Obviously everyone is jumping on the Arsenal bandwagon after they beat Chelsea 3-1 last night. It's Chelsea's worst run in the Premiership since 1996 and Ancelotti's job must be under threat. Arsenal have fired themselves back into the title race, they now lie 2 points behind Manchester United but have played a game more. However, i am completely unconvinced about Arsenal's chances to win anything. Even the most staunch Gunners fan would have to admit that Chelsea were hopeless last night. They had Frank Lampard back in the team but decided that they only needed Cech and Drogba on the ball in the first half. I lost count of the amount of times Cech hammered the ball from a goal kick towards Drogba who even if he had won possession had no one supporting him. It was absolutely hopeless. Stoke and Blackburn get accused of playing the long ball game but at least when they do there is some method to it. Chelsea had no idea what to do when they got the ball and if those one dimensional instructions came from Ancelotti, then the Italian must go. Far from brilliant Arsenal play, the 3 goals were all the result of horrendous defending from Chelsea so i don't think we've learned a lot about Arsenal in this game other than that Theo Walcott should start and Robin Van Persie's form is very worrying.
I do think that the quality of the league has dramatically declined (Look at Chelsea's bench and Manchester United's over-reliance on Giggs and giving a new contract to Anderson) but that has made it the most competitive season i ever remember. 8 points seperates first from sixth. 7 points seperates seventh from twentieth. It's difficult to predict what will happen in the second half of the season. I'll give it a shot though.
Manchester United are unbeaten despite playing dreadfully. If Rooney starts scoring United could romp away with the title. They also generally finish very strongly. I think Chelsea will finish second although an injury to a key player could see them missing out on even the Champions League. Manchester City to finish third if they can keep their players in check. Arsenal to finish fourth as i think the european campaign will take it's toll on Spurs.
Relegation is even harder to call. Aston Villa have money to spend so that might get them to safety. I'm going to go with Wigan, West Ham and Blackburn to take the drop. Blackburn are a mess and who knows if they can keep any of their players. Wigan will find it hard to keep N'Zogbia, Rodallega or Cleverley. West Ham have been so poor it's hard to find any case for them to stay up. Carlton Cole scored twice in the last game so if he can get on a run they may battle to survival. I doubt it though.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Man City Blow Chance At History
Everton won 2-1 tonight at Eastlands to deny Manchester City the top spot in the Premiership. With a win Man City would have been top at christmas for the first time in 81 years. Things fell apart quiet early for City as Cahill punished some horrendous defending to put Everton into the lead after only 4 minutes. The second could be blamed on a number of factors. Pablo Zabaleta went off the field to get treatment to a head wound and it seemed none of the City coaches or physios bothered to tell Mancini that the injury was worse than first thought. Mancini, himself should have made a substitute when Zabaleta didn't reappear after 4 or 5 minutes. Instead Everton took advantage of Zabaleta's absence and Kolo Toure produced two moments of dreadful defending to allow Leighton Baines curl the ball past Joe Hart. I thought Toure could have cut out Anichebe's overhit pass and then he turned his back on Baines instead of sticking out a leg and blocking the shot.
Despite City's lofty league position, there are still huge problems in the team. Carlos Tevez was rewarded for demanding a transfer by starting and keeping his captain's armband. No player is bigger than the club apparently, except Tevez. He should have been dropped. Jo was rewarded for scoring against Juventus last week by starting on the bench while a player who has caused absolute turmoil at the club this week starts. Ridiculous.
Gareth Barry and James Milner were anonymous. Adam Johnson scored in the last league game and started on the bench. He's also been one of City's best players this season and yet he seems to warm the bench in the majority of games. Milner, Barry, Yaya Toure and Silva(to a certain extent) are central midfield players. Four central midfielders in a game means no width, which is exactly how City played tonight. Everton jammed the middle and City couldn't create very much. Adam Johnson came onin the second half and gave a little bit of width and at least crosses started being delivered.
I also think Kolarov is a dreadful player. He kept coming forward and having shots from 40 yards out when he had support on all sides of him. That's not what you need when your losing a match from a defender. His free kick which he blasted at the wall should have been his last involvement in the game. Instead he played til the end.
Balotelli did nothing again. In the last game against West Ham he stormed down the tunnel after being substituted. Tonight he hobbled off the pitch when he missed a one-on-one with the keeper.
I felt that City should give Mancini time when others were calling for his head. Now I believe that City need a stronger manager. Obviously buying petulent, arrogant, overpaid whingers is a recipe for disaster but rewarding them when they act that way is going to blow up in the manager's face. City have the money to drop Tevez to the reserves for a year and replace him in the first team with someone else. Maybe that's what they need to do. Even the threat that the club could stall a player's career should be enough to see a change in attitude for some of the players. Until Manchester City take the power from the players they won't win anything.
Despite City's lofty league position, there are still huge problems in the team. Carlos Tevez was rewarded for demanding a transfer by starting and keeping his captain's armband. No player is bigger than the club apparently, except Tevez. He should have been dropped. Jo was rewarded for scoring against Juventus last week by starting on the bench while a player who has caused absolute turmoil at the club this week starts. Ridiculous.
Gareth Barry and James Milner were anonymous. Adam Johnson scored in the last league game and started on the bench. He's also been one of City's best players this season and yet he seems to warm the bench in the majority of games. Milner, Barry, Yaya Toure and Silva(to a certain extent) are central midfield players. Four central midfielders in a game means no width, which is exactly how City played tonight. Everton jammed the middle and City couldn't create very much. Adam Johnson came onin the second half and gave a little bit of width and at least crosses started being delivered.
I also think Kolarov is a dreadful player. He kept coming forward and having shots from 40 yards out when he had support on all sides of him. That's not what you need when your losing a match from a defender. His free kick which he blasted at the wall should have been his last involvement in the game. Instead he played til the end.
Balotelli did nothing again. In the last game against West Ham he stormed down the tunnel after being substituted. Tonight he hobbled off the pitch when he missed a one-on-one with the keeper.
I felt that City should give Mancini time when others were calling for his head. Now I believe that City need a stronger manager. Obviously buying petulent, arrogant, overpaid whingers is a recipe for disaster but rewarding them when they act that way is going to blow up in the manager's face. City have the money to drop Tevez to the reserves for a year and replace him in the first team with someone else. Maybe that's what they need to do. Even the threat that the club could stall a player's career should be enough to see a change in attitude for some of the players. Until Manchester City take the power from the players they won't win anything.
Snow Ruins Big Weekend
Only 2 Premier League games went ahead this weekend with Sunderland moving up to sixth by beating Bolton(Sunderland's goalkeeper, Craig Gordon produced one of the best goalkeeping performances i've ever seen), and West Ham picking up a point at Blackburn. Manchester City could be the big winners as it looks as though their game against Everton will go ahead tonight and a win will put them top for Christmas. It's suggested that Tevez will play and with temperatures of -8 he will probably wear his snood and a balaclava.
I think the real winners of the weekend could be Chelsea. Frank Lampard will be fully fit when their game agianst Manchester United is rescheduled and a fully fit Lampard can influence the outcome in the game. John Terry and Alex may well be back to full fitness too. Chelsea have been in poor form but some of their crucial players have been injured and some are playing through the pain. A week of rest for them could reignite their title push.
The transfer rumours have already begun. A suprise one is Leighton Baines being linked with a move to Bayern Munich. Everton are only 2 points above relegation so a possible move could be on the cards but Bayern are seriously struggling themselves (14 points behind Dortmund)
Harry Redknapp is preparing a bid for Andy Carroll. £20 million and Peter Crouch is what some papers are reporting the offer to be. I think he'll stick it out until the summer as he is a proud Geordie and he may be vilified if he leaves and Newcastle go down.
Gerard Houllier has ostracised his whole Aston Villa squad by the looks of things. Richard Dunne, John Carew and Stephen Ireland look likely to leave in january. If he could get the best out of those 3, Villa could be battling for European places, instead they're in a relegation battle. If he can't re-enforce the squad with anything better than washed up 37 year olds, Ashley Young and Agbonlahor won't be long following them out of the club too.
I think the real winners of the weekend could be Chelsea. Frank Lampard will be fully fit when their game agianst Manchester United is rescheduled and a fully fit Lampard can influence the outcome in the game. John Terry and Alex may well be back to full fitness too. Chelsea have been in poor form but some of their crucial players have been injured and some are playing through the pain. A week of rest for them could reignite their title push.
The transfer rumours have already begun. A suprise one is Leighton Baines being linked with a move to Bayern Munich. Everton are only 2 points above relegation so a possible move could be on the cards but Bayern are seriously struggling themselves (14 points behind Dortmund)
Harry Redknapp is preparing a bid for Andy Carroll. £20 million and Peter Crouch is what some papers are reporting the offer to be. I think he'll stick it out until the summer as he is a proud Geordie and he may be vilified if he leaves and Newcastle go down.
Gerard Houllier has ostracised his whole Aston Villa squad by the looks of things. Richard Dunne, John Carew and Stephen Ireland look likely to leave in january. If he could get the best out of those 3, Villa could be battling for European places, instead they're in a relegation battle. If he can't re-enforce the squad with anything better than washed up 37 year olds, Ashley Young and Agbonlahor won't be long following them out of the club too.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Blackburn Could Be Relegated
At the moment Blackburn sit in 13th position in the Premier League table, 5 points above relegation. I expect Aston Villa, Everton and Birmingham to climb to mid table safety before too long. Wolves are looking rejuvinated with 2 wins in 3, thanks in part to the Stephen Hunt factor. There are also rumours that they could acquire Robbie Keane in January. That leaves Blackburn in a precarious position after they have been thrown into chaos with the sacking of Sam Allardyce. The new board want to see Blackburn challenging the top four. This is despite saying that Big Sam would have £5 million to spend in January when they first took over. Has something changed? Is there £200 million now available or is it a case of foreign investors who haven't a clue about football yet again having a ridiculous notion of their new club?
It looks like the later. Blackburn are a solid enough mid-table side but they are miles away from challenging for a Champion's League position. Allardyce (who has an over-inflated view of himself) did an average job with average players on an average budget. Nothing more could be expected of him until someone backed him with the cash. I don't particularly like Sam but i do feel sorry for him. If the new owners backed him to the hilt in January and he failed to move Blackburn into European places then fine. That didn't happen. The new board say they want a British manager and then reveal they've spoken to Maradona. It's ludicrous.
Who will honestly take over Blackburn if the board are demanding a top 4 finish? Rent-a-manager Sven has already ruled himself out. Pardew might take it if the wages are better than Newcastle are offering him! Martin Jol and Martin O' Neill are the early favourites but i can't see either of them being desperate enough to take the job. Jol is probably waiting to take over as Inter Milan manager anyway.
Either way it's a ridiculous situation and no offense to the Blackburn fans but the club deserve to be relegated if the board are allowed to get away with such stupidity. The fans should boycott the games and the players should refuse to play. It's time to make a stand.
It looks like the later. Blackburn are a solid enough mid-table side but they are miles away from challenging for a Champion's League position. Allardyce (who has an over-inflated view of himself) did an average job with average players on an average budget. Nothing more could be expected of him until someone backed him with the cash. I don't particularly like Sam but i do feel sorry for him. If the new owners backed him to the hilt in January and he failed to move Blackburn into European places then fine. That didn't happen. The new board say they want a British manager and then reveal they've spoken to Maradona. It's ludicrous.
Who will honestly take over Blackburn if the board are demanding a top 4 finish? Rent-a-manager Sven has already ruled himself out. Pardew might take it if the wages are better than Newcastle are offering him! Martin Jol and Martin O' Neill are the early favourites but i can't see either of them being desperate enough to take the job. Jol is probably waiting to take over as Inter Milan manager anyway.
Either way it's a ridiculous situation and no offense to the Blackburn fans but the club deserve to be relegated if the board are allowed to get away with such stupidity. The fans should boycott the games and the players should refuse to play. It's time to make a stand.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Tevez Demands Transfer
Just as it seemed that Manchester City had found stability, their captain Carlos Tevez has demanded a transfer request. City are only three points off top spot and have won four of their last five games with one draw. Now Tevez has dropped this bomb-shell. Despite being City's best player this season he has constantly made headlines for the wrong reasons. Only last week he threw a strop as he was substituted with City winning 1-0 and reduced to ten men. He was also booked and missed yesterday's game through suspension. He seems to have a dreadful attitude and should never have been made captain of the team. He has also been allowed to return home to Argentina far too often (including this weekend). It seems ridiculous to me that you would treat a player to a trip home after picking up a suspension.
He has led a far too priviledged life at City and has had far too much power. He stated that the breakdown of his relationship "with certain individuals" is to blame for his desire to leave. City have turned down his transfer request but it remains to be seen if they can hold onto him beyond January. Real Madrid are probably favourites to sign him at this stage with Mourinho saying he needs another striker if they are to win the league. The fact that he has stated his desire to leave will affect his value. A swap involving Benzema and cash may tempt City to part with him.
Whatever happens (and i hope City stand firm) Tevez's image will be badly tarnished. Having already left Manchester United to join their biggest rivals, Tevez has shown that loyalty is not his strongest trait. However, given City's league position, the fact that he's captain and their reliance on him, this will look dreadful to potential suitors.
He has led a far too priviledged life at City and has had far too much power. He stated that the breakdown of his relationship "with certain individuals" is to blame for his desire to leave. City have turned down his transfer request but it remains to be seen if they can hold onto him beyond January. Real Madrid are probably favourites to sign him at this stage with Mourinho saying he needs another striker if they are to win the league. The fact that he has stated his desire to leave will affect his value. A swap involving Benzema and cash may tempt City to part with him.
Whatever happens (and i hope City stand firm) Tevez's image will be badly tarnished. Having already left Manchester United to join their biggest rivals, Tevez has shown that loyalty is not his strongest trait. However, given City's league position, the fact that he's captain and their reliance on him, this will look dreadful to potential suitors.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
A Big Weekend For Boxing
There are a huge amount of fights taking place this weekend and i'll review the cards seperately starting with an Irish fight night which takes place tomorrow(Friday10th) in Tallaght's Basketball Arena.
Headlining the event is Anthony Fitzgerald, the Irish Super Middleweight champion. He's unbeaten in 9 fights and has to be considered a big favourite against Britain's Kevin Hammond. Hammond has lost his last 4 fights and has a record of 8 wins and 5 losses. Given that Fitzgerald only has 2 KO's to his name i'd expect him to win this one on points. Dolphil Promotions are hoping to move Fitzgerald on to a bigger stage next year with talk of a European title fight so he needs to impress here and I think he will.
Ireland's newest European title holder,Willie "Big Bang" Casey is also sure to draw a big crowd to this one as he fights Manuel Sequera on the undercard. Casey needs to be very careful as Sequera has 7 KO's in his 10 wins to date. However, he has lost 18, being stopped 11 times. Also, 5 of his last 6 fights have ended in a stoppage loss. Therefore, I would fully expect Casey to entertain the crowd before stopping Sequera early. Willie Casey is being touted as a possible opponent for Guillermo Rigondeaux in a world title eliminator early next year.
Unbeaten prospect, Dean Byrne, is also on the bill. Byrne fights out of the Wild Card Gym in L.A. and has been sparring with Amir Khan ahead of his showdown with Marcos Maidana. Byrne last fought in August where he stopped Konstantins Sakara in 4 rounds and he'll be hoping to put on a show for the home fans again. He's up against Sergejs Volodins who could be dangerous with 6 of his 7 wins coming by KO. However, with 11 losses to his name I fully expect Byrne to take Volodins out. Volodins has fought in Ireland twice in the past and hasn't managed to make it past round 5. I'd be suprised if this fight lasted any longer than that either. Byrne is hoping to fight for a European title next year.
Headlining the event is Anthony Fitzgerald, the Irish Super Middleweight champion. He's unbeaten in 9 fights and has to be considered a big favourite against Britain's Kevin Hammond. Hammond has lost his last 4 fights and has a record of 8 wins and 5 losses. Given that Fitzgerald only has 2 KO's to his name i'd expect him to win this one on points. Dolphil Promotions are hoping to move Fitzgerald on to a bigger stage next year with talk of a European title fight so he needs to impress here and I think he will.
Ireland's newest European title holder,Willie "Big Bang" Casey is also sure to draw a big crowd to this one as he fights Manuel Sequera on the undercard. Casey needs to be very careful as Sequera has 7 KO's in his 10 wins to date. However, he has lost 18, being stopped 11 times. Also, 5 of his last 6 fights have ended in a stoppage loss. Therefore, I would fully expect Casey to entertain the crowd before stopping Sequera early. Willie Casey is being touted as a possible opponent for Guillermo Rigondeaux in a world title eliminator early next year.
Unbeaten prospect, Dean Byrne, is also on the bill. Byrne fights out of the Wild Card Gym in L.A. and has been sparring with Amir Khan ahead of his showdown with Marcos Maidana. Byrne last fought in August where he stopped Konstantins Sakara in 4 rounds and he'll be hoping to put on a show for the home fans again. He's up against Sergejs Volodins who could be dangerous with 6 of his 7 wins coming by KO. However, with 11 losses to his name I fully expect Byrne to take Volodins out. Volodins has fought in Ireland twice in the past and hasn't managed to make it past round 5. I'd be suprised if this fight lasted any longer than that either. Byrne is hoping to fight for a European title next year.
Alan Pardew New Newcastle Manager
Another slap in the face for Newcastle fans and Chris Hughton as Alan Pardew signs a five and a half year deal with the club. Mike Ashley said Hughton was sacked because they are looking for a more experienced manager. Well they've found that. Pardew is more experienced at mediocrity and being fired. He was sacked as West Ham manager after their worst run of results in 70 years in 2006. He took over Charlton who he failed to keep in the Premiership. The following season he then guided them to eleventh in the Championship when they were favourites for promotion. He was sacked the following season after guiding them into the relegation zone. His last job was at League One's Southampton where he was also sacked. This time it wasn't his managerial performance but his personality which led to conflicts with players and staff, forcing Chairman Nicola Cortese to fire him.
What a step up for Newcastle United! A vote yesterday evening in a Newcastle newspaper on who should be the next manager saw him secure 14 votes out of 1000. It's difficult to know what the board are playing at. The next few fixtures are incredibly difficult, Liverpool, Birmingham away, Manchester City and Spurs. It could realistically be the new year before Pardew picks up any points when they face Wigan on the 2nd or West Ham three days later. A lot of players have already voiced their disbelief at the sacking of Hughton. They must be disgusted at the acquisition of Pardew. Newcastle face their biggest rivals Sunderland on the 16th of January. If Pardew doesn't hit the ground running he could already be facing the sack by then with Newcastle in a relegation dog fight.
What a step up for Newcastle United! A vote yesterday evening in a Newcastle newspaper on who should be the next manager saw him secure 14 votes out of 1000. It's difficult to know what the board are playing at. The next few fixtures are incredibly difficult, Liverpool, Birmingham away, Manchester City and Spurs. It could realistically be the new year before Pardew picks up any points when they face Wigan on the 2nd or West Ham three days later. A lot of players have already voiced their disbelief at the sacking of Hughton. They must be disgusted at the acquisition of Pardew. Newcastle face their biggest rivals Sunderland on the 16th of January. If Pardew doesn't hit the ground running he could already be facing the sack by then with Newcastle in a relegation dog fight.
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Stupidity of The Newcastle Board Continues To Astound
I know we should never be suprised by the sheer stupidity of the Newcastle United board but the sacking of Chris Hughton as manager still came as a shock to me. Mike Ashley continues to make the club look like an absolute shambles. Chris Hughton has done a fantastic job with a very limited bunch of players. At the moment they sit in 11th position in the Premier League. Only a month ago they hammered their fierce rivals Sunderland 5-1. They followed that up by beating Arsenal at the Emirates. Fine, they were embarrassed by Bolton 2 weeks ago but they followed that up by drawing with the champions Chelsea. Yesterday they were missing Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton, Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson. That's their two central defenders and two of their most influential midfielders. If you take that out of any team in world football, the team will struggle. They did. They were well beaten by West Brom but to sack a manager because of that is ludicrous. He's had to manage more people with behavioural problems then a prison guard and he still managed to get them promoted last year and into a comfortable position this year.
Ashley said that Newcastle are looking for someone with more experience to manage the club. Well they won't have a host of world class managers queueing up to take that position. Newcastle fans need to show Mike Ashley how they feel about this by not attending games and hitting him in his pocket. Most Newcastle fans are more realistic since the relegation and survival would have been seen as a reasonable achievement. It seems though that Ashley is determined to turn the club into a laughing stock. Maybe the rumour that he's a secret Sunderland fan is true.
Ashley said that Newcastle are looking for someone with more experience to manage the club. Well they won't have a host of world class managers queueing up to take that position. Newcastle fans need to show Mike Ashley how they feel about this by not attending games and hitting him in his pocket. Most Newcastle fans are more realistic since the relegation and survival would have been seen as a reasonable achievement. It seems though that Ashley is determined to turn the club into a laughing stock. Maybe the rumour that he's a secret Sunderland fan is true.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Managers Have Lost The Plot
The ridiculous decisions of managers has been grating on my nerves since the world cup. But in the last couple of weeks the situation has gotten worse. Giovanni Trapattoni has lost his touch (and probably his mind) in the last few games in charge of Ireland. The loss to Russia at the Aviva Stadium was down to ridiculous tactics and the late goals did nothing to ease the embarrassment of one of the worst displays i've ever seen by an Irish team at home. He gets undue credit in Ireland for what he's done for the national team (which is zero in my opinion). He has won 10 games out of 28 which is quite frankly pathetic. Steve Staunton and Brian Kerr lost less games and were sacked.
However, despite this, my real anger towards Trapattoni is due to his horrendous treatment of young players. In the recent friendly against Norway, there was real excitement amongst Irish fans to see Seamus Coleman making his international debut. He was called up to the squad and left on the bench for 90 minutes because "Trap" thought we had a draw in the bag. We don't want a draw in a friendly game at home. We want to see the stars of the future. He has since said that Adam Rooney won't be called up any time soon. Rooney has 40 goals in 79 games for Inverness Caledonian Thistle including 11 in 15 games in the Scottish Premier Division this year. He deserves a chance for Ireland. He is the best we have at the moment. We all know though that Trap will play Robbie Keane who has played virtually no football this season and Kevin Doyle who has 1 goal for Wolves. It's complete nonsense. Play the players who are in the best form.
Another player is Aston Villa's Ciaran Clark who scored 2 goals against Arsenal, playing from midfield. Trapattoni in his wisdom has said he refuses to think of Clark as a midfielder because he saw him first as a defender. Rubbish again. The central midfield of Ireland is embarrassing. It hasn't worked, give someone else a chance.
David Moyes is under serious pressure at Everton and for him to drop Seamus Coleman against West Brom is beyond any sort of logic. He was brilliant against Arsenal and Sunderland in the previous games and i'm sure Everton fans were expecting a win against West Brom with Coleman playing a big part. Instead Coleman played no part in the game and Everton lost 4-1 at home. Moyes opted to play Victor Anichebe who was woeful and he then threw on Jermaine Beckford who has proven that he doesn't have the ability to play at Premier League level.
Alex Ferguson also blew Manchester United's best hope of a trophy and demonstrated my earlier point that Manchester United's squad is rubbish. Some of their bright young hopefuls played in the 4-0 loss to West Ham on Tuesday. Fabio da Silva, Chris Smalling, Oberton, Bebe, Anderson are all terrible. Sell them while you can Alex. They will never get better then they are now and they'll end up being loaned out to Ipswich.
However, despite this, my real anger towards Trapattoni is due to his horrendous treatment of young players. In the recent friendly against Norway, there was real excitement amongst Irish fans to see Seamus Coleman making his international debut. He was called up to the squad and left on the bench for 90 minutes because "Trap" thought we had a draw in the bag. We don't want a draw in a friendly game at home. We want to see the stars of the future. He has since said that Adam Rooney won't be called up any time soon. Rooney has 40 goals in 79 games for Inverness Caledonian Thistle including 11 in 15 games in the Scottish Premier Division this year. He deserves a chance for Ireland. He is the best we have at the moment. We all know though that Trap will play Robbie Keane who has played virtually no football this season and Kevin Doyle who has 1 goal for Wolves. It's complete nonsense. Play the players who are in the best form.
Another player is Aston Villa's Ciaran Clark who scored 2 goals against Arsenal, playing from midfield. Trapattoni in his wisdom has said he refuses to think of Clark as a midfielder because he saw him first as a defender. Rubbish again. The central midfield of Ireland is embarrassing. It hasn't worked, give someone else a chance.
David Moyes is under serious pressure at Everton and for him to drop Seamus Coleman against West Brom is beyond any sort of logic. He was brilliant against Arsenal and Sunderland in the previous games and i'm sure Everton fans were expecting a win against West Brom with Coleman playing a big part. Instead Coleman played no part in the game and Everton lost 4-1 at home. Moyes opted to play Victor Anichebe who was woeful and he then threw on Jermaine Beckford who has proven that he doesn't have the ability to play at Premier League level.
Alex Ferguson also blew Manchester United's best hope of a trophy and demonstrated my earlier point that Manchester United's squad is rubbish. Some of their bright young hopefuls played in the 4-0 loss to West Ham on Tuesday. Fabio da Silva, Chris Smalling, Oberton, Bebe, Anderson are all terrible. Sell them while you can Alex. They will never get better then they are now and they'll end up being loaned out to Ipswich.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Barca School Real Madrid
An unbelievable display by Barcelona tonight at the Nou Camp saw Barca hammer Madrid 5-0. Barca were absolutely stunning from start to finish with Messi lobbing Casillas in the 6th minute only for the ball to hit the post. It didn't take long to break the deadlock however, with Xavi netting in the 10th minute after an incredible through ball from Iniesta. It was a little bit lucky but Xavi was the epitome of cool, as he lobbed the ball over Casillas. Madrid were an absolute mess with no one willing to get close to Barca's players to stop them controlling the play. Barca seemed to have a spare man on the wing every time and so it was for the second goal when after a flowing move involving 28 passes, David Villa cut inside Sergio Ramos to smash the ball across the face of goal where Pedro met it to put Barca in control.
The game began to get a little heated as Madrid's players began to lose their heads; Ronaldo pushed Guardiola for not giving the ball back quick enough with Valdes running 50 yards to confront him. Both players were booked. David Villa was then booked for a poor tackle as Barca began to lose their cool too. A ridiculous moment followed, as Carvalho seemed to elbow Messi in the face. The referee decided to book Messi. A terrible decision. Any other game and Carvalho would have been off. Half time came at a good time for Barca so that Guardiola could cool everyone down.
The second half began at the same incredible pace and within 10 minutes they were 3 up. David Villa stayed onside to latch onto a Messi pass and curl a shot beyond Casillas. Three minutes later and the game was over. Madrid were caught upfield and Messi again found Villa who prodded the ball through the legs of the onrushing Casillas. Madrid were hopeless. Ronaldo was a disgrace. Instead of rolling up his sleeves and helping his team, he stood with his hands on his hips and mouthed out of him. Messi (who still hasn't scored against a Mourinho team) was incredible, regularly strolling passed 2 and 3 players and setting up 2 goals. Madrid began to get incredibly dirty with Alonso, Arbeloa and Diarra guilty of leaving the boot in. Another ludicrous decision followed when Carvalho deliberately handled the ball denying Pedro his second goal. The ref only booked him. Maybe he felt sorry for Madrid.
It was to get worse for Madrid. Bojan ended up in acres of space on the wing and hammered the ball across the face of the goal to Jeffren who scored the fifth goal of the night. As usual Sergio Ramos let his team down with a moment of complete stupidity. He seemed to punch Puyol and shoved Xavi in the face after a mass melee broke out when Messi was scythed for the umpteenth time.
Mourinho has a huge amount of work to do with this Madrid team if they are to win anything. The reason why Barca are so successful is because they work so hard for the team. Even David Villa was back making tackles. Ronaldo, Ozil, Di Maria and Benzema just couldn't be bothered. Messi is so brilliant because he wants the team to win. Again, he's back getting tackles in, he'll set up players who are in better positions, his passing was exceptional. Ronaldo was the exact opposite. Even his passing was horrendous tonight. Although i could go on about how dreadful Madrid were all night, the brilliance of Barcelona should not be under-sold.
Barcelona put in one of the greatest displays of football you will ever see. Their passing was exceptional, their ball retention was perfection and they tore their rivals apart at will. Even Puyol, Pique and Abidal played extremely well. Madrid didn't even have a chance at goal. It was important that they kept their heads just before half-time and Guardiola did his job well to cool everyone down. The video of this game should be played to kids as an example of how to play football. It's everything that the likes of Arsenal want to be but aren't. It is complete football at it's best. I actually think that this is the best footballing team ever.
The game began to get a little heated as Madrid's players began to lose their heads; Ronaldo pushed Guardiola for not giving the ball back quick enough with Valdes running 50 yards to confront him. Both players were booked. David Villa was then booked for a poor tackle as Barca began to lose their cool too. A ridiculous moment followed, as Carvalho seemed to elbow Messi in the face. The referee decided to book Messi. A terrible decision. Any other game and Carvalho would have been off. Half time came at a good time for Barca so that Guardiola could cool everyone down.
The second half began at the same incredible pace and within 10 minutes they were 3 up. David Villa stayed onside to latch onto a Messi pass and curl a shot beyond Casillas. Three minutes later and the game was over. Madrid were caught upfield and Messi again found Villa who prodded the ball through the legs of the onrushing Casillas. Madrid were hopeless. Ronaldo was a disgrace. Instead of rolling up his sleeves and helping his team, he stood with his hands on his hips and mouthed out of him. Messi (who still hasn't scored against a Mourinho team) was incredible, regularly strolling passed 2 and 3 players and setting up 2 goals. Madrid began to get incredibly dirty with Alonso, Arbeloa and Diarra guilty of leaving the boot in. Another ludicrous decision followed when Carvalho deliberately handled the ball denying Pedro his second goal. The ref only booked him. Maybe he felt sorry for Madrid.
It was to get worse for Madrid. Bojan ended up in acres of space on the wing and hammered the ball across the face of the goal to Jeffren who scored the fifth goal of the night. As usual Sergio Ramos let his team down with a moment of complete stupidity. He seemed to punch Puyol and shoved Xavi in the face after a mass melee broke out when Messi was scythed for the umpteenth time.
Mourinho has a huge amount of work to do with this Madrid team if they are to win anything. The reason why Barca are so successful is because they work so hard for the team. Even David Villa was back making tackles. Ronaldo, Ozil, Di Maria and Benzema just couldn't be bothered. Messi is so brilliant because he wants the team to win. Again, he's back getting tackles in, he'll set up players who are in better positions, his passing was exceptional. Ronaldo was the exact opposite. Even his passing was horrendous tonight. Although i could go on about how dreadful Madrid were all night, the brilliance of Barcelona should not be under-sold.
Barcelona put in one of the greatest displays of football you will ever see. Their passing was exceptional, their ball retention was perfection and they tore their rivals apart at will. Even Puyol, Pique and Abidal played extremely well. Madrid didn't even have a chance at goal. It was important that they kept their heads just before half-time and Guardiola did his job well to cool everyone down. The video of this game should be played to kids as an example of how to play football. It's everything that the likes of Arsenal want to be but aren't. It is complete football at it's best. I actually think that this is the best footballing team ever.
El Clasico
The most eagerly anticipated game of the season is here tonight, Barcelona versus Real Madrid. It promises to be an absolute cracker as the teams sit first and second in the league with the top two goal scorers squaring off. Lionel Messi has 23 goals in 18 appearances in all competitions. Ronaldo has 18 in 19 games. I think that Barcelona are looking a little more vulnerable than they did last season and Real may snatch a win to move 4 clear at the top. Barca have lost at home to Hercules, drawn at Rubin Kazan and Copenhagen and drawn at home to Mallorca. That's a long way from the form they showed last season. David Villa has struggled to adapt to the team and Mascherano has been poor. In recent weeks they've hit a rich vein of form scoring 22 goals in 5 games but doubts persist over the team, particulalry the defense which gets worse every season.
Real Madrid have been much more consistent under Mourinho. They found themselves being booed by their home fans because they only managed to win 1-0 against Osasuna. However, they've been incredibly impressive in recent weeks scoring 20 goals in 5 matches and are unbeaten this season in all competitions. Di Maria, Khedira and Ozil have settled in quickly and Mourinho has gotten the best out of Ronaldo.
It's always difficult to predict these games. I have a feeling Madrid could sneak it as Barcelona don't have a great record against Mourinho teams. Couple that with the fact that Messi has never scored against a Mourinho team. That's an astonishing stat and suggests that Mourinho knows how to control the best player on the planet. Either way, i can't see this game disappointing so don't miss it.
Real Madrid have been much more consistent under Mourinho. They found themselves being booed by their home fans because they only managed to win 1-0 against Osasuna. However, they've been incredibly impressive in recent weeks scoring 20 goals in 5 matches and are unbeaten this season in all competitions. Di Maria, Khedira and Ozil have settled in quickly and Mourinho has gotten the best out of Ronaldo.
It's always difficult to predict these games. I have a feeling Madrid could sneak it as Barcelona don't have a great record against Mourinho teams. Couple that with the fact that Messi has never scored against a Mourinho team. That's an astonishing stat and suggests that Mourinho knows how to control the best player on the planet. Either way, i can't see this game disappointing so don't miss it.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Top 3 getting worse or are the rest getting better?
Alex Ferguson made the point after the weekend's round of games that the title race is closer this year because the rest of the league has caught up with the big boys in terms of talent and strength in depth. While the likes of Manchester City and Spurs have obviously added to their squads, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool are much poorer then they were. Arsenal were beaten by Braga tonight. They were beaten at home by Spurs after leading 2-0. They've also lost at home to West Brom and Newcastle. Despite what Wenger says they have a terrible team. There defense and goalkeeper is mid-table at best. Walcott and Wilshere are incredibly over-rated. Fabregas is playing like a guy who doesn't want to be there. Rosicky, Bendtner and Vela wouldn't make the bench at most top clubs in Europe. They're going no where and i think that Wenger has taken them as far as he can. They need a new manager and an open cheque book.
Manchester United struggled to beat 9 man Wigan 2-0 at the weekend. They've won 7 games out of 14. They've leaked goals all season. Their midfield is awful. And they couldn't beat Rangers at Old Trafford.
Chelsea are possibly the only team with an excuse out of the big guns. They've been missing Lampard for most of the season(that's 20+ goals), Essien has been injured quite a lot. Terry is missing. Alex is playing injured. However, they haven't helped themselves either. The signing of Ramires has been a disaster. He is so poor and has been missing in matches when his team need him most. Obi Mikel should have been sold too. He's awful. Kalou is too inconsistent. The sacking of Ray Wilkins has been a disaster for them, and has put Ancelotti under immense scrutiny. It seems Abramovich still hasn't any football sense. Between the 12th and the 27th of December they play Spurs, Arsenal and Man United. Ancelotti could be gone if those results don't pan out right for them.
So, are the others closing the gap on the top boys? Yes, but the main reason is because the top three are lacking the talent they once had. I also don't think that Spurs have any chance of winning the Premiership. The strain of playing in Europe and the Premier League will take it's toll and i wouldn't expect Spurs to make even the top 5. Strangely enough, i think that if the new Liverpool owners splash the cash in January they could actually nick a top 4 finish. They're only 6 points behind Manchester City and 3 behind Spurs. I don't know what all the fuss was about. Roy's doing a great job :)
Manchester United struggled to beat 9 man Wigan 2-0 at the weekend. They've won 7 games out of 14. They've leaked goals all season. Their midfield is awful. And they couldn't beat Rangers at Old Trafford.
Chelsea are possibly the only team with an excuse out of the big guns. They've been missing Lampard for most of the season(that's 20+ goals), Essien has been injured quite a lot. Terry is missing. Alex is playing injured. However, they haven't helped themselves either. The signing of Ramires has been a disaster. He is so poor and has been missing in matches when his team need him most. Obi Mikel should have been sold too. He's awful. Kalou is too inconsistent. The sacking of Ray Wilkins has been a disaster for them, and has put Ancelotti under immense scrutiny. It seems Abramovich still hasn't any football sense. Between the 12th and the 27th of December they play Spurs, Arsenal and Man United. Ancelotti could be gone if those results don't pan out right for them.
So, are the others closing the gap on the top boys? Yes, but the main reason is because the top three are lacking the talent they once had. I also don't think that Spurs have any chance of winning the Premiership. The strain of playing in Europe and the Premier League will take it's toll and i wouldn't expect Spurs to make even the top 5. Strangely enough, i think that if the new Liverpool owners splash the cash in January they could actually nick a top 4 finish. They're only 6 points behind Manchester City and 3 behind Spurs. I don't know what all the fuss was about. Roy's doing a great job :)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Great Night For Boxing
Andy Murray produced probably the best display of his career to beat Claudinei Lacerna on points. Murray was dropped in the first round (the first time in his career) when a right hand found him off balance but he recovered unbelievably well. The knockdown served as a warning that Lacerna carried a huge amount of power and for the rest of the fight Murray fought intelligently at distance. Lacerna is a poor boxer who is looking for the one big punch and Murray completely outboxed him in the other nine rounds. Murray has great skill and technique but the worry of his defense is still going to be there after this fight. I still wouldn't be confident that Andy could beat the European champion John Murray but i was very impressed by this display.
Over in Atlantic City, Sergio Martinez avenged his loss to Paul Williams with the knockout of the year in the second round. Williams won a controversial split decision last year and Martinez was desperate for the fight to end swiftly this time around. Both fighters attempted to throw left hooks with Martinez getting his off first which landed flush to William's chin and sent him face first to the canvas. It was a stunning finish to a fight that most thought would be closely fought. It seemed that Martinez had learned lessons from the first fight, Williams hadn't.
Martinez is now considered top 5 in the pound for pound list. However, this brutal KO will probably rule out a big money showdown with Pacquiao and Mayweather. That leaves very few people for Martinez to fight as the Middleweight division really is lacking in big names. It really is hard to see where he will go after this. His best bet would be a rematch with Kelly Pavlik who he defeated after being knocked down but Pavlik's injury problems still cast a doubt over his fighting career. He could also opt to avenge his loss to Antonio Margarito who he lost to in 2000 after the fight was stopped in the 7th round.
Over in Atlantic City, Sergio Martinez avenged his loss to Paul Williams with the knockout of the year in the second round. Williams won a controversial split decision last year and Martinez was desperate for the fight to end swiftly this time around. Both fighters attempted to throw left hooks with Martinez getting his off first which landed flush to William's chin and sent him face first to the canvas. It was a stunning finish to a fight that most thought would be closely fought. It seemed that Martinez had learned lessons from the first fight, Williams hadn't.
Martinez is now considered top 5 in the pound for pound list. However, this brutal KO will probably rule out a big money showdown with Pacquiao and Mayweather. That leaves very few people for Martinez to fight as the Middleweight division really is lacking in big names. It really is hard to see where he will go after this. His best bet would be a rematch with Kelly Pavlik who he defeated after being knocked down but Pavlik's injury problems still cast a doubt over his fighting career. He could also opt to avenge his loss to Antonio Margarito who he lost to in 2000 after the fight was stopped in the 7th round.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Andy Murray Moves Up In Class
Ireland's Andy Murray faces possibly his biggest test tonight as he fights Claudinei Lacerda in Castlebar. Murray is unbeaten in 22 fights and really needs to be pushing for titles now. Lacerda looks like a dangerous guy and i'm not sure if he's the right choice for Murray. Although Lacerda is being hyped as ranked 14 in the world, that is only by the WBO. A win over Lacerda will not catapult Murray into world title fight contention as is being speculated. Lacerda is a big hitter with 9 ko's in his 14 fights and 5 in his last 6. This suggests there is more risk here than gain. Although Murray has a nice boxing style, he is not terribly elusive and may have to prove he can take some big punches if he's to win here.
A loss for Murray would be devastating for him. It would definitely rule him out of any clash with the big boys of this division. An impressive win over Lacerda may get him a shot at John Murray which i really wouldn't fancy Andy to win. It's a very tough division to progress from with Gavin Rees, Kevin Mitchell and Guillaume Salingue above him in the European rankings. All of these are world class fighters which Andy still needs to prove he is.
The fact that Lacerda has never boxed outside of Brazil may benefit Murray and i'm going to go with a Murray win on points. He needs to keep his defense tight and he certainly won't need to go looking for Lacerda as he's a very aggressive fighter. It is a step-up in class for him but in a tough divison he has to look impressive in victory tonight if he's to command the bigger fights.
A loss for Murray would be devastating for him. It would definitely rule him out of any clash with the big boys of this division. An impressive win over Lacerda may get him a shot at John Murray which i really wouldn't fancy Andy to win. It's a very tough division to progress from with Gavin Rees, Kevin Mitchell and Guillaume Salingue above him in the European rankings. All of these are world class fighters which Andy still needs to prove he is.
The fact that Lacerda has never boxed outside of Brazil may benefit Murray and i'm going to go with a Murray win on points. He needs to keep his defense tight and he certainly won't need to go looking for Lacerda as he's a very aggressive fighter. It is a step-up in class for him but in a tough divison he has to look impressive in victory tonight if he's to command the bigger fights.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Pacquiao Saves The Night
After the Haye debacle i was praying for a Manny show. I'm not the guy's biggest fan (i prefer Mayweather, sorry Manny fans) but he absolutely delivered on Saturday night. It has to be said that Margarito's style suited him down to the ground but the combinations, power and athleticism of Pacquiao are breathtaking. As much as it pains me to say it, i also have to pay a grudging respect to the bravery of Margarito. He made an amazing fight of it and hurt Pacquiao on a few occasions with massive body shots. He never hid and despite the horrendous beating he took in the last three rounds he refused to quit. He may have restored a bit of pride to his tarnished reputation.
As for Pacquiao, it's hard to say what's next. I don't think it will be Mayweather as he's involved in court cases which could see him jailed for thirty years. The likes of Yuri Foreman, Sergio Martinez and Alfredo Angulo are being mentioned at Junior Middleweight. None of these are big enough names to satisfy Bob Arum's urge to cash in on Manny while he can. Pacquiao himself has said he wants 2 or 3 more fights at most. Andre Berto could be an option at Welterweight. Although having seen his last few fights i wouldn't recommend it. Pacquiao would be too fast and powerful for him. Timothy Bradley is another fighter who could certainly command a shot. He's unbeaten in 26, holds the WBO Junior Welterweight belt but to beat Manny i think you need a knockout punch. 11 KO's in 26 doesn't point to that.
I actually believe that the winner of Marcos Maidana against Amir Khan should be next up for the Pacman. If Khan can beat Maidana then maybe his knockout to Prescott was a one off fluke. Khan has the speed and power and has sparred with Manny. If he can prove his chin is up to the task he may have a chance. Maidana has the power with 27 KO's in 28. Both fighters are beginning to become big names in the States so it could be big business. Either way, we have to hope that with Floyd Mayweather continuing his exile, Manny Pacquiao fights on for a while more.
As for Pacquiao, it's hard to say what's next. I don't think it will be Mayweather as he's involved in court cases which could see him jailed for thirty years. The likes of Yuri Foreman, Sergio Martinez and Alfredo Angulo are being mentioned at Junior Middleweight. None of these are big enough names to satisfy Bob Arum's urge to cash in on Manny while he can. Pacquiao himself has said he wants 2 or 3 more fights at most. Andre Berto could be an option at Welterweight. Although having seen his last few fights i wouldn't recommend it. Pacquiao would be too fast and powerful for him. Timothy Bradley is another fighter who could certainly command a shot. He's unbeaten in 26, holds the WBO Junior Welterweight belt but to beat Manny i think you need a knockout punch. 11 KO's in 26 doesn't point to that.
I actually believe that the winner of Marcos Maidana against Amir Khan should be next up for the Pacman. If Khan can beat Maidana then maybe his knockout to Prescott was a one off fluke. Khan has the speed and power and has sparred with Manny. If he can prove his chin is up to the task he may have a chance. Maidana has the power with 27 KO's in 28. Both fighters are beginning to become big names in the States so it could be big business. Either way, we have to hope that with Floyd Mayweather continuing his exile, Manny Pacquiao fights on for a while more.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Worst Fight I've Ever Seen
Sky Sports really did do a terrific job at bluffing boxing fans tonight. Audley Harrison should be forced to give everyone who paid for the pay per view their money back. If you didn't see the "fight" you're lucky. Not one punch landed in the first round, kind of difficult when none were thrown. The crowd booed. In the second round the referee had to ask the two boxers to fight. The crowd booed some more. Haye lunged in with some punches, mostly missing, Harrison looked like a frightened victim. The round ended to more boos. It was horrendous. Haye decided that he'd better do something to save his dwindling reputation so he threw a couple of combinations at Harrison in the third round. Harrison looked absolutely petrified and collapsed to the canvas. I'm not sure why he bothered getting up but he did. Haye landed another combination and the ref stepped in.
Haye landed 35 punches. Harrison landed 1 punch. Harrison had an 8 inch reach advantage. He dwarfed Haye in the ring. He's a southpaw. What the hell was he doing? Well none of the Sky experts could tell us what went wrong. I can! Harrison is a joke. He has never been in the ring with a world class opponent. He should have retired years ago and he is frightened to take a punch. Maybe all of this crap was for one last big pay day. Sky should be ashamed of themselves as well. The undercard was a joke too.
The ridiculously overhyped George Groves was put down and saved by the bell in the 3rd round. Fine he stopped Kenny Anderson (who's fitness was atrocious) in the 6th, but his defense was disgraceful. He may be a big puncher but he is no where near even European level. Yet Sky are hyping him up so much. He may face James De Gale next. De Gale was probably sitting at home laughing at this. Overall, a dreadful night for boxing. Hopefully, Manny can put on a show later.
Haye landed 35 punches. Harrison landed 1 punch. Harrison had an 8 inch reach advantage. He dwarfed Haye in the ring. He's a southpaw. What the hell was he doing? Well none of the Sky experts could tell us what went wrong. I can! Harrison is a joke. He has never been in the ring with a world class opponent. He should have retired years ago and he is frightened to take a punch. Maybe all of this crap was for one last big pay day. Sky should be ashamed of themselves as well. The undercard was a joke too.
The ridiculously overhyped George Groves was put down and saved by the bell in the 3rd round. Fine he stopped Kenny Anderson (who's fitness was atrocious) in the 6th, but his defense was disgraceful. He may be a big puncher but he is no where near even European level. Yet Sky are hyping him up so much. He may face James De Gale next. De Gale was probably sitting at home laughing at this. Overall, a dreadful night for boxing. Hopefully, Manny can put on a show later.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Give a Cheater a Chance
I've been reluctant to write about the Manny Pacquiao versus Antonio Margarito fight which takes place this Saturday in Dallas. This is due to my belief that Margarito should not be allowed into a boxing ring ever again after the hand wrapping scandal that overshadowed his fight with Shane Mosley. Margarito deliberately tried to cheat by loading his gloves which could have caused serious injury to Mosley if it hadn't been dedected. Freddie Roach, Manny's trainer believes that Margarito loaded his gloves in fights against Kermit Cintron and Miguel Cotto as well, but he belives he got away with it and won those fights. So why the hell is he been given a chance at fighting the most marketable boxer in the world? He was banned for one year which is an absolute joke. It seems that the financial clout of his promoter Bob Arum forced the hand of the boxing commission.
So Margarito kept his head down and played the grateful reformed character? Of course he didn't! To show the class of the guy and his team, a video has been released which shows Margarito mocking Freddie Roach. He is seen shaking his hands and head in reference to the fact that Roach has Parkinson's disease. His trainer, Robert Garcia, is shown with a metal weight on his hand, joking about the hand wrap scandal. The guy is obviously a brain dead moron. He has proven he doesn't deserve a second chance. The best we can hope for as fans is that this guy gets a serious boxing lesson on Saturday. He is a sickening insult to the sport and we really need to hope he doesn't beat Pacquiao as it would be a serious blow to the reputation of the noble art of boxing.
So Margarito kept his head down and played the grateful reformed character? Of course he didn't! To show the class of the guy and his team, a video has been released which shows Margarito mocking Freddie Roach. He is seen shaking his hands and head in reference to the fact that Roach has Parkinson's disease. His trainer, Robert Garcia, is shown with a metal weight on his hand, joking about the hand wrap scandal. The guy is obviously a brain dead moron. He has proven he doesn't deserve a second chance. The best we can hope for as fans is that this guy gets a serious boxing lesson on Saturday. He is a sickening insult to the sport and we really need to hope he doesn't beat Pacquiao as it would be a serious blow to the reputation of the noble art of boxing.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
If David Haye Loses He Should Quit Boxing
As you may know David Haye will fight his fellow Britain, Audley Harrison, for the WBA heavyweight title on Saturday. Sky Sports have pulled out all the stops in trying to hype a fight that nobody wants to see. It has been claimed that Haye was knocked down in sparring, that Harrison is more hungry than ever before, that Haye is underestimating Harrison. Everyone has been asked for their opinion; Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and then Harrison was thrown onto the pitch to shadow box at half time at the Spurs- Bolton game which was live on Sky Sports. Of couse everyone that is asked says that Harrison has the ability to beat David Haye. Rubbish!
He found a knockout punch in the 12th round against a shot Michael Sprott after losing every round. He won the Prizefighter competition against no one of note. He lost to Martin Rogan who was fighting in only his 11th bout. He was knocked out by Sprott in 2007. Hardly a record to be feared.
David Haye should be ashamed of himself for taking this fight. All of his macho trash talk is pointless. Everyone in the boxing world knows that he has dodged the Klitschko brothers. The American press have barely acknowledged that this fight is happening. If Haye were to lose he should retire in shame. If Haye wins he needs to keep his mouth shut and prove himself against real heavyweight opponents or his legacy which he keeps rambling on about will be forever tarnished. The fact that this is a box office fight is a disgrace as well.
He found a knockout punch in the 12th round against a shot Michael Sprott after losing every round. He won the Prizefighter competition against no one of note. He lost to Martin Rogan who was fighting in only his 11th bout. He was knocked out by Sprott in 2007. Hardly a record to be feared.
David Haye should be ashamed of himself for taking this fight. All of his macho trash talk is pointless. Everyone in the boxing world knows that he has dodged the Klitschko brothers. The American press have barely acknowledged that this fight is happening. If Haye were to lose he should retire in shame. If Haye wins he needs to keep his mouth shut and prove himself against real heavyweight opponents or his legacy which he keeps rambling on about will be forever tarnished. The fact that this is a box office fight is a disgrace as well.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Pulis Wants Referees Relegated
Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, feels that every club should have a vote at the end of the season on referees, with the three worst refs being relegated and the three best Championship refs being promoted. Poor old Tony has seen some horrendous decisions given against his side in the last few weeks. One at the weekend really stands out though. Lee Cattermole decided to stop a goal-bound header from going in with his hand, only for the ref, Martin Atkinson, to give a corner. Obviously Cattermole should have been sent off and a penalty given to Stoke (who went on to lose 2-0) but to infuriate Stoke further, they went on to lose Ryan Shawcross to 2 bookings. Pulis has a right to be angry. The decisions have been disgraceful (Gary Neville escaping a red card 2 weeks ago!) and they have certainly cost his side valuable points.
However, relegating refs? I'm sure the likes of Roy Keane and Billy Davies would be delighted at the blundering refs getting sent to their division. That could absolutely never work. I do think that they should be punished. Dropping them for a few weeks maybe. The problem is that refs can argue that the game is so fast that of course they are going to make mistakes. The introduction of extra officials has worked slightly in the Europa League. But the solution in my opinion is video replays. Instead of sitting third from bottom, Stoke would be in the relative comfort of 11th with this technology causing a 30 second delay of the game at most (it takes that for the players to moan at the ref about his decision). It's time to start moving the game forward so that we're not talking about poor refereeing decisions every Monday morning. Video technology is used in almost every other sport. It's time for football to catch up.
However, relegating refs? I'm sure the likes of Roy Keane and Billy Davies would be delighted at the blundering refs getting sent to their division. That could absolutely never work. I do think that they should be punished. Dropping them for a few weeks maybe. The problem is that refs can argue that the game is so fast that of course they are going to make mistakes. The introduction of extra officials has worked slightly in the Europa League. But the solution in my opinion is video replays. Instead of sitting third from bottom, Stoke would be in the relative comfort of 11th with this technology causing a 30 second delay of the game at most (it takes that for the players to moan at the ref about his decision). It's time to start moving the game forward so that we're not talking about poor refereeing decisions every Monday morning. Video technology is used in almost every other sport. It's time for football to catch up.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Big Bang Casey Captures European Title
Willie Casey forced a fourth round stoppage of Paul Hyland to win the European Super Bantamweight title in only his 11th fight. Hyland will be bitterly disappointed this morning because he never really turned up for the fight. He has by far the better boxing skills but he got his tactics completely wrong by deciding to stand toe to toe with a much bigger puncher. After an exciting first round with both fighters landing good combinations Casey began to outwork Hyland and landed some vicious body shots. I have no idea what Hyland was attempting to do in round three but he got caught on the ropes with Casey unloading on him while he threw very little back.
I felt that if Hyland stayed away from Casey and just used the jab without trading he could win this on points. That never looked likely to happen though as Hyland proved ridiculously easy to hit. In round 4, Hyland was caught on the ropes again and came under a sustained attack from Casey. The referee stepped in as Hyland was offering no resistance. I felt the ref was a little to quick to stop the fight but a telling factor is that Hyland didn't complain.
Casey must now defend his belt against Kiko Martinez, in a fight which should be a real classic between two power punchers. Casey isn't the greatest boxer but his punch power could take him far enough. He demonstrated a little more head movement and his switch attack between body and head was impressive. He certainly won't fear Martinez but he won't be able to just walk through him as he did Hyland. His body shots could be the decider considering that Martinez pulled out of this bout with broken ribs.
On the undercard heavyweight Martin Rogan won his first fight back, after being injured for over a year. He defeated Yavor Marinchev in one round with a body shot doing the damage. Marinchev was a bit of a joke though and was asked by the ref if he actually wanted to box as all he did was hold on. Rogan will fight again on the undercard of the Andy Murray fight in 2 weeks.
Cork-based Cuban Luis Garcia defeated former world champion Byron Mitchell in a light-heavyweight bout. Mitchell absorbed a lot of punishment and decided not to fight on after suffering a cut eye in the second round. Mitchell looked a completely shot fighter and at 38 should think about calling it a day.
I felt that if Hyland stayed away from Casey and just used the jab without trading he could win this on points. That never looked likely to happen though as Hyland proved ridiculously easy to hit. In round 4, Hyland was caught on the ropes again and came under a sustained attack from Casey. The referee stepped in as Hyland was offering no resistance. I felt the ref was a little to quick to stop the fight but a telling factor is that Hyland didn't complain.
Casey must now defend his belt against Kiko Martinez, in a fight which should be a real classic between two power punchers. Casey isn't the greatest boxer but his punch power could take him far enough. He demonstrated a little more head movement and his switch attack between body and head was impressive. He certainly won't fear Martinez but he won't be able to just walk through him as he did Hyland. His body shots could be the decider considering that Martinez pulled out of this bout with broken ribs.
On the undercard heavyweight Martin Rogan won his first fight back, after being injured for over a year. He defeated Yavor Marinchev in one round with a body shot doing the damage. Marinchev was a bit of a joke though and was asked by the ref if he actually wanted to box as all he did was hold on. Rogan will fight again on the undercard of the Andy Murray fight in 2 weeks.
Cork-based Cuban Luis Garcia defeated former world champion Byron Mitchell in a light-heavyweight bout. Mitchell absorbed a lot of punishment and decided not to fight on after suffering a cut eye in the second round. Mitchell looked a completely shot fighter and at 38 should think about calling it a day.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Mancini demands respect!
Roberto Mancini feels that the English press is ganging up on him because he's Italian. He also feels that he is no danger of being sacked. Surely he can't be that naive. I'd say that if City lose against either West Brom or Manchester United in their next two matches, Mancini will be looking for a new job. I feel a certain amount of sympathy for him because as i said before, it's impossible to keep that many star names content. Three losses in a row has left Mancini clinging to his job by his fingertips. The horrendous displays against Wolves and tonight against Lech Poznan suggest all is not well behind the scenes. There have been on-field bust-ups between Vincent Kompany and Adebayor and Yaya Toure and James Milner. Yaya Toure has also questioned the ambitions of some of his team mates which is laughable considering he left Barcelona for a team who are in the Europa League and who haven't won a trophy since 1976. It seems that the team is made up of over-paid, egotistical lunatics who have completely over-inflated opinions of themselves and their talents.
It really is starting to look like a situation that is unmanagable and with the amount of money being spent, expectations are ridiculously high. I'm not sure who City could get in to replace Mancini or if a big named manager would even take the job. Mancini is a good manager and he needs to be left alone to do as he sees fit. As i said before though, they have too many players for each position and that means that big names (and egos) are being left out which is obviously causing tension in the dressing room. The 3-1 loss tonight was incredibly poor and it really leaves Mancini in a dangerous position.
It really is starting to look like a situation that is unmanagable and with the amount of money being spent, expectations are ridiculously high. I'm not sure who City could get in to replace Mancini or if a big named manager would even take the job. Mancini is a good manager and he needs to be left alone to do as he sees fit. As i said before though, they have too many players for each position and that means that big names (and egos) are being left out which is obviously causing tension in the dressing room. The 3-1 loss tonight was incredibly poor and it really leaves Mancini in a dangerous position.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Well done to the English and Italian FA's
It won't be often that i'll say this so i thought i'd better commend the football associations of both England and Italy for jobs well done this week. In my original blog on the Krasic dive, i applauded the Italian FA for suspending the player for two games using video footage. Well Juventus appealed the decision, which in itself is scandalous and paints the entire football club badly in my opinion, but the Italian FA have upheld their ruling which means Krasic will miss the games to Milan and Cesena. It's a pity they didn't add more games for having the cheek to appeal but well done to them for not backing down.
Then, in my last blog, i said i hoped that the FA would see some sense and not ban Harry Redknapp for his post-match comments after the Manchester United game. Well, happily the FA have just issued a warning to Harry which i think is fair enough as i still think the Spurs manager had every right to be livid after the game.
Then, in my last blog, i said i hoped that the FA would see some sense and not ban Harry Redknapp for his post-match comments after the Manchester United game. Well, happily the FA have just issued a warning to Harry which i think is fair enough as i still think the Spurs manager had every right to be livid after the game.
Monday, November 1, 2010
I agree with Harry
I'm sure by now most of you out there have seen the self-proclaimed best player in the world, Manchester United's Nani, score one of the most ridiculous goals of all time against Spurs at the weekend. Well, obviously Harry Redknapp is still furious at the decision to allow the goal to stand and he has now threatened that if the FA charge him over his post match interview he will refuse all TV interviews in the future. I hope that the FA see the real story here and that is that the only people punished should be the officials who made Premier League football look amateurish. Mark Clattenburg (the same referee who missed Pedro Mendes goal against Manchester United in 2005) and his assistant should be suspended for their ridiculous error and Redknapp should be commended for holding his tongue as much as he did.
Redknapp called the decision "scandalous" and said that Clattenburg will "go in and come up with a story that will make it all look right". Some people have pointed out that the Spurs keeper Gomes should have played to the whistle, but if Clattenburg is playing advantage who the hell is that benefitting when it's in the Spurs penalty box. It really is ridiculous. The fact that the outcome of the game may not have changed is not an argument in my opinion. Yes, United probably would have won one nil but surely we should expect referees to get easy decisions correct at all times. At least have the integrity to come out and apologise Clattenburg.
Redknapp called the decision "scandalous" and said that Clattenburg will "go in and come up with a story that will make it all look right". Some people have pointed out that the Spurs keeper Gomes should have played to the whistle, but if Clattenburg is playing advantage who the hell is that benefitting when it's in the Spurs penalty box. It really is ridiculous. The fact that the outcome of the game may not have changed is not an argument in my opinion. Yes, United probably would have won one nil but surely we should expect referees to get easy decisions correct at all times. At least have the integrity to come out and apologise Clattenburg.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
First ever all-Irish clash for a European belt
It's been confirmed that Willie "Big Bang" Casey will fight Paul Hyland for the vacant European Super-Bantamweight title in Limerick on November 6th. Casey was supposed to fight Kiko Martinez but the Spaniard was forced to pull out with a rib injury. Hyland was the number one contender so he definitely deserves his title shot and he is the current Irish champion. Casey was catapulted into the spotlight after winning the Prizefighter series on Sky Sports. He has an unblemished record of 10 wins from 10 with 6 KO's. Hyland is far more experienced with 18 wins in 19 fights but has only 5 KO's. His only loss came on points in a four round fight in The U.S.A. two years ago.
Hyland has predicted that he will win by decision and if he can avoid Casey's big punch that seems like the likely outcome. Casey is fighting in front of his home crowd which may be a slight advantage. His other advantage is that he is a southpaw and Hyland had been training for a fight with Russian champion Andrey Bogdanov who is an orthodox fighter. Two weeks is not a lot of time to prepare for an opponent with a different style. However, i still think that the experience of Hyland should see him through this.
Hyland has predicted that he will win by decision and if he can avoid Casey's big punch that seems like the likely outcome. Casey is fighting in front of his home crowd which may be a slight advantage. His other advantage is that he is a southpaw and Hyland had been training for a fight with Russian champion Andrey Bogdanov who is an orthodox fighter. Two weeks is not a lot of time to prepare for an opponent with a different style. However, i still think that the experience of Hyland should see him through this.
Is the Man City train about to derail?
I think most of us have looked at Manchester City's spending with bewilderment. Obviously having a billionaire owner has it's plus points but is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan steering the team into irreperable danger? The pressure on Mancini to keep all of his players content is unmanagable. I don't believe he has very much say in the transfer policy. If he did why would he have 6 strikers (Roque Santa Cruz, Tevez, Jo, Bellamy, Adebayor, Balotelli) at the club and still be linked with Rooney? Competition for places is fine but that's just ridiculous. Also, three of the club's player of the year winners in the last four seasons have been bundled out of the club (Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland and Craig Bellamy). Robinho has also been shown the door after the club paid a ridiculous price of £32.5 million for a player Madrid wanted to let go.
The huge worry now is that there are so many unsettled players at the club. Shay Given, Santa Cruz, Adebayor all want to leave. Yaya Toure has said he would love to go back to Barcelona despite only signing for City during the Summer for the ridiculous fee of £24 million (considering he was a Barcelona reserve player). There have also been bad signs from Tevez with newspapers today suggesting he also wants to leave. Tevez has said that he may quit football so he can move back to Argentina to be with his family (who have not moved with him to Manchester). It's really only a matter of time before other players follow suit.
9 midfielders who could demand a starting place in most Premiership clubs spells trouble.
If more players vent their frustrations to the press, City could get a terrible name and attract only big name players in the twilight of their career looking for a big payday. City really do need to look at their squad and start spending more wisely. The results have been decent on the pitch, particularly the one nil win over Chelsea. They sit in fourth position in the league but i think they may struggle if Mancini can't appease the dressing room
The huge worry now is that there are so many unsettled players at the club. Shay Given, Santa Cruz, Adebayor all want to leave. Yaya Toure has said he would love to go back to Barcelona despite only signing for City during the Summer for the ridiculous fee of £24 million (considering he was a Barcelona reserve player). There have also been bad signs from Tevez with newspapers today suggesting he also wants to leave. Tevez has said that he may quit football so he can move back to Argentina to be with his family (who have not moved with him to Manchester). It's really only a matter of time before other players follow suit.
9 midfielders who could demand a starting place in most Premiership clubs spells trouble.
If more players vent their frustrations to the press, City could get a terrible name and attract only big name players in the twilight of their career looking for a big payday. City really do need to look at their squad and start spending more wisely. The results have been decent on the pitch, particularly the one nil win over Chelsea. They sit in fourth position in the league but i think they may struggle if Mancini can't appease the dressing room
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
2 Great pieces of football news
I said in a recent blog that Portsmouth were on the verge of going out of business. Well the good news over the weekend is that their future has been secured. They are officially out of administration after Balram Chainrai completed his takeover. Obviously previous owner Alexandre Gaydamak saw the light as he eventually signed a deal which will see him being paid over a longer period of time. Gaydamak had accussed the club of using rumours about the club's imminent demise as a negotiating tactic. If that was a tactic it worked and Portsmouth celebrated with a 2-1 win over Hull.
The second piece of great news is that Milos Krasic of Juventus was suspended for 2 games for diving. The Serb dived to win a penalty against Bologna. Thankfully the penalty was missed. After reviewing video evidence the Italian Football Federation decided that Krasic had not been touched and decided to ban him. I think everyone will agree that this sort of cheating needs to be eradicated from the game and i commend the Italian's for taking a strong stance. Unfortunately, Juventus have decided to appeal the decision which i don't think they should be able to do as the video evidence shows it was clearly a dive. Juventus should have fined the player to show that they don't tolerate cheats but perhaps i'm expecting too much.
The second piece of great news is that Milos Krasic of Juventus was suspended for 2 games for diving. The Serb dived to win a penalty against Bologna. Thankfully the penalty was missed. After reviewing video evidence the Italian Football Federation decided that Krasic had not been touched and decided to ban him. I think everyone will agree that this sort of cheating needs to be eradicated from the game and i commend the Italian's for taking a strong stance. Unfortunately, Juventus have decided to appeal the decision which i don't think they should be able to do as the video evidence shows it was clearly a dive. Juventus should have fined the player to show that they don't tolerate cheats but perhaps i'm expecting too much.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Munroe Completely Outclassed
Rendall Munroe's dreams of a first world title win were dashed this morning in Tokyo when he was absolutely outclassed by Toshiaki Nishioka. Although Munroe dominated the centre of the ring, he was picked off easily by the "Speed King" who's classy combinations left Munroe looking awkward and slow. Munroe walked forward for the entire fight forcing the Japanese man onto the backfoot which many felt was his best chance of winning. However, Munroe didn't throw any were near enough punches and although a lot of the champion's punches were blocked early on, he was catching the eye of the judges and outworking Munroe.
I gave Munroe only one round, number 4, when it really looked like Nishioka had run out of steam. Round 5 saw Munroe in trouble with a big left hand landing to the temple. The champion absolutely dominated the remaining rounds, hammering in body shots which seriously hurt Munroe. The Englishman ended round 8 with a nasty cut under his eye. In rounds 10 and 11 Nishioka, with the fight already won on the cards, went for the knockout leaving Munroe clinging on, deperate to see out the fight. In round 12 Munroe showed real heart as he came out swinging but he ended up being hurt again as the champion landed stylish combinations with ease.
In the end the judges scored the fight 119-109 which was the correct score. Munroe should be commended for his heart and grit but it's hard to see where he can go from here. He really looked out of his depth and it may have have to be admitted that he is European class, not world class. He was horrendously outclassed here.
I gave Munroe only one round, number 4, when it really looked like Nishioka had run out of steam. Round 5 saw Munroe in trouble with a big left hand landing to the temple. The champion absolutely dominated the remaining rounds, hammering in body shots which seriously hurt Munroe. The Englishman ended round 8 with a nasty cut under his eye. In rounds 10 and 11 Nishioka, with the fight already won on the cards, went for the knockout leaving Munroe clinging on, deperate to see out the fight. In round 12 Munroe showed real heart as he came out swinging but he ended up being hurt again as the champion landed stylish combinations with ease.
In the end the judges scored the fight 119-109 which was the correct score. Munroe should be commended for his heart and grit but it's hard to see where he can go from here. He really looked out of his depth and it may have have to be admitted that he is European class, not world class. He was horrendously outclassed here.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Portsmouth F.C. on the verge of closure
Two years ago Portsmouth beat Cardiff to win the FA Cp. Tonight the club have released a statement saying that they are on the brink of going out of business. Former owner Sacha Gaydamak has demanded a large cash payment from the club which is in administration. This, the club say will cripple them financially forcing them to close the club down. Gaydamak initially said that he would do his all to save the club's future but the club have said he has shown "complete disregard for the supporters, the club and the City of Portsmouth, who had granted him freedom of the city in 2008". The administrator, Andrew Andronikou, has suggested all is not lost just yet and is desperately trying to get Gaydamak to agree to a last minute deal.
Portsmouth had just begun to get on a roll in the league with 4 wins and a draw in their last 5 games. I hope for their fan's sake that they can drag themselves out of this mess. Good luck to them. Hopefully Gaydamak sees some sense and signs the deal.
Portsmouth had just begun to get on a roll in the league with 4 wins and a draw in their last 5 games. I hope for their fan's sake that they can drag themselves out of this mess. Good luck to them. Hopefully Gaydamak sees some sense and signs the deal.
Rendall Munroe v Toshiaki Nishioka
The boxing bin man Rendall Munroe finally gets his chance at a world title shot on Sunday morning in Japan. He will fight for the WBO Super-Bantamweight title against the very dangerous Toshiaki Nishioka. Munroe has only one loss in 22 fights and that was when he moved up to featherweight to fight Andy Morris in 2006. At Super-Bantamweight he's unbeaten and has held the European Super-Bantamweight title since 2007 when he beat Kiko Martinez. He faces Nishioka who has won 36 of 43 fights. A man who has beaten current IBO Featherweight champion, Jhonny Gonzalez, in Mexico in 3 rounds.
The big problem for Rendall Munroe is his lack of power. He has only 9 KO's in his 22 fights. Compare that to 23 KO's in 36 wins for Nishioka, including 8 in his last 9 fights. However, Munroe is always in superb shape and has waited so long for this title shot that i'm sure he'll put his heart and soul into this fight. He also has a couple of hundred supporters travelling to Japan with him to cheer him on. Nishioka is a firm favourite but Munroe showed against Martinez that he can outbox big hitters. He has to prove this again. He has a chance but he has to start quicker than he usually does. I will go against the tide here and pick Munroe to win. It's on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
The big problem for Rendall Munroe is his lack of power. He has only 9 KO's in his 22 fights. Compare that to 23 KO's in 36 wins for Nishioka, including 8 in his last 9 fights. However, Munroe is always in superb shape and has waited so long for this title shot that i'm sure he'll put his heart and soul into this fight. He also has a couple of hundred supporters travelling to Japan with him to cheer him on. Nishioka is a firm favourite but Munroe showed against Martinez that he can outbox big hitters. He has to prove this again. He has a chance but he has to start quicker than he usually does. I will go against the tide here and pick Munroe to win. It's on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Pressure on Managers-Chris Houghton
It might suprise some, but probably not Newcastle fans, that Chris Houghton is the second favourite manager to be sacked after Roy Hodgson. Now Roy Hodgson i think we can all agree, is out of his depth at Liverpool. The team is second from bottom with one win in eight games. Also, Liverpool is a team expected to challenge for Silverware.
So what of Newcastle? Well, they've just been promoted after winning the Championship comfortably under the guidance of Houghton. They lie 16th in the Premier League with two wins from 8 games. One win could send them as high as 7th in the league. They've been very hit and miss, with a 6-0 win over Aston Villa and 2-0 loss to Blackpool summing that up. Two of their 4 losses have come against Man City and Man United, teams expected to challenge for the title. So are Newcastle fans expecting too much from this team and their manager? I think so. The Newcastle side that was relegated was far better than this one. Players like Shea Given, Michael Owen, Damien Duff, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins have all left since then. Nobody has really come in to replace them. The loss of Hatem Ben Arfa who was on loan is unfortunate but honestly, Premiership survival is all that this squad can hope for.
The off-field problems of star striker Andy Carroll are also doing no favours for the manager.
Unless there is significant investment, and lets face it under current owner Mike Ashley that's not going to happen, this team will struggle. They are essentially a Championship team. The beacon of hope they have is that there are so many poor teams in the Premiership this season, they may just survive. How there is any calls for Houghton's head is beyond me. Who will replace him and what could they achieve with such a limited squad? One win at home is not good enough and that is certainly were they could improve but does this show the pressure on the players from an over-expectant home support? The next two weeks could be vitally important with West Ham away and Sunderland at home. Hopefully Houghton gets the time he deserves for bringing them back up to the Premiership.
So what of Newcastle? Well, they've just been promoted after winning the Championship comfortably under the guidance of Houghton. They lie 16th in the Premier League with two wins from 8 games. One win could send them as high as 7th in the league. They've been very hit and miss, with a 6-0 win over Aston Villa and 2-0 loss to Blackpool summing that up. Two of their 4 losses have come against Man City and Man United, teams expected to challenge for the title. So are Newcastle fans expecting too much from this team and their manager? I think so. The Newcastle side that was relegated was far better than this one. Players like Shea Given, Michael Owen, Damien Duff, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins have all left since then. Nobody has really come in to replace them. The loss of Hatem Ben Arfa who was on loan is unfortunate but honestly, Premiership survival is all that this squad can hope for.
The off-field problems of star striker Andy Carroll are also doing no favours for the manager.
Unless there is significant investment, and lets face it under current owner Mike Ashley that's not going to happen, this team will struggle. They are essentially a Championship team. The beacon of hope they have is that there are so many poor teams in the Premiership this season, they may just survive. How there is any calls for Houghton's head is beyond me. Who will replace him and what could they achieve with such a limited squad? One win at home is not good enough and that is certainly were they could improve but does this show the pressure on the players from an over-expectant home support? The next two weeks could be vitally important with West Ham away and Sunderland at home. Hopefully Houghton gets the time he deserves for bringing them back up to the Premiership.
Klitschko v Chisora. A disaster waiting to happen.
It was announced today that Wladimir Klitschko will fight Derek Chisora for the IBF, IBO, and WBO heavyweight world titles on the 11th of December in Germany. Klitschko has 55 wins in 58 fights with 49 KO's. Chisora has 14 wins in 14 with 9 KO's. Chisora has been British champion for 5 months. Klitschko has been heavyweight champion of the world since April 2006. How in the hell does anyone think that this is a good matchup? Only a week after Vitali Klitschko put Shannon Briggs, a former heavyweight champ, in intensive care with serious injuries, Frank Warren decides it's a great idea to put an inexperienced boxer in the ring with a man with 49 KO's against world quality heavyweights. This seems ludicrous to me and if anything happens to Chisora serious questions should be asked of Warren.
David Haye who has 25 fights behind him is running scared of Klitschko, surely that should be a warning sign. The fact that Klitschko has knocked out 4 former world champions in his last four fights should be a warning.
Does Chisora have any chance? I seriously doubt it. He may be a talented boxer but he should be at least ten fights away from this opportunity. Klitschko may have a dodgy chin but he has developed a style to protect that and I really do fear that he could seriously injure Chisora.
David Haye who has 25 fights behind him is running scared of Klitschko, surely that should be a warning sign. The fact that Klitschko has knocked out 4 former world champions in his last four fights should be a warning.
Does Chisora have any chance? I seriously doubt it. He may be a talented boxer but he should be at least ten fights away from this opportunity. Klitschko may have a dodgy chin but he has developed a style to protect that and I really do fear that he could seriously injure Chisora.
Are Manchester United in decline?
Wayne Rooney has revealed that the reason he wants to quit is because the club doesn't share his ambitions and that he wants to win more trophies. He also feels that they are struggling to attract top players to the club? Well, it is very difficult to disagree with Rooney. United's squad is the worst it's been in a long time. Even if you look back at the 1999 Champion's League winning team, it's much stronger than this current team. The central midfield of United is of mid-table quality (with the exception of Paul Scholes). Carrick, Anderson and Gibson would struggle to get into the Newcastle team. Berbatov, Hernandez, Bebe and Macheda are certainly not a feared strike force and Van der Sar is almost 40 and starting to make ridiculous blunders.
In the last few years they have attracted nobody of great quality with Berbatov (19 goals in 53 appearances) the last big signing in 2008. They've lost Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy, Carlos Tevez and the fact that Roy Keane hasn't been replaced despite leaving in 2005 points to big problems. You would have to wonder how much the Glazer debts has influenced this lack of spending. Despite this, the fact that Manchester City (if Rooney decides to go there) are throwing money at players does not point to success. Mancini needs to do the balancing act of his life to keep all of his players happy. There have already been rumblings with Tevez behind the scenes. Everyone is immediately pointing at a Rooney-Tevez strikeforce. What about Balotelli, Santa Cruz, Adebayor and Jo? I don't think Rooney will stroll into that team and the possibility of City self destructing is massive. So the grass may not be greener, the money may be.
It must be a worry for United fans that star players continue to leave with the arrival of no one. Ferguson's assertion that it's a young squad with great potential is not as realistic as Arsene Wenger's. A horrendous game against Bursaspor and a 2-2 draw at West Brom, both at home, seem to point to cracks in this team. Is it possible to find a world class player in United's team without Rooney? No!
On a seperate note, it's great to see Robbie Fowler still has his sense of humour. He jokingly told Sky Sports that he has convinced Rooney to join Perth Glory. Good to see some players don't take themselves so seriously. Fair play Robbie
In the last few years they have attracted nobody of great quality with Berbatov (19 goals in 53 appearances) the last big signing in 2008. They've lost Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy, Carlos Tevez and the fact that Roy Keane hasn't been replaced despite leaving in 2005 points to big problems. You would have to wonder how much the Glazer debts has influenced this lack of spending. Despite this, the fact that Manchester City (if Rooney decides to go there) are throwing money at players does not point to success. Mancini needs to do the balancing act of his life to keep all of his players happy. There have already been rumblings with Tevez behind the scenes. Everyone is immediately pointing at a Rooney-Tevez strikeforce. What about Balotelli, Santa Cruz, Adebayor and Jo? I don't think Rooney will stroll into that team and the possibility of City self destructing is massive. So the grass may not be greener, the money may be.
It must be a worry for United fans that star players continue to leave with the arrival of no one. Ferguson's assertion that it's a young squad with great potential is not as realistic as Arsene Wenger's. A horrendous game against Bursaspor and a 2-2 draw at West Brom, both at home, seem to point to cracks in this team. Is it possible to find a world class player in United's team without Rooney? No!
On a seperate note, it's great to see Robbie Fowler still has his sense of humour. He jokingly told Sky Sports that he has convinced Rooney to join Perth Glory. Good to see some players don't take themselves so seriously. Fair play Robbie
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Rooney to Leave!
Obviously in a blatant attempt to prove me wrong after reading my blog, Wayne Rooney has said that he wants to leave Manchester United. In a very open interview, an obviously emotional Alex Ferguson, revealed that the player had told him that he would not sign a new contract and wanted out of the club. Ferguson said that he was at a loss to explain the reasons behind Rooney's decision.
This has obviously left a few clubs around the world on high alert. Will Barcelona and Real Madrid overturn their inital statements that said they would not be in the transfer market in January? Would Manchester United sell Rooney to Premiership rivals with Chelsea and Manchester City already poised to make offers? Another option is Inter Milan who only this week said that they may make a move for Lionel Messi. Rooney's value will certainly have dropped in the wake of the scandals surrounding his private life, his public spat with Ferguson and he only has 18 months on his contract. Could United be prepared to swap him? Considering United's financial problems and their desperate need to replace Rooney with a world class striker, this could be a big possibility.
This has obviously left a few clubs around the world on high alert. Will Barcelona and Real Madrid overturn their inital statements that said they would not be in the transfer market in January? Would Manchester United sell Rooney to Premiership rivals with Chelsea and Manchester City already poised to make offers? Another option is Inter Milan who only this week said that they may make a move for Lionel Messi. Rooney's value will certainly have dropped in the wake of the scandals surrounding his private life, his public spat with Ferguson and he only has 18 months on his contract. Could United be prepared to swap him? Considering United's financial problems and their desperate need to replace Rooney with a world class striker, this could be a big possibility.
Next Liverpool Manager?
After the insipid display against Everton in the Merseyside derby, even the most loyal Roy Hodgson supporter must feel it is only a matter of time before the axe falls on him. The worrying thing for Liverppol fans is the lack of character and heart shown by their team. Everton were incredibly comfortable and really should have made the scoreline worse for Liverpool in the last fifteen minutes. Torres doesn't want to be there and Gerrard looks the most frustrated figure in football. Joe Cole has had a disastrous start to his Liverpool career and was terrible on Sunday. So has Hodgson lost the dressing room? I believe he has. Many of the players will see him as a carry over from the Hicks and Gillette regime and i would be very suprised if he were still manager if they don't win their next game at Blackburn.
So who will replace him? Well, the bookies last night slashed the odds on Frank Rijkaard becoming the new Liverpool manager and he his now favourite ahead of Kenny Dalglish. This was due to media reports that he had quit Galatasaray. It actually seems in the cold light of day that he may have been sacked from that post and a look at his managerial record at Galatasaray shows that he may not be the saviour Liverpool are seeking. A third place finish last season and a 4-2 loss at the weekend leaving them in 9th position doesn't leave Frank in the strongest positions despite his previous record at a wonderfully talented Barcelona team. How about King Kenny Dalglish? He hasn't managed in ten years when he led Celtic to second place int SPL. I feel it would end in the same manner as Alan Shearer's short lived managerial career as Newcastle manager. He has been out of the loop for too long and a disastrous reign would tarnish his glittering reputation at Liverpool. Martin O'Neil's name is always thrown into the hat if a job is up for grabs and this time it's no different. He's currently unemployed and enjoys a glowing reputation in Britain. I don't think he should. His record at Villa, despite what some may lead you to believe, was poor. He had an awful lot of money to spend and delivered nothing. Two european places, only to blow them in the qualifying rounds is not good enough. He also left the club in the mire when he quit days before the season started. He seems like a difficult character to work for judging by the reports still coming from Villa and he may not be the man to get the best out of Gerrard and Torres.
There are a few managers being mentioned who could lead Liverpool back to glory. There are the two Dutch masters Guus Hiddink and Louis Van Gaal but a name not spoken about a lot is Ottmar Hitzfeld. He has won 18 major trophies including the Champions League twice and the Bundesliga 7 times. He now manages Switzerland who i'm sure Liverpool's new owners could agree a compensation package with. I think Liverpool fans should let Dalglish enjoy his retirement and champion a guy who has a proven record in pressure cooker situations.
So who will replace him? Well, the bookies last night slashed the odds on Frank Rijkaard becoming the new Liverpool manager and he his now favourite ahead of Kenny Dalglish. This was due to media reports that he had quit Galatasaray. It actually seems in the cold light of day that he may have been sacked from that post and a look at his managerial record at Galatasaray shows that he may not be the saviour Liverpool are seeking. A third place finish last season and a 4-2 loss at the weekend leaving them in 9th position doesn't leave Frank in the strongest positions despite his previous record at a wonderfully talented Barcelona team. How about King Kenny Dalglish? He hasn't managed in ten years when he led Celtic to second place int SPL. I feel it would end in the same manner as Alan Shearer's short lived managerial career as Newcastle manager. He has been out of the loop for too long and a disastrous reign would tarnish his glittering reputation at Liverpool. Martin O'Neil's name is always thrown into the hat if a job is up for grabs and this time it's no different. He's currently unemployed and enjoys a glowing reputation in Britain. I don't think he should. His record at Villa, despite what some may lead you to believe, was poor. He had an awful lot of money to spend and delivered nothing. Two european places, only to blow them in the qualifying rounds is not good enough. He also left the club in the mire when he quit days before the season started. He seems like a difficult character to work for judging by the reports still coming from Villa and he may not be the man to get the best out of Gerrard and Torres.
There are a few managers being mentioned who could lead Liverpool back to glory. There are the two Dutch masters Guus Hiddink and Louis Van Gaal but a name not spoken about a lot is Ottmar Hitzfeld. He has won 18 major trophies including the Champions League twice and the Bundesliga 7 times. He now manages Switzerland who i'm sure Liverpool's new owners could agree a compensation package with. I think Liverpool fans should let Dalglish enjoy his retirement and champion a guy who has a proven record in pressure cooker situations.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Rooney to leave in January?
The headlines scream "World Exclusive: Wayne Rooney to be sold in January", but how much is this "insider" story by the Daily Mirror sensationalist speculation. Obviously, we know that Rooney is at logger-heads with Alex Ferguson. The Manchester United manager claimed that Rooney had an ankle injury, leaving him unavailable for key matches. Rooney, for reasons only known to himself, has publicly denied this, leaving Ferguson looking very foolish. Rooney's form this season has been atrocious. He failed to score at the World Cup, a tournament at which he was tipped to star, and has scored only once for United this season. His private life has been splashed across the front pages of the papers with reports of romps with hookers, and sponsorship losses dominating headlines.
However, does this all point to a January exit? Not in my opinion. The idea that United will look for the relatively small fee of £50 million is ludicrous. United's aging squad cannot be bolstered with that sum. They do not have the replacements within the team, with young lads like Welbeck and Hernandez untested and Berbatov still very much hit and miss. Real Madrid and Barcelona have said they will not buy in January. That leaves Manchester City and Chelsea with that kind of money and there is absolutely no chance that Ferguson will sell to his two biggest rivals. Also, Rooney scored 26 goals in 32 Premier League games last season. He may be going through the worst spell of his career but Ferguson knows that he is a proven goalscorer in the Premiership. He could splash out on Fernando LLorente from Bilbao or Benzema of Madrid but neither are proven goalscorers at the highest level with Benzema in particular being considered a failure at Madrid (9 goals in 33 games). I cannot see United parting with Rooney in January whatsoever. In summer, if they were offered 80-90 million and Rooney hasn't regained his form, there is a small possibility he will be allowed to leave to go abroad.
However, does this all point to a January exit? Not in my opinion. The idea that United will look for the relatively small fee of £50 million is ludicrous. United's aging squad cannot be bolstered with that sum. They do not have the replacements within the team, with young lads like Welbeck and Hernandez untested and Berbatov still very much hit and miss. Real Madrid and Barcelona have said they will not buy in January. That leaves Manchester City and Chelsea with that kind of money and there is absolutely no chance that Ferguson will sell to his two biggest rivals. Also, Rooney scored 26 goals in 32 Premier League games last season. He may be going through the worst spell of his career but Ferguson knows that he is a proven goalscorer in the Premiership. He could splash out on Fernando LLorente from Bilbao or Benzema of Madrid but neither are proven goalscorers at the highest level with Benzema in particular being considered a failure at Madrid (9 goals in 33 games). I cannot see United parting with Rooney in January whatsoever. In summer, if they were offered 80-90 million and Rooney hasn't regained his form, there is a small possibility he will be allowed to leave to go abroad.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Barca turn on the class
We had to wait for the second half, but Barcelona eventually turned in a performance worthy of champions tonight. Valencia topped the league before the game and they attacked Barcelona in the first half and really drove the hosts onto the back foot. They got their just rewards in the 38th minute when a lovely flowing move was finished by Pablo Henandez with a little help from a slight deflection off Keita. Barcelona were poor and created very little but the half time team talk seemed to do the trick. A minute after the restart, Iniesta put Barcelona on level terms after a sublime through ball from Xavi. The game had completely changed and Valencia struggled to get even a touch of the ball as Barca created chance after chance. In the 63rd minute, Captain Carles Puyol got onto the end of a Xavi cross to direct a bullet header passed Cesar Sanchez in the Valencia goal. Barcelona had a number of great chances to finish the game with David Villa particularly being guilty of over-playing. Messi had a goal rightly dissallowed for offside and Barca comfortably closed out the game.
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