Though the official reason for Fabio Capello’s appearance at the Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science last weekend was for the Euro 2012 qualifying draw, the Italian will have known all the questions aimed at him by the media will have been about one thing – John Terry.
It has become a headline-grabbing, newspaper-selling frenzy and the whole sordid affair had threatened to rip the England team apart, with the press gleefully fanning the flames.
It is ironic that the media run with such stories when they are clearly damaging to the team, yet they will also be the first to criticise them when they fail to reach their lofty targets.
Read the rest of this entry.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Nani blots his copybook after superb month
It's a pity that Nani will be denied the chance to showcase his new found form at Wembley at the end of the month.
The regulation three-match ban for his ugly lunge on Aston Villa's Stilian Petrov means he will miss the Carling Cup final against the same opponents on February 28th.
It will be a great shame as to play on England's biggest stage would have been a fitting reward for the Portuguese winger whose inspirational performances over the last few months have helped sustain United's Premier League title challenge.
It is a remarkable turnaround when you consider he has been linked with the exit door since last summer.
Read the rest of this entry.
The regulation three-match ban for his ugly lunge on Aston Villa's Stilian Petrov means he will miss the Carling Cup final against the same opponents on February 28th.
It will be a great shame as to play on England's biggest stage would have been a fitting reward for the Portuguese winger whose inspirational performances over the last few months have helped sustain United's Premier League title challenge.
It is a remarkable turnaround when you consider he has been linked with the exit door since last summer.
Read the rest of this entry.
Nani blots his copybook after superb month
It's a pity that Nani will be denied the chance to showcase his new found form at Wembley at the end of the month.
The regulation three-match ban for his ugly lunge on Aston Villa's Stilian Petrov means he will miss the Carling Cup final against the same opponents on February 28th.
It will be a great shame as to play on England's biggest stage would have been a fitting reward for the Portuguese winger whose inspirational performances over the last few months have helped sustain United's Premier League title challenge.
It is a remarkable turnaround when you consider he has been linked with the exit door since last summer.
Read the rest of this entry.
The regulation three-match ban for his ugly lunge on Aston Villa's Stilian Petrov means he will miss the Carling Cup final against the same opponents on February 28th.
It will be a great shame as to play on England's biggest stage would have been a fitting reward for the Portuguese winger whose inspirational performances over the last few months have helped sustain United's Premier League title challenge.
It is a remarkable turnaround when you consider he has been linked with the exit door since last summer.
Read the rest of this entry.
Pompey's week of destiny
In a campaign that has seen the club teeter on the brink of collapse on more than one occasion, the fat lady may yet have chance to exercise her vocal chords should a High Court hearing go against Portsmouth this week.
With reported debts of up to £60 million the south coast club go to the High Court on Wednesday to try to prevent HM Revenue and Customs winding them up in pursuit of £7 million in unpaid taxes.
Pompey are only operating thanks to other 'soft' creditors refusing to call in their loans immediately, with former owner Alexandre Gaydamak being one of them. But HMRC are tired of debt ridden football clubs being slack with their tax bills and are unwilling to give the club more time.
Read the rest of this entry.
With reported debts of up to £60 million the south coast club go to the High Court on Wednesday to try to prevent HM Revenue and Customs winding them up in pursuit of £7 million in unpaid taxes.
Pompey are only operating thanks to other 'soft' creditors refusing to call in their loans immediately, with former owner Alexandre Gaydamak being one of them. But HMRC are tired of debt ridden football clubs being slack with their tax bills and are unwilling to give the club more time.
Read the rest of this entry.
Liverpool win the battle of Anfield to nudge ahead in 4th place race
A well worn statistic that is trotted out ahead of every Merseyside derby is the fact that there have been more red cards in this fixture than any other Premier League clash.
The fixture duly obliged on Saturday lunchtime as the metamorphosis from the “friendly derby” to footballing war was confirmed with at least four X-rated challenges and two red cards.
Jamie Carragher struck the first blow within the opening seconds with a full-blooded challenge on Steven Pienaar – the tone had clearly been set. Pienaar himself got into the action with a nasty lunge that scraped down Javier Mascherano’s shins. Only a yellow was produced by referee Martin Atkinson, with Pienaar’s favourable reputation in the disciplinary stakes perhaps saving him.
Read the rest of this entry.
The fixture duly obliged on Saturday lunchtime as the metamorphosis from the “friendly derby” to footballing war was confirmed with at least four X-rated challenges and two red cards.
Jamie Carragher struck the first blow within the opening seconds with a full-blooded challenge on Steven Pienaar – the tone had clearly been set. Pienaar himself got into the action with a nasty lunge that scraped down Javier Mascherano’s shins. Only a yellow was produced by referee Martin Atkinson, with Pienaar’s favourable reputation in the disciplinary stakes perhaps saving him.
Read the rest of this entry.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
In-form Mersey duo set for latest local tussle
It says much for the motivational and coaching skills of David Moyes and Rafa Benitez that both Everton and Liverpool are in such good form going into the Merseyside derby this weekend.
When the teams last clashed, a little over nine weeks ago, both clubs were virtually on their knees, their fans stunned by an astonishing loss of form that saw their pre-season expectations ripped to shreds before the Christmas decorations had even been put up.
In late November Liverpool had just been cast out of the Champions League and had suffered five defeats in 13 matches. Everton hadn't won in ten and had just lost 3-2 at Hull, a performance David Moyes described at the worst in his time at the club.
The last Merseyside derby was seen by both clubs as a chance to turn their season around. Things appeared to be favouring the red side of Merseyside when Javier Mascherano's wild shot deflected off Joseph Yobo and into the Gwladys Street net after just 12 minutes. Indeed lady luck was on Liverpool's side that day, with Everton enjoying the lion's share of the possession but failing put the ball past the impressive Pepe Reina, before Dirk Kuyt sealed the points late on.
Read the rest of this entry.
Capello’s moral quandary
Coaches will no doubt tell you that football management is much more than tactics, formations and cones on a muddy training pitch. The advances in technology and coaching techniques means standards are higher than ever before, and at top level the slightest weakness will be ruthlessly exploited.
So when England boss Fabio Capello gathers his troops for the friendly with Egypt next month he will have to assess the unity and morale of a squad potentially fractured by the John Terry affair.
In dealing with this issue the Italian will have to focus on what is good for the team without completely disregarding his moral compass.
Read the rest of this entry.
Where did it all go wrong?
They lived the dream” became an expression synonymous with failure following Leeds United’s demise in 2004.
Sadly lessons haven’t been learnt from the West Yorkshire club’s misfortunes if recent events are anything to go by.
First up Crystal Palace, who after battling all season finally lost the financial war and fell into administration with debts of more than £30 million, becoming another sad statistic in the grim, foggy, world of football finances. Palace have joined the likes of Leicester, Leeds and Southampton – all former Premier League sides who have all called in the administrators.
Desperate to board the Premier League gravy train once again it appears Palace have gambled too much since spending the 2004/05 season in the top flight. They were immediately cast back into the Championship with players stuck on huge wages and the taxman left unpaid.
Pompey set to go offline
It is hard to imagine a worse season than the one Portsmouth are suffering at the moment. The extravagant and irresponsible excesses of recent years are unravelling by the day as the club careers towards financial meltdown.
Portsmouth’s League position already makes grim reading, but a clutch of incidents this week have left the club on the edge.
The start of the week actually brought good news, with the Premier League partially lifting the club’s transfer embargo, allowing them to sign players on loan and on a free transfer. Ghana striker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie signed on loan to lighten the gloom.
But as the week progressed things took a downward path. It was revealed that talks had taken place with Spurs over the transfer of Younes Kaboul and Amir Begovic. Portsmouth have a threadbare squad as it is so further player sales would put their ability to name a full match day squad into doubt. But with debts of £60 million the bills have to paid somehow and it looks like further player sales are the answer.
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