Football Team Talk

Footballers Turn Their Attention To Poker

2011-12-24T13:06:00.000-08:00

Football is a game that take tremendous athleticism, stamina, focus, and concentration. Many of the same abilities are needed to become a successful poker player. As such, it is no surprise that current and former football players have chosen to take up the game of poker and many doing so at very high levels.

Teddy Sheringham, formerly of Manchester United, had a storied football career with 289 career goals and 11 international team goals. After retiring in 2008, he turned his attention to poker. His largest win to date is an $118k score at the EPT Villamoura Main Event in 2010. So far, Sheringham has won $289,236 in live poker touranments.

Gianluigi Buffon, the Italian football icon, happens to be an avid poker player. Currently a member of Serie A club Juventus and the Italian National team, Buffon is sponsored "Sportstar" on online poker site on PokerStars. As such, he has appeared in many live events around Europe, such as the European Poker Tour.

Poli Rincon is a former striker who played the majority of his career with Real Betis and also played for the Spanish National Team. Nowadays, he is a member of Team PokerStars as a "friend" of the site and has played in events such as the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, EPT Monte Carlo, and the Estrellas Poker Tour. Rincon is said to be taking the game seriously and frequently plays online.

Tony Cascarino is a former association football player and member of the Irish National Team. After retiring from professional soccer in 2000, he turned to poker professionally. In that time, he was won over $500,000 in live poker tournaments, including a win at the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Grand Final in London in 2009.

If you look at a list of the most popular poker sites in the world, you will see that poker is potentially available in every nation on the planet. As such, soccer players can take up the game at their leisure. Many find that once they get started, it is almost as addictive as soccer, but without 50,000 screaming fans cheering you on.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Suarez Given Eight Match Ban

2011-12-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Luis Suarez has toinght been given an eight match ban after allegedly racially abusing Man United left back, Patrice Evra. It is believed that on more than one occasion, Suarez called Evra "negrito".

Luis Suarez, 24, has been prolific for Liverpool this season, being their main man as Steven Gerrard has been hit by injuries since the start of the season.

This lengthy ban comes as a surprise to many and I'm sure this will also come as a shock to John Terry who now must be assuming the worst after he said a few naughty words to Anton Ferdinand as Chelsea lost to QPR way back in October.

Liverpool now have to rely on Andy Carroll or either play Craig Bellamy in a more central role and hope he can find the same form he found when playing with the likes of Newcastle and West Ham.

Andy Carroll, I think it is fair to say has been a bit of a shambles since moving to Merseyside but perhaps this could be his chance to be a Kop hero.

Who knows what was said, but I think the FA have made it very clear that they won't accept any racial abuse and of course I believe that this is the correct thing to do.

What do you think? Is eight matches too much? Can we expect Liverpool to appeal?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Man City Face Early Exit

2011-11-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

After last night's defeat away to Napoli, Man City now have to hope that pointless Villareal avoid defeat against Napoli in the last match of group stages. But more importantly Man City have to get a win against Bayern Munich to stand any chance of qualifying.

The 2-1 scoreline didn't really reflect the match itself as Man City had 70% of the possession and had numerous opportunities but as they say, you have to take your chances. While saying this, City were fortunate that the score stayed at 2-1 as Napoli missed two glorious chances.

Mancini has stated that he feels that his side have a 30% chance of qualifying and that seems about right because you just never know, football is a funny game. I don't think City beating Bayern and Villareal getting at least a point at Napoli is impossible although it wouldn't be far off with the way Villareal have been playing in this years campaign.

Man City will now have to pick themselves up as they face Liverpool this weekend. Liverpool will be heading into the match with a lot of confidence after their victory over Chelsea last Sunday. I think Man City might have a little bit too much class for Liverpool but I do expect a very close encounter.

What do you think? Do Man City stand any chance of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Some Man For One Man

2011-11-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

I know you're probably sick of hearing about Sir Alex Ferguson and the 25 years that he has spent at Old Trafford but I'm sure one more article wouldn't hurt.

It really is an astonishing achievement by the Scotsman especially in this day and age where managers are under pressure to deliver results more than ever before. I can't see United ever being the same when the day does eventually come when Sir Alex Ferguson must hand over the pleasure of managing United to another world class manager.

In his time at the Theatre of Dreams he has won 35 trophies which, in itself is truly remarkable but many more trophies look set to be making their way to the trophy cabinet at Old Trafford in the years to come.

There is no doubt that he is one of the best, but is he the best manager that there ever has been? There aren't many of the same caliber as Ferguson so to say he isn't would be gutsy and brave.

This season though, Ferguson looks set to face his biggest challenge yet as he tries to overcome the "noisy neighbours" City and win a 20th league title. Man United have been quite shaky these past couple of weeks, with a 6-1 defeat still fresh in the memory of both sets of Manchester fans.

What do you think? How much longer will Ferguson be manager at United and will he be able to stop City this season?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Man City Embarrass United At Old Trafford

2011-10-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

In a game that was hyped up to be one of the closest Manchester derby for many years, it ended up being an annihilation as we saw the blue half of Manchester completely dismantle the red side.

Man City were simply superb and took full advantage of being a man up for a vast amount of the second half as Jonny Evan got the wrong side of "Super Mario" Balotelli and took the Italian down with no other red jersey in sight.

Although Mancini's men will get most of the praise, I think Mancini himself should get heaps of praise for tactically beating Ferguson. The supposed risk of starting Balotelli more than paid off and Milner who, for me was an unlikely feature, played a super game.

Man United did get a glimpse of hope with ten minutes to go as Fletcher scored probably the goal of the game which made it 3-1 but as they push forward, Man City punished them by banging in three more goals. You could blame Ferguson for getting his tactics wrong but quite simply no one showed for the red devils on the day.

Where does this leave City? Well I think it leaves them head and shoulders above the rest, for now at least, but anything can happen between now and May.

But judging by the disposal of both Tottenham and Man United away from home this early in the season, there is no reason why they won't get better and better and not only push on for the league, but start to perform in the the Champions League.

What do you think? Do you consider Man City favorites now to win the league?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

What Should Arsenal Be Doing Differently?

2011-10-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's fair to say that Arsenal's season hasn't got off to the best off starts and the departures of Nasri and Fabrgas look to be already taking their toll. The arrival of Arteta has been successful thus far but will he be able to do the same for the majority of the season.

It looks as if Wenger will be finding it hard to capture even a Europa League spot with the way things are going. We've all seen and heard the jokes made about Arsenal and their losses against the likes of Man United, Blackburn and most recently their local rivals, Tottenham.

Although the Man United loss will have to be considered a major blip, it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be when Arsenal next visit a team with genuine ambitions of winning the league and then we will then know where Arsenal stand.

I know it is hard to imagine, but maybe Arsenal ever so slightly becoming, not quite a mid table team, but a team which are along the lines of finishing 5th, 6th and possibly even 7th.

I know a lot of you may feel I'm being a little bit harsh but unless the club invest in world class players, It's inevitable that Arsenal will be slipping down the table.

It would be a real shame as Arsenal have been probably the most attractive team to watch but if your not getting the results what is the point in playing such fabulous football.

What do you think? Where will Arsenal be in the table come the end of the season?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Manchester City Receive Reality Check

2011-09-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Last night wasn't a very good night if you're a fan of the blue half of Manchester. In quite an embarressing display, City conceded defeat to German giants Bayern Munich. It was a shame as Man City had looked very impressive in the first 30 minutes or so but ultimately were too inexperienced as a group at this level.

No one in a blue jersey really performed last night. Hart seemed to be the only City player on the ball and alert. David Silva pulls all the strings and it just wasn't going his way last night and as a result, City played with no urgency or real effect going forward.

Unfortunately, the limelight has been taken away from the very dominant Bayern as all the talk is now surrounding one Carlos Tevez. With many Man City fans already annoyed with him over the antics surrounding his future this past Summer already, last night didn't help his cause for popularity votes.

Carlos Tevez ended up refusing to come off the Man City bench with Mancini struggling for attacking options. I think by this stage, regardless of him earning vasts amount of money, he should just be dropped from the squad completely. I can't see how any manager would want to work with a player who is obviously not willing to put the effort in himself.

It is a real shame that it has come to this as Tevez was by far, along with Komapny, the most influential player at Manchester City's disposal last season. It's inevitable that he will leave eventually but it would be nice to see if he could get his act together and start pulling his weight for the remainder of his stay at the Etihad Stadium.

Although many people would say that you have more chance of winning huge amounts of money on some online bingo game than Man City even getting to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season, I still feel that the quarter-finals are still in City's range.

What do you think? How far can City get this year and what should they do with Tevez?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Anzhi To Try And Get Another Milan Player?

2011-09-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Russian side Anzhi are in the headlines again after reports are suggesting that a move for AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso could be on the cards. Anzhi have already got their hands on former Inter Milan star Samuel Eto'o, so anything is possible it seems.

Anzhi have become the new Manchester City as they try to buy player after player with a good reputation. For me, I don't mind when clubs who are the subject of a massive takeover buy countless players because if you have money, you're going to spend it.

Gennaro Gattusoi is one of the most feared midfielders in the world, not only for his skill but also for his caveman looks. Apart from Joe Jordan, I can't name many players, or coaches, that have stood toe to toe against Gattuso in a confrontation.

I think Gattuso would be a superb signing, but similar to Eto'o, his playing days are numbered and retirment must be on the mind of the former Italian international.

I'm not going to make any predictions as I thought playing at a club like Inter Milan would be too much for Eto'o to join Anzhi but I was wrong. Yet again though, I would like to think that Gattuso would like to end his career at his Beloved AC Milan but if he decides to move, good luck to him.

What do you think? Will Genaro Gattuso end up leaving for Russian side Anzhi?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Man United Become Outright Leaders

2011-09-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

Man United proved yet again that they are truely the team to beat as they, relatively comfortably, beat Chelsea at Old Trafford yesterday. In doing this, they now have a two point advantage as Man City slipped up against Fulham.

Man United have been simply breathtaking to watch and each and every signing over the Summer seems worth the investment, although a few performances similar to yesterday from keeper de Gea are probably needed to make him worth the £18 million or so that United paid for him.

The current United team look as if they have been playing together for many seasons with years of experience but it's hard to forget that the average age of the squad is just 25.

Although the score should have been 3-2 if the Torres of old was playing, Man United never looked under threat for a good period of time. If Man United are to play with the same passion and speed, it's hard to see any team stopping them as they charge on in their pursuit to claim their 20th league title.

Manchester City however could not hold on to a 2-0 lead at Craven Cottage as Fulham clawed their way back to earn a point. This will probably lead to questions surrounding City's ability to close out matches. If Man City are to have any chance of winning the league, letting a lead slip will have to become extinct.

I'm sure all of you may think that Man United have got the league pretty much wrapped up, but there is inevitably further twist and turns to occur during the season and quite literally anything could happen.

So what do you think? Can Manchester United be stopped?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Man City Look To Send Out A Message To The Rest Of Europe

2011-09-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

The new Man City era continues tonight as they set to play Napoli tonight in the first round of the Champions League. Man City and Roberto Mancini look to send out a message to all European clubs tonight and show that they aren't in the tournament to make up the numbers.

I'm sure all City fans are raring to see their beloved club play in the best club tournament that football has to offer. It's hard to think that just ten years ago Man City were playing their football in the old Division 1, now known as the Championship.

Man City have already been hugely impressive with many already backing them to pip United at the finishing line and win the Premier League. As long as Silva stays fit and Aguero and Dezko keep banging in the goals, there is no reason why City can't count themselves as very serious contenders.

Although many might consider Man City's group a tough one, I think the draw has been kind to Roberto Mancini's men and I wouldn't be 100% surprised to see them come out on top . Tonights opponents, Napoli, although relatively quiet on the European stage, will prove to be sturdy opposition as they got off to a winning start at the weekend in the opening weekend of the Serie A.

I think we can expect a City win tonight but that's not to say that we should rule a Napoli victory out completely but I just think Man City will have just too much flair in the likes of Aguero and the simply magnificent Silva.

But what do you think? How will City not only fare in tonight's game but in the campaign as a whole?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Joey Barton Makes The Move To QPR

2011-08-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Joey Barton has today completed his move to the newly promoted side Queens Park Rangers. QPR, who have just been taken over by Tony Fernandes, might have made one of the signings of the summer. Joey Barton hasn't been in the good books at Newcastle as of late and a move elsewhere was the right decision for me.

QPR have proven, after an embarrassing opening day defeat, that they will not be pushed around by bigger clubs this season as they went to Goodison Park picking up three points while they were there. To be honest, out of the Swansea, Nowich and QPR, QPR have the best chance of staying up and they have only increased that possibility with the superb signing of Joey Barton.

Joey Barton, 28, has never been short of controversy in the past and the past couple of weeks have proved to be no different.

After weeks of tension between the Newcastle board and Barton, Barton started the opening game against Arsenal and in the space of 90 minutes, Barton had been stamped on, got slapped in the face and got a player sent off. That really sums up Joey Barton doesn't it?

If you forget about the negative headlines, Barton is actually a very talented footballer. Barton was influential for Man City before joining Newcastle where he proved yet again that he can play the game and no doubt he will be a success at QPR.

What do you think? Will this purchase increase the chances of Queens Park Rangers staying up?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com. The winner receives a jersey of their choice and the more participants, the more prizes. The code you need is: 1209951-306274.

Chelsea Could Lose A Wideman After Signing One

2011-08-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

With the signing of Juan Mata yesterday from Valencia, all Chelsea fans must have been smiling with delight but with news coming in that Malouda could possibly be on his way out, the fans may feel it's one step forward, two steps back. Juventus are reportedly very interested in the Frenchman and after yesterday's news that Mata was officially a Chelsea player, it seems a bid in the next few days is very much on the cards.

Florent Malouda, 31, has been a very influential player in the past few seasons, scoring and setting up goals on countless occasions. For this reason, it would seem hard to lure him away from London as this is arguably the best spell of his career.

Juan Mata has been hot property this Summer after a very good season with Valncia was capped off when he helped the Spanish U21's to European success. Mata even revealed that he snubbed offers from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham to sign for Chelsea.

Juventus missed out on the signature of Chilean Alexis Sanchez who eventually made the move to Barcelona, so the signing of Malouda would seem more of a rebound buy rather then their first priority.

I wouldn't expect Malouda to leave, yet again I didn't expect Eto'o to leave Inter Milan, but it's very late on in the transfer window and Malouda seems perfectly happy at Stamford Bridge.

So what do you think? Do you think Malouda will leave Chelsea?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Forlan's Agent Denies Transfer Talk

2011-08-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

Diego Forlan's agent has denied that his client could be the next top class striker on his way out of Atletico Madrid. Rumors had been spreading that a move to Italian giants Inter Milan was on the cards.

I'm sure Atletico Madrid fans will be dreading the thought of Forlan leaving after already witnessing Sergio Aguero leaving this summer for a massive fee of £38 million.

Atletico Madrid did manage to invest in a player who I think is a suitable replacement for Aguero, but it came at a very hefty cost as Atletico Madrid signed Porto striker Falcao. The Colombian cost the Spanish club just short of £35 million.

Falcao, 25, had a prolific goalscoring from last season and Atletico Madrid will surely hope he can continue where he left off last season.

It was suggested that should Atletico Madrid succeed in buying Falcao that it would be a hint for Forlan that he would be able to leave. But now it seems that Falcao, as expected, is a direct replacement for Aguero and not for both Aguero and Forlan.

Ever since last years World Cup which left many of us half asleep, Forlan has been hot property as he along with many of his Uruguay team mates were the only thing that was entertaining and worth watching.

After a horrid time at Manchetser United he has proven he is a player of immense talent with both Villareal and his current club, Atletico Madrid. Maybe this suggests that Spanish football suits his style of play and should he move it should only be if Real Madrid or Barcelona make an inquiry.

So what do you think? Will Forlan move?

I would love to hear any comments you may have,

Join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com. With only one week gone, there is plenty of time to catch up if you haven't already joined. The winner will receive a jersey of their choice and the more participants, the more prizes so tell your mates. The code you need is: 1209951-306274.

Blackburn Show Interest In Raul

2011-08-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Schalke have today confirmed that they have been approached by Blackburn regarding the future of he former Real Madrid captain, Raul. But Raul has apparently revealed that he has no desire to leave Schalke.

Blackburn already have the veteran right back Salgado at their disposal, so a further swoop for another ex-Real Madrid player is obviously becoming a trend for Blackburn Rovers.

Blackburn fans have been promised big name signings by the owners and I think it's more than fair to say that Blackburn fans have got less than what they have expected. There have been respectable signings such as David Goodwillie from Dundee United but, with no disrespect to Goodwillie, I presume the Ewood Park faithful were expecting more established world class players.

Raul is certainly a legend of the game and a move from Schalke to Blackburn could have provoked other quality players from some of Europe's finest leagues to make the switch to Ewood Park also.

Now I'm not saying they that the likes of Lionel Messi and Wesley Sneijder will depart their respective clubs for Ewood Park, but Blackburn could attract genuine talent in the future, young and old.

I think it's obvious that if Blackburn are to believe they can bring in top players, the first step for Blackburn is to get their league form back on track as they came within 90 minutes of dropping down to the Championship last season. To make matters worse, they didn't get off to the greatest start this season, losing 2-1 at home to Wolves.

So what do you make of this? Will Blackburn be able to attract players of the caliber of Raul?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com. Although the first week has passed there is no reason you shouldn't make a team and join our league. The winner will receive the jersey of his/her choice and the more participants, the more prizes, so invite your friends. The code you need is: 1209951-306274.

Barcelona And Real Madrid Look To Get One Over On Each Other

2011-08-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid face Barcelona tonight in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, Spain's equivalent of the Community Shield. I'm sure Real Madrid will be desperate to prove that this season might be the season that they defeat their fierce rivals in the race for the Primera Liga title.

It will be a difficult task, as Barcelona have only improved and with the arrival of Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal imminent, it will be hard for Spain and Europe's elite to take over from Barcelona as Europe's finest team.

As well as the probable arrival of Fabregas, Barcelona have also purchased in Alexis Sanchez, a player who was chased by many including the likes of Man City and Juventus. It will be interesting to see how they fit into the team, but if they can, the prospect is simply frightening.

With the Nou Camp faithful already in awe of how talented their home side is, the arrival of these two young, talented players will only improve the smile on everyone's face in Catalonia.

Real Madrid have been chasing another widely sought after player in the presence of Neymar. Neymar, who is currently playing with Santos, has been in the transfer gossip section of many papers for months now and a move away from Brazil at some time in the future is simply inevitable.

But they have brought in both Coentrao and Sahin, two very skillful players who will surely add something to the team and with the likes of Ronaldo and Di Maria already at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid should be no pushover for any team, not even the might of Barcelona.

So what do you think? What is your prediction for tonight's game?

I would love to hear any thoughts you may have.

Why not join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com. The more participants, the more prizes. The code you will need is: 1209951-306274.

Controversy Is Barton's Middle Name

2011-08-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

After watching Match of the Day and assessing the quality of the opening day of the new Premiership season, I think it's fair to say that it wasn't quite the excitement we were looking forward to. When you find yourself not talking about the game, but instead, the controversy surrounding a player, you know that there was serious quality lacking from quite literally every match.

Joey Barton made all the headlines yesterday and who would have guessed, it was for all the wrong reasons. Sparking anger across the Newcastle board probably wasn't the best way to start the new season as his entertaining tweets didn't impress many associated with Newcastle United.

A year on from the classic match at St. James' Park, its hardly surprising that the same fixture this year couldn't live up to the expectation. Instead of goals galore, we got no goals leading all the talk to be be about one man, Joey Barton.

In two separate incidents, Barton was involved in both, with one ending up with Gervinho getting sent off. The first one, Barton was actually the good guy as his ankle was the victim of a malicious stamp by Alexander Song.

The second incident however, was very different. Gervinho had the ball in the box, got clipped, and fell over. Yes, he did make a meal of it as if he had just got shot but we have all come to terms with the fact that that is just part of the modern game.

Barton, furious with Gervinho's dive, went over and dragged the Ivory Coast international up with disgust. Gervinho stood up for himself, which I'm not sure many players would do when against Barton, and gave him a girly slap to the head. For me both players are in the wrong, and as Wenger said "either both of them should have gone or none of them".

Barton doesn't have the best reputation as it is and this definitely hasn't improved it either. There is no doubt that he is a very talented footballer but he just has to get his act together.

What do you think? Do you agree with the referees decision?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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It's back!

2011-08-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

After three months of sitting around all day, we finally have something to look forward to on the weekends. Yes, that's right people, the Premierhship is back. I'm sure like everyone else, I think this definitely has the potential to be the best yet, I know it's said before the kick-off of every season, but I really do.

The title race will be closer than ever as Chelsea, Man City, and for me, Liverpool, will all be in with at least a shout of knocking off Man United of their pedestal. Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, they simply won't be good enough unless players are brought in over the next 19 days.

Eventually I think Liverpool will fade away from the title race and will be competing with Arsenal and Tottenham for the coveted fourth spot. Like the past two seasons, this is bound to go to the very wire and making a prediction is simply too difficult.

As for the relegation battle, many teams could be involved with less than six points separating numerous clubs for countless weeks. As we saw with Birmingham last season. Poor form heading into the end of the season proved to be very costly. I can't see any of the newly promoted teams being relatively comfortable for the majority of the season. But QPR do have the potential to cause huge upsets.

So I am going to put my neck on the line and say that Man United will win the league and that Wigan, Swansea and Norwich will be packing their bags and heading to the Championship unfortunately.

But I'm curious to see what you think. Who will win the league and who will go down?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Why not join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com. The winner will receive a jersey of his/her choice and the more participants, the more prizes so invite your mates as well. The code you will need is: 1229432-312133

Finally Fabregas Is A Barca Player

2011-08-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

After days, months and years of speculation regarding Cesc Fabregas' future at Arsenal, he is finally going to get the move that he has wished for, a move to his home club, Barcelona. As Fabregas was left out of the Arsenal squad to face Newcastle, it was not only inevitable that Fabregas would make the move to Barcelona, but that it would happen in a matter of days.

It's been driving everyone insane, even many with no association with either club as we heard countless times that Barca were interested in bringing Fabregas back to the Nou Camp.

Arsenal fans have come to terms with the fact that Fabregas would eventually depart I presume. They are also probably getting used to their top players ditching the club to join Premier league and European rivals.

It also looks imminent that Samir Nasri will be making his way up north as he was left out of the Arsenal squad also and of course we all know that Manchester City have been hot on the heels of the Frenchman all Summer.

So where does this leave Arsenal? For me, should they refuse to reinvest very soon, they will be put in the same group as Liverpool and Tottenham, the teams fighting for fourth spot.

Arsenal fans can argue all they want, but they made fourth last year, and I think it's pretty clear that they haven't improved over the Summer, presuming Nasri and Fabregas do go their seperate ways, so they've taken further steps back in their quest to regain the Premiership title.

But what do you think? Will Arsenal challenge for the league still or will they even struggle to make the top four?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Join the Football Team Talk fantasy league on premierleague.com! The winner will receive a jersey of his/her choice. The more participants, the more prizes. The code you need is: 1229432-312133

Samuel Eto'o To Join Russian League?

2011-08-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Despite speculation of a move to the Premier League before the end of the Summer, it is now apparent that Eto'o has finally decided to move from Italy, but not to the Premiership. Instead, the Cameroon international has his mind set on joining Anzhi.

Unknown to most, or maybe all, Anzhi are situated in Russia and play their football in the Russian Premier League. Anzhi came in with an offer believed to be in and around the region of $30-40 million but talks are still at an early stage and the bid is only being "considered".

With all due respect to Anzhi, a move to the Russian club would surely be fully motivated by the money on offer as I can't see this being a forward step in the career of Samuel Eto'o. Eto'o, 30, is nearing the end of his career but still has a few seasons left in him for me.

Samuel Eto'o was the talk of much speculation as it was rumored that he would be involved in a swap deal with Manchester City's want-away striker Carlos Tevez but nothing seems to have prevailed.

For me, this deal won't go through. I can't see Samuel Eto'o, a man who truly loves his football and who must be already on a hefty enough salary at Internazionale, leaving to play football in the Russian League.

What do you think? Should Eto'o even consider leaving Inter Milan for Anzhi?

I would love to hear your comments?

If you have made a fantasy team on premierleague.com, why not join the Football Team Talk league. FTT League code : 1229432-312133.

Football Team Talk Fantasy League

2011-08-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

We are just days away from the start of the new Premier League season and it promises to be the best yet.

I personally can't wait and still cant decide who will win the league, get 4th spot, go down etc. but it will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

One of the many things football fans do in preparation for the start of the new Premier League season is make a fantasy team. So if you haven't made one yet, I encourage you to do so now. With prizes possibly up for grabs, what's to lose.

Once you make your team, simply click on the "Leagues" tab. Click "Join a league". Choose "Private League" and enter this code: 1229432-312133.

Good Luck!

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Nasri and Sneijder still on the minds of both Manchester clubs

2011-08-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Man United successfully fended off "noisy neighbours" Manchester City to retain the Community Shield. But there is still a lot to sort out between the two, off the field as both clubs are reportedly interested in both Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder.

There is less then a week till the start of the very much anticipated new season and teams are likely to want to wrap up any deals as soon as possible. The two most frequent names that pop up when we read the sports section of many papers, are Sneijder and Nasri and if we are to believe everything we read in the papers, both will soon be leaving their respective clubs.

Samir Nasri, who is currently playing his trade at the Emirates is key to Arsenal's plans and with the possibility of Fabregas leaving increasing day by day, it is essential that Arsene Wenger keeps hold of the Frenchman.

For me, he was far and away, the best player that Arsenal had to offer last season and scored some vital goals. Because of his terrific performances, he has been rewarded with being one of the most sought after players in European football and would be a great addition to any club.

As for Sneijder, last season wasn't his best of seasons, especially compared with the season he had in 09/10 as he lead Inter Milan to a Champions League title and Holland to a World Cup final in Johannesburg. But, similiar to Nasri, he is being persued by numerous clubs and it doesn't look like dying down.

Mancini has admitted that the Blue half of Manchester is not strong enough to win the Premier League just yet and has expressed his desire to sign two or so more players as he plans to bring success to the newly named Etihad Stadium.

Man United proved today that they are on course to win their 20th league title but a replacement for Paul Scholes wouldn't hurt. Signing someone like Nasri or Sneijder before the transfer window closes would be ideal.

Who will sign who? Who would be a better signing?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Chelsea May Turn Their Attention To Kaka

2011-08-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

Chelsea may give up on their hopes of signing Luka Modric from Tottenham and chase Brazilian playmaker, Kaka. Since the start of the summer it has been widely publicised that Chelsea are adamant that Modric plays his trade at Stamford Bridge next season.

However, Spurs have stood firm and it looks as though they are going to keep their word that Modric will not be going at "any price".

Though Chelsea are used to getting their way in the transfer window, it looks likely that Modric will not be leaving White Hart Lane any time soon. But, it does seem that they are willing to pay big money for a top class midfielder, so why not have a go at landing the signature of Kaka?

After all, Kaka was once the subject of a £107 million offer by Manchester City, so I think it's fair to say he is a talented and pursued footballer. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to live up to the hype ever since joining the revitalised "Galacticos" and a suitable offer may be enough to tempt him away from Madrid.

Chelsea are in need of a midfielder after news came in that Michael Essien sufferred serious ligament damage to his leg. On top of that, Lampard isn't getting any younger and is at a tender age of 33 years. So it seems vital that Chelsea get their hands on a quality midfielder.

Although it has been a disappointing spell at Real Madrid, maybe a move now to Chelsea would be the right option for Kaka but I'm sure all Chelsea fans hope, should he move to Stamford Bridge, his performances are more convincing then the ones of Andriy Shevchenko.

Would Kaka be a better buy than Modric? Would Kaka be a success at Stamford Bridge?

I would love to hear any comments you may have?

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Arsenal To Try And Swoop Two Liverpool Targets

2011-07-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

As Liverpool and Arsenal try to build championship winning sides, both clubs have become interested in Spanish starlet, Juan Mata. With the prospect of losing both Nasri and Fabregas, landing the midfielder would perhaps be more important for Arsenal. But, Arsene Wenger is adamant that the potential signing of Mata is not a replacement for Nasri.

Juan Mata, 23, shone at the U21 European Championships which were won comfortably in the end by the magicians of Spain and has been included in the transfer gossip section of virtually every paper on many occasions ever since.

Mata is currently playing with Valencia who have been forced to sell key players such as Davis Villa and David Silva due to financial difficulty and would be hesitant to now offload another young player with massive potential.

Offering Champions League football is not a problem at Valencia as they finished third last season, so a move to either Arsenal or Liverpool, would most likely be the result of the desire for a fresh challenge.

According to Sky Sports News, Arsenal might fight Liverpool for the signature of Stewart Downing as Arsenal have apparently put in a £18 million bid. If this turns out to be true, I certainly believe Villa should accept and take the money while they can.

I'm sure this news is satisfying for all Arsenal fans as the cry for new signings from them must have been heard by the Arsenal board.

It did look bleak for Arsenal as they were on the verge of losing two key players in Nasri and Fabregas but if they can keep hold of one and bag Downing and Mata, I think Arsenal have every chance in the world of staying into the top four next season.

So what do you make of this? Will Arsenal sign both Mata and Downing?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Aston Villa Look To Sign N'Zogbia In Preparation Of Losing Dowing

2011-07-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

Aston Villa are looking to buy Charles N'Zogbia off Wigan after Liverpool's interest for Downing showed no signs of dying down. Aston Villa have already rejected a £15 million bid from Liverpool but are bracing themselves for an improved offer of around £18 million in the next coming days. Aston Villa have come out and said that will not sell Downing for less than £19 million but we'll see what happens when £18 million is put in front of them.

With the prospect of losing two valuable widemen in Young and Downing, Aston Villa have decided to turn their attention on Charles N'Zogbia. I highly rate N'Zogbia and it would make perfect sense for Villa to buy the Frenchman, whether or not Downing is still at the club. N'Zogbia is one of those players that won't have a perfect game every week, but he can certainly make things happen.

Personally I believe it would be the right choice to sell Downing when Liverpool come in with a new and improved offer. Even if it doesn't meet their evaluation of the player, I certainly believe they will be getting value for money should they get £18 million or so.

The last thing Villa need is for Downing to be unsettled and unhappy should he still be at the club come the start of the season. Aston Villa fans aren't happy as it is with the arrival of Alex McLeish and I'm sure the selling of Ashley Young didn't please a few fans either. Surely, the thought that a player refuses to play in front of the Villa Park faithful, when millions of pounds could have been gained from selling him, would only annoy the Villa fans even more.

With the money they got for the departure of Young plus the possible amount they could get for offloading Downing would give McLeish and Aston Villa vasts amount of money to spend on players that are just as valuable an asset.

So do you think Villa should sell Downing? Would N'Zogbia be a suitable replacement?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Sunderland Are Making The Most Of This Transfer Window

2011-07-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sunderland today completed the signing of Irish international John O'Shea after he passed a medical and put pen to paper and signed a four year contract. They have now signed nine players over the course of this transfer window with all purchases looking likely to be very profitable.

Steve Bruce struggled last season as we neared the end of the season. This was largely due to the fact that a lot of his key players were injured and they simply didn't have any back up. The wild spending has probably occurred also because a lot of their players were loaned out to them from other clubs.

Steve Bruce has also claimed his second signing off United as he also bought Wes Brown. Both O'Shea and Brown were not first in the pecking order at Old Trafford and will be pretty confident that Steve Bruce will allow them to start week in, week out, should they prove they're worthy.

John O'Shea has often been credited, or maybe insulted, of being a utility player and has been played in many positions, even between the two sticks. He was once called "the Irish Swiss Army knife". There was a time where he would regularly start at right-back but since Rafael broke into the first team, he has been struggling to even come on as a substitute.

Wes Brown is the same, once a regular at right-back but injuries were to be his downfall. I think it is a great signing for Sunderland as before he became an unfamiliar face in the starting line up at Old Trafford, he showed he could play and was being placed in the England team on many occasions.

Other notable signings are Connor Wickham, formerly of Ipswich, who was hot property going into this transfer window. Seb Larsson and Craig Gardner are Premiership players for me, and once Birmingham dropped down to the Championship, it was inevitable that they would be offloaded to a Premiership club. Yet again, these are two fantastic buys for Sunderland.

What do you make of the new arrivals to Sunderland? How well will they do next season?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Adam To Arrive At Anfield

2011-07-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

With all the hype surrounding Nasri and Fabregas in regards to which club they will be playing their trade with next season, it was easy to forget about the transfer saga regarding Charlie Adam's future. Well we were all reminded about it today as Liverpool and Blackpool have agreed a fee for the Scottish international to bring him to Anfield. Charlie Adam will now have a medical and if all goes well, no problems should occur.

Charlie Adam has been a target for Liverpool ever since he shot to fame playing with Blackpool last season. He, with no disrespect to any Blackpool player, carried their team to within minutes of avoiding relegation. Their is no doubt in my mind that he should be playing his football in the Premier League and I'm sure he will fit nicely in the Liverpool set up.

Liverpool are building a strong looking squad in preparations to reclaim fourth spot and see themselves playing European football once again. With the arrival of Henderson and now with Adam looking likely to join him, the competition to be starting in midfield will be fierce. To be honest, I can see players starting to strop should they be excluded from the starting eleven.

I worry for Liverpool's defence though and I do feel they should look to bring in a top quality defender, same with Arsenal. For me Johnson is slightly over-rated and talisman Jamie Carragher isn't getting any younger.

Their attacking line up is only bettered by very few, with Gerrard and Henderson in midfield. Also on top of that you have the, in-form, Suarez along side Andy Carroll. It does look like a frightening prospect when they do eventually meet the weaker teams but coming up against the likes of Man United and Chelsea, they could be vulnerable at the back.

Liverpool are showing no sign of stopping there either. The signature of Stuart Downing is another possibility but yet again another midfielder so I don't know if the plan is to play six or so in midfield but I'm sure "King Kenny" has thought it through.

What do you make of the recent signings that Liverpool have made? Will Adam be a success?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Real Madrid Get Their Hands On Coentrao And Are Favoruites To Bag Tevez

2011-07-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid today sealed the signing of Fabio Coentrao from Benfica for a fee believed to be around the region of £27 million. Unknown to some, Coenrtrao is a Portuguese international and has been called one of the most promising left-backs and is still only 23 years of age.

If we are to believe everything we read, Chelsea were also hopeful on securing Coentrao's signature before the Spanish giants beat them to it. Although Ashley Cole is still 30, and defenders do last a while, he isn't getting any younger so I'm sure Chelsea would have wanted to get Coentrao while they could.

Real Madrid are now favourites with most bookies to land Man City's wantaway forward, Carlos Tevez. City have taken the news rather well, fans included, and have said that they will let him go just as long as a suitable offer comes in for him and surely Real Madrid would be the only team with enough money to fork out £50 million odd.

I'm sure Barcelona would relish the chance to have Tevez at the Nou Camp but I think it's clear that there sights are set firmly on the capturing of both Cesc Fabregas and the most sought after player at the moment, Alexis Sanchez.

Real Madrid have no dilemma when it comes to their options for strikers as they have an array of talent in their squad but Tevez has proven he is a prolific scorer at the highest level and I believe he could really do the business at the Bernabeu.

So what do you think about the signing of Coentrao and the prospect of Tevez joining Real Madrid?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Tevez "I Want To Leave City This Summer"

2011-07-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

On the day where things were looking good for all in connection to Manchester City, Tevez dropped a hammer blow for all City fans as he made it clear that his intentions are to leave the club this Summer in turn meaning he wants to pretty much leave the club as soon as he can.

This story has been going on for a while now, with Carlos Tevez adamant that he wishes to depart Eastlands and as we all know, his preferred destination is his home country of Argentina. Man City have stated that if Tevez fulfills his contract, in two years time he is allowed to leave on a free.

Mancini completed his first transfer of the Summer, and must have been ecstatic to have been able to get his hands on Clichy for a relatively cheap price of £7 million on a four year contract. The French left-back has been rated by many as one of the best in the Premier League and is still at a tender age of just 25.

Tevez, 27, wasn't an instant success as he was plagued by injuries but once he shook them off, he couldn't stop scoring and has been the most influential player at the City of Manchester Stadium in the past two seasons.

It would be a real shame, especially after helping City to their first top four finish, to see him just leave to play his trade in the relatively unknown league of Argentina. Of course, this is where many of the finest players learned how to play the beautiful game, Messi and Maradona amongst others. But the league isn't at the standard that most European leagues, especially the English one, are at.

His family is living in Argentina and Tevez has expressed his desire to move from England and has said, I'm sure on one occasion, that he doesn't like Manchester. I'm sure most City fans were expecting the inevitable that Tevez would eventually leave but it is quite soon.

If Tevez does get his wish, and does leave before the end of the Summer, then surely all eyes will turn in the direction of Roberto Mancini. The pressure would definitely be on him to splash the cash, and on someone as capable as Tevez. Mancini has been reluctant thus far to spend big but maybe he might have to.

What is your reaction to Tevez saying this? Will he leave?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Real Madrid To Enter The Race To Sign Cesc Fabregas

2011-07-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Now out of all transfer sagas of the past few years, this one has been going on for the longest. But according to Sky Sports News, Real Madrid could put in a cheeky bid for Arsenal midfielder which would in turn defeat their closest rivals, Barcelona, in the race to sign the Spainiard.

Now we can't believe everything that Sky Sports report, as they do have a notorious history of making up rumors that would lead you believe that they were true or were valid statements but end up being very much less than 100% accurate. Most recently, the report regarding Samir Nasri's future. Sky Sports say that City are close to agreeing a fee for the Frenchman, while City themselves state that no contact has been made with any agents or Arsenal officials.

Should this be true though, this would be one of the strangest transfer rumor mills for some time as we all know by now that Barcelona have been interested in the playmaker for some time and for Real Madrid to come in and announce their interest would be quite the article.

Cesc Fabregas was an upcoming star at Barcelona until Arsenal snapped him up and raised him up to be the fantastic footballer he is today as he plays to the only way Arsene Wenger knows how, beautifully. Cesc Fabregas has been Mr. Reliable at the Emirates for quite some time now and when, and if, he leaves, there will be a huge gap to fill.

As we saw with Henry, when Barcelona purchased him from Arsenal, Arsenal fans were distraught. Because despite the fact that it was a long time coming, Arsenal fans surely knew that there was simply no chance of replacing him.

After sealing the goalscoring record at Highbury, his name would forever be synonymous with the Arsenal crowd. Although Adebayor was a hit, he is now hated by all associated with Arsenal and they simply can't find a suitable replacement who can fill the shoes of the Highbury legend.

Will Fabregas shock everyone and decide to stay? Who will Arsenal buy as a replacement?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Man City To Swoop Arsenal Duo.

2011-06-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Man City have been extremely quiet in this Summer's transfer window especially considering the spending power that they posses which has led them to be one of the most hated teams of recent years. But, that looks set to change today as Roberto Mancini is eyeing up not only one Arsenal player, but two. Both Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are reported to be on their way to Manchester City.

Although Nasri is definitely on his way to Manchester should he leave the Emirates, it is possible that he could be playing in the "Theatre of Dreams" as Man United have expressed their desire to sign the Frenchman for a while now.

Gael Clichy is all but a done deal and could move for a fee of £7 million and for the owners of City, that is like the rusty change you find in your back pocket. The left-back position is somewhat of a concern for Roberto Mancini as Kolarov, despite being praised for his set piece prowess, has struggled defensively at Eastlands. Especially with a big season coming up, perhaps the biggest in the club's history, I'm sure Mancini wants to get that fixed.

Samir Nasri could be following his fellow Frenchman to Eastlands as it is being reported that Man City have matched the £20 million pound price tag that Arsenal slapped on his head.

Although United are very much fans of the creative midfielder and would relish the chance to have him in their team, I don't think they will be able to outbid the Blue half of Manchester, though the Glaziers have proved they have a hefty amount of money left in their bank account with three big signings already this Summer.

If it seems that Nasri looks likely to join the Red Devils, Mancini is prepared to offer him a contract which would see him earning £180,000 each week. It would be interesting to see if this bid is due to the fact that Man City missed out on getting their hands on the much talked about Chilean, Alexis Sanchez.

I think both would be a success at the club and would make a huge contribution to the team which are preparing to face the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan.

What do you make of the possibility of these two going to Eastlands? Is this the last we have seen of City in this transfer window?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

What Next For Birmingham City?

2011-06-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Besides the likes of Man United, Birmingham City have been making the most headlines over the past couple of days and weeks. With the much focused managerial saga over and done with, we now turn our attention to the coming and goings of many players.

All Birmingham fans were surely shocked when they heard the news that Alex McLeish had decided to call it a day and leave St Andrews, especially less than a month since he had brought the club down to the Championship.

More horrifically for Birmingham and Villa fans alike, he decided to move to the club in which he wouldn't have to worry about being in a different house next season, none other than Birmingham's biggest rivals, Aston Villa. I'm not McLeish's estate agent but I'm sure that's the least of his worries at the moment.

It is fair to say that Birmingham did have a squad fit to play in the Premier League and I honestly don't know where it went wrong. Obviously the lack of victories in the latter stages of the campaign didn't help but what led this to happen? Birmingham's playmaker last season, Sebastian Larsson has departed and he is now making his way up north to play his football with Sunderland next season.

There have been many reports surrounding Scott Dann who is the subject of a bid from Stoke City and Cameron Jermome is also believed to be involved. Birmingham are having none of it for the moment and rejected both bids respectively. Birmingham have looked into bringing new players in and we are led to believe that Inverness striker Adam Rooney is a potential target.

The Birmingham board have since resolved the vacant managerial position at St Andrews by appointing Chris Hughton as their manager. Hughton has proved that he can get a team straight back into the top flight, as he did with Newcastle. After a shaky run of form, Hughton was very harshly removed as manager at St James' Park but has been given the opportunity to prove himself once more.

What do make of the recent developments surrounding Birmingham City? Will Hughton be a success?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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United Refuse to Stop Splashing The Cash

2011-06-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

With the signing of U21 Spain international, David de Gea, on the verge of being completed, this now puts Man United out of sight from other Premiership clubs as the biggest spenders this summer and we still have two months left of this Summer transfer window, which is sure to get quite hectic.

Man United had their sights set on Phil Jones from day one and with the U21 European Championships just around the corner, United did well to get the deal done just before the tournament kicked-off.

Much has been made of Phil Jones, as far as I can see from his performances lately, as a no-nonsense defender, something, which I feel is missing from the game. Maybe not quite the psycho that Stuart Pearce was, but he can still leave a forward dreading the prospect of coming into contact with him.

Just last week, Ashley Young was confirmed as the newest member among the United ranks. Young, 25, had a bright future ahead of him when he shone in a Watford side that were struggling to stay in the Premier League. He has since fizzled out, I feel, with not much being said about him but he still can fix that if he impresses at Old Trafford.

I think most will be looking forward to the competition between the likes of Valencia, Nani and Ashley Young although it does feel that Young has not come in to cause tension but more to fill the shoes of Ryan Giggs which will be some challenge.

David de Gea had a medical last night in preparation for his move to Old Trafford and looks set to complete the deal sometime soon. De Gea, 20, really impressed at the U21 European Championships as he helped Spain to lift the trophy as they defeated Switzerland 2-0 in the final, capped off by a wonder goal by Thiago.

De Gea has certainly made himself a household name in European football after the tournament, if he wasn't one already. Similar to Ashely Young, De Gea has the prospect of filling the gloves of the goalkeeping maestro who goes by the name of Edwin van der Sar. No doubt there will be pressure on the young Spaniard as United had trouble finding a suitable replacement for Peter Schmeichel as countless keepers came and went without leaving a legacy at Old Trafford.

What do you make of Man United spending so much money? Was the embarrassing defeat to Barcelona a key factor to the sudden purchase of top class players?

I would live to hear any posts you may have.

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Chelsea Get Their Man

2011-06-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Chelsea have today confirmed the hiring of former Porto manager Andre Villas Boas. This news comes after much speculation regarding the vacant managerial position at Stamford Bridge. Villas Boas, although known by most, is a relatively surprising choice purely because of his lack of experience. After guiding Porto to the Europa League title which culminated in a very dull affair in the final, much has been made of the Portuguese man.

Many thought that Guus Hiddink would be the man to replace Carlo Ancelotti as Chelsea boss but after paying Porto £13.2 million in compensation they were allowed to hijack their man from the Portuguese champions. Many reports suggest that Villas Boas will be taking some of Porto's top players with him to London.

Villas Boas has a history at Stamford Bridge as he worked under Jose Mourinho during the "Special One's" rein at Chelsea. He is now the youngest manager working in the Premiership at this present time and has a lot to prove in the coming season. Talk of Champions League glory has already been mentioned by many.

With the disappointment of last season, many Chelsea fans are expecting big things next year and with such a big risk being taken with the hiring of Villas Boas, it will either go incredibly well or backfire dismally. Villas Boas, only 33, has been credited with having an attacking approach to the way he puts out his team. I'm sure this will please many especially the likes of Torres and Drogba who both struggled to get on target as we were nearing the end of the season.

I feel that everyone close to Chelsea should be reasonably happy with the appointment of Villas Boas. Although the inexperience is somewhat of a concern, there is no underestimating his knowledge and passion for the game. He has proven he can win trophies and that is exactly what Chelsea fans, but more importantly, the Chelsea Board want.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Barcelona Looking To Improve Options

2011-06-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

Despite the success of winning the La Liga title and comfortably beating Man United at Wembley to claim their third Champions League title, Pep Guardiola is still keen on increasing the size of his squad. Barca look interested in bringing in Alexis Sanchez and as we all know, I hope, the very talented Cesc Fabregas who has been tracked by Barca ever since his rise to fame in an Arsenal jersey, although he was on the Barca books at a very young age.

We all know that this Barcelona side is one of, if not the, best club side that we have ever seen but that won't stop Guardiola from reaching into the clubs bank account to take out a cheeky £50 million or so, although the club's board are insisting that all their funds will be generated from the transfers of players currently playing their trade at the Nou Camp. The likes of David Villa are being mentioned as the ones who could be offloaded.

Barcelona have insisted that they will go no higher than £35 million when it comes to the bidding for Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal have made clear time after time that Fabregas is not for sale but I don't think they can do much if the Arsenal captain really wants to move although he hasn't made any indications or expressed any desire to leave the Emirates.

An awful lot has been said about Alexis Sanchez and a lot of people I would presume think he is just "all talk". I'm going to be blatantly honest and admit that the most I've seen of him was a six minute clip on youtube but trust me, he can play. Barcelona are now favourites to land the Chilean playmaker after bids from both Manchester City and United have seemed to have fallen through.

Like I mentioned, if Barcelona want to purchase these players, some players must be sold to generate funds and that will leave the door open to a few of the top European clubs such as Chelsea, Man City, Inter Milan and maybe we could see a cheeky offer put in by Real Madrid for one of the Barca stars.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Spurs Insist They Will Not Sell Modric At Any Cost

2011-06-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Despite much interest for Luka Modric, Harry Redknapp and and all associated with Tottenham, are adamant that the little Croatian will not be sold for any price, to any club.

They even claim that they will not even be entering any negotiations.I understand why they would be hesitant to sell Luka, but when the likes of Chelsea are prepared to offer in and around £30 million for the playmaker, I think Totrtenham should take in to consideration who they could potentially buy with that money

Luka Modric, 25, has made it quite clear that he would like to leave White Hart Lane and that Chelsea would be his preferred destination. Chelsea have all but given up on signing Santos and Brazil star, Neymar and it seems like this is more of a "plan B" choice.

For me, I think Modric should stay with Tottenham. Although the lure of winning titles and cup competitions might be enough to secure the deal for Chelsea, being the main man in a very formidable Spurs side should be enough to persuade Modric to stay. It wouldn't be the best for his reputation either and no doubt the White Hart Lane faithful would be booing him every time he got the ball should he be playing for Chelsea next season.

Spurs are looking into taking legal action as they feel Chelsea, like on many other occasions, have been tapping up a player, this time Modric is the target. Chelsea have got into trouble on many occasions regarding transfers. The transfers of the likes of Ashley Cole and Kakuta were very controversial at the time.

Although Harry Redknapp is so confident that Modric won't go that he probably hasn't looked at potential replacements but I think he should start. With the lack of Champions League football this season it will be hard to attract attention to themselves but at least with the success of last year, they are a known force and are to be reckoned with.

What do you think about this transfer saga? Should Spurs just take the money?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

West Ham And Newcastle Do Business

2011-06-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

In the past two days now, both Newcastle United and West Ham have done business with each other as Kevin Nolan has decided to ditch the Premier League and join the Hammers while Demba Ba is making his way up north as the two clubs agreed a fee for the Senegalese international.

As you might have noticed as well, it's not only Ba and Nolan who are switching roles, both Alan Pardew and Sam Allardyce used to be in each others position. The only difference being, Pardew had a very successful time at Upton Park while "Big Sam" was literally abused by all Geordie's after a terrible start to his Newcastle career left the Newcastle board with no choice but to sack him.

I think there is no doubt that Demba Ba is the better off between the two as although their is no guarantee that he will be starting week in, week out, and although Nolan was confirmed the captain's armband for next season, the difference in caliber between the Premier League and the Championship, no disrespect to the Championship, is quite remarkable.

Newcastle are increasingly likely to lose further players as it has been announced that Barton, Jose Enrique and Gutierrez want out. It looks bleak for the Magpies, purely because of the task Pardew might have in finding replacements and valuable ones as well.

As for West Ham, Sam Allardyce has been given the task of getting the Hammers straight back into the Premiership. It does seem very much possible, especially if they keep hold of the likes of Scott Parker and besides the lack of transfer rumors associated with him, I do think he will be departing West Ham. My only fear though, is that they follow in the footsteps of Leeds and Charlton, where we don't see or even hear about them for the next five years or so. I'm sure it won't happen but who knows.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Liverpool Look To Carry On With Their Summer Spending Spree

2011-06-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a guest post by Football Team Talk's friend, Jake Rogers.

Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli have shown great intent so far this transfer window and if this continues they could be the busiest of Premier League clubs this Summer. Already they have captured the highly rated Jordan Henderson from Sunderland for a fee in the region of 20 million with David N'gog possibly going to Sunderland as part of the deal.

This could be a very good buy for Liverpool as Henderson is being talked about as a future England captain. N'gog leaving, as far as I'm concerned, is also a bonus. So far this is the only done deal for Liverpool although they have been linked with nearly every player who is looking to leave their clubs.

In my opinion Liverpool need two decent wingers , a good centreback , another striker and a left back. Personally I think Stewart Downing and Juan Mata would be great additions although the signature of Mata is very much less than likely. They might not need to worry about a winger much longer as Rennes' Sylvain Marveaux is set to complete his move on a free transfer. Marko Marin of Werder Bremen has also been linked with the Reds and his agent has said that a bid has been rejected for the 22 year old.

As for a center half, Liverpool have been linked with a few. Scott Dann of Birmingham, Gary Cahill of Bolton and Cristian Zapata who plays in Italy for Udinese. I would like to see someone with Premier League experience but as you know that increases the price tag by up to £15 million as we have seen with the transfers of Jordan Henderson , Andy Carroll and Phil Jones.

A few strikers have also been linked with a move to Anfield. Connor Wickham, the young Ipswich striker was the subject of a bid from Liverpool. They are also keeping tabs on Antonio Cassano and Gervinho . Clichy is being linked with a remarkable switch from Arsenal but I would be very surprised if that transfer happened.

Liverpool are being linked with two centre midfielders also. Charlie Adam and Fernando Gago are being highlighted as potential targets. I don't think Liverpool need another central midfielder, Steven Gerrard will be back from injury and new signing Jordan Henderson will be there. Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles had very good seasons last year and Jay Spearing also came into the squad under Dalglish.

On the other side, a lot of players may be on their way out of Merseyside. The duo of Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic, who are both on £90 thousand a week are looking to leave. Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen and Jonjo Shelvey are searching for first team football.

Liverpool are looking to reclaim their spot in the top four and start winning trophies again. Liverpools owners are looking to make a franchise out of the club and they will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

This is going to be a very busy transfer window for Kenny Dalglish , Damien Comolli and everyone involved with Liverpool football club!

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Chelsea Keen On Two Players But Still In Need Of A Manager

2011-06-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we learned that Chelsea's bid for Luka Modric of £22 million was rejected by London rivals, Spurs. Chelsea have claimed that they will improve their offer in their pursuit to land the Croatian. Another player on the Chelsea transfer list is Atletico Madrid forward, Sergio Ageuro. Despite rumors that a deal with Juventus, worth £40 million, was made, his agent has scrapped those rumors leaving Chelsea as well as Man City still in the hunt to sign the little Argentinian.

With all this transfer talk, it seems that many people, including myself for a short while, had forgetten that Chelsea are in fact still without a manager. Guus Hiddink is still the clear favourite but for some reason they just haven't been able to get his signature yet.

Harry Redknapp has slammed the thought that Tottenham will even consider selling the silky and creative Croatian. He has become like a broken record are we keep on hearing that no players are for sale but with an improved offer closer to the £30 million mark will really test the Spurs boss.

As for Aguero, he has been a wanted man for years now and a move this Summer is looking very likely. It is hard to see anyone out-offer Manchester City but I can't see Aguero being too fond of moving to the north of England especially when his Argentinian team-mate, Tevez, has been going on about how "boring" the city is or the weather conditions being horrible. Juventus look like being the favourites but it could be a while before Aguero's future is resolved.

I'm sure Roman Abramovich is in for a hectic few days as he tries to sort out new players coming in and most importantly, a new manager being put in place. He also is under the threat of losing a few key players as Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in Ghanain, Essien.

I love to hear any comments you may have.

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Possible Deals For Manchester City This Summer

2011-06-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

I know it is early on, but Man City have been very quiet in this transfer window thus far. It has been their rivals, Man United, who have been the more productive in the transfer window as they have added Phil Jones among the ranks and look likely to add the likes of Ashley Young and now even talk of Wesley Sneijder.

Man City, apparently, have their eye on ex-United favourite, Cristiano Ronaldo. There was talk that as long as he got the number 7 jersey, captain's armband and £400,000 a week that he would agree to join the Blue side of Manchester. Although Cristiano himself has played down these reports, I still have a feeling that the saga might carry on for a few more weeks.

There is no doubt that Ronaldo, 26, has claimed that he can't see himself leaving but if he joined for, what I believe is purely money, why can't he leave for money, it wouldn't surprise me by any means. I think he would be a great asset to a team which is already crammed with superb talent, but as a Man City fan, I would prefer if he didn't join.

Another player who is unheard of to some is Alexis Sanchez. Many clubs are interested in the Chilean and of course City are among them. Barcelona were believed to have been the main threat but reports suggest that Man United might spoil the party as the Glazer's seem to have found a few extra quid in their back pocket as their Summer spending spree looks to carry on.

Alexis Sanchez is currently at Udinese as is bound to move to a big club, well Man City aren't quite yet at the big club status, even I'll admit that but either way a move to Manchester looks increasingly on the cards. Sanchez has been compared to Ronaldo, coincidentally can play both on the wing or in a more attacking position. Unlike Ronaldo, I would very much welcome the move of Sanchez, but, if he comes in, that means the likes of Adam Johnson will be pushed out.

With Boateng all but gone and talk of Tevez leaving always on-going, surely City will complete the signing of a player some time soon.

What do you think? Will City sign either Ronaldo or Sanchez?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Managerial Merry Go Round

2011-06-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been less about the transfers of players and more about the movement of managers. We learned today that Steve McClaren will be taking over at Nottingham Forest after Billy Davies was sacked. Yesterday, we were all shocked to hear that Alex McLeish had decided to call it a day and resigned as Birmingham manager making him, more shockingly, bookies favourite to become the next Aston Villa boss.

The position as Aston Villa boss has been vacant now for a while after Houillier confirmed he would not be carrying on as Villa manager. Many men have been suggested as a possible replacement for the French man but we are yet to find out who will be deciding the tactics and formations at Villa Park next season.

Once Mark Hughes departed Fulham, many backed him but his cause to become the man to replace Houllier has been seemingly hampered with very little being spoken about the prospect of him joining the Villains.

Now with the resignation of McLeish from Birmingham (by e-mail), it is looking likely that he will be taking the reins at Villa Park especially with reports that he has been contacted by Aston Villa. Birmingham are looking into taking legal action though, which would prevent him joining another club any time soon.

Both sets of fans are dreading the prospect of McLeish joining Aston Villa and it would be hard to see him getting a warm reception should he join Aston Villa.

Earlier today, McClaren signed on the dotted lines and became the next Nottingham Forest manager. With the harsh sacking of Davies, it seems that qualifying for the Premiership next season is McClaren's only option. McClaren had to deal with the same financial resources at Middlesbrough and he worked wonders at the Riverside claiming the sides first trophy in its history and getting them to the Uefa Cup final only to lose to Seville in the end.

What do you make of all of this? Will McLeish join Aston Villa?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Sneijder Expresses Desire To Stay At San Siro

2011-06-10T15:09:00.000-07:00

Dutch international, Wesley Sneijder has confirmed that he has no plans on leaving the Italian giants, Inter Milan. This comes after much talk regarding his future with many clubs believed to be interested. The playmaker seems to be on the top of many of the top European club's transfer list and would be a great asset in any team.

Chelsea, Man United and, as expected, Man City would all relish the chance of bringing Sneijder to their respective clubs but Sneijder has spoken out about the proposed move to England and has ruled it out after saying,

"Milan is marvellous, picturesque and full of elegance. I love it. At the moment I am very happy here and I don't see why I should leave."

It would be hard to argue against him, after all he did have his most successful season while at Inter as he claimed the Champions League, playing a pivotal part in the Semi Final win over Barcelona. Later that summer he came within minutes of getting to a penalty shoot out in the World Cup final before Iniesta nicely tucked away the ball into the Netherlands net.

Although less effective this season, largely due to injuries, he is still one of the hottest properties going into this Summer's transfer window. For me, it is only a matter of time before he either moves to England or the likes of Barcelona in Spain.

Man City have been, for reasons unknown, very quiet especially with the spending power that they possess. Although they aren't stuck for midfielders by any means, I wouldn't be surprised if Mancini tested the Italian giants with a cheeky offer. As for Chelsea, yet again I wouldn't be surprised but I would say they would be less fussed. Man United have done an awful lot of business already, so to see them try and buy Sneijder would be surprising.

What do you think? Is it time for him to express his desire to leave instead of stay?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Roberto Martinez Is Staying Put

2011-06-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today, Roberto Martinez pledged his future, for the time being, to Wigan Athletic. The news comes after a frantic 24 hours regarding the Spaniards future as Aston Villa were believed to be very interested in him.

After a very tense season last year which saw the Latics come very close to getting relegated, it is somewhat of a surprise to see that Martinez has decided to stay at the DW Stadium. I would have thought that he would have liked to enjoy his managerial career elsewhere, no disrespect to Wigan but I would have considered Aston Villa a "bigger" club.

It does show a massive amount of loyalty towards Wigan and in particular, the hard working, Dave Whelan. It shows that amongst all the money and big budget transfer kitties, that Martinez was not fussed by the lack of money he has to spend and that he is comfortable where he is.

I am sure, even though it was a hectic season last year, that the majority of Wigan fans are pleased to see Martinez stay on and are expecting an improvement from last years poor form. I think he will win a lot of fans over if hasn't already during his time at Wigan and will gain tremendous amount of respect now due to his decision to carry on.

Dave Whelan does admit that it is only a matter of time before a big European club come and try and snatch Martinez from Wigan's hands but until that day comes, I think all associated with Wigan should just enjoy the managerial skills of Martinez while they can.

What are your thoughts? Do you think he should have left?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Liverpool Are First To Spend Big

2011-06-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, Sunderland confirmed that Jordan Henderson is now a Liverpool player. All associated with Liverpool are desperate to get back into the top four and with more big name signings similar to Henderson, they might well achieve their goal. Liverpool are expected to be willing to pay just about 20 million in a deal which includes Ngog, so however highly you rate Ngog will give you the figure that Liverpool are actually paying.

Jordan Henderson, 20, has been rated very highly with a lot of clubs believed to have been interested in the Englishman at one stage. It was a season of many highlights for the man who is Sunderland born and bred as he became a crucial figure in Sunderland's starting line-up, made his international debut for England, and scored a fair few goals on top of that.

I can see him being the main man for England in years to come, especially when a generation that consists of Gerrard, Lampard, Terry etc. bound to fizzle out soon and eventually announce their retirements. He is set to depart England for the U21 European Championship which are held in Denmark this year. Him along side well established players such as Daniel Sturridge and Phil Jones hope to claim victory and bring back the trophy to England.

For me, this was a much needed move for Liverpool as I feel the midfield was quite poor, especially for a team who have aspirations of qualifying for the Champions League. Although 20 million does seem a bit pricey for a man who is young and inexperienced, I think it's a gamble Liverpool had to take and no doubt the Anfield faithful will be glad with the decision to get the ex-Sunderland man.

What do you think about the arrival of Henderson to Anfield? Will he be a success?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Fulham Get Their Hands On Martin Jol

2011-06-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

With the departure of Mark Hughes almost immediately after the end of the season, Fulham were not forced to rush their decision of who should replace the Welshman as Fulham boss. Although this was the case, they wasted little time in capturing the experienced Dutchman, Martin Jol. I feel this is one of the best decisions that Fulham could have made and all Fulham fans really should be chuffed to pieces.

Fulham had a very satisfying season last year and for their good behaviour on the pitch, were rewarded with a Europa League spot in next years campaign. All connected with Fulham will be hoping they can go one step further then what they did two seasons ago as they cam runners-up losing out marginally to a very skillful Atletico Madrid side.

Martin Jol has been a success in the Premiership as he almost became one of the first managers to break the "top four" and qualify for the Champions League. Due to alleged food poisoning reports, Tottenham were forced to field a weak team as they lost against West Ham on the final day. Jol has been linked with a move to Fulham before Lawrie Sanchez got the sack in the same season which saw Fulham a whisker away from going down to the Championship.

If I was a Fulham supporter, I would be delighted with the decision as he is proven to win matches and more importantly, the odd trophy. I think Martin Jol does have the capability to do big things with the west London club and has a chance of reminding people that he was actually a decent manager and that he isn't an "idiot" as some people have claimed.

All though very few people actually know the reasoning behind Mark Hughes' departure, I'm sure very few Fulham fans really care now that the pursuit for a new manager is over and done with.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Movement Of Neymar Still On Hold

2011-06-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Today, Neymar's chief representative has snubbed claims that a new offer has been put in for the brightest young talent at the moment. I think it is very clear that a move this summer would be in the best interest of Neymar and with the Copa America now less than a month away, I'm sure Neymar and his agent would love to get this transfer saga solved even if it means that he stays at Santos so that he can firmly set his sights on claiming the trophy for his home nation, Brazil.

Much has been said about the 19 year old and to be honest when I first heard his name I thought it was just another young, promising Brazilian who was soon to fizzle out like the likes of Robinho and Adriano. But it does seem that Neymar could become a household name in the years to come especially with a big move this Summer.

I think if Abramovich reached into his back pocket and produced the money that is needed, this could be the move of the Summer. Not only could he be a hit in the next two seasons or so, but with the likes of Drogba and Lampard ageing he would be able to fit right in and become a favourite amongst the Stamford Bridge faithful.

The player who is most noticeable for his mohican haircut, Neymar, played a massive part in securing a place in the Copa Libertadores final, after which he will link up with his Brazil team mates in Argentina. Chelsea, inevitably, are not the only team keeping their eyes on the Brazilian.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are also believed to be interested and one could only imagine the temptation to join the greatest team in club football, Barca. Apparently the price tag is 45 million euro but with the Catalonian giants more concerned about agreeing a deal with Arsenal for Fabregas, this would leave a great chance for either Chelsea or Real Madrid to pounce.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

What Does Sepp Blatter Have In Store For Us

2011-06-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a sad day for football in many ways. No I'm not talking about Gerard Houllier resigning or even the thought that era of Scholes, Beckham, Neville etc. is finally over. No, of course I am speaking about the re-election of Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.

Now I think it's fair to say that Blatter hasn't won a lot of fans, not only from the public but also people involved in the game. The refusal of goal-line technology and the controversy surrounding the decision of who to host both the 2018 World Cup and 2022 World Cup.

The FA wanted the election to be postponed amid the criticism that FIFA has been under which has left a dark cloud hanging over the its headquarters in Zurich. They also didn't want an election to go ahead because bizarrely, Blatter wasn't up against anyone. Now Blatter has come under a bit more scrutiny then he perhaps deserves but I think the election of anyone else involved in football would have been just fine with anyone associated with the beautiful game.

I think someone does need to give him assistance because obviously he can't make his own decisions. I can't see how it can be made more clearer that goal-line technology is needed. He made a fool of himself when Lampard's goal at the World Cup did not stand even though it was a solid yard over the line and week after week it is happeneing and the referee's are the one's who are getting slated in the press. As for the World Cup decision, I think I've said enough.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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One Word To Describe Lionel Messi - Indescribable

2011-05-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all saw it, but I would like to put an emphasis on what everyone said. Barcelona are simply the best team in the world, simple as. And I think it really shows that the top teams in England, although the race for the title seems to be wide open now than ever before, are dipping in quality.

Last night, Messi stood head and shoulders above everyone else, theoretically speaking of course. He was simply outsatnding and although many United players tried to knock him off his feet, he was untouchable. But when the likes of Carrick or Vidic did clip his heels or give him a nudge in the back, Messi took it as a compliment as if to say "they must be scared of me" and I'm sure any player in world would admit that playing against Messi, although probably a dream come true, would rapidly turn it into a nightmare.

It maybe harsh saying this, especially when you have just won a record 19th league title, but maybe United weren't as good as people made them out to be in the build up to the match. After all, they did rely on Chelsea having a very poor record midway through the season on to pick it up with only a handful of games to go and of course Arsenal dropped out of the title race pretty early on. Not taking anything away from the fact that they showed some real character when they really needed to, and especially from a relatively young squad, they are just no where near the standard of the Catlonians.

Man United were very reliant on Rooney last night,and I did say that the fate of the United team would all depend on how Rooney performed, unfortunately, he did show up but the rest of the United players couldn't take after him. I think it is fair to say that Valencia had a mare, it must have been past Hernandez' bed time at half time because he wasn't in the game at all for the second half.

I never got to cast my eyes on the great 1970 Brazilian football team but if they're better than the current Barcelona team they must have have pretty decent.

So what did you think of the match last night? How long will this generation of Barcelona stars last?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

United Look to Overcome The Odds

2011-05-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Barcelona take on Man United at Wembley with both hoping and praying of claiming their club's fourth Champions League title. It is quite simply the perfect game, which is being contested by the two best teams, in Europe anyway, at probably the most famous stadium in world football.

But most bookmakers, and fans for that matter, don't fancy United's chances of regaining the title. Not because they have a poor squad or because any of there key players are missing, depending of course whether you consider Darren Fletcher to be a key player or not, but because of the pure brilliance that the Barcelona team possess.

Both sides defeated their league rivals on route to the final. Man United beat an uncharacteristic Chelsea, while Barca beat Real Madrid in a very dull two-legged affair. It is seriously a difficult one to call as I feel United have the better defensive options with likes of Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra but are they capable of keeping the Barca frontline away from Van der Sar and the United goal. With the likes of Messi, Villa, Xavi (the list goes on and on), it is hard to see Barca not scoring at least two goals.

A lot of United hopes will fall on who else but Mr. Wayne Rooney's. If Rooney has a bad day at the office, United, seemingly, will have a bad day at the office. But who knows, although he has proven enough that he will be a United favourite in the years to come, Chicharito might want to put his name in both United an Champions League folklore.

It has all the makings of a classic. Quality sets of players, outstanding managers, and of course, a fantastic stadium. It really could just come down to who shows up on the day. It shouldn't disappoint so if you're not in front of a TV set by 7:45 on Saturday evening, then your loss I guess.

What do you think will be the outcome on Saturday night? Which players will steal the spotlight?

I would to hear any comments you may have

Chelsea On The Pursuit For A New Manager Again

2011-05-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

Looking back on the last two seasons, or in other words "Ancelotti's reign", I would take a reasonable guess by saying that Chelsea fans would be both impressed and comfortable with the results that Chelsea have been getting in the past two years. The Chelsea board thought otherwise and sacked Ancelotti after, if not immediately after, the Everton match yesterday. Although yesterdays game had no effect on the Premier League standings as far as Chelsea were concerned, Ancelotti didn't really help his cause as his Chelsea team lost to a Beckford goal against ten man Everton.

Ancelotti won his first piece of English silverware last season by winning the Premier League and followed it up by claiming the the club's third FA Cup in four years but I just think that the Chelsea board don't understand that you're not always going to win everything, you're not always going to get the rub of the green. And that is what happened to Chelsea this season, they didn't win any trophies partly due to the fact that they just didn't get the rub of the green on occasions.

I think it is not only mad but also ludicrous to get rid of a manager who has won you two trophies in as many seasons. Also, for me in the next season or two, Chelsea will be forced to go through a reprocessing stage and Ancelotti more than likely had ideas of who he wanted to sign this summer and now the new manager will be, more than likely, stuck with the same old, ageing, team that Chelsea have had for the past couple of seasons.

With Guus Hiddink and Marco van Basten already being declared as the favourites to get the job, it will be interesting to see what Chelsea decide to go for. The less experienced but well capable, van Basten, or the experienced and proven, Hiddink. I think Hiddink becoming Chelsea boss would be the preferred and most probable outcome.

So what do you think Chelsea fans? Did you want to see Ancelotti go? Who do you think should replace him?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Gareth Bale To Decide His Own Future

2011-05-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Tottenham Hotspur have insisted that it will be completely up to Bale if he wants to move depending on whether the right offer is made. As usual, Man City are believed to be interested in the Welsh international after he really made his mark on the Premiership this season. It is said that Tottenham have put a price tag of up to £40 million for Bale and, understandably, would dread the thought of losing the play maker.

Bale of course won the PFA player of the year this year and is, inevitably, hot property. Ever since it was confirmed that Man City had qualified for the Champions League by beating Bale's current club, Spurs, all players good, bad and ugly have been linked with a summer move to Eastlands. For me though, getting Bale would be the best possible buy that City could get.

Tottenham just missed out on a place in the Champions League and now seem under pressure to keep all their top players as they are questioned about their future at the North London club. I can't see Van Der Vaart going after just one season, but I could definitely see Modric or Bale departing from White Hart Lane.

Man City have been associated with a lot of players including the likes of Ronaldo and the rather unknown Alexis Sanchez of Italian side Udinese but I really feel confident when I say that if City can pull this one off, then they really do have the potential of creating a league winning side.

So what do you think about this City fans? Who would you prefer to see, Ronaldo or Bale?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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What A Week For Manchester City

2011-05-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

After so many years of hurt, this week proved to be the week where everything went for City. It all started on Tuesday night where a Peter Crouch own goal saw City through to next years Champions League. Yesterday, City had a superb chance of winning their first trophy for 35 years as they were to face Stoke in the FA Cup final at Wembley and for the first time in a long time, they were favourites heading into a final.

And then finally, although a lot of Man City fans and players might be too hungover to even consider this but because Arsenal lost today against Aston Villa, City are now just two points behind the Gunners with a game in hand.

After Tuesday nights success against Tottenham, every City fan was more than confident of winning against Stoke and on the day, no disrespect to Stoke, but they just proved too strong for the Potters. Silva had two golden opportunities to put City ahead but he just didn't keep his head and Sorenson made at least two saves that were top class.After his semi final heroics against Man United, Yaya Toure obviously wanted to make sure he was a crowd favourite as he scored again after some nice play from Balotelli and Silva.

Man City now have a great chance of getting automatic qualification into the Champions League next year with Arsenal losing to Aston Villa today. Darren Bent's two goals were enough to secure three points for Villa, or from a City point of view, prevent Arsenal from getting three points. Now although it doesn't sound too easy a task, all City have to do is beat Stoke on Tuesday and then Bolton on the last day.

So City fans, what do you make of the past couple of days? What are your expectations for next year?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Rangers Make No Mistakes

2011-05-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Rangers were today confirmed as the Spl champions as they thrashed Kilmarnock 5-1. Rangers went into the game knowing that the outcome of the title race was in their hands as they were a point ahead of Celtic. Both sets of fans couldn't have asked of anymore form their teams as Celtic beat Motherwell just as comfortably beating them 4-0.

It was a poor showing by Kilmarnock as Rangers were up by three just after seven minutes. They might as well have crowned Rangers champions at half time. It was an emotional day for Walter Smith as it is to be his last game as Rangers boss but he couldn't of had a better send off as his team, although helped by the quite shambolic Kilmarnock on the day, were simply magnificent. Kyle Lafferty capped of his impressive season by scoring a hat-trick, paying tribute to Walter Smith afterwards.

Although the second half of the Scottish season has been over-shadowed by death threats and parcel bombs that have been sent to Neil Lennon, not to mention the attempted attack on him midweek against Hearts, Lennon intends on standing strong and tall as he confirmed that he will remain the Celtic boss stating that "this isn't the end, this is the beginning". Although a 4-0 win wasn't enough to regain the title, the Celtic Park faithful were delighted with this news.

So even though this season will be remembered more for the Neil Lennon antics, today will definitely be remembered as we say goodbye, for now, to a legend of Scottish football and look at Lennon in admiration as he looks to stay on despite the carry on of the past couple of months.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Man United Win 19th League Title

2011-05-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today, Man United secured their 19th league title. By doing this, they overtake Liverpool's record of 18 league titles. I think it is fairly easy to see that the "Ferguson era" will be remembered for years to come and no doubt Sir Alex will not only go down in United but also football folklore as one of the greatest managers we have ever witnessed. Although the people of the world now know that there are two teams in Manchester and that United should no longer be considered just as "Manchester", Man United still do dominate English and will do for many years to come.

Man United went into today's game against Blackburn knowing that a point would be enough for them to bring the title back to Old Trafford. Although, it was quite a shaky start by both United and Kuszczak as they conceded after just 20 minutes. Going into the last 25 minutes or so the United fans became very impatient and to be honest they had every right. United had all the possession but just weren't making the most of it. But finally in the 73rd minute, they made a breakthrough.

After Robinson clipped the heels of Hernandez there was only one place he was going, down to the ground. After some disputing between the referee and the players of both teams, the penalty was awarded. Rooney, although looking quite reluctant, slotted the ball home.

I really fancy Man United's chances in the Champions League final now. They have, to be fair, really impressed me over the past couple of months and have a back four that any club in the world would love to have even though I am bit skeptical when it comes to the right-back position.

Their celebrations might be overshadowed as they watch the streets of Manchester packed with City fans celebrating their first cup glory in 35 years but I think by Sunday, how big a feat it is to get to 19 league titles will be realised by everyone.

So what do you think United fans? How long will this era last for?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Man City's Goal Is Achieved

2011-05-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

After three years of trying, Man City finally sealed their place in the Champions League with the possibility of getting automatic qualification still on the cards. With one eye firmly on the Cup final this weekend, it's hard to blame some City fans for forgetting just how important yesterdays game was, myself included. City had Peter Crouch to thank for booking their place in next years campaign as he scored an own goal that proved to be very decisive.

A lot of pressure, inevitably, has been on Mancini to get a result from this season. After City were knocked out of the Europa League, a competition in which some were expecting City to at least get to the semi's, the pressure intensified and it was either fourth spot or bye bye to poor old Mancini. That could have happened but instead City are now in with a great shout of winning the F.A Cup and have the Champions League to look forward to next season.

I think it's obvious that the owners will look to increase the City squad which is already crammed with top class players but I think only one or two signings should do the trick. I think the vital thing that the owners are getting wrong is that you have to build, and more importantly keep, the same group of players for a long period of time.I think they only have to look at their fierce rivals, Man United, to see that winning teams have players that have been at the club for a lengthy time. Giggs, Scholes, Charlton. All United legends and have all been in cup winning sides and all of them were at United for at least 10 years or so.

With the starting XI and especially the squad, I don't think there is much need for many arrivals this summer. AC Milan's top striker, Ibrahimovich, is the latest player to be linked with a move to Eastlands. According to Football Corner, a move is definitely on the cards.

So, City fans in particular, what is your reaction to qualifying for the Champions League? Do you think City need to make any changes?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

If you wouldn't mind following me on twitter (@n_dj_walsh), I would really appreciate it.

Chelsea Will Make A Mistake If They Decide To Get Rid Of Ancelotti

2011-05-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

So with the title looking very likely to be making its way back to Old Trafford, what next for Chelsea? They have had a decent season to be fair. But their "bad spell" for the season just ran on for too long and they were just out of their depth when trying to retain the title with only a few months left and well off the pace.

The Chelsea team is starting to age a little with the likes of Drogba and Lampard still being the driving force of the team. If not this summer, maybe the next will have to be the point where Chelsea have to consider going through a reprocessing stage.

Although I do say it has been a decent season for Chelsea, in many respects it's been a bit of a disaster. Being knocked out of the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup all at relatively early stages has put a real dampener on their season when they look back on it.

The exit of Ray Wilkins seems to have been a mistake as it seems it shook up the team as they had to get used to some new surroundings as far as the coaching is concerned. As soon as he left, their season just went from bad to worse and after such an amazing start it was hard to believe it was the same team. I think next season will be a good one for Chelsea, they just have to find a way to get Torres back to his best.

I think getting rid of Ancelotti should be the last of Abramovich's priorities. He is a world class manager who knows how to win trophies. It is hard to tell though whether they do need to bring in anymore superb players or just young talent. Only time will tell I suppose.

So Chelsea fans, do you want to see Ancelotti leave? Do they need anymore players?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Also, if you wouldn't mind following me on twitter (@n_dj_walsh). I would really appreciate it.

Tottenham Fail To Capitalise

2011-05-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today, Spurs missed out on closing the gap between them and rivals Man City to just four points as they could only manage a one all draw against a struggling, but spirited, Blackpool outfit. Man City handed Everton three points as a very sloppy performance in the second half was enough for the Toffees to take the win. It seems that Man City might be experiencing the same difficulties Arsenal have when it comes to closing out games because I think it's somewhat fair to say that they were almost flawless in the first half but just fell apart in the second.

Tottenham had the metal advantage as their game was a late kick-off. They went into the game knowing City had lost and as a result knowing that a win would be a enough to count themselves in the race for the coveted fourth spot. Gomes didn't help his cause to stay out of the papers for the wrong reasons as he conceded a penalty just seconds after saving one.

A brave Charlie Adam stepped up again and this time made no mistakes. A fortunate Spurs, had to thank Defoe as he produced a very good finish in the last minute of the 90. It finished 1-1 and I'm sure all at White Hart Lane are getting ready for a long year next season with the Europa League staring them in the face.

Man City go into Tuesday nights game against Spurs knowing that a draw will guarantee them and more importantly, the owners, fourth spot. The draw isn't set in stone and we all know what happened last year when Spurs went to Eastlands. A rather fortunate Crouch goal was enough to seal their place in the 2010-11 Champions League campaign and what a campaign they had! I think if their season is anything to go by, City fans can expect big things next season.

I think it is fair to say that City have deserved there place in the Champions League, presuming they get there. They have been relatively consistent and have been wonderful to watch at times. As the ESPN commentator mentioned today, too many draws have been Tottenham's downfall this season.

What do you make of it? Can City set their sights on next season or do Tottenham still have a chance?

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

What Do Arsenal Have To Do?

2011-05-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

So after another season of trying, Arsenal still haven't managed to claim their first trophy in six years. We all know they play football in the right spirit but, what is the point in playing such glorious football when the end product is you finishing trophy-less. Arsene Wenger, it seems, is still refusing to invest big in this Summer's transfer window which has to be worrying for all Arsenal fans.

I understand that Arsenal are probably the most financially stable team in the league but still if the fans, players, staff and the owners are expecting trophies, there has to be a few changes made.

With the likelihood of Fabregas making a summer move to Barcelona increasing every day, it seems it is crucial that Wenger brings in some fresh talent, and better yet, a big name in the footballing world.

With three months left in the season, everything was sailing for Wenger and the Arsenal lads but then of course they lost to Birmingham to a Martins goal after some very clumsy Arsenal play and then it just went downhill from there. Within weeks they were knocked out of the FA cup and the Champions League and had begun to slip in the race for the title.

Arsenal fans seem like they are, just about, coping with the fact that they haven't won a trophy in so long but it is only a matter of time before they turn on him as there patience will surely run out. He has the right philosophy when it comes to the way football should be played but the end product just isn't there.

So, especially Arsenal fans, what do you make of Arsenal's season and would you sack Arsene Wenger? What players would you you like to see brought in?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

A Man United v Barcelona Final Looks Likely

2011-04-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Both Barcelona and Man United took massive leaps in their pursuit to securing their places in this years Champions League Final at Wembley. Both teams had the advantage of playing away in the first leg and made full use of it by running out 2-0 winners in their respective matches. So if all goes to plan in the second legs, then it looks like we're on for a repeat of the 2009 Champions League Final in which Barca won 2-0 in a very comfortable fashion.

On Tuesday, Man United took on the "surprise package" of this years Champions League, Schalke. Man United were simply untouchable, and as a City fan it really takes a lot to admit to that. The only thing preventing United winning by five or six was the very impressive, Manuel Neuer. Before the match, Neuer had been the topic of conversation when it came to transfer talk and with Man United in need of a goalkeeper next year, he has definitely put himself at No.1 of United's transfer targets.

On Wednesday, it was El Classico V, as yet again Barcelona took on Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. This showed as both teams cancelled each other out in quite a dull affair. The match was filled with controversy, from start to finish and even after the match had finished. In total, there were three sending offs, only one off which actually occurred on the pitch. First it was Barca's sub keeper, Pinto, who wanted to get involved and started a row as the teams were making their way to the changing rooms. Then, Pepe was sent off after the referee deemed that his challenge on Alves was late and reckless. Mourinho was then sent off for complaining about the decision.

Overall, it was just generally a bad game of football with the only piece of magic coming from, who else, but the sublime Messi as he scored a Maradona-esque goal as he ran circles around the Madrid defence before finally putting the ball past Casillas and into the Madrid net.

With Man United playing the way they did on Tuesday, I would have to fancy them should they reach the final. What do you think about both games? Who do you think will reach the final?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Man City Look To Extend Gap To Four Points

2011-04-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Man City have the opportunity to increase their chances of getting their hands on fourth spot. The only thing standing in their way of getting three points tonight is Blackburn. While City are aspiring to get into the Champions League, Blackburn are simply desperate to stay in the Premiership. Not even a point tonight for Blackburn would do them the whole world of good.

Man City have a massive chance of almost securing fourth spot with wins in their next two games. But they would have to rely on Chelsea to beat Spurs this weekend if they were able to create a seven point gap. Man City's next fixture after tonight is a home game at Eastlands against a struggling West Ham side. Nothing short of a win, even a comfortable win, will leave the City faithful satisfied.

Blackburn are anything but safe from the drop as they fight for survival in the upcoming weeks. They are a point off the bottom three and have only managed to pick up three points off their last four games. Games against Wolves and West Ham are included in their remaining fixtures and the result of each will definitely prove crucial by the end of the season.

So in a must win game for both it should be interesting to see if both teams cancel each other out as both sets of players look to score. I would be surprised if Blackburn aren't the team with more of a defensive approach with City having more of the possession. With City fans still hungover from their derby day win at Wembley, I'm sure only a win is expected.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Manchester United Do It Again

2011-01-29T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today, Man United showed yet again why they should never be written off at any point during a match. They came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 against Southampton in the FA Cup. Their "never say die" attitude is one of the reasons that a majority of people are backing the Red Devils to be lifting the Premiership title and other honours by the end of the season. Goals by Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Michael Owen sealed United's place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

After conceding late goals against Everton and Fulham that denied them victory at the start of the season, it seems that lapses in concentration have been removed from the system. United seem to be at their best in the last ten minutes as they have recorded two victories by means of a comeback. I'm referring of course to their victory today and their victory earlier this week against Blackpool as they showed great character to comeback from 2-0 down to leave Bloomfield Road 2-3 winners.

Man United are still unbeaten this season but people are still doubting the prospect of them repeating the success of the 2003/04 Arsenal "invincibles" team. Although they do have Chelsea still to play twice and Man City will be visiting Old Trafford next month, I don't see any reason why they can't. After all, I think it is fair to say that they haven't reached their full potential this season.

With the form Berbatov is in, it does seem that they won't have to rely on the Rooney of old and with the ability of Hernandez, it seems that Rooney might even struggle to find himself in the starting XI more often than not. With the managerial talent that Ferguson possesses, I wouldn't write them off.

So, will they win the league and in the process go the whole season unbeaten?

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

One Striker On His Way In While One Possibly Heading Out

2011-01-28T15:42:00.000-08:00

It wasn't looking very good for Liverpool only a month or so ago but after the weekend's victory at Molineux against Wolves it looks like the Anfield faithful will soon be chanting with joy as it looks like Luis Suarez looks a certainty to join the ranks at Liverpool. But just as it looked like Liverpool were on the verge of having one of the most formidable strike duos, Torres crushed that possibility as he requested that he is allowed to talk to Chelsea.

After the World Cup, with the exception of the late Paul the Octopus, Luis Suarez was the name that was reasonably unknown before the World Cup, that everyone was going to remember in the near future. Not only for his controversial hand ball which ultimately denied Ghana from becoming the first African nation to reach World Cup Semi Finals but for his, at times, sublime play. He will surely be a real asset for Liverpool and shouldn't disappoint.

Now to the player, with the exception of Wayne Rooney, who will want to forget the Summer of 2010 as quickly as possible, Fernando Torres. After an unbelievably good start to his Liverpool career, it just seems that Torres can't find the form that made him so popular on Merseyside. He showed glimpses at the weekend though, that might signal the start of a goalscoring run that the Liverpool fans have been dying to see.

But although Liverpool have insisted that the Spain international is not for sale, Torres has insisted that he would like to at least see what Chelsea have on offer. With only a few days left in the transfer window, Chelsea will have to act fast. Apparently, the offer on the table is 35 million pounds. With the arrival of Suarez practically complete, you would have to think that Liverpool would be a little less reluctant to let go of the Spaniard if the right offer was made.

If Liverpool are to keep Torres and sign Suarez and get both strikers to reach the standard that we know they are capable of, then with a bit of luck, the fourth spot could be within Liverpool's sights.

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

For more football news check out In The Stands now.

Why Did Bent Decide To Move To Aston Villa?

2011-01-19T14:26:00.001-08:00

In a shock move, Darren Bent has obviously decided that Villa Park is the place to be even though they happen to be in 17th position and no doubt a relegation battle. He left Sunderland, who are in a very respectable 6th position in the premier league with a Europa League spot very much on the cards.

Is it me, or am I right to be slightly baffled by Bent's decision? I don't know, maybe Bent sees something that we don't. All I'm saying is that it just seems strange that he would move to a club that, very clearly, are struggling to keep their Premier League status.

Sunderland have shown some tremendous performances, most notably against a very poor Chelsea side but a 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge none the less. They have shown quality and I wouldn't put it past them to do well in the Europa League should they qualify. Steve Bruce has put a team together, that on their day, can beat anyone in the Premiership at the moment.

Now to Aston Villa. I think it's fair to say that they have had a below-par season struggling to win games this season that they would have won with little effort last season. So obviously, like Chelsea with Ray Wilkins, the loss of staff has really affected their season as Martin O'Neill decided to take an early exit from Villa Park. Gerard Houllier has struggled to have an impact on the way that Villa have gone about their football, showing in their poor form.

So, who would you decide to play for? I think it's fairly clear that Sunderland are in the better form and position in the league, so what was the motivation for Darren Bent's audacious move away from the Stadium of Light. It does seem rather mind boggling. I think it is fair to say, that Bent hasn't been Sunderland's top dog in front of goal. For me, Welbeck has proved to be slightly more affective this season so maybe that had an affect on Bent's decision.

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

Pienaar Should NOT Leave Everton

2011-01-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

Remember the time when Jolean Lescott was the star on the rise, the leader for England's next generation for central defenders. Well around that time, Man City decided to go into their pockets and cough up a pricey £20 million or so for the big man. Where is he now? Not really doing much at the City of Manchester Stadium and has gone out of contention of being the next solid defender that England manage to produce.

For this reason, I think it would be wise of Pienaar to stay put at Goodison Park. I think it would be an awful shame if he quickly fizzled out and became practically unknown in some parts of the world. Of course he will still be known here and of course in his native South Africa but where else?

Since arriving at Goodison, David Moyes has done what a lot of managers aspire to do. Get a relatively unknown player which will leave a lot of people bemused at the decision and then prove all the doubters wrong by making him into a valuable asset. A lot of managers have tried this with only the best being able to emulate the success of managers like Moyes so I think that is a testament to Moyes as well.

In case you haven't heard, Tottenham and Chelsea are the two clubs interested in the South African. Now I don't about you, but with the quality of players that both teams have, it's hard seeing Pienaar getting a first team spot more often than not. He has proven that he can deliver in big matches and can score and create goals, but I just think it isn't the right move for him at this present time.

With the proposed offer being in and around the region of £3 million, I'm surprised Everton aren't holding out for more especially with the kind of quality that he possesses and especially when you see that Aston Villa have reportedly offered Sunderland £18 million for Darren Bent.

So do you think he should leave Goodison? What do you think would be the best move for his career?

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

Do Arsenal Ever Stop Complaining?

2011-01-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

It's quite clear that everyone loves to watch Arsenal play football. Why? Because they play the game right. No "Route 1" stuff, just fantastic, crisp passing on the deck. But if there is one thing gets me slightly aggravated, it's Arsenal's tendency to complain when things aren't going in their favour. Arsene Wenger is almost famous for saying that teams "are too rough" or "they kick us".

Don't get me wrong, half the time Wenger does have a valid point and sure how can you blame him for complaining. Two of the most horrific injuries I think that we have seen in the past two or three years have come at the cost of an Arsenal player's leg. Of course, I'm talking about the skillful and unfortunate Ramsey and Eduardo.

Lee Bowyer had to accept a three match ban due to literally kicking Bacary Sagna only a few weeks or so ago. So I think he does have every right to complain, you just wish he wouldn't go on about it so much.

Yet again though, it happened today as Arsenal skipper was caught saying that Ipswich used "rugby" tactics last night as they ran out 1-0 winners through a goal from Ipswich's Tamas Priskin at Portman Road. If you didn't watch the match, Fabregas wasn't complaining about rugby-like tackles but more about the obsessive use of the "route 1" option.

We all know that when we see Arsenal using the "route 1" option that they are in dire straits and are getting desperate by that stage. I'm sure most of this harmless rant was due to frustration but it was inevitable that Arsenal weren't going to accept losing to a team that is a league below them but there is still no need for the outburst.

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

Is Gareth Bale That Good?

2011-01-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

Today, Roberto Mancini boldly stated that if Spurs were to lose Bale, they would lose 50% of their potential. Now, I know he is good, but is he that good? I think the only reason we aren't seeing offers left, right and centre for the Welshman is because Redknapp knows he is one of the most feared players in the world and wouldn't dare to sell him. I think the only man that would have the nerve to contradict Redknapp when he says that Bale is unavailable would be Mancini himself.

I don't know what Bale did over the Summer but whatever he did, I think a lot of players will be taking a leaf out Bale's book as they attempt to become the hottest property in world football. When he joined, he was well publicised as being the new kid sensation and didn't really live up to the hype. We then find out that the only thing that was missing was that he was playing left-back not left-midfield.

A few more years of the same form that Bale has been showing in the past few months then we seriously might have a Welsh Ballon d'Or winner. I'd say he is only behind Messi, Iniesta and Xavi in the list of the world's best players. I'm sorry Tottenham fans but it seems that it is only a matter of time before Bale makes the move away from White Hart Lane.

But is this just a phase of good fortune. I'm not underestimating the player but it could just be. I hope not because if so, there goes Tottenham's chances of doing well in the Champions League unless, of course, the likes of Modric and Van Der Vaart can win it for them single handedly. Bale has proved he can play against the best and not get phased by the hype surrounding the match.

Bale has clearly stated that he wants to stay put but there is bound to be an offer with big money involved soon. Tottenham have felt the pressure this season to retain the coveted fourth spot and with the odds stacked highly against them to do so, that might have a say in Gareth Bale's future. I wouldn't bet against them but yet again, if I'm being brutally honest, I think they will come just too short and unless they win the Champions League they might have to settle for Europa League football next season.

So was Mancini right to say what he said or is he over-rating the Welshman?

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

2010. What A Year For Howard Web. 2011. Not So Much

2011-01-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

It's been hard to go onto a football site lately and not hear about the controversy that Howard Webb caused in the Man United v Liverpool match on Sunday. Although the penalty was a bit dubious, I think he got the sending off of Steven Gerrard spot on.

I think we should cut him a bit of slack though. He is easily one of the best English referees at the moment and you can't doubt that especially with the credentials that he has to his name. Unlike a lot of the referees that we see today, I think it is fair to say that Mr.Webb doesn't get pushed around by the players into making decisions.

I don't think the year could have got off to a worse start and especially after last year in which we couldn't run out of superlatives to describe the policeman, 2011 might just be the year that brings him back down to earth.

FIFA and UEFA found him worthy of refereeing both the Champions League and World Cup final respectively in the same year. I think it is fair to say that he didn't have his best performance in the World Cup final which was of course contested between Holland and Spain in Johannesburg.

But in fairness he didn't get much assistance from the likes of Marc Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong, in which they led the public to believe that it was a Kung Fu tutorial rather than a football match. Not even Spain could turn it in to a match worthy of watching as we had to endure 120 minutes of drivel.

Ryan Babel obviously didn't care what Webb achieved in 2010 as he had this to say "And they call him one of the best referees? That's a joke." Babel, like many others, knew he wasn't going to get away with it and quickly withdrew his comments. But do you agree with Babel? Is he over-rated? I personally don't think so, don't we all have "a bad day at the office"?

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

It's Official, Messi Is The Best Player In The World

2011-01-10T15:24:00.000-08:00

Lionel Messi today picked up the Balon d'Or award and added to his already stacked trophy cabinet. In the year that the debate of who is the best player in the world was discussed more than any other year, it seems there is just no touching Messi. Although, I was relatively surprised with the decision to announce Messi as the winner.

I say this because the two men that were in contention of picking up the honour as well were none other than Barcelona team mates and midfield maestro's, Xavi and Iniesta. After having an amazing year with both club and country and picking up the World Cup on the way, it seems even that wasn't enough.

Yet again, who can complain? After all, most people I'm sure are left speechless after some of the sublime trickery Messi puts on show for the whole world to see. Some say "he is the new Maradona", but isn't he giving Maradona a run for his money for being the best ever? Unfortunately, I was conceived a bit too late to see the wonders that Maradona had on offer but "the goal" that he scored against England at Mexico '86 was simply artistry in motion.

Is he the greatest ever? I think the simple answer is no or maybe I should say, not yet. He definitely has the time to prove his greatness and truly mark his name in football folklore as the greatest ever and by god does he have the talent to achieve that goal.

I'll take my hat off to Xavi and Iniesta though. In any other era of football either of them could have won hands down. You also have to feel sympathy for them, to be as good as they are, and still not be in with a shout is mind boggling. What sort of a message does this send to the teams of the World, and more importantly, European football. They have the three best players that we've laid our eyes on and have had the absolute honour of seeing the beautiful game played at it's best in the past few years.

So is he/can he be the best ever? Did he deserve the Ballon d'Or award, if not, who should have?

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

It Was Only A Matter Of Time Before Hodgson Left

2011-01-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

Today, Roy Hodgson has left Liverpool with Kenny Daglish taking over until the end of the season. Let's be honest, it was only a matter of time. When I heard the news, I wasn't in shock, I don't think anyone was. In all fairness though, his players didn't give him much help. Can you name one player that has even been half decent so far this season? If the national side was picked on current form, like it should be, Gerrard shouldn't stand a chance of getting into England's squad for the next set of matches.

Liverpool didn't have a dismal start to the season but a 3-2 loss at Old Trafford to league leaders Man United, looking back on it, was when Liverpool's season took a turn for the worst. After a season where they could only manage a very mediocre 7th position, they got rid of Benitez and brought in Hodgson.

Joe Cole was supposed to be the signing of the season and Liverpool were supposed to have a cracking season. But the Anfield faithful have had very little to cheer about with both Cole and more importantly Hodgson both failing to impress.

There is no doubt that Roy Hodgson regrets leaving Fulham but we can't really blame him for leaving to a certain extent. After all Liverpool are one of, if not the, greatest team in British history. But as we all know, they have failed to win the one of the most prized possessions in modern day football, the Premier League title.

Where to now for Liverpool? It isn't looking too bad for the club, after all they are still in the Europa League and although they are in danger of dropping into the relegation battle, I'm sure Liverpool fans are confident that Daglish can work his wonders.

I would love to hear any comments that you may have, especially Liverpool fans.

Man United Need A Player Like Lassana Diarra

2011-01-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

We are now a week into the transfer window and with many clubs yet too make their move for the player that they are seeking, we are hearing rumors left, right and centre. It has been very quiet in the transfer window, with the main talking point being the chase to get Beckham on a loan move.

It looks like that saga is coming to an end with Tottenham declaring that they are close to getting the signature of the former England captain. Just like Man City did two and a half years ago, Blackburn are adamant on making a big impression in the Premier League as they are hopeful, actually make that very hopeful, of signing Ronaldinho.

Manchester United have expressed their desire to sign Lassana Diarra for obvious reasons. With the injury prone Hargreaves and the elderly Paul Scholes, Man United are stuck for holding midfielders and on top of that Diarra is under-rated in my view and can show his brilliance at times. He was somewhat unknown until he arrived at the Bernabeu after Real Madrid poached him off Portsmouth. Mourinho has said that he would like to keep hold of the Frenchman and announced that he does have a part to play in his plans.

Scholes isn't getting any younger and with rumors that Hargreaves is on his way out of Old Trafford, United could be stuck with no holding midfielder by the start of next season. But like I said, Mourinho seems adamant that Diarra stays but I'm sure he wouldn't mind a whole lot if he has the likes of Xabi Alonso there already.

There are plenty of defensive midfielders there for United to go after. They might even try and get their hands on one of Man City's holding midfielders. With the presence that they have, they could get anyone they wanted. They might even try and disturb Barcelona and make a bid for Busquets if they wanted to although it would be difficult to persuade him away from the Nou Camp

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

It's Not All Doom And Gloom For West Ham

2011-01-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

Now we here it every year about who is bottom at Christmas, and that it is an almost certainty that the team who end up in that dreaded position will go down. This year, it was West Ham's turn to to take the title of "the club that were bottom at Christmas" but since Avram Grant got a three match warning a month or so ago, he seems to have turned it around for the better.

The Premiership is getting praised more than ever because of the fact that there are three or four teams that can genuinely win the title, but the relegation battle looks more like a battle than ever before. Only two points separate West Ham, who are of course last, and Fulham, who are in 14th position. For some reason, it looks more likely that Liverpool will go down than Blackpool, so it's all to play for, for any team in the bottom half I reckon.

The last time it was this close, West Brom went into the last game of the season rock bottom of the table and somehow managed to survive so the omens aren't looking too bad for the Hammers. Avram Grant's job at Upton Park seems under less scrutiny as the weeks go by and that is an encouraging sign for all Premiership managers I'd say.

Now I know what you're going to say "they just lost 5-0 against Newcastle last night" but don't all teams have as Avram Grant described it himself, a "bad day at the office". A lot of people reckon it'll be the three W's that will go down, West Ham, Wigan and Wolves but I don't think that that is going to be entirely the case. Like I said, it's all to play for and it would be arrogant to make a prediction this early.

So West Ham fans, do you believe Avram Grant can keep your club safe from the drop?

I would love to hear any comments that you may have and predictions on this topic.

Man City On The Verge Of Improving Their Attacking Options

2011-01-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Man City have announced that they have agreed a fee for Bosnian Edin Dzeko. With Man City also on the verge of losing their only good aerial player up front (Adebayor), this move seems almost vital if City want to have a serious chance of winning the league. Now don't worry Man City fans, he isn't coming to the club with the same reputation that Georgios Samaras had a few years back, good in the air but struggles to finish when the ball is at his feet. Unlike Samaras, Dzeko can score with both his head and feet and has quite a prolific goalscoring record.

Now I'm not trying to be biased but with the signing of Dzeko practically complete, are there many teams, if any, that have more depth to their attacking options.
Matt Le Tissier said it himself. Edin Dzeko does seem to be the type of player that Tevez needs playing along side him. He seems the sort of player that can come in when Tevez is injured or when Balotelli is being a pain in the backside.

But with the proposed arrival of Dzeko, this means that the struggle to keep everyone happy at Man City will increase for Mancini. You only had to watch the news yesterday to see that the Man City camp isn't quite so merry, as two former Arsenal team mates Adebayor and Kolo Toure got into a scuffle at training. As if the pressure on Mancini wasn't high enough by the owners, now with at least three or four players that won't be happy weekly due to lack of games, the pressure will be unbearable.

So with Dzeko coming in and presuming he is going to start more often than not, it is hard to see who will have to make way for the Bosnian. Either way, whatever happens Man City will have a bench that will surely be feared by any team in world football, with most players being able to come on and make a difference.

Man City face Arsenal tonight in a game which will surely decide if City should be taken seriously in regards to the title race. With the game being at the Emirates, I can see Man City getting much out of the game but I'm sure Mancini and the rest of his squad will love to prove the doubters wrong.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Don't forget to check out Football Corner if you want more football news.

Will Beckham Return To The Premiership?

2011-01-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

We all know that David Beckham has expressed his desire to return to the Premiership but with Arsenal and Man United both ruling themselves out to sign the former England captain, who will want to sign him? Both Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson have either explained that he is just not at the right age or that there is no room in their respective squads. You wouldn't have to be that smart to think that Old Trafford would be his preferred destination.

The former England captain, has been itching to get his chance to impress Fabio Capello again and prove that he is not too old. He feels that a move to the Premier League will improve his chances of getting that opportunity. Apart from being a few million pound richer, the move to LA Galaxy hasn't really done his career any good. Needless to say, Beckham has had an illustrious career but does he still have "it"? Even if he had half of what he had ten years ago, he would still be a player worth signing.

Can we really blame Ferguson and Wenger for not showing interest in Beckham though? After all, he is 35 years of age and for two teams who are serious challengers for the title this year to sign a player of that age would be a bit unnecessary. So it seems Beckham will have to settle with a team below the top four, although it does seem that Tottenham are very interested in signing Beckham.

But if it isn't Spurs who will it be and will it be good enough for Beckham? Maybe a team along the lines of Bolton or Sunderland would be a suitable choice. Maybe not at the standard of Arsenal or United but like Jordan Henderson and Kevin Davies have shown, you can still get recognised by the England boss.

He received the lifetime achievement award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Ceremony, so that is showing a sign of his age. There is no doubt that he has been great for England, but is he not at the stage where he should think about giving up his pursuit of winning back the number seven jersey for his country?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Liverpool seem to be the topic of conversation for all football fans, so why not check out Live4Liverpool for more in depth analysis.

Is It A Two Horse Race For The Premiership Title?

2010-12-23T13:09:00.000-08:00

Today Man United winger Nani, boldly claimed that Arsenal and Man City should not be considered as serious title contenders. I can see where he is coming from to a certain degree but to count out any team at this early stage is a bit arrogant. Even Tottenham have a shout of winning the league. For me, the league table doesn't lie, so why should Man City and Arsenal be ruled out even though they are both ahead Chelsea.

Since the season of the "invincible's" in which they went the entire 2003/04 season unbeaten and picked up the title on the their way, Arsenal have struggled to succeed in any competition. In fact, they haven't won a single trophy since that season. They have come close of course but just fell a little too short. But we all know that they play some of, if not the, best football around today. With their elegance and their lack of "Route One" football, it's almost hard not to watch them play. So although they have been known not to hold their nerve, I think it's harsh to say that they shouldn't be considered as serious challengers for the title.

Now to Man City. Yet again I completely see where Nani is coming from when he says that City shouldn't be taken seriously as Premiership contenders. But at the same time, when you are third in the league at Christmas, and you wasted the chance to go top, to be told that you don't really have a chance, I think this is slightly harsh. But like I said I do see where Nani is coming from, after all, City were only taken over two years ago and we have seen that they are far from the complete package. But they should be taken seriously because on their day, they do look impressive.

As for Chelsea, even though they are the current champions, they have been far from convincing this season. They have lost points on countless occasions when really they should have had the three points in the bag. With the loss of Ray Wilkins, it seems they have lost their rhythm and with players like Drogba and Malouda not on form, they have struggled to grind out victories. They did show an improvement against Spurs though.

So do you think Nani was right to say this? Which teams do you think have a genuine chance of winning the league?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Benitez's "Holiday" At Inter Comes To An End

2010-12-22T05:47:00.000-08:00

After just little over six months in charge, Inter Milan decided to call it a day with Rafa Benitez. After such great success last year for Inter, nothing really materialised under Rafa Benitez. With failure to get top spot in the group stages of the Champions League and a poor display in Serie A which leaves them lying in 7th position obviously wasn't enough.

It seems that the now famous press conference in which he ranted on about Sir Alex Ferguson and other topics, not only had an effect on Liverpool's season but also his career. This might come as a surprise to some after Inter Milan just picked up the FIFA Club World Cup title over in Abu Dhabi. But it seemed it was only a matter of time before he got the sack. But I can't see why Inter fans would expect more of the same from last year because we all know that Mourinho is somewhat in a league of his own.

Benitez, 50, will now be on the minds of many club owners who are manager-less, especially in the Premiership you would think. But how much of a fall would that be, to go from the European champions to the likes of Blackburn. No disrespect to Blackburn fans but I think you would agree that you're not at the same level as Inter Milan. Of course Benitez does have Premiership experience as a manager after being, for the most part, a success at Anfield. Who can ever forget that memorable night in Istanbul back in 2005.

I think it was the right decision, as it didn't look like it was going to get any better, especially now that we're into the Last 16 of the Champions League and a repeat of last years final is coming up. But who will take his place? There aren't that many quality managers that are just hanging around and I'm sure they don't want to go many weeks with a caretaker boss. I just don't get why you would sack a manager half way during the season. Now they have to get a new manager who has to settle in and chances are he won't have enough time to get the results he wants.

So what do you think will happen now with Rafa Benitez and more so Inter Milan? Was it time for him to go or do you think he should have got at least the full season?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Chelsea Interested In Tottenham Star....But It's Not Bale

2010-12-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

There is just over a week to go till the transfer window for January opens and if we are to believe what we read, Carlo Ancelotti is lining up a move for Luka Modric. Modric, 25, has been under the radar because of the excellence of Gareth Bale this season. Luka Modric signed for Spurs just before Euro 2008, and just as well, as the little Croatian impressed in the tournament. Overall, he has impressed up to now in the Spurs jersey and that seems to be enough for Chelsea and Carlo Ancelotti to be interested in the Croatian.

Chelsea seem to be struggling this season and Ancelotti must feel he is the missing ingredient in the hunt to retain the Premiership title. I don't think it will be a good move for Modric because with Lampard coming back and a whole host of world class midfielders and forwards, where would he fit in? If he did go, there would be a high possibility of it being like the Shaun Wright-Phillips saga way back in 2005. As a result of him going, he got bare minimum when it came to starting appearances and at times he struggled even to get on the bench.

Anyway, why would you want to leave Tottenham at this moment in time. In the last 16 of the Champions League and only seven points off the top of the league in fifth place. Saying that, that's only if Ancelotti is interested in signing the Croatian this January, we might have to wait till the Summer of 2011 for Chelsea to splash the cash. And like every other transfer story it could be just rumours. Although, I wouldn't be 100% surprised if this transfer does go through.

This could hinder Tottenham's season if it did happen. Just because there might not be room for Modric in the Chelsea side, there is more than enough room for him in the Spur's side with many of the midfielders at White Hart Lane being defensive-minded. He links up the midfield to the attack and without him, for me, it would be a huge loss whether people are talking about him or not.

So what do you think he should do should Chelsea offer him a contract? For me, Bale edges Modric overall, but do you agree?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

He Betrays United, Then City And Now He Wants To Go Back To United?

2010-12-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Unless your TV is broken or your mum has confiscated it, you would have seen a lot happening regarding the future of Carlos Tevez. The City front man released a statement a week or so ago clearly declaring that he would like to leave the City Of Manchester stadium. Now, if he wants to go that badly let him leave but now rumours are spreading that Man United would be his club of choice should he go. But like many other people are wondering, not only the fans but the players as well, would he be accepted back?

For me, he has already betrayed Man City. Even though he is still under contract at City, we do know that he would prefer to leave the club and that's enough to count as betrayal. But to supposedly say that he would like to walk a couple of miles back up to Old Trafford, I'd say that would make any Man City fan clench their fist. After months of speculation, Tevez finally put pen to paper in 2009 to sign a contract for City, snubbing United in the process.

So would you (Man United fans in particular) relish the chance see Tevez play in a United jersey again or would you prefer to see Alex Ferguson, in a way, punish the Argentine for not signing back in the Summer of 2009? I can see why Tevez would like to join the Red Devils again, after all they probably do have a better chance of winning the Premiership for this season at least anyway. But if you had to look at the plan that City have for the long term future, which the new owners said that the investment would be, a long term plan, then I think he should play with City.

Man City play Everton tonight at the City Of Manchester stadium. The match will go ahead after the pitch survived the awful, but delightful weather in some respects, that we have been getting over the weekend. It is believed that Mancini will give Tevez a place in the starting line-up but it is yet to be seen if he will lead out the team as captain. It will also be interesting to see the reaction of the crown towards the Argentine. You can see all the action on "Monday Night Football" which starts at 19:00 on Sky Sports 1.

I would love to hear any comments that you may have

Is He The Greatest Manager Of All Time?

2010-12-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

Today, Sir Alex Ferguson passed Sir Matt Busby's record of the longest running Manchester United manager of all time. You probably don't need me to tell you this, but this is quite an achievement. How often do we see on the news that a manager has been sacked, especially from one of the big teams. It's almost kind of strange not to hear about a sacking in the Premiership at least once every one or two months but to keep your job for twenty-four years or so is just incredible.

There are a few examples to show you how long he has been United manager. First one would be that he has faced a lot of managers that he had at United as a player. For example you have Steve Bruce, Roy Keane and Bryan Robson, all United legends in their own right. The other obvious one is to see how many Man City managers have come and gone while Sir Alex has been Man United boss. The amount of City managers that have been sacked during Ferguson's time as United boss comes up to a staggering seventeen managers with the longest running, believe it or not, being Kevin Keegan.

Not really known as a player, partly because he played all his football in Scotland, Sir Alex has definitely left his mark on the football world as a manager. He has a long list of achievements with Man United, most notably the season where he led United to the treble in 1999 and who can ever forget the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in the Nou Camp. He has won an unprecedented amount of Premier League titles, winning eleven in total.

So is he the best manager around or even of all time? There is no doubt, for me, that he is the best manager in Premiership history. There aren't many that even come close to his caliber. I can only think of maybe two, and no it's not Jose Mourinho, Franz Beckenbauer or even the inventor of "Total Football", Rinus Michels. It would have to be the greatest manger England never had, Brian Clough and the reason Liverpool F.C are who they are today, Bill Shankly. But I think Sir Alex Ferguson tops the list.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

World Cup 2022 In January?

2010-12-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

Michel Platini has announced that there is a chance that the FIFA World Cup in 2022 could be held in January. If the fact that FIFA gave the honor of hosting the World Cup to Qatar wasn't strange enough, it now seems that there is a possibility it will be held the in Winter. Obviously, it won't be snowing in Qatar but with many matches going on in the European Leagues during winter, what are they going to do. Take a break?

I think everyone was baffled to hear that Qatar were the name of the nation that came out of the envelope that was held by the despised Sepp Blatter. I don't want to get into the argument of whether or not Qatar should have won the bid because I think I've already made myself clear that I think it's rather ridiculous that they did. But now with the prospect of the tournament being held in January, I think it's just gotten ludicrous by this stage.

I don't know how anyone can take FIFA and UEFA seriously at times because of some of the desicions they make. Sepp Blatter said the decision to make Qatar the hosts of the 2022 World Cup was purely to spread the game, not for money. I don't see why that would be the reason, I thought it was whoever who had the best proposed bid. Some of the stadiums look like something out of this world, a little bit too good in other words. I can't see them being 100% built the way they were designed.

You can't have the World Cup in January, it's, as you might have guessed, not the norm. The football association's of a lot of countries will have to restructure the format of the league and fixtures for just that season. What happened to the proposed air conditioning stadiums? Already there is, what seems to be be, a bit of a porky pie in the Qatar bid. But it's still early days, so this could just be speculation.

So what will FIFA decide to do? Platini had this to say "The temperature in Dallas during the 1994 World Cup was 45 degrees Celsius, if I'm not mistaken, in 1994 and nobody criticized the USA at the time." So is this a sign that it is just rumors and a bit of speculation?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Round Of 16 Draw Doesn't Fail To Disappoint

2010-12-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

We found out today the fixtures for the round of sixteen in the Champions League. There are a few, with no disrespect, "mickey mouse" matches such as Copenhagen v Chelsea, which should be one sided in the favour of Chelsea. You also have Valencia v Schalke, which isn't necessarily a "mickey mouse" match but I won't really be paying much attention to it. On the plus side, we have some tasty matches. Tottenham will be facing AC Milan, Inter Milan host Bayern Munich in the first leg, and of course, Arsenal v Barcelona.

If Arsenal fans thought it was ok that their team could only achieve second in their group, they'll think again as the Gunners got none other than Barcelona. We have seen how good Barca can be this season, with the perfect example being their performance against Real Madrid, thrashing the renewed "Galacticos" 5-0 at the Nou Camp. However, we have seen the brilliance in Arsenal's attack. With both attacks second to none, I am really hoping for a classic over the two legs.

A week or so ago, I was discussing about whether or not it was better to get second in the group stages because a few top sides had failed to impress such as Arsenal and Inter Milan. But it seems that Inter are better off than Tottenham, who of course were both in Group A, as they managed to get Bayern Munich while Tottenham have to face Inter's arch rivals AC Milan, even though Spurs managed to get top spot. I don't know about you, but I would prefer to face Bayern Munich rather than AC Milan, even though I would fear facing the German giants.

Typical Man United and Chelsea, but more so Chelsea, got it easy as Man United got Marseille and as I already mentioned Chelsea got the Danish side Copenhagen. I think if Ancelotti fails to get his side through to the quarter final it's bye bye to the Italian. I don't expect them to fail to progress, but you never know with the Chelsea as of late.

The first set of matches will be played in the week of the 15th/16th of February and the second set the week after. Whatever happens, big names are guaranteed to get knocked out, whether it be Arsenal or Barcelona or, Tottenham or AC Milan. Both matches shouldn't be missed.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Premiership Managers All Feeling The Pressure

2010-12-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

With two Premiership managers, Chris Hughton and Sam Allardyce, both being sacked within a week, is any manager safe from getting the sack? The only manager who I can think of, who more than likely won't get his marching orders is Sir Alex Ferguson. To some extent I would say Harry Redknapp and Arsene Wenger as well, unless they have a huge drop in form. The pressure is on for the managers with top teams, not just the teams in fear of being in the relegation battle.

Mancini has been convincing but some silly lost points surely must have had the owners questioning their decision to hire him last December. Another top manager for a top team who is most certainly under pressure to pick up points is Carlo Ancelotti. After such a great start, the sacking of Ray Wilkins seems to have had a big effect on their performances, and more importantly, their results.

If we are to believe what we hear, Avram Grant has three games to get his teams to winning ways or else he will be a jobless manager. In fairness, he hardly has a lot to work with. I think it's ridiculous to give a threat like that six months after you give the former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss the job. They have shown they can play a bit of football as they were unlucky to get losses against Sunderland and Arsenal, and of course the 4-0 thrashing of Man United in the Carling Cup. But watching West Ham face Man City at Upton Park, Scott Parker was West Ham, he was that influential. I don't know if that's telling us something about how good he is or how poor the Hammers actually are.

Roy Hodgson has been feeling the pressure since he arrived at Anfield but I don't think, like Avram Grant, he has had a lot to work with. There aren't many managers that could have done a better job than he's done. I'm sorry Liverpool fans, you can blame Roy Hodgson all you want but at the end of the day, when your second best central midfielder is at the caliber of Lucas, you know that you are going to struggle at times. If Liverpool did decide to get rid of Hodgson, it will only make things worse.

Who will be the next manager to go? Who knows, I don't know anyone who could have predicted the Sam Allardyce and Chris Hughton sackings. If managers have been given a fair whack at the job and it's just not working out then by all means, it's time to go. But sacking the manager after just a couple of months is just ridiculous.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

What Have Blackburn Got Themselves Into?

2010-12-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I was shocked to see that Sam Allardyce had got sacked by the new Indian owners who have just taken over less than a month ago. These lads must think they know what they are talking about, but they must be off their head's if they think they're going to get anywhere without a manager, especially with the Christmas fixtures coming up. With so many matches at this time, it is one of the most important parts of the season.

When I heard the news, I kind of saw it coming, this is always the case when teams get taken over by men who have money growing on trees. But just yesterday they announced that they were looking for a British manager and apart from maybe Harry Redknapp and Sir Alex Ferguson, there aren't many better than "Big Sam". If you don't remember, when the FA confirmed the manager after Fabio Capello will be British, Allardyce was one of the front runners with a lot of the bookies and with a lot of people.

Allardyce, 56, is now the second manager within a week to get the sack. As we all know, Chris Hughton got sacked after a 3-1 loss to West Brom away from home and in fairness he was missing two or three key players. The omens don't look good for any managers that are losing matches. With managers like Roy Hodgson and the likes of Mick McCarthy, who's side are second from bottom, are bound to feel the pressure in the next few weeks unless they get their respective teams to winning ways.

Steve Kean, who if I'm being honest I don't know a lot about, will now take charge of Blackburn for the foreseeable future until they find a manager who they think is fit for the job. However long that is, is for the owners to decide. But if we are to believe what they say, if Kean impresses, he will get the job. No matter how unknown he is, it seems. But I wouldn't take their word for it. Blackburn will face West Ham at Ewood Park and with no disrespect to West Ham and their fans, I don't think Kean could have got a better fixture to start off his new job.

So what are we to expect from the new owners, is it, to the disgust of everyone, Man City all over again? Will they try and "buy" the Premiership? Will they get the same abuse that Man City got for their crazy spending? They've already made a big decision with the sacking of Allardyce, was it the right one?

I would love to hear any comments you may have

FIFA World Cup 2010 - Easy To Forget

2010-12-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Sky Sports News showed a report on how the World Cup affected the people of South Africa and the country itself. The answer, not really. It is easy to say that the World Cup that we saw throughout June and at the start of July was not really at the standard we are used to seeing.

Not even the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could make any difference. It took my cousin Cathal, (who runs the very successful blog Football Corner) to make me realise how woeful the World Cup actually was. We are now six months on from the tournament that crowned Spain as champions for the first time and it's fair to say that it's pretty much forgotten. There wasn't much to show for it with a lot of matches and teams disappointing.

A lot was expected from nations such as England, Brazil and to some extent France but none of them ever got going. We all saw what happened with England, a Rob Green error and the failure to beat Algeria meant that they could only manage second in their group. They capped off a quite awful tournament by losing 4-1 (should have been 4-2 if you all remember Lampard's disallowed goal) to an impressive Germany side in the quarter finals.

Going into the tournament, they weren't really a liked side after they got through to the finals thanks to the hand of Thierry Henry. Of course I'm talking about France. They made themselves look like more of a joke by refusing to train which resulted in Anelka being sent home.

Spain proved they were the best side in the world. After a shaky start everyone thought, as usual, that they wouldn't have the bottle. But they proved that you have world class players along with the passion and I don't think they're short of world class players. The final normally is the culmination of a great tournament and showcases some of the best football. Instead, we got a boring final in which Holland literally "kicked" Spain around the pitch. So why would it make a massive difference to South Africa? Yes, it's changed for the better but not by a huge amount.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Arsenal Aim To Keep Top Spot

2010-12-13T07:36:00.000-08:00

Later tonight, Arsenal play Man United at Old Trafford on Sky Sports' "Monday Night Football". This fixture never fails to deliver and as we are getting into the Christmas spirit, hopefully both teams can give us an early Christmas present. Arsenal go into this match with a one point advantage at the top, but Man United can overtake
both the Gunners and City with a win tonight.

I am quietly confident that Arsenal can get a point, if not all three. They have been the team to beat so far this season with United and Chelsea both not reaching their peak. With players like Nasri, Arshavin and Fabregas they can, for me, beat any defence in the world today. We all know that they play some of the best football in the league but sometimes they fail to try and grind out a result.

United have had two weeks off now, so any knocks players might have had after their game against Blackburn, in which they destroyed Sam Allardyce's and his players defence, should be gone. Like their rivals City, their star player has gone on a rant and threatened to walk out on the club. While all this drama has been going on, no player has really stepped up and confirmed his place as United's main man. Yes, some might say "well what about Berbatov" but before the Blackburn game, his last convincing performance was against Liverpool some way back at the start of the season. Nani has been hot and cold as well. One week brilliant, next week not so brilliant.

I am genuinely so excited for this match with both teams, seemingly, really up for this. With Arsenal trying to maintain their challenge for the title and not fade away like in previous seasons, and United who can confirm they are the team to beat. You have Arsenal's attack versus Man United's tough defence, but you also have United's "on-off'" attack, versus Arsenal's defence, who have shown us that they are not that reliable especially for a team who want to win the Premiership.

I'm not going to predict the score because last week I thought Aston Villa would get the three points and then we all saw what actually happened. Liverpool won 3-0. All I can say is that it shouldn't disappoint, so I wouldn't miss it.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Carlos. What Are You Doing?

2010-12-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Man City have announced that Tevez wants to leave the club after he handed in a transfer request. I'm sure to the delight of every City fan, well me anyway, City rejected the request. But why, when you're the captain of the club that is going places, would you decide to call it a day? I'm quite shocked by this, although I do want him to stay, I will never want a player to stay at the club who won't show his full commitment.

We have seen some worrying signs in the past few weeks between the relationship of Roberto Mancini and Carlos Tevez. Most notably, the row that was the result of Tevez being taken off against Bolton. I think I should add that there was no more than five minutes left, so I think it was Tevez being a little bit immature. It looked more like what you would see at an under 13's match on a Sunday morning. He was clearly showing a lack of respect to the Italian man.

He was City's player of the year last season after quite a slow start under Mark Hughes and confirmed himself as a fan favourite. He doesn't stop running and his goal scoring record ain't half bad either. 30 goals in 50 appearances. My only criticism of the Argentine would be that he hangs on to the ball for a second too long. I would hate to see him go for he is one of the best strikers in the world and would not only be a loss for City but for the Premiership as well.

But I don't know why you would want to keep a player that obviously isn't happy and wants to go and it's, for me, nothing but disrespect especially when your the captain to hand in a transfer request. Mancini will obviously have a lot on his hands with Tevez adding to the list of "keep players happy" along side the not-so-super Mario Balotelli. Balotelli must be giving a bad vibe, players must be thinking "if he can be a pain in the backside, why can't I?".

With the aim of the club being to bring in world class players and get rid of the players that were at the City before the takeover, this must come as a real surprise to the club and the owners in particular. It will be quite an interesting saga, one that will grab most of the headlines during the January transfer window which is less than a month away.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Man City Show They Have A Genuine Chance Of Winning The Premiership

2010-12-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

Today, Man City convincingly beat West Ham 3-1 at Upton Park. After a few poor performances, even though they were getting a result, it was nice to see they can win comfortably especially without Carlos Tevez. This result leaves City in second place with Chelsea and Arsenal having one game in hand, and Man United having two after there match with Blackpool was called off last week.

Yes it was West Ham, but United lost to them with an embarrassing 4-0 defeat in the League Cup. And don't give the "they didn't have their first team out" excuse. Although a few of the players have disappointed, in fairness, you do have players that have impressed such as Yaya Toure, who scored a scorcher with his left foot and even though it will go down as an own goal by Rob Green, I think he deserves all the praise for the second goal. You also have David Silva who hasn't failed to impress and has been the play-maker in many of City's matches..

Mario Ballotelli continues to show he was quite a ridiculous signing after yet another, quite awful display. He doesn't show any passion and seems to be a bit of a pain in the backside. Today was his big chance to show that he should be starting week in, week out and he disappointed throughout the match with the exception of one or two chances. He reminded me a bit of myself, moaning and complaining when he doesn't get his way, just sub in my mum for the ref.

So overall, I was very impressed. I don't want to get too complacent or put the hex on it, but I am more confident than I have ever been about them getting that fourth spot. It seems after a bit of a rough patch in late October, early December that Mancini has either got his, or the players' act together. Either way, what ever he has done, he has got back to winning ways and in the week where everyone said that they have to score more, they scored three and Tevez wasn't on the score sheet.

And why should they be satisfied with just fourth spot, why can't they win the whole thing. A few new faces in January might help that cause.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Why Alan Pardew?

2010-12-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Newcastle United announced that Alan Pardew would be taking over as toon boss after agreeing terms. If all goes to plan he should be staying there for five and a half years, but like that's going to happen. In recent times, Newcastle sack managers faster than they hire them. But why Alan Pardew? We don't know, but I'm guessing that he was their first choice.

The former West Ham boss hasn't really done anything too spectacular in his managerial career (or playing career for that matter). The Newcastle board said they wanted a manager that has more experience than Hughton. That is the biggest excuse I've ever seen. You don't sack someone because they lost 3-1. If that was the case, the only thing that would be in the news is managers getting sacked.

I just think if they were going to sack Hughton, they would have got a top class manager with a couple of trophies under his belt. Instead they go, for me, for quite a mediocre choice who just got sacked by a club (Southampton) that are mid-table in League One. He is no better or worse than what they had with Chris Hughton.

You're going to have bad patches in your season. Newcastle should be happy it wasn't later on in the season if they are struggling to get out of the relegation fight. And yes Newcastle fans, last time Pardew was managing in the Premiership, he went down to the Championship and brought Charlton down with him. I'll give him a bit of slack though, he didn't have much time to gain lost ground that was caused by Iain Dowie.

Pardew doesn't have a particularly easy match to start his Newcastle career. Liverpool are travelling to St. James' Park and even though I said that they are not a top-four side anymore that doesn't mean they are not, at times, a force to be reckoned with.

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

Was It Better To Get Second In The Group Stages?

2010-12-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Last night, the Champions League group stages for the 2010-11 season came to an end. Looking at the final standings, it doesn't look, as usual, as if it is an advantage getting second position. But saying that, it doesn't look like it is an advantage to have got the top spot with Inter Milan, Arsenal and other quality sides only managing to get second place.

Obviously you do have the big teams not disappointing such as Barcelona, Chelsea etc. but because of teams like Tottenham and Shakhtar Donetsk doing so well, we might see some very interesting ties in the last 16 stage.

It shows you how great the competition is when you see that the champions could only manage second as well. Inter Milan boss, Rafa Benitez, has failed to impress this season after only being able to secure second place behind Spurs and are fifth in the league. That is less than impressive for Inter especially after such great success last season. The Inter fans have come to expect a lot better from their side.

Even though it is great to see the smaller teams do well, you do wonder why the big teams are failing to do so. The pressure is on them now to get to the the quarter finals but first they will have to face a tricky tie no matter who they get. The draw for the round of 16 is on next Friday, December 17th.

Of course the European adventure isn't over for all those teams that came third in their respective groups. Quality teams such as Benfica and Ajax will now go into the Europa League, which by no means will be a walk in the park for them. You have Man City, Porto and Byern Leverkusen all in contention of getting to the Aviva Stadium in May. The group stages will come to an end next week with the draw for the round of 32 being on the 17th December also.

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

Give Credit Where Credit's Due

2010-12-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

On Match Of The Day 2 on Sunday, as awful as his punditry is, Robbie Savage made a very good point that we don't give credit to the lower team when they beat the so called "Top Four". This has happened on many occasions, from when Sunderland beat Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, to when Arsenal lost to West Brom at home 3-2. I don't think I've seen one moment where the pundit has given credit to the lower team or at least enough credit.

Ever since Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool were dubbed the "Top Four" it seems to everyone that they are invincible and if they lose, it's the end of the world or else it's a bad day at the office. But when has it become the case that the lower side have beaten one of the "Top Four" purely because they were the better side. The two occasions that I've mentioned, after the match Andy Gray almost insisted that it was the poor performance by one of the big four that won it for the likes of Sunderland and West Brom.

Like everyone else, I think that Sunderland just took advantage of getting a Chelsea side that are not on form, but fair play to them. Like the old saying goes "you can only beat the side that is put out in front of you" and Sunderland did just that. I am really enjoying this Premiership season, for reasons like this. The "Top Four" can't be too casual, but sometimes they show their pure brilliance like Blackburn had to find out against Man Utd. losing 7-1.

I think with the exception of Liverpool, this perception that the "Top Four" (well I guess you can call them "Top Three") can only lose to each other and no one else, will go on for many a year. I just wish people would face the fact that they don't have to win every single match and that the other teams can play a bit of football themselves.

I would love to hear your comments that you may have.

Martin Jol Resigns As Ajax Boss. Is This Just Coincidence?

2010-12-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

Last night, Martin Jol resigned as Ajax manager just hours after the shocking dismissal of Chris Hughton from Newcastle United. Martin Jol, 54, said that he left because the pressure on him was too high and too hard to handle. But is this just an excuse, is he next in line for the Newcastle United job? Was the the Hughton sacking planned way before the 3-1 loss away to West Brom?

I'd like to say before I go on to Martin Jol's chances of getting the Newcastle job, how much of a disgrace it is that the Newcastle owners sacked Hughton. As if the way the some of the owners treat their managers isn't ridiculous enough. After all, if it wasn't for Hughton, Newcastle wouldn't be in the top flight. Many people feared that it would be deja vu after seeing the mess that Leeds United got themselves into. But fair play to Hughton, even though he doesn't have quite the profile of some of the best managers, he delivered for the toon army.

I'm sure Martin Jol would love to come back to England, after a great time with Tottenham. Unfortunately, he couldn't emulate Harry Redknapp and get Spurs to the Champions League. Of course, it didn't help that he was missing many players due to food poisoning on the last day of the the season in a must win match against West Ham. To some extent, he has felt the way Hughton is now, miss treated by his employers after he was sacked in a unmannerly fashion by Tottenham.

Some of the bookies favourites to get the Newcastle job are Alan Pardrew, Alan Curbishley, Glen Hoddle and of course the man I'm talking about, Martin Jol. Martin Jol would seem a obvious choice for Newcastle United owners since his departure from Ajax.

I would love to hear any comments you may have on this issue.

Liverpool Are NOT a Top Four Side Anymore

2010-12-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

I was watching Sky Sports News and their preview for the Villla and Liverpool match tonight at Anfield. As they were advertising it for tonight, I thought I heard one of the newsreaders mutter the words "This could be an important match in the chase for that top four spot". If it was Georgie Thompson I would have forgiven her but it wasn't her. I don't know if my ears were playing tricks on me or if I heard it wrong but I would just like to make it clear, as far as I'm concerned, Liverpool aren't a top four side.

If I thought my ears were mistaken, the Sky Sports website made sure my eyes weren't as they had this to say "Three points against Villa would lift the Reds back into top-four contention."

I think most Liverpool fans, not just me, would admit that Liverpool are, most likely, not going to get that coveted fourth spot this season. If you had to draw the line somewhere, I would say that the three teams that have a chance of getting Champions League football are Aston Villa, Man City and of course Tottenham. For me, it will be a similar story to last season. Aston Villa will probably be too far behind with a few weeks to go, and I honestly can't decide between my beloved Man City and Tottenham.

Of course with it being Liverpool v Villa tonight, that means a return to Anfield for old Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier. The current Villa boss enjoyed a successful time on Mersyside with the main achievement to his name being a cup treble in the 2000-01 season, winning the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup.

I'm expecting a close but entertaining game, and I have a feeling that Villa might just nick it, giving Villa and Houllier all three points. But no matter what happens tonight, for me, Liverpool still won't be able to get back into the top four.

I would love to hear any comments and predictions that you may have.

Players Of The Season.....So Far

2010-12-05T05:16:00.000-08:00

We are coming up to the midway point of the season and I thought I might take this opportunity to point out a few players that have impressed me this season. Some you might have expected to see and others you might be surprised to see. My aim is not to pick all the superstar names such as Drogba, Malouda, Berbatov etc.

Samir Nasri- He has had to fill the shoes of Fabregas as Arsenal's main man ever since Fabregas got injured, and what a job he's done. He is already in double figures for goals and has led the Arsenal attack. I expect much more of him for the rest of the season and if he keeps it up, a PFA Player Of The Year award could be on the way to his trophy cabinet and maybe a Premiership title for Arsenal.

Gareth Bale- After a very slow start to his Spurs career, he has really impressed this season. In the Champions League and Premiership. My only negative comment would be that he isn't as consistent as he probably should be. His name is now known all over Europe after two fantastic displays against Inter Milan. He would definitely be in my Premiership XI based on current form. I'm sure Spurs regret not trying him on the left side of midfield sooner after he signed for the North London club as a left back.

Tim Cahill- My dad, who is an Everton fan, yesterday told me that he thought Cahill was Everton's player of the decade. How can you disagree with him, I know Everton haven't had the greatest selection of players in the 2000's, like for example you had Nuno Valente and Tony Hibbert. But not only has he been a great player for Everton, he has been a great player to watch in the Premiership. Yet again he hasn't failed to impress this season with some great performances and a large percentage of Everton's goals.

Rafael Van Der Vaart- I am adding the Dutchman into this category because not only has he really impressed for Tottenham but what some people tend to forget, is that he was signed on the last day of the transfer window. We all know that some foreign players struggle to find their feet in the Premiership in their first season but Van Der Vaart has flourished with some of his performances this season, most notably his game against Arsenal where he played a huge part in helping Spurs get back from 2-0 down back to 2-3 winners. Unlike Bale he has been incredibly consistent.

Other players that deserve a mention are Adam (Blackpool), Nani (Man United), Tevez (Man City) and Carroll (Newcastle United).

I would love to hear any comments that you may have.

Chelsea Fail To Capatalise While Arsenal Take Full Advantage

2010-12-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

With Blackpool v Man United being called off due to the dreadful weather we have been getting for the past week or so, this gave Arsenal and Chelsea a perfect opportunity to make ground on the Red Devils.

Arsenal didn't miss the opportunity, but Chelsea, who haven't been themselves as of late, didn't.

Chelsea scored just before half time through a Drogba penalty after Tim Howard brought down Nicolas Anelka in side the eighteen yard box. He was lucky Distin was behind him or else it could have been a sending off for the American goalkeeper.

It was looking like they had all three points in the bag until a lapse of concentration, as the on form Leighton Baines ran past three Chelsea defenders as they could only watch the Everton left back float the ball in to the area. Cahill nodded back towards goal to set up Beckford the chance to get his second goal of the season, which he took.

I'm sure this more than made up for his last minute sitter against Sunderland to deny the Toffees the chance to bring back all three points to Merseyside.

A Nasri double was enough to secure all three points for Arsenal. We have seen in the past week or two that the Gunners look vulnerable to concede after having a comfortable lead. Fulham clawed their way back to get to 1-1 through a Diomansy Kamara goal.

It seemed to be the same old Arsenal, not capitalising on chances and end up paying the price. Arsenal had Nasri to thank for the victory after he secured the win with a 75th minute goal. The Frenchman has been player of the season for Arsenal so far and proved his excellence with two fabulous goals today.

In other matches today, Man City got back to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Bolton, while Blackburn had a comfortable victory over Wolves beating them 3-0 and Tottenham couldn't keep their winning streak going as they only managed a 1-1 against Birmingham at St.Andrews.

Arsenal are now one point ahead of United, but what is going on with Chelsea. Is it something behind the scenes?

I love to hear your comments on this topic.

"Media To Blame" Says FIFA.

2010-12-03T05:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I wrote a post saying how surprised I was that Russia and Qatar won the right to host the World Cup. I thought it had gone right down to the wire between Russia and England with Russia eventually getting the honour. But, just after I finished the post, I was then surprised to see that England only racked up two votes by FIFA.

I thought it was a joke that England didn't get the World Cup, so I guess you know how much of a joke I think it is that they could only manage two votes. FIFA said England have the media to blame but I thought you gave the honour to the nation with best bid, and England had the best bid. Yet again, FIFA have made themselves look like tools.

This leads me to believe that BBC and "Panorama" knew what they were talking about. If you didn't see the show, it was investigating if there was any bribery by bidding nations towards the FIFA Board. I read the magazine "FourFourTwo" and in a poll, 17.1% of people said that Sepp Blatter and FIFA is the biggest problem facing football. I'd have to, to some extent, agree with that.

Sepp Blatter announced that two new nations would be hosting the World Cup. I don't know if he was saying that because that was the truth or because that was the direction FIFA were heading in, to try and give to nations that hadn't hosted a World Cup to try and promote football in that country. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, but if it is it's a bit of a joke.

You should give it to the nation that you know has the best bid and is going to put on a great show. Who better to give it to than the founders of the game, England. Why not the world champions, Spain (who were obviously bidding along side Portugal).

Instead they decide to give it to a nation that knows a bit about football but doesn't really look nice (Russia) and a nation that looks beautiful but doesn't have a clue about the game (Qatar).

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

I Don't Blame FIFA, Qatar Do Know Their Football

2010-12-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, the FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced that Russia would be hosting the 2018 World Cup. I wasn't too surprised at this even though I did think England and their bidding team had just clinched it. But then he went on to announce the nation that would be hosting the 2022 World Cup and amazingly, the nation that came out of the envelope was Qatar.

"We love football","It's part of the fabric of our nation", "We have some fantastic stadia". These were a few things said in some of the bidding teams' presentation. I don't know what Qatar said but I would have loved to seen what they had on offer. Unlike most countries at the moment, they have money. But what they don't have, are the key ingredients to hosting a World Cup. Stadia, passion for the game, knowledge of the game.

Although the line up of bidding nations for the 2022 World Cup was poor, I didn't expect FIFA to give it to Qatar. I thought USA or Australia would have been the safest bet. Do Qatar even have a league never mind a national team. Basically, it's an awful decision. The picture for this post, do you think it looks right?

Russia beat England, Belgium/Holland and Spain/Portugal to get the chance to host the 2018 World Cup. Yet again, I'm quite surprised by this decision. For me, I might be a bit biased when I say this, but England had the best bid on paper and off it. If I have enough money and decide to go over for a game, it might take me twelve hours to get to the next match. It would take that long with a good transport system, so I hope Russia don't have a bad one.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Russia Favourites To Get World Cup In 2018

2010-11-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

We are just two days away from finding out who will be hosting the World Cup in 2018 and 2022. The countries in contention of getting the opportunity to host the 2018 World Cup are Russia, England, Holland/Belgium and Spain/Portugal. As all of these teams are European, no European country can bid for the 2022 World Cup. That's why, as you might have noticed, the standard of countries bidding for the 2022 World Cup is quite poor.

Personally, as an Englishman, I would love to see England get the World Cup for 2018. Unlike some of the other bidding countries, there is no need for FIFA to worry about stadiums being ready on time because all of the stadiums are set (well most of them anyway). The only thing, I think, that is going against England, is that they have already hosted the competition in 1966. I'm sure FIFA would like to pass the honour around.

Russia are favourites, and why not? They have some great stadiums, but unlike England, if they do get the honor, they are planning on building many new stadiums. I know they will have eight years to build them but I would prefer to have no pressure at all. So for me, it's a straight sprint between England and Russia to see who will be hosting the 2018 World Cup.

Two other bidding countries have been flying under the radar a bit, and both of those are joint bids. You have Holland/Belgium and Spain/Portugal. I'm not really surprised the Holland/Belgium bid hasn't been getting a lot of attention but I am surprised that the Spain/Portugal bid hasn't. So I wouldn't be surprised, unlike some, if Spain and Portugal get it.

I didn't talk about the 2022 World Cup bids, purely because, in football terms, I don't know enough about each country.

World Cup 2018 World Cup Bid 2022
England Australia USA
Russia Japan
Spain/Portugal Qatar
Holland/ Belgium South Korea

I would love to hear your comments and predictions that you may have.

Barcelona v Real Madrid, Messi v Ronaldo

2010-11-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Barcelona play Real Madrid at the Nou Camp. This is one the greatest, if not the greatest rivalry in world football. I guess that is why it is dubbed by some "El Classico".

Now, more than ever, the debate on who is the best player in the world is on everyones mind. Messi and Ronaldo have been imense for both club and country and it is hard to decide on
who I think is the better player. I think Messi is better. Why? Well they both do amazing things on the ball but I think Messi looks for the ball more and is more in the game than Ronaldo is at times.

As for the their respective teams, Barca and Real Madrid, it's hard to call between them. Both of them have attacking players that any club in the world would love and each defence ain't half bad either. So for this reason I'm going to go with home advantage and say that Barca will win. Either way, I'm hoping for a classic, and why can't it be. The best players, best managers. It shouldn't disappoint.

As for Mourinho, this will be his first taste of the "El Classico". Knowing Mourinho, the pressure shouldn't get to him. He went there last year and won over the two legs after some great defending. I'm sure the Barca fans are looking forward to seeing him after the controversy last year when he ran on pitch after reaching the Champions League final with Inter.

I would love to hear your comments if you have any.

Is It Time For Ancelotti To Go?

2010-11-28T09:56:00.000-08:00

It may sound harsh saying he should go. But for the first time this season, Ancelotti and the Chelsea players will be sitting down on a Sunday night watching X Factor results or Match of the Day 2, knowing that they are not top of the table. That's because they could only manage a draw against Newcastle today.

After such a fantastic start, it has just gone downhill. It was looking great, after just five games they had a goal difference of +20. Drogba couldn't stop scoring and no one could get past Cech and the rest of the defence. But since Drogba missed the match against Aston Villa midway through October, he can't score for his dinner. We saw today a perfect example that the defence can be dodgy at times, and that there is a lack of communication in the lead up to Carroll's goal.

Obviously, I don't think he should go, but you never know with Abramovich. He sacked Mourinho after a loss against Aston Villa and a draw against Rosenberg in the Champions League.

There defence is not the problem I feel, it's the lack of goals, and especially with some of the attacking players they have, they should be scoring many more. The last time they won by more than one goal was against Wolves on the 23rd of October.

This leaves the Premiership wide open and leaves everyone guessing who is going to be lifting the title at the end of May. Up next for Chelsea is Everton at Stamford Bridge, and judging by Everton's woeful peformance yesterday against West Brom, this should be a chance for Chelsea to get back to scoring ways and more importantly, winning ways.

Feel free to leave any comments you may have.

Arsenal and Man Utd Keep Pressure On Chelsea

2010-11-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today, Arsenal and United both leap-frogged Chelsea as they got victories in their matches today. Arsenal were victorious against Aston Villa in an entertaining match at Villa Park that finished 4-2 to the Gunners, while United ran riot against Blackburn, with the help of Berbatov, as they won 7-1.This means that nothing less than a victory at St. James' Park against Newcastle will give Chelsea top spot.

The early kick off of the day was between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Villa Park. It was a slow start to the game until Arshavin scored a fantastic goal out of nothing. Nasri then scored a first time volley with the help of a slight deflection just before half time. I'm sure Arsene Wenger didn't want deja vu from last week. They nearly did but in the end ran out comfortable winners and at times played some wonderful football. 2-4 it finished there.

Now onto Old Trafford, where Bebatov got his second match ball of the season with five goals. Once he got the first goal inside three minutes, you sensed there was only going to be one winner. Sure enough, they scored six more. Blackburn fans shouldn't be too disheartened. Maybe they made it a bit too easy, but it was more the brilliance of United that we have been waiting for this season. Now United are two points clear at the top.

I wouldn't be surprised either if they stay there because Chelsea have to travel north to a tricky match against Newcastle and we all saw what happened last weekend against Birmingham. This will be a really interesting match I think with both sides looking to get back to form after Newcastle lost 5-1 to Bolton last weekend, while Chelsea have lost three of their last four fixtures in the Premiership. If we thought the Premiership was wide open before the weekend, it definitely is now.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Stupid, Stupid Mourinho

2010-11-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night, Real Madrid had a very comfortable victory over Ajax beating them 4-0. This victory meant they were safely through to the knockout stages. But in the final five minutes or so there was a bit of controversy.

So I'll set the scene for you. In the 85th minute Real Madrid are 4-0 up, cruising along, and have a free kick just inside there own half which Alonso is about to take. While taking the free kick, he was very hesitant to actually kick the ball. He was running up to the ball and then stopping. Obviously he was trying to make it seem like he had no options. After about two or three warnings, the ref had had enough and gave Alonso his second booking of the night and sent him off. If this was me, I would be furious, in the ref's face wondering why he gave me the yellow. Alonso, on the other hand, walked off with no complaints.

We are now into added time and Real Madrid have a goal kick. This time Sergio Ramos (who was also booked) was taking it. Why? I don't know. Long story short, he basically does the same thing as Alonso, as if it was an audition for a play and they were both trying to get the same part. Eventually, Ramos receives his second yellow as well. Now yet again, I would be furious, but not only does Ramos just walk off with no complaints, he also shakes the ref's hand. I know we all under estimate the academic ability of the Uefa board with some of the decisions they make but they're not that stupid.

The idea behind this whole plan was that both players would get themselves sent off, miss the next game ( a meaningless game against Auxerre ) and return to the knockout stages with no yellow cards under their name.

The two players have been charged, along with Mourinho ( the master mind behind the plan) , Casillas ( for giving Ramos and Alonso the instructions) and Dudek ( for giving Casillas the instructions to tell Ramos and Alonso).

Speaking of Real Madrid. A little reminder that they are playing Barcelona at the Nou Camp at 8:00pm on Monday night on Sky Sports 1

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Fair Play Tottenham

2010-11-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Spurs confirmed their place in the knockout stages. Not only is that an achievement in itself but I think it's fair to say that they have done it with relative ease.

Being a City fan, it broke my heart when I saw Crouch scoring the winner against us in the last ten minutes to guarantee themselves fourth spot. Since the start of the campaign, with the exception of a very shaky first half against Inter Milan, there was never a moment where a man or woman wearing a Tottenham jersey should have been worried about not making the knockout stages.

For me, based on current form, they have the two best midfielders in the Premiership. Of course, I'm talking about Gareth Bale and Rafael Van Der Vaart. In the second half against Inter at the San Siro, it wasn't Inter v Spurs, it was Inter v Bale. He was sublime. If you looked at all three of his goals, they were identical. He was murdering Maicon. If he didn't kill him at the San Siro, he definitely did at White Heart Lane. He set up two of the goals and ran circles around Maicon. As for Van Der Vaart, yet again he has been excellent, he has been incredibly consistent and for just £8 million too. What a bargain.

So where to from here for Spurs, I think a a quarter final finish is on the cards (obviously considering who they get in the round of 16). That will leave the owners in no doubt, satisfied with Harry Redknapp. But sure, if they can beat Inter, why can't they beat everyone else.

And finally, surprise, surprise Man united also qualified for the knockout stages with a 1-0 win over Rangers.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.