4554: Manchester City; Season Revie

by : Stephen Orford

Though not quite as bad as some of the traumas in its recent history, the 2006/07 season has been a pretty dismal affair for Manchester City Football Club.

It ended with the sacking of manager Stuart Pearce after the club finished a lowly 14th on the Premiership ladder, just four points above the relegation zone. In doing so they set a new all-time low for the number of league goals scored at home by a Premiership side, netting just 10 times at the City of Manchester Stadium.

In addition, all of Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Wigan Athletic, Reading, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur came away from Eastlands with three points this term, with five of those nine sides keeping a clean sheet during those victories.

As City toiled at home, their away performances were little better. Only the relegated trio of Watford, Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United, aswell as Newcastle United and West Ham United lost more games on their travels than City. Yet road wins at the latter three aswell as Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Fulham showed that this was a City side with at least some degree of potential. It’s been that sort of season and it is that sort of club.

Before his departure Pearce was big enough to admit that he had not strengthened the attack sufficiently. The former England defender accepted that the signing of Bernardo Corradi in particular had not worked out, that after the Italian joined on a free transfer from Parma in the summer of 2006. Alongside him Georgios Samaras has failed to fulfil the promise shown at the end of the previous campaign, while Emile Mpenza’s arrival from relative oblivion did at least produce a respectable three league goals in nine appearances. Darius Vassell continues to inspire nothing other than jokes about how he only scores against his former club, Aston Villa.

Adding to City’s woes was the furore surrounding talismanic, pain in the bare backside midfielder Joey Barton. The Liverpool-born star ended last season at the centre of an on-off transfer row having handed in an ill-timed transfer request in January 2006, but began this one by scoring the winner in City’s 1-0 home win over Arsenal in August. By season’s end that highlight was but a distant memory as, following Steve McClaren’s decision to hand Barton his first England cap in a friendly against Spain, Barton was suspended by City for his part in a training ground spat with Ousmane Dabo.

Both Barton and Dabo now look certain to leave the club, with Newcastle United set to be leading the chase for the former. Often an inspiration, Barton showed his prowess for providing the opposite effect when he lambasted many of his team mates for not showing enough desire to make City successful. Throw in criticisms of England colleagues Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, and it is easy to argue that the 24-year-old is a disruption that any team can do without. Whether he is right or wrong on these matters is becoming an increasingly moot point.

City’s defence was the strongest part of the team in 2006/07, and was arguably the reason that they avoided the drop. Forty-four goals against represents the seventh best record in the division, with just five clubs boasting a better defensive record at home. The loss of Sylvain Distin to Portsmouth on a free transfer is a blow, and the Frenchman leaves a big hole for the as yet un-appointed new manager to fill. Richard Dunne performed admirably alongside Distin and at 27, the former Everton man could prove a vital mainstay of the City defence for years to come.

As City fans endured a torrid league campaign, they could at least take some comfort from a reasonable run in the FA Cup. Victories over the Championship trio of Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and Preston North End took them through to a first quarter-final in 26 years, but goals from Aaron Mokoena and Matt Derbyshire saw Blackburn Rovers take the last eight spoils at Ewood Park. City had already crashed out of the Carling Cup to League One Chesterfield in mid-September, beaten 2-1 at Saltergate in a game which helped bring Wigan striker Caleb Folan to the attention of his now former manager, Paul Jewell.

All the talk ahead of the new campaign is of that most fashionable of topics, new investment and a takeover. Multi-millionaire and former City player Ray Ranson has stepped out of the race to take control for now, seemingly leaving the way clear for former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra to assume the reins. The club’s transfer budget for this summer appears to depend very much on whether Sinawatra, who failed with a bid to buy Liverpool in 2004, is able to complete a takeover. Should he do so, former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri may be lured from Parma to step into Pearce’s shoes. Yet Ranson continues to monitor the situation, and could be back should Sinawatra fail in his bid.

And so as ever it is a time of uncertainty in the blue half of Manchester. As City fans watched the other lot regain the Premiership crown from Chelsea, it only served to deepen their misery at the end of what has been a pretty dire season. With Distin gone and Barton getting his coat, much will depend on whether the new manager can persuade the club’s other young assets such as England defender Micah Richards to stay on at Eastlands to help bring back the good times.

By Stephen Orford

31 May 2007

4551: African Champions League- Who

by : Hugh Larkin

While the month of June marks the summer break in Western Europe, the Champions League in Africa reaches its most exciting stage. Just eight teams are left in the tournament to decide the Continent’s premier club.

Three rounds of knockout ties have produced the eight teams to go into two groups from which the top two in each will contest the semi-finals. The striking feature of this year’s qualifiers is the dominance of North Africa.

Only ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast are left to challenge the Arabic speaking north, which accelerates a trend that has seen the last two Finals contested by North African clubs and in 2005 all the semi-finalists were from that part of the Continent.

Egyptian side Al-Ahly are chasing an unprecedented third triumph on the bounce. The champions have progressed smoothly through two qualifiers and had the satisfaction of seeing their fierce domestic rivals Al-Zamelek fail to reach the last eight.

Al-Ahly have prospered under the coaching of Portuguese manager Manuel Jose, who has taken the club to 3 Champions League wins- a record for a manager. Spurs midfielder Hossem Ghaly is just one of the young players developed during his reign.

Such is his success that Jose received a medal from President Mubarak himself in December 2006. Unsurprisingly, Al-Ahly lay claim to being the best supported team in Africa and they are the team to beat again this term.

The Red Devils have won the last 3 Egyptian titles as well as their back to back Champions League successes and last December they pushed Brazilian side Internacional hard in the semi-finals of the World Club Championship, before losing 2-1. Al-Ahly went on to take third spot in the tournament.

The squad is packed full of players from the Egyptian side that lifted the 2006 African Cup of Nations, including skipper Shady Mohammed and star forward Mohammed Aboutrika. Added to their phalanx of Egyptian stars, Al-Ahly can call on Angolan World Cup frontman Flavio.

However, the seven sides still in contention include four other former winners, plus Etoile Sahel of Tunisia , the beaten finalists in 2004 and 2005. They are joined by fellow countrymen Esperence who have been in the last eight more times than any other side under this format, yet have not been champions since the 1997 reorganisation.

No Tunisian club has won this title since it was adapted to include groups in 1997. Last year CF Sfaxien followed Etoile Sahel into the Final but they too fell to the might of Al Ahly. This year Tunisia is the only country with two clubs in the last eight and the nation will be hoping one of them can finally break the Al Ahly stranglehold.

The other former winners are ASEC Mimosas (who share the last eight appearance record with Esperence). JS Kabylie (Algeria) and FAR Rabat (Morocco). Newcomers from Sudan Al Hilal, produced the performance of the last 16 by pulling back a three goal deficit and then beating Nasarawa United (Nigeria) on penalties. Al-Ittihad, the Libyan top side who employed Middlesbrough’s former star Joseph Desire Job at one point, make up the eight.

The group games get under way in late in June to decide the four semi-finalists. ASEC Mimosas could provide the biggest challenge to Al-Ahly as they were beaten in the last four in 2006.

A few Premiership stars might be watching their results because Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Salomon Kalou and Didier Zokora all came through the Mimosas Academy ranks.

Group A

FAR Rabat (Morocco)
JS Kabylie (Algeria)
Al-Ittihad (Libya)
Etoile de Sahel (Tunisia)

Group B

Al-Ahly (Egypt)
ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast)
Al-Hilal (Sudan)
EsperAnce (Tunisia)

4552: Argentina Clausura Weekly Revi

by : Cody Strunk

San Lorenzo edged closer to the Argentinean title after a comfortable 3:0 win over local rivals Racing Club, with goals from Gaston Fernandez, Cristian Tula and Santiago Hirsig. The visitors did little to help their cause in having Franco Sosa and Maximiliano Moralez both dismissed in quick succession in the last 15-minutes.

With three rounds of matches remaining Boca Juniors remain three-points adrift of the leaders following a routine 3:1 win at home to Gimnasia Jujuy, with three second-half goals from Rodrigo Palacio, Sebastian Battaglia and Clemente Rodriguez seeing them home. With Boca still involved in the latter stages of the Copa Libertadores, the advantage does look to be with San Lorenzo though.

The other team still just about in contention is Estudiantes, but the current champions dropped what look to be potentially crucial points with a 4:4 draw at home to Newell’s Old Boys. Mariano Pavone and Jose Luis Calderon gave the home side an early two-goal cushion, but three goals in eight-minutes around the half-hour mark changed the game in the visitors favour. A couple of goals early in the second period swung the game back towards Estudiantes, but Newell’s secured a point thanks to Pablo Perez claiming his hat-trick on 72-minutes. A late red card for defender Sebastian Dominguez was the final blow for Estudiantes.

Arsenal de Sarandi maintained their fine form with a 2:0 victory away to Rosario Central, with Luis Figueroa (3) and Ibrahim Sekagya (42) scoring the goals. Figueroa was sent-off midway through the second-half, but Rosario were unable to take advantage.

After a four-match winless streak River Plate eased the pressure on their coach, Daniel Passarella, a little with a 3:0 win away to Gimnasia La Plata, with a couple of goals from Ernesto Farias and one from Leonardo Ponzio securing the points.

Jorge Burruchaga’s Independiente continue to struggle for wins, with the 1:1 draw at home to Argentinios Juniors leaving them with just three victories in 16 matches this season. It was their fourth consecutive 1:1 draw, with Rodrigo Diaz’s ninth-minute goal being cancelled out by Leandro Desabato’s header on 72-minutes for the visitors.

At the foot of the table, Nueva Chicago gave their hopes of avoiding the drop a huge boost with a 2:1 win over Lanus, with Lucio Filomeno’s 67th minute winner being enough to confirm relegation for Quilmes. Ironically, Quilmes went on to win 3:2 at Banfield the following day, with Carlos Luna scoring twice.

The battle to avoid the second automatic relegation place is very tight, with Nueva Chicago, Godoy Cruz and Belgrano all in danger. Belgrano missed a big opportunity to ease their worries in going down 3:1 at home to Colon, a result that leaves Belgrano currently occupying the second automatic relegation position and which leaves Colon edging further clear of the relegation/promotion play-off places. Godoy Cruz are only just above Belgrano as things stand, having gone down 2:0 at home to Velez Sarsfield.

4553: England v Brazil- The History

by : Hugh Larkin

Friday’s first full international at the new Wembley will be England’s 22nd game against Brazil. If it follows the pattern of friendlies between the two sides, Steve McClaren’s side should take a something from the game.

1956 saw the first meeting between the two countries. Brazil visited Wembley and went way defeated 4-2. Less than 2 years later the ‘selecao’ had become World Champions for the first time and the two countries met in that tournament in Sweden.

World Cup Woes

The two teams drew 0-0 in a group game in Gothenberg but England didn’t find a way to the quarter-finals. In three more meetings at World Cup Finals England have not managed to even force a draw.

In 1962 Brazil triumphed 3-1 in Chile at the last eight stage. The names of Moore, Charlton (Bobby) and Wilson were on the teamsheet that day and would be back four years later to lift the trophy.

Moore and Charlton were still there in 1970 for the group game in Mexico that was won by Jairzinho’s strike. Few England sides before or since have played such composed football and at the time many observers felt the teams would be paired again in the Final- West Germany and Gordon Banks’ dodgy stomach ended that dream.

Five years ago England exited again at the quarter-final stage in the Far East. The match ruined most people’s breakfasts as Michael Owen scored but England were undone by Ronaldinho’s fluke/brilliant effort (choose as desired) and then totally failed to take advantage of the scorer’s dismissal.

Minor Competition Headaches

There have been 6 contests in what can be termed minor competitions, usually in summers and in celebration of something. The balance sheet here makes grim reading too- 4 defeats and just two draws to show for it.

The last of these was Le Tournoi, held in France in summer 1997 as a prelude to the 1998 World Cup. England actually won the event by results against France and Italy but went down to a Romario goal in their third game. This was the competition when English fans first saw Juninho, who would later prove such a popular player on Teeside.

The worst result came in 1964 in Brazil. Invited to a four team event with the hosts, Argentina and Portugal, Alf Ramsay’s side took a 5-1 pasting- the unfortunate trio of Moore, Wilson and Charlton were all there again. It would have taken a brave man to forecast an England victory in 1966 after that result.

Some Friendly Success

In friendly matches, England have achieved parity with Brazil. The current record reads 3 wins each and 5 draws. Those three rare victories came in 1956 (the first encounter), 1984 and 1990.

The 1984 succes was England’s only one in Brazil and came courtesy of Mark Hateley’s aerial power and a John Barnes wonder goal when he slalomed through half the Brazil team.

That was the last time England have been near South America with the trend all towards international challenges played in Europe. Nearly all the top South Americans play in Europe and their Nike sponsors want to see the ‘selecao’ play in lucrative European markets.

The March 1990 win was at Wembley in an unmemorable affair. Both sides had strong squads out in the run up to Italia 90 and most of the England players who were on the park for the semi-final later that summer were on view here, though Paul Gascoigne was just a substitute at that stage.

Gray Lineker pouched the only goal and Dunga, the current Brazilian manager, was in the opposition that night, alongside full back Branco, who would later make a short stay at Middlesbrough alongside Juninho.

Overall

The overall balance sheet against the most glamorous team in world football is won 3, drawn 8 and lost 10, so there’s plenty of room for improvement. It may be just a friendly but not many England players have been on the winning side against Brazil.

Rio Ferdinand misses out on his chance for revenge after Japan 2002 but David Beckham, Ashley Cole, Kieron Dyer and Michael Owen were all on the pitch that day. Wayne Bridge and Joe Cole watched from the bench.

4549: Striker next in line for Fergu

by : Paul Meadows

Having landed the Premiership title for the first time since 2003, it would be understandable if Sir Alex Ferguson did no more than a little tweaking when the transfer window reopens this summer. However, the canny Scot is far too experienced to rest on his laurels and go with what he already has when the season restarts on August 11.

The long wait for Owen Hargreaves to pitch up at Old Trafford will come to an end any day now as a fee – believed to be £17million – has been agreed with Bayern Munich. The England international was courted by Ferguson for much of last summer, and he will now offer a quality defensive midfield option whilst providing stern competition for Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes.

Although the vast majority of United fans will be delighted with the acquisition of the Canadian-born player, there is genuine concern that his acquisition will result in a 4-5-1 formation for the new season. However, there is also widespread speculation that a new striker is also on the priority list for the summer, with patience running extremely thin with regards to Louis Saha’s constant battle against injuries.

Added to the Frenchman the aging legs of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the less than impressive strike rate of Alan Smith, and it is clear to see this is certainly an area which needs strengthening. If Ferguson can find the ideal partner for Wayne Rooney, then an already impressive United side will look even more irresistible.

It is no secret that the top target is Dimitar Berbatov of Tottenham Hotspur. The Bulgarian international had a sensational debut season in England following his £10.9million move from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, and reports suggest United are willing to pay double this amount to take him north. For all Spurs’ insistence they will not sell, these are nervy times for their fans as the memory of losing Carrick only last summer remains fresh in their minds.

Another striker being linked is Newcastle United’s Michael Owen. Ferguson is said to be a huge fan of the England international, who spent the bulk of the season on the sidelines due to a serious knee injury. Whether the Magpies would be willing to lose the former Liverpool star just two years after signing him from Real Madrid remains to be seen, yet there are suggestions they would be happy to cut their losses should an offer of £10million arrive.

Atletico Madrid’s Fernando Torres is another name which continues to be linked. The Spanish international rose to the top of Ferguson’s wish list after the World Cup Finals last summer, and he would cost anything up to £25million. One thing which is in United’s favour is that the 22-year-old has already ruled out a move to Real Madrid, which would mean if he does leave the Vicente Calderon it is likely to be for a challenge abroad. However, Chelsea and Liverpool are also admirers.

There is also the option of Giuseppe Rossi, who spent the season on loan at Newcastle United and Parma. The Italian forward is set to return to United for the new season, and is determined to force his way into the first team. Other loaned players who could return include Jonny Evans and Danny Simpson (Sunderland), although Gerard Pique is likely to remain in Spain where he could clinch a permanent move to Real Zaragoza.

Ben Foster will also return after two years with Watford, and he will provide competition for Edwin van der Sar. In turn, this could result in the departure of Tomasz Kuszczak. The Polish goalkeeper has done little wrong when called upon, yet he will now slip to third choice in the pecking order unless he can clinch a loan move – Sunderland are believed to be monitoring the situation.

Ryan Giggs may have just won his ninth Premiership title, yet he will turn 34-years-old during the course of next season and his mazy runs down the left wing are becoming less and less frequent. Ferguson is happy for the Welsh international to operate in a more central role, yet this causes an imbalance down the left. This could be resolved by the addition of Sporting Lisbon winger Nani, who has been described as ‘the next Cristiano Ronaldo’, and would cost around £12million.

Another member of the famous 1992 FA Youth Cup winning side, Gary Neville, will also need to be replaced before too long. The 32-year-old spent the end of last season on the sidelines through injury, resulting in Wes Brown and John O’Shea sharing his fullback responsibilities. Ferguson would love a long-term solution, and Brazilian ace Cicinho was linked before he moved to Real Madrid two years ago. The 26-year-old has missed much of the season at the Bernabeu with a knee injury, yet he is fit again and could be used in a swap deal which could see Gabriel Heinze move in the opposite direction.

The Argentine international has lost his place in the United line-up to Patrice Evra, and many believe he has played his last game for the club, especially with Mikael Silvestre recently stating his desire to remain at Old Trafford and see out the remaining two years of his contract. Madrid is thought to be Heinze’s preferred destination, although former club Paris St Germain are also interested.

Elsewhere, Kieran Richardson is a reported target for Sheffield United. The England winger enjoyed a spell at West Bromwich Albion under new Blades boss Bryan Robson, although it is unlikely he would be willing to drop down a division at the this stage of his career, particularly as he feels he is worthy of a place in the Champions XI.

Paul Meadows
28 May 2007

4547: Scunthorpe Prepare For Their C

by : Cody Strunk

Promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship as League One champions was a magnificent achievement for Scunthorpe United, but manager Nigel Adkins already looks to have his work cut-out if he is to be able to keep his squad together this summer, with a number of his players being targeted by other clubs with bigger budgets than the Iron.

Of all the players that secured promotion at Glanford Park last term, the prolific Billy Sharp is obviously going to attract most speculation over the close season, with Sheffield Wednesday having already had a reported bid of £1.5 million rejected. Adkins has understandably stated that he wishes Sharp to remain with the club, but the reality would appear to be that the former Sheffield United striker is going to be plying his trade elsewhere next season.

Scunthorpe have already seen defensive lynchpin and player of the season Steve Foster turn down a new two-year deal to stay at Glanford Park deal in order to sign for Darlington, with the League Two club apparently offering better wages. Fellow defender Richard Hinds has also rejected the chance to sign a two-year contract at the club, while out-of-contract midfielder Neil MacKenzie has already moved on to Notts County. The club has previously shown that it can prosper in the face of similar adversity though, having overcome the loss of long-serving manager to Brian Laws to Sheffield Wednesday in early November and the departure of Sharp’s strike-partner, Andy Keogh, in the January transfer window.

Adkins was promoted from club physiotherapist to manager after the departure of Laws and his assistant Russell Wilcox for Hillsborough and has taken full advantage of the opportunity. The move from physio to first team manager looks an unlikely one at first glance (although it was a route also undertaken by a certain Bob Paisley), but Adkins does have previous managerial experience from a stint at Bangor City in the League of Wales, where he guided them to the league title in 1993-94 and 1994-95 before being sacked after a 4:0 cup defeat to Conwy United in his third season at the club. He is also one of the new breed of young managers who is happy to bring in methods from other sports in terms of preparation.

The transfer business will not be all one way of course, with a permanent deal for on-loan Sheffield United winger Kevan Hurst having already been concluded. Adkins has also bid to make Jermaine Beckford’s loan from Leeds United a permanent move, although any such deal will probably have to wait until the future ownership of the Elland Road club has been decided. Recently released Middlesbrough forward Danny Graham is another potential target, as is Kayode Odejayi, with the Cheltenham Town striker likely to move on over the summer. The manager has also confirmed that Rotherham United midfielder Martin Woods is currently in talks with the club over a proposed move.

The club is keen to secure the services of existing key players, with Matt Sparrow, Marcus Williams and Cleveland Taylor all currently in negotiations to extend their contracts. Adkins has also indicated that some high-profile loan signings from Premiership clubs could be on the cards. Loan deals are becoming an increasingly important part of football for most clubs and Adkins seems to be putting a major emphasis on them for next term. Newcastle United’s teenage striker Andrew Carroll has been mentioned as one potential target.

Having secured a return to the upper reaches of the Football League for the first time since the 1963-64 season, Scunthorpe will naturally be among the favourites to drop back down to League One at the first time of asking. Adkins will no doubt point to the fact that Colchester United were similarly written off this time last year of course and went on to prove all the doubters wrong. Don’t rule out Scunthorpe doing likewise.

4550: Chelsea Season Analysis 2006/0

by : Hugh Larkin

It’s some measure of how much money Chelsea have invested, and the dominance of the elite clubs, that a season with two domestic Cup wins has about it the air of failure. It may be harsh but Chelsea set out to win the European Cup, not the Carling.

Chelsea fans still getting used to the regular hoovering up of silverware probably still found much to enjoy but for all Jose Mourinho’s bold words at the close, the hardened professionals in the Stamford Bridge squad- and their owner- won’t be satisfied.

For anyone unconnected with the club it has been a season full of drama, colour and of course, some misfortune. Chelsea did suffer a great deal with injury during the campaign but those problems were laid over some mighty self-inflicted ones.

The campaign began with the arrival of two superstars- Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack- but with the suspicion that they weren’t the manager’s ideal selection. In the event, neither made the impact they would have hoped for and both ended the season with injury problems that caused some rifts with the club.

However, it wasn’t their absences that caused the real grief- the losses of Petr Cech and John Terry were what really undermined the club’s pursuit of the big prizes. There was little that Chelsea could do about the keeper’s loss to a sickening collision with Steven Hunt in the Reading game- losing the best custodian in the world is going to affect any club.

The difficulties caused by several injuries to John Terry though were unforgivable and cost Chelsea the title. As the season began, the Blues lost William Gallas in a bitter fallout to Arsenal and while Ashley Cole came the other way, the centre back positions were left thin on cover.

Robert Huth had already been lined up for a move to Middlesbrough and the upshot left the club with only two senior centre backs. Khaled Boulahrouz was hurriedly drafted in from Hamburg but his performances through the campaign were never convincing.

Worse still, two out of Terry, Boulahrouz and Carvalho were often out together leaving the magnificent Michael Essien to plug the gaps. By and large he did it but Chelsea lost the Ghanaian’s drive in midfield, although it did have the benefit of accelerating John Obi Mikel’s development.

Chelsea’s defence wasn’t anywhere near as secure despite Essien’s heroics and the critical Christmas period found them out. In four days there were successive home draws to Reading and Fulham- on each occasion only Carvalho of the regular centre backs was fit.

In late January the Blues went to Anfield having to use an Essien-Ferreira pairing and Rafa Benitez went for the jugular by fielding an attacking side that forced crosses into the box. Their 2-0 loss combined with the earlier draws put them on the backfoot behind Manchester United and Chelsea never caught up.

The lay offs for the likes of Joe Cole and Arjen Robben were obviously harmful too but Chelsea have such a strong squad and a disciplined team pattern that these could be overcome- ultimately the Cech-Terry losses couldn’t be papered over though.

The famed Chelsea resilience was still in evidence in the Cups and most of the League games. What Chelsea also had was a stellar campaign from Didier Drogba that went a long way to evening matters. What proved worrying though was the extent to which Chelsea’s tactics came down to hitting long balls to the Ivory Coast target man.

Progress was maintained in the Champions League; both Porto and Valencia were efficiently dealt with in the knockout ties which set up another semi-final with Liverpool. Shevchenko and Ballack were out for the campaign by then and both Cole and Robben were only just back to fitness.

This contributed to what seemed a limited game plan- and it fell into the hands of an Anfield squad who also wanted to play a cautious game, so almost inevitably the tie went to penalties between two teams that couldn’t produce the magic to win it. Liverpool took the shootout and Mourinho argued that Chelsea were the better side.

The FA Cup Final offered consolation and revenge in equal measure and gave the season a positive finish. There are two ways of viewing Chelsea’s season- Mourinho’s spin is that two Cups is remarkable given the problems and next season they will be back on top.

An alternative view is that the club underachieved because key errors were made and possibly because the wrong players were brought in. Opening 2007/08 with a full squad should test which analysis is correct but the upshot is that the manager probably has to deliver either Premiership or Champions League next year to stay in his post.

4548: Championship Play-off Final Pr

by : Antony Melvin

Two famous old names battle it out to compete in what a number of Baggies call the ‘Greed League’ – possibly why this is being dubbed a £60m game in some of the more excitable tabloids this morning. West Brom are marginal favourites due to their big name flair, but Derby have the tactics and organisation to fox anyone.

The contrast in styles between the two teams is clear. Derby are a pragmatic side that doesn’t over-attack, whereas West Brom have a lot of flair and width. This sounds a touch like the Cup final – but let’s hope that it isn’t as desperately dull as that day out.

Derby tend to score one or two goals and then rely on a sturdy defence to collect the points. Derby have scored more than twice only three times in the last seven months – a run of 40 games, but have picked up thirteen clean sheets in that time.

Derby tend to rely on the goals of player-of-the-year Steve Howard who got two in the semi-final. Howard is an interesting player, a big Durham man who has gradually worked his way up the divisions in his twelve seasons as a pro. From Hartlepool to Northampton, then to Luton where he was talismanic during some very difficult times; last summer Derby signed him for £1m. Despite injuries and occasional forays as a centre half, Howard has averaged 20 league goals a season for the past six seasons – but at 31 this is surely his last shot at playing in the top flight. This Geordie target man will be putting his considerable frame on the line today.

Derby have a lot of players on their books who have commanded big transfer fees at their peak – Seth Johnson, Paul Peschisolido, Jon Macken, Matt Oakley – and could be cleared out after today. But they also have players who will play in the top flight soon like Giles Barnes. An interesting, if rugged mixture of youth and experience.

West Brom also have a veteran striker in Kevin Phillips, but also a host of players with recent top flight experience – and many players coveted by Premiership teams. There is little doubt that unless West Brom win today that this team will be broken up – with Curtis Davies, Zoltan Gera, Paul McShane, Paul Robinson and Diomansy Kamara likely to step up a division.

West Brom’s only injured player is captain Curtis Davies – which is a blow, but West Brom have the cover to cope.

West Brom are capable of scoring a lot of goals and on their day can be devastating. The final day of the regular season saw a 7-0 demolition of Barnsley – with strike pairing Nathan Ellington and Kevin Phillips sharing five of the seven. After Diomansy Kamara had worked off a suspension caused by two late bookings in a crucial 1-0 win at Coventry he was restored as Phillips strike partner for the play-offs and duly scored the fifth goal in West Brom’s 3-2 win at Wolves.

Kevin Phillips has scored in each of the final three crucial games, bagging six goals in the process and is in form at precisely the right moment. Kamara may have outscored him over the season but the Hitchin born striker is in the kind of form that can propel West Brom into the top flight.

Before the play-offs started I predicted that Bristol Rovers, Blackpool and West Brom would be promoted – and I don’t see any reason to change that prediction.

Prediction: West Brom 2 Derby 1

4545: 20 Handy Facts About Fernando

by : Hugh Larkin

Fernando Torres is the Spanish striker has been linked with all of the current ‘Big 4’ clubs in the Premiership at some time or other and all the indications are that he’ll be the target of furious speculation again this summer.

1. Torres is nicknamed El Nino- ‘The Kid’, because of his youthful appearance and precocious rise to fame

2. He first played for Atletico Madrid as a 17 year old in June 2001- and scored in his second game

3. He was a phenomenally successful player at youth level. He scored the winning goal in the Finals of the European under 16 and under 19 championships. In the latter competition he was top scorer and voted player of the tournament.

4. Torres netted three times in last year’s World Cup in Germany

5. He grew up in an area of the capital that normally gives allegiance to Real Madrid but he has always been an Atletico supporter.

6. Torres is Atletico’s youngest ever captain, receiving the armband for the first time at just 19 years of age.

7. He has 40 caps for Spain and 14 goals at time of writing

8. Speculation was rife a few weeks ago that Liverpool was his future destination, when it was revealed that he had the words ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ on the back of his skipper’s armband.

9. He now has 71 goals in 169 games for Atletico and he helped them back to the top division in 2002.

10. For the past 5 seasons Torres has netted double figures in LA Liga, his best total being 20.

11. He did much to take Spain to the 2006 World Cup by scoring 7 times in 11 games.

12. Spanish coach Luis Aragones is quoted as saying Torres ‘never scores two goals the same’, alluding to the versatility he shows up front.

13. Torres is noted for his pace to unsettle defenders but he also has aerial presence, which explains much of his appeal to Premiership managers.

14. Atletico have a clause in Torres’ contract that says that if they sell him it must be for at least £27 million

15. Torres has 13 League goals this season and has been on the park for more minutes than any other player at the club.

16. On 14th May, the Atletico President was on Spanish TV and repeated that the club did not want to sell their key asset and added that he thought Torres would not want to leave his only club.

17. Torres was actually dropped from the Spanish squad in November after scoring only two goals from the start of the season. He was recalled in April.

18. He has been with Atletico- via the youth teams-since the age of 11.

19. Atletico have missed out on European competition for the past coupe of seasons. Qualification for the UEFA cup in the next few weeks could be critical to the player’s future plans.

20. Torres wears the number nine shirt and has a personal fan club know as the ‘F9T’.

4546: Argentina Clausura weekly revi

by : Cody Strunk

It’s as you were at the top of the Argentinean Primera, with the three top teams all securing narrow wins in round 15. Table-topping San Lorenzo left it late to secure the points at Newell’s Old Boys, with defender Sebastian Mendez scoring in the 83rd minute to keep Ramon Diaz’s team clear at the top.

Boca Juniors kept in touch with a 2:1 victory away to the hapless Quilmes, with both their goals coming within five first-half minutes through Jesus Datolo and Rodrigo Palacio. Diego Torres pulled one back for Quilmes on the stroke of half-time, but they were unable to build on that in the second period and are now all but relegated as a consequence.

Probably the most impressive result of the weekend was that of Estudiantes. The defending champions kept in touch with the leaders courtesy of a headed goal three minutes into injury-time from substitute Ezequiel Maggiolo. The win keeps Diego Simeone’s men within three-points of the leaders and all but ended the already slim title hopes of River Plate, for whom Ariel Ortega was sent-off just after the break. River Plate coach Daniel Passarella will be under considerable pressure after what has been a desperately poor season buy the club’s high standards.

Arsenal de Sarandi actually moved above River Plate on goal difference after their 2:2 draw at home to Banfield. All the goals came in the first-half, with the home side twice battling back from a goal down to move into fourth spot. Cristian Llama scored both goals for Arsenal, after Dario Cvitanich had headed the visitors into the lead in the opening minute of the game and Martin Andrizzi had later reclaimed the advantage for Banfield.

Another team who climbed the table were Lanus, 3:0 winners over Colon. Mauricio Romero headed the home side into the lead on five minutes and late goals from Marcos Aguirre and Diego Valeri made sure of the points.

The spoils were shared in El Clasico De Avellaneda, where a goal on six-minutes from ex-Fulham striker Facundo Sava gave Racing Club an early advantage. It was cancelled out on 31-minutes by Guillermo Rodriguez for Independiente. Racing Club defender Diego Crosa was red-carded in injury-time - too late to have any bearing on the result.

Elsewhere there were no fewer than four goalless matches, with Argentinos Juniors v Rosario Central; Gimnasia Jujuy v Belgrano; Nueva Chicago v Godoy Cruz and Velez Sarsfield v Gimnasia La Plata all ending 0:0.

4540: Birmingham City- Season Review

by : Hugh Larkin

As the Duke of Wellington once said of another kind of contest- ‘it was a damned close run thing’ -but Birmingham City accomplished their primary task by regaining a Premiership place at the first attempt.

The Board’s faith in Steve Bruce has been vindicated and the manager achieved it by regaining his touch in the transfer market. 19 players left St Andrew’s as last season’s under-performers were shipped out and in their place came a blend of youth and gnarled experience.

Rahdi Jahdi and Bruno N’Gotty offered the experience,, Bruce brought in these two Bolton veterans on frees and got what he expected- solid, no nonsense defending from a pair of cool heads.

He then pulled off a masterful coup by persuading Arsene Wenger to loan him three of his young starlets for the whole campaign. Nicholas Bendtner, Sebastian Larsson and Fabrice Muamba all made a big contribution.

Finally, he went to Coventry City and boldly splashed £4 million on Gary McSheffrey, a player many Premiership clubs had eyed up. Bruce had to spend big to prise him away from the Ricoh Arena but his judgement proved correct because the player gave the team real fizz from behind the strikers and wide areas.

The Blues began the season in good style but there were to be two periods of desperate worry for everyone connected with the club. The first came in the autumn when the team took just one point from a possible twelve and were defeated by the likes of Leeds United and Luton Town- two of the eventually relegated sides.

If there was a time when the Board could have jettisoned Steve Bruce that was it, because a new man would have had two thirds of the season left and the chance to spend in the transfer window. There was a great deal of disquiet among the fans at the time.

Happily, the team blasted out of their slump with a series of top performances which included crucial wins at Derby (a result that turned out to be just about the most important of all), and Coventry, plus a home win over local rivals West Bromwich Albion.

Around the same time they beat Sheffield United in the Carling Cup and later they stunned Newcastle in an FA Cup replay at St James Park. Liverpool put them out of the Carling Cup but only by a single goal- a real confidence booster after the seven goal mauling they received last year.

After the September/October blip the Blues stayed with the leading pack throughout the winter but no side was able to pull away. By Easter a group of about 8 or 9 sides were all still in the promotion hunt. Bruce’s side approached Easter with three 1-0 victories in a row, including another three points off Derby.

Then came the second crisis of the campaign- single goal defeats within 3 days to Burnley and Barnsley. At that point, the Blues were in serious danger of missing out on automatic promotion in a three horse race with Derby and resurgent Sunderland.

There was a magnificent response. Four wins on the bounce, including three play off candidates- Wolves, Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday. The win over the latter meant they had promotion in the bag before the last day trip to Preston. Derby were pipped by two points thanks to the six points the Blues took off them.

There was a slight anti-climax when Preston’s win gave the title to Sunderland but overall there was a sense of relief that the job had been done without recourse to the play off lottery.

The building for next season had already begun with the signing of Rowan Vine from Luton in January and bringing Larsson and Muamba on to the staff permanently. There was no chance of prising the impressive Bendtner away from the Emirates but two out of three was excellent business.

Last time Bruce brought Birmingham up he created an organised, tough to beat side that survived comfortably. Problems only started when the club tried to kick on towards Europe and many of the new players didn’t gel or performed poorly.

It remains to be seen how ambitious Birmingham intend to be but 2007/08 is likely to be one of consolidation and the manager’s record suggests that he should be able to achieve that aim.

4544: League One Play-off Preview: Y

by : Antony Melvin

Yeovil vs Blackpool is something of an old versus new money clash; with the famous old Blackpool club favourites to give their former captain Jimmy Armfield a boost. Armfield announced on BBC Radio Lancashire that he was being treated for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this month.

Both sides have some players with niggling injuries, but given the prize of Championship football there is little doubt that both sides will be at full strength.

Blackpool are a team in fine form and come into this final on the back of nine consecutive wins; including home and away wins against Oldham Athletic in the semi-finals. The basis of these wins is not that Blackpool have a couple of top strikers – but that goals run through the team.

The five goals against Oldham were all from different players – Southern, Morrell, Parker, Barker and Hoolahan (which does sound a bit like the Trumpton theme song) – and since losing at Rotherham on 27 March eight Blackpool players have shared 26 goals between them in the nine match winning run.

The figures are slightly skewed by the four goals that Andrew Morrell got in the 6-3 win at Swansea that completed the regular season. Keigan Parker has scored in three of the last four games (getting four goals) and yet is considered to be second favourite to score today behind Morrell who has scored in two out of the last seven games (admittedly bagging five goals).

Top recent Blackpool goalscorers
Morrell 6
Parker 5
Hoolahan 4
Williams 3
Southern, Barker, Jorgensen, Brandon 2
Og 1

The Huish Park outfit from Yeovil are in the final courtesy of a thrilling extra time defeat of Nottingham Forest in the semi-final. 2-0 down after the first leg, almost no-one felt that Yeovil would travel to Nottingham and win by three clear goals. And at 1-1 with eight minutes to go the faithful were sorely tested.

But a William own goal set up a frenetic finish to the ninety minutes and Marcus Stewart – their totemic forward – scored with a couple of minutes left. Yeovil took their dominance into extra time and went ahead in the tie for the first time through Lee Morris and though Forest hit back, Yeovil’s Welsh number nine, Arron Davies sealed the result with ten minutes left.

Yeovil are very much a mood team – they either win or lose, and haven’t drawn a match since February and tend to lose almost as many as they win. Not a prolific outfit, Yeovil tend to keep things a lot tighter than Blackpool – and rely on the likes of Stewart to nick a goal. No Yeovil player has more than 12 goals this season – and Yeovil have only scored more than two goals twice since 5 January.

I predicted that Bristol Rovers would prevail in the League Two play-offs before they started and that Blackpool would prevail today. And there seems little reason to doubt that prediction today.

My prediction: Blackpool 3 – Yeovil Town 1

4543: England; Beckham Back-Track N

by : Stephen Orford

As if Steve McClaren hasn’t made himself look silly enough over the course of his nine-month reign as England manager.

Defeat in Croatia was capped by the hilarious Gary Neville own goal, and added to by disappointing draws with Macedonia and Israel. McClaren’s England couldn’t even win friendlies, with Spain leaving Old Trafford with a 1-0 victory in February. All of which has left the former Middlesbrough manager with a fair amount of egg across his pasty chops, and left England labouring in their attempts to reach Euro 2008.

And so, presumably to lighten the mood, McClaren has decided to perform the most embarrassing climbdown since inmates at Strangeways Prison finally decided to come down off the roof, including David Beckham in a 26-man England squad for a friendly with Brazil and a Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia.

Beckham has not figured for England since last summer’s World Cup. At the end of the national team’s shambolic attempts to be crowned world champions in Germany, the former Manchester United midfielder stood down as England captain and has not been seen anywhere near a national shirt since.

Bravely, admirably, McClaren insisted that his England could do without the 32-year-old, whose presence around the squad had become something of a media circus at any rate. Sven Goran Eriksson had indulged Beckham’s publicity-courting antics to exhaustive levels, whereas McClaren felt that the baggage surrounding the Beckham brand was too high a price to pay for a player who was undoubtedly in decline.

When Beckham announced his intentions to make a multi-gazillion dollar switch from Real Madrid to the LA Galaxy earlier this year, it seemed that even he considered the idea of a McClaren U-turn a little far-fetched. Yet two or three positive displays with Real Madrid later and the style icon and part time ‘soccer star’ is back in the frame. Not only that, he looks set to start against the Brazilians at Wembley on Friday (June 1) with Aaron Lennon struggling with an injury picked up in England B’s 3-1 win over Albania.

Reading between the lines of McClaren’s comments at the squad announcement it could be that Beckham’s return is short-lived. McClaren would not commit fully to Beckham’s inclusion beyond the Estonia match on June 6, still leaving major doubts as to whether the ex-captain would be able to play a part in the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland should England qualify. With this in mind, one has to ask ‘what is the point?’.

The idea of Beckham as a quick-fix is flawed. The notion that this ageing, one-paced (two if you consider ‘slow’ AND ‘stop’ to be different speeds) show pony is the saviour of England’s troubled Euro campaign is extremely questionable. Even if Beckham could save England, there would be those who feel that that in itself would be a sad indictment on the state of our national game at present. Is it really the case that at the end of a season that has seen our club sides at the sharp end of European competition, our national side needs to go back in time to rescue its ambitions?

And what does Beckham bring to the table in any case? At certain points during the World Cup it seemed that he was on the field merely to deliver set-pieces. Upon his switch to the US the staple joke was that he would fit in well in a country where sports stars are often sent into the fray to perform one specific task, before leaving for a ‘well earned’ gulp on the Gatorade. Beckham’s undoubted prowess at free-kicks is arguably matched by Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and even Owen Hargreaves nowadays, so what exactly is the advantage here?

The Real Madrid man brings experience, but surely the aura that remains around him will serve only to undermine the rest of the squad. In particular, his successor in the captaincy, John Terry might not find it easy to assert his authority in a squad which is still largely used to looking towards Beckham for leadership. McClaren has fought off suggestions that senior England stars were against a Beckham recall, but if this is true he has risked yet more unrest in the camp by bringing back his former Manchester United colleague.

In all likelihood England will beat Estonia whatever the weather. McClaren’s star-studded squad should be too strong for their opponents even if all of Ray Wilkins, Bryan Robson and Sir Bobby Charlton are brought back into the fold. Yet it remains to be seen whether McClaren has damaged his own authority in changing his mind about Beckham, even his return to the national scene does not last beyond the month of June.

By Stephen Orford

26 May 2007

4541: Middlesbrough – Striker Crisis

by : Cody Strunk

After a reasonably satisfactory first season at the helm, Middlesbrough will be expecting some improvement on their 12th place finish under Gareth Southgate next term, with Steve Gibson having already assured Southgate that he will be given all the money from season ticket sales to bolster his squad.

That’s a typical gesture from the chairman, but where Gibson’s generosity once made Boro major players in the transfer market, the influx of money from TV and foreign investors has levelled the playing field somewhat, making it increasingly difficult for them to attract the best players.

The signing of Jonathan Woodgate on a permanent basis was a very positive starting point, not only securing the services of one of the country’s best defenders but also as a statement of intent that should help with the recruitment of other players.

Even so, Southgate’s plans for the summer will have to be largely put on hold until doubts surrounding the future of his first-choice strikers – Mark Viduka and Aiyegbeni Yakubu - are settled one way or another. The out-of-contract Viduka would appear to be waiting for offers from elsewhere before deciding whether or not to commit to Boro, while Yakubu seems to be angling for a move away. The loss of either would be a significant blow, but to lose both would present Southgate with a major headache, particularly with Malcolm Christie and Danny Graham having already been released.

Two forwards long linked with a move to the Riverside Stadium are Arsenal’s Jeremie Aliadiere and West Bromwich Albion’s Diomansy Kamara. Any hope of getting the latter (or his team mate, Zoltan Gera) would appear to largely rest on the Baggies failing to secure a return to the Premiership in the play-off final against Derby County. The name currently in vogue is Rolando Bianchi. The 24-year-old has had a very productive season leading the line for Reggina in Serie A, with 18 league goals in a team that is battling against the drop but, with Juventus also said to be interested, Boro already appear to face tough competition for his signature.

The midfield is also a definite area that needs strengthening, with Reading's Seol Ki-Hyeon recently linked as a possible answer for Boro on the right-flank. In central midfield they have already missed out on two potential targets in Scott Brown and Steve Sidwell. Joey Barton is another who might fit the bill, although he come with so much baggage that he is probably deemed too risky a signing under the circumstances.

A new right-back is another priority, with Aberdeen’s Russell Anderson and Borussia Dortmund’s Philipp Degen being the two names supposedly in the frame. The Swiss international’s twin brother, David, has also been linked with a move from Borussia Moenchengladbach. The midfielder recently impressed while on trial with Celtic, but Southgate could apparently be tempted to bid for both the 24-year-olds. Southgate has also been linked with a bid for South African national team goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez, even though the Kaizer Chiefs player was apparently set for a move to Arminia Bielefeld.

Until Viduka makes up his mind, the majority of Southgate’s plans will have to be put on hold.

4539: Champions League Final: Benite

by : Kieran McHugh

History, we are told, is written by the winners. It is said that in the immediate aftermath of the 2005 Champions League victory in Istanbul, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez berated his men, even after their remarkable comeback, for their mistakes in a dreadful first half display. AC Milan on that night were scorned as chokers, bottlers and worse. Little mention was made, in England at least, of how they had comprehensively outplayed Liverpool for most of the match. Milan manager Carlo Ancelloti was pilloried in the Italian press and thought certain to lose his job in the wake of the defeat.

Having overcome Liverpool in this year Champions League final on Wednesday, (May 23rd), this time the knives are out for Benitez. Many observers are claiming that a lack of tactical flexibility subdued a Liverpool side that enjoyed a weight of possession without threatening to score from open play. Whilst this has a modicum of truth, to hear it from pundits who are usually only too happy to trot out possession statistics when they support their own pet theory and not ask the same questions of Milan smacks of double standards.

The truth of the final is that Benitez and Liverpool were the better side overall. Not to the same extent as Milan were the better side in Istanbul, but then that’s not the issue. In the first half in Athens that dominance was far more pronounced than in a second where Liverpool perhaps could have gambled more or gambled earlier.

In dispensing tactical wisdom from the lofty viewpoint of hindsight though it’s important to remember that the managers are not afforded that luxury. If Benitez needs to question his performance on Wednesday night, it should have nothing to do with how his side was set up from the kick off.

In attempting to stifle Milan’s creative midfield players Benitez surprised no one. However, Liverpool’s ability to harry and harass allowed them far more time in the Italians half than was supposed. That they produced little from the possession they did gain high up the pitch was more to do with wastefulness from individual players than it was to do with a lack of a cohesive attacking strategy.

In point of fact after half an hour Liverpool’s attacking intent was pretty clear and appeared to have every chance of working. Get the ball, get it wide and get Kuyt and Gerrard attacking crosses. Parts 1 and 2 of this 3 point plan worked well enough. Where Liverpool came up short was in the quality of crosses, from Pennant and Zenden, and the willingness to get more men forward.

Having said that the inherent beauty in a game of football is the balance between defence and attack. Getting more men forward would leave Liverpool exposed to a counter attack. Not something Benitez was willing to risk in the first half a Champions League final. Had he done so and been caught out, no doubt the complainants would be shaking their heads about that too.

History though is just that. Milan got a break and capitalised on it. The award of a free kick on the edge of the box just before half time was 50/50, but we all know referees give them on occasion and wave play on at other times. Whilst the kick was well struck, it goes beyond the realm of sanity to claim the deflection off Inzaghi that took it into the net was anything other than fortunate. The goal galvanised Milan for the second half in which they improved and Liverpool struggled to impose themselves and was an obvious turning point.

Benitez may well have been guilty of prevarication in the second half and for that maybe he needs to look within himself to ask if he could have done more to force Liverpool to play further forward. This does suppose that Milan would have let them and that Benitez had the resources at hand to effect any change he saw fit to make. The second goal was well crafted and finished, worthy of the final. Liverpool, caught halfway between a need to guard against conceding a second and an increasingly urgent requirement for an equaliser, got the equation wrong and were punished.

Milan were worthy winners on the night. Luck played its part in the first goal and the tactics proved only the same thing that they proved in Istanbul in 2005. That a manager can get the strategy more or less spot on and still come out second best. Whilst those lining up to offer Benitez advice on how to send out his side will feel they are justified in their outrage, the man who should be looking at his side’s performance, Carlo Ancelotti, is receiving the plaudits he deserved 2 years ago in Istanbul.

4542: 20 Handy Facts About Samuel Et

by : Hugh Larkin

The current Barcelona striker is the man most talked about as the target for Rafa Benitez and his ‘war chest’ provided by Liverpool’s American owners. Other teams (Manchester United for one) have also been in the frame, so who is the man attracting all this attention?

1. Eto’o is a Cameroon international. He has played 60 times for the Indomitable Lions, scoring 20 times.

2. He was African Footballer of the Year three times in a row from 2003-5, a feat no one else has achieved.

3. Eto’o was actually a Real Madrid asset as a youth player but was loaned to Real Mallorca for experience. Mallorca eventually purchased him for £4.4 milion

4. He was hugely popular in Mallorca where he hit 54 goals in 133 games. In his last two seasons there he scored 14 and 17 times. He helped them win the Spanish Cup in 2003.

5. He moved to a bigger stage with Barcelona in 2004 and gave them the cutting edge to take the La Liga title. He hit 24 League goals in his first season after complex negotiations- which still include Real Madrid- took him to the Nou Camp.

6. In 2005/06 he was even better. He banged in 26 League strikes to make him the leading scorer in Spain that season

7. He was in the Barcelona side that beat Arsenal in last year’s Champions League Final and voted the best forward in the competition.

8. In September 2006 he suffered a knee injury that kept him out for 5 months.

9. When he returned to the squad the forward had a huge bust up with Frank Rijkaard. Eto’o was asked to come on as a sub and felt he hadn’t warmed up enough. He refused to come on

10. That brought some strong words from team mate Ronaldinho and there were damaging allegations that the club was spilt into two camps- those connected strongly with sponsors Nike and those not.

11. The player was just 15 when he made his international debut against Costa Rica.

12. With Cameroon he has won two African Nations Cups and an Olympic Gold medal in 2000.

13. In 2006 he missed a penalty in a quarter-final shootout with Ivory Coast and Cameroon went out of the African Nations Cup

14. At Barcelona he has played with success both as a central striker and as an attacker coming from wide positions.

15. He has been known for some volatile incidents,-in particular one with a reporter during his time at Mallorca

16. Eto’o has been an outspoken opponent of racist behaviour among Spanish fans. He went so far as to threaten to leave the field in a match against Zaragoza.

17. He has twice been voted into the FIFA World Pro XI and came third in World Footballer of the Year voting in 2005.

18. He has two brothers who also play professionally.

19. Premiership coaches would value Eto’o’s work rate. He tracks back regularly and has been shifted to wide midfield positions if the situation demands it.

20. Eto’o was only 17 when he went to the 1998 World Cup in France. He has since played in the 2002 tournament as well but Cameroon failed to reach Germany 2006.

4538: Liverpool shouldn't rip it up

by : Antony Melvin

In the aftermath of the Athens anti-climax there have been some excited pundits suggesting that Liverpool should clear out their 'underperforming' team. This is extremely harsh considering that although Liverpool were ordinary domestically, they really should have won the European Cup on Wednesday; they bossed possession and were undone by a flukish goal.

As an example of overkill the Guardian today suggests that sixteen players are 'on their way out' or 'open to offers'; Fowler, Gonzalez, Zenden, Dudek, Padelli, Cisse, Guthrie, Le Tallec, Bellamy, Carson, Hyypia, Crouch, Pennant, Riise, Kewell and Arbeloa.

Whilst the loss of four or five fringe players wouldn't matter - selling the likes of Crouch, Pennant, Carson or Kewell would appear to be counter-productive. And would also call into question Rafa Benitez's transfer record.

The new American owners have already commissioned a report from Deloitte & Touche on the transfer policy of Rafa Benitez and it is probably headlined 'obsessed with buying reserves'. One valid criticism of Rafa Benitez is that he almost refuses to bring through reserves and youth players that he has not purchased. As a result he has spent £80m on players (he has recouped half of this) none of whom could be validly called world class. Whether this was symptomatic of his relationship with Steve Heighway or not it has not always helped. Only Chelsea can afford to buy in every player these days - Manchester United and Arsenal are peppered with players who have come through the youth system. Even if a youth team is generally poor (Liverpool's isn't - it has just retained the FA Youth Cup) there is always a gem or two; so why wasn't Stephen Warnock given an extended run, for example?

Now, though, Benitez seems converted to the idea that success needs to be bought, and quickly. In acknowledging that Liverpool need to buy in some finished articles, hopefully he will stop fiddling about with £6m - £12m signings who pad out the squad, but don't add much to the first team.

Running through the Liverpool team there really is little need to be dismantling it.

In goal Pepe Reina is a good goalkeeper and Scott Carson should return from loan to push him hard. In defence Agger has been a success this season and alongside Carragher is half of a powerful pairing; Hyypia is a valuable reserve. At fullback Finnan is consistently excellent and although Riise has his critics he is a decent defender and offers a goal threat. In midfield Mascherano is looking superb and alongside Alonso (despite the Spaniard's 'dip' season) he would offer a brilliant base for the team.

That settled back seven leaves only four places up for grabs - and obviously Steven Gerrard fills one of them, and there should be room for the hardworking Dirk Kuyt - possibly slightly withdrawn behind a star striker. If Harry Kewell does return to full fitness he has the ability to play for any team in the world. Which makes ten.

With all the £6m - £14m signings that are available in reserve (Bellamy, Crouch, Garcia, Pennant, Cisse) there can be real focus on the big one. Benitez needs to buy a striker that pushes Liverpool on - rather than covers for injury. A goalscorer, a team man and a winner all rolled into one.

For me Benitez needs to spend whatever it takes on the best striker in the world; and for me if you want to buy one striker it would be Samuel Eto'o. Stick £50m on the table, buy the man and win the title.

My Liverpool XI for 2007/8

Reina
Finnan, Agger, Carragher, Riise
Alonso, Mascherano
Gerrard, Kuyt, Kewell
Eto'o

It will take nerve from Benitez to sanction such a deal because if it goes badly wrong then the interminal Liverpool wait for domestic supremacy will start to weigh heavily. No manager of the 'big four' can reasonably expect to be given more than five seasons to mould a title winning team - and next season is Benitez's fourth.

The Athens come-down has been heavy - but Liverpool can win the league by adding to their solid base; now is not the time to rip it up and start again.

4537: League One Play Off Final Prev

by : Hugh Larkin

The meeting of Yeovil Town and Blackpool mirrors some of the key changes in English soccer in recent years. The Somerset side are carrying the flag for the sides newly promoted from the Conference, while Blackpool are a team trying to restore their traditional fortunes backed by Easter European investment.

The Glovers are attempting to break new ground; since automatic promotion from the Conference began in 1987 none of the teams that came up have been able to break into the second tier of the Football League.

If any club were going to be the first, Yeovil have always seemed the most likely. From their Conference days it was clear that the Somerset club had an eye on more than just making up the numbers in the League. They made great strides under Gary Johnson- a manager highly thought of at international level for his work with Latvia.

For Blackpool this is a golden chance to return to a level they last graced in 1978. There’s optimism around Bloomfield Road again as the ground is being re-developed and the club is prospering with a £ 5 million cash injection from Latvian Valery Belokon.

The club are at pains to points out that the businessman does not own the club in the manner of Messrs Abramavich and Romanov but its has clearly been a boost to the club and the confidence of everyone associated with the Seasiders.

The records of the two sides over the League season show a marked contrast. Blackpool were free scoring, banging home 76 League goals, a total even champions Scunthorpe United couldn’t beat. Yeovil could only convert 55 and were especially goal shy at home.

Defensively though, the Glovers had a clear edge, conceding only 39 times to the Seasiders 49. The end result was that Blackpool finished just outside the automatic spots by two points while Yeovil were back in 5th.

Both teams are going to come into the big game on something of a high. Blackpool were able to win both legs of their play off with fellow Lancastrians Oldham, for a comfortable 5-2 aggregate passage.

Yeovil produced their performance of the campaign to put out Nottingham Forest after being badly beaten 2-0 at Huish Park. Russell Slade’s squad then contrived to produce an astonishing 5-2 victory at the City Ground, grabbing the win in extra time.

Blackpool had the edge in the League meetings. After a 1-1 result at Bloomfield Road they won by a single goal in Somerset scored by Andy Morrell. The striker has been a free scorer in the lower divisions for several seasons and he contributed 16 League strikes. Colleagues Keegan Parker and Scott Vernon also posted double figures in the campaign.

Yeovil benefited from Leon Best’s goals during a loan spell from Southampton and with the forward now returned to his parent club a lot of the responsibility falls on Wayne Gray who netted 11 times. That canny performer Marcus Stewart also brings his great experience to the mix and Welshman Arron Davies came good with a pair in the Forest rout.

Play off Finals are usually attractive affairs but the Glovers best chance could be in keeping things tight and counter-attacking. The fitness of long serving defender Terry Skiverton could be crucial; the ex-Chelsea trainee is a link back to the Conference days and a real leader at the club but a groin problem kept him out of the Forest matches.

Blackpool also boast experience at the back with Ian Evatt- once a Premiership player with Derby County- and keeper Paul Rachubka, once of Manchester United and now on loan from Huddersfield.

Just to show how international English football is these days, Blackpool may have a Faroese international (Claus Jorgensen) opposing a DR Congo opponent in Yeovil’s line up (Jean-Paul Kalala).

Blackpool have to go in as favourites because they completed the League season in blistering form winning all of their last seven- a run now extended to nine after the two defeats of Oldham. Yeovil also finished well but not in the same rich vein as the Seasiders.

There’s no doubt that Yeovil are well organised, professional and a team backed by massively enthusiastic support. They are well capable of winning a one off game but the money has to go on Blackpool for their firepower and confidence. It should be a cracking contest but Yeovil may have to wait a year longer to break new ground.

4536: Premiership clubs continue the

by : Alex Wolstenholme

The popularity of the English game in Asia and the increasing importance of the Far East to the finances of Premiership clubs shows no signs of abating as a quartet of teams prepare for pre-season tours to the region.

Manchester United will play games in Japan, Macau and South Korea although a fourth fixture in Malaysia has been scrapped (although it may yet be back on with a different date) as it clashes with the Asian Cup tournament (the equivalent of the European Championships) being jointly hosted by the Malaysians.

Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam said of the planned tour: "It is disrespectful to us and shows no solidarity within the football world.

"Asia is giving them (United) so much money during the Premier League season, but this one month every four years they cannot afford to play?

"'Cancel your tour'. That is the message from all the teams, coaches and players in Asia."

Not from the fans though, many of whom reacted angrily to the news that United may not play in Malaysia.

Liverpool too are on their travels as they take part in the Barclays-sponsored Asia Trophy in Hong Kong alongside Fulham and Portsmouth while Reading will look to emulate Tottenham and win the Peace Cup trophy in South Korea.

Tottenham are strengthening their links in the Far East by adding Mandarin script next to the logo of the shirt sponsors on their away and third kits next season while Fulham are reportedly negotiating a sponsorship deal with Korean firm LG that will see at least one player from that country at Craven Cottage.

Indeed the club's proposed signing of Lee-Chun soo on loan is thought to be connected with this deal, something the player has denied.

Everton and Sheffield United have also both had Chinese companies as their shirt sponsors in recent seasons and a number of clubs either have or are in the process of having their official club websites tailored to different countries and languages.

Although Manchester United and Liverpool lead the way in terms of popularity overseas, the money coming in from Asia is now forming a significant part of the revenue received by all Premiership clubs.

The latest deal for overseas television rights to Premiership action is worth £625m, nearly double the previous deal and around a quarter of the league's total revenue from media rights for the next three seasons.

The majority of the money for the new deal has come from the Middle East and Asia and therefore the sponsors and fans in those countries need to be kept onside. What was perhaps a one-way relationship before whereby the clubs sat back and counted the cash is now progressing much more towards a give and take relationship.

That will mean more pre-season trips abroad in future whether or not these really are the best way to prepare for a new season and potentially more and more new signings from countries such as Japan, China and South Korea as clubs see the spin-off benefits that come from having the likes of Seol Ki-Hyeon or Sun Jihai on your books.

Although Reading snapped up Seol for footballing reasons only, his presence in the Royals' squad has had a big influence on their being invited to the Peace Cup tournament.

Perhaps the biggest surprise to date is that amid the rash of foreign takeovers of English clubs none have fallen into the hands of Asian businessmen or consortia although that could change shortly.

Former Thai prime minister Thakshin Shinawatra was linked with Liverpool and is now interested in Manchester City with a formal bid likely to be made shortly.

4535: Newcastle United; Season Revi

by : Stephen Orford

European Cup Final 2007

AC Milan: Recent Champions League History Liverpool: Recent Champions League History Champions League Final 2007: How will it all end? Champions League Final 2007: Will Milan win the first-half again? Champions League Final 2007: Can Gerrard enhance his Sports Personality chances? Champions League Final 2007: £20m to be wagered on Liverpool v Milan Card count likely to mount in Athens Champions League Final – It’ll Be So Tight On The Night Champions League Final - money piles on Milan victory Champions League Final 2007: Kaka Specials AC Milan vs Liverpool: Spreads, cramp, Kaka and KuytIt’s been another frustrating season for Newcastle United.

A few short years ago the club were competing in the Champions League, but a 13th placed finish in the Premiership in 2006/07 represents another desperately disappointing return.

And yet it was always going to be thus. The permanent appointment of Glenn Roeder as manager at the end of the previous campaign always had the distinct and stale whiff of desperation about it. Having sacked Graeme Souness from the post in February 2006, chairman Freddy Shepherd lurched from one clueless panic measure to another. He pleaded with the FA to allow special dispensation for the appointment of the under-qualified Roeder, an act that now seems almost as pointless as the Millennium Dome.

The persuading factor in Shepherd’s ill-advised decision was the form of the team post-Souness. In the remaining months of the 2005/06 season following the Scot’s dismissal, Newcastle’s form picked up noticeably. They rose to seventh in the Premiership, securing an opportunity to qualify for the UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup.

Initially things looked promising for Roeder as he guided the team through July’s Intertoto minefield. A place in the UEFA Cup was theirs, and hopes were high that the improvement in the league could continue. An opening day win over Wigan Athletic heightened the optimism, but defeat at Aston Villa eight days later brought everyone back down to Earth.

From then on the side have been a model of inconsistency, with almost half of their 38 league fixtures ending in defeat. Five teams managed to win at St.James’ Park including relegated Sheffield United, toothless Manchester City and the fair-to-middling Blackburn Rovers, yet interestingly none of the top four managed to leave Newcastle with all three points.

If the home form was perplexing, the away form was little short of abject. Twelve defeats from 19 road trips is the most suffered by any side outside the relegation zone, an undistinguished record shared by West Ham United. Wins at Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United showed what could be done on their travels, but Newcastle still have one of the poorest away records in the division.

And so to the cups, as Newcastle looked to end a miserable 38-year run without a meaningful trophy (no, the Intertoto Cup doesn’t count). The 5-1 FA Cup defeat at home to Birmingham City (at that point still fighting to get out of the Championship) was undoubtedly the worst single performance of the season by the Magpies. What hurt even more was that the club were therefore knocked out of the competition in the third round, seeing yet another opportunity for silverware slip by so early on in the season.

The Carling Cup offered a little more success as Portsmouth were beaten 3-0 at St.James’ Park, before a penalty shoot-out was needed to dispose of Watford after a 2-2 draw. That set up a quarter final tie with Premiership champions Chelsea, where Roeder’s men were far from disgraced in losing to Didier Drogba’s late goal. By this time, hopes were high in the UEFA Cup, and it was their fate in that competition which arguably played the biggest role in Roeder’s eventual exit from the hot-seat before season’s end.

Four-one up at half-time against the well respected Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their last 16 tie at St.James’ Park, Newcastle crucially allowed a second away goal late in the match. It was to prove their undoing, as a tactically paralysed Roeder could not find the answers to the flowing football of Louis Van Gaal’s silky side. A 2-0 win in Holland saw Alkmaar through to a quarter-final tie with Werder Bremen. They lost, but as they did so they left Roeder and company, not to mention the fans wondering what might have been.

It came as no surprise to learn of Roeder’s departure from Tyneside just a few weeks before the end of the season. Nor was it any coincidence that Roeder’s apparent resignation came just a few days after Sam Allardyce performed a similar disappearance from the Bolton Wanderers job. It now falls on Allardyce to revive the flagging fortunes of Newcastle, that after his appointment as manager on a three-year contract earlier this month.

The 52-year-old has wasted no time in making big decisions. He has already culled five players from the squad, with all of Titus Bramble, Olivier Bernard, Craig Moore and Pavel Srnicek shown the door aswell US international loanee Oguchi Onyewu. Allarydce may or may not be the answer to Newcastle’s prayers but he is unlikely to stand idle while the club drifts along aimlessly. If the former England managerial candidate fails, rest assured it will not be for the want of effort.

As I write there is good and bad news for Allardyce as he continues his rebuilding work. Republic of Ireland international winger Damien Duff seems just the type of player to fit into an Allardyce-type system, but it has been revealed that the former Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea star will not figure in the first team for five to six months after undergoing foot surgery. Tempering that disappointment is the prospect of some badly needed investment in the club, with retail magnate Mike Ashley rumoured to be offering a £133million buy-out of the club.

Whether that kind of investment will be enough to keep Michael Owen on Tyneside is another question, as the England striker continues to be the subject of speculation over his future. Arsenal are the latest club to be linked with the ex-Liverpool striker, and it is for Allardyce to decide whether cashing in on Owen would be in the best interests of the team overall.

Despite another season of despair, Toon fans will once again be looking forward to August with optimism.

By Stephen Orford

23 May 2007

4534: Champions League Final Preview

by : Stephen Orford

European Cup Final 2007

AC Milan: Recent Champions League History Liverpool: Recent Champions League History Champions League Final 2007: How will it all end? Champions League Final 2007: Will Milan win the first-half again? Champions League Final 2007: Can Gerrard enhance his Sports Personality chances? Champions League Final 2007: £20m to be wagered on Liverpool v Milan Card count likely to mount in Athens Champions League Final – It’ll Be So Tight On The Night Champions League Final - money piles on Milan victory Champions League Final 2007: Kaka Specials AC Milan vs Liverpool: Spreads, cramp, Kaka and KuytIt’s the rematch that nobody thought possible when Liverpool take on AC Milan in the Champions League final in Athens on Wednesday (May 23).

The two sides famously clashed in the final two years ago in Istanbul, in one of the most remarkable games of football ever seen. Three down at half-time, Liverpool roared back with three goals in six dizzying second half minutes, before going on to win the trophy for the fifth time following a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Few expect a repeat of the breathless events of that night, but most are predicting that this year’s final will be just as closely fought. Victory for Liverpool will take them level with Milan on six European Cup victories, while a seventh for Milan would cement their place as the second most successful side in the competition after Real Madrid.

Many observers (including this one) are foolhardy enough to try to predict Rafa Benitez’s starting 11, and the consensus seems to suggest that the Spaniard will go in with a 4-4-1-1 formation. That will involve Steven Gerrard playing in behind a lone striker, while midfield terriers (no pun intended Jose) Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso form the shield in front of the back four. Early indications suggest that Jermaine Pennant will occupy a role on the right of midfield to allow Gerrard to push further forward when Liverpool are in possession.

Bolo Zenden is favourite to start on the left, that is if he can prove his fitness in time. There has been a doubt over the Dutchman all week after he sustained an ankle injury. Should he fail to make it, there are those who believe that Harry Kewell will get the chance to put his nightmare cameo in Istanbul behind him. The Australian lasted less than half an hour of the final two years ago after being included as a surprise selection by Benitez. Kewell was booed off by certain sections of the fans who were not altogether convinced about the legitimacy of his injury, and the introduction of Didi Hamann changed the game.

Dirk Kuyt is most people’s favourite to occupy the lone striking role, but Craig Bellamy and Peter Crouch offer a variety of options to Benitez also. The more sentimental Reds will be praying that Robbie Fowler can earn at least a place on the bench, and possibly come up with another important goal in a European final. Fowler netted in the 5-4 UEFA Cup final triumph over Alavez in 2001, and has the most big game experience of any of the Liverpool strikers.

The main issue for Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti appears to be up front, where Alberto Gilardino and Filippo Inzaghi vie for the lone strikers role. Milan’s strength is in midfield, where Brazilian genius Kaka is ably supported by Clarence Seedorf. Italian World Cup winners Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso will be key in that area also, with the latter looking to ruffle a few feathers to allow the former to stamp his authority on the match. Pirlo has an impressive range of passing, and Liverpool will need to focus on stopping him every bit as much as they will on curtailing the impact of Kaka.

Paolo Maldini will play in a record eighth Champions League or Champions Cup final, that after passing a late check on his troublesome knee. He is likely to feature at centre-back alongside the equally nerveless Allesandro Nesta. The veteran pair may be getting on in years and lack the pace of days gone by, but they have all the experience in the world and a vice-like grasp on the tactical nuances of the game. Look for Bellamy to be introduced late on in the proceedings as Benitez tries to use the Welshman’s pace to exploit the fading athleticism of Maldini and Nesta. In the full-back areas Massimo Oddo and Marek Jankulovski are solid but not exceptional, offering some incentive for Pennant in particular.

The Istanbul final was the only previous occasion that these two sides have met in European competition, surprising given the number of honours won by each side over the years. Seven of the Milan line-up that night are in line to start in Athens, while ageing Brazilian full-back Cafu is still with the club and could yet feature. For Liverpool, only Steve Finnan, Jamie Carragher, John Arne Riise, Alonso and Gerrard look set to survive from the starting line-up of 2005. Kewell and Sami Hyypia remain in contention, while shoot-out hero Jerzy Dudek could earn a place on the bench.

Predicting the outcome is even more challenging than predicting the names on Benitez’s teamsheet. The key for Liverpool lies in preventing Kaka from playing an instrumental role in proceedings, and in Gerrard’s ability to offer potent support to the attack. Much has been written about a potential midfield battle between Gerrard and Gattuso, but it seems that wherever you look on the pitch there are individual battles which could be pivotal.

Staying optimistic, Benitez’s tactical awareness and his ability to instil an almost ludicrous level of self-belief in his players could lead to yet another glorious night in the history of Liverpool Football Club.

Note: Despite being named as the home team for the final, Milan have chosen to wear their white away strip, leaving Liverpool to don the familiar red shirts.

Verdict; AC Milan 1 Liverpool 2

By Stephen Orford

23 May 2007

4533: Champions League Final: Key Ba

by : Kieran McHugh

As with so many games at the highest level the midfield battleground is likely to determine the outcome of this seasons Champions League. If Milan prevail they confirm their position as second only to Madrid in the premier club competition in the world. A Liverpool victory would see them pull further away from Bayern Munich and Ajax (4 wins each) and draw level with the Italian giants on 6 wins.

The ghosts of Istanbul will be much in evidence in Athens which may have lead many to identify a battle between Milan’s Gattuso and Liverpool’s Gerrard as being potentially decisive. Whilst it’s probable that one or other of the two midfield dynamos will have an impact on the match, with Gerrard possibly deployed on the right of midfield, direct clashes between the two may not be much in evidence.

However, with Benitez revelling in his ability to pull off surprises in big matches, rumours are spreading that Gerrard will in fact start in a withdrawn striking role, behind Dirk Kuyt and able to take up a position in midfield when Liverpool are not in possession. This “free role” would suit Gerrard’s roving style and thirst to be in the heat of the battle. It would also make it much more likely that Gerrard and Gattuso are in direct confrontation more often.

However, a more likely pointer to the result may be the manner in which Liverpool choose to deal with the threat of Kaka. Devastating in both matches against Manchester United in the semi final, Kaka’s ability on the ball, whether carrying it from deep or getting on the end of through passes, will be the key to the way Liverpool set up their midfield.

If Benitez is happy to let Kaka wander and be picked up by whichever of Mascherano or Alonso is better placed there is the distinct possibility that he could do again what he managed in the first half of the 2005 final in Istanbul. However, once shackled by the constant attention of Didi Hamman, Kaka’s influence in the second half of that match waned. This decision, whether to man mark Kaka or not, may well be the only decision Benitez needs to get right or wrong.

The Spaniard is famed for his incessant notetaking during matches. These notes have an immediate worth in helping to crystallise his thinking for the match in hand, but are also valuable after the event. Benitez is a canny operator and keeps all these scribbled aide memoires for use when required. If he looks back on those dated May 2005, he will surely add two and two and come up with “man mark Kaka”. If so, the man detailed to do this will be Mascherano.

Whether the Argentine can successfully restrict the Brazilian will be key to Liverpool’s chances of stifling Milan’s attacking verve and launching their own counter attacks. Many have argued that it is more important to cut off the supply lines to Kaka, but with Gattuso and Ambrosini buzzing around midfield and Andrea Pirlo able to pick out a range of passes, it might be far easier for Benitez to address the problem head on and attempt to mark Kaka out of the game.

Milan’s ball retention against United, especially in San Siro, could render any attempt to win the ball high up the pitch fruitless. If Benitez chooses to go after Pirlo Liverpool might find themselves chasing shadows. Adept on the ball and able to withstand a high tempo pressing game from the opposition, Milan could move the ball around midfield and their renowned back four until the Reds are dizzy before looking forward to their frontmen. It might be that Liverpool sit off and allow the Italians a degree of possession in certain areas, holding their line and attempting to find their strikers with one ball over the top.

This brings me to the second key battle. If Dirk Kuyt plays effectively as a lone striker his industry and willingness to chase lost causes will be vital. Whilst he may not prove to be the match winner, he will need to maintain a high workrate in order to keep the Milan back four honest. Chasing down full backs might not be the most glamorous of jobs carried out by strikers, but if Kuyt plays up front on his tod, he’ll need to run himself into the ground.

This might be the hard work that allows Benitez to bring on a pacey substitute, Bellamy perhaps, in the second half if Milan start to look leggy. The longer the game goes on goalless, and I expect a very cagey first half of few chances, the more I fancy Liverpool to win. The goal threats from Milan come mainly from their midfield maestro Kaka and their ability to play killer balls from this area to whichever striker Ancelotti goes with.

For Liverpool, they’ll have a job on their hands to win the midfield battle. Kuyt will also have to run his socks off to stop Milan playing easily out of defence. I expect the Dutchman to make way for Crouch late in the game as Benitez attempts first to stop Milan from playing, and then to nick a goal and make off with the trophy.

In another pointless attempt to second guess the Spaniard, the Champions League Final brings a Bonus Benitez Bingo. Having got nowhere in my attempts earlier in the season to pick out Rafa’s starting XI, I have chosen this showpiece event of the European football calendar to have another stab at it.

The back four and Pepe Reina should be a fairly safe bet. The midfield could be an area where Benitez throws in a surprise, possibly going for two banks of four which could see Gerrard on the right. Up front it’s clear that Benitez no longer trusts Bellamy and I think Kuyt discipline and industry will give him the nod.

Reina, Riise, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Pennant, Zenden, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Kuyt.

Prediction: Liverpool 1 AC Milan 0

4531: Squarefootball Zeitgeist: Top

by : Antony Melvin

April ended with Manchester United firm favourites to land the league and Cristiano Ronaldo set to sweep all before him. United's European dreams ended on the first Wednesday in May but Ronaldo was picking up a series of personal awards and was clear by some distance as the most popular person on Squarefootball. Niall Quinn's stewardship of Sunderland yielded first season dividends and he was second in the list. Some new entries in the top ten, with transfer speculation pushing Eidur Gudjohnsen, Andriy Shevchenko, Harry Kewell and El-Hadji Diouf to prominence.

1. (3) Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo regained his top spot after a brief time away. Always near the top of the Zeitgeist, Ronaldo is the most popular person on Squarefootball for the past year.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United

2. (1) Niall Quinn

Quinn has been a real favourite for a few months now. His high profile has been maintained as Sunderland have come through the pack to eventually win the Championship.

Niall Quinn
Sunderland

3. (-) Eidur Gudjohnsen

Eidur Gudjohnsen has been linked with about half of the teams in the top flight - except Chelsea, where he probably would like to return.

Eidur Gudjohnsen
Barcelona

4. (4) Sir Alex Ferguson

Man United all but sealed the title in April and that kept their Manager of the Season very high in the Zeitgeist.

Sir Alex Ferguson
Manchester United

5. (12) Anthony Stokes

Stokes' decision to snub Premiership Charlton for Championship Sunderland now looks like a shrewd move as the two teams passed each other going in opposite directions recently.

Anthony Stokes
Sunderland

6. (-) Andriy Shevchenko

The Ukrainian star has had an in and out season - and in April showed his Chelsea season in micrcosm. Criticised his manager, praised his manager, was linked with moves away, professed he wanted to stay, scored a good goal and got injured.

Andriy Shevchenko
Chelsea

7. (-) El-Hadji Diouf

Transfer speculation abounds regarding Diouf. With Sam Allardyce now at Newcastle the possibility of a move north-east for the African is possible - and there are so many rumours suggesting that he is off somewhere to suggest some credence.

El-Hadji Diouf
Bolton Wanderers

8. (-) Harry Kewell

Ah, the end of the season, cups to be decided, big tournaments reach crucial stages and Harry Kewell recovers from injury.

Harry Kewell
Liverpool

9. (-) Gordon Strachan

Another successful season for the former Aberdeen man in Glasgow; a title success - but the signs are that next season will be altogether tougher.

Gordon Strachan
Celtic

10. (7) Duncan Ferguson

Duncan Ferguson keeps mysteriously appearing in this Zeitgeist - no idea why.

Duncan Ferguson

4532: Preston Prepare For Life After

by : Cody Strunk

11-30

11. (10) Damien Duff 12. (-) Thierry Henry 13. (-) Salif Diao 14. (9) Mateja Kezman 15. (-) Emile Heskey 16. (8) Neil Mellor 17. (-) Paul Robinson 18. (-) Milan Baros 19. (-) Robert Pires 20. (2) Cesc Fabregas 21. (17) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 22. (-) Chris Sutton 23. (-) Quinton Fortune 24. (-) Pascal Cygan 25. (6) Wayne Rooney 26. (-) Ashley Cole 27. (-) Lauren 28. (-) Tomasz Kuszczak 29. (-) Steven Gerrard 30. (-) Mikael Forssell

Bubbling Under

With speculation over Newcastle rife it is unsurprising that the end of April saw a surge of interest in Newcastle people with Obafemi Martins, Glenn Roeder, Scott Parker and Charles N'Zogbia just off the radar. Odd that Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez missed out altogether.

Top names in May 2007

Quinn and Ronaldo look set to fight out the top two places, but a number of stars of the European Cup Final are achieving prominence; Kaka, Bolo Zenden, Rafa Benitez, Harry Kewell, Steven Gerrard and Genarro Gattuso are all riding high.Having missed out on promotion to the Premiership, Preston North End are now bracing themselves for a second disappointment with the departure of star striker David Nugent widely anticipated before the start of next season.

England manager Steve McClaren has advised Nugent that he needs to be playing and scoring in the top-flight if he wants to further his international ambitions. That’s probably true, although more open to doubt is whether McClaren will be in a position to select the England squad for very much longer. Nugent certainly has plenty of admirers, with enough interested parties to suggest that Preston should be able to command a healthy fee for his services. Everton, the club Nugent supported as a boy, appear to be favourites as things stand, but the likes of Sunderland, Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers are also thought to be keen.

There are a number of contenders to replace Nugent, with Malcolm Christie, recently released by Middlesbrough, being mentioned as one possible signing. Christie could be a more than useful addition, although he is likely to command a fairly hefty salary and his career has long been blighted by injury. With Neil Mellor already occupying the treatment table on a near permanent basis, Preston could do without the risk of having another injury-prone forward on the books.

The prolific Scunthorpe United striker Billy Sharp has also featured high on Paul Simpson’s wish list, but with Sheffield Wednesday already having had a reported bid of £1.5 million rejected, it seems unlikely that Preston will be able to compete for his services. It should be remembered that although Nugent is likely to go for somewhere in excess of £6 million, that Bury stand to pocket 20% on any profit above the initial £100,000 fee that Preston paid The Shakers for Nugent thanks to a clause inserted into his contract after he left the club in January 2005.

A bid for Karl Hawley could prove more successful, with the out-of-contract Carlisle United striker having played under Simpson at Brunton Park. Hawley has never played above League One level, but his strike-rate suggests that he could be capable of performing at a higher standard. Oldham Athletic’s Chris Porter is another from League One who might be worth a look although, like Sharp, he will not come particularly cheap. Another option might be to take a Premiership striker on a season-long loan, possibly as part of any deal with the club that eventually secures the signing of Nugent.

Simpson’s squad is probably in need of strengthening in other areas too if another push for the Premiership is to be mounted. The defence looks relatively stable, especially with Youl Mawene due back after a season-long injury absence as a result of medial and cruciate knee ligament damage. Recently released Manchester City left-back Stephen Jordan has been mentioned, although a more pressing need might be at right-back, where the veteran Graham Alexander is beginning to show some signs of decline.

The midfield looks to be in more urgent need of attention. Out-of-contract Sunderland midfielder Tommy Miller could be one option, having had a spell on loan at Deepdale earlier in the season. His ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis would certainly go someway to easing the pressure on the forwards once Nugent leaves. Eddie Lewis has also been linked with a return to the club, following the relegation of Leeds United to League One. Another Elland Road midfielder, former captain Kevin Nicholls, is also said to interesting the Lilywhites.

The manager has already started to prepare for next term, having dismissed his assistant and close friend Dennis Booth for being too “old school” as a coach. He also stated that there was a “bad apple” within his squad, so he is certainly not afraid to ruffle a few feathers. The departure of Nugent will obviously be seen as a blow to Preston but, if Simpson is able to bring in three or four decent players with the proceeds, it might just enable them to finally secure their place in the top-flight.

4530: Everton; Season Review 2006/0

by : Stephen Orford

Everton have had a series of ups and downs under manager David Moyes, but 2006/07 saw them heading in the right direction once more.

The Toffeemen qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing sixth in the Premiership, and will be hoping to make a better fist of it than on their last continental jaunt in the 2005/06 season.

On that occasion, a fourth placed finish in the Premiership had ensured Champions League qualification for the first time under the competition’s current guise. Yet the dream ended early when the Merseysiders were put out at the qualifying stage by eventual semi-finalists Villarreal, before going on to get blown out of the UEFA Cup by Dinamo Bucharest after a staggering 5-1 defeat in Romania.

The Everton class of 2006/07 was made of sterner stuff. Not even lengthy injuries to the talismanic Tim Cahill could stint their progress, and a top six finish was just reward for their efforts over the season. Cahill’s goals had been instrumental in Everton’s success in 2004/05, and it was thought by some that without the Australian the Goodison Park club would struggle to find the net.

While not exactly lighting up the scoreboard on a regular basis, Everton’s return of 52 league goals from their 38 matches is the joint seventh best tally in the division. It is just one less than the figure achieved by Champions League qualifiers Arsenal, while only the revered top four have conceded fewer goals than Moyes’s men. Joleon Lescott has been a leading light in defence since joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer, while Moyes has managed to get the best out of an ageing but committed Alan Stubbs alongside Lescott.

The main reason for the upsurge in goal power has been the capture of Andy Johnson. The England striker joined the club from Crystal Palace in a £6.8million deal which many saw as a gamble. Johnson had earned rave reviews for his performances for Palace in their one season in the Premiership under Iain Dowie two years previously, but had been unspectacular in their subsequent and doomed attempt to bounce back after relegation. Utilised as a lone striker more often than not, Johnson has been a revelation and has offered a genuine and speedy goal threat. His return of 11 league goals may seem modest, but his nuisance value cannot be overstated as it has allowed others to get on the scoresheet also.

Taking over from Cahill in the role of goalscoring midfielder has been Mikel Arteta. The former Rangers midfield man notched nine goals during the last campaign, and also proved a skilful and useful outlet in the middle of the park. The January acquisition of Manuel Fernandes on loan from Benfica proved shrewd also, while Phil Neville was again a model of consistency despite a spectacularly embarrassing own goal in a 4-2 home defeat to Manchester United. Others such as Leon Osman and James McFadden possess no shortage of ability, while youngsters Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan look set to bloom in time for next season.

Having had no European football to distract them in 2006/07, Everton will be disappointed by their performances in the domestic cup competitions. They were thrashed 4-1 at home by Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the FA Cup in January, arguably the team’s worst performance of the season. In the Carling Cup, they could not get past Arsene Wenger’s second string Arsenal side in the fourth round in early November. The match saw McFadden dismissed by Graham Poll for foul and abusive language, before Emmanuel Adebayor popped up with the only goal five minutes from time. Moyes will have more on his plate next term if the side progress in Europe, but will surely look to do better in the cups given that Everton have not won a trophy since 1995.

Season highs include a derby day spanking of Liverpool in September, when Johnson scored twice in a memorable 3-0 win at Goodison Park. Johnson also found the mark when Arsenal came to town in mid-March, a goal that was good enough to earn all three points against the Gunners. Home defeats by Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa will have disappointed Moyes, while no fewer than nine of their away assignments ended in draws. Converting those draws into wins would go a long way to making Everton a challenger for Champions League qualification next term.

So, is a top four finish achievable once more in 2007/08? Moyes will know that he must build on his squad, and keep the nucleus together to drive the club on. He has started by tying midfield stopper Lee Carsley to the club for another year, fending off interest from Wigan Athletic. Anichebe and Vaughan are contracted until 2011, while Allesandro Pistone and Richard Wright have been released. Tim Howard’s move from Manchester United was made permanent well before the newly crowned champions refused permission for the American to play in their pivotal, Neville-inspired Goodison Park victory.

With Cahill hopefully back to his best and injury free, the signs are that Everton can improve during the next campaign. All too often during the reign of Moyes, a good season has been followed by a miserable one, and the Scot needs to achieve consistency over a number of seasons to wipe away any doubts as to whether he is the man to return former glories to the blue half of Merseyside.

He does not have the backing in the transfer market that will be afforded to the top four clubs, but if any club is in a position to break that particular cartel, it could well be Everton.

By Stephen Orford

22 May 2007

4529: Arsenal; Season Review 2006/0

by : Stephen Orford

European Cup Final 2007

AC Milan: Recent Champions League History Liverpool: Recent Champions League History Champions League Final 2007: How will it all end? Champions League Final 2007: Will Milan win the first-half again? Champions League Final 2007: Can Gerrard enhance his Sports Personality chances? Champions League Final 2007: £20m to be wagered on Liverpool v Milan Card count likely to mount in Athens Champions League Final – It’ll Be So Tight On The Night Champions League Final - money piles on Milan victory Champions League Final 2007: Kaka Specials AC Milan vs Liverpool: Spreads, cramp, Kaka and KuytA second consecutive season without silverware has to go down as a failure for Arsenal Football Club.

For all of the constant media talk about a team in transition and the quality of the young talent currently employed at the Emirates Stadium, manager Arsene Wenger is nonetheless under some pressure to deliver tangible success. And soon.

The Gunners never really mounted a title challenge in 2006/07, and were forced to take a back seat as Manchester United wrestled the Premiership trophy away from Chelsea. By season’s end, Wenger’s men were fighting a scarcely relevant battle for third place with Champions League finalists Liverpool. They promptly lost that battle, finishing fourth.

While there is some mitigation in the fact that Arsenal’s is a team full of young, unfinished articles, it is an inescapable fact that they still struggle against the league’s more physical outfits. Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Fulham, Sheffield United and Everton are among the seven sides to inflict defeat on Arsenal in the league this season, while West Ham’s fight against relegation was very much helped by home and away successes against an often soft-centred Arsenal side.

Added to this, home draws against supposedly lesser opposition were a feature of the Gunners’ season. All of Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Everton (those pesky Toffeemen again), Newcastle United and Portsmouth came away from the Emirates Stadium with a point as Arsenal struggled to convert many of the chances that their flowing football created. A home draw with Chelsea towards the end of the season was more damaging to the visitors than it was to Arsenal as it handed the title to United, but the fact remains that too many Premiership clashes at the Emirates Stadium have ended level.

When Arsenal drew PSV Eindhoven in the second round of the Champions League back in February, hopes were high that a genuine challenge for the European title could be mounted. After all, this was a side which had made it all the way to last season’s final without performing spectacularly in domestic football. Yet a 1-0 defeat in Holland in the first leg left Arsenal with it all to do to progress to the quarter-finals, and it was all over for another year when the Emirates hoodoo struck again in the second leg. Despite taking the lead early in the second half the Wenger boys were undone by a late header from Alex, a Brazilian defender on loan from his parent club – Chelsea.

Watching PSV go out with a whimper to Liverpool in the last eight must have been particularly painful for Wenger and his team, who also went out of the two domestic cup finals within a short space of time. The run to the Carling Cup final caught the eye, achieved as it was with the use of mainly fringe players who were tender in years but brimming with talent. The nation watched almost open-mouthed as Wenger’s so-called second string took Liverpool to the cleaners in a Carling Cup quarter-final at Anfield in January. Arsenal won 6-3 that night, and that just three days after the first choice players had won there 3-1 in the FA Cup third round.

It was not only Liverpool who felt the force of Arsenal’s talented reserve players. Tottenham were comprehensively outplayed over two legs of the Carling Cup semi-final, blowing a 2-0 lead in the first to draw 2-2, before watching in awe as the likes of Jeremie Aliadiere, Julio Baptista, Cesc Fabregas and Denilson tore them to shreds in a 3-1 win at the Emirates. The Cardiff final with Chelsea was perhaps a step too far for Wenger’s young side, who after taking the lead through an early Theo Walcott goal (his first for the club), went down 2-1 in a match which ended in some unseemly clawing and slapping.

Only a few days later Arsenal were unexpectedly bounced out of the FA Cup by Blackburn Rovers. A stupefyingly dull game at the Emirates had ended goalless, and so the teams replayed their fifth round tie at Ewood Park. Another goalless draw seemed on the cards before Benni McCarthy struck an unstoppable shot to end Arsenal’s hopes of winning a domestic trophy.

Amid the gloom it must be remembered that Arsenal suffered key injuries throughout the season. Thierry Henry was barely fit for the Champions League second leg tie with PSV and arguably should not have played. It turned out to be his last game of an unspectacular season by his standards, and Gunners fans will hope that a refreshed, recharged Henry will help lead the club to a more sustained challenge for honours next term.

Making that more difficult will be the unrest at boardroom level towards the end of the season. With the team drifting on the field, the club were rocked by the sudden departure of vice-chairman David Dein. It was thought that Dein was in favour of a takeover from American billionaire Stan Kroenke, while chairman Peter Hill-Wood remained adamant that the club would stay in British hands. The struggle for power continues, with real doubts remaining as to whether the club can compete in the transfer market with the Manchester Uniteds and Chelseas of this world, aswell as the newly rich and now American-owned, soul-selling Liverpool.

And yet Wenger has proved the doubters wrong before. Currently nurturing a crop of wildly talented players, the Frenchman may not need a ten gallon hat full of cash to keep his side up with the Jones’s. It would surprise nobody if he were to mastermind another assault on domestic and European glory in 2007/08. Yet the calm exterior that was a feature of his early years in north London seems to have slipped away under mounting pressure, illustrated by very public and embarrassing rows with Alan Pardew and a Carling Cup final assistant referee among others.

Interesting times at Arsenal.

By Stephen Orford

22 May 2007

4528: Liverpool: Recent Champions Le

by : Hugh Larkin

European Cup Final 2007

AC Milan: Recent Champions League History Liverpool: Recent Champions League History Champions League Final 2007: How will it all end? Champions League Final 2007: Will Milan win the first-half again? Champions League Final 2007: Can Gerrard enhance his Sports Personality chances? Champions League Final 2007: £20m to be wagered on Liverpool v Milan Card count likely to mount in Athens Champions League Final – It’ll Be So Tight On The Night Champions League Final - money piles on Milan victory Champions League Final 2007: Kaka Specials AC Milan vs Liverpool: Spreads, cramp, Kaka and KuytStrange now to think that Liverpool hardly had a sniff of Champions League football back in the late 1990s and were often confined to the UEFA Cup for European action. When England gained 4 qualifying places though, the Reds started to gain some experience at this level and now under Rafa Benitez they have as good a record as anybody.

Liverpool over the last 6 years;

2001/02- quarters

2002/03- failed to get past group stage

2003/04- failed to qualify

2004/05- winners

2005/06- last 16

2006/07- Finalists (?)

Benitez has now guided the team to two Finals in three attempts- his only blemish so far is last season’s defeat in the last 16 to Benfica. It is quite a transformation because as late as 2003/04 Liverpool weren’t even taking part and from 1997-2001 the Reds were unable to qualify.

Gerard Houllier came closest to ending their poor record in 2002 when Liverpool faced Bauer Leverkusen in the last eight. Expected to win, it was a crushing blow when they failed and it punctured the optimism and momentum generated by winning the UEFA Cup and the two domestic Cups in 2001.

Leverkusen battered Liverpool 4-2 in the return leg after the Reds had taken a single goal lead at Anfield. The result didn’t look so bad though when the German side went on to remove Manchester United in the semi-finals.

2002/03 was a very poor campaign, failing to progress from a group comprising Valencia, Spartak Moscow and FC Basle. A spectacular 3-3 draw with the Swiss side on the final match night ended the Reds hopes- combined with a failure to push on in the League, serious doubts were being expressed about Houllier’s tenure.

Against this modest record Liverpool’s 2005 triumph came as a real surprise and they did it the hard way. Progression from the group was a real struggle and needed a last night win over Olympiakos to settle matters. However, in the knockouts the team slipped through the gears and got better as the opposition intensified.

2004/05

Last 16 – Bayer Leverkusen 6-2
Last 8- Juventus 2-1
Semi-final- Chelsea 1-0
Final- Milan 3-3 – won on penalties

This season Liverpool have also produced their best form in the knockout stages.

Last 16- Barcelona 2-2 – won an away goals
Last 8 – PSV Eindhoven – 4-0
Semi-final- Chelsea 1-1 – won on penalties.

One factor that may work in Liverpool’s favour is their very favourable record in penalty shootouts. The English national team may have lost all but one of its shootouts in major competitions but Liverpool have only one blemish on their record over the years. In both 1984 and 2005 they became European champions after a shootout.

4527: AC Milan: Recent Champions Lea

by : Hugh Larkin

AC Milan have won the European Cup six times- second only to Real Madrid- and their record in the past five seasons shows why. They have reached no less than four semi-finals and their worst effort has been a last eight berth.

Their phenomenal run in Europe’s premier competition reads;

2002/03- winners

2003/04- quarters

2004/05 – runners up

2005/06 – semi-finals

2006/07 – Final (?)

The lesson is that if a team wants to win the trophy, they have to go through Milan to get it. In 2006 they lost to Barcelona, so if Liverpool do triumph in Athens it would be the third successive year that the winners had to beat the Italian side on their way to the Cup.

This golden run represents a welcome return to the top table because it was preceded by a series of very average performances. For two years Milan weren’t even in Europe (1998 and 1999) and then they only found a way back to the UEFA Cup.

Back in 1994 the Rossoneri were at their peak as their star studded side demolished Barcelona 4-0. The key lay in the line up with 8 Italians on view, supported by the overseas stars Desailly, Boban and the irresistible Savicevic.

After 1994 Milan fell from grace by importing huge numbers of foreign signings as the restrictions on overseas players were dropped. It became a common sight to see San Siro sides with only 2 Italians in evidence and the club lost cohesion. Not only could they not win the Scudetto but their European performances tailed off too.

The past few seasons under Carlo Ancelotti has seen a return to a core of home based stars. Against Liverpool there should be at least five, and possibly six, Italians in the starting line up.

Recent history shows that Milan know how to pace themselves through the competition. The group stage performance is rarely much to shout about but when it comes to the business end, Milan are on their mettle. The big exception was a shock defeat by Deportivo La Coruna in 2004- Milan actually let a 4-1 advantage from the first leg slip.

Their recent knockout record is;

2002/03

Last 8 – Ajax 3-2
Semis- Inter Milan 1-1 – won on away goals
Final – Juventus 0-0 – won on pens

2003/04

Last 8 – Deportivo 4-5

2004/05

Last 16- Mnachester United 2-0
Last 8- Inter 5-0
Semis- PSV Eindhoven 3-3- won on away goals
Final – Liverpool 3-3 -lost on pens

2005/06

Last 16- Bayern Munich 5-2
Last 8- Lyon 3-1
Semis- Barcelona 0-1

2006/07

Last 16- Celtic 1-0
Last 8- Bayern Munich- 4-2
Semis – Manchester United 5-2

4526: Relegated Stars ready to make

by : Matthew Hernon

Players like Phil Jagielka, Darren Bent and Danny Shittu did all they could to keep their sides in the Premiership last season, but now it remains to be seen whether they will be there to help them win their top flight status back. Here’s a look at the players who could be leaving Sheffield United, Charlton and Watford this summer.

Sheffield United have already seen their biggest name at the club depart. Stepping in to Neil Warnock’s shoes is not going to be easy. Whoever is brave enough to take up the challenge, is also likely to have a fight on his hand to keep hold of the best players. From press reports that man is likely to be Bryan Robson who has experienced promotion to and relegation from the top in his times at Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion.

Phil Jagielka insisted he would stay even if the team were relegated, but Warnock’s shock exit might have changed his mind. His recent call-up to the B squad may also have convinced him that the Premiership is the place to be. Teams like Aston Villa, Everton, Man City and Newcastle would certainly benefit from having such a consistent and versatile performer.

Another player who impressed in his first season in the top flight was Michael Tonge and he knows that any chance of joining Jagielka in the international set-up would mean moving away from Bramall Lane. Wigan are believed to have shown interest, while Sunderland are reportedly after Goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.

Charlton are likely to lose a number of players in the summer, most notably Darren Bent. The striker, who bagged 15 goals during the last campaign, has been linked to at least half the teams in the Premiership, including the ‘big four’.

Alan Pardew seems resigned to the fact that he is leaving, admitting that it ‘will be a financial decision, not a football one.’ With Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink having already been released, the manager was lining potential replacements as relegation approached and signed Luke Varney and Chris Iwelumo on Monday (21 May); Freddie Eastwood is also rumoured to be a target.

The manager might also have to be on the lookout for a new winger and right-back. Recent reports suggest Martin O’Neill is ready to make a bid for Luke Young, while Dennis Rommendahl admitted in the daily Mirror that he had decided to play ‘…somewhere else a long time ago’. Out of contract, Herman Hreidarsson is also considering his options.

Watford are unlikely to lose as many players as the other two relegated sides and received a massive boost last week with the Marlon King and Alhassan Bangura, signing new contracts with the club.

King’s injury last season was a major blow to Aidy Boothroyd‘s plans. He will be hoping that his main marksman can rediscover the kind of form he showed in the 2005/06 season, where he finished top scorer in the championship. 19yr old Bangura meanwhile, is considered as one of the brightest prospects at the club.

One player who has suggested he might want a move away from Vicarage Road is Danny Shittu. The big defender has been one of Watford’s most consistent performers over the past year and he told the independent that he ‘…would like to stay in the Premiership’, which should alert a host of top flight managers. Hameur Bouazza is another player who could make an immediate return.

4525: Argentina Clausura Weekly Revi

by : Cody Strunk

Despite only managing to draw at home to River Plate, San Lorenzo edged closer to the title thanks to the inability of their closest challengers – Boca Juniors and Estudiantes – to take advantage.

San Lorenzo had a numerical advantage for the vast bulk of their game, with River Plate down to 10-men from the fourth minute of the game after Diego Galvan saw red for an elbow. San Lorenzo applied plenty of pressure as the game wore on but, despite hitting the crossbar, they rarely tested visiting goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo. River Plate coach Daniel Passarella was also dismissed late on.

Boca Juniors had to come from behind to secure a point at home to Arsenal de Sarandi, with a Juan Roman Riquelme header 15-minutes from time cancelling out a Carlos Casteglione goal for the visitors just after the break. Champions Estudiantes were also held to a draw on home soil. Pablo Luguercio’s 63rd minute strike looked to have sealed the points, but they then had midfielder Rodrigo Brana dismissed for a second bookable offence 10-minutes later and Velez Sarsfield drew level through an individual effort from Dario Ocampo on 78-minutes.

Independiente and Newell’s Old Boys shared the spoils after goals at either end of the game. A Jose Moreno header gave Independiente a fourth minute lead, but Sebastian Arrieta levelled things up for the visitors with two-minutes remaining. Elsewhere an Angel Di Maria goal on 32-minutes was enough for Rosario Central to see off Racing Club, the season’s big underachievers to date. Banfield maintained their recent good form with a 2:1 win over Argentinos Juniors, with first-half goals from Julio Barraza and Carlos Galvan being enough to see off a second-half effort from Gonzalo Aban.

Colon eased their relegation fears with a 3:1 victory over Gimnasia Jujuy, two goals from Jose Sand and a Freddy Gisales penalty being enough to keep them just clear of the relegation play-off places. That result was a particular blow to Godoy Cruz, who are just below Colon in the percentage table, despite having a very decent season to date. They did fall further behind in the battle to avoid the play-offs though in only managing a 2:2 draw at home to Lanus. An early Diego Villar header gave them the lead, but after goals for the visitors from Sebastian Leto and an Agustin Pellerieri penalty, they needed a Mariano Torresi goal 10-minutes from time to claim a point.

Belgrano moved out of the automatic relegation places after a 3:0 drubbing of the already doomed Quilmes, with Marcelo Delgado (penalty), Juan Jose Serrizuela and Andres Rios doing all the damage in the first-half. That win saw them climb above Nueva Chicago in the percentage table after the latter were held to a 2:2 draw away to Gimnasia La Plata. Two goals from Lucio Filomeno in the opening 13-minutes looked to have put the visitors on their way to three much-needed points. Even when Luciano Leguizaman pulled one back for the home team on 27-minutes it still looked like Nueva Chicago would take the points, after Alvaro Orman was sent-off for Gimnasia La Plata on 55-minutes. An injury-time goal from substitute Antonio Pierguidi eventually secured parity for Gimnasia La Plata and the visitors drop into the automatic relegation positions as a consequence.

4524: Chelsea v. Manchester United -

by : Hugh Larkin

Manchester United certainly have the edge over Chelsea in the FA Cup. The pair have drawn each other on nine previous occasions and the London side only came out on top once. It’s the sort of record Jose Mourinho would love to redress.

The record reflects the relative power of the two sides over the years. Until recently, United have spent far more time as an elite club- the Blues have often been a top flight side but without challenging for honours so consistently.

That solitary Chelsea victory goes back to the quarter-finals in 1950, when the home side won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues went out to Arsenal in the semi-final by a single goal in a replay.

The other encounters include an FA Cup Final in 1994. That was memorable as the year Eric Cantona became the first man to convert two penalties in a Final and it helped United to their first ‘Double’.

Chelsea were a side on their way back to the elite after spending much of the 80s in the doldrums. Under Glenn Hoddle they had begun to play neat football and were at the forefront of the move to bring more and more overseas stars to English soccer.

Later they would move up another notch by bringing in the likes of Zola, Gullit and Vialli and despite losing this game 4-0 they were about to become serial winners of Cups in the late 90s. The FA Cup would find its way to the Bridge in 1997 and 2000.

1994 FA Cup Final Manchester United 4- Chelsea 0

Manchester United – Schmeichel, Parker, Bruce, Pallister, Irwin (Sharpe 84), Kanchelskis (McClair 84), Keane, Ince Cantina, Giggs, Hughes

Chelsea- Kharine, Clarke, Kjeldberg, Johnsen, Sinclair, Burley (Hoddle 68), Newton, Peacock, Wise, Spencer, Stein (Cascarino 78).

Manchester United ended Chelsea’s hopes three more times in the 1990s. In January 1998 the teams were paired as early as the Third Round when Chelsea were the Cup holders. United ended their defence at the first hurdle in a thriller of a contest that ended 5-3 to the visitors at Stamford Bridge.

Remarkably, Alex Ferguson’s side went 5-0 up before a late Chelsea rally made the score respectable. David Beckham got two goals as did Andy Cole. Steve Clarke was the only Blues player left from the 1994 Final who suffered again but Mark Hughes had moved clubs by this time and appeared in a blue shirt.

The next season the two met again and after Chelsea forced a draw at Old Trafford, two Dwight Yorke goals settled the replay in what became the year of United’s Treble.

In 1996, it had been Beckham and Cole with the goals again as United saw off the Blues in a semi-final 2-1 and went on to lift the trophy again against Liverpool.

Chelsea can at least point to the fact that they came out on top in their most recent cup meeting. That was the 2005 Carling Cup semi-final where the Londoners prevailed over two legs and dented Sir Alex Ferguson’s almost unblemished record in domestic semi-finals.

The Matches

1907/08 Reds 1- Blues 0
1949/50 Blues 2- Reds 0
1962/63 Reds 2- Blues 1
1978/79 Reds 3 – Blues 0
1987/88 Reds 2- Blues 0
1993/94 Reds 4 – Blues 0 (Final)
1995/96 Reds 2 – Blues 1 (semi)
1997/98 Blues 3 – Reds 5
1998/99 Reds 0- Blues 0
Blues 0 – Reds 2

FA Cup Final 2007

Chelsea v. Manchester United - FA Cup History FA Cup Final Preview; Chelsea v Manchester United Manchester United’s road to Wembley Chelsea’s Road to Wembley FA Cup Final - Didier Drogba Specials FA Cup Final 2007; Spreads, Lampard and Man United possession FA Cup Final 2007 - Cristiano Ronaldo Specials

4523: FA Cup Final Preview; Chelsea

by : Stephen Orford

Round Five – Manchester United 1 Reading 1

Steve Coppell’s men had surpassed everyone’s pre-season expectations but nobody predicted that their second string would leave Old Trafford with a draw.

The Royals started the game with only four recognised regulars while Fergie started the game without Van Der Sar, Ferdinand, Giggs, Scholes and Rooney, who was suspended. Park Ji Sung should have made the most of his chance in the starting line-up after finding space in the box, but he blazed high and wide from barely eight yards. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spurned a golden opening; only to be bettered by Park again as again he failed to trouble the stand-in Royals keeper Federici. Despite all of their pressure it was actually Reading who came the closest to opening the scoring through Ulises de la Cruz. He out-muscled Gabriel Heinze in the penalty box but the Ecuadorian could only stab his shot into the side netting. Kuszczak was then forced to pull off a fine save from Nicky Shorey before Michael Carrick finally broke the deadlock with a glorious strike just before half-time. Ronaldo drove at the Reading defence and laid the ball off to Carrick who arrowed the ball into the top corner.

The Red Devils came out for the second half in the same vein, but Federici was in inspired form. Ronaldo missed a sitter and Solskjaer went just whiskers wide before Brynjar Gunnarsson stunned Old Trafford with a thumping header. There were 23 minutes left on the clock when John Oster’s corner found the Icelandic defender in space and he made no mistake as his bullet header sailed into the top corner. It was his first goal since scoring in the 6-0 thrashing of West Ham on New Year’s Day and set up a frantic end to the game, with both sides having chances to win the tie.

Federici was on fine form again to pull off a great fingertip save from Larsson and Wes Brown had to clear off the line to keep Reading out. Louis Saha had an excellent chance to settle the tie on the whistle but the former French international blazed his shot wide.

Round Five Replay – Reading 2 Manchester United 3

Manchester United are famed for their never-say-die attitude and ability to fight to final whistle but they turned the tables at the Madejski as they raced into an amazing 3-0 lead inside the first three minutes. But despite their electric start they were still forced to hang on to book their sixth round place.

Gabriel Heinze put the Reds in the driving seat after just two minutes when his 25-yard strike squirmed under the body of the hero at Old Trafford, Federici. Almost straight from the restart Louis Saha doubled their lead with an angled volley. And with the Reading defence in disarray, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer capped a blistering opening by slotting in a third.

Dave Kitson pulled one back after 23 minutes with a close range header but Manchester United looked in full control in what was an entertaining match. United took their foot off the gas in the second half and were almost made to pay for it when Reading reduced the deficit with six minutes to go. Leeroy Lita smashed home a de la Cruz cross to set up a pulsating end to the game. And the Royals almost pulled off an unlikely comeback when Brynjar Gunnarsson left Edwin Van Der Sar rooted to the spot only to see his strike rattle the crossbar.

The final whistle secured the Red Devils sixth round clash against another Premiership club, away to Middlesbrough.

Round Six – Middlesbrough 2 Manchester United 2

As Manchester United continued to challenge on all fronts, Middlesbrough’s only hope of a trophy was the FA Cup. They reached the semi-final last season and were desperate to feature again, and they took United to another replay.

United’s preparations for the game were hampered when Van Der Sar suffered a calf injury in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Tomasz Kuszczak. Gareth Southgate’s men tested him straight from the off and he had to be alert to block a shot from Stewart Downing. But after 23 minutes Wayne Rooney had put the Red Devils in the lead. Rooney collected a pass from Ryan Giggs but the defence foolishly stood off and with plenty of space to pick his spot, Rooney drove a low shot past Mark Schwarzer.

Middlesbrough refused to lie down though and almost equalised six minutes later. Yakubu out-muscled Rio Ferdinand, but Kuszczak pulled off another important save. Ryan Giggs should have doubled United’s lead 10 minutes before half-time when his shot beat Schwarzer, but agonisingly hit the post. It was a lucky break for Boro as they drew level on 45 minutes. Kuszczak made a hash of a cross into the box and it eventually broke to Lee Cattermole who volleyed home on the spin.

Boro went in at half-time on level terms but two minutes after the restart they found themselves 2-1 up. Stewart Downing floated in a dangerous corner to the back post and George Boateng climbed unchallenged to send the home fans wild. But it wasn’t the end of Boateng’s involvement in the game. The ball accidentally hit the former Aston Villa midfielder’s hand in the box and the referee instantly pointed to the spot, much to Boro’s dismay. Ronaldo, who was mercilessly booed during the game for winning a disputed penalty against Boro just three months earlier, stood up to take the spot kick and coolly slotted it home.

Both sides pushed for the winner but were unable to make the decisive breakthrough forcing Boro into their fourth replay of the competition.

Round Six Replay – Manchester United 1 Middlesbrough 0

Unlike most Premiership sides, Middlesbrough have a pretty decent record at Old Trafford but they weren’t prepared to go all gun-ho against the Premiership leaders. Despite having the attacking threat of Viduka, Yakubu and Downing, Boro seemed content to sit and defend and sneak a goal on the break.

United had the majority of the play, restricting Boro to a host of speculative strikes, but their only clear cut chance came just before the break. Ryan Giggs put Rooney clear through but his strike was excellently saved by the Australian Schwarzer. Boro came out with more of an attacking threat in the second half and carved open a chance of their own after 55 minutes. Viduka played in Stewart Downing but the England international wasted a glorious opportunity to test Kuszczak.

That forced Manchester United forward and Ronaldo and Rooney came agonisingly close. Ronaldo hit the post from an acute angle and Schwarzwer’s outstretched foot denied Rooney. However there was nothing the Australian could do when Ronaldo was awarded a penalty after Woodgate was adjudged to have brought down the Portuguese winger. The decision infuriated the Boro players and backroom staff, and a touchline scuffle involving Carlos Queiroz kicked off. However, Ronaldo kept his cool to clinically dispatch the penalty and put one foot into the semi-finals.

With United’s defence holding firm and Ronaldo turning on the party tricks, some Boro players started to lose their heads. Ronaldo began toying with Morrison on the touchline and the youngster blew his top and scythed the number seven down. Morrison was given a straight red card and United booked their 25th FA Cup semi-final appearance, a record shared with Arsenal.

And United couldn’t have been given an easier side in the semi-final as they were paired with Premiership basement boys Watford.

Semi-Final – Manchester United 4 Watford 1

United rolled into their second home, Villa Park, following a stunning 7-1 Champions League win over Roma knowing that they were just 90 minutes away from a record 18th final appearance, and they didn’t waste any time in getting ahead. Wayne Rooney made space for himself and smashed home a blistering 20-yard drive past the despairing Richard Lee after just six minutes. But 20 minutes later Watford stunned Fergie’s men by getting back on level terms through Hameur Bouazza.

However, it didn’t stay level for long as Rooney and Ronaldo combined to put the Reds back in front. Rooney charged to the touchline and delayed crossing the ball into the box long enough for the electric Ronaldo to steal between two defenders to tap the ball home.

Manchester United’s injury jinx struck before half-time as Darren Fletcher replaced Rio Ferdinand and Fergie had to rejig his back four. But United should have added to their tally before the break as Rooney forced Lee to pull off a fine one-handed save and Fletcher headed just wide. But with nothing to lose, Watford came out fighting in the second half. Goal scorer Bouazza was the Hornets’ main threat and volleyed a good chance wide before forcing Van Der Sar into a decent save. However The Reds sealed their place in the final just after the hour mark when Alan Smith was allowed too much room and picked out the rampaging Rooney who finished with ease.

United continued to turn the screw and Lee had to be alert to deny Giggs, but there was nothing he could do to stop Richardson making it four with eight minutes to go.

Manchester United secured victory and booked a showpiece final date at New Wembley against their main challengers this season Chelsea.

FA Cup Final 2007

Chelsea v. Manchester United - FA Cup History
FA Cup Final Preview; Chelsea v Manchester United
Manchester United’s road to Wembley
Chelsea’s Road to Wembley
FA Cup Final - Didier Drogba Specials
FA Cup Final 2007; Spreads, Lampard and Man United possession
FA Cup Final 2007 - Cristiano Ronaldo SpecialsThe nation’s best two teams come together for what will be a fitting first ever FA Cup final at the new Wembley on Saturday (May 19).

Manchester United have managed to break Chelsea’s stranglehold on the Premiership title, stopping Jose Mourinho’s side from winning a third successive crown by picking up their ninth under Sir Alex Ferguson. Yet Chelsea have been snapping at United heels like an angry Yorkshire Terrier all season long, and will be desperate to add the FA Cup to their Carling Cup success back in February.

Mourinho’s side go in with a catalogue of injury problems. A ready-made excuse for the Portuguese manager maybe, but without all of Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko and Ricardo Carvalho out of action the west Londoners face a tall order against the Old Trafford club. Chelsea also have doubts about the fitness of Arjen Robben, Ashley Cole and Jon Obi Mikel, all of which has prompted Mourinho to spout a lot of nonsense about using third-string ‘keeper Hilario as an emergency striker.

Ferguson certainly has an advantage in terms of squad availability. United will be missing stalwart and club captain Gary Neville, aswell as former Fulham striker Louis Saha. Neville has not played since the St.Patrick’s Day trouncing of Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford, while Saha’s failure to recover from a hamstring injury has prompted Ferguson to question the mental resilience of the French forward. Saha could yet be moved on in the summer, meaning that he could already have played his last game for the club.

With injuries kept to a minimum Ferguson has some decisions to make regarding his line-up, particularly at the back. Wes Brown and John O’Shea appear to be fighting it out to replace Neville at right-back, while Gabriel Heinze may miss out on a left-back berth in favour of Patrice Evra. Darren Fletcher will be hoping that Ferguson elects to play an extra midfielder, but Alan Smith may get the nod to start in a two-pronged attack alongside Wayne Rooney.

Noises coming out of the Chelsea camp, particularly from Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips, suggest that they consider the FA Cup final every bit as important as the recent race for the Premiership. This may be a touch of bravado to get the fans over the hurt of losing out in the league, but the fact remains that the FA Cup is one of the few trophies that Chelsea have not won under the ownership of Roman Abramovich. Together with the Champions League, the capture of the FA Cup would complete the collection for the Russian billionaire as he sets about his vision of turning Chelsea into the number one club in the world.

And yet there is the feeling in any case that a meeting between these two would be huge whatever the stakes. A Premiership clash devoid of any meaningful prize on May 9 had its share of flashpoints, and with both clubs looking to secure a trophy double for the season the two sides should be geared up for this one.

The sides have met before in the FA Cup final, when two Eric Cantona penalties helped United breeze past Glenn Hoddle’s Chelsea by a score of 4-0 at the old Wembley. Chelsea were the last team to win the FA Cup at that famous venue, beating Aston Villa in 2000 by Roberto Di Matteo’s solitary goal.

Overall Chelsea’s record against United in the FA Cup is abysmal. They have triumphed just the once, and that as far back as 1950 when they knocked the Manchester side out at the quarter final stage. Eight times United have ended Chelsea’s FA Cup hopes down the years, that last of which was in 1999 when two Dwight Yorke goals earned a 2-0 win during United’s unique treble-winning season.

Many pundits view this as a contest between flair and pragmatism, with Ferguson’s expressive, entertaining unit pitched in against Mourinho’s tactically astute, physically combative troops. For all Mourinho’s blather about wishing for an entertaining cup final, the former Porto coach is unlikely to change his approach and would be the happier of the two tacticians in the event of a tight, cagey affair.

At verdict time, one can’t help hoping that Ferguson’s approach wins out. Yet with men like Michael Essien and Frank Lampard capable of providing moments which change top level games, few would bet against what will be a ravenously hungry Chelsea outfit. Almost too close to call.

Verdict; Chelsea 1 Manchester United 1

By Stephen Orford

18 May 2007

FA Cup Final 2007

Chelsea v. Manchester United - FA Cup History FA Cup Final Preview; Chelsea v Manchester United Manchester United’s road to Wembley Chelsea’s Road to Wembley FA Cup Final - Didier Drogba Specials FA Cup Final 2007; Spreads, Lampard and Man United possession FA Cup Final 2007 - Cristiano Ronaldo Specials

4522: Manchester United’s road to We

by : Colin Illingworth

Round Five – Chelsea 4 Norwich 0

The scoreline really doesn’t paint a true picture of this game as Norwich really took it to the champions. Peter Grant’s men started the match brightly, despite goalkeeper David Marshall having to be replaced by Paul Gallagher after twisting his ankle, and almost took a shock lead when midfielder Etuhu struck the post from the edge of the area. Chelsea’s defensive injury crisis continued as Khalid Boulahrouz had to be taken off with a dislocated shoulder and it looked like a shock could be on the cards. Norwich were putting Chelsea under real pressure but when it looked as though the Canaries could be going into the second half all square the Blues broke the deadlock.

Frank Lampard had a strike from the edge of the box blocked, but it landed kindly to Shawn Wright-Phillips whose half volley was cruelly deflected past Gallagher. That put the champions in the driving seat and Didier Drogba effectively booked their place in the sixth round after reacting quickest in the box and slamming home early in the second half.

However, credit to Norwich, they didn’t roll over and die. They soaked up a lot of pressure but Lee Croft almost got the Canaries back in the game, but was denied by the bar, and Jason Shackell couldn’t get past Petr Cech. But Chelsea wrapped up the tie with two late goals from Michael Essien and Andriy Shevchenko. The victory secured their place in the sixth round and a tie against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

Round Six – Chelsea 3 Tottenham 3

After three games against lower league opposition Chelsea faced their first all-Premiership tie and it was a chance for the Blues to get revenge on the team that beat them on November 5. However it didn’t really go to plan as Spurs and Chelsea produced undoubtedly the game of the competition.

Martin Jol’s men came out of the blocks all guns blazing and took the lead after just five minutes through a Dimitar Berbatov first-time strike. Tottenham looked dangerous every time they crossed the half way line but Lampard got Chelsea back into the match when he redirected Ballack’s cross past Paul Robinson. However Chelsea’s Michael Essien handed the initiative back to Spurs when he inexplicitly put the ball through his own net. And things went from bad to worse seven minutes later when Hossam Ghaly put Spurs 3-1 up.

Deciding that attack was the best form of defence Mourinho sent his troops out to get forward at every opportunity and it paid off for them. Ballack and Lampard spurned great openings while Cech was forced to pull off a stunning save to deny Lennon. The turning point in the game though came on 66 minutes when Martin Jol decided to take off Berbatov and try to defend their lead. Four minutes later and Chelsea had pulled one back as Lampard pounced following a goalmouth scramble. The Blues smelt blood and were going all out for an equaliser and with three minutes to go Kalou sent the Stamford Bridge faithful into ecstasy. However, all of their hard work and perseverance was nearly undone in injury time as Jermain Defoe broke free, but his strike rattled the crossbar forcing a replay at White Hart Lane.

Round Six replay – Tottenham 1 Chelsea 2

After the exhilarating match at Stamford Bridge everybody was waiting for another cracker but it failed to materialise. Much of this was down to Mourinho’s defence being 100 per cent tuned in and the fact that they kept the likes of Aaron Lennon and Dimitar Berbatov quiet. The first half was relatively dull and uneventful but the tie blew into life after the break with a breathtaking strike from Andriy Shevchenko. He raced into the box, outfoxing Steed Malbranque, before arcing an unstoppable thunderbolt into the top corner. Even two goalkeepers wouldn’t have been able to save that. And as if one superb strike wasn’t enough, Shawn Wright-Phillips got in on the act too. Didier Drogba chested the ball into the former Manchester City’s winger path and his left-footed half volley flew past Robinson.

Tottenham managed to pull one back through a Robbie Keane penalty, after Berbatov was brought down, but Chelsea held on to book a semi-final date with Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford.

Semi-Final – Blackburn 1 Chelsea 2

This was Blackburn’s second semi-final appearance in three seasons but unfortunately for Mark Hughes the result was going to end up the same, defeat to a London club. But they certainly pushed Chelsea all the way.

Rovers started the game slowly and were duly punished after 16 minutes when that man Lampard again ran on to some neat build up play to coolly slot past Brad Friedel. David Dunn tested Cech with a fierce 20-yard drive and Christopher Samba saw his header go agonisingly wide but Chelsea were in control and should have added to their tally when Shevchenko was set free. However the £30 million summer signing got the ball caught up in his feet and the chance was blown.

Blackburn stepped up their game in the second half and posed Chelsea much more problems. Jason Roberts had an angled strike well saved by Cech and Mortem Gamst-Pedersen rattled the post with a header before their pressure finally paid off.

And with eight minutes of normal time to play Pedersen could have sealed it, but his free header went agonisingly wide, and John Terry almost gifted Blackburn the game but Petr Cech was alert to save his blushes and send the game into extra-time.

Chelsea turned the screw in extra-time but weren’t able to find a way past the resolute Blackburn defence. With thoughts turning to a penalty shoot-out Michael Ballack grabbed the winner after latching on to a loose ball in the penalty box and Michael Essien should have put the game beyond doubt but his shot crashed off the crossbar.

Chelsea secured victory and booked a showpiece final date at New Wembley against Manchester United.

FA Cup Final 2007

Chelsea v. Manchester United - FA Cup History
FA Cup Final Preview; Chelsea v Manchester United
Manchester United’s road to Wembley
Chelsea’s Road to Wembley
FA Cup Final - Didier Drogba Specials
FA Cup Final 2007; Spreads, Lampard and Man United possession
FA Cup Final 2007 - Cristiano Ronaldo SpecialsUnited have won through to the final, almost uniquely, facing a top flight team at every turn. United have prevailed against Aston Villa, Portsmouth, Reading, Middlesbrough and Watford and now face Chelsea in the final. With both teams suffering with injuries this is probably the most open and difficult to call Cup Final of recent years.

Round Three – Manchester United 2 Aston Villa 1

Aston Villa fans had high hopes of springing a cup shock at Old Trafford, but those dreams were destroyed by two former Champions League winners.

The game started slowly and took 55 minutes to come to life. Henrik Larsson, who was making his United debut following his three-month loan deal, made his mark on the game with the opening goal. The former Celtic striker, who seven months earlier helped Barcelona lift the Champions League trophy, latched on to a pass from Wayne Rooney and lashed a clinical strike into the top corner. Ryan Giggs almost doubled their lead minutes later with a free-kick, but it crashed back off the bar. That forced Villa to attack and led to an entertaining final 30 minutes.

Gary Cahill shaved the post with a header and Kuszczak was forced to pull off a fine save from Isaiah Osbourne. But just when United looked like they had weathered the storm Villa got a lucky break. Cahill’s shot ended up at the feet of Milan Baros in the box and he coolly slid the ball past the former West Brom shot stopper.

The tie looked destined to go to a replay, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who came on for Larsson with 12 minutes to go, had other ideas. The Champions League hero of ’99 found himself on the edge of the area and fired at Gabor Kiraly’s goal. It wasn’t the fiercest hit shot in the world but somehow it managed to squeeze its way under the former Crystal Palace keeper and set up a fourth round home tie against Portsmouth.

Round Four – Manchester United 2 Portsmouth 1

Harry Redknapp had masterminded one great smash and grab at Old Trafford before with West Ham when Paulo Di Canio beat the offside trap to slide the ball past Fabien Barthez in 2001. Now with his transformed Portsmouth side, he was back to repeat the job; unfortunately he hadn’t counted on the sublime skills of Wayne Rooney.

United should have gone 1-0 up early on when Nemanja Vidic header crossed the line but the assistant referee ruled that the ball had been cleared by Pedro Mendes. It was a bit of justice for Mendes who was at the centre of controversy in 2005 when his hopeful shot from the halfway line was spilled into the net by Roy Carroll but wasn’t given. However, Manchester United weren’t going to let that affect their game.

With Sol Campbell and Linvoy Primus at the back, Portsmouth had become a tough nut to crack, and despite having the majority of the ball Manchester United just couldn’t find a way past the rejuvenated David James. The former Liverpool and England international was on fine form to deny Paul Scholes and when James was finally beaten by Henrik Larsson, he was saved by the assistant referee with another dubious decision.

However, just as the natives were getting restless, Sir Alex Ferguson took off Solskjaer and replaced him with Wayne Rooney and he had an instant impact on the game. He finished off some neat work from Larsson and Giggs to grab the opener but his second was simply sensational. Rooney collected a pass from Neville, 25-yards from goal, ran at two defenders and shaped up to unleash a thunderbolt, but instead floated a delightful chip over David James right into the top corner. It was a sublime bit of skill that had many fans reminiscing of the King Eric Cantona.

Kanu set up an anxious last few minutes with a deflected shot, but it proved to be too little, too late, as United held on and set up a fifth round clash with this season’s surprise package Reading.

4521: Chelsea’s Road to Wembley

by : Colin Illingworth

Chelsea have endured a rocky qualification campaign - and could easily have been eliminated by Spurs or Blackburn. But typically they showed their fighting spirit to force a replay from two goals down against Spurs and fought Blackburn to a standstill. Chelsea will need to demonstrate more of this fighting spirit to prevail in the final.

Third Round – Chelsea 6 Macclesfield 1

The magic of the FA Cup set up one of the most romantic ties of the competition when Chelsea, second in the Premiership, were drawn at home to Macclesfield, second bottom of League Two. The millionaires of Kings Road against the strugglers of Moss Road should have been a non-contest, and the end scoreline would suggest it, but Mourinho’s men were made to work for it.

Frank Lampard opened the scoring after 17 minutes when he latched on to a Shaun Wright-Phillips knock on, but just five minutes before half-time The Silkmen sent their travelling fans into raptures when striker John Murphy equalised. Paul Ince must have been dreaming of producing the biggest shock in cup history but their lead lasted just 60 seconds as Lampard ran on to a loose ball and dispatched it comfortably. 2-1 Chelsea.

The Blues made it 3-1 soon after the break as Lampard tucked away a penalty. Macclesfield goalkeeper Tommy Lee was adjudged to have brought down Andriy Shevchenko in the box and not only did he receive a bloody face, he gave away the penalty and was given a red card to boot. With no reserve keeper on the bench captain John Morley had to pull on the gloves, but he could do nothing to stop Lampard’s clinical spot kick.

Chelsea piled on the pressure on the rookie goalkeeper but Morley pulled off some good saves to keep the score down, but his luck ran out on 68 minutes when Shawn Wright-Phillips volleyed in from a Lampard cross. Macclesfield were then reduced to nine men when John Miles had to hobble off through injury, as Ince had made all his substitutions. The game was wrapped up in the final eight minutes when Mikel scored with a stunning 25-yard strike to make it five and Carvalho made it six.

Chelsea had done the job that was expected of them and booked a fourth round home tie with League One promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

Round Four – Chelsea 3 Nottingham Forest 0

Forest arrived at Stamford Bridge looking to replicate the performance of Macclesfield but failed miserably as Chelsea showed their true class. Shevchenko opened the scoring after just nine minutes when his shot was deflected in off John Curtis. Didier Drogba made it two with a delightful free-kick and John Obi Mikel made it three before half-time with a tap in.

Nottingham Forest just weren’t able to compete against the Premiership champions and only managed two shot on target during the whole game, only one of which troubled Petr Cech. Chelsea took their foot off the gas in the second half, as an uninspiring Forest side prayed for the final whistle.

Chelsea’s win set up a fifth round home tie against Championship side Norwich City.

4519: League Two's most wanted

by : Alex Wolstenholme

“On their last visit, we should have got something out of it. I know that things have changed since Walter and Ally took over but we can still do it as we are playing ok just now. We only have this chance, I think Jimmy should go for it because I think we play better when we attack rather than try to defend.”

Despite their poor run against Rangers this season, the Ibrox side failed to record a victory against the Dons in the previous campaign. Jamie Smith grabbed a sensational winner in a 3-2 victory in August 2005 and the former Celtic man and Steve Lovell were on target for a 2-0 win in February 2006, both at Pittodrie. Those results will give the sell-out Aberdeen crowd some hope on Sunday.

In truth, Aberdeen should have had third place wrapped up weeks ago, but while they have been dropping points Hearts have been putting a string of results together. The Dons lost 4-2 to Dundee United and failed to beat a nine-man Hibs side at home, and were beaten by Celtic last Saturday. At the same time Hearts have taken points off Hibs and Celtic and were only denied a crucial win over the Dons through a last-gasp Barry Nicholson equaliser. So why have the Dons failed to clinch third place? Is it pressure, inexperience, nerves?

”It’s a bit of everything really,” said Ian Will. “Some basic mistakes cost us games, Darren Mackie missing gilt edged chances like he always has cost us valuable points again, uncharacteristic bad defending from Russell and co costing us dearly, we've seen it all.”

Mike wholeheartedly agrees on Ian’s assessment, but is pleased to see the Dons playing good football again and takes heart from the fact that they are fighting right to the death in every game.

At the same time Aberdeen take on Rangers, Hearts will be lining up against Kilmarnock and the Dons fans will be hoping that the boys from Perth can do them a favour. Kilmarnock will be buoyed by their 1-0 win at Ibrox and Jim Jefferies’s men will be keen to end the season on a high in front of their own fans. Aberdeen fans will be glued to their radios to hear what’s happening at Rugby Park but Ian, who cites Russell Anderson and Michael Hart as his players of the season, hopes Calderwood will have his troops focused solely on the game in hand.

“Naturally the result in Killie will be on our minds and thanks to the internet via mobile phone we will be able to know what’s going on down there. But history shows us that things turn round very quickly in football and we should be concentrating on getting behind the players 100 per cent to spur them on to victory at Pittodrie. Hearts can score 100 goals against Killie, we only need to score one more than Rangers.”

It’s been a long time since Aberdeen fans have had something to get excited about. They last appeared in a domestic cup final seven years ago and their last piece of silverware was the League Cup back in 1995. Their league form during the past decade or so has been very inconsistent but Jimmy Calderwood has established the Dons in the top half of the table. The fans enjoyed so much success in the 80s under Sir Alex Ferguson and they demand to be challenging the Old Firm for honours. Mike, who has been pleased by the attitude of the squad this season, insists it will be disappointing to lose third place now.

“At the start of the season, I would have taken fourth spot, no problem. I really didn’t think that we would be close enough to Rangers, Celtic and Hearts. Now, I will be disappointed if we don’t get third, but I think they have improved this season. They have played some really good football at times but also been making frustrating amateur errors. They have overall surpassed my expectations but the better they have played I think the more we supporters have expected. Win, Lose or draw, I will give the players an ovation at the end for giving us an interesting season and a few glimpses of what they can achieve in the near future.”

Ian Will has also been hugely impressed by the effort put in this season and hopes Anderson, Severin, Clark, Mackie and co can put in one last memorable performance to prove Willie Miller wrong, otherwise the season will have meant nothing.

”I’m very pleased at the fight the players showed in the first half of the season. We were winning games that in the past we would have lost. They have not surpassed my expectations as I know what is capable if you work hard and stay committed to a task. I only hope that God is wrong, as his prophecy may just well come true and we will miss out on what we really hope for, a chance to go to get our passports out and go to Wales again. If we don't get it then we might as well have finished in sixth place. The season means nothing.

“Getting into Europe and doing well in the cups are two things that Aberdeen should be striving for every season. We've had no positives for so long. Even the cup finals under Skovdahl were undermined by his terrible attitude towards sending teams out like the proverbial lambs to the slaughter. Being a huge fan of the positive sides of Ultras culture, the chance to go to Italy, Portugal, Germany, Poland and France and the like to see our peers in action in the flesh is always one that excites me.”

Rangers have inflicted heartache on Aberdeen on the final day of the season before. In 1991 the Dons travelled to Ibrox needing just a point to clinch the title. However a brace from Mark Hateley ensured that the title stayed in Glasgow. That result really hurt Aberdeen and they will be praying that they don’t suffer the same fate this time round.

Ian, who wants to see a jam-packed Pittodrie cheering on the Reds week-in, week-out, believes the Dons are going to do it the hard way on Sunday by going a goal down before Mackie gets them on level terms leaving Russell Anderson to grab the winner late on. I’m not sure if too many Aberdeen fans’ hearts will be able to take that… but it would be a glorious end to the season and could re-establish the Dons as a major force in Scottish football.

An exciting season in League Two saw Walsall, Hartlepool and Swindon gain automatic promotion while Torquay and Boston dropped into the Conference. Big names such as Paul Ince have made their mark managerially and a number of players have attracted interest from a higher level.

Although moves from League Two to the Premiership are rare, Championship clubs are increasingly looking at the lower divisions and into the Conference for bargains. Here are five players who have impressed this season and been linked with summer moves.

Ashley Williams (Stockport County) - A 22-year-old left-sided central defender who has made well over 100 appearances for Stockport County after starting his career with non-league Hednesford Town, Ashley Williams looks destined for big things.

The arrival of Jim Gannon as manager at Edgeley Park has transformed the career of the player voted Stockport's player of the season in 2005/06.

"We know that Everton have watched Ash and that Wolves retain an interest in the player," said his agent recently while Luton had a bid turned down in January.

With the Hatters just missing out on a play-off place this season, a summer move could be on the cards.

Demitrios Konstantopoulos (Hartlepool United) - 28-year-old Greek goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos has played a key role in Hartlepool's promotion from League Two this season, keeping a host of clean sheets as part of a defence that conceded only 40 goals in 46 games.

The former Greece under-21 international will be a free agent in the summer and has been linked with a host of Championship clubs including Watford and Sheffield Wednesday.

"Whatever he decides to do, he's been fantastic for us," said Hartlepool manager Danny Wilson.

"Even with his future up in the air, he's kept his focus, kept performing. That's the sign of a quality professional."

Izale McLeod (MK Dons) - Former Derby County striker Izale McLeod has long been linked with a move away from the MK Dons and the 22-year-old's 24-goal haul this season has done nothing to stop the rumours.

The England under-21 international was named in the PFA's League Two team of the year and Dons boss Martin Allen said recently: "I've no doubt he will probably be leaving in the summer.

"We made a promise to each other at the start of the season that was that and we were both committed to the cause, and that we would review things as we went on. He has stuck to that brilliantly."

Andy Bishop (Bury) - The scorer of 15 league goals for struggling Bury this season, 24-year-old striker Andy Bishop has continued the form he showed in the 2005/06 campaign with Conference side York City when he was the league's top marksman.

His vital role in keeping the Shakers in the Football League has led to interest from Ipswich Town among others but Bishop said recently: "I have got a year left and I want to stay.

"It's just a case of whether the club want to keep me if anyone comes in for me.

"I have got no ambitions to leave, I am happy here."

Jermaine Easter (Wycombe Wanderers) - Having shot to fame with his Carling Cup performances earlier in the season, most notably scoring against Chelsea in the semi-final, 24-goal striker Jermaine Easter also earned a call-up to the Wales squads to face Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and San Marino.

He was subsequently been dropped for the upcoming games against New Zealand and the Czech Republic and that together with Wycombe's slump in the latter part of the campaign has led to talk of a move away.

25-year-old Easter himself said “I am desperate to get back in with Wales.

"I’m not saying I want to leave – I got into the squad by playing at Wycombe, so I probably could get back by remaining at Wycombe."

4520: Wigan’s Recruitment Drive Hamp

by : Cody Strunk

Less than 24 hours after the heroics at Bramall Lane that enabled Wigan Athletic to secure their Premiership status for another season, supporters of The Latics had their spirits dampened somewhat by the news that manager Paul Jewell had tendered his resignation with immediate effect. It’s unlikely that too many were feeling much more positive when it was later announced by Chairman Dave Whelan that Jewell’s assistant, Chris Hutchings, had been promoted to the top job.

Hutchings may well have been an able assistant to Jewell and it could also be argued that it is unfair to judge him on his short stint at Bradford City (where he also succeeded Jewell under vaguely similar circumstances seven years ago), but there have to be doubts as to whether the new manager has the requisite status in the game to be able to attract the calibre of player required to the JJB Stadium.

Whelan has already pledged to give Hutchings up to £20 million to spend on new players over the summer. That’s all well and good, but Wigan have had enough problems recruiting and retaining players under the charismatic Jewell, so quite how the Chairman envisages the appointment of the relatively unknown and inexperienced Hutchings being one that will change that situation for the better is unclear. Although Wigan can match most of their Premiership peers it terms of transfer fees and salaries, they are sadly lacking when it comes to history and support, factors that seem to deter many a potential signing.

Whether or not Hutchings is deserving of a chance, it is difficult to see how he is going to attract top quality players to the club, especially if there is anything resembling competition for a signature. The reality is that Wigan are likely to have to look far and wide for their summer signings and will need to act quickly and decisively if they are to secure the players they want before their top-flight rivals move in.

There is also the problem of keeping hold of their current players. Last summer’s exodus of Jimmy Bullard, Jason Roberts, Pascal Chimbonda and Graham Kavanagh was a significant blow to the club’s attempts to build on the success of the previous campaign. Sunday’s match-winner, David Unsworth, and former captain, Arjan De Zeeuw, have already been released, while Lee McCulloch has long seemed destined for a move to Rangers. Keeping hold of Leighton Baines, Emile Heskey, Emmerson Boyce and Paul Scharner must be priorities if Hutchings is to have any hope of building on the foundations laid by Jewell.

4518: Aberdeen: Europe’s in their ha

by : Colin Illingworth

If in August you had offered the Dons the chance to win their final game of the season to clinch a UEFA Cup spot they would have snapped your hands off. On Sunday afternoon they have that opportunity but standing in their way is their rejuvenated bitter rivals Rangers, who would love to ruin their European dreams.

Jimmy Calderwood’s men entered the season with something to prove after director of football and legendary captain Willie Miller stated that the best the Dons could hope for would be to finish fourth. That damning verdict has proved to be a great psychological tool for Calderwood’s men as the Reds have aimed to prove the great man wrong.

Against most pundits and fans’ expectations the Dons have challenged at the top all season and even had dreams of securing a Champions League place just a few weeks back. However, after dropping 10 points in their past six games, Aberdeen have to beat Walter Smith’s men to secure their place in Europe and cap a great season. Unsurprisingly Dons fans are nervous ahead of the clash at Pittodrie.

“I have a feeling of great anticipation but also dread for this game,” said Ian Will, a member of the Red Ultras supporters club. “We aren't playing as confidently as we could and I can only hope the players turn up on Sunday and go for it, it's all in their hands, as it always has been. We can do it without a doubt. The problem is the players have to realise that and do something about it.”

Mike Gill, 56, a season ticket holder at Pittodrie, is anxious but confident of getting a result.

“I’m a bit nervous, but it’s about time we got a result against the Old Firm this season. It will be a very hard game, but of course I think we can do it, I wouldn’t be a supporter if I didn’t!”

Rangers have been transformed under the managerial partnership of Walter Smith and Ally McCoist and last weekend’s loss at home to Kilmarnock was their first defeat in the SPL. They have put the Paul Le Guen-era to bed and are looking hot for a title charge come August. Aberdeen have failed to beat the Gers this season and Ian, who wants to see the Dons fans flood back to Pittodrie, says Jimmy Calderwood has every right to be concerned by their visit.

“We should be very concerned. They aren't going to want to give us anything, and will definitely want to make a point of beating us since we dared to have second place off them for a while. We should be playing our game and we can definitely get the result if the players are 100 per cent intent on getting it, coupled with a slice of good luck, the hard work and a lot of desire will see the job through. We are lucky in some respect that Rangers have secured second, are comfortable points wise and that they don't need a result as much as we do. Hopefully they’ll have one eye on their summer holidays to Blackpool.”

Rangers left the northeast in December with all three points thanks to strikes from Nacho Novo and Sionko. Steve Lovell pulled one back to set up a frantic finish but the Dons just couldn’t get an equaliser. Mike, whose cites Alex McLeish as his all-time Dons hero, believes Aberdeen were unlucky last time round and hopes Jimmy will send the boys out to attack from the start.

4517: Sheffield United – Blades Coun

by : Cody Strunk

Going into the final weekend of the Premiership season, there never really seemed to be any serious expectation that it would be Sheffield United, rather than Wigan Athletic or West Ham United, who would be relegated come the final whistle.

Not only did The Blades have a three–point cushion over Wigan, but they were also playing host to the woefully out-of-sorts Latics in their final game. Even in the seemingly unlikely event of their going down to defeat at Bramall Lane, the fact that West Ham would still need to come away from their trip to Old Trafford with at least a point seemed to indicate that Neil Warnock and co. had relatively little to worry about.

Of course the reality is that Sheffield United did indeed lose to Wigan, while The Hammers also manufactured an unlikely victory at Manchester United so, legal ramifications notwithstanding, it is Bramall Lane rather than the JJB Stadium or Upton Park that will be hosting Championship football next term.

As anticipated, it didn’t take long for the post-match recriminations to start, with the farce over the Premier League’s handling of West Ham’s breach of rules over the transfers of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano and the team selections of Rafael Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson for key games against Fulham and West Ham respectively all getting an airing.

It’s difficult not to feel some sympathy towards Sheffield United for the manner of their relegation, but another factor that played a major part in their going down was the lack of goals, with just 32 over the course of the season. That figure might have been higher had Rob Hulse not had the misfortune to suffer a double leg fracture early on in the defeat at Chelsea in mid-March, but The Blades always looked somewhat lacking in terms of alternatives to the former Leeds United striker, so his absence was the last thing they needed for the relegation run-in.

With his top-scorer unavailable, Warnock was forced to put his faith in the likes of Jon Stead, Christian Nade, Danny Webber and Luton Shelton – hardly names likely to strike fear in the minds of Premiership defences. To be fair, Stead proved his worth after joining in January, but Warnock’s tendency to rely on strikers who were really never anything more than Championship standard always looked risky. A decent transfer budget was available, but the manager always seemed reluctant to gamble a significant percentage on any one player, opting for quantity over quality. It’s a policy that has ultimately helped to send them down and led to Wednesday’s parting of the ways between Warnock and his beloved Blades.

4516: Young Prospects go Backwards

by : Matthew Knott

Thanks to England’s woeful performances, this season has featured an awful lot of self reflection about the quality of young players being produced and the manner of coaching them. However, an equally important question should be why so many promising talents that are produced are failing to progress.

Shaun Wright Philips is the most obvious symbol of a world beater prospect going backwards, but the careers of far too many starlets seem to be stagnating.

Take the examples of the trio of capped wingers; Kieran Richardson, Aaron Lennon and Stuart Downing. At Manchester United Richardson’s appearances are becoming ever more limited, and his most productive period to date remains his loan spell at West Bromwich Albion two years ago.

Aaron Lennon is still a tantalising prospect and has shown flashes of brilliance. Nonetheless it is arguable that he hasn’t kicked on as much as hoped during this campaign. Meanwhile Downing continues to supply decent delivery from the left flank, but unfortunately has looked out of his depth thus far in the national side.

The forward line is undoubtedly an area that looks a bit threadbare these days when Steve McLaren considers his options. Luke Moore finished the season with a flourish on the last day, but has struggled for goals at Aston Villa and now has serious competition for a place, although Ashley Young is another that has yet to fully click.

The fact that we haven’t seen as much as we would have liked of Theo Walcott is a huge disappointment, and exposes the folly of him being included in the World Cup squad. Of course injury curtailed his season, but the inhibited figure we have seen in an Arsenal shirt looks a different player from the man that destroyed the German under 21s in October.

Carlton Cole seems to be gathering a sizeable collection of clubs, without imposing himself on any of them. Of the strikers, perhaps only Darren Bent emerges with any credit for carrying the scoring burden in a struggling side, and Charlton certainly lacked any threat without him.

There are, unfortunately, a few more examples. Glen Johnson’s star seems to fade further with each passing season. Nigel Reo Coker has come in for some criticism at West Ham. There is even a slight air of disappointment around Wayne Rooney, despite a championship medal and his most prolific season yet, certainly in comparison to his team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

There are several possible reasons for these derailments. Some have had the misfortune of injury. Those at the bigger clubs find themselves with intense competition, and shortening patience for giving unfinished products a run. Furthermore, Premier League clubs are casting their nets much further to catch young talent, Arsenal being a prime example. Perhaps the burden of expectation weighs heavily, and takes it toll before the players are actually as good as we are being told they are.

Thankfully some exceptions can be found. Blackburn’s David Bentley has achieved a greater degree of consistency this term and established himself as a regular, and must be knocking on the door of the full international squad. Likewise James Milner has returned to Newcastle and had a more productive campaign.

Of course a few new prospects have emerged, so it is to be hoped that the likes of Manchester City’s Micah Richards and Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor can buck this trend next season and keep rising upwards.

As we glance enviously at the continuing progress of Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas we can only hope that 2006/7 was a lost year, and our prospects start playing catch up soon.

4514: Argentina Clausura Weekly Revi

by : Cody Strunk

The race for the title in Argentina opened up somewhat following some mixed results for the leading trio in round 13.

Table–topping San Lorenzo went down to just their second defeat of the campaign in losing 2:1 at Velez Sarsfield, with strikers Gustavo Balvorin and Mauro Zarate scoring the goals for Ricardo La Volpe’s team within eight minutes of each other midway through the second-half. Defender Cristian Tula pulled a goal back for the visitors, but they were unable to build on that.

Boca Juniors failed to take full advantage of the leaders’ slip, being held to a 3:3 draw away to Argentinos Juniors. Indeed, Boca had to battle back from a goal down on three occasions, with Uruguayan Gonzalo Choy having scored twice for the hosts. Goals from Neri Cardozo, Martin Palermo (his 11th of the campaign) and Hugo Ibarra secured the point for Boca.

Those results enabled defending champions Estudiantes to draw level with Boca Juniors and within three-points of San Lorenzo after they won 2:1 at Nueva Chicago, courtesy of two goals in quick succession midway through the opening period from Pablo Luguercio.

River Plate missed the chance to take closer order at the top after being held to a 1:1 draw at home to Independiente. Augusto Fernandez gave River Plate a first-half lead, but midfielder Gaston Machin secured the point for the visitors with a goal early in the second period. Fernandez was later sent-off for River Plate, as was Guillermo Rodriguez for Independiente.

The game of the week in terms of entertainment was undoubtedly Arsenal de Sarandi’s 4:3 win over Belgrano, with substitute Javier Yacuzzi scoring what turned out to be the winning goal on 75-minutes, three minutes after coming on as a substitute.

At the bottom end of the table, Godoy Cruz continue to impress in their battle to avoid the relegation/promotion play-offs, with a 2:1 win over Gimnasia La Plata. All the goals were scored in a six-minute spell just after the 30-minute mark, with Enzo Perez and Juan Herbella scoring goals either side of a penalty from Uruguayan striker Santiago “Tanque” Silva for the visitors.

Mid-table Lanus and Gimnasia Jujuy shared the spoils in a 1:1 draw, with a last-minute goal from Diego Lagos securing a point for Lanus after they had gone behind to a Marcelo Quinteros penalty on 62-minutes. There was also a 1:1 draw between under-performing Racing Club and Banfield, with a penalty from goalkeeper Cristian Lucchetti against his former club being enough to cancel out Gustavo Cabral’s early goal. A ninth goal of the campaign from Oscar Cardozo was enough for Newell’s Old Boys to see off Rosario Central, while there was a rare win for Quilmes, with Pablo Batalla scoring a late winner against fellow strugglers Colon. The visitors had Ruben Ramirez dismissed a few minutes earlier and are now in range of Godoy Cruz in the battle to avoid the last relegation play-off position.

4515: City Chase Van Gaal The Cavali

by : Hugh Larkin

The news that Manchester City had legendary Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal on their shortlist to replace Stuart Pearce should bring a few worries to Premiership defenders- and City’s own too. This is a coach that makes even Alex Ferguson look defensively inclined.

Van Gaal has had the big jobs in football- Holland, Ajax and Barcelona- and is currently in the relative backwater of Alkmaar (building on great work by Co Adriense) However, he’s stirred matters up in that town where the stadium only holds 15,000 and the club have just fallen agonisingly short in the race for the Eredivisie title.

Not surprisingly, AZ are the Dutch top scorers this season and they could yet gain a place in the Champions League through the end of season play offs. AZ and Twente Enschede stand 1-1 after the first leg of their encounter- the winners meet either Ajax or Heerenveen to decide the second Champions League spot.

The result of this four team contest could have a critical bearing on whether Van Gaal is a realistic target for City. If AZ do make it through to Europe’s premier competition, the pressure would be on the coach to stay- then again he may decide that his job is done and he can no more for a club punching so far above their weight.

It would be something to see Van Gaal managing in the Premiership. He makes Jose Mourinho look modest, such is his self-confidence and he would ruffle some feathers, no doubt. What can’t be doubted is that City would score goals.

If life is divided into Cavaliers and Roundheads then the well-travelled Dutchman is the ultra-cavalier. He quite often puts out sides with only three outright defenders on the park and even they usually have licence to get forward if the need arises.

In common with most top Dutch bosses, width is a key element in his tactical outlook- how Shaun Wright-Phillips would have fitted into a Van Gaal selection- and he usually picks two wide men. The term ‘wide men’ not winger is deliberate, because the coach also likes to give his men licence to roam inside.

His greatest achievements were at Ajax in the mid-90s when he developed a team of many talents- the De Boers, Davids, Seedorf, Overmars to name just a few. They won the Champions League in 1995 before the side was scattered around Europe by big money transfers.

Van Gaal won 2 titles in the hotbed of Barcelona and showed his steely resolve by filling the Nou Camp with Dutch players, despite the misgivings of the Catalan faithful. He couldn’t deliver another European Cup though and his time at Dutch national coach ended in relative disappointment.

The things about Van Gaal is that his approach doesn’t always work but it is always worth watching The main question mark would be whether he has the players in Manchester to play his aggressive style or if he would adapt in the interim while he refreshed the squad.
After enduring a season of at times mind numbing football, the blue half of Manchester could look forward to a complete contrast and the Premiership as a whole would be enhanced by such a vibrant presence.

City fans must hope that Twente, Ajax or Heerenveen can put a brake on AZ’s ambitions and make Van Gaal a real candidate for the Eastland hotseat.

4513: Tottenham Hotspur: Summer Tra

by : Kieran McHugh

Having played 19 games more than in 2005/06, made progress in the cups and still finished “best of the rest”, perhaps there can be some justification for feeling that progress has been made at Spurs. However, the promised land of Champions League football is further away than last year and with Arsenal and Liverpool likely to improve next season just what to do Tottenham have to do in the transfer market to break into the top four?

In goal Paul Robinson has taken a lot of flak for a few indifferent displays, but proved what a sound ‘keeper he is by denying Manchester City on the last day to ensure Spurs secured 5th spot. With Radek Cerny and Ben Alnwick in reserve, it would be a major surprise if Jol were to consider spending any serious resources on a new first team goalie.

In defence though Spurs have at times this season been found wanting. For a period towards the end of the campaign they were surely the neutrals favourite team to watch, as goals flew in from all angles and at both ends. Unpleasant from a coach’s perspective, Spurs were undermined by a long term injury to defensive lynchpin, captain and all round good egg, Ledley King.

The absence of King has lead to the emergence of Michael Dawson as a major figure in Spurs’ plans. Ricardo Rocha came in during the January transfer window and reports circulate that a deal could be in the offing for Auxerre’s French u-21 international centre back Younes Kaboul. Should this be the case, the chances are the Antony Gardner will make way. Dorian Dervite is also making good progress in the reserves and should be looking to make a few first team appearances in 2007/08.

At right full back Spurs have plenty of options, although Paul Stalteri can’t be happy playing second fiddle to Pascal Chimbonda and could move on. Phil Ifill might be expected to appear more often next season.

At left back Spurs will undoubtedly do business over the close season. Lee Young-Pyo was close to a move to Roma last summer and, despite some better displays, could make way for a new face. Benoit Assou-Ekoto has not wholly convinced and so a first team place is up for grabs. Gareth Bale remains the preferred choice but looks unlikely to accept a move to Spurs if there are offers from clubs involved in the Champions League.

Leighton Baines has also been mooted as a possible signing, although with Wigan retaining their Premiership place and relations between Spurs and Wigan still a little frosty over the Chimbonda deal, maybe this one could fall flat. Reading’s Nicky Shorey would be an obvious target but the Royals will fight to keep him at the Madjeski. Sporting Director Damien Commoli could well be asked to get out his contact book and find a left footed left back in the Gael Clichy mould.

In midfield Spurs have a wealth of options across the line apart from the left. Steed Malbranque has not been wholly effective when deployed there and Aaron Lennon is a far more potent weapon when attacking from the right. To give Spurs balance they need a genuine left sided midfielder. They have Adel Taraabt as a prospect, but whether he can force his way into the reckoning on a long term basis is in doubt.

The ideal choice for Jol would surely be Morten Gamst Pederson, but with Blackburn in the Intertoto it’s unlikely a transfer would be sanctioned by the Rovers board, especially to a club in direct competition. Other names will be bandied about all summer as this is a position Spurs have struggled to fill. The likes of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben can be ruled out with Spurs unable to attract the biggest players without the lure of Champions League football.

One name that could crop up is Wolves starlet Michael Kightly. Born in Essex and a Spurs fan as a youngster Kightly has taken the move to Wanderers from non-league Grays in his stride. Linked with various Premiership clubs, Manchester United amongst them, Wolves could be tempted to cash in if they miss out on promotion and the money is right.

Up front everything really depends on Dimitar Berbatov’s willingness to postpone his Champions League career for another season at Spurs. All the early indications are that Spurs will fight tooth and nail to keep him and, more importantly, that he is happy to stay. However, it is far too early to know whether he’ll be in a Tottenham shirt at the start of next season.

Either way the writing is on the wall for Mido who will surely be moved on in the summer. There are rumblings that Jermain Defoe could also seek an exit. Should this be the case Spurs could yet sign two strikers as potential back up to Berbatov and Keane. Jol has opted for a “Little and Large” attacking combo throughout his time as Tottenham manager but there could be a single player who could provide the best fit.

Should Jol lose two strikers in Mido and Defoe, Darren Bent could step in as a foil for Berbatov in place of Keane and a replacement for Berbatov in a target man role alongside Keane. Jol might accept that it’s easier to keep 3 forwards happy than four and with Bent amongst the goals and having genuine pace, Spurs could pare down their forwards without compromising on quality. Mark Viduka could also make a summer move to the Lane on a short term contract.

The revolving door at Spurs is gone for the time being one suspects. If momentum is to be maintained the key is to keep those who have performed, move on those no longer required and add quality in the right positions. Not a busy summer in prospect, but an intriguing and important one at White Hart Lane.

4511: Sunderland Can Be Big Players

by : Cody Strunk

It can be a big leap from the Championship to the Premiership but, as Reading has shown this season, it’s not an impossible one. It might seem somewhat premature, especially given that we have a hectic summer of transfer activity ahead of us, but Sunderland already look to have as good a chance as any promoted club in recent years of making a major impact among the elite next season.

The Black Cats last two Premiership campaigns were little short of disastrous, with only 19-points in 2002-03 and a paltry 15-points in 2005-06. That is certainly not going to happen next term though, with manager Roy Keane having already been promised the transfer funds over the summer (somewhere in the region in excess of £25 million is apparently available from Niall Quinn’s Drumaville Consortium) that should make Sunderland a force to be reckoned with this time round.

Keane had plenty of advantages over his Championship peers, given the financial backing and the fact that he obviously commands respect from so many players who probably would not have contemplated joining the club were it not for his being there. There's no arguing with his record to date though and he has no doubt surprised many with the contrast between his managerial and playing personas.

Even though Keane seems far more restrained in the dug-out than he was on the pitch as a player, he did put down an early marker as a disciplinarian when dropping three players from the squad for arriving late for the coach that travelled to Barnsley back in March - an act that suggests he might have picked up a thing or two from a certain Brian Clough (among others). Few other novice managers would have been prepared to act so decisively, although then not many of them would be in a position where they know that such a decision would receive unreserved backing from the board.

The club will no doubt be subjected to more transfer speculation than almost any other club over the coming months, with any player in possession of an Irish passport or on the periphery of the Manchester United first team sure to be deemed a potential target. Although Keane has largely relied on those from his homeland or that he knew from former clubs to date, there are indications that he will broaden his search this summer, with the names of Joey Barton and David Nugent recently linked. Barton would be a controversial signing for any club given his history, but he is undoubtedly a player of quality and Keane might just be the man who can tame the Manchester City midfielder.

As a player Keane was renowned for his winning mentality and that attitude already appears to rubbing off on those around him at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland is a club with real momentum behind them now, so with money to back up an ambitious young manager and given their level of support, they should be more than capable of cementing their place in the Premiership next term.

4510: Blackburn- Just 68 Days to the

by : Hugh Larkin

After Sunday’s results confirmed Blackburn Rovers in 10th place, Mark Hughes can begin planning for an early start to the 2007/08 campaign. On 21st or 22nd July, Rovers will be playing European football.

Despite finishing only 10th Blackburn have an excellent chance of being in the UEFA Cup again because the club put in an entry to the Intertoto Cup. This competition is open to the next four teams outside the qualifiers for the UEFA Cup- this season that means positions 8-11 in the Premiership.

Rovers benefit because Reading and Portsmouth chose not to express an interest and they managed to finish just ahead of Aston Villa. They now have just one tie to negotiate to reach the UEFA cup.

Up to last year the Intertoto was a bit of nightmare with three rounds- and 6 matches- to get through to win the prize. However, like everything else UEFA do, it has been revamped for the benefit of Europe’s big leagues. Representatives from 11 associations are exempt until the third and final round- including the English one.

Blackburn already know part of what they could face. They will take on the winner of tie between a Polish team and the winners of a preliminary Welsh-Lithuania encounter. The Poles are not known yet but Llanelli will be there for Wales, taking on FK Vetra.

The chances are that the Polish team will come through but that would hold no fears for Blackburn after they made a successful trip to Krakow in this year’s UEFA run. Wales would be ideal from a travel point of view but Llanelli have it all to do.

The Welsh team actually start out on 23rd June- beginning even before the Wimbledon tennis is completed. Rovers come into the event on 21st or 22 July, 68 days from now.

While that may seem a bit of a bind at first sight, the manager takes the view that the squad would be involved in pre-season matches anyway, so the two leg tie could be an ideal sharpener to hit the ground running in the Premiership.

While the Intertoto has taken its fair share of stick in the past (from me, for one) sides like Villarreal of Spain have come through it to stake a claim as a regular European qualifier. The current structure does not place a huge burden on clubs like Blackburn and they will start favourites to make it through.

It seems strange that Portsmouth decided not to have a shot at the Intertoto, given the prize available for just two contests but Reading had a clearly ambiguous view of the benefits to be had from European football.

If Rovers do progress it would make them the 8th Premiership side to qualify and there is also a chance that Aston Villa could make it nine. Villa came second to Spurs in the Premiership Fair Play League which means they now become the English team in a draw on May 15th (today). 10 teams from the best behaved European Leagues go into the hat and two lucky sides will win a place in the UEFA Cup. If Villa get the nod, just under half the Premiership could be hosting Continental sides this autumn.

4512: International Rescue Could Aid

by : Cody Strunk

"I love being here. Blackburn were persistent and it was always my dream to play in England. If I did well and a big club came in for me, it would be up to Blackburn. But if they want me to stay, I'll stay. Blackburn's wish is my command. I want to stay loyal to them, they gave me my chance." Those were the words of striker Benni McCarthy back in October.

It would therefore have come as something of a disappointment to Blackburn supporters when quotes attributed to the South African in the media last week gave a strong indication that he was now angling for a move to Chelsea that would reunite him with his former Porto boss, Jose Mourinho.

McCarthy, after an excellent first season in the Premiership, could well appeal to Mourinho, assuming the Portuguese manager is still in charge at Stamford Bridge next term, particularly with Andriy Shevchenko’s Chelsea future looking less than clear and with Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou likely to be away with the Ivory Coast on African Nations Cup duty mid-season. There is even the possibility that teenage striker Ben Sahar could be called up for national service with the Israeli army when he turns 18 later this year.

Of course, McCarthy could be on African Nations Cup duty himself early next year, although he did ask last year not to be selected for the South African national side after getting his transfer to Blackburn. South Africa's new Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has indicated that he is confident he can persuade his country's top player to return to the international fold, but McCarthy would seem unlikely to jeopardise a move to a top club playing Champions League football for the sake of a few games with the Bafana Bafana in Ghana.

McCarthy last played for South Africa at the African Nations Cup finals in Egypt in 2006 (although even his attendance there was in doubt until the last moment). It could be argued that he will be more inclined to go this time in order to cement his place in Parreira’s World Cup plans on home soil in 2010 but, so limited are the options available to coach, McCarthy knows that he is more or less guaranteed a starting role come the World Cup whatever he decides to do in the meantime.

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has attempted to play down the speculation, suggesting that McCarthy’s original quotes to a Portuguese newspaper may have been taken out of context. Having lost Craig Bellamy after just a season at Ewood Park last summer, Hughes could certainly do without losing another key striker as he plans for next season.

4509: Northern Ireland; Sanchez Put

by : Stephen Orford

If there was any doubt that club football reigns supreme over the international game, it all but evaporated on Friday (May 11) when Lawrie Sanchez resigned as Northern Ireland manager to take over at Fulham on a full-time basis.

The former Wimbledon midfielder has worked relative miracles since his appointment with Northern Ireland in 2004. At that time, Northern Ireland were on an horrendous run of 14 games without a victory, and 13 games without so much as a goal. Fast forward three years and you will find the side top of Euro 2008 Qualifying Group F ahead of such luminaries as Spain and Sweden.

That both have been defeated so far in this campaign offers yet further evidence of the majestic strides made by Northern Ireland under Sanchez. England too, have felt the full force of the Northern Irish rebirth when Sven Goran Eriksson’s side suffered a humiliating 1-0 defeat in Belfast en route to last summer’s World Cup finals in Germany. Added to this, Northern Ireland have risen from 124th to 33rd in the official FIFA world rankings during Sanchez’s time in charge.

Little wonder then that Fulham consider the 47-year-old to be the right man to take them forward. Chris Coleman’s solid but unremarkable four-year tenure came to an end in April, with Sanchez appointed on an initially temporary basis with a remit to steer the club away from relegation. That objective was achieved with a 1-0 win over a controversially weakened Liverpool side at Craven Cottage on May 5, and in all the former Wycombe Wanderers boss has added four points to the Fulham tally in his five games in charge.

Sufficient, if unspectacular, but Sanchez’s decision to give up the Northern Ireland job to concentrate fully on his role in west London has again dragged up the club v country debate. Northern Ireland fans have been here before, with Sammy McIlroy handing in his notice with the IFA to take over in the modest surroundings of Stockport County in 2003. McIlroy is currently on the brink of guiding Morecambe into the Football League via the Conference play-offs, but even so his decision to swap the international scene for the lower reaches of the English pyramid system is at best confusing.

Sanchez’s circumstances are slightly different, and as such make his switch all the more alarming for anyone concerned with international football. At the time of McIlroy’s departure the Northern Ireland team were a million miles away from qualifying for a major tournament, something which they have not achieved since heading to Mexico for the 1986 World Cup finals. Now, Sanchez has forsaken the very real opportunity of guiding his adopted country into the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland for what looks like the relative mediocrity of the middle of the English Premiership.

Yet this is only half the story, as Sanchez’s relationship with the Northern Irish press had become more and more strained in recent times. The wonderful results achieved under his stewardship have served only to raise expectations, and fearful press floggings have been handed out on the rare occasions that Sanchez’s side have failed to reach the new standards they have set. When Northern Ireland were surprisingly spanked 3-0 by Iceland in their opening Euro 2008 qualifier it seemed the sharp stuff was out for the man capped three times by Northern Ireland. Once more the 1988 FA Cup final hero turned around the fortunes of the side, and leaves with the Northern Irish press hopefully contemplating the part they have played in his departure.

All of which leaves the IFA to find a new man to take the national team forward. Their response to Sanchez’s exit has been surprisingly tame, with none of the kind of legal threats and accusations which accompanied Walter Smith’s decision to leave his post as Scotland manager for a return to Rangers in January. Perhaps this is testament to the gratitude of the IFA towards Sanchez for the outstanding job he had done over the last three years, but also a grim realisation that club football, and particularly the Premiership, will always take precedence over the Northern Ireland job.

Names like Iain Dowie, Danny Wilson, Jimmy Nicholl and even Martin O’Neill have been placed in the frame to take over from Sanchez, yet the race is more of a mild amble than a wild scramble. Whoever that new man is has much to build on, with the enticing prospect of the Euro 2008 finals still within reach.

Now, tell me you wouldn’t rather be in Fulham.

By Stephen Orford

14 May 2007

4508: How to solve the West Ham ques

by : Antony Melvin

West Ham United avoided relegation on the final day of the season after a fabulous run of form that saw them win seven of the last nine games including winning at Arsenal and Manchester United. And in any normal season that would be that - but not 2006/7. In signing two Argentinian internationals at the end of the 2006 summer transfer window West Ham breached Premier League contract rules and set in motion a series of events that could lead to enormously damaging legal action.

Barring the legal teams who have been through the minutae of the contracts of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano there is little concrete information as to the exact illegalities of the transfers. The most likely offence was that the players in question would have to be sold at the behest of a third party - rather than because West Ham would want to. Why West Ham would want to sign up to such a deal is questionable - but given the last minute nature of the transfers mistakes can be made.

West Ham were fined £5.5m as a result of the contract irregularities, but this has left a number of other Premiership clubs are unhappy. If the contract failings meant that the pair were ineligible then a fine is inappropriate. Most teams would expect to be relegated if they fielded ineligible players - whether they were playing in the Sheffield and Rotherham Imperial Sunday League Second Division or in The FA Premier League. If an ineligible player turned out a couple of times then almost any team would expect a points deduction - and more than that and relegation would be likely.

And this is where the Premier League is in a difficult position. There are precedents set for points deductions or relegation for fielding ineligible players, financial irregularities, illegal payments, failure to fulfill fixtures, administration and a whole range of other offences. If West Ham had erred sufficiently to be fined £5.5m how could they not have erred sufficiently to be docked points?

The contract difficulties do not end there. Tevez continued to play for West Ham after the fine - with some suggestions that there remained a third party influence in his future; not least from Kia Joorabchian formerly of MSI. Of course MSI have been considered likely to have an impact on English football for three years now.

The 'Eastern Question' in European socio-political history revolved around the fall-out from the break up of the Ottoman Empire - a break-up that was directly connected to many of the nastiest conflicts in modern European history, from The Crimean War to the First World War and the recent Bosnian Crisis. The 'West Ham Question' is set to involve a lot of lawyers - who can be about as nasty as many Balkan warlords.

Is there a compromise that could appease the warmongers in this scenario? One resolution does seem to have some possibilities and that is to not relegate Sheffield United before due legal process is resolved. The easiest way to do this would be to start next season with 21 teams in the Premiership. It is too late and far too damaging to change the promotion rules from the Championship - to try to persuade the play-off teams that 'there's always next year' would not work and would only result in more legal issues. Some kind of play-off between West Ham and Sheffield United is morally bankrupt; as is paying Sheffield United an enhanced parachute payment as though they were in the top flight - given the imbalance that it would cause in the Championship.

A 21 team Premiership would allow for time to any legal challenge to West Ham to be at least started - although given the speed of the legal process it might end up as a 'Bleak House', where the process drains all cash and hope from those concerned. But, perhaps it may even avoid the whole process. Sheffield United's relegation could even be suspended so that if they lost their legal challenge they would then face automatic relegation. And if the legal challenge succeeds perhaps West Ham could also face automatic relegation. The golden scenario would be that a 21 team top flight would avoid the need for any kind of legal challenge.

However it happened, a 21 team league for 2007/8 would need to see four teams relegated - which would be altogether fraught; but it could also acclimitise the top division to readjust to changing the division size and usher in some momentum to move to an 18 team top division.

There are no easy solutions to 'West Ham Question' - but right now the question could be answered by leaving The Blades in the top flight until the legalities or otherwise of West Ham's conduct are resolved. Is this too much like natural justice?

4499: Prediction Panel 2006/7: Prem

by : Antony Melvin

The big match today is clearly at Bramall Lane where Wigan must beat Sheffield United if they are to remain in the top flight. West Ham visit the champions, Manchester United, knowing that a point will ensure safety - at least until any legal action - and they could get it against a depleted home team. With Everton safely in the UEFA Cup spots their game at Chelsea is more about laying down a marker for next season. But Spurs need a point against Man City to ensure they have another UEFA Cup place - but that seems easy enough. The final place goes to Bolton, Portsmouth or Reading and Bolton will have it if they can beat Aston Villa.

This is the last full panel of the season, we'll be doing some special panels on the internationals, play-offs etc. Do you think you can beat our illustrious writers in the predictions stakes? If so we would love to hear from you as we expand the panel and may also take in regular panels on the Championship and the SPL next season. If you think you have more of a magic touch than the Magic Hat then please leave your details below and we'll be in touch soon.

The current panel standings are available here - and will be completed to the end of the season shortly.

Sunday, 13 May 2007

Blackburn Rovers (10) vs Reading (8), KO 15:00

The Intertoto is now Blackburn's route into Europe and as it is only one game these days the Lancashire side will be pushing for a win to secure it (not all the teams above them are interested). Reading's obvious indifference to Europe could see them on the beach before this game kicks off.

Blackburn Can End Reading’s Euro Anxieties

PREDICTIONS
Magic Hat: Home
Colin Illingworth: 3-1
Antony Melvin: 1-0

Bolton Wanderers (7) vs Aston Villa (11), KO 15:00

Little Sam is going to start getting anxious if he fails to push through a top seven finish now - and Villa are a tricky team to play. Villa are rarely turned over but at least they have nothing to play for. Before the Bolton team is broken up can it put in one last effort?

PREDICTIONS
Magic Hat: Away
Colin Illingworth: 1-2
Antony Melvin: 1-0

Chelsea (2) vs Everton (5), KO 15:00

Something akin to a dead rubber - but there is still £1m on offer to Everton to win this match; as that is the prize money difference between fifth and seventh. So expect Everton to offer the most likely dent in Chelsea's undefeated home record as the home team rest most of their players ahead of the Cup final.

PREDICTIONS
Magic Hat: Home
Colin Illingworth: 2-1
Antony Melvin: 0-1

Liverpool (3) vs Charlton Athletic (19), KO 15:00

Liverpool need to win to confirm third place and will expect to achieve that even if they rest players. Charlton looked thoroughly abject in the defeat against Tottenham that sealed their fate - and with the team about to be gutted there will be few willing to risk injury.

PREDICTIONS
Magic Hat: Home
Colin Illingworth: 3-1
Antony Melvin: 2-0

Manchester United (1) vs West Ham United (17), KO 15:00

Manchester United will approach this game as a must-win to be fair to West Ham's relegation rivals - something that must have made Fulham appreciate having to play Liverpool last week. But United are still going to be missing a number of key players through injury even if club captain Gary Neville holds up the league title he won't play again this season. Neither will Saha or Park and Ronaldo, Rooney, Ferdinand, Evra, Vidic and Richardson are not match fit or are carrying injuries too. West Ham look lively and are finally demonstrating that they are a top six side - not a relegation candidate; whatever the politics.

PREDICTIONS
Magic Hat: Home
Colin Illingworth: 1-1
Antony Melvin: 2-1

4507: Sochaux Stun Marseille – with

by : Daniel Law

The outgoing French President Jacques Chirac and the rest of the eighty thousand people packed inside the Stade de France were treated to extra-time and penalties as Sochaux came twice from behind to eventually defeat Marseille in the final of the Coupe de France.

It was the first time that Sochaux had won the competition since they defeated Strasbourg in the final back in 1937.

A comfortable victory for Marseille looked to be on the cards when Djibril Cisse- supporting a rather questionable new hairdo for the big match- found himself unmarked in the penalty box to nod home Nasri's cross after 5 minutes.

However if anything this just spurred on Sochaux who probed and prodded without really finding that killer final pass. However it was the former Marseille midfielder Jrme Leroy who really took the game by the scruff of the neck and got his team back in the game. The omnipresent Leroy came close to scoring a couple of times himself before crossing for Moumouni Dagano to equalize for Sochaux with a fine header after 67 minutes.

Throughout the course of the ninety minutes Marseille were devoid of ideas and inspiration. Franck Ribery was especially disappointing and looked half the player that lit up last summer's World Cup so spectacularly. The only player who did look capable of troubling Sochaux was the talented nineteen-year-old Samir Nasri. The attacking midfielder was unlucky to see his shot go over the bar after a weaving and determined run straight through the heart of the Sochaux defence.

In extra-time it was Marseille who again drew first blood. Djibril Ciss- the on loan Liverpool striker- headed his team again into the lead, this time converting a cross from Toifilou Maoulida. It was quite ironic that it should be Ciss who would once more get his name on the scoresheet as the striker had contributed very little to the spectacle other than a dodgy barnet.

However it was another on loan Liverpool player who had the last laugh. With only five minutes of the second half of extra-time remaining the enigmatic, forgotten man of Merseyside Anthony Le Tallec rose majestically to head home a pin-point cross from Ziani.

Despite their best efforts Sochaux failed to find a winner and the match had to be settled by the lottery of penalty kicks. After both teams scored four out of their first five penalties it was the unfortunate Ronald Zubar who missed the decisive spot-kick for Marseille.

It would be hard to begrudge the resilient Sochaux their victory because too many of Marseille's big name players failed to put in a performance worthy of a cup final on the day. However having lost in the final two years in a row it would have been a very long journey back to the south of France for the frustrated Marseille fans.

4506: An Owl cries as the Blades go

by : Jeff Gold

So, it’s all down to the final day, and Sheffield United, with a decent home record, play host to their rivals for survival, who are hopeless away. Winner stays up. A draw and the glory is United’s, inasmuch as avoiding relegation to Division Four can ever be considered glorious for a club whose trophy cabinet holds four FA Cups and a League Championship.

For this is not 2007 but 1981, and it’s a bad time to be a Blade. Six years earlier United finished sixth in Division One, playing football with style and a swagger, missing out on Europe by a single point. But their insistence on transforming Bramall Lane from a cricket ground into a proper four-sided football stadium left them skint. A meteoric descent ensued.

Yet, as they tumbled pell-mell through the leagues, they retained a semblance of faded glamour. At a time when English football scouts rarely ventured beyond Ireland, United nabbed Alex Sabella, an Argentinian who went on to represent his country; they snaffled a procession of talented and experienced Division One veterans; strewth, they even bagged a World Cup winner.

But they were rubbish. In 1966 Martin Peters may have been ten years ahead of his time, but now he was five years behind it; Sabella was ill-suited to Division Two never mind Division Three; and the trio of Bob Hatton, Don Givens and Stewart Houston might have boasted almost a million top-level appearances between them but they were older than most continents and moved just as slowly.

Still, as the 1970s drew to a close, recovery looked likely. On Christmas Day of United’s first ever season in Division Three they were top of the league and the following day faced Sheffield Wednesday in the first local derby for 19 seasons. It was the most eagerly awaited event in Sheffield since Marti Caine played The Locarno, and 49,309 people - a record for the division - pitched up to watch a match that is still celebrated in song. By Wednesday fans. United were trounced and failed to recover, finishing the season in twelfth.

The following year they started well again, but again, like an unwanted puppy, they sank after Christmas. Promotion looked unlikely; relegation was unthinkable. Nevertheless, going into the final game, the last drop-spot awaited either United or their opponents, Walsall, whose survival depended on their winning away for the first time since October. As a 12 year old Wednesday fan with a Blade for a brother, I reckoned that sounded like fun.

My memories are unreliable. In my mind the match is tremendous (apparently it was dross), Bramall Lane is packed (actually two-thirds empty) and the longer the game remains goalless, the more relaxed those around me become (more recent experience suggests this is unlikely). Then disaster: three minutes remain and a penalty for Walsall. Is it deserved? I’ve no idea, it’s down the other end. The outcome is clear enough. One-nil down and United are doomed. Anguish abounds (more recent experience suggests this is likely).

But hang on, there’s time for a final attack. “Handball,” screams the crowd and the referee agrees. Salvation. Barely credibly, United have a penalty of their own. It will be the last kick of the season. Score and you stay up; miss and you’re relegated. An injury to the regular penalty taker, Tony Kenworthy, means the honour is bestowed on Bob Hatton (actually John Matthews, but they both had a tache to make the Village People weep so it’s an easy mistake to make).

What’s going on? Bob (that’s John) has bottled it and doesn’t want to know. In his place is Don Givens. That’s good. What’s needed here is experience. An old head who’s been around a bit and played in games more important than a Division Three relegation decider. A man with more than 50 international caps; Ireland’s record goal scorer.

I’m standing directly behind the goal. I pretend to be the keeper. Givens walks up. I prepare to dive the wrong way before marauding around the terraces, arms aloft. Here we go.

He misses, of course. That I do remember. It’s an effort so pitiful that had the real keeper guessed incorrectly he could still have got up, brushed himself down and leaned nonchalantly against the post, smoking a pipe and reading the Daily Telegraph, before sauntering along the goal line and crouching gracefully to scoop up the ball in his cap.

It’s over. Supporters roam the ground aimlessly, bewildered, not knowing whether to dump or have haircut. The emotion is overwhelming. But I’m a Wednesday fan. I don’t care. In fact it’s brilliant. Yet my 12 year old eyes still fill with tears.

Jeff Gold
12 May 2007