? No.

Find him a different club Arsene. Almunia wont ever be a problem and might actually value how fortunate he is to be getting wealthy while playing a game for a living.

He needs to leave to get his career back on track

2007-10-25T16:40:00.000+01:00

Shaun Wright-Phillips was completely left out of last night's Champions League victory over Schalke by Chelsea manager Avram Grant. While the team won, for Wright-Phillips it’s time to go. What better place than a resurgent Manchester City?

The England international struggled to win a place since Jose Mourinho signed him from Manchester City for 21m pounds in 2005 but had been gaining playing time until Avram Grant took over. He doesn’t look to feature in the new manager’s plans and should end the frustration and go somewhere where he will play. He wasn't even on the subs bench last night.

He has only made 29 Premier League starts in just over two seasons.

Sven has come out and said that they need to sign 2 more top players in January, well here is one of them.

Bolton Wanderers have new manager

2007-10-25T16:05:00.000+01:00

Former Leicester manager Gary Megson has signed for this season plus 2 more to become the new Bolton manager as the club try and right their rocky start against a quality Aston Villa side.

Megson takes over from Sammy Lee who just couldn’t seem to inherit what Sam Alardyce built and now has an uphill task to right a side sitting bottom of the table with a meager five points from their first 10 games this season.

Bolton were denied permission on 2 separate occasions to speak to Megson and it wasn’t until the manager stepped in to force a deal that the club relented.

Megson has managed Norwich, Nottingham Forest, West Bromwich Albion, Blackpool, Stockport and Stoke City.

How about a word of sympathy for Leicester who will now be looking for their fifth manager in just the space of an astonishing six months?

45 meter stunner

2007-10-24T17:30:00.000+01:00

Talk about a goal worth of winning any match, just have a look at this stunning free kick from Venezuela international Jose Manuel Rey. He scored a 67th minute winner against Ecuador. The powerful dipping shot beat the keeper Daniel Viteri who looked surprised. You may say the keeper could have done better, but you cannot fault the incredible technical skill to place a ball so far from goal.

Venezuela, still the only team on the continent who have never played at the World Cup, are looking for their first ever appearance.

Rey currently plays for AEK Larnaca FC in Cypres and is Venezuela's all-time cap leader with 83 internationals

From many angles, the stunner:

See the entire greatest goals ever series

Talk of substitution, but how good was he?

2007-10-24T16:07:00.000+01:00

Everywhere you read about Liverpool’s weekend derby victory over Everton, you read about Steven Gerrard being substituted. But what about the Liverpool new boy who replaced him? He looked class to me.

Lucas Leiva, recent Liverpool arrival from Brazil was introduced into the Merseyside derby on Saturday midway thru the second half to the look of astonishment not only by Gerrard but throngs of fans mouthing “WTF?” as the camera panned the stands.

Replacing Gerrard was hard enough, but a Derby, and a close one at that? A lot to ask of a youngster, but Lucas, last year’s Brazilian player of the year, showed remarkable composure, ability, and some neat footwork.

He was controlled and passed the ball very well and if it were not for Phil Neville’s goal line cheating, would have been on the score sheet and with the winner to boot. Lucas looked like he could be a regular starter to me. Could I date the unimaginable and suggest he may actually play ahead of Gerrard this season? Too early for anything like that but I can bet you that a few more solid and controlled displays from the youngster might see it actually happen, and you can bet Rafa has the balls to do it.

How a win can see both winning and losing managers leave

2007-10-24T15:33:00.001+01:00

Rumor is, should Blackburn worsen the horrors of Tottenham’s season it will be the last game manager Martin Jol is in charge. In the frame to replace him would be the very manager who beat him: Mark Hughes. So of Blackburn beat Tottenham they lose their manager as well as Jol getting fired? How strange football can be.

Blackburn have quietly been having an excellent season. Nothing noteworthy or exceptional, but solid results that has seen the club in a solid 6th place with a game in hand. Tottenham, on the other hand, have only a single win to show for their millions spent on players. It couldn’t be a more striking contrast.

Really, it’s time for Martin Jol to go. The squad is not performing. If they really wanted him, they’d more their asses and get some results and for me, Jol has been tactically outmaneuvered too many times.

Apparently, Jol will be forced out of Tottenham if they don’t beat Blackburn on Sunday.
How a team with such an expensive set of salaries can be in the relegation zone is beyond me. And I have heard the comment over and over that this also happened last year and they clawed back but It begs the question: if it happened last season, way wasn’t anything done to prevent a repeat??

Things worsened this week as Dimitar Berbatov needed to be told 3 times to warm up for a substitution against Newcastle and then proceeded to lolly-gag around the pitch until the whistle blew.

If the rumor is true, Mark Hughes would be a excellent replacement. He knows how to organize a squad and won’t be tactically undone like Jol is being. And having spent 40m pounds on players, Hughes could probably get a lot more out of this lot than now.

The clown

2007-10-24T15:02:00.000+01:00

Dida is a clown. Against Celtic in a famous win, the AC Milan keeper faked injury when a fan came on the pitch to celebrate the goal.

Granted, the fan was an idiot, but Dida, after the fan brushed him as he ran past, initially started to chase the fan but then fell over in a heap and acted like he was dying. Shame on the AC Milan physios for their complicity. They should have told him to get up and stop the stupid antics. The goal was Dida's fault anyway.

Initially UEFA gave Dida a 2 game ban for his antics but unfortunately it was reduced to a single game. Should have upheld the decision. Watch the foolishness for yourself:

See the entire worst moments in football series

Perfect football

2007-10-24T14:27:00.001+01:00

At one point the commentator said “why, this is perfect football” and it was. Arsenal demolished Slavia Prague last night 7-0 in London to tie the biggest victory margin in Champions League history. It could have been 10 or 11. Heck, even 12 or 13 such was the class on display.

Man of the moment is Theo Walcott, who played as a striker for only the second time that I can recall. He flourished in the role with calm finishing, incredible pace, and this sense that he is a complete natural in the role. From what I saw, he doesn’t belong on the wing any longer. I never thought he was right for it anyway and Eboue has just been too effective out there.

Believe it or not, it was Walcott’s first start in European competition. Looked like an old pro.
This result makes it 12 straight wins for Arsenal. Shades of the last Championship squad abound.

Arsene Wenger got the perfect birthday present, turning 58 on Monday. Cesc Fabregas, Aleksandr Hleb and Theo Walcott each scored 2 goals and Nicklas Bendtner added one late on (great goal, by the way).

The win almost certainly clinches their place in the next round of the competition.

I can sit here and gush on about the display, but I would just be repeating myself and wasting your time. Suffice it to say that you see a glee in the side when they play that you just don’t see anywhere else in Britain, especially those dressed in blue.