English Football Blog - Soccer News And Comment

Sacking Good Football Managers

2010-12-20T17:26:00.003Z

Everyone knows that football is a result based sport. However, even when managers bring success to a football club they can still end up being shown the door. In recent weeks, the premiership has seen Chris Hughton and Sam Allardyce sacked by Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers respectively.

The rumours about Hughton had been doing the rounds for a long time. The decision to axe him does not make much sense considering he secured promotion from the championship as title winners in his first full season. Furthermore, they were not doing too badly in a mid-table position when Mike Ashley decided to dispense with his services.

Sam Allardyce is one of the best English managers around. He may not have won any trophies during his time at Ewood Park but that doesn’t tell the full story. When he arrived, Blackburn was staring relegation in the face. He transformed the club’s fortunes and when he was relieved of his duties, it was European qualification that was the objective.

Unfortunately, these big decisions at football clubs are taken by the money men whether that is power crazy chairmen or a new regime. These people pay huge amounts of money for overall control and see nothing wrong with exercising that right. Sometimes the owners simply want a man in charge of their own choosing.

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FIFA reject the World Cup 2018 bid

2010-12-03T08:52:00.000Z

The team behind England’s 2018 World Cup bid presentation did a first class job. The last minute lobbying by the PM, Prince William and David Beckham had us almost believing it was in the bag. As good as they were, when old Sepp Blatter came on stage it was always going to end in tears. It is widely acknowledged that England had the outstanding bid. However, Blatter moved the goalposts and awarded the tournament to Russia for different reasons.

It is no secret that Blatter and his friends in FIFA have a huge chip on their shoulder where English football is concerned. They hate the premiership with a passion and were never going to miss an opportunity to stick the boot in. You get the distinct impression they would rather stage the World Cup at the North Pole than let it come back to its spiritual home.

There will now be speculation as whether the BBC Panorama programme had any bearing on the outcome of the bid. We will probably never know for sure but it certainly did not improve our chances. The decision to air the programme on the eve of the bid announcement was selfish and reckless on their part.

England will submit another bid in the future but it could be a pointless exercise if Blatter is still pulling the strings. Let’s be honest, if the PM, Royalty and Goldenballs cannot swing the vote then nobody can.

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Talking bollocks with Terry Venables

2010-11-02T08:57:00.001Z

Terry Venables was one of the best managers England has ever produced. However, through his column in The Sun newspaper, he doesn’t half talk some bollocks. Before the world cup, he was heaping praise on Wayne Rooney claiming he was the best striker in the world. You would have thought he would realise his mistake after Rooney’s inept displays but apparently not.

With the world cup debacle swept under the carpet, he then went on to criticize Manchester United for not giving Rooney a new contract. He suggested this could be the reason for his sub-standard performances for club and country. Many people would disagree with that theory. On the recent form, he is more interested in smoking Marlboro and indulging in clandestine erotic activities than scoring goals.

He has publicly held his club to ransom and got his bumper new contract. This was downright shameful behaviour that angered even the most loyal Man Utd fans. Instead of highlighting this, Terry Venables tried to paint it as some sort of victory for Sir Alex Ferguson. The only good thing to come out of this episode is the club has longer to find a suitable buyer and ship him out.

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England - World Class Chokers

2010-06-30T10:03:00.000+01:00

The overpaid Premiership stars in the England football team have now been exposed. Before the World Cup 2010, we kept hearing about how our team of World class players were capable of beating anyone and winning the tournament. How wrong the media were. The players are a mixture of World class chokers and average Premiership players.

Rooney, Terry and the rest of them look World class when they are playing alongside their domestic clubs’s foreign contingents. Take the foreign stars out of those teams and the English players would be shown up for what they are, i.e., not as good as we are led to believe. It is not Gerrard, Lampard and co that makes the Premiership the best league in the World.

Fabio Capello is not a bad football manager. However, he has got most things wrong where the World Cup is concerned. Firstly, he made errors in selecting the final squad. Leaving out Theo Walcott was a terrible decision. Defenders do not like pace and Walcott has it in abundance. He would have been the perfect alternative to ineffective displays by Rooney, Lennon and Wright-Phillips.

There were far too many average players in the squad masquerading as international footballers. Jamie Carragher was never deemed good enough by previous managers with very good reason. As for Glen Johnson, here we have a right-back whose weakness is defending! If he is the best right-back in the country then we have got serious problems. Then we come to Gareth Barry who has rose to prominence due to Owen Hargreaves injury.

The excuses have started already. Apparently the players were tired. One minute they are complaining of boredom, then after being humiliated by Germany, it is because they were tired. Whatever the reasons behind the poor performances, Capello is paid a huge salary and has failed spectacularly. The fact he still needs an interpreter to speak English is worrying to say the least.

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Wayne Rooney - A Legend in His Own Mind

2010-06-20T16:38:00.000+01:00

Wayne Rooney would do well to remember that loyal support has transformed him from chav to multi-millionaire. England fans have spent heavily on making the trip to South Africa and deserve better than what Rooney and co have delivered thus far. Terry Venables recently labelled him as the best player in the world. If his first 2 performances in this World Cup are anything to go by, he wouldn’t get in the top 100.

Rooney has apologised for his comments via a statement released to the media. This was probably hastily arranged by the FA due to the player’s unwillingness to go before the cameras and apologise publicly.

Before the World Cup 2010 tournament started, many people were of the opinion that England had an easy group. However, after drawing with USA and Algeria, England will look rather foolish if they fail to beat Slovenia in the final group match. England looked a half decent team in qualifying but now look all over the place. Clearly, the players have issues which are affecting the level of performance.

Cappello does not escape criticism for his team selections. Things are not working and need to be changed. If Rooney is throwing his toys out of the pram then he should be dropped along with Heskey. Replace them with Joe Cole, Crouch and Defoe. If England can’t beat Slovenia without Rooney, they will not deserve to go through to the knockout stages anyway.

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English Goalkeepers and Basic Errors

2010-06-13T10:16:00.000+01:00

Perhaps we should not be surprised that England failed to beat a distinctly average USA team. After all, it is not the first international tournament where England has got off to a slow start in the first game. With a manager like Fabio Cappello in charge you felt this World Cup would be different. Losing Rio Ferdinand and David James to injury did not help matters but England should still be coming out on top.

If it wasn’t for the latest goalkeeping howler by Robert Green, we may have held on for a 1-0 win. It used to be Scottish goalkeepers that were the butt of jokes. However, it is now English goalkeepers that are fast gaining a reputation as the latest football joke. If James is not fit for the next match then surely Joe Hart deserves a chance. No doubt there will be an outpouring of sympathy for Green in some quarters but that should not be the case.

TV commentators labelled it a freak goal yet it was anything but a freak occurrence. Green committed the most basic of goalkeeping errors. He did not get his body behind the ball. There was no bobble so it was not because of the pitch or the ball. Green delivered a schoolboy error on the World football stage and that is all there is to it. He is a decent Premiership keeper but at this level he looks exposed.

Sadly, his team mates were unable to come to his rescue. Emile Heskey has not played much for club or country yet was reinstated. This meant he was able to further his woeful goal scoring record. Peter Crouch, who had scored 21 goals in 39 games for his country was left to sit on the substitute’s bench for 80 minutes. After witnessing the ineffective displays of James Milner and SWP, Joe Cole must be left wondering why he has not been selected himself.

We keep hearing about how David Beckham is with the squad to give the players a boost! Well, having Beckham sat on the sidelines looking concerned only appeared to boost his friends from the USA.

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Treat Like a Youth Team Player

2010-03-05T12:53:00.001Z

During his playing career, Ian Wright was a quality striker who wore his heart on his sleeve. Now involved in the media, he is never slow to speak up on behalf of his son Shaun Wright-Philips. Well, apart from those occasions when he has a stinker. In the past, we have heard him calling for SWP to be included in the England team. Now he has launched a blistering attack on Manchester City over his son’s contract negotiations.

This is a player who has been earning £70,000 a week since signing for Chelsea in 2005. If he feels he should be on the same wages as Man City’s top earners fair enough. But please let us not have this bleating by his old man that City is treating him as a youth team player. You can bet youngsters in youth teams up and down the country would love to be coining it in to the tune of £70,000 a week.

He says the club should pay him what he is worth but some people might argue he is already getting exactly that. Others would suggest he is paid considerably more than he is worth. SWP is a good player but consistency has always been his problem. He signed a four year contract on his return to City. Fast forward two years and he would like to renegotiate the contract. Is he worth £100,000 a week? No, I don’t think he is but hey welcome to planet footballer.

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Internet only England coverage

2009-10-10T13:14:00.001+01:00

After the recent backlash from fans that were angry at not being able to watch England on television you would think the FA and the TV companies would have taken the hint. Sadly it appears they did not and if anyone intends watching the game between Ukraine versus England they will have to do it online.

The match will be the first England game to be broadcast via the internet instead of television. It should come as no surprise that the vast majority of football supporters are less than impressed by this. If you have not taken out a subscription then it will cost the princely sum of £9.99 to watch the game. There may be unofficial alternatives for those willing to do some research.

Scratching around for an internet site to watch a live feed from the game is ridiculous. It highlights just what is wrong with modern day football. Even if you stumble across such a feed the quality is not always the best. It seems the humble supporter does not rank high on the list of priorities. This is international football and all fans regardless of nationality should be able to watch the game on terrestrial television.

The BBC pockets a huge amount in TV license fees. This should be going towards securing exactly this kind of sporting event for the nation’s viewing pleasure. The FA should be working alongside the TV companies to ensure all games are available via that old fashioned medium the television set.

The online bookmaker Bet365 is allowing member access to the game without charge. There is a small catch however because you need a live account credited with some funds.

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Saint Gerrard Can Do No Wrong

2009-08-31T16:07:00.001+01:00

Arsenal striker Eduardo has been rightly charged with diving by UEFA for his theatrical effort against Celtic. However, this raises questions about whether or not this will be an isolated punishment. Diving is widespread throughout World football and should be eradicated. Highlighting the behaviour of one player will not stamp it out. This should be a regular occurrence and offenders should be hit with an automatic suspension.

There are numerous other players who have a reputation for diving. Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard is a perfect example. Gerrard has become an expert at going down like he has been pole axed. It is highly unlikely FIFA or UEFA would charge a high profile player. There have been some classics by Gerrard over the years such as the penalty he was given against Sheffield United when he tripped over thin air.

In his recent court case he was charged with assault, it appeared to most right thinking people that Gerrard was indeed guilty of the charge. The CCTV footage clearly showed a drunken Gerrard and his friends surrounding one member of staff. However, his legal team managed to successfully argue that he acted in self defence. Not because he had been assaulted but because he feared an attack was imminent.

If that had been Joe Bloggs caught on camera committing assault things would have been different. The accused escaped punishment simply because of who he is and the majority of personnel inside the Court were positively star struck. The outcome was a good one for Gerrard but made a mockery of the justice system. It also gave more weight to the argument that some highly paid footballers believe they are immune to the law. Alas, no doubt plenty of people at court managed to obtain an autograph from their hero.

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Time For Man City To Deliver

2009-08-18T18:41:00.001+01:00

Mark Hughes has been the envy of just about every football manager in the World over the summer months. Spending the millions was the easy part now he will have to mould his collection of superstars into a team capable of winning the premiership title. The attitude of Robinho might also improve now he has been joined by several big name players.

The owners of Man City will want to see a return on their considerable outlay. That does not necessarily mean a trophy is demanded this season. However, they will want to see a marked improvement on the results of last season. When playing at home City was reasonably strong but away from home the return was very poor. That will have to change this year.

For all the attacking flair at their disposal the one area where City could still improve is the back four. The manager is well aware of this fact hence the protracted attempts to land both John Terry and Joleon Lescott. If these efforts remain unsuccessful they may turn their attention to an overseas player instead.

Even with question marks over the defence City possess enough pace, power and skill going forward to trouble any premiership side. It is only a matter of when and not if they add a defensive kingpin or two to the equation. When that happens they will be a force to be reckoned with.

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Beckham Wants To Have His Cake And Eat It

2009-07-22T14:33:00.000+01:00

The supporters of LA Galaxy have every right to be thoroughly cheesed off with England midfielder David Beckham. When the supposed star player is receiving the salary that he enjoys they will expect something in return. Instead of improving the team some claim that the side plays better without him.

There has always been rumours of dressing room discontent because of the wages Beckham is paid. His determination to go out on loan to AC Milan meant missing the start of the MLS season. This has infuriated the fans who appear to have now turned on golden balls. Of course, he will not be unduly concerned with the dissent shown by sections of the support.

Beckham’s obsession with England and the next World Cup means he wants to have his cake and eat it. All the claptrap about putting the MLS on the World football map and improving the profile of the sport in the USA was a smokescreen. It was all about living in LA and rubbing shoulders with the celebrity set.

There is nothing wrong with that but if you take the money and then treat your employers with contempt it will end in tears eventually. Shortly after Beckham returned to LA Galaxy he was already stating his intention to once again play for other clubs on loan. He is treating LA Galaxy and their fans with contempt. If Beckham cannot see, why people are angry then he clearly has more money than sense.

Where the World Cup 2010 is concerned Beckham is like a dog with a bone and he will not let go. The only reason he is still clinging on to an England squad place is the revenue he brings in and that is a poor reason for inclusion in the national team. Players should be selected only on merit and not due to any commercial aspect.

Beckham is a selfish individual at times and we have seen this sort of behaviour before. His insistence on playing for England in major international tournaments whilst injured and not fully fit is the perfect example. Beckham’s needs are the number one priority even if that means his team suffers as a result.

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Setanta Sports Goes Bust

2009-06-28T18:06:00.001+01:00

The most ridiculous piece of football news this week concerns the sports television channel Setanta. The supposed rival channel to Sky has gone under with millions of pounds outstanding. They could not even meet the latest payment that was due to the clubs. This is a clear breach of contract by Setanta Sports. The matches they had exclusive broadcast rights for will now be sold to the highest bidder. That is a polite way of saying they will be snapped up by Sky.

Opinion on the failed channel was mixed to say the least. One criticism was the Premiership games often lacked variety with one team in particular screened regularly. Any non subscribers who were considering signing up must be heaving a huge sigh of relief. Getting your money back in this scenario can sometimes be a struggle.

Presumably this means the return of Sky’s Prem Plus package. Why they cannot just keep all the games in one package is beyond belief. If a customer subscribes to Sky sports, they should not have to fork out to see some more live Premiership football. It is just a ploy to squeeze some more money out of the loyal customer base. In the present economic climate these tactics are not welcome.

The reasons for the demise of Setanta Sports are not clear although they had obviously bitten off more than they could chew. Whether you like them or not Sky are an established giant when it comes to sport on television. Now that Setanta has come and gone there is only one real solution for sports on television.

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Good Riddance To The Winker

2009-06-12T18:57:00.000+01:00

It was always a possibility that Cristiano Ronaldo would eventually get his way and move to Real Madrid. He is one of the best players in the World but his behaviour does not always match his skills. This goes back to the World Cup when he played a part in getting his club team mate Wayne Rooney sent off. That game between England and Portugal showed the global television audience exactly what Ronaldo is like.

Many felt that Sir Alex Ferguson should have washed his hands of him back then. However, he did nothing of the sort and instead he remained loyal to Ronaldo. He has developed into quite a player although it could be said that is not necessarily a good thing. He has behaved like a spoilt child at times in the last year throwing his toys out of the pram when he did not get his move to Madrid. Although he pledged loyalty to United, it was not convincing. It was more a case of delaying the inevitable.

This year he has looked disinterested and brilliant often in the same game. In the Premiership, he has thrown tantrums when being substituted. After the Champions League final, his criticism of Fergie’s tactics was very disrespectful. The time was right for Manchester United to get rid and get the best possible price for him. The £80 million transfer is a World record and allows replacements to be brought in.

Ronaldo is the latest in a long line of great players that have left the club. The manager is an expert at rebuilding teams when key players depart. When next season gets underway Manchester United will still be a good bet for the title even without the winker.

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The Rich Man's Toy

2009-05-30T17:57:00.000+01:00

At the start of the season, not many people would have tipped Newcastle United for relegation. The fact they now find themselves in the Championship is due to a catalogue of errors. Numerous mistakes have been made during the course of the season by the owner Mike Ashley.

The reason for the sacking of Sam Allardyce was reported to be the type of football the team was producing. This is a valid point but Allardyce would not have delivered relegation had he remained in charge. The hierarchy decided to bring back Toon legend Kevin Keegan. This raised an eyebrow or two in some quarters but it was considered a safe appointment. Keegan would have the backing of the fans and would get the team playing attractive and attacking football.

For some strange reason Ashley then decided to bring in a director of football. Club chairmen do not seem to learn that in English football the director of football role rarely succeeds. This scenario just creates conflict between the manager and the director. The manager should be solely responsible for deciding which players should be bought or sold.

The appointment was cheeky cockney Dennis Wise a man with no connection to the North East which made matters worse. Furthermore it is believed that Keegan and Wise did not really get along beforehand. The rest is history as Keegan walked away after issuing an ultimatum that was not met.

The next manger to be given the job was former Wimbledon boss Joe Kinnear who had been out of the game for some time. Ill health put paid to his stint and that is where the crucial error was made. An experienced manger should have been appointed immediately but instead Ashley left Chris Hughton in charge.

The last throw of the dice was appointing Alan Shearer with only a handful of games remaining. Shearer is worshipped by the supporters but had an impossible task to keep them up. Money has been thrown around like confetti in recent years on a host of poor signings. Average players have been given very generous contracts and have simply not earned those wages.

If the club is to make an instant return to the Premiership then a massive clear out is required. Under performing players who are on contracts of £50,000 a week or more, need to be moved out of the club. You need a fair amount of fighting spirit to get out of the Championship and that is one quality the current squad does not have in abundance.

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Dream Champions League Final

2009-05-08T17:26:00.000+01:00

The purists and any neutral football supporters will be eagerly anticipating the final game of the Champions League between Manchester United and Barcelona. European football’s governing body UEFA will also be looking forward to the occasion. There is talk that the official who refereed the Chelsea v Barcelona semi-final match was under orders not to allow an all English final.

Tom Henning Ovrebo made numerous ridiculous decisions during the match for both sides. The most controversial incidents involved at least three clear penalties for Chelsea which he turned down. This happens all the time in football but three clear penalties for the same team in one match is highly unusual. This is why there is a growing suspicion that someone got to the referee.

It is claimed that Ovrebo was an inexperienced official having only refereed 10 Champions League matches previously. If they have any commonsense UEFA will ensure he does not get a chance to officiate in any more. That is assuming they do not want to reward him for his services.

Both semi-finals were shrouded in controversy because of poor refereeing decisions. A strong referee with sufficient experience needs to be appointed for the final. Considering the competition involves the cream of European football the main talking points should be about the game itself rather than the standard of officiating.

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Player Of The Year Farce

2009-05-01T09:56:00.001+01:00

The PFA player of the year award usually goes to the season’s outstanding footballer. This year the accolade has been given to Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs. To say this was a controversial award is something of an understatement. Giggs is an outstanding professional and has been a great servant to his club and football in general. He would be deserving of a lifetime achievement award for such a long and successful career.

Having said that to award him the player of the year is ridiculous simply because he has only started 12 games this season. He has been chosen ahead of several of his fellow professionals who would have been more worthy of the award. Last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo is not everyone’s cup of tea and maybe this was a snub to him because of the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch. It is fair to say that Giggs is a model professional and the exact opposite of Ronaldo which may have been reflected in the vote.

The full list of nominees was Edwin Van Der Sar, Ryan Giggs, Nemanja Vidic. Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard. This season Giggs has been out performed by every single nominee. The fact the list included five Manchester United players also raised a few eyebrows. If he had not missed games through injury, the award would probably have gone to Gerrard. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has had yet another free scoring season and was also unlucky not to feature.

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Eight Goal Thrillers

2009-04-22T17:44:00.000+01:00

Premiership title challengers Liverpool seem to be developing a habit of participating in eight goal thrillers. The recent Champions League semi-final 2nd leg against Chelsea finished in a 4-4 draw and has been labelled as one of the best games of recent years.

The Premiership fixture between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield came very close for sheer entertainment. This match also finished all square at 4-4 with plenty of incident and drama which is what makes the Premiership so popular. Games like this are great for the neutral but not the two managers concerned. Benitez in particular will be pulling his hair out at some of the defending his team produced.

There is a move to bring Kenny Dalglish back to the club in some capacity but with the number of goals Liverpool have conceded recently they would be better off hiring former defender Alan Hansen to coach the defence. The television audiences must love watching Liverpool play as there always seems to be an abundance of goals scored and conceded.

A season that promised so much for Liverpool now looks as though it will finish with no trophy. They must hope Manchester United drops points in the remaining fixtures to have any realistic chance of the title.

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Dominating The European Champions League

2009-04-17T17:02:00.000+01:00

As we reach the final stages of the Champions League the question of English dominance once again, rears its head. No doubt UEFA president Michel Platini will be distinctly unimpressed to see three English teams in the semi-finals. The Premier League is the richest league in the world right now so it is hard to see anything other than the continuation of the trends of the last few seasons.

Life has not always been rosy for English clubs. In the past, we had the ridiculous European ban after the Heysel disaster. This was a classic example of both FIFA and UEFA flexing their muscles in an attempt to unfairly punish the country that gave football to the world.

Football tends to run in cycles so the current period of dominance by the Premier Leagues big four will not last forever. Instead of complaining about English clubs, it is up to the other major teams in Europe to improve their own standards and challenge that dominance.

Spanish giants Barcelona with Messi, Eto’o and Henry are an awesome team and are the only club that stands in the way of an English winner in the final. If not then the Champions League trophy will once again be lifted by an English club. You can just imagine Platini applauding through gritted teeth with his fake smile.

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Controversial New England Shirt

2009-04-05T21:06:00.004+01:00

There was much controversy surrounding the new England shirt in terms of the design and the way it was launched. As long as David Beckham is still around then the FA will maximise any opportunity to cash in.

One criticism levelled at football clubs is how often the replica shirts are changed. Most shirts last for two years although some have been used for just one season. The England replica shirts follow suit in much the same way. In recent years, the England shirts have not changed a great deal and at times it has been difficult to distinguish between new and old such was the similarity.

This latest shirt has a retro feel to it having been modelled on the kits of yesteryear. It is basic in design and comes with a collar but the combination works well. This change of direction is welcome and at least gives the fans a reason to purchase a shirt that is unique and different from the previous one.

The shirt does look similar to a white polo shirt at first glance and the manufacturers Umbro had to come up with something different for the polo type leisure shirt design to ensure the two were not identical.

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Three Big Wins For Liverpool

2009-03-23T21:02:00.000Z

Liverpool’s season has been re-ignited thanks to three stunning results against Real Madrid, Manchester United and Aston Villa. These were not just bog standard victories either on each occasion the opposition was soundly thrashed with goals galore.

Both Man Utd and Real are among the cream of European club football so those two wins in particular were quite stunning and will have made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice. Not many teams will be overly confident about facing Liverpool in what remains of the current Champions League.

If Liverpool had not dropped so many points at home then they would probably be out in front. In their defence, they will point to the absences of Gerrard and Torres which may have cost points. Both men are world class players and they rely heavily on them.

The premiership appeared all but over a few days ago although it is true that Man United still has the advantage. They have a crucial game in hand and have plenty of experience having been in this position a few times over the years. Recent results will put some pressure on Fergie and his players if nothing else and ensure that the title race is not a foregone conclusion.

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The Hiddink Effect

2009-03-10T15:39:00.001Z

Guus Hiddink has had an instant impact on the Chelsea squad after winning his first five games in charge. The appointment has probably come too late in the season to enable the blues to mount a serious premiership title challenge but it bodes well for next season if the Dutchman is still in charge.

There was talk of Frank Rijkaard being brought in as manager at the end of the season but surely the job will now be offered to Hiddink on a long term basis. Hiddink is exactly the kind of high profile and experienced manager to finally lay the ghost of Mourinho. He also possesses enough quality to battle it out with Sir Alex Ferguson at Man United.

Phil Scolari was surprisingly ineffective when it came to the tactical side of the game and this was particularly exposed during the matches against the big three teams. Hiddink instantly recognized the importance of getting the best out of Didier Drogba which is something Scolari failed to do. He has also not been afraid to play with two up front and the partnership of Anelka and Drogba rivals any in the premiership.

Chelsea resembles a team once again and appears to be back to their best with both John Terry and Frank Lampard looking re-invigorated. The premiership title may no longer be a realistic target but not many will bet against them going all the way to the Champions League final once more.

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Unhealthy Situation At Eastlands

2009-02-23T23:17:00.000Z

It came as no surprise to hear that Craig Bellamy had made his feelings known to his team mate Robinho. The exchange centred on what Bellamy considered a lack of effort. Love him or hate him Bellamy is guaranteed to make things interesting. The next pre season tour should be interesting if he packs his golf clubs.

There is no disputing the quality of Brazilian superstar Robinho but his conduct off the field leaves a lot to be desired. Robinho openly flouts club rules and escapes punishment seemingly because of who he is. This is rumoured to be causing bad feeling among other elements of the first team squad which is no surprise.

Long term this situation is unhealthy and cannot continue. Successful teams are a collection of players. One great player does not bring success by himself. The new Man City owners should encourage the manager to treat all players the same way regardless of who they are.

Team spirit is a massive factor for any great football team. If the club is to start winning trophies, then harmony needs to be restored. Superstars are often like spoilt children and can be difficult to manage. Mark Hughes finds himself in an awkward position trying to find a balance between maintaining discipline and not upsetting the best player.

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Scolari Not So Special

2009-02-10T11:49:00.001Z

When it comes to sacking the manager there are some football clubs which do not mess about. Chelsea has a ruthless streak and will act if things are not going according to plan. Mourinho was extremely successful on the trophy front but became too big a personality for the owners. Avram Grant was always a dead man walking after succeeding Jose and he was ruthlessly axed after coming close to Champions League success.

Abramovich wanted attractive football but you suspect he would now gladly settle for the sort of success Mourinho delivered. At the start of the season Chelsea looked like red hot favourites for the title but, injuries to key players have not helped their cause. Drogba has always been a big player and the managers fall out with him and also Alex did not help matters.

Scolari looked to be a good appointment on paper but he has looked out of his depth in recent weeks. The premiership is all about high tempo and intense football and it was looking as though Scolari could not cope. He has had success on the international front but club football is a different kettle of fish.

From what we have seen of Scolari this season England probably had a narrow escape when he changed his mind after accepting the job. If he cannot get to grips with English club football, the pressure of leading the national team would be too much. This was probably the reason for his change of heart.

Making the change now gives the new man a chance to get the challenge for trophies back on track. There will be an impressive short list of high profile managers vying to be the new Chelsea manager. Among them will be Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink and Sven Goran Eriksson.

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Transfer Deadline Day News

2009-02-03T12:55:00.001Z

To say the country is suffering from the effects of the global recession, several clubs still managed to spend a few million on players. The big news was the return to White Hart Lane of former striker Robbie Keane. The talk is Liverpool agreed to take a huge loss on the player by allowing him to move back to Spurs for only £12 million. It is not a good time right now to be writing off £8 million. Keane did not set the world on fire at Anfield but the rotation policy employed by Benitez was probably not the way to get the best out of him.

The fact that Spurs have gone for several former players actually makes sound business sense. Transfer fees are paid in instalments so all of these deals will have had a significant amount of money outstanding on them. The only surprise is that more clubs have not followed suit. Harry Redknapp has a much stronger squad at his disposal and any relegation worries should be eased.

At Stamford Bridge their old boss Jose Mourinho did Chelsea a favour by allowing Ricardo Quaresma to join them on loan. How times have changed in the last year for the club. It does make you wonder whether they have one eye on a new stadium as an alternative to re-developing the existing one.

Arsenal brought their own transfer saga to an end when they eventually managed to sign Andrei Arshavin. They have been desperate for new blood all season and some would argue it is too little too late to have any real impact on their title chances this season. In fact Arsenal will have their work cut out to finish in the top four with the emergence of Aston Villa this season.

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Premiership Trophy Bound For Old Trafford

2009-01-29T19:01:00.001Z

Just when we were enjoying the prospect of a good old fashioned ding dong in the premiership title race Manchester United have slipped into the top gear. Ever since old Rafa said his piece about Fergie it seems to have fired up the Old Trafford boss because his team looks the most likely champions. In comparison, the men from Anfield are fading fast.

Benitez has had his own problems with multiple operations for kidney stones and that has certainly not helped Liverpool. Whether they can continue to challenge or not remains to be seen. The league table does not lie and when you look at the number of points Liverpool has dropped it does not look well. They have simply drawn far too many games for a team that is going for the title

When you compare squads from all the title challengers then Man United look the most formidable. They have had their share of injury problems but it has not hindered their progress. Liverpool has plenty of quality themselves but sometimes you wonder why Benitez makes so many changes to his side. This is a source of frustration for even the most loyal supporter.

It is also a tale of two strikers. Manchester United has Dimitar Berbatov up front while Liverpool signed Robbie Keane for around £20 million. Berbatov made an instant impression and has looked like a great signing. In contrast Keane has not established himself. The transfer fee that Liverpool paid for Keane did raise some eyebrows at the time and he has not justified it yet. When you pay so much for a top striker then you really need to see a return of some description.

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FA Cup Coverage On TV

2009-01-26T13:20:00.001Z

For years, we have been used to watching FA Cup football on the BBC so it is very strange now it is on ITV. Of course, Setanta has it as well but this is not much good to the many that refuse to subscribe to yet another TV channel. FA Cup football is traditional and it is only right it remains on terrestrial television.

The coverage of FA Cup football was always highly polished when it was in the hands of the Beeb. Regardless of what people thought of the individual commentators and presenters they all did a thoroughly professional job. In comparison, the ITV coverage has at times seemed a little rusty. This is to be expected and will fade over time.

It does seem odd watching the opening credits and instead of the good old Match of the Day theme tune we have the ITV version which does not have the same impact.

The main problem with the ITV coverage is the amount of advertisements you have to put up with. This was demonstrated perfectly on the 5th round draw programme. The ad breaks ruined ITV’s coverage of Formula 1 especially with that painful, monotonous Sony clip that drove us crazy. Advertising keeps these channels in business but sometimes they should remember what it is we are actually tuning in for.

The BBC does not escape criticism after all they receive an obscene amount of money every year via the TV licence fee. In return, the viewers expect them to be able to secure major sporting events like the FA Cup. Sadly it seems as time goes on the BBC becomes less keen to do this.

It remains to be seen whether the BBC is serious about cup football when the rights are up for renewal. The ITV channel has dabbled in previous years most notably with their premiership coverage. It would not be that much of a surprise if the FA Cup coverage swapped hands again next time.

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Man City In A Hurry

2009-01-17T12:12:00.001Z

Thanks to their new owners Manchester City are probably the richest football club in the world at present. Many teams face an uncertain future thanks to the economic downturn but City is flexing the financial muscle. The fact they have attempted to sign the world’s best player is a statement of intent. If they do not secure the services of Kaka then they will simply move on to the next target.

The signing of Robinho was a stunner especially when you consider Chelsea looked like his preferred destination. That signing looks like being the first of many as the Abu Dhabi group try spending their way to success on the pitch. Money does not always guarantee success. The two Brazilians are as skillful as you like but they may not relish a muddy pitch in late November. They will also need high calibre players who are prepared to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in.

This is a curious way of building a team that has provoked some criticism. Managers like the late Brian Clough used to build teams from the back but Man City’s owners just like Roman Abramovich do not see things quite the same way. People with huge resources do not usually want to hang around and these guys want success in a hurry.

Arsenal seems to be fading this season and Aston Villa is on the verge of establishing themselves in the top four. A strong challenge from Manchester City in future will certainly spice things up where the title race is concerned. Money will probably have a massive impact at Eastlands because world class players want to be competing in the Champions League and winning trophies.

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Benitez Speaks His Mind

2009-01-10T12:08:00.000Z

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez did not sidestep any issues at his recent press conference. He gave Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson both barrels in an extraordinary attack. Fergie has been in the game for so long that many people are reluctant to cross swords with him but Benitez was not having any of it. They may not say so in public but privately there will be plenty of managers who agree with what Rafa had to say.

It has been compared to the outburst by Kevin Keegan when he was Newcastle United manager all those years ago. On that occasion, Fergie’s notorious mind games clearly got the better of Keegan and he duly cracked. This was different though because Rafa was cool, calm and collected and spoke at length about his grievances with Ferguson. In particular, about how he complains about everything and is rarely punished.

Ferguson is a legend in managerial terms but he does appear to do more than his fair share of complaining. Having a dig at the referee before the match is a subtle way of applying pressure to the official. All managers have their moments where referees and linesmen are concerned but the recent complaint about the Manchester United fixtures was ridiculous. The idea it had been done deliberately to harm their premiership title bid was just plain daft.

Jamie Carragher recently spoke about the possibility of psychological warfare from their title rivals. He correctly predicted it would signal how seriously teams are now taking Liverpool. Now the half way point of the season has past we can expect things to get very interesting both on and off the pitch. Fergie is not slow in coming forward if he has got something to say. With Chelsea looking unconvincing and Arsenal constantly up and down it may yet prove to be a battle between Liverpool and Man Utd for the premiership title.

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FA Cup Time Again

2008-12-31T14:41:00.001Z

It is that time of the year again with Christmas out of the way it is time for the FA Cup third round. No disrespect to the clubs that contest the qualifying rounds as well as the 1st and 2nd rounds but the 3rd round of the cup is when football supporters really start to take this competition seriously. All the big premiership clubs will feature and you can guarantee that some will not be in the hat when the draw is made for the next round.

It will be interesting to see how seriously premiership managers take this years competition. In the past, they have decided to field weakened sides and have ended up coming unstuck. Sending out the reserves is fine if they get a result but the opposition can sometimes use it to their advantage and claim it is a lack of respect towards them. In those scenarios, most neutral fans have little sympathy for the premiership teams.

The big clubs take the domestic cup competitions less seriously than in previous years. It has now become a golden opportunity for the rest of football. Clubs in the premiership and the championship now have a genuine chance of going all the way to the new Wembley stadium. There is also the possibility of qualifying for European football via the UEFA Cup for the eventual FA Cup winners which is a prize not to be sniffed at.

Last years winners Portsmouth start their campaign with a home tie against championship side Bristol City. Chelsea is the bookmaker’s favourites to win the cup closely followed by both Man Utd and Arsenal.

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Ince Failure Down To Inexperience

2008-12-17T00:05:00.003Z

Paul Ince became the latest premiership managerial casualty after being sacked by Blackburn Rovers. Football is a result based business and no one can deny Rovers have had a terrible run in that department. Relegation is something that puts the fear of god into premiership chairmen so it is no real surprise they have acted in this way.

By parting company with Ince at this stage of the season Rovers will allow the new manager ample time to mount a recovery. There is no doubt they have sufficient quality in their squad on paper at least. It is just a case of motivation and getting the best out of those players.

Former Bolton manager Sam Allardyce has emerged as the early front runner for the job. After working miracles at Bolton for many years, he should be a popular and successful appointment. He has plenty of premiership experience and knows how to handle the big name players.

It was not too long ago that Ince was being hailed as one of the brightest young managers in English football. He may yet prove to be a good boss in time but that is a commodity rarely given to managers in the premiership. When he got the job at Blackburn there was a feeling the appointment had come too soon for him as he was still inexperienced in managerial terms.

He will not be out of work for very long after successful spells at both Macclesfield and MK Dons. The next port of call for Ince will probably be a championship club and that will enable him to further develop as a manager. In hindsight the jump from Milton Keynes to Blackburn Rovers was too much for a boss with limited experience.

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Liverpool In Pole Position

2008-12-08T13:19:00.001Z

As the premiership season approaches, the halfway point Liverpool is in an excellent position at the top of the table. The other title contenders such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal have been striving to keep up. They have all had problems with injuries and results have suffered as a result.

Their results have been impressive especially when you consider the lack of a goal scoring contribution from Robbie Keane. The £20 million fee they agreed to pay Tottenham now looks to be over the top. There are even rumours that new Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is keen to take Keane back to White Hart Lane.

Fernando Torres has also had his season interrupted by several niggling injuries yet Liverpool continues on regardless. As always their best player Steven Gerrard continues to drive them on from midfield chipping in with vital goals. But it is the management of Rafa Benitez where improvement is more noticeable.

In the past Benitez came under fire for constantly tinkering with his team. Regardless of how well the team played he would change personnel for the next game. This did not go down well with fans or players and the lack of a settled side was not conducive to a serious premiership title challenge. This season he has been less inclined to do this and results have improved as a result.

The busy Christmas period will offer some clues whether Liverpool can remain in top spot. They have not won the title since 1990 under the guidance of former boss and Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish. In recent years, it has all been Man Utd or Chelsea as main contenders so a sustained challenge from Liverpool will make things interesting.

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Keane Resigns As Sunderland Manager

2008-12-04T22:50:00.001Z

The resignation of Sunderland boss Roy Keane has caused much debate. After some poor results there was speculation on whether he would keep his job. The fact that he has resigned might come as something of a surprise. He has said he cannot take Sunderland any further and you have to admire his honesty.

When he was first appointed as their manager Sunderland was in the doldrums and at the bottom of the championship. Keane worked a miracle in his first season managing to achieve automatic promotion. This was a great achievement considering the league position.

After winning promotion, he then managed to keep Sunderland in the premiership. This is the main objective for any team promoted from the championship. Some would say that Keane had tremendous financial backing regarding the transfer of players. In total, he is believed to have spent the best part of £80 million. Many believe that due to the injection of capital Sunderland has paid over the odds for some players in recent years.

There have been many former Manchester United players who have tried their hand at management with mixed results. Because he was such a high profile player, it is easy to forget that this was his first managerial job. As a manager, he was not even on the radar prior to his appointment at Sunderland.

There has been talk about his volatile managerial style but this got results in his first two seasons at the club. It is thought this may not be to the liking of some of the foreign stars he has signed. His departure at least gives the club plenty of time to appoint a new manager. And his successor will have ample time to ensure Sunderland remain in the premiership.

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Sweet And Sour Gerrard

2008-11-27T13:10:00.000Z

There is no doubt that Steven Gerrard is one of the best players in England and is the heartbeat of the Liverpool team. He has been an integral part of the success Liverpool has enjoyed in recent years. For all Gerrard's skills with the ball, there is a darker side which is beginning to make him unpopular among some football fans.

It does not matter whether you call it diving or simulation as it is known among foreign players. It is still a dishonest way to play football that borders on cheating. The frustrating thing is Gerrard is so good he does not need to resort to these measures.

Since the formation of the premiership, there have been many examples of foreign players employing the same sort of tactics in a bid to con the referee and win penalties. On these occasions the players have been made aware in no uncertain terms what the media and the average football supporter thinks of such behaviour.

Because of the fact that Gerrard is an established England international and plays for a big club like Liverpool, his antics are swept under the carpet. All players want to win but to take things to the extent where a player is prepared to dive or act like he has been hit by a hail of gunfire is not good for himself, his team or football.

His manager Rafa Benitez has recently called for him to stop trying to be Roy of the rovers in every match he plays. It is thought that he was referring to this part of his game. Out of loyalty for his player Benitez was careful how his comments were worded.

Gerrard is the Liverpool captain and arguably the best midfielder in England. He will be a permanent fixture in the England midfield for years to come and millions of youngsters look up to him. He should be mindful of this fact and set a good example at all times in the way he plays his football.

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A Good Year

2008-11-20T20:58:00.002Z

Fabio Capello gave England fans an early Christmas present with an impressive 2-1 win against the Germans with defenders Matthew Upson and John Terry the unlikely goalscorers.

As the Germany match approached it was hard to see any chance of a positive result with England missing several of their better players. Big names absentees included Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard

There are some players in particular whose injuries always seem to coincide with England games especially if they are considered non competitive or meaningless. You can guarantee that the missing stars will be fully recovered on come the next round of premiership matches.

The pleasing thing about this performance was the players who came in as replacements all did a job. Those who were ruled out through injury were not really missed on the night. It could be argued that a performance from some of the fringe players was long overdue and several of them delivered just that.

Capello called it a perfect end to a perfect year and it was a performance of note coupled with a good result. There is no doubt that under Capello the team has improved considerably and progressed during his first year in charge.

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Capello Right To Axe Beckham

2008-11-16T06:36:00.000Z

Fabio Capello has made the correct decision leaving David Beckham out of the latest England squad. Beckham has had a lengthy and rewarding international career but the time has come to step aside and leave with dignity. It seems that this is the last thing on Beckham’s mind as he desperately tries to prolong his international career.

It is thought that one of the reasons Beckham is so keen to continue playing is a desire to break the record for the most appearances by an England player. The current record is 125 caps held by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton. In recent England matches, we have witnessed the pitiful sight of Beckham appearing as a substitute for the final few minutes seemingly just to chalk up yet another cap.

Another reason is likely to be the various business interests which depend on Beckham continuing to play at a high level of professional soccer. The player’s money making exploits are often referred to as Brand Beckham. This should have no bearing whatsoever on whether a player is chosen to represent his country.

Representing your country is arguably the highest accolade that players can receive and England caps should not be handed out for the sake of breaking personal milestones. It is widely accepted in football circles that Beckham is no longer the player he was and playing for LA Galaxy in the American MLS competition does not help matters.

Because of the amount of air travel involved in flying from the United States to join up with the England squad, there will always be concerns over his fitness levels. The transfer to LA Galaxy was considered to be more about the glamour of Los Angeles rather than the football aspect. A short term loan move to AC Milan for fitness reasons shows how desperate he has become.

During his career clubs have been keen to cash in on the name of David Beckham and some would say England and the Football Association welcome his continued involvement for that reason. The argument for his inclusion is the positive influence he has on the rest of the squad but if this is true then he could always be groomed as a coach.

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Arsenal Not Tough Enough

2008-11-02T23:48:00.003Z

When they are on form Arsenal play some of the most attractive football you are ever likely to see and there seems to be a conveyor belt at the emirates producing some of the best young players in Europe year in year out. But as entertaining as they are to watch there are times when Arsene Wenger's players go missing.

Throwing away a 4-2 lead against Spurs in the recent North London derby was criminal especially when you consider how many times they squandered possession in the final few minutes. They did not even have to put the ball into row z but just keep hold of the thing even if that meant taking it into the corner.

There are times when Arsenal are found wanting against the more physical sides and a classic example of this was games against Bolton Wanderers under Sam Allardyce. When the going got tough you felt the flair players went missing or did not have the stomach for a battle.

Contrast this with the Arsenal teams of old and the epic battles against Manchester United with players like Patrick Viera and Martin Keown standing up to be counted. That is exactly the kind of player who Arsenal are lacking right now. Some people think that Viera was never really replaced and it is surely time for Wenger to enter the transfer market in January to remedy this.

They say that you do not win anything with kids and as far as the premiership goes that is still very much the case regardless of how good those young players are. Arsenal are probably two good signings away from being serious title challengers with a central defender and a midfielder the obvious areas that need strengthening.

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Redknapp Lands Spurs Job

2008-10-26T22:35:00.002Z

When Martin Jol was dumped by Tottenham a year ago after the clandestine attempts to snare Juande Ramos there was no shortage of sympathisers in the football world. Ramos may not get the same amount of sympathy although the similarities are uncanny having recently had the same dreaded vote of confidence from Daniel Levy which usually means get ready to clear your desk.

After deciding to dispense with the services of Ramos it was clear Spurs needed a quality appointment and Harry Redknapp fits the bill perfectly and if he is allowed funds to bring players in he should replicate the success enjoyed at Portsmouth.

There was a feeling that Redknapp had taken Portsmouth as far as he could and with rumours of money problems at Fratton Park and likely player sales in January it may well be the right time for him to move on to a new challenge.

Spurs did not do themselves any favours with losing so many top strikers in such a relatively short space of time. Any premiership squad would notice the loss of players such as Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov and Jermaine Defoe and many observers feel they are still short of a quality striker.

Redknapp had an instant impact inspiring an impressive performance from the team who delivered a 2-0 home win over Bolton which has set things up nicely for the North London Derby against rivals Arsenal in midweek.

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The Capello Effect

2008-10-16T15:04:00.002+01:00

England delivered another impressive away win polishing off Belarus 3-1 and the team under the managership of Fabio Capello is starting to form an impressive record. It may be hypothetical but there is no doubt that under the previous regime we would not have the same number of points as we currently do and the credit for that must go to the manager.

From running around like a demented lunatic with no end product earlier in the season Wayne Rooney looks a completely different player in recent England games and is starting to form a potent partnership with Emile Heskey up front. Heskey himself was probably England's best player on the night getting through a tremendous amount of hard work.

There is still the question of how best to incorporate Gerrard and Lampard in the same midfield and more importantly how to get them to gel together and questions remain over the continued omission of Michael Owen with Capello citing his lack of work rate as being a major factor for his absence from the squad.

As long as the results keep coming in nobody will question the Capello team or squad selections he even seems to have come up with an important role for fading star David Beckham by using him as a time wasting substitute.

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Lampard And Gerrard Too Similar In Style

2008-10-12T18:03:00.003+01:00

Normal service was resumed at Wembley in the first half as England struggled against Kazakhstan who not only defended well but also had a few half chances to boot.

With the deadlock still to be broken there was some stick flying around as the half time whistle sounded despite Fabio Capello pleading in the days leading up to the game for the fans not to boo the players.

England fans travel from all parts of the country to watch the national team and if they feel these well paid stars are not displaying the same level of commitment and pride in playing for their country they will let them know about it.

In the second half England did start to find the net with goals from Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Jermaine Defoe although a 5-1 scoreline was a little flattering when the overall performance is taken into account.

We were treated to another dose of Lampard and Gerrard struggling to play together in the same midfield and quite clearly nothing that has been attempted so far looks like working.

The problem is they are both similar types of player who are at their best when surging forward and scoring goals from midfield so if you ask that kind of player to adopt a holding role or play out wide you will not get the same end product.

The country would probably be split over who is the better player out of Lampard and Gerrard but it might be time to pick one or the other and then stick with the man in form which will at least lead to a bit of competition between the two of them.

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Another Win For Chelsea In The Hom

2008-10-05T19:21:00.002+01:00

Chelsea seem to be making themselves comfortable at the top of the premier league table after an impressive 2-0 win over Aston Villa which is a good result considering that teams managed by Martin O'Neill always put up stiff resistance against the top four.

The fact that Chelsea have so many injury problems with Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho all missing makes the result even more impressive and augurs well for when Scolari eventually has a fully fit squad to choose from.

As far as the premiership title race goes Chelsea are obviously in pole position with Manchester United having a sluggish start to their own campaign although Liverpool have looked impressive with Fernando Torres once again looking lethal up front and of course Gerrard drives them on from midfield.

The top four will remain the same for this season at least and although there is a long way to go until May the longer that Chelsea remain in top spot then the more you have to fancy them for the title.

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West Ham Running Out Of Options

2008-09-26T17:49:00.002+01:00

After an independent FA tribunal found in favour of Sheffield United earlier this week things did not look too promising for West Ham's chances of appealing against the decision indeed after stating their intentions to approach the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland this was quickly ruled out by CAS themselves.

It now appears that the only other option would be to try and overturn this latest verdict by taking it to an English court although the fact that they are appealing at all has not gone down well in some quarters notably at the FA with chairman Lord Triesman openly critical of any potential appeal.

One interesting point to come out of the transcripts was the revelation that after assuring the Premier League that the Tevez contract was now all above board they were privately assuring the players owners that they would continue to honour the original deal hence committing a further break of the rules and quite rightly the tribunal concluded that if the Premier League had been aware of what was happening in private then Tevez would not have been allowed to play any further part in their season.

At the time many people felt that the whole episode stank of corruption and cover ups and that there was much more to come it is just a shame for Football that it has taken so long to get to that point and there is now the additional prospect of further legal battles with Sheffield United players past and present taking legal advice with a view to suing for loss of earnings after relegation meant an enforced pay cut.

If Richard Scudamore and the Premier League had dealt with this fairly and at source in the interests of all its members instead of purely looking after West Ham's interests then the game would not be facing the embarrassing can of worms that it now is.

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Watching England On Television

2008-09-15T00:23:00.000+01:00

The downside of England’s magnificent performance against Croatia was that most of the country did not get the opportunity to see it as Setanta had the live TV rights and not one of Sky, BBC or ITV able to show even highlights although ITV did show extended highlights the following night but if that’s the best we can do it is a scandal.

There has been much debate over who is to blame with some criticism being levelled at Setanta for not allowing highlights and wanting to maintain exclusivity and if that is true then they need not worry about exclusivity because it is a sure fire way to upset your potential customers and target market.

The various TV companies and channels can squabble over the TV rights as much as they like but what the nation expects at the very least is to be able to watch its own national football team surely that is not too much to ask.

The BBC does not escape criticism in this after all this organization quietly collects a handsome sum from each household in the country thanks to the TV licence and for what exactly? Because it certainly does not provide TV superior to its competitors and as for top level Sport the BBC seems unwilling to spend any money preferring instead to keep hold of its (or rather our) money.

The game itself in the form of the FA should also shoulder some responsibility for failing to ensure that the country can watch all England’s competitive matches in some form and it is unfortunate that this has been the only negative in the week when some national pride has been restored at last.

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Walcott Treble Gives England Revenge

2008-09-10T23:52:00.002+01:00

A hat-trick by Arsenal's Theo Walcott powered England to a memorable 4-1 win against Croatia to take a huge step towards the 2010 World Cup finals with Wayne Rooney also on the scoresheet.

Such a display has certainly been a long time coming and this was without doubt the best performance by an England team since the historic 5-1 demolition of Germany during the reign of Sven Goran Ericksson.

There was no confusion this time with unfamiliar formations the team played to its strengths and importantly at a high tempo which is what English football is all about and as the game wore on you could visibly see the confidence that the players were gaining from the match.

After commanding a huge fee as a youngster it has taken 19 year old Walcott a while to find his feet in the premiership and this display should do wonders for both England and Arsenal not to mention the player himself and although there are aspects of his game that he still needs to work on his pace and skill will be a threat to any side in international football.

There is still a long way to go in the qualification campaign but an away win against the fifth best team in the FIFA World rankings is a feat that you have to assume the other teams in England's group will probably not emulate.

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England Far From Convincing

2008-09-07T17:37:00.002+01:00

They may have got the three points with a 2-0 win over Andorra but England were far from convincing with a display that once again raises more questions than it provides answers.

England's team of premiership stars are OK when they have foreign talent to prop them up every week but whenever they have to stand on their own two feet representing their country they look very ordinary and do nothing to justify their ridiculous wages.

This is probably why there now seems to be a crescendo of boos aimed at the team on a regualr basis whenever they are not setting the world alight which is not ideal but the players should not forget that the average fan spends a lot of money following football and these players earn more in a week than most earn in five years hence the hostility.

One hopes that the next quaifier against Croatia will represent more of a challenge and after they stuffed us in the Euro 2008 qualification group there should be no lack of motivation in the England dressing room to settle that particular score.

Just qualifying for the World Cup would be an achievement in itself never mind winning it and that shows just how bad things have become in recent years because for us to repeat the success of 1966 we would have to drop on a golden generation of talent and unfortunately there is no such talent on the horizon.

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Man City Takeover Impact

2008-09-03T17:15:00.004+01:00

It is a good time to be a Manchester City fan right now after yet another takeover this time from the Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG) the club made their intentions clear with some ambitious transfer activity attempting to sign Berbatov from Tottenham to add to the Robinho capture from Real Madrid.

They say money talks and although City may have a stubborn Real Madrid to thank for their unwillingness to sell Robinho to Chelsea it is still a fantastic signing for them and should give City a real chance of breaking into the top four this season and with their new found wealth comparisons are already being made with City being called the Chelsea of the North.

Quite what Chelsea in particular Roman Abramovich made of it is anyones guess Peter Kenyon was accused of arrogance by the Madrid hierarchy but everyone assumed this was simply an attempt to delay the Robinho deal and that the Brazilian would be arriving at Stamford Bridge

The attempt to sign Dimitar Berbatov under the nose of their rivals from Old Trafford would not have impressed the red half of Manchester but again shows that the ambition as well as the funds that are now in place even if the player had already made his mind up some time ago regarding the move from Spurs to United.

This all augurs well for the Manchester derby matches this season which should be even more spicy than usual with City surely more of a match now with former United legend Mark Hughes as manager and two big signings in Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

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Man Utd And City Land Targets

2008-09-02T20:08:00.003+01:00

The big news as the transfer deadline closed was the Manchester clubs both landing big transfer targets with City signing Brazilian Robinho from Spanish giants Real Madrid for a reported £32.5 million after the deal with Chelsea had dragged on for days the player will add a bit more flair to Mark Hughes's team to add to the signing of Shaun Wright Phillips and make them an even stronger proposition.

Manchester United meanwhile concluded the other drawn out transfer saga signing Dimitar Berbatov for £30.75 million from Tottenham Hotspur a deal that has not been short of controversy all round not least the conduct of the player himself which if reports are true leaves a lot to be desired.

Manchester City actually made an unsuccessful attempt to hijack the Berbatov deal having a bid of around £30 million accepted but the player had his heart set on a move to Old Trafford.

It is a shame that Spurs could not do what both United did with Ronaldo and Martin O'Neill did with Gareth Barry but that does not take into account Berbatov's apparent sulking which has left many Tottenham fans glad to see the back of him with Fraizer Campbell moving to White Hart Lane on loan probably being a sweetener.

Spurs themselves have also spent a few quid on Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow for £14 million and Vedran Corluka from Manchester City for £8.5 million as they try to rebuild after losing a trio of strikers in recent months with the departures of Defoe, Keane and Berbatov.

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Same Old Story From England

2008-08-21T00:06:00.003+01:00

No sooner has the football season started we have an international break for another one of those friendly matches that leaves us none the wiser with regards to certain issues relating to the England team.

This latest match ended in a 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic with Joe Cole scrambling a late winner over the line to give England a fortuitous share of the spoils which some would say they scarcely deserved after a poor first half.

There seems to be somewhat of a mystery as to why players who look world class in the premiership every week can somehow look very ordinary when they pull on an England shirt with the exception of David Beckham who seems to be ordinary full stop these days.

Years ago representing your country was the ultimate honour for any professional footballer but now we live in an age where our premiership stars are treated like Hollywood film stars with salaries to match it is probably not that big a deal anymore and the only time it actually seems to dawn on some players is when they miss out on the publicity of the European Championships or the World Cup.

Maybe if we paid these players £100,000 each for gracing the country with their presence we might see an upturn in England's performance levels and while that is a sad thing to say it is most probably true.

This friendly match still leaves questions unanswered among them a tired looking Beckham's long term role in the team, the age old Gerrard and Lampard in the same midfield question and the lack of real quality to accompany Rooney up front.

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Chelsea Look A Good Bet For Title

2008-08-16T11:46:00.003+01:00

The premiership season gets underway today and it will be interesting to see how Chelsea start life under Phil Scolari who is the genuine world class manager they needed to finally replace Jose Mourinho although under Avram Grant last season they only just missed out.

It is inconceivable that Roman Abramovich and his millions will settle for another campaign without at least winning the premiership title if not the champions league so in addition to the Scolari factor and the arrivals of Boswinga and Deco it is hard to look beyond Chelsea for the title although as always Manchester United will no doubt run them close.

It will be good for the game if both Liverpool and Arsenal can make it a genuine four horse race that spans the season both have strengthened their squads with Torres and Keane looking a good strike partnership on paper while Arsenal under Wenger always seem to produce teams capable of top quality football although whether they have done enough to close the gap on the top two is not clear.

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Lampard Gets His Wish

2008-08-14T15:24:00.002+01:00

As the new premiership season fast approaches Chelsea have met Frank Lampard's demand for a new five year deal as opposed to the four years that were previously on offer for the 30 year old midfielder.

The contract makes Lampard the highest paid player in the premiership on £151,000 per week and good luck to him he is a fine player but if clubs are going to pay these sums then players will continue to hold out for what they want although you have to question whether any other club bar Chelsea would have given in to the demand for an extra year because a lot can happen in five years and I suspect that Lampard will not be quite the player he is now when he is approaching the end of his new contract.

It is now only a matter of time before a player hits the £200,000 per week mark unless football's relevant governing bodies can impose some sort of cap on these salaries which are spiralling out of control it is ironic to say the least that as players wages go through the roof there is the farcical situation in league two where the bottom three clubs have all started the new season with a points deficit due to financial issues and administration.

Football needs to keep one eye on the grass roots side of things because if clubs in the lower leagues go to the wall then the game will ultimately consume itself.

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Ronaldo Going Nowhere

2008-08-07T00:04:00.002+01:00

After all the shenanigans which have been going on pretty much since the end of last season Cristiano Ronaldo has finally admitted defeat in his quest to engineer a move to Real Madrid.

The last throw of the dice for Madrid was the hope that the player himself could persuade United to let him go but realistically at this late stage of the close season that was never going to happen.

Fergie has obviously worked hard in recent weeks to fight off interest from the Spanish giants and throwing in the towel now would leave him without his best player who also happens to be one of the best players in the world with no hope of finding an immediate replacement quickly it would also effectively hand the premiership title on a plate to Phil Scolari and Chelsea.

The official line is that Ronaldo has agreed to remain at Old Trafford for at least another year so it will not be too much of a surprise if all this speculation resurfaces in nine months time if the player is hell bent on securing his dream move to Spain.

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Liverpool Sign Keane For £19 Million

2008-07-28T23:31:00.002+01:00

After their interest in Aston Villa's Gareth Barry has seemingly cooled Liverpool have signed Robbie Keane from Tottenham for £19 million presumably to be the first choice to partner Fernando Torres up front although with Rafa Benitez and his famous squad rotation policy you can never be too sure.

Keane has been a quality performer for a few years now in the premiership and with respect he will be playing among slightly better players at Anfield compared to Spurs which should improve his game still further.

Some people will question the fee and that is where the game has gone unfortunately players like Keane and Gareth Barry are undoubtedly solid premiership players but whether they are really worth the best part of £20 million is open to question it was not that long ago that such a fee would land the best player in the world.

Liverpool under Benitez always seem to be spending big in the transfer market year in year out and it is like a work in progress with plenty of activity but apparently no real end product and even with the addition of Robbie Keane Liverpool will probably finish next season in fourth place.

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Fergie Starts The Mind Games

2008-07-23T18:03:00.003+01:00

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has fired the first shots at last seasons runners up Chelsea in the psychological battle as the new premiership season approaches.

Ferguson dismissed arguably his closest rivals for the title and poured cold water on their chances of winning the premiership this coming season indicating that the team of 30 somethings at Stamford Bridge were perhaps past their best and not capable of improvement.

New Chelsea manager Phil Scolari has been around long enough for these mind games to not let it affect him and he is probably already aware of how fergie likes to try and wind up the opposition.

If Dider Drogba and Ronaldo both stay put it will be a close battle between the two clubs with Chelsea surely bridging last seasons gap after strengthening their squad over the summer.

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Phil Knows Whats Best

2008-07-07T12:14:00.003+01:00

When the Cristiano Ronaldo thing blew up a few weeks ago just prior to Euro 2008 I was a little surprised that his national team manager with Big Phil Scolari should pipe up and give his input on the possibility of the Manchester United star signing for Real Madrid.

Scolari took time out from preparing his Portugal team for such an important tournament and then made no secret of the fact that he had personally advised Ronaldo that he should sign for Madrid etc etc which was all rather puzzling to say the least.

Fast forward a matter of days and it was announced that Chelsea had appointed none other than Big Phil Scolari as their new manager so then everything became clear of course Scolari wants Ronaldo to sign for Madrid it would make winning the premiership title for Chelsea next season significantly easier if United were to lose their star player.

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2008-07-07T11:58:00.001+01:00

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Ronaldo Saga Rumbles On

2008-06-23T19:11:00.003+01:00

Now Portugal have departed Euro 2008 Cristiano Ronaldo has arrived back in Manchester to be examined by United's medical people prior to an expected foot operation.

Real Madrid appear to be leaving the ball in the player and club's court (at least publicly) and as Alex Ferguson is still on holiday there is no real news on the situation emanating from Old Trafford at the moment.

They say all players have their price and some of the figures being talked about such as £75 million are astronomical and while they may be slightly wide of the mark surely the previous world record for Zinedine Zidane's transfer will be broken if the deal goes ahead.

No wonder crafty old Phil Scolari was advising Ronaldo to sign for Madrid it would certainly make his task of winning the premiership title next season considerably easier if it materialises.

If it does happen then United have been there before and all great players have to be replaced at some point but saying that Fergie has stuck his neck out for Ronaldo in the past and will probably feel somewhat miffed how things have developed in recent weeks.

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Chelsea Go For Scolari

2008-06-11T23:49:00.003+01:00

Premiership runners up Chelsea have announced that Portugal boss Phil Scolari will be their new manager taking up his new job from the 1st July onwards.

The Brazilian emerged as one of the favourites for the job so the appointment itself is perhaps no surprise but the announcement coming in the middle of Euro 2008 is very surprising and one suspects that Chelsea rather than Scolari would want the news released now rather than after the tournament.

The man has a fantastic record at international level with both Brazil and now Portugal so it will be interesting to see how he fares in English club football.

So provided 'Big Phil' does not do one of his famous about turns and decides he does not want the job after all then we can look forward to him locking horns in the Premiership next season with Fergie, Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez.

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FIFA's Five Foreign Player Plan

2008-06-02T23:52:00.005+01:00

The world governing body FIFA has approved plans to introduce a quota of 5 foreign players per team although whether it will ever get the green light is another matter as the European Commission have been quick to point out that the proposal actually contravenes EU labour laws.

From an English point of view a restriction on foreign players would be welcomed by anyone with the national sides interests at heart although this would be better for the clubs point of view if it were brought in gradually over a period of seasons to allow the clubs to accommodate the new rules.

Would it lead to a better England team? Yes I firmly believe it would more younger players would get more opportunities regardless of whether they played for a top four premiership team or a struggling side although the benefits would take a while to filter through the game.

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Stockport County Win League Two Promotion Play Off Final At Wembley

2008-05-26T18:52:00.008+01:00

Stockport County have won the league two play off final at the new Wembley stadium and promotion to league one after a 3-2 win over Rochdale.

Rory McArdle actually gave Rochdale the lead in the first half before Stockport equalised with a Nathan Stanton own goal to leave the match all square at half time then Anthony Pilkington and Liam Dickinson netted in the second half to seal the win despite a late strike by Rochdale winger Adam Rundle.

This game was the last of the English football promotion play off finals and it was probably the best match out of the three with no shortage of goals, incident and excitement.

The great thing about these games is that they are now once again being played at the national stadium no disrespect to Cardiff's millennium stadium but you simply cannot beat Wembley whether it is the old or the new version.

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Doncaster Rovers Win League One Play Off Final

2008-05-25T21:54:00.003+01:00

Doncaster Rovers have won the League One play off final at Wembley beating Yorkshire rivals Leeds United 1-0 with a goal from James Hayter.

After narrowly missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season the win gives Donny promotion to the Championship and a return to the 2nd tier of English football after an absence of 50 years.

Their chairman John Ryan deserves a lot of credit as the club could not have been in a worse state than it was when he took over 10 years ago and to take the club from non league to where it is now is some achievement.

Leeds United now face at least another season in League One and you get the feeling that losing manager Dennis Wise when they did was crucial and ultimately put paid to automatic promotion although new boss Gary McAllister will be aiming to win the division outright next season.

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Hull City Win Championship Play Off Final

2008-05-24T16:58:00.006+01:00

Hull City have deservedly won the championship play off final at the new Wembley stadium with a narrow 1-0 win over Bristol City to gain premiership status and an estimated £50 million pound windfall.

Veteran striker Dean Windass who seems to go on and on scored the only goal of a tense game which was an excellent finish itself worthy of winning a place in the premiership.

Hull City boss Phil Brown is developing an impressive reputation as one of the games better up and coming managers after staving off relegation last season he has masterminded an impressive season which saw the tigers only just miss out on an automatic promotion spot.

It all means that Hull will now be playing premiership football next season for the first time in their history and their fans can look forward to visiting grounds such as Old Trafford, Anfield, Stamford Bridge and The Emirates.

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Man Utd Win Champions League Final Via Penalty Shootout

2008-05-22T16:18:00.003+01:00

Manchester United have conquered Europe for the 3rd time in their history by beating Chelsea 6-5 in a nail biting penalty shootout although at one stage Chelsea were on the verge of winning with the penalties poised at 4-4 skipper John Terry stepped up to take his teams fifth and final penalty and a successful conversion would have seen him lifting the trophy himself but he slipped as he was about to make contact with the ball which undoubtedly had an effect on the kick which hit the post.

During the match itself United had the better of the 1st half and Christiano Ronaldo scored his 42nd goal of a great season with a nice header and just before the break Frank Lampard put away his 20th goal of the season to leave the best two teams in England neck and neck.

In the 2nd half Chelsea seemed to get stronger the more the game went on with Didier Drogba hitting the post and Lampard hitting the bar and as the match went into extra time with players from both sides suffering from the effects of cramp a penalty shootout seemed more and more inevitable.

Nicolas Anelka was the unlucky player who had his and Chelsea's 7th spot kick saved by United keeper Edwin van der Sar to send the red and white contingent in the stadium delirious.

It was a little tough on Chelsea who will quite rightly think overall they had the better of the match and in particular John Terry who looked distraught after his penalty miss.

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Portsmouth Win The FA Cup

2008-05-18T20:42:00.003+01:00

This years FA Cup has been strange with so many premiership clubs falling by the wayside even at a relatively early stage although many football fans will not have been too sympathetic at seeing the bigger clubs get knocked out as there is a feeling that some managers have been a little guilty of not taking the Worlds greatest cup competition as seriously these days by fielding under strength or weakened teams.

It is still hard to believe though that so many premiership clubs missed out on a golden opportunity to not only win a major trophy but also the experience of competing in front of a crowd of 80,000 people at the new Wembley stadium.

The match itself was always going to be tight with Cardiff City providing stubborn opposition and it was a scrappy goal scored by Kanu in the first half that proved to be the winner and settled the game 1-0.

Harry Redknapp has been around for some years and he is deserving of this major trophy and the subsequent European adventure that comes with it in the UEFA cup next season.

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Championship Play Off Final A Tale Of Two Cities

2008-05-16T19:48:00.006+01:00

The championship play off final at the new Wembley stadium will be Bristol City versus Hull City after both clubs came through their respective 2nd leg matches.

Both Crystal Palace and Watford had their moments in the 2nd leg but in the end Bristol and Hull won convincingly and can quite rightly claim to be the better team on the strength of the two matches.

Since promotion play offs were introduced we have quite often seen the clubs that have narrowly missed out on automatic promotion flatter to deceive while the team that just sneaks into the play off places at a late stage tends to go on and do well.

That has not been the case this season and this years championship play off final will be contested by the 3rd and 4th best teams in the division who seem to be particularly well matched and are led by two astute managers in Gary Johnson and Phil Brown.

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Man Utd Win Premiership As Reading And Birmingham Relegated

2008-05-12T23:57:00.003+01:00

Manchester United clinched their 10th premiership title in 16 seasons with a win at Wigan Athletic on the final day of the season finishing a clear 2 points ahead of nearest rivals Chelsea who only managed a draw with Bolton at home although in fairness the news from the JJB stadium filtered through to just about everyone inside Stamford Bridge anyway and the miracle that the blues needed never looked like materialising.

It will be interesting to see how Chelsea react to missing out on the premier league crown when they meet United in the champions league final as they will need to get over this disappointment and pick themselves up.

At the other end of the table Reading despite a 4-0 win at Derby were still relegated and after a great season last year which surprised many observers this term has been much the opposite and the loss of Steve Sidwell was probably a factor.

Joining Reading and already relegated Derby was Birmingham City who like Reading conjured up an emphatic win against Blackburn Rovers to no avail the brum fans apparently gave the board some stick which led to David Gold and David Sullivan hinting that they may now quit the club.

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Advantage Bristol And Hull City In Championship Play Offs

2008-05-11T13:58:00.003+01:00

After the 1st leg matches of this years championship play offs both Bristol City and Hull City will feel they have a definite advantage having pulled off impressive results away from home.

Veteran Hull City players Dean Windass and Nick Barmby scored to edge the Tigers closer to the play off final and Watford who have been struggling of late and only just made the play offs will require a massive effort to overturn the 2-0 deficit in the return match at the KC Stadium.

Bristol City meanwhile snatched an injury time winner against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and duly celebrated on the pitch at the final whistle which did not go down too well with Palace boss Neil Warnock who claimed the celebrations were over the top.

There have been plenty of occasions in recent years when teams have won the 1st leg away from home then lost the 2nd leg on their own patch so it is not a forgone conclusion that Bristol City and Hull City will be meeting in the play off final and certainly Eagles boss Neil Warnock and his team will be fired up and looking for a result at Ashton Gate in the return leg in what promises to be an explosive encounter and if I was a betting man I would not write Palace off just yet.

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Championship Winners And Losers

2008-05-05T14:38:00.003+01:00

The championship season came to a thrilling climax yesterday with the outstanding promotion and relegation issues resolved with Tony Mowbray's West Brom winning the title and Stoke City managed by Tony Pulis finishing as runners up.

Any club that wins promotion to the premiership these days knows that they will have their work cut out just surviving but it can be done if funds are spent well.

Bristol City, Hull City, Crystal Palace and Watford are the teams that will battle it out for the championship play offs and the final promotion place with Palace fancied by some to go all the way with Neil Warnock having a great record at various levels with the play offs.

Relegated to League one along with Colchester United and Scunthorpe United were Ian Holloway's Leicester City whose final tally of 52 points saw them relegated by just the one point at the Victoria Stadium while Stoke City and their fans celebrated promotion to the premier league.

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A Chelsea v Manchester United Champions League Final

2008-05-01T16:17:00.006+01:00

Chelsea booked their place in the European Champions league final with a 3-2 victory after extra time over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge last night going through 4-3 on aggregate.

It was the stereotypical game of two halves as after completely dominating the 1st half Chelsea looked strangely out of sorts in the 2nd and did not really get going again until extra time got underway.

Rafa Benitez and his pre match attack on Didier Drogba only seemed to fire up the striker as he netted twice in addition to Frank Lampard converting from the penalty spot.

For Liverpool Fernando Torres scored once more before being substituted and great things are expected of him after an impressive first season in English football while Ryan Babel scored a late consolation.

Over the two legs the Chelsea versus Liverpool semi final provided much more entertainment compared to the other semi between Manchester United and Barcelona but perhaps that should be no surprise considering they are both English Premiership teams.

As the final whistle blew to signal the end of extra time and the match the Chelsea players danced their way around Stamford Bridge while their manager Avram Grant showed a rare glimpse of emotion after having led the club to the Champions League Final an achievement that his predecessor could not quite manage during his tenure at the club.

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Man Utd Make It An All English Champions League Final

2008-04-30T17:34:00.004+01:00

After beating Barcelona 1-0 courtesy of a fantastic goal from Paul Scholes Manchester United last night ensured that for the first time in the history of the European Champions League that there will be an all English final on May 21st in Moscow.

It was always going to be a tight affair in the 2nd leg at Old Trafford but Barcelona without Ronaldhinho and Samuel Eto certainly do not look the same side and although they had plenty of possession you sensed that this was always going to be United's night.

Now the attention switches to who Sir Alex Ferguson's team will be playing in the final as Chelsea and Liverpool do battle tonight again this is a tough match to predict and although Chelsea have had the better Premiership season and have the away goal from the 1st leg at Anfield in the bag Liverpool will not be unduly concerned as more often than not they seem to have the upper hand against them.

Fergie would probably prefer to face Liverpool as they have tended to come out on top in recent encounters against Rafa Benitez's side but whoever goes through to take their place in the final we should be guaranteed a mouth watering game of football which will be a great advert for the Premiership as well as doing the Champions League Final justice.

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Chelsea Right Back In Title Contention

2008-04-26T20:44:00.004+01:00

Chelsea produced a fantastic team performance to beat Manchester United 2-1 in a thrilling match at Stamford Bridge and put themselves right back in contention for the Premiership title.

Two goals from Michael Ballack either side of Wayne Rooney's equaliser was enough to give Avram Grant's men the three points and with Nemanja Vidic and Rooney going off injured it was not a good day for the defending champions.

The win leaves Chelsea level on points with United although Sir Alex Ferguson's men still enjoy top spot because of their superior goal difference and no doubt will remain favourites to win the premiership title as they have what is considered to be the easier run in compared to the Londoners.

After the game Fergie was as usual gracious in defeat naming and shaming aspects of recent refereeing performances and there were also rumours of post match bust ups between Chelsea and United players during the warm down on the Stamford Bridge pitch.

Regardless of what happens in the remaining two games for the neutral football fan at least the result breathes new life into the title race and strange things happen when teams are under pressure although Manchester United are old hands at getting over the line so should not be lacking in that department.

You get the feeling that after seeing off the challenge of Arsenal maybe United were a little guilty of thinking they had it all but in the bag and this result will leave them in no doubt that if they drop any points in their remaining games they may well finish as runners up to Chelsea.

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Champions League Semi Finals All Square

2008-04-24T19:28:00.005+01:00

After the first leg of the Champions League semi finals we are still none the wiser as to who will be competing in the final in Moscow.

The Barcelona versus Manchester United match which finished 0-0 was not the best game of football you will ever see although that may be a little harsh with what is at stake and on another night the Red Devils may have sneaked a 1-0 away win if Ronaldo had managed to score from the penalty spot instead of hitting the cross bar.

I was a tad surprised at Barcelona though they do not seem to be as formidable as they once were and maybe the same could be said of the other Spanish giants Real Madrid as in years gone by these two clubs would be the teams that everyone else wanted to avoid in European competition.

The other semi final between Liverpool and Chelsea ended 1-1 after Chelsea managed a somewhat fortuitous draw courtesy of poor old John Arne Riise putting through his own goal choosing wrongly to head the ball when a welly into row z was always going to be the safer option.

Chelsea may well have the away goal but it is still anyones game as Liverpool are more than capable of winning in London just as Barcelona could well come out on top in Manchester come the second leg so it is still all to play for.

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Avram So Near And Yet So Far

2008-04-20T19:31:00.006+01:00

After the departure of Jose Mourinho and the subsequent appointment of Avram Grant it has been a strange season for Chelsea even opposing teams fans who loved to sing f**k off Mourinho would admit to a begrudging respect for the charismatic Portuguese.

The general consensus of opinion was that English football would miss the self titled Special One and that has been proved right although as the domestic and European season approaches its climax Chelsea under Avram Grant are in theory very much in with a chance of a premiership and champions league double although you get the feeling that it is unlikely that even one of those trophies will end up at Stamford Bridge.

The style of play under Mourinho was cited as the main reason for Roman Abramovich deciding to dispense with his services but under the managership of Avram Grant Chelsea are playing pretty much the same way.

As personalities Grant and Mourinho are like chalk and cheese and this will probably be why many fans will never accept the Israeli and be quick to criticise when things do go wrong although in his defence his results albeit over a relatively short period of time are not completely disastrous but at Chelsea trophies are what is required.

After the ruthless way the owners got rid of his predecessor he should not be making himself too comfortable in the managers office unless he can pull a rabbit out of the hat.

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Premiership Title Race Hots Up

2008-04-12T12:08:00.008+01:00

As we near the end of 2007/2008 premiership season it appears to be Manchester United's title for the taking as their overall strength in depth has been evident in recent weeks compared to their rivals indeed as fergie's team have kept their heads everyone else around them has been losing theirs for a variety of reasons.

At the time of writing Chelsea rather surprisingly are only three points behind in second place and look like the only team that are still in with a serious chance of winning the premiership title at United's expense although even if they can close the three point gap and equal United's tally of 77 points they still have the handicap of an inferior goal difference.

Arsenal need a win tomorrow at Old Trafford to maintain their interest in the title race and as good as United have been recently I would not bet against Arsene Wenger's team pulling exactly that off unlikely as that may seem it is still a game that could go any way and Chelsea will be no doubt keen observers.

Elsewhere the soap opera at Anfield continues unabated with the latest episode between one of the American owners Tom Hicks and chief executive Rick Parry with the American calling for the resignation of Parry with the turmoil in the boardroom it will be quite an achievement if Liverpool do manage to make it to the Champions League final this year.

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Goldenballs To Oldenballs

2008-03-27T15:31:00.008Z

David Beckham won his 100th England cap against France last night to join an elite group of English players who have reached the same milestone.

Peter Shilton 125
Bobby Moore 108
Bobby Charlton 106
Billy Wright 105
David Beckham 100

It would not have been a surprise had Beckham announced his retirement after such an achievement but it appears he has no intention of calling time on his international career.

The issue is not whether or not he is still good enough for international football because in comparison to the rest of the England midfield he probably is (just) however the facts are he is playing a standard of football at LA Galaxy that is nowhere near the level of that which he enjoyed at Real Madrid and at this stage of his career he needs to be as fit as he possibly can.

Years ago people speculated that he would end up in a central midfield role as he approached the twilight of his career to better utilise his range of passing but we keep coming back to his club football and the fitness and air miles issue.

During the 1-0 defeat by France he looked as though he was literally on his way out a fading star substituted in the 63rd minute by Capello to spare him from the fatigue that would have surely set in if he had been allowed to complete the full 90 minutes.

Beckham talking about playing in the 2010 World Cup is like a bald man wearing a toupee he is not fooling anyone he has made a significant contribution to the English game during his career and is famous the world over but maybe now is the time for a dignified retirement.

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The Spoilt Brat Culture

2008-03-25T00:48:00.009Z

After the show of petulance from Chelsea defender Ashley Cole in midweek and the less than favourable media attention it generated you would have thought that the penny might start to drop with the big name premiership players but apparently not as Liverpool's Argentinian midfielder Javier Mascherano tried his level best and succeeded to out do Cole's behaviour.

Mascherano nor his club can have any complaints as he was continually confronting, complaining and swearing at Steve Bennett and short of physically assaulting the referee there was not much more he could have done to receive his marching orders.

There seems to be a complete lack of respect for officials in general sure they will make mistakes occasionally who doesn't? maybe it is the fact that referees and linesmen do not earn enough for the premiership stars to take them seriously but the players seem to behave like spoilt brats who don't like it when they cannot get their own way contrast this with the sport of Rugby those guys just get up and get on with the game whether they agree with decisions or not.

Quite often especially during the televised games you can see players overstepping the mark and hurling abuse at the referee or linesmen and it does not require the services of a lip reader to work out what is being said.

I wonder what the late great Brian Clough would make of it all he always use to instruct his players not to argue with the the match officials no matter what.

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Another Grand Slam Sunday

2008-03-22T11:38:00.008Z

This weekend sees another of those grand slam Sundays as Sky calls them where the big four clubs lock horns as always these games look great on paper but quite often can be an anti climax to say the least hopefully this will be one of those occasions where the actual games live up to the pre match expectations.

This Sunday will also go a long way to deciding the outcome of the 2007/2008 Premiership title race with Manchester United looking as though they have stepped up a gear and you have to say they do look like the team that is best equipped to pull away from the pack given that they have the most strength in depth and that factor alone will probably see them home.

In complete contrast is Arsenal who despite topping the table recently have been stuttering of late while Chelsea have put some results together after the disappointment of losing the Carling Cup final which leaves us with Liverpool who are not title contenders at this stage having had something of a troubled season both on and off the pitch Rafa Benitez's team were written off even by their own admission some time ago so securing a Champions League spot will be their priority.

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Football Has Gone Mad

2008-03-19T08:03:00.006Z

We had some further evidence this week if any more were needed of how much the game has changed over the years some would say for the worst and how the obscene amounts of money that are in football these days threatens to kill off the smaller clubs completely.

League Two side Rotherham United have gone into administration for the second time in as many seasons after being denied time to find new funds by the courts the club now faces another 10 point penalty which effectively puts an end to their promotion hopes for this season as they now stand in 11th place with eight games still to play.

The smaller clubs that have gone into administration over the last few years must accept some responsibility over how they are run financially although in their defence they would argue that lower league clubs have always had to sell their better players to survive and that with the advent of football academies clubs such as Chelsea can go around the country cherry picking the best young talent free of charge which is something that angered numerous clubs in recent seasons.

While that was happening we hear that Chelsea and England Midfield star Frank Lampard and his new contract negotiations have apparently hit a stumbling block with the player rumoured to be holding out for two hundred grand a week now this is not an attack on Lampard but I'm sorry no player is worth £200,000 per week it is too ridiculous for words but unless the governing bodies step in and introduce some sort of salary cap for players then it will no doubt happen sooner or later.

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Who Will Win The 2008 Champions League?

2008-03-17T14:55:00.009Z

This years UEFA Champions League is now hotting up nicely with the draw having been made for the quarter finals.

English footballs big four comprising Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all feature with the latter two sides drawing each other meaning with the addition of a premiership game sandwiched in between they will actually play each other three times in the space of seven days.

Manchester United will again meet Italian side Roma who will no doubt be eager for revenge after the seven goal drubbing they received at the hands of the red devils last season.

Chelsea will probably be satisfied with their draw against Fenerbache and a trip to Turkey which nevertheless will be no walk in the park.

Quarter Final Draw

Roma v Manchester United
Schalke 04 v Barcelona
Arsenal v Liverpool
Fenerbache v Chelsea

For what it is worth my prediction will be Man Utd, Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea to win their respective ties and go into the hat for the semi final draw.

A lot of focus seems to be on the English teams but I have a feeling Barcelona may well be one of the sides contesting the Champions League final on May 21st 2008 in Moscow.

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The Year Of FA Cup Shocks

2008-03-09T09:50:00.004Z

The FA Cup this year has seen quite a few shocks, upsets and giant killings as some of the old romance of the competition seems to have returned Barnsley are arguably the story of this years competition thus far after dumping the mighty Liverpool out of the competition at Anfield in the last round they then proceeded to knock Chelsea out at Oakwell winning 1-0 again although the game itself was entertaining enough it was not quite like watching Brazil as their song goes.

The other shock from yesterday came at Old Trafford where Man Utd lost to Portsmouth 1-0 who would have thought that Man Utd and Chelsea would both end up being knocked out in this round i wonder what sort of odds you could have got on that outcome prior to kick off?

Sir Alex was not a happy bunny in the slightest and roundly criticized the referee's performance as well as the referees chief Keith Hackett for not doing his job properly his anger seemed to center around the no nonsense treatment Portuguese star Ronaldo is getting from opposition teams and the lack of protection Fergie feels referees are giving him.

Maybe one or two decisions could have gone their way but it is not often that you see a referee award a penalty to the away team at Old Trafford and there have been many stonewall penalties waved away over the years with the refs usually bottling it.

I have a feeling that it may well be Harry Redknapp's men that are destined to lift the FA Cup this year.

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Don't Call Us Scu We'll Call You

2008-02-28T12:06:00.006Z

Premier league supremo Richard Scudamore has now cancelled the planned trip to see FIFA and discuss the 39th game proposals citing the reason as "deferment to allow a consultation process to go ahead and refine details of the scheme" whatever way they want to word it it certainly seems to most observers that the plans which were announced to the world with breathtaking arrogance and scant regard for anyone other than themselves has now been effectively put to bed.

Over the years football's governing bodies UEFA and especially FIFA have never missed an opportunity to give English football a reprimand probably because we invented the game but on this occasion credit should go to FIFA president Sepp Blatter who has clearly got it spot on in his condemnation of the 39th game plans.

There is still talk of a breakaway European or Worldwide super league but this is pure fantasy and something which should be opposed by all fans of the game the world over and even if it were to happen it would effectively kill the game as the only benefits it would bring would be even more financial gain for the already wealthy football club owners and chairmen and maybe people like Ricard Scudamore.

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What A Refreshing Change!

2008-02-25T15:55:00.005Z

Most neutral football fans would not have been unhappy with the outcome of the Carling cup final between Chelsea and Tottenham as it made a welcome change to see a club outside of the big four of Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool lifting a trophy.

This was the first time Spurs had won anything since George Graham won the same trophy nearly ten years ago and the appointment of Juande Ramos seems to have transformed the clubs season to such an extent that you cant help thinking this will not be his or Tottenhams last trophy.

Chelsea on the other hand did not deserve to win and are in danger of finishing this season trophy less which would be ironic given the way the club or rather the clubs owner stubbornly dispensed with the services of former manager Jose Mourinho additionally the attractive football which Roman Abramovich was so keen to see at Stamford Bridge has not been all that evident since Avram Grant took charge.

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Get Rich Quick With Richard Scudamore

2008-02-13T14:51:00.008Z

The latest own goal from premier league chief executive Richard Scudamore is to export the premier league franchise to all four corners of the globe and the plans would involve the clubs contesting a lucrative 39th match on foreign soil.

In response to early critiscism of the plans Scudamore insists that the top four clubs will break away from the league and do this anyway although that seems highly unlikely.

Premiership clubs already go around the world it is usually called a pre season tour and frankly that is what it should remain the whole crackpot idea is ridiculous not to mention a selfish attempt to generate even more money from the game.

Even if the plans were to materialise managers are always complaining we play too many games so having to play an extra one on the other side of the world would not be welcomed and do people really think it would stop at one game? of course it wouldn't before we know it there would be a 40th match and so on.

The FA Cup and Carling Cup are already devalued as it is by the fielding of understrength teams with the premiership and/or champions league the priority these plans would no doubt see an increase in clubs fielding weakened sides you can just picture the interview.

"No Steven Gerrard today then Rafa?"

"No I have rested him due to jetlag".

Many would argue that there is too much money at the top of our game already but Scudamore who says the plan isn't just about money (yeah right) will make it much worse if he is allowed to proceed with his get even more richer much quicker scheme.

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Capello's First England Squad

2008-02-03T01:36:00.001Z

Fabio Capello's first England squad for the friendly match against Switzerland raised one or two eyebrows most notable was the omission of David Beckham who will remain on 99 caps for the time being at least. Beckham may have been training with Arsenal but there are still serious concerns over his fitness which have been well documented ever since his initial decision to sign for LA Galaxy.

Also left out was Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson who surely cannot have any complaints after the amount of costly errors he has made for both club and country indeed his form has made David James (once dubbed calamity james) seem like a completely safe pair of hands in comparison. After previously being dropped by new Spurs boss Juande Ramos Robinson now faces a fight to regain his England place as well.

The inclusion of forward Gabriel Agbonlahor and his Aston Villa team mate defender Curtis Davies are surprise inclusions and bring the Villa contingent in the squad to five.

Spurs Jermaine Jenas has been given a chance probably due to the absence of Frank Lampard but surprisingly his club team mate Aaron Lennon has not made the senior squad and has instead been named in the England U21 party along with Arsenal's Theo Walcott.

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Happy New Year From Fergie

2008-01-02T09:51:00.001Z

It seems there was more than a few hangovers from the new years eve celebrations the night before at Old Trafford on new years day as Sir Alex Ferguson slammed the home crowd after watching his players make hard work of a 1-0 win over struggling Birmingham City.

"The crowd were dead that was the quietest I have heard them and it's disappointing because we needed the crowd today. We have come through a difficult period of game after game and in moments like these we need a lift. But it was like a funeral out there."

Fergie stopped short of giving it the full throttle Roy Keane rant about prawn sandwiches and the like but it was amusing nonetheless presumably Sir Alex (and maybe his players) were the only people in the stadium not feeling a little worse for wear from the night before.

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Fabio Capello Appointed England Manager

2007-12-15T20:44:00.001Z

Fabio Capello has finally been confirmed as the new England manager signing a four year contract reportedly worth around £6m a year.

After Jose Mourinho ruled himself out of the job it was only a matter of time before the FA got their man and there is no doubt that Capello is definitely the best man for the job from the candidates available his record at some of the biggest clubs in Europe and the World is a truly outstanding one so much so that you have to say that on paper he is the most successful boss ever to be appointed England manager he is exactly what England need to make an impact on the international scene after failing to qualify for Euro 2008.

The appointment of Capello has been met with some criticism from a minority of managers and players who wanted the appointment to be an Englishman this argument does not carry much water as we have just had an unsuccessful Euro 2008 qualification campaign with an Englishman in charge it is sad but true that there are not as many top English managers out there compared to years ago and of the possible English candidates who have not publicly ruled themselves out of the job probably only Harry Redknapp would be a credible one but if the top four clubs in English football Manchester Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool were to change their managers anytime soon you can bet that the replacements would not be English.

The search for the new England boss has also been dignfied in comparison to last time when it descended into farce so credit mst go to the FA for that.

The vast majority of fans appear to be satisfied with the appointment and believe that Capello is the best man for the job his first game as manager will be a friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on 6 February 2008.

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The Decline Of Homegrown Talent

2007-12-08T15:31:00.002Z

In the last twelve years the percentage of English players playing in the top tier of English football has declined to such an extent that English players are now in the minority every week in the premiership.

1995-96 English players 65% Foreign players 17%
2007-08 English players 36% Foreign players 51%

This is not an attack on foreign players because the cream of the many foreign players have no doubt played their part in making the premiership what it is today which is arguably the best and most exciting domestic football league in the world however if the trend continues i fear it will have serious long term effects on the English national team.

After England failed to qualify for the 1994 world cup all the talk was of developing the game at grassroots level and introducing football academies well the academies are in place but the problem is at many clubs the talent that they are producing just do not get many opportunities this is no doubt due to the many foreign players in their path.

Cricket was faced with a similar problem years ago and was quick to recognise that measures had to be introduced to limit the amount of overseas players each team could field although i suspect realistically that would never happen with football simply because of the huge amounts of money the premiership generates these days.

In their defence some managers claim they would like to sign more English players but they are unable to do so as because they are in such short supply the transfer fees they command are vastly inflated hence the influx of cheaper overseas talent it is the old classic catch 22 situation.

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The Next England Manager

2007-12-03T13:06:00.001Z

With England failing to qualify for next summers Euro 2008 tournament it was inevitable that Steve McClaren would be sacked indeed the appointment of McClaren itself was somewhat of a farce with the FA trying and failing to get their first choice of Big Phil Scolari.

This time there must be no settling for second best we need the best man for the job and whether people like it or not that will probably mean a foreign manager because there is not a great deal of top quality English managerial talent around these days and not surprisingly after the farcical way the FA handled the interviews the last time round messrs Allardyce, Curbishley and O'Neill have all publicly said that they are not interested in becoming the next England boss.

With managers seemingly queuing up to turn down the job through the media there has at least been two big name managers that have apparently expressed an interest in taking up the post namely Fabio Cappello and Jose Mourinho both of whom would surely be quality appointments although there seems to be conflicting reports of the extent of the special ones interest.

The current betting has Mourinho as the clear favourite followed by Cappello with the best placed English manager so far being Portsmouth's Harry Redknapp.

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