Football Streaker

Twitter

2012-01-24T01:01:00.002Z

Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/ColmPhelo

This is my personal twitter, won't be all football, there will however more than likely be some Premier League based banter.

Also selling Fifa Ultimate Team coins on ebay, contact me for details and all that Jazz.

- Might start posting again soon, just have to get back into the swing of things.

Arsenal, a club in turmoil

2011-08-16T14:49:00.004+01:00

Lately, you can't look in the papers without seeing something about North Londoners, Arsenal. The problem for them is, the news has not been very good of late. Some might say Arsenal are a club in crisis, and I would have to agree.

We all know about Cesc Fabregas' high profile move back to him first club Barcelona, but to be honest that move was coming and any Arsenal fan who didn't predict it, was frankly, clutching at straws. With the sales of Emmanuel Eboue and Gael Clichy adding to the departure list, it's safe to say there is something not right in the Emirites stadium this summer.

Who is to blame? I don't think its problem with the board, otherwise we would have heard it from some source. Most of the blame has been put on Wenger, which in my opinion, is fair enough. He has been told over and over again where he needs to strengthen his squad, and instead he buys a mediocre right-back from Charlton, a 17 year old wonderkid who although screams potential, is not the finished article. His only other signing was Ivory Coast international Gervinho, who signed from Lille. A good player yes, but the type of player Arsenal need? No.

Perhaps the most worrying thing for Wenger and his staff is the astonishing lack of support from the fans, but can you blame them? Last weekend during their 0-0 draw with Newcastle a chant from crowd could be heard ''Please spend some money''. There was also some abuse for want-away midfielder Samir Nasri, with Arsenal fans letting there feelings towards his lack of loyalty to the club be known. Tonight's game against Udinese is perhaps one of the most important games of Arsenal's season. A two legged affair. Victory could win back the fans, defeat could see more empty seats at the Emirites for games to come.

So with Fabregas gone, Nasri seemingly destined to make a switch to Manchester (the blue side) and the fans getting sick of Wenger's procrastination in the transfer market, it's safe to say Arsenal are not having their best period. Your

move Mr Wenger, your move.

Why have England fallen short in major tournaments?

2011-08-14T15:42:00.000+01:00

At this time of year, the prospects of the national side are firmly on the back-burner of many fans minds, and rightly so, it’s the exciting start of the new season, full of hope and expectation, which carries many fans along until they meet their more familiar friends of despondency and ennui as their team squanders yet another half-time lead, the referee robs them again of 3 points for 4 weeks on the trot etc, etc, etc…

Yet come the end of the season, attention will turn to the national side as they struggle to qualify out of their group and barely make it to the knock-out stages, normally to be dispatched by a far fitter, energetic, enthused and committed side.

Why is this? Why has England not really turned up to a tournament in any meaningful way since 2002? If we look at other countries, the winter break is an obviously identifiable feature that football in this country lacks and would probably benefit from. But the heart of the problem is something deeper.

The effect of European football’s expansion since 2000 to 2 leagues, the Champion’s (ironic since the last true champion’s league was in 1999) and Europa leagues, that sit above the premier league and have turned the season into not one marathon, but something akin to a triathalon that features a marathon.

The result of which is that a large amount of the games in the premiership are being played in front of reduced crowds, by players who are operating at 80-90% peak performance.

If the FA were serious in setting about winning England’s 2^nd major international trophy, perhaps they ought to take a leaf out of the governing bodies of other UK sports?

The England cricket team had similar struggles in international tournaments until recently. They failed to qualify out of their group during the world cups of 1999, 2003 and performed abysmally in 2007. Since 2009 though, England have reached the knock-out stages of every tournament they’ve played in, culminating in that 2010 Twenty20 World cup win in Barbados.

How have they achieved this? Well in part the ECB (the game’s governing body) have made ‘Team England’ their top priority. England players are salaried not to their clubs, but to their national team.

This means that the ECB can direct players to rest and ensure that they arrive at tournaments fit, and hungry for international success.

Whilst those looking at football betting tips don’t doubt the current England side’s desire to perform to the best of their abilities, the current set up of English football is not designed around producing the best quality national side, and it’s been showing for a long while now.

Gunners chase Downing

2011-07-10T11:47:00.002+01:00

Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger has apparently today made an astonishing £18 million bid for Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing. Downing has been with a move away from Villa Park after a rather sluggish season from Villa.

Villa have already lost a key player in Ashley Young, and will be keen to hold to Downing. However, such a high bid could tempt them to part with their English born winger. Arsenal have thus far been very quiet in the transfer market, and Arsene Wenger is coming under increasing pressure to make some signings.

However, is Downing the right man for Arsenal? First of all, £18 million is a ridiculous amount to pay for him, that would be more than Man United payed for Ashley Young (a better player), but still less than Liverpool payed for Jordan Henderson if that's any consolation to the Arsenal faithful. Personally I don't think Downing is good enough for Arsenal and if anything, he is not needed

Why a mad summer of transfers has lifted the pressure from Andy Carroll

2011-07-05T22:24:00.002+01:00

If you have been following the summer of transfer dealings so far, you will know that there is plenty of money changing hands. Some deals are not completed quite yet, but as well as the ones that have gone through, the price tags of some players has surprised many.

There are a few examples. England Under-21 international Jordan Henderson has moved to Liverpool for £20m, Connor Wickham has gone to Sunderland for £12m and England international Ashley Young has completed a £15m move to Manchester United.

This is just three deals for English players and the spending has reached £47m. Quite incredible when you think of it like that isn’t it? Speaking of incredible, it was reported that Stoke City offered £16m to secure the signatures of Birmingham’s Cameron Jerome and Scott Dann.

Where am I going with this I hear you ask. Well, as well as pointing out the amount of money being spent by English clubs this summer, it got me to thinking about another recent expensive transfer.

Football betting pundits will tell you how Andy Carroll moved to Liverpool in January for £35m. This was a lot of money of course, but when put with the transfers going through this summer, it fits quite nicely.

This means that the pressure of being the big money new signing will be lifted somewhat on Carroll in the new season.

Of course he will be expected to perform, but with plenty of other intriguing transfers going through – not least Carroll’s new team-mate Henderson – not all eyes will be on the former Newcastle striker.

Combine this with the fact that the Liverpool crowd took to their new striker straight away last season and it looks good for Carroll to have a very productive first season at Anfield. In fact, let’s go as far to say that it will be the season where he really shows everyone what he can do.

He has all of the attributes to be one of England’s leading strikers and now he has the club, the team-mates, the manager and the atmosphere to succeed.

It is all there for him and with the pressure off slightly following his big-money move, Liverpool could really start to see some reward for their ambitious January signing and one of my many football bets might be for him to hit the 20-goal mark before the season is out.

4 players in demand

2011-07-03T01:26:00.013+01:00

Here is a list of 4 players who I believe are the most in demand in the current transfer market.

1. Samir Nasri - He has been in the tabloids constantly for the past three weeks. Manchester United, Manchester City,Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all keen to sign the French midfielders, who showed significant improvement last season. Personally, I think he will leave, but I think Wenger would be an idiot to sell him to any club in the Premier League. It would only make the teams around Arsenal, that much stronger. He only has 1 year left on his contract, and I think Arsene Wenger needs to stop with this nonsense contract policy which has seen him lose several key players in the past.

2. Luka Modric - Speculation surrounding the future of this little Croatian midfielder has died down over the past few days, but I expect it won't be long before the rumours start up again.

Again, Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked with the Tottenham midfielder, who would no doubt love to be playing Champions League football again this season. Will he leave? I doubt it, I can see Tottenham hanging on to him for one more season.

3. Scott Dann - The 6'5 centre-back is very much in demand at the moment, with Stoke, Chelsea and Arsenal all very keen to secure his services. I'm sure that given the choice Dann would prefer to be joining Chelsea or Arsenal, and in my opinion he would be a valuable asset to either club, providing height and muscle at the back, something Arsenal need more than Chelsea.

4. Alexis Sanchez - This is a three way battle between Manchester United, Manchester City and Barcelona. He was apparently close to signing for Barcelona and Man City at one stage, but there is still a chance he will stay at Udinese. I would love to see Sanchez playing in the Premier League, but it would be very, very difficult to resist Barcelona, should they have the funds to afford him.

Where will Neymar end up

2011-07-01T12:37:00.002+01:00

As most of you know, Brazilian wonderkid Neymar is currently one of the hottest properties in the World in terms of football. He is currently plying his trade with Santos is the Brazilian league, but several clubs across Europe have signalled their intent to sign the 19 year old.

Apparently, Chelsea are the extremely keen to win Neymar's signature, having had a bid rejected last year and another bid rejected in this summers current transfer market. Neymar has a buy-out clause of £40 million on his contract, and even though Chelsea are thought to have met that clause, Santos remain confident he will not be leaving the club.

"In light of continuous speculation in the national and international press about the future of our player, I feel obliged to communicate the departure of Neymar is non-negotiable.''

Neymar himself has not said much on the case, but I'm sure if Chelsea/Barcelona/Real Madrid came knocking with a lucrative contract offer, he would not refuse. Admittedly I have not seen much of Neymar, apart from when he plays with Brazil. However, when I have seen him play, he does look like a very good prospect. One thing which might work against him, particularly in the Premier League, is a lack of strength. He would certainly have to bulk up to deal with the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.

Summer transfer news

2011-06-25T15:56:00.002+01:00

I know I haven't posted regularly for the past 6 or 7 months, but it's summer time now and with the exams over I hope to post a lot more. What better place to start than with some summer transfer news.

First is the transfer of Ashley Young to Manchester United for a reported £20 million on a 5 year contract. In my opinion, a quality signing. Young has proved himself in the Premier League year after year and he has a real shot of breaking into the England team with several solid performances. £20 million might be a bit steep but United have proved they have money to spend, with Phil Jones reported to have signed and Samir Nasri constantly linked with the Red Devils. He will provide another attacking option, but may lead to the exit of Nani, who is reportedly unsettled at Old Trafford.

Second big transfer story is the transfer of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland to Liverpool. Not really sure what the price was, but I have heard it was between £16-20 million. Now, I thought Andy Carroll for £35 million was a ridiculous price to pay for at best, a Championship striker. I think Liverpool have made a big mistake. Henderson is decent, has potential and all that but they have payed way over the odds. I've seen him play a few times and he just looks like an average Premier League midfielder, and his career would probably have been best served at Sunderland.

No other major signing to report. Few tasty rumours though. Porto striker Falcao is keen to follow his former manager to Chelsea, Arsenal are apparently close to signing three players in Ricardo Alvarez, Chris Samba and Mamadou Sakho. Expect more news and rumours in the days to come.

Hiddink is the man for Chelsea; but is Chelsea the club for Hiddink?

2011-06-07T18:11:00.004+01:00

Having seen Carlo Ancelotti being unceremoniously dumped from his role as Chelsea boss, most would have forgiven Turkey manager Guus Hiddink had he run a mile as soon as his name was mentioned in association with the role vacated by the Italian.

But rather than seeing the poisoned chalice the hot seat at Stamford Bridge has become, the Dutchman looks likely to take charge of Chelsea and attempt to do what three world class managers have been unable to do – bring the coveted Champions League trophy back to West London. He is currently the Sports Betting favourite to take over Chelsea.

Having splashed £50 million on Fernando Torres and £21.3 million on Benfica’s David Luiz owner Roman Abramovich has every right to demand the best of his employees, and having seen Jose Mourinho, Luis Felipe Scolari and now Carlo Ancelotti all fail, his sword is always placed against the neck of his managers waiting to go for the kill at the sight of the slightest slip up.

But the Russian had made a rod for his own back, and with the impending appointment of Hiddink, who enjoyed a brief spell as interim manager at Chelsea, likely to mean he is judged by the same criteria as his predecessors; no European glory in the next two seasons and he is out in the cold.

Abramovich’s treatment of Ancelotti was even more brutal than that. Not only was he sacked 12 months after winning the double, but was forced to deal with the news of his departure just hours after he had given a dignified speech where he spoke of the need of both parties taking their time and considering their future together.

There was little consideration from Chelsea as they hung the former AC Milan man out to dry in the full glare of the media spotlight, and with Hiddink looking likely to be the next man to put his reputation on the line, there can be little doubt of the severity of the punishment that awaits him should he “fail”.

Hiddink has the slight advantage of his stock being remarkably high at Chelsea after his spell in charge of the club, and will ride a wave of goodwill during his first few months of the 2011/12 season- he also has the trust of the dressing room, something which Ancelotti reportedly struggled with.

Now Abramovich has a problem on his hands. He had set a precedent with his repeated sacking of managers, and looks to be bringing in a manager adored by players and fans alike. Should Hiddink get the same treatment as Ancelotti then the fans may well find their voice in their opposition of the Russian; something which has so far been muted in the face of his big spending.

This is a dangerous time for Abramovich; he has backed himself into a corner. He must watch his actions over the coming months or face discontent from fans and worse, struggling to find a manager willing to put their reputation at stake.

UEFA Champions League Final - Barcelona v Manchester United

2011-05-26T20:26:00.003+01:00

It has been a highly anticipated game, and now it is only two night away. I am of course talking about the Champions League final. Europe's biggest competition has so far been a very fascinating one and now we are about to reach the climax. Barcelona v Manchester United, who will be victorious.

Manchester United have surprised me this season. At the beginning of the season I thought to myself, how are Man United going to challenge this year. They hadn't really strengthened much, looked very weak in midfield and early on in the season their talisman Wayne Rooney wanted out of Old Trafford. Needless to say my opinion was someway off the truth. They really have been incredible this season. Their defence is second to none, the midfield has performed admirably and the revelation of Javier 'Chicarito' Hernandez along with the class of Rooney has made them an unstoppable force in the Premier League. In the Champions league they have also overcome some tough challenges, most notably the victories over Chelsea in the quarter finals. After beating a mediocre Schalke side in the semi's, they now face Barcelona in the final. Can they win? Of all the teams in Europe, I think Manchester United have the best chance of winning. Van Der Sar, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra and whoever they decide to play on the right side of defence are the most capable of dealing with Barcelona's attacking threat. Meanwhile, with Rooney and Chicarito scoring goals for fun, they are in with a very good shot.

Barcelona on the other hand are shaky in defence. At right back Dani Alves is a very good attacking full back, but as far as defence goes he just isn't up to scratch to me. Pique and Puyol are a solid pair but only a fraction as good as Vidic and Ferdinand. Abidal, should he start, is only recovered from a serious illness and will be a slight liability. The attack, however, is a far different story. Not very tall, but what they lack in strength they make up for with pace and willingness to close down. Villa, Pedro and Iniesta all have the ability to produce something magic. Xavi keeps everything ticking in the centre of midfield. I don't really need to explain the threat posed by Lionel Messi, its nearly as obvious as Dani Alves' dives.

It's going to be an interesting game. Barcelona are favourites to win but Man United are definitely worth a punt at a good price. In my opinion, it can either go two ways. One, Manchester United work their socks off in midfield and somehow manage to stop Messi in his tracks. Two, Barcelona dominate possession and end up walking all over their opposition. Who knows?

Can Liverpool become title contenders

2011-05-25T17:51:00.003+01:00

After Kenny Dalglish was handed a long-term contract as manager of Liverpool recently, following a successful spell in caretaker charge, discussions began amongst football fans regarding how far he can take the team in the coming years.

Some then suggested they could be title contenders as early as next season. There have been some excellent performances under the Scotsman with new-signing Luiz Suarez showing that life after Fernando Torres can be very positive indeed.

The performances at home to Manchester City and away at Fulham have been a particular highlight and it is the team’s ability to play attractive football and score goals when they are in form that has got people talking.

Steven Gerrard needs to come back into the team too, so you can see why people are predicting good things as the team heads into a new era. The love of Dalglish, the impact of the new-signings, the fact that money will be spent in the summer and the style of football being played have all contributed to people talking up Liverpool.

Are they ready for a title challenge though? Probably not. To go from 6^th position and fighting for a Europa League place to competing with Manchester United and Chelsea for the title is quite a big jump.

Perhaps the progression should be less drastic. There is no doubt they are heading in the right direction, but the target for next season should be to bring Champions League football back to Anfield. Then, with that in the bag, they can look towards being the team to beat in England once again.

All of this is positive chat though as far as Liverpool are concerned. Things were looking rather bleak earlier in the campaign and even though the 2010 / 2011 ended with two defeats at the hands of Tottenham and Aston Villa, they can go into the summer months in good spirits.

Dalglish’s movement in the transfer market will of course be crucial to what next season can bring. The men wearing a Liverpool Kit next year will be charged with taking the team forward positively, so it is crucial the former Blackburn boss brings in some quality.

Some more players in the Suarez mould would suit just fine. Then, if he can have Andy Carroll fit for the start of the season that will feel like a new signing too. As will the return of Gerrard.

Beyond that, a handful of new personnel are needed if Liverpool are to be one of the top four teams in the country again. Who knows, if a couple of world-class players are added too, the spirit of Dalglish and the feel good factor could even take them beyond that eventually.

One step at a time though.

Ronaldo or Messi?

2010-12-21T17:24:00.003Z

Who would you pick? Its nearly impossible to say. The two best players on the planet, I think that's a given. But who is better? Some people will claim Messi, others will claim Ronaldo. In my opinion, Messi just shades it, only just.

I have heard a lot of criticism about Ronaldo, particularly about his tendency to dive or how his show boating sometimes aggravates other players into making malicious challenges. However, look at his current record for Real Madrid. 45 appearance, 43 goals? That is absolutely magnificent from a player who isn't specifically a forward.

The only thing Ronaldo's game is lacking, in my opinion, is his defensive contribution to his team. Rarely do you see him bust a gut to make a tackle. He is a class act though, you can't deny it. Heading, shooting, free kicks, control, skill, pace, strength, he has it all. His record from Manchester United proves this, particularly his tally of 42 goals in one season, helping United to Premier League and Champions League glory.

Again, I think Messi's only fault is his defensive game. Despite this, he is an absolutely majestic player, and I have never seen any left back get the better of him. His control when he runs with the ball is second to none. His scoring record speaks for itself, 105 goals in 158 games is quite a record for a player who spends most of his time in the wing.

So, in conclusion, it is my opinion that Messi comes out on top in the competition of who is the best player in the World, but only just. His consistency, ability to win any game single handed and the face he has achieved so much at only 22 years of age gives him the edge over Ronaldo. There will be a loot of different views on this topic, this is mine.

Championship Manager 2011 Review - iPhone/iPod Touch

2010-11-16T18:34:00.009Z

Being a football fan, I have often found myself yelling at my TV at the stupid decisions managers make. However, after playing Championship Manager 2011 for the iPod Touch, I was able to make those mistakes for myself, all on the way of my quest to become a Premier League winning manager.

I have been a fan of Championship Manager for years, and I have to say, I was very impressed with the latest version. At first I was sceptical about playing it on the iPod Touch, after years of playing it on the computer, I wasn't sure if I would like the look and feel. However, withing minutes of downloading it, I instantly fell in love.

The managers hub (pictured above) feature was a personal

favourite of mine. It made everything easily accessible and overall I think it was a stroke of genius from the developers.

The next thing that impressed me was the match play (pictured below). I thought it was fantastic. Making a sub was a easy as clicking your finger. They also added in the match action, where you can watch replays of your goals, match play etc. This is a feature I didn't think I would see on the iPod, but it looks fantastic.

Overall, I think Championship Manager 2011 is one of the best Championship Manager's yet. Along with the updated squads, the game generally just has a nicer feel to it along with the improvements. I was surprised at how much i enjoyed the iPhone/iPod Touch version, and I would definitely recommend buying it as soon as you can. 9.5/10

Owen Hargreaves - the unluckiest player in the World

2010-11-09T21:44:00.003Z

You have to feel sorry for Owen Hargreaves, it really has been a nightmare few years for the Canadian born Manchester United midfielder. He finally made his comeback to first team football, only to last 5 minutes before injuring himself again.

The 29 year old England midfielder was once one of the finest players in the Premier League, and was key to United's Champions League and League success a couple of years ago. However, since then he has suffered constant injuries which has seen him spend nearly 2 years on the sidelines.

To be honest, I probably would have hung up my boots if I was him. I know it sounds like a very cowardly thing to do, but the constant injuries would just do my head in. So fair play to Hargreaves for sticking with it, and I hope one day he is injury free and playing his best football again.

Premier League Preview

2010-11-05T23:18:00.002Z

Lots of fixtures coming up in the next dew days, and needless to say I'm very excited. Apologies for the serious lack of posts lately, with exams this year it will be difficult but I will try and post as much as possible. Anyway, lets get on with the fixtures and my predictions.

Fixtures and my predictions

Saturday

Bolton v Tottenham (12.45) - Tottenham win

Birmingham v West Ham (3.00) - Birmingham win

Blackburn v Wigan (3.00) - Blackburn win

Blackpool v Everton (3.00) - Draw

Fulham v Aston Villa (3.00) - Draw

Manchester United v Wolves (3.00) - Manchester United win

Sunderland v Stoke (3.00) - Sunderland win

Sunday

Arsenal v Newcastle (1.30) - Arsenal win

West Brom v Man City (3.00) - West Brom win

Liverpool v Chelsea (4.00) - Chelsea win

Tuesday

Stoke v Birmingham (7.45) - Stoke win

Tottenham v Sunderland (8.00) - Tottenham win

Wednesday

Aston Villa v Blackpool (7.45) - Aston Villa win

Chelsea v Fulham (7.45) - Chelsea win

Newcastle v Blackburn (7.45) - Newcastle win

West Ham v West Brom (7.45) - Draw

Wigan v Liverpool (7.45) - Liverpool win

Everton v Bolton (8.00) - Everton win

Man City v Man United (8.00) - Man City win

Wolves v Arsenal (8.00) - Arsenal win

I couldn't find odds for all the matches, but put it this way. If you put a tenner on all those results to come true your insane, but you would win an absolutely bucket load of cash.

Should be an interesting few days, with a few tasty matches thrown in there especially the Manchester derby and the Liverpool v Chelsea fixture. Enjoy!

Redknapp furious over referee decision

2010-11-01T18:57:00.002Z

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has threatened to never do a post match interview again if he is charged by the FA for his verbal attack on referee Mark Clattenburg. This was of course due to the controversial Nani scored against Tottenham last Sunday.

It was without a doubt the most controversial goal of the season, with Spurs keeper Gomes preparing to take a free and United winger Nani just kicking the ball into the net. Needless to say, Harry Redknapp was furious, and I can't blame him. Redknapp claimed his decision was "scandalous", and you can hardly blame him.

"Don't expect me to come out on the TV anymore - ever - and speak to the press after a game.

"He made a right mess of it all, and that was my answer. And I stand by that 100%."

The referee really never indicated whether it was a free kick or not, and I feel sorry for the Spurs players who in fairness performed admirably. Its things like these that annoy me in football, but unfortunately they will continue to happen and it is a part of the beautiful game.

Owen considering hanging up his boots

2010-10-28T11:59:00.002+01:00

Michael Owen is without a doubt one of the unluckiest players in the Premier League, injury wise. Since his move away from Liverpool, his career has been nothing other than a fail, with injuries preventing him from performing at the top level.

Once upon a time, Michael Owen was one of the best strikers in the Premier League. At Liverpool he seemed to have the makings of a great player. However, he was lured away by Real Madrid where he would spend most of his time on the bench, gradually losing confidence along the way.

Now it seems, with only one year left on his contract at Man United, he could be retiring from football altogether.

"It would not only round off my career but put it to bed.''

Owen is only 30, so maybe hanging up his boots is a bit early. You have to feel sorry for him though, constantly injured and not the player he once was. If he does retire, I'm sure he will stay involved in football through coaching. It's sad to see someone who only a few years ago was one of the best strikers in England, considering early retirement and is about as use full as a bench warmer.

Rooney signs contract

2010-10-23T18:39:00.003+01:00

It was an interesting few days. After all the speculation that Rooney wanted to get out of Old Trafford, he has decided to stay at Man United for the next five years.

Alex Ferguson shocked United fans during the week, stating that Wayne Rooney has signalled his intent to leave, after an apparent fall out with Ferguson. This was followed by several days of transfer rumours linking him to teams like Chelsea, Man City, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

However, even after this speculation and Ferguson himself admitting he wanted to leave, Rooney signed a new five year contract apparently worth £250,000 a week to the Manchester United and England striker.

I think it will be interesting to see what happens. In my opinion, it can go two ways. One is that United fans boo Rooney, but his love for the club sees him hit top form and win the fans hearts back. The other way is that Rooney's heart lies somewhere else, he keeps playing terrible and ends up moving next summer.

One thing is for sure, the United fans won't be happy. The same thing happened with Adebayor after he had his best season in an Arsenal shirt. A summer linked away from The Emirates lost Adebayor his respect from the Arsenal fans, and he was never the same again. For Rooney and Man United's sake, I hope its different for them.

Rooney wants to quit United

2010-10-18T22:07:00.002+01:00

That's what the papers are saying. Apparently United striker Wayne Rooney is eager to move away from Old Trafford after a bust up with United Chief Alex Ferguson. Rooney has been key to United for the past few years but it looks like his time in Manchester may be up after a massive dip in form, problems surrounding his personal life and now a bust up with his manager.

Rooney was apparently in talks over a new contract with United, but talks have stalled thus fueling speculation that the England striker will be on his way out of Old Trafford in the near future. Real Madrid have been linked with Rooney, although several clubs will end up being linked with the striker who's nickname is 'Shrek'

"To suggest Wayne Rooney will be sold in January is nonsense." - Said United officials, obviously keen to end this speculation and not upset any of the loyal fans.

Personally I think it would be interesting to see Rooney leave United, but I don't think it will happen. I doubt Rooney will want to leave England, and I doubt even more he will want to play anywhere else other than at United.

Liverpool, United and Chelsea all slip up

2010-10-17T21:32:00.002+01:00

I said it last year, and I'm saying it again this year, but I really think this years Premier League season could be the closest yet. Many will doubt me, most people probably think it will be a three horse race up until about February, when it will become a two horse race. I however, beg to differ.

If you look at the Premier League table, there are several clubs who will be pushing to be there or there abouts come next May. You have the obvious title contenders e.g Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal. After them however there are several clubs who could make a serious challenge. The like of Man City, Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham and even Liverpool despite their poor start will be looking to mount some sort of challenge for Premier League glory.

Most of these teams have strengthened well over the summer, particularly Man City and Tottenham whom I expect to push hard this season. Will they be able to keep up with the pace? It's to early to tell, it will be interesting though.

FIFA 11 Review

2010-10-13T18:22:00.002+01:00

As we all know, the FIFA series is the best virtual football experience of all time, dominating the scene since 1993 when it was first released. Since then, it has not only become the leading football game in the world, but one of the most successfull games of all time.

Let me assure you, FIFA 11 has continued this fantastic tradition. I have had FIFA 11 for a few days, and needless to say I've spent a lot of time playing it. In my opinion, its the best football game of all time.

The first thing you will notice when you first play is the scary resemblance of the players. Its the closest thing I have seen to real life in a video game, with each player detailed to perfection. After playing a few games, the new feature Personality+ was clear, and extremely impressive to say the least. Each player plays like the would in real life, which makes it far more realistic to play.

Overall, I think the game-play is far better. It's harder to score a goal, but when you do it so much better than it would have in the other FIFA games, where after a while scoring just became to easy. The new celebrations are a nice touch, now when you score a goal in a final you can celebrate with your whole team instead of doing a back-flip by yourself without any of your teammates attempting to embrace in your joy.

I thought Manager Mode was slightly improved. I prefer the new interface and you now have the option to play as a player/manager, which I thought was a nice touch. One thing missing from FIFA 10 which I will miss is staff upgrades, which is probably a good thing because you can no longer increase your teams fitness couch so much that they were never fatigued, making the game more realistic and more of a challenge.

As for the player ratings, I obviously haven't played with every team, but I have checked out most if not all of the main ones. One thing I noticed is the fact that pace will no longer automatically make you a good player, as it did for the likes of Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon in FIFA 10. If your are excited about playing with Messi, don't be. They still have fixed the glitch from FIFA 10 where Messi is extremely easy to push of the ball.

One hidden gem which I found in the game was Brazilian player Neymar. I picked him up in Manager Mode because he was young and his rating of 78 was bound to rise after a few season, so make sure to check him out.

So, in retrospect, FIFA 11 is a massive success. I would have to give it 9.5/10, not quite a 10 but very close. I would definitely recommend going out and buying it.

''Sit down if you love Fifa''

2010-10-11T18:55:00.005+01:00

''Sit down if you love fifa''

Want a chance to play against Rooney, submit you sitting down goal celebrations in order to get that opportunity.

I've been playing FIFA 11 rec.ently and I have to admit, its one of the best games I've ever played. Make sure to get your hands on a copy. Ill try submit a full review ASAP, I've just been busy lately. Expect a full review by Thursday at the latest.

Is this the start of a new chapter for Liverpool

2010-10-07T19:07:00.002+01:00

It been a hard couple of months for Liverpool. Financial debts, extremely poor form, constantly slated by the media, constant speculation of players leaving, a change in manager and failure to make the Champions League made the past year about the worst in over a decade for Liverpool.

However, New England Sports Ventures, owners of the Boston Red Sox, are apparently very close to sealing a deal to buy Liverpool Football Club, a move which would delight new manager Roy Hodgson.

"It's very positive and of course I'm delighted.''

"It's been going on a long time and I know how hard the board have worked to set things up.''

I think this is exactly what Liverpool need. They have been desperate for new owners for a while now and I think it could be the start of a new era for Liverpool. One thing is for, if they continue the way they are going they could be the next Leeds.

The dirty side of football

2010-10-04T16:32:00.003+01:00

We all love the beautiful game. We all looking forward to watching our favourite team in action, and hopefully, winning. However, its not all beautiful. There are some things in the game we love that are truly ugly.

I'll give you an example. This weekend Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa broke his leg in two places after a rough challenge from Manchester City midfielder Nigel De Jong. Now, if you look at the challenge, you can see he went for the ball, but challenges like these are happening all to often, leaving players on the sidelines for months.

Its horrible to see a player suffer such a serious injury. We have already seen it with Ben Arfa and Antonio Valencia this year, not to mention Aaron Ramsey last year. It's not a nice site. Its the players who are causing these injuries that concern me. I have no doubt Ryan Shawcross had no intention to hurt Aaron Ramsey, and I highly doubt De Jong ment to break Ben Arfa's leg. However, look back to the World Cup final, where De Jong basically drop kicked Xavi Alonso, a challenge that could have hurt, even killed, the gifted Spanish midfielder.

There are far two many videos on Youtube showing horrific leg breaks in football. Some of them make me sick to my stomach. A red card is not justice for causing this type of injury. Some players may play the ball, but they play the man as well and they should face far more serious consequences.

Don't get me wrong, I love the physical side of the game, but somewhere a link has to be drawn between physical and malicious.

Premier League Preview

2010-10-01T18:52:00.002+01:00

Another weekend, another week of Premier League fixtures. Interesting weekend last week, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Tottenham all failing to win. Lets see who they face this week.

Fixtures and my predicitions

Wigan v Wolves (12.45) - Draw

Birmingham v Everton (3.00) - Birmingham win

Stoke v Blackburn (3.00) - Stoke win

Sunderland v Manchester United (3.00) - Draw

Tottenham v Aston Villa (3.00) - Tottenham win

West Brom v Bolton (3.00) - West Brom win

West Ham v Fulham (3.00) - West Ham win

Sunday

Manchester City v Newcastle (1.30) - Man City win

Liverpool v Blackpool (3.00) - Liverpool win

Chelsea v Arsenal (4.00) - Chelsea win

OK, so I guessed two out of ten last weekend, a poor performance to say the least. This week I'm confident I can reach three out of ten, so hopefully I do. However, if you were to put a tenner on all those results, you could win £22359.56. I'm not going to lie, the chances of that happening are slim to none, but if I get all ten results right once this year then you still might make a profit.

Arsenal must bounce back

2010-09-28T18:30:00.002+01:00

As most of you saw, Arsenal had a shocking defeat against West Brom at the weekend, losing 2-3 at home after going 0-3 down. This is not the Arsenal we all know, who usually trounce those kind of teams at home and unless they bounce back in their Champions League game tonight, their season could go down to drain.

I'm not sure what happened to Arsenal last weekend. You could blame it on injuries but frankly I'm sick of Arsenal using this excuse. Then again, they were missing Fabregas, Walcott, Van Persie and Vermaelen, four key players.

Is injuries injuries the real problem though? Even missing these four players Arsenal should have enough to put away a team like West Brom. They have a serious strength in depth and a serious lack of decent goalkeepers. Almunia, does not deserve to play in the Premier League. Enough said. Until they buy a new keepers, Arsenal will not be winning trophies any time soon.

Premier League Preview

2010-09-24T23:32:00.002+01:00

Firstly, apologies for the lack of decent posts lately. Secondly, this is the 300th post on Football Streaker. Well, this was a nice way to start of the Premier League Preview. Without further delay, here is the fixtures and my predictions.

Fixtures and my predictions

Manchester City v Chelsea (12.45) - Chelsea win

Arsenal v West Brom (3.00) - Arsenal win

Birmingham v Wigan (3.00) - Birmingham win

Blackpool v Blackburn (3.00) - Draw

Fulham v Everton (3.00) - Fulham win

Liverpool v Sunderland (3.00) - Draw

West Ham v Tottenham (3.00) - Tottenham win

Sunday

Bolton v Manchester United (12.00) - Manchester United win

Wolves v Aston Villa (2.05) - Aston Villa

Newcastle v Stoke (4.10) - Draw

Firstly, what is with the messed up kick off times on Sunday, must be something on I'm not aware of. Secondly, stick a tenner on all those results and you could win £46397.42, which in my opinion, is not a bad weekends work.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all knocked out of the Carling Cup

2010-09-22T23:01:00.004+01:00

Normally the Carling Cup doesn't interest me at all, I just look at it as a way of getting a look of some young talent that the big clubs have to offer, and maybe even see one of those teams embarrassed by one of the smaller clubs. Over the past few days, I got all of this.

The Tottenham v Arsenal game really was a cracked. The 1-4 scoreline wasn't a fair results. True, Arsenal deserved to win but not by three goals. I was surprised Arsene Wenger fielded the side he did, which included several big names including Nasri and Rosicky. One man, or boy, however really stood out. You probably know who I'm talking about. Jack Wilshere had another stunning game to add to his growing reputation. He is definitely one for the future.

Tonight saw two pretty shocking results. The first being Chelsea's loss to Newcastle. OK some might argue that the Carling Cup means nothing to Chelsea and is probably a trophy Newcastle will be keen to compete for, but it was still surprising to see an understrength but still strong Chelsea team lose 3-4 at home.

Liverpool, as we all know, are not the side they once were. They proved that again tonight, losing on penalties to Northhampton. Yes, they had an understrength squad out, but still, even their second team should beat Northhampton. It shows a serious lack of strength in depth, but from a neutral point of view I was delighted. I would love to see Northhampton go on a cup run which sees them knock out all the big teams. There is one every year.

This years English Premier League top goalscorer will be....

2010-09-20T20:37:00.002+01:00

Didier Drogba. That's according to you lot. You might remember I put up a poll a few weeks ago of who will be the top scorer in the EPL, well here are the results.

Didier Drogba = 13 votes (35%)

Wayne Rooney = 3 votes (8%)

Fernando Torres = 5 votes (13%)

Robin Van Persie = 5 votes (13%)

Jermaine Defoe = 1 vote (2%)

Dimitar Berbatov = 3 votes (8%)

Darren Bent = 0 votes (0%)

Nicolas Anelka = 0 votes (0%)

Carlos Tevez = 2 votes (5%)

Other = 5 votes (13%)

Total votes = 37

Thanks to all those who voted. We will see who's right at the end of the season. By the way, I voted for Fernando Torres.

Premier League Preview

2010-09-18T13:45:00.003+01:00

I know it's a bit late, apologies for that. Anyway, without further adieu, here is this weekends Premier League fixtures, and my predictions. Bold = Win

Fixtures and my predictions

Stoke v West Ham (Already underway)

Aston Villa v Bolton (3.00) - Aston Villa win

Blackburn v Fulham (3.00) - Draw

Everton v Newcastle (3.00) - Everton win

Tottenham v Wolves (3.00) - Tottenham win

West Brom v Birmingham (3.00) - Birmingham win

Sunderland v Arsenal (5.30) - Draw

Sunday

Manchester United v Liverpool (1.30) - Manchester United win

Wigan v Manchester City (3.00) - Manchester City win

Chelsea v Blackpool (4.00) - Chelsea win 8-0

Few exciting fixtures in there, particularly the Man United v Liverpool one. Although I picked United to win, it really could go either way.

Stick a tenner on all my predictons to come true, including Chelsea's 8-0 victory, and you stand to win £345101.41. Good luck..

If you have the time, please vote on the poll to the right of who will be the top scorer in the Premier League this season. Thanks.

With the squad Liverpool have, they should be challenging strongly this year

2010-09-14T19:57:00.003+01:00

As everyone knows, Liverpool had one of their poorest seasons in a decade last season, not qualifying for the Champions and just over all really poor. The board obviously recognised something needed to be done, so Rafa Benitez was sacked and Roy Hodgson took over, thus a new era begun.

Liverpool needed to strengthen, and over the transfer window, they did just that. It's fair to say Roy Hodgson did a good job. Bringing in Joe Cole was a huge signing. He is the extra quality player in midfield they have been missing. Also the signings of Poulsen and Meireles have added a strength in depth in the Liverpool midfield.

Hodgson's most important role as Liverpool manager so far has been holding onto Fernando Torres. With Torres and Gerrard in the squad, Liverpool always have a chance of being there or there abouts. By keeping Torres and giving him the opportunity to link up with the new players in midfield, Liverpool should challenge this season.

Defence is an issue though, especially at left-back. Hodgson will need to seriously consider adding a defender in January or Liverpool are in danger of spending another season playing Champions League on the Xbox 360.

If you have the time, please vote on the poll to the right of who will be the top scorer in the Premier League this season. Thanks.

A landmark day to be forgotten

2010-09-11T19:12:00.001+01:00

By Dominic Pollard

Today saw Sir Alex Ferguson take charge of his 700^th Premiership game, a phenomenal record. Only seven clubs have been in the top flight for every season since the creation of the Premiership and Fergie is the only manager to remain at the helm for every one of those years.

His trip to Goodison Park, however, was a far from ideal way to celebrate the landmark. United led 3-1 as the two sides entered stoppage time, but two goals in three minutes salvaged the most unlikely of draws for Everton.

Through all the drama at lunchtime one story will inevitably dominate the back pages - Rooney's absence. With all his years of wisdom, I was surprised to see Ferguson leave Rooney out of the match-day squad. The problems in the striker's personal life have been all too well documented and Fergie stated before the game, “We are not going to subject him to the abuse he gets here.”

Rooney receiving grief from the fans at the Merseyside club would be nothing new, though. By hiding him away, Fergie was, in my opinion, only going to exacerbate the problems. Let Rooney focus on his football rather than drawing more attention to his troublesome 'private' life by trying to protect him.

His absence will now probably cause more headlines than if he had just played. He was always going to receive a hostile reception but Rooney showed for England that he has not let his personal problems effect his performances on-the-pitch.

Rooney will not be able to out run the chants and taunts of away fans. The sooner he can return to the normality of playing regular football, the sooner the stories of his affair can be swept under the rug and into the archive of quickly forgotten misdemeanours by English footballers.

The United manager's decision had looked to be vindicated as his team were cruising to victory and it would be unfair to say that if Rooney had been playing that the result would be any different. Nevertheless, had they won, pundits and fans alike would be praising his decision to keep Rooney out of the limelight.

United played well without Rooney and should have taken all three points back to Manchester. Moreover, Fergie has shown through his dealings with the likes of Keane and Beckham that he is the ideal man to help the England striker through this dark patch of his professional career.

Ferguson's landmark game proved problematic before it began and disheartening once it ended. The team, and Berbatov especially, may have performed in a convincing manner without Rooney but the drama surrounding their number ten was a distraction that Fergie and his side could have done without.

A Champions League tie at home to Rangers on Tuesday night is probably just what the club, and more importantly Wayne Rooney, need as they will no doubt be keen to try and get back to business as usual.

Check out my regular blog – Polly's Pause for Sport

Walcott not spending too long on the sidelines

2010-09-08T14:42:00.003+01:00

The International break has never been kind to Arsenal, has it. It seems like every time there is International fixtures played, Arsenal seem to lose a player to injury. Last season it was Robin Van Persie, this season it was Theo Walcott.

Fortunately for Arsenal, Walcott shouldn't spend more than two weeks on the sidelines, as the injury is only a slight knock to his ankle. This softens the blow of losing Van Persie for six weeks, after he injured himself in the game against Blackburn.

Now, things could be a lot worse for Arsenal. At least Van Persie is only out for six weeks, it was a lot worse around this time last year when he was facing six months on the sidelines. Walcott's injury was a huge scare for Arsenal at first, but he will only miss one game, two at most. If Arsenal were to lose him for a large chunk of the season it would be devastating, especially considering the blistering form he is in at the moment.

The fact here is, I don't feel sorry for Arsenal, because it is their own fault. Arsene Wenger should have brought in a lot more players during the transfer window. Every body knew Van Persie would get injured at some stage, Bendtner was already facing a spell on the sidelines so that leaves Chamakh to play up front, and if he got injured they would be forced to play the likes of Arshavin up top on his own, who although is effective, lacks presence and has a tendency to drift in and out of games.

There is a serious lack of depth in the Arsenal squad that I guarantee will come back to haunt them come March/April when players are tired and getting injured easier. They have no one to blame but themselves.

If you have the time, please vote on the poll to the right of who will be top scorer in the Premier League this season. Thanks.

What is it with English footballers

2010-09-07T16:41:00.004+01:00

All you all probably know, Wayne Rooney has been a regular in the papers over the last few days after his antics got him in trouble with his missus. Apparently, Rooney had an affair on wife Coleen, adding him to a growing list of English footballers who have broken their marriage vows.

Rooney had a wonderful season last season, showing his full potential and he is now regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. However, ever since the World Cup started, something has gone wrong. His World Cup performance was disappointing to say the least, and he has carried that poor form into the new season.

However, its his private life that is making the headlines. I don't know what it is with English footballers. That's four in the past year. Ashley Cole, John Terry, Peter Crouch and now Wayne Rooney. What kind of example are they setting? Most of them had kids for god sake. It's an absolute disgrace and you have to admit it hasn't helped things for under fire manager Fabio Capello.

Rooney certainly needs to sort himself out, and fast. He must sort out his 'private' life before he has a chance of recapturing the form he showed last season.

If you have the time, please vote on the poll to the right of who will be the top scorer in the Premier League this season. Thanks.

Adebayor claims Man City are bigger than Arsenal

2010-09-05T18:01:00.003+01:00

Emmanuel Adebayor certainly hasn't a great relationship with his former club Arsenal since his move to Manchester City last summer. First he kicks Robin Van Persie in the face, then he runs the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans after scoring for Man City, and now he is having a go at his old club, stating that his new club are bigger.

There was a time when I had respect for Adebayor. When he came to Arsenal he was relatively unknown but managed to make a name for himself and at one point was recognised as one of the best strikers in the Premier League. However, since his move to Manchester City, the big Togo international has changed for the worse.

First of all, we all know he moved for money, why else would anyone move to Manchester City. Secondly, his performance against Arsenal where he celebrated in front of his former fans and kick Van Persie in the face was disgraceful. Now, he is taunting the Arsenal staff and fans saying ''people will class Manchester City as bigger than Arsenal''. This shows massive disrespect towards Arsene Wenger, who made him the player he is today. It also makes him looks like a fool, because he can barely make the starting 11 at Man City, and will probably move if not in January, then the summer of 2011.

In saying all of this, there is a very realistic chance that Man City will someday, in the distant future, be a bigger club than Arsenal, purely because of their financial power. They have some way to go yet though. Buying players who only go for money will not bring success.

If you have the time, please vote on the poll to the right of who will be the top scorer in the Premier League this season. Thanks.

Who will be the top scorer English Premier League this season

2010-09-04T20:17:00.003+01:00

With all the action that happens in the Premier League, people always keep an eye on who is top scorer. Last season it was a race between Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba, with the Ivorian coming out on top in the end.

Drobga has already bagged 4 goals this season, including a hat-trick on opening day. Rooney has been a bit quieter, only scoring once so far, but its only early days yet.

Personally I can see someone else getting it this year. I think that if Fernando Torres can keep injury free, he has a great chance, especially now with Joe Cole in the squad, who should be able to link up well with the Spanish striker.

I've pretty much ruled out Van Persie, who is injured far to often, and I can't see Fabregas being as effective this season after his summer of speculation.

There is a poll on the right hand side, if you could take some time out of your day to vote, that would be great. If you have any suggestions of someone who should be added to the poll, please let me know in the comments section.

Villa target Curbishley as new manager

2010-09-02T20:33:00.002+01:00

Managerless Aston Villa are apparently interested in bringing former West Ham boss Alan Curbishley to Villa Park as a replacement for Martin O'Niel, who left the club before the start of the new season.

Curbishley has been unemployed for two years now but apparently is interested in the Villa job. Villa are currently holding interviews, with USA boss Bob Bradley also linked in what would be his debut as manager in the Premier League. Villa are apparently after a manager with Premier League experience and Curbishley is certainly qualified for the job, having impressed at both Charlton and West Ham.

Villa will of course be looking to bring in a new chief as soon as possible. After a stuttering start to the season they will be keen to bring in an experienced manager who can settle the nerves and hopefully start up a winning streak and get their Champions League spot aspirations back on track. Personally I can see Curbishley getting the job. He has Premier League experience, and the fans will have a soft spot for the former Aston Villa player.

Spurs on the brink of a major signing

2010-08-31T21:32:00.004+01:00

Spurs could be on the verge of letting all their rivals know they mean business this year, with Rafael Van Der Vaart apparently very close to signing for the North London side. Spurs have already had a fairly successful start to the season, despite losing to Wigan they managed to qualify for the Champions League.

If Van Der Vaart did sign for them, I believe they could seriously challenge this year. Their midfield is packed with quality with the likes of Modric, Palicious, Lennon, Jenas, Huddlestone, Kranjcar, Giovanni, Bale and Bentley so to add Van Der Vaart to this list would give them the strength of depth they really need.

Personally I can see Spurs going very far this year. They have such a big squad of quality players, and Manchester United and Arsenal didn't strengthen much during the summer. Could be a very big year for them.

Transfer window officially shut

2010-08-31T18:05:00.002+01:00

It's just going 6pm, meaning this summers transfer window is officially shut.

Some of the signing made today were Robinho went to AC Milan, Paul Konchesky joined Liverpool, Asamoah Gyan joined Sunderland. They were the main transfer dealings made today.

To be honest, I was expected more from today. I thought more teams would be making transfers but aside from a few rumours and some signings, it was fairly quiet.

Just as I wrote this, Wigan confirmed the signing of Franco Di Santo from Chelsea.

Barcelona seal Mascherano deal

2010-08-30T21:38:00.002+01:00

The Javier Mascherano saga is finally over. After weeks of speculation, Barcelona have finally secured the Argentine's services for a fee of around £18 million. Mascherano has been linked away from Liverpool for some time and had never hid the fact he wanted to leave.

"I am happy to have joined Barcelona.

"When the best club in the world comes after you, you can only be happy.''

Mascherano joined Liverpool from West Ham and was a fairly big success, with everyone impressed with his determination and how he gave 110% in every game. He was a great player for Liverpool, but I think they knew he was leaving when new chief Roy Hodgson signed Poulsen and Meireles, who both play in the middle of the midfield.

I think it's a good thing that Mascherano moved. If he stayed he would have had a negative affect on the team and he will do well at Barcelona, a good replacement for Yaya Toure.

Are Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham a good bet in the Champions League?

2010-08-27T23:29:00.002+01:00

Harry Redknapp must have felt like singing in the rain at White Hart Lane as Spurs showed enough drive and determination to easily win the second leg of their Champions League play-off against Young Boys and slide through to the 32 team group stages. Although the Swiss side started well, they never looked likely to hold on to the lead that they had from the first game and were two goals behind by half-time. In only the fifth minute the first goal came courtesy of a Peter Crouch header from a Gareth Bale cross and the second was slotted into the net by Jermain Defoe although replays showed that he clearly used his arm to bring the ball under control. The second half saw Carlo Cudicini in goal after Gomes sustained an injury. More pressure from Spurs paid off with Crouch scoring twice more to get his hat-trick and put Spurs through 6-3 on aggregate.

It has been a long wait for the White Hart Lane faithful to get a taste of the top club competition in Europe – 48 years in fact, and the pouring rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Spurs fans who were clearly ecstatic at the result. The reward for Tottenham is a place in Group A where they will be facing the holders Inter Milan, as well as Germany’s Werder Bremen and Dutch outfit FC Twente.

Things are certainly looking up for Tottenham and they can now look forward to a lucrative run in the group stages. It is also looking pretty good on the domestic front too. Looking at the online betting activity on Tottenham the odds on Harry Redknapp’s side again making a top 4 finish in the Premier League are 5/2 and they are 9/1 to win the FA Cup. So after last night’s convincing victory and their encouraging start in the League Harry has every reason to have a smile on his face.

Saturday sees bottom of the table Wigan visiting White Hart Lane. The Latics have conceded ten goals in their first two games this season and it is no surprise that the football betting websites give them little chance - the odds on them even taking a point from White Hart Lane are 4/1. What Spurs cannot allow to happen is to let complacency set in – they need to win that game and not rest on their laurels. Some pundits are predicting the possibility of a Tottenham goal-fest but Wigan did manage a confidence-boosting 3-0 away win against Hartlepool in mid-week so they will be no pushover.

Premier League Preview

2010-08-27T23:13:00.003+01:00

Another round of Premier League fixture for us to look forward to this weekend. Last weekend saw no real shocks, although there were three 6-0 games and Manchester United stumbled away to Fulham, whilst Liverpool lost 3-0 to Manchester City. Here are this weeks fixtures and my predictions. Bold = win

Fixtures and my predictions

Blackburn v Arsenal (12.45) - Arsenal win

Blackpool v Fulham (3.00) - Fulham win

Chelsea v Stoke (3.00) - Chelsea win

Tottenham v Wigan (3.00) - Tottenham win

Wolves v Newcastle (3.00) - Draw

Manchester United v West Ham (5.30) - Manchester United win

Sunday

Bolton v Birmingham (1.30) - Draw

Liverpool v West Brom (3.00) -Liverpool win

Sunderland v Manchester City (3.00) - Manchester City win

Aston Villa v Everton (4.00) - Draw

Goal of the week last weekend goes to Gareth Bale, and absolute peach of a volley.

If you back all the results I have predicted, you stand to win £4800.47 if you put on £10. Not as much as last weeks, but still a decent amount of pocket money.

2010-08-26T20:57:00.002+01:00

The Champions League group stages were drawn today. Some interesting ties to look forward to that's for sure.

Group A: Inter Milan, Werder Bremen, Tottenham, FC Twente

Group B: Lyon, Benfica, Schalke, Hapoel Tel Aviv

Group C: Valencia, Rangers, Bursaspor, Manchester United

Group D: FC Barcelona, Panathinaikos, FC Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan

Group E: Bayern Munich, AS Roma, FC Basel, CFR Cluj

Group F: Marseille, Spartak Moscow, MSK Zilina, Chelsea

Group G: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Ajax, Auxerre

Group H: Shakhtar Donetsk, SC Braga, FK Partisan, Arsenal

Group A = I would expect Inter Milan and Tottenham to get through. Inter Milan were very impressive last year and I see no reason why they shouldn't qualify, whilst Tottenham just shade it over Werder Bremen.

Group B = I can see Lyon and Benfica going through. The problem is, I don't know enough about any of the clubs bar Lyon, so I'm basically going by how they were seeded.

Group C = it's got to be Manchester United anyway. Clearly the strongest in that group. Valencia are probably favourites to make it through as well but I wouldn't be writing off Bursaspor. Turkish teams are always good at home and Valencia have lost two key players in David Silva and David Villa.

Group D = I'm going to go for Barcelona and Rubin Kazan. Kazan were impressive last year and Eastern European teams are very underrated.

Group E = Bayern Munich and Roma will be going through, I'm nearly positive. Cluj never posed any threat when they featured in the Champions League last and whilst I don't know much about FC Basel, Bayern and Roma should be good enough to win.

Group F = Well, first of all I expect Chelsea to qualify easily, especially after the fantastic start they have had to the season. Meanwhile, I expect Marseille and Spartak Moscow to fight it out for second place, though MSK Zilina could surprise a few if they can grab a point or two away from home.

Group G = The group of death. Real Madrid (seeded in pot two) will be favourites to qualify and AC Milan should do the business and qualify, even though they have been poor in Europe over the past few years. Ajax and Auxerre could be tricky fixtures away from home but Madrid and Milan should have enough to qualify.

Group H = It's a more difficult group for Arsenal than it looks, although they should qualify. Shaktar are a very good team and particularly difficult to beat away, whilst the other two teams will be expected to defend well and hopefully grab a goal A difficult group but Arsenal and Shaktar should qualify.

Inter make Masch bid

2010-08-26T15:20:00.002+01:00

Inter Milan have apparently made a formal bid for Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano. Mascherano has been a regular in the tabloids this year linking him with a move away from Anfield, with Barcelona and Inter Milan his preferred destinations.

Mascherano has made his intention clear, sitting out Liverpool's game with Manchester City on Monday, and being excluded from their Europa League qualifier in order not to be cup-tied. It appears Inter have made the first proper bid for the Argentine international, with Rafa Benitez keen to link up with Mascherano again.

''I sent an offer to Liverpool by fax on Tuesday and I am waiting for a reply from them.'' - Rafa Benitez.

I feel Liverpool need to get rid of Mascherano. If he doesn't want to be there, it will have a negative effect on the rest of the squad, which is the last thing Liverpool need. If they are to get a decent amount of money for him, anything over £15 million, they should take it in a heartbeat. He will be a loss for sure, but in signing Poulsen they have a player who can fill in.

Time for Berbatov to make is mark

2010-08-24T15:14:00.002+01:00

Even Dimitar Berbatov himself would likely concede that he has failed to live up to expectations in a Manchester United Shirt. While there have been flashes of brilliance from the mercurial Bulgarian, for £30m the United fans are entitled to expect a fair amount more from a man who shone at both Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham.

Frequently left on the bench during the 2009-10 season as Sir Alex Ferguson preferred to go with the prolific Wayne Rooney as a lone striker, many speculated that Berbatov could be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer with Bayern Munich and Ac Milan mooted as possible destinations.

Sir Alex has stuck by his man, however, and the early season signs suggest Berbatov is ready to prove his worth after an impressive start to the season. His goal in the Community Shield - a delightful lobbed finish after some great interplay with Luis Nani - was met with a warm reception from his United teammates and may well be looked back on as the moment when his Manchester Utd career properly began.

His followed up that strike with an impressive performance against Newcastle United on monday night, scoring once but contributing with his all round performance and coming close to adding further to his tally. Most notably, his swagger has returned as he lit up Old Trafford with some breathtaking skills.

That United take some of the burden off Rooney is paramount if they are to wrestle back the Barclays Premier League trophy from Chelsea this season. As talented as the young striker is, at times it felt like United's quest for trophies lay solely on his shoulders and as Rooney's body broke down towards the end of the campaign, so did United's challenge.

When asked to step up the mark in his absence, Berbatov's performences were average and disjointed and crucial points were lost which ultimitely cost United dear.

Sir Alex has also added the hugely promising and highly enerjetic Mexican striker Javier Hernandez to his squad and already, he is looking to be a shrewd purchase, having already opened his United account with a goal in the Community Shield.

It is the role of Dimitat Berbatov that most intruiges the watching critics and it remains to be seen whether the Bulgarian will indeed step up to the mark in 2010-11.

Written by Danny Watson, a sports journalist who writes blogs about football shirts.

Gallas Joins Spurs

2010-08-22T13:42:00.001+01:00

Tottenham have today confirmed the signing of 33-year-old former Arsenal defender William Gallas.

Gallas, who played for Chelsea before joining Arsenal in 2006, has now signed for his third London club after Arsenal released him at the end of last season. He has signed on a one-year deal but Spurs have the option to extend the deal when this contract ends.

A statement on Tottenham's official website said: "We are delighted to announce the signing of William Gallas on a one year deal."

Gallas is already a very unlikeable player due to the way in which he left Chelsea and also his antics at St. Andrews in 2008 when he lost the plot on the pitch as Arsenal threw their title chances away. At 33 he is getting on, but he may still have another good year or two in him so I feel it's not a bad transfer for Spurs as Woodgate and King are very injury-prone.

Premier League Preview

2010-08-20T22:00:00.002+01:00

It was a good first weekend of Premier League football last weekend. Blackpool shocked Wigan, but no other big shocks. Liverpool and Arsenal drew(which I predicted), as did Spurs and Man City. Runners up last year Manchester United won 3-0 against new boys Newcastle and Chelsea thrashed West Brom 6-0. I seriously regret not putting Drogba in my fantasy football team. Bold = winner

This weekends fixtures and my predictions

Arsenal v Blackpool (3.00) - Arsenal win

Birmingham v Blackburn (3.00) - Birmingham win

Everton v Wolves (3.00) - Everton win

Stoke v Tottenham (3.00) - Draw

West Brom v Sunderland (3.00) - Sunderland win

West Ham v Bolton (3.00) - West Ham win

Wigan v Chelsea (5.15) - Chelsea win

Sunday

Newcastle v Aston Villa (1.30) - Draw

Fulham v Manchester United (4.00) - Manchester United win

Monday

Manchester City v Liverpool (8.00) - Manchester City win

Put on a tenner on those results and win £13383.23.

NOW FANS CAN PLAY AS THE GOALIE IN EA SPORTS FIFA 11

2010-08-20T13:22:00.004+01:00

All 22 Players on the Pitch Can Be Human Controlled in Online Team Play

Cologne, Germany, 17 August 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that EA SPORTS^TM has developed a new feature called Be A Goalkeeper for FIFA 11 that will enable fans to experience the thrill of playing as the keeper, and for the first time in a football videogame, will place control of all 22 players on the pitch in human hands. The new feature will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system when FIFA 11 is available in stores September 28 in North America and October 1 in Europe and Asia.

Chelsea FC and Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Čech has been signed as the spokesperson for Be A Goalkeeper and will be featured in advertising, marketing and promotional campaigns.

Be A Goalkeeper is a completely new way to play—instead of thinking as a player out in the middle of the pitch, you have to think and react as the goalkeeper. Experience the thrill of the one on one battle, making the great save from a free kick, punching balls safely out of danger, the pressure of the corner, and most importantly, keeping a clean sheet. Be A Goalkeeper features three levels of accessibility with varying degrees of AI assistance—assisted, semi-assisted and fully manual. Fans will be able to compete as the goalie in Career Mode and enjoy a 15-year career or create themselves as the goalie in Virtual Pro 2.0 to learn the position, track stats, complete achievements and test themselves against the best players in the virtual world.

With control of the keeper now in human hands FIFA 11 will deliver an authentic replication of football online with 11 vs. 11 Online Team Play that locks people into the role of a single, fixed player the entire game. Now up to 11 friends on different consoles will be able to select and take control of their own individual players on the same team to compete against up to 11 rivals of another team.

“The phenomenal growth of online gaming and the desire of our fans to be able to play as the goalie was the driving force behind this innovation for FIFA 11,” said Kaz Makita, Executive Producer, EA SPORTS FIFA. “Friends can play alongside each other in their pro clubs with all 11 virtual players on the pitch human controlled. We have finally replicated football in the virtual world.”

Over 750 million online connected games have been played since FIFA 10 launched last October and over 350,000 pro clubs have been created that enable friends to compete alongside each other against rival clubs. Pro Clubs is one of the most popular online game modes in FIFA.

FIFA 11 reinvents player authenticity – on and off the ball – for every position on the pitch with Personality+, and introduces new Pro Passing where pass accuracy is determined by a gamer’s ability on the control pad, and player skill, situation and urgency on the pitch. Plus, experience true freedom in man-to-man interactions with 360° Fight for Possession that transforms physical play from just lateral jostling to full 360° collisions.

Visit http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa to join the EA SPORTS FIFA Facebook group or visit WWW.FIFA.EASPORTS.COM for more information about the game. New game modes and innovations will be revealed later this month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P93vY5ZVJ7w = Check out the new FIFA 11 game play trailer here, I have to admit, it looks like it could be the best FIFA yet.

Milner and Ireland Swap Places

2010-08-18T18:10:00.001+01:00

Manchester City have finally managed to sign James Milner, with Stephen Ireland heading to the Villains as part of the deal. After months of speculation, Stephen Ireland eventually gave in to his £2.4million pay-off demands and settled for half that amount to allow the transfer to go through.

The move was always going to happen and Milner has now become Man City's 6th big transfer of the Summer after Jerome Boateng, Aleksander Kolarov, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli.

The 24-year-old who has already played for Leeds and Newcastle signed on a 5-year contract with Aston Villa getting around £15million and Ireland in return. The transfer takes Man City's Summer spending to £118million.

In my opinion, I think Aston Villa have made a good bit of business. Ireland is still a fantastic player and Ashley Young and Stewart Downing can play on the wings. I'm not sure where Milner will fit into the City team as they seem to be overcrowded in his department. It was clear he wanted to go so Villa did the right thing and I think they'll come out better on the deal.

New Football Kits for the new season

2010-08-17T14:57:00.002+01:00

The online shopping website Very offer a huge selection of attire when it comes to football. They have football shirts for every team starting at the price of just £19.

Most of the kids come complete with either the home or away shirt, the team socks and of course the shorts and each kit is available in several sizes, including infant and baby styles.

The football attire featured online will make the perfect gift for any football fanatic and once purchased will be delivered to your door. If you order now you will receive your purchase this August and this includes free delivery and return. Very also allows you to buy now and pay nothing until July 2011, meaning you have plenty of time to save up for your beloved teams shirts.

As well as the latest kits for the season, Very.co.uk also offer a range of football boots and football memorabilia, making this one of the best places to shop for the most dedicated football fan.

The store offers kits for International teams, European teams and Scottish teams as well as kits for all the Premiership teams, so there is most certainly a shirt to suit all.

The Premiership team kit available includes Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Bolton, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United, Sunderland and Tottenham. The European and Scottish kits obtainable include Barcelona, Juventus, Rangers, Celtic and Real Madrid. Kits abailable for the international teams includes Argentina, Brazil, England, Holland, Ireland, Nothern Ireland and Portugal.

Two things Arsenal need to stand a chance of Premier League glory this season

2010-08-15T20:59:00.004+01:00

Its been five long, hard, trophy-less years for Arsene Wenger and his team. So much is expected from Arsenal every season but they fail to deliver. This season, like every other one, they are expected to challenge strongly for the title. However, after watching today's game against Liverpool, there are a few thing they need in order to have any chance.

The first thing is a new goalkeeper. They are badly in need of a goalkeeper and its about time Arsene Wenger realises this and does something about it. Almunia is not good enough for a club of Arsenal's stature and Fabianski is far too error prone and lacks confidence. Mark Schwarzer would be a good addition, or Igor Akinfeev would be money well spent.

The next thing is a new centre-back. They brought in one defender this summer, Laurent Koscienly. However, they lost three centre backs in Gallas, Campbell and Silvestre. They are seriously lacking in depth in the centre-back department.

A new striker wouldn't go astray either, although they should be OK providing Van Persie or Chamakh don't get seriously injured.

Premier League Preview

2010-08-13T15:50:00.002+01:00

Finally, the Premier League is back. It's likely to be a very dramatic season, with several clubs eyeing a serious title challenge. Chelsea are the bookies favourite to retain the title, with Manchester United and Arsenal next in line.

Here is the first set of fixtures of the new Premier League season, and my predictions.

Tottenham v Manchester City (12.45) - Tottenham win

Aston Villa v West Ham (3.00) - Draw

Blackburn v Everton (3.00) - Everton win

Bolton v Fulham (3.00) - Draw

Sunderland v Birmingham (3.00) - Sunderland win

Wigan v Blackpool (3.00) - Wigan win

Wolves v Stoke (3.00) - Wolves win

Chelsea v West Brom (5.30) - Chelsea win

Sunday

Liverpool v Arsenal (4.00) - Draw

Monday

Manchester United v Newcastle (8.00) - Manchester United win

Some intriguing fixtures here. I am especially looking forward to Tottenham v Manchester City and Liverpool v Arsenal. I think Chelsea are still the team to beat this season, and I'm not the only one.

If you put a tenner on all my predictions to come through, you stand to win £26268.17, not a bad weekends work.

Chelsea chasing Brazilian wonderkid

2010-08-12T21:07:00.002+01:00

Premier League champions Chelsea are apparently hot on the heels of Brazilian wonder kid Neymar, who currently plays for Santos. He is the second player from Brazil whom has been linked with Chelsea, along with Ramires. They will have to shell out in excess of £20 million for Neymar's signature.

''Santos FC recieved an official offer from Chelsea FC of England for the economic rights to the striker Neymar.''

Neymar has been closely monitored by several of Europe's top clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan and of course Chelsea. He is very highly rated and big things are expected of him. He is probably too young to make it into the Chelsea starting 11, at only 18 he is definitely one for the future.

I've kept an eye on Neymar after seeing him on YouTube a couple of years ago. He reminds me of Robinho, small, fast and skill-full. I have no doubt he will someday play in Europe but whether he will be a success remains to be seen.

Fergie hungry for Premier League success

2010-08-09T12:29:00.003+01:00

Manchester United chief Alex Ferguson has sent out a message to his rival stating that his players are raring to go for the new season. United were beaten to the title last season by Chelsea but a 3-1 victory for Fergie's men in the Community Shield signalled their intent to regain the title they lost last year.

Ferguson also appears to have faith in his squad, not adding many players over the transfer window bar Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez.

''I'm happy with this squad. If I keep everyone shipshape and fit then we'll have a really good chance.''

United have looked in good form in pre-season, with Antonio Valencia and new boy Hernandez particularly impressive. They have a good mix of youth and experience with the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes in the squad to guide the younger players. Keeping hold of Nemanja Vidic will prove crucial, along with the form of Wayne Rooney. They have got a very good chance, there is no doubt about it.

Wenger to swoop for Reina?

2010-08-07T13:31:00.002+01:00

According to 'The Sun', Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is going to make a massive £25 million bid for Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina. Wenger is apparently looking for a new keeper after Almunia and Fabianski have come under immense criticism over the past year.

Its not only Reina Wenger has been linked with, there has also been speculation linking him with a move for Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer and Russian stopper Igor Akinfeev. However, Reina is probably the best out of these three and would probably be Wenger's first choice, if this speculation is true.

Personally, I think its rubbish. No way are Liverpool going to let Reina go. If Reina goes to Arsenal this season, I will post a full article stating I was wrong and 'The Sun' are always right. However, whilst Reina is an unrealistic target, Schwarzer and Akinfeev are realistic possibilities. If I was Wenger, I'd go for Akinfeev. He is young, only 24, but already vastly experienced.

There is no doubt that Arsenal need another keeper. Almunia simply isn't good enough and Fabianski is too error prone. Young keeper Vito Mannone was very impressive last season against Fulham, but he is too in-experienced for the number 1 spot.

This could be the closest English Premier League season yet

2010-08-06T14:15:00.004+01:00

With the Premier League fast approaching, people are starting to ask who is going to win the Premier League this season. A lot of people will see Chelsea as hot favourites, but truth be told it could be a lot tougher for them to lift the Premier League title this time round. A long with it being an intriguing season for the teams involved, it could also be very interesting for those of you who play fantasy football.

Last season, despite a few slip ups, it was always a two horse race between Man United and Chelsea, with Arsenal keeping close but never mounting a serious challenge. However, this season will I'm sure be far different. You can expect Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool to be nipping at the heels of the two teams who have dominated English football over the past few year.

Key for Arsenal was keeping Cesc Fabregas, which was confirmed today after ongoing speculation linking him to Barcelona. Along with the signings of Maroune Chamakh and Laurent Koscienly, they will push hard this year. People may be writing off Liverpool, but they have had a very successful transfer window, keeping Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres is a major plus for The Reds, whilst the acquisition of Joe Cole could prove a stroke of genius by new manager Roy Hodgson.

As for Tottenham, whilst they haven't signed any big name players this summer, you can expect them to go from strength to strength after making fourth spot last season, an achievement which is likely to haven given their confidence a much needed boost. Meanwhile Manchester City have spent a lot, but spent wisely with the addition of Yaya Toure, David Silva and Jerome Boateng.
Whatever happens this season, your going to want to keep up to date with football news in order to keep up with all that will be happening.

Chelsea's Odds to Repeat as EPL Champs

2010-08-04T14:17:00.003+01:00

In hindsight, it’s really no surprise that Chelsea F.C. took the English Premier League Championship last year, outscoring Man U, the league’s most dominant presence, at crunch time en route to a third title. Chelsea kicked it into gear when it mattered most and played solid football, edging out the competition. But whether or not they can do it again is the news story here.

With the EPL start only a short two weeks away, clubs are scrambling for position, signing any talent they can get their hands on. Arsenal is looking for some central defenders and a solid goalkeeper, while Man U hopes players like Chris Smalling end the defensive drought. Chelsea is currently going through their own drama, with rumors—now quashed but still affecting—of Ashley Cole on his way out and the Brazilian midfielder Ramires on his way in.

So many small moves are made during the course of an offseason—especially a World Cup year—that it’s hard to gauge just where Chelsea stands on the odds end of the spectrum. Remember, this isn’t a fan expose about who finishes where. This is about odds makers and their confidence that Chelsea can best the EPL in consecutive years.

Truthfully, the tale is told differently depending on where you go. For an online casino that accepts us players, football (soccer) isn’t necessarily that big of a sport and thus isn’t critiqued by odds makers the same way a South American or European site would. Popular US sites have Chelsea listed at 3.00 to repeat, ahead of every other team—except Man U—by a long shot.

And while a site like this is better used for online blackjack games, the numbers aren’t too far off based on the performance. It’s akin, in the odds-making genre, to giving an NFL favorite a -3 spread – safe and acting enticing.

English sites are a little more favorable—and undoubtedly more knowledgeable—when it comes to Chelsea’s true odds. Most popular UK sites have them listed at around 2.875/2.95. And while that might not seem like much disparity, it paints a better picture at where they’re standing over their opponents, with Man U second at 3.10/3.50.

Now, obviously, it’s not even season’s start yet and all but impossible to accurately predict where Chelsea will finish on a game-by-game basis, much less the entire season. But people in the football know have them still listed better as powerhouse Man U and always scary Arsenal.

For anyone looking to lay a bet down on the season’s finish for a possible big payoff, just remember that sites offering download roulette games aren’t as credible as sites dealing strictly in sports betting in terms of accurate numbers. Don’t be lured in by big bonuses. For true odds, check out a true Euro sports book.

Who will be in your Fantasy Football team this year?

2010-08-03T16:02:00.003+01:00

With the Premier League fast approaching, I thought it was time to finally pick my Fantasy Football team for the upcoming season. I'm not going to lie, I've never been very successful when it comes to Fantasy Football, for the most part last year I was more of a mid table team, and I fear this year might be no different. Anyway, here is my Fantasy Football team this year.

Goalkeepers - Brad Friedel (Aston Villa), Boaz Myhill (West Brom)

Defenders - Richard Dunne ( Aston Villa), Ryan Shawcross (Stoke), Patrice Evra (Man United), Kevin Foley (Wolves), Gael Givet (Blackburn)

Midfielders - Gareth Bale (Tottenham), Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Barry Ferguson (Birmingham), Adam Johnson (Man City), Lee Bowyer (Birmingham)

Forwards - Wayne Rooney (Man United), Robin Van Persie (Arsenal), Ricardo Fuller (Stoke)

The players I put in bold are the players I will be starting. As you can see, some players are only there because they are cheap, but got the most points for their value last season e.g Barry Feguson, Kevin Foley and Gael Givet. I was a little worried about having two Birmingham players in midfield because if Birmingham have a bad day, I''ll be relying heavily on my other midfielders.

Overall I don't think its a bad team, and hopefully I will have a little bit of success, or at least not embarrass myself.

Cole going nowhere

2010-08-02T13:58:00.002+01:00

Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole has been told by Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti he will not be leaving Chelsea this summer. Cole has been heavily linked with a transfer to Real Madrid, with Cole not hiding the face that he wouldn't mind working with Jose Mourinho again.

However, it doesn't look like he will get the chance to reunite with his old boss, not yet anyway. Carlo Ancelotti has denied any speculation that Cole will leave the club, stating that "Everyone can forget the idea he will leave this club.''

Cole is currently contracted to Chelsea until 2013 and makes around £100,000 pound a week, making him probably one of the highest paid left-backs in the World.

"It is only normal that Mourinho has a good relationship with Ashley. But I'm not interested in the relationship any of my players have with other coaches. Cole is staying."

There is no doubt that Cole is one, if not the, best left-backs in the World. However, with his talent comes controversy. He did not make a good impression in his last few month at Arsenal, clearly stating his intent and denying any of his teammates or even his manager an invite to his wedding. Since then the marriage has ended, and as we all know Cole was a regular feature in newspaper headlines, and issue which severely affected his form.

Liverpool line up bid for Parker

2010-08-01T12:47:00.003+01:00

Scott Parker has been subject to much speculation this summer, with Tottenham not shy in showing their interest in him and already having a big rejected. However, as with Joe Cole, it looks as if Liverpool are going to try and snatch him up before Spurs get the chance.

However, Liverpool will have to work much harder if they are going to land Parker. West Ham have been very firm on their intent to keep Parker at Upton Park, stating they will not let him go ''at any price.''

Roy Hodgson has also been linked with Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen, making it clear he is looking for someone to fill in for Inter bound Javier Mascherano. Personally I think it would be interesting to see how Parker would settle at Liverpool, especially after his torrid time at Chelsea. As for Poulsen, I watched him at the World Cup and whilst he looked a good player, maybe not good enough for a club like Liverpool.

Why not pop over to Football Corner, one of the best football blogs in the world. Check out the Football Corner Facebook page as well.

Chelsea and United to miss out on German World Cup star

2010-07-29T22:09:00.002+01:00

English Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United look set to miss out on Germany's World Cup star Sami Khedira, with Real Madrid favourites to sign him.

Khedira, 23, currently of Stuttgart, had a fantastic World Cup which saw Germany finish third and his performances brought on interest from several big European clubs. It was always expected that Khedira would move on, it was just a question of where to.

"Khedira has informed us that he wants to go to Real. We now have to find a solution."

"We respect Sami's decision. "I know that Stuttgart is close to his heart, but Real don't come calling every day."

I saw Khedira play a lot at the World Cup and I have to admit I was very impressed. He worked very hard and it was just his ability to break up the oppositions play that impressed, he was able to add to Germany's attacking threat. He will be a great buy for Madrid, if they get him.

Mascherano wants out of Anfield

2010-07-27T17:36:00.002+01:00

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano wants out of Anfield, with a move to Inter Milan his preferred destination. The Argentinian captain is just one of a number of Liverpool players who want to move clubs.

New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson did claim however that he does expect Mascherano to leave in appropriate way. He is still under contract at Liverpool and he is expected to honour that.

''I think he wanted to leave a year ago. He wants to leave now as well. But he is contracted to Liverpool Football Club so whether he leaves or not will be our decision.''

It would certainly be a loss if Mascherano were to leave Liverpool. Despite his tendency to get booked ( and then smile about it ) but other than that he does great work for the team and makes a nuisance of himself when the opposition try to attack.

City sign Serbian left-back

2010-07-25T03:56:00.002+01:00

The last few months for Wayne Bridge have been pretty terrible, and it just got worse. City have announced a new signing in Serbian left-back Aleksander Kolarov from Lazio.

City signed Kolarov from Lazio for £16 million, despite late interest from Juventus, with Mancini claiming he wants two world class players in each position. However, Kolarov was impressive during the World Cup and I would be surprised if he didn't make the starting 11.

"I first saw Kolarov in his Lazio debut back in 2007. I was impressed by the speed and strength of someone so young.''

"I am looking forward to working with him."

In my opinion £16 million was a bit much to pay for Kolarov, but I suppose money isn't an issue at City. Looking forward to seeing who else they bid for.

Spurs in bid to land Raul

2010-07-21T16:09:00.002+01:00

Spanish legend Raul, currently of Real Madrid, could be on his way to the Premier League with North London side Tottenham leading the chase for his signature.

Raul is available on a free transfer, but has already turned down an offer from German side Wolfsburg, insisting he wants to finish his career in England. Apparently, Newcastle are keen on the Madrid legend also.

"With a player of this pedigree there is always a lot of interest but nothing will happen until Real Madrid give the official go-ahead that he can leave."

I think Raul would actually be a pretty good signing for either Spurs or Newcastle, but I'd rather see him go to Newcastle. At Spurs, lets be honest, he will sit on the bench whereas he has a chance of starting at Newcastle. He was one of the best strikers in the World, and I still think he has a good season left in him provided he gets good service.

What is Joe Cole thinking?

2010-07-19T17:45:00.002+01:00

As you all probably know, Joe Cole is set to sign for Liverpool in the next few days, but what I really want to know is why? He had far better options, I actually laughed a little bit when I heard.

Cole is a good players, he has had trouble with injuries the past few seasons, but he is still extremely talented. Going to Liverpool will probably be a good thing for Cole, he should make the starting 11, but still, I think Tottenham would have been a better choice.

He could easily make it into the starting 11 at Spurs, and they are a team who are going places, unlike Liverpool who seem to be going to backwards. Champions League or Europa League, I know what I'd choose.

Liverpool will certainly benefit from signing Cole, especially after losing Benayoun. For free, Cole is an absolute steal. The question is, can they keep their other stars.

Vidic wants Madrid move

2010-07-18T15:51:00.002+01:00

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic is apparently keen to make a move to Spanish giants, Real Madrid. Vidic has been an integral part of the Man United defence over the past few seasons, but it seems he is ready to move on.

Vidic signed for United for £7 million back in 2006 and a year later signed a new contract which saw him earn £70,000 a week, still a far cry from his centre-back partner Rio Ferdinand, who earns £110,000.

Vidic was expecting a pay-rise but because of the current financial difficulty's at Manchester United, it didn't materialise, thus Vidic's desire to join Real Madrid. If Vidic were to leave, it would leave Man United very short at the back. Ferdinand has been injured persistently in the past year, while Johnny Evans has failed to impress, and Chris Smalling is possibly too inexperienced to fill in straight away.

Torres staying at Anfield

2010-07-16T15:07:00.002+01:00

New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is adamant that Spanish striker Fernando Torres will be staying at Liverpool for next season. Torres' future has been under speculation following a poor season from Liverpool which saw them lose their Champions League spot for next year.

Torres was apart of the Spain squad that won the World Cup this summer, but he injured himself in the final which has put his ambitions of an injury free season in jeopardy. However, this will not stop Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti doing his utmost to sign him.

"I have met with Fernando. I found him to be a very pleasant man and we had a nice conversation.''

"As far as we are concerned he is a Liverpool player and we want him to remain a Liverpool player.''

"He is not for sale and we don't welcome any offers for him. We want to keep him.''

Hodgson will be desperate to keep Torres, whether he will be successful in keeping him remains to be seen. If Torres has any ambition for next season, he will leave Liverpool. Meanwhile, Liverpool have made an offer for Nice striker Loic Remy. Remy scored 16 goals for Nice last season and Liverpool are keen to land him, although West Ham, Tottenham and Arsenal are all interested.

Where will Fabregas be playing next season

2010-07-13T16:06:00.003+01:00

Much has been made of Cesc Fabregas' future this summer, but during the World Cup, speculation about a move to Barcelona decreased. However, with World Cup over and Spain victorious, you can expect the Fabregas rumours start up again.

Many people will say that after playing, and winning with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Puyol, Pedro and Pique, Fabregas will feel as though he will have a far greater chance of success playing with the Barca boys he played with during the World Cup.

Also, during celebrations in Madrid Puyol and Pique pulled Fabregas out of the team and put a Barcelona jersey on him. Fabregas however, took it of soon after. Fabregas also said that winning the World Cup was for Arsenal, the fans and Arsene Wenger.

"This is for the Arsenal players, the Arsenal fans, the manager Arsene Wenger and all the staff.''

I don't think that Puyol and Pique should have put the jersey on Fabregas. The transfer should be made by both managers, Guardiola and Wenger, and the other players should have no involvement. As for Fabregas, I'm not sure where his heart lies. If he goes to Barcelona he faces sitting on the bench all year, but if he stays at Arsenal he faces the wrath of the Arsenal fans.
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World Cup 2010 Awards

2010-07-12T00:02:00.004+01:00

With the 2010 World Cup over, here are my awards...

Best Game

The third-place play off between Uruguay and Germany was exciting from start to finish with fast, attacking football. Germany ran out 3-2 winners.

Best Goal

Diego Forlan's volley against Germany was a fantastic goal but I'm going to give it to Giovanni Van Bronckhorst for his 35 yard shot against Uruguay that hit the post on its way to the top corner.

Biggest Villain

Has to go to Marc Van Bommel. How he didn't get sent off in this World Cup we will never know. Against Brazil, Uruguay and Spain, all he seemed to do was throw his legs at players trying to hurt them.

Biggest Disgrace (team)

England and holders Italy were quite shameful, but with just one point to their name, I'm giving it to France. With quite an easy group on paper, the 2006 finalists went out in disgrace.

Most Dramatic Moment

After 120 minutes of nothing happening, the Uruguay-Ghana game burst to life with a goalmouth scramble seeing Suarez block a goal with his arm. He was sent off but Gyan missed the penalty with the last kick of extra time. Uruguay went on to win on penalties.

Best Save

With the score at 0-0, Robben was put through with only Casillas to beat. But Casillas' outstretched leg tipped the ball around the post. It may not have been the best in terms of reflex but it was certainly the most important.

Biggest Shock (result)

England drawing to Algeria, France losing to South Africa and Slovakia beating Italy were all shocking but Switzerland's 1-0 over Spain in their opening fixtures surprised everyone.

Biggest Flop

There were so many let downs but I'm not going to mention Kaka or Messi as I wouldn't exactly say they were awful- just below par. Ribery, Ronaldo and Torres were all very poor but I'm going to give it to Rooney who had a disastrous World Cup.

Best Young Player

Mesut Ozil was impressive, but with 5 goals and 3 assists from midfield earning him the Golden Boot, I'm giving this one to Thomas Muller. At just 20, he really shined this Summer, with a brace against England being his highlight.

Best Player

Sneijder and Villa were good to watch throughout but Forlan gets my vote. With 5 goals and most of them crackers, he inspired Uruguay to the semi-finals against all the odds.

These are just my views, what do you think?

Spain are World Champions

2010-07-11T22:42:00.003+01:00

After a month of football, Spain are World Champions, and you can't say they didn't deserve. The best team on the night, they ran out 1-0 winners against Holland, who did themselves proud in reaching the final.

I don't think anybody thought Spain had a chance of winning the World Cup after their first game defeat to Switzerland. However, from then on Spain were impressive, to say the least.

It wasn't easy for them tonight. After a poor first half, the second half saw more chances, for Holland in particular. Arjen Robben was sent through on goal, twice denied by Iker Casillas.

In the last three minutes of extra time, Cesc Fabregas passed to Andreas Iniesta in the box to fire Spain to victory. Obviously, the Spanish team were ecstatic, the Dutch players were less so.

So congratulations are in order. Spain deserved their victory and overall, deserved to win the Cup. It's easy to see why they were favourites before the tournament began, with such a quality squad they were always going to be there or thereabouts.

World Cup Final: First half report

2010-07-11T20:19:00.002+01:00

It hasn't been a great game has it? Spain v Holland had the making to be a classic but so far it has been largely disappointing.

First of all, the starting teams. Not too many surprises, but in my opinion Fabregas should be on instead of Pedro, and Van der Vaart should be on instead of Kuyt, but that's just my opinion.

Sergio Ramos has had Spain's only real chance, a header saved and other than that no real chances. Meanwhile, Holland could have taken the lead when Sneijder passed back to Casillas after the Spanish put the ball out due to injury to Carlos Puyol. Casillas misjudged the pass back which almost went into the back of the net. Other than that, bar a shot from Robben, no real chances for Holland.

Holland should be down to 9 men, simple as. Van Bommel has fouled repeatedly, whilst De Jong could have killed Alonso with that drop-kick.

Personally, I hope the second half is a lot more exciting, and a goal from David Villa to lead Spain to victory would be lovely.

City plan swoop for Drogba

2010-07-09T12:39:00.004+01:00

Manchester City were always going to be rumoured to a number of players this summer, and Drogba is the latest in that list. City are apparently lining up a £20 million bid for the Chelsea striker, who was the top scorer in the Premier League last year with 29 goals.

You would think selling Drogba is out of the question for Chelsea, but considering Drogba is 32 now they might be tempted to accept such a high offer for the Ivory Coast star. It could backfire however, Drogba is 32 but he still has a few years left in him.

"Chelsea will have to decide whether they want him to stay. City's offer will be tempting considering Didier's age."

If Drogba were to move, you can expect Chelsea to go full throttle on a pursuit to bring World Cup flop Fernando Torres to Stamford Bridge.

Orange Army March On

2010-07-06T23:02:00.002+01:00

Holland have qualified for Sunday's World Cup Final after beating Uruguay 3-2 this evening. In another aggresive yet fast-paced display of football, they came out on top after an exciting second half.

The first 20 minutes were a cagey and tense affair with neither side seeming to want to take a risk, but out of nowhere Van Bronckhorst scored an amazing 35 yarder which opened the game up.

Lone-striker Forlan was finding it tough to see much of the ball but he equalised just before half-time with a left-footed strike from 30 yards which Stekelenburg maybe could have done better with. This set up an exciting second half with both sides going for the win, and with just 20 minutes left Sneijder's deflected strike squeezed into the corner of Muslera's left-hand post.

Just 5 minutes later Robben scored a bullet header to end Uruguay's hopes of a 3rd World Cup win. A late consolation from Maxi Pereira made for a nervy last few minutes, but Holland held out well.

Although I tipped Holland to win before the World Cup started, I'm not sure if they have what it takes to beat Germany or Spain. The cowardly, malicious tackling of Van Bommel has made me unfavour them slightly and I think once Robben and Sneijder are kept quiet, there's not much more to them.

Should Torres leave Liverpool

2010-07-05T21:31:00.002+01:00

With Liverpool not making the top four last season, there has been massive speculation over the future of their Spanish striker, Fernando Torres. Torres is currently playing for Spain in this years World Cup, but when that finishes you can expect to hear many more rumours about him.

It hasn't been a great World Cup for Torres. He has been off form completely, a shadow of the player we have seen from his time at Liverpool, which may be coming to an end.

Now, Torres' agent has denied reports than he said that Torres wanted out of Liverpool, but somehow I feel El Nino wants out of Anfield. I wouldn't blame him. Torres should be playing in the Champions League, not the Europa League. Should be challenging for the title, not fighting to make Europe.

Liverpool fans will completely disagree he should leave, and I don't blame them. Torres was their only real attacking threat, bar Gerrard. Replacing Torres with the likes of David Ngog, or Ryan Babel, just won't do for the Liverpool faithful. Personally, I hope Torres leaves. He is too good for Liverpool.

Who will be in the World Cup final?

2010-07-03T14:02:00.002+01:00

Its really starting to get exiting now. Two teams have already booked their place in the World Cup semi-final. Holland beat Brazil 2-1 yesterday after coming back from a goal down, whilst Uruguay went all the way to penalties against Ghana. They were lucky to get their though, after Luis Suarez handled the ball on the line Ghana had the chance to win it in the 31st minute of extra time. Unfortunately for Ghana, Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty and Uruguay went to on to win the penalty shootout 4-2.

So it was an exciting day of football to say the least, and today promises to be just as heart throbbing for the teams involved. Argentina play Germany in the early game, and Spain play Paraguay later on today. I'm really looking forward to the Argentina v Germany game, both teams have been really impressive so far. I think Argentina will come out on top. They have the ability to score goals out of nowhere and with Messi anything is possible for them. I'm not very confident on my prediction though, as Germany have some very impressive players in their ranks e.g Ozil, Muller and Schweinstieger.

In the later game, Spain will play Paraguay where both teams will be hoping to make it through to play either Germany or Argentina. I think Spain will have too much quality for Paraguay, who didn't look very threatening against Japan.

I would expect Holland to beat Uruguay. They have a very potent attack force with Robben, Sneijder and Van Persie, whilst Uruguay will rely only on Diego Forlan. I would also expect Argentina to make it to the final. Spain are weak at the back and Argentina have probably been the best attacking force in the competition so far.

So my prediction is Holland to play Argentina in the final. Who will win it? I have no idea. At least the football is no longer painful to watch, the World Cup is finally entertaining to watch.

Chelsea Sign Benayoun

2010-07-03T01:47:00.002+01:00

Yossi Benayoun has signed for Chelsea on a three-year deal for a fee believed to be in the region of £5million. The Israeli captain ended speculation yesterday by confirming his transfer from Liverpool to the League champions.

Benayoun, who recently turned 30, has spent the last 5 years in England enjoying spells with West Ham and Liverpool. He was a main factor in Benitez's rotational policy, and his versatility was key to their attacking options. He will always be remembered in Liverpool for his goal in their 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in 2009.

On first hearing of Chelsea being interested in Benayoun, I must admit I was shocked as he has never proven himself to be a top-class player. He's the type who may look good against the smaller teams but once put up against a sturdy defence, he isn' seen in the match. However, since the departure of Joe Cole, Benayoun may prove to be adequate cover for the Chelsea wingers. I still feel Chelsea need another winger though if they are to challenge for the title again next year, but whether or not they have the money remains to be seen.

Hodgson appointed as New Liverpool Boss

2010-07-01T14:53:00.003+01:00

Roy Hodgson has signed a 3-year contract as manager of Liverpool, replacing Rafa Benitez who departed last month.

Hodgson, who managed Inter Milan and Blackburn, probably enjoyed his most successful tenure as manager of Fulham. In his first season, he saved them from relegation when they looked destined to be going down and he then steered the London club to a Europa League place in his next season. However it was last season when he proved how good a manager he is by getting Fulham to the Europa League final, beating Juventus, Hamburg and Wolfsburg on the way. He was then voted manager of the year by the League Manager's Association in 09/10.

"This is the biggest job in club football and I'm honoured to be taking on the role of manager of Britain's most successful football club," Hodgson told the club's official website.

To be honest, I was quite surprised that Hodgson was given the job. I thought Liverpool may have gone for a big name or a past player to try and get them out of their situation. And although I do think Hodgson is an excellent manager, I'm not sure if he has what it takes for such a big team like Liverpool. Having said that, it would take a miracle from anyone to fix what has happened at the club.

Villa send Spain through

2010-06-29T22:15:00.002+01:00

David Villa's goals has put Spain through to the last 8, joining Brazil, Holland, Germany, Argentina, Uruguay, Ghana and Paraguay. Spain will of course play Paraguay in a bid to secure a place in the semi-final.

If I'm honest, there were no good games in the last 16 fixtures. I expected a lot from the Spain v Portugal game, but it wasn't very exciting. Ronaldo and Torres were particularly disappointing, with David Villa showing the latter who the top Spanish striker is, scoring the only goal of the game, his fourth of the competition.

I would expect Spain to beat Paraguay though. Paraguay didn't look like they will pose much of a threat when they played Japan earlier today. In fairness, they did look impressive taking penalties. I wouldn't expect it to go that far though.

Whilst I expect Spain to beat Paraguay, I would also back to Argentina to emerge victorious against Germany. Although Germany looked impressive against England, they lack the experience that will be key at this stage. That would mean Spain would play Argentina in the semi-final, a fixture I would love to watch.

England Crash Out

2010-06-27T16:50:00.003+01:00

After so much expectation, particularly from the British media, England have been knocked out of the World Cup. Germany proved too good on the break and ran out comfortable 4-1 winners in the end. However things may have been very different had Frank Lampard's clear goal been seen by the linesman.

England started poorly and were 2 goals down after half an hour, mainly down to the lack of communication and talent between Terry and Upson. But just 54 seconds after Upson brought it back to 2-1 Lampard volleyed from the edge of the box with the ball hitting the bar and falling at least a foot over the line, a moment that England will be talking/complaining about until World Cup 2014. In fairness, it was a shocking decision and once again puts pressure on Blatter to implement goal-line technology.

England started the second half well with Lampard hitting the bar but two quick breaks in 3 minutes kicked England out of the competition, both moves resulting in Muller smashing pas James.

In the end England were probably lucky to only concede 4 but they will always wonder what might have been had Lampard's goal counted. Being Irish however, I'll be very angry if FIFA decide to introduce technology because of it, as the idea was snubbed after the Thierry Henry incident in November.

Spain get through despite early scare

2010-06-25T21:19:00.002+01:00

After a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland, many were questioning Spain's World Cup credentials. However, after victory last week against Honduras and victory tonight against Chile, Spain have done the business and are through to the last 16.

It wasn't a fantastic performance though. They started very poor and I thought Chile were going to score first. However, a crazy piece of goalkeeping from the Chile keeper allowed David Villa to score from very long range into an open net. Iniesta then scored the second for Spain and Chile were reduced to 10 men when Estrada was sent off after tripping Torres.

Spain will now face Portugal in the last 16 in what is a mouth-watering fixture. I think they can win it, provided Alonso stays fit as he is key. I didn't think I'd ever say it but I think they need to leave Torres out of the team. He was poor again tonight and David Villa would be able to do a better job up front.

Having Torres on the bench wouldn't be a bad thing. Even if he is injured he can come on and make the difference. Will they win it? Not judging by tonight's performance, but they definitely have a chance.

City on the verge of major signing

2010-06-23T19:42:00.002+01:00

Manchester City have been given permission to discuss the possible transfer of Valencia winger David Silva. Valencia are strapped for cash and were forced to sell David Villa to Barcelona, and now look set to lose Silva in a bid to secure financial stability.

City are more than likely going to spend the most money if not in the Premier League, in the World this season. They are not afraid to splash the cash and have already declared interest in a number of quality, expensive players.

Silva looks like the first of these which they will have permission to discuss a possible transfer with. Although Silva is a good player, I don't think he is as good as everyone makes him out to be. Then again, I don't watch him play every week.

From what I have seen, he is a good player, who will be a useful signing. To be honest though, I'm looking forward more to the rest of the summer where City are likely to make some outrageous bids for players they don't stand a chance in signing.

Relief for Capello

2010-06-23T17:02:00.002+01:00

It has been a terrible World Cup so far for England, but a 1-0 victory, their first victory of the competition, has brought them through to the last sixteen.

As the final whistle went, you could see the delight on the England players faces. Yes, OK, well done you made it to the last sixteen. Fantastic. But wait a minute, you only barely made it to the last sixteen with probably the easiest group in the competition. Even the 1-0 victory today against Slovenia was pretty poor.

A team of England quality should have beaten Slovenia 3 or 4 nil. Each one of the England players is a recognised players of high quality, whilst for Slovenia Robert Koren was the most recognised, and he plays for newly promoted to the Premier League, West Brom.

I suppose, at least they won. They did what they had to do. It does however remain to be seen can they win if they play against a half decent team.

Keep up to date with the World Cup at Man Month

How will Kim Jong-il cover this one up

2010-06-21T14:20:00.003+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O-s1WhYOWs

If you watch that video, you will see how a news broadcast in North Korea showed them beating Brazil 1-0 with ease. The video just shows Brazil missing several chances, and then shows the North Korea.

However, I'm not sure how their leader Kim Jong-il is going to manipulate the highlights of the North Korea v Portugal game to make it look they won, with the final score 7-0 in favour of Portugal.

A great performance from the Portuguese to be fair, they deserved their win for the second half performance alone. North Korea had played well in the first half, but even then they went in 1-0 down at half time, a scoreline which unfortunately cannot be portrayed into a win by the North Korean news.

An impressive performance by Portugal, but I still feel they won't be challenging for the World Cup trophy this year. The likes of Argentina and Brazil are simply better. Portugal are relying to much on Ronaldo, who will not perform if things aren't going his way.

Havoc in French Camp

2010-06-20T18:40:00.002+01:00

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse for France, they did. France went into the World Cup being labelled 'cheats' and many felt they didn't deserve to be there. And after two disappointing results in their opening two games, they seem definite to be going home early.

One player who has already gone home early however is Nicolas Anelka. Anelka was taken off at half-time in their 2-0 defeat to Mexico and after the game, reports were out suggesting a major row between him and France coach Raymond Domenech.

These reports were later proven true when Anelka was sent home by the FFF for failing to apologise for his verbal attack on Domenech. However, less than 24 hours after Anelka was sent home, the French squad boycotted training in support of the Chelsea striker. Just a few minutes into training, captain Patrice Evra and fitness coach Robert Duverne had another argument. As Domenech stepped in, all the players boarded the team bus to make a stand.

A statement from the squad read, 'All players without exception want to declare their opposition to FFF's decision to exclude Nicolas Anelka.'

This whole fracas leads me to think how it would have been for Ireland had they qualified instead of France. Surely Trappatoni would have done a better job. It looks like it's over for France though, as I can see this being the end of Domenech's managerial career and the end of the international careers of Henry, Gallas and Anelka.

Even if England do qualify, they won't win the World Cup

2010-06-18T21:17:00.004+01:00

England 0-0 Algeria. They couldn't beat USA, they couldn't beat Algeria, will they be able to beat Slovenia. Based on tonight's performance, I doubt it.

England have very disappointing so far is this years World Cup. The first four minutes against USA were pretty good, but after that they looked lazy and just about deserved a draw. Tonight was no better. Algeria actually impressed me, which says a lot about the England performance.

Too many of their star players just aren't performing. Frank Lampard was terrible tonight, as was Gerrard, Lennon, Johnson and most surprisingly, Rooney. So much was expecting from Rooney at this competition, but to say he hasn't been at his best is an understatement. The choice not to bring the likes of Walcott and Bent, players who can come on and make a difference, is looking to be a crucial mistake.

I still think England will qualify. They should beat Slovenia. In saying that, they should have beaten USA and Algeria.

Mexico 2-0 France

2010-06-18T12:07:00.004+01:00

If you cheat, you deserve to lose. This is exactly what happened to France last night and to be honest I could not be more happy.

We all know how France made it to the World Cup, they cheated. Simple as. Its not only because I'm Irish that this annoys me so much, its the fact that France did it and are now performing worse than Ireland would have.

I don't even know why. France have a very good team. They should be on top of their group, not relying on other teams results to get through. I like most of the French players, they play good football and should be an exciting team.

It seems as though the way they made it to the World Cup has affected them. There was a lot of controversy surrounded the face they cheated and it is clearly still on the back of their minds. I think the choice to bring Henry to South Africa was a bad one. If anyone deserves to be watching the World Cup at home, its him.

Could this have been Nani's chance to show the World how good he is?

2010-06-15T18:26:00.002+01:00

his World Cup could really have been Manchester United winger Nani's big chance to show the World that he can be the best. The Portuguese winger had been living in Crisitano Ronaldo's shadow until he moved to Real Madrid where Nani started to show his true potential. Unfortunately, Nani's hopes of not only showcasing his talent but the chance of winning footballs most prestigious award has been dashed due to injury which will force him to miss the World Cup finals. For his sake, I hope he had single trip travel insurance.

It wasn't really until last season when Alex Ferguson showed he has faith in the young winger. Before then, Nani had been used as an impact sub. However, the departure of Ronaldo and Teves gave Nani a chance to stake a claim in the Manchester United starting eleven. It's fair to say he did a good job. Although he suffered from injury's during the season, he looked very impressive. Nani injured his shoulder in training last week, an injury thought not to be very serious at first but after further analysis the full extent of the injury was shown.

Now, Nani is only 23, so there is at least two more World Cups left in his career, so really its not the end of the world. You do have to feel for him though, it was the best he had been playing since his arrival to the Premier League and now he has to wait until next season before he can rekindle the form he showed last season. I was really looking forward to seeing Nani play. To be honest, I hadn't been his biggest fan up until last season. I thought he was too selfish and didn't contribute much to the team. I didn't think he was good enough to fill in Ronaldo's boots and even though he hasn't quite reached that standard yet, he has shown he has the ability to maybe do so in the future.

This will certainly be a devastating blow to Nani, but Steven Gerrard missed the 2002 World Cup with injury and look at him now, captain of his club, country (by default) and one of the best players in the World. The real question that has to be asked is what if Nani was just a one season wonder? It's a real shame that this years World Cup could have answered this question, but now we will have to wait until next season to find out.

World Cup 2010 Round-Up

2010-06-15T01:05:00.002+01:00

What an awful start to the World Cup! With 11 games played, we've only seen 18 goals, and the football has been largely disappointing too.

On Friday the South Africa-Mexico game was lively and a decent start to the World Cup but France and Uruguay set the tone for the competition with a bore nil all draw.

Saturday didn't produce any real entertainment for us either. South Korea brushed Greece aside in a 2-0 win but Argentina only beat Nigeria by a single goal when they should have won by 5 or 6. Their football was impressive however, Messi imparticular was popping up everywhere but Enyeama produced an amazing performance to keep him at bay. England's 1-1 draw with USA started ferociously and looked set to be a good game but instead both teams went on to play a defensive, cagey game.

On Sunday the Germans looked impressive in a 4-0 hammering of Australia, Tim Cahill recieved an extremely harsh red card which shows that referees seem to be clamping down on dangerous tackles. There were also two boring games- Ghana beating Serbia and Slovenia beating Algeria, both 1-0.

Things didn't get better today either. Holland, who I had tipped to do well, were poor in a nervy 2-0 win, Japan beat Cameroon 1-0 in a slow, unskilled game, and Italy's 1-1 draw with Paraguay hardly set the world alight either.

All in all, it's been a very disappointing start for me and I can only hope the football picks up. There's too many teams going into games with a defensive attitude, looking for a break when the chance comes. Those horns are driving me mad too!

City keen on Vidic

2010-06-12T17:31:00.003+01:00

Manchester City are apparently ready to launch a bid for Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic. The offer is thought to be in the region of £20 million, although it hasn't been formally made yet.

And Manchester City are also prepared to offer Vidic £115,000 a week to secure his services. Vidic has been unsettled at United in recent times, but has said that he won't say anything about his future until Serbia are knocked out of the World Cup.

An associate of his agent, Paolo Fabbri, said it was possible Vidic could leave Old Trafford.

"We are waiting for Nemanja to tell us what we he wants to do. Any eventual transfer will take place only after the World Cup."

If City were to sign Vidic it would prove a massive blow for Alex Ferguson, who would surely have to get a replacement. It would also be a fantastic signing for City. Vidic is a great defender, the type who would definitely sure up the City defence.

Who will be in the England starting 11?

2010-06-12T12:53:00.002+01:00

England team, with Heskey showing what he does best.

Much has been said of England winning the World Cup this year, and their first game today against the USA gives them a chance to show other teams what they are capable of. The question is, who will play? Capello says he knows the starting 11, but nobody else does.

There are a few certainties of who will play. Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry for example are all nearly guaranteed to play. Meanwhile at left back Ashley Cole should be chosen, the same applies for Glen Johnson at right back. Who will get the nod in goals is interesting. Personally I think it will be Rob Green, but is could easily be David James or Joe Heart. At centre back John Terry is a certainty, but who will partner him? Injury ravaged Ledley King, emergency replacement Michael Dawson, Jamie Carragher or Matthew Upson. My vote is Ledley King, even with his injury problems a quality centre back.

The midfield should be interesting. Whilst Gerrard and Lampard are nearly 100% going to play, there are many players fighting for a spot. Aaron Lennon gets my vote on the right. I still think Walcott would have been the best candidate, and Lennon is a similar type of player. Quick, direct and has plenty of skill. If Capello decides to play five men in midfield then I expect Milner to get the nod ahead of an over-rated Carrick, with Joe Cole on the left. If he plays 4-4-2, then I would think he would leave Milner out, considering he missed training during the week.

Up front we all know Rooney is going to play, its who will partner him that we all want to know. Crouch, Heskey and Defoe are all fighting for a starting spot. My vote is for Crouch. He has proven he can play at an international level ( 21 goals in 38 appearances), and his height and ability to hold up the ball and bring other players into play would prove very handy.

I'm looking forward to England match against USA tonight. It will be interesting to see if England live up to the hype. USA aren't a bad team. Some decent players, Donovan and Dempsey, could cause England some problems. My prediction, England 2-1 USA.

Why the World Cup Won't be One to Remember!

2010-06-11T22:54:00.002+01:00

Although the opening game between South Africa and Mexico was an entertaining game, the opening day of the 2010 World Cup hardly set the world alight. A bore 0-0 draw between France and Uruguay emphasises this and in my opinion, this World Cup will continue in this manner. There are two main reasons for this:

1. No Ireland- After being robbed and cheated out of a World Cup place by France in October, us Irish can only sit here and watch the World Cup as neutrals. It takes a lot of the excitement out of it, and many of us are only watching the World Cup in hope that France will fail. Would you believe that Henry even had the cheek to appeal for a handball today?

2. Many big-name players won't be there- The list is endless of the amount of players that have unluckily been ruled out of the World Cup through injury. Beckham, Ferdinand, Ballack and Essien are all out while Robben, Iniesta, Torres and Fabregas are all rushing back from injury and may not be as sharp as they can be. Then there's players like Walcott, Cambiasso, Zanetti and Rossi who have all been left out. The lack of these important players make the World Cup dull. Instead of getting to see Walcott run at defenders with his pace, we get to watch Lucas run around like a headless chicken.

This is just my opinion and I don't want to seem like a buzzkill because my country won't be there. By all means, I do hope that the World Cup is a great one. I'm just pointing out my worries.

Rafa Off To Inter

2010-06-10T18:08:00.003+01:00

Inter Milan have today confirmed that Rafa Benitez has taken over from José Mourinho as their manager. It was obvious that after Benitez left Liverpool by mutual consent last week, that he was Inter's number one target as Mourinho's successor. And it hasn't taken long for them to act.

A club statement read, "This morning, with both parties in agreement, a two-year deal until June 30, 2012 has been agreed between the Spanish manager and the club."

Benitez has a lot to live up to after Mourinho's amazing final season, in which he won the treble. I think, however that it's the end of an era for Inter Milan. With an ageing squad and an idiot of a manager coming in, I can't see them doing as well as they have been in recent years.

Chelsea Let Trio Go

2010-06-10T17:21:00.001+01:00

Chelsea have announced that they will not be renewing the contracts of Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti. Instead, they will all become free agents after the 30th of June.

Ballack, who joined Chelsea in 2006, never reached the form he showed in Germany and was a major let down. With him out of the World Cup through injury, he may even consider retiring at 33.

Belletti was never expected to be offered a contract extension. He was always a bit-part player for Chelsea, although his versatility often came in handy when injuries mounted up. At the age of almost 34 he may also decide to hang up his boots too.

The release of Joe Cole however was very surprising to me. Although it had been speculated that he wasn't staying, I'm still astonished that a player of his quality was allowed to leave, as at 28 he still has 3 or 4 more good years in him. With many Premier League clubs interested in him, I think he'll still be a huge star next season, whoever he ends up with.

Heskey puts blame on himself for Ferdinand injury

2010-06-10T00:56:00.003+01:00

England striker Emile Heskey has revealed that he couldn't feel any worse knowing that Rio Ferdinand will miss the World Cup because of him. Ferdinand is set to miss the competition after an injury in training involving Heskey.

The England captain was injured when tackling Heskey, when Heskey fell on his left leg, damaging his knee ligaments. Although Ferdinand has assured everyone it was an accident, Heskey is still finding the fact he may have cost England the World Cup difficult to deal with.

"I spoke to Rio afterwards and he told me there was nothing I could do but it was still difficult for me.''

And so he should be. Even bringing Heskey to South Africa was a mistake, now look at what he has done. I mean come on Fabio, what does Heskey offer. He's hardly a prolific goalscorer, he doesn't have the ability to beat a defender 1 on 1. All he does is hold the ball up, which is exactly what Crouch does, except Crouch is good at it and can do more. Why not bring a decent player?

I feel sorry for Ferdinand. To be injured for the World Cup is bad enough but to be injured by Heskey just rubs salt in his wounds. Heskey 1-0 England

Could this have been Nani's chance to show the World how good he is?

2010-06-08T15:51:00.018+01:00

This World Cup could really have been Manchester United winger Nani's big chance to show the World that he can be the best. The Portuguese winger had been living in Crisitano Ronaldo's shadow until he moved to Real Madrid where Nani started to show his true potential. Unfortunately, Nani's hopes of not only showcasing his talent but the chance of winning footballs most prestigious award has been dashed due to injury which will force him to miss the World Cup finals. For his sake, I hope he had travel insurance.

Why Holland Will Win The World Cup

2010-06-07T19:23:00.003+01:00

Although they may not be outright contenders, I reckon Holland are a great bet for this year's World Cup. At 11/1 at Betfair, a tenner bet is a good call. Here is why I think they can go all the way:

Arjen Robben- The tricky winger has been in amazing form all season, scoring 16 goals in just 24 league games from the wing. He also scored 4 very important Champions League goals in their run to the final. Although he's an injury worry, I still expect a big world cup from him.

Wesley Sneijder- What a season the small playmaker has had. Sneijder tore Chelsea apart at Stamford Bridge with his inch-perfect passing. After a treble-winning season, he's in the form of his life and I'm expecting him to be a big star.

Robin Van Persie- After a lengthy lay-off this season, RVP looked back to his best against Tottenham. He started the season in ferocious form and looked very sharp at the end too.

If this Dutch trio remain fit and in form, then I expect Holland to go very far in the competition. Who knows? They might just go all the way!

Chelsea eager to hold on to Cole

2010-06-06T14:27:00.002+01:00

With 5 Premier League clubs interested in his services, Chelsea are yet to give up on Joe Cole. The tricky winger whose contract runs out at Chelsea on July 1st is a major Summer transfer discussion.

All of Man Utd, Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City and West Ham have been rumoured to be interested and Chelsea have delayed the extension of his contract. However Chelsea assistant coach Ray Wilkins insists that he and Ancelotti will do everything they can to keep him at Stamford Bridge.

"We've obviously been in dialogue with Joe for months now and it's pretty evident that Carlo and myself would love Joe to stay but it's down now to the club to see what we can do.

"We sincerely hope Joe stays with us - he's a smashing guy and he's a wonderful footballer so we'll keep our fingers crossed."

Althouh he may have lost some pace from his persistant injuries over the years, I still think Chelsea should do everything they can to keep him. He's Chelsea's only real flair player and his trickery can turn any defender inside out.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly1nUJgBffs

Rio out, Drobga doubt

2010-06-04T17:57:00.002+01:00

Its bound to be an interesting World Cup, and the headline news has began before the competition has even started. England captain Rio Ferdinand has today been ruled out of the World Cup, whilst Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is a major doubt.

Ferdinand, currently of Manchester United, picked up a knock in training and was immediately rushed to hospital for scans. It has now been confirmed that Rio will take no part in this World Cup, a devastating blow for him, the England squad and the England staff. Ferdinand was meant to be captain at this years World Cup, so the job of captain will now be handed to Steven Gerrard.

Meanwhile, Chelsea and Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba is a major doubt to take any part in the competition. Drogba fractured his right elbow in a 2-0 win over Japan and is set to miss out on the chance to play in footballs most prestigious competition.

''For him, he said, the World Cup in finished.'' - Kolo Toure

Barcelona make Cesc bid

2010-06-02T14:54:00.002+01:00

We all knew it was coming. Barcelona have never hidden the face they want bring Cesc Fabregas back to Spain, and today they officially made an offer for the Arsenal skipper.

Arsenal signed Fabregas back in 2003 from Barcelona, when Cesc was only 16 years old. Since then, he has become Arsenal play-maker and captain, and has developed into one of the finest players in the world.

He has however never denied he would love to play for Barcelona some day, and it seems that day is fast approaching. Fabregas spoke to Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger and stated his desire to join the Spanish champions. With Barca making an official bid today, it looks like his wish could come true.

''So yesterday afternoon, we submitted a written bid to Arsenal.''

Personally I don't want Fabregas to leave Arsenal and join for several reasons. Number one being that without him, Arsenal will no longer be a force to be reckoned with, unless of course they use the money to buy several top class players, which they won't. Number two is that Fabregas is a fantastic player to watch and I'd hate to see the Premier League lose one of its most gifted players. Number three is that there is a strong chance Fabregas could be warming the bench at Camp Nou. Drop Xavi, Iniesta, Villa or Messi? I don't think so.

2010-06-01T17:06:00.003+01:00

Fabio Capello has named his 23 man squad for the World Cup and there are a lot of surprises to be seen. There are also four decisions that I completely disagree with.

The exclusion of Theo Walcott.
The inclusion of Emile Heskey.
The inclusion of Stephen Warnock ahead of Leighton Baines.
The exclusion of Darren Bent.

How Fabio Capello can leave Walcott out is a joke. There are few players with the pace, skill, trickery and finishing of Walcott. This was evident in the hat-trick he scored against Croatia and although he has been struggling with injuries the past few years, surely he should be getting in ahead of Wright-Phillips.

Also, after Baines starting in the games against Egypt and Japan, surely he would have been chosen ahead of Warnock. If Ashley Cole was to get injured, I would much prefer to have Baines as cover.

Finaly, how a donkey like Emile Heskey can be chosen before Darren Bent is a joke! Bent scored 24 league goals this season against Heskey's 3. I know people say he's great to play alongside, but that's why Crouch is there.

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Rob Green (West Ham);

Defenders: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Spurs), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa);

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Spurs), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City);

Forwards: Peter Crouch (Spurs), Jermain Defoe (Spurs), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).