Daily News: NHL and EPL

Busy weekend for me so let's start off Monday with some more NHL and EPL news!

 

 NHL News:

 Crosby impresses during training - Sidney Crosby is getting closer and closer to his NHL return as he continues to impress during practices.

Kovalchuk injured? - Ilya Kovalchuk missed Monday's practice with the Devils with a sore leg. Is there more to it?

Kopitar out for the season with broken ankle - Anze Kopitar's injury has weakened the King's chances of a Stanley Cup this year.

Bruins clinch playoff spot - After beating the Flyers, the Bruins have made it into the playoffs and look strong.

Savard's concussion worsening? - Marc Savard's concussion issues are leading to memory loss.

 

EPL News:

Pardew sweating on Best fitness  - Alan Pardew is hoping striker Leon Best will be fit for this weekend's crucial clash with Wolves. Really? Things are desperate up North.

Redknapp likened to Mourinho  - Rafael Van Der Vaart has made a comparison between Harry Redknapp and Jose Mourinho's management styles. Pretty big compliment for Redknapp. 

Doyle out for 1-2 months - Wolverhampton's hard working striker Kevin Doyle could be out of action for the rest of the season. That could be damaging to Wolves' survival hopes.

Kean confirms interest in Ruud Van Nistelrooy - Blackburn boss Steve Kean has made his interest in veteran striker Van Nistelrooy public.

Richards targets a swift return to action - Talented, but injury prone, defender Micah Richards is hoping his latest injury will not keep him out for too long.

Enjoy!

EPL News Round-up

What's new in the EPL this week?

Alex Ferguson has been handed a five-game ban by the FA following his criticism of referee Martin Atkinson. I like this move by the FA. I get a little tired of managers blaming any loss their team suffers on the performance of the referee when everyone knows how hard that job is. Of course the ref is going to make mistakes, there are 22 players out there on the pitch who are trying to cheat, dive and influence the referee in some way. I wish it wasn't like that but, let's face it, that is a big part of professional football these days.

Fergie wouldn't be whinging if his team had gained an advantage through poor refereeing. In fact, more often than not it is Fergie who gains the advantage, so I'm glad the FA gave him this ban. Perhaps they could duct-tape his mouth up too.

Adam Johnson looks like he is set to return for Manchester City. This is great news for The Citizens and for England fans. The sooner he gets back on the pitch the better.

Nani is still pissed at Jamie Carragher for the nasty tackle he received in Manchester United's 3-1 loss to Liverpool a couple of weeks ago. I guess he has every right to be angry, the tackle was pretty awful but I think he could let it go. It didn't seriously injure him (he was back on Tuesday night to feature in United's Champion's League clash with Marseille) and Carragher did apologise.

I'm not a fan of Nani, he prances round like a fairy half the time, but I do agree with him when he asks the referees to be fair. Carragher should have been sent off but there is far too much inconsistency with how the refs deal with bad tackles.

Bale is back

Gareth Bale is back! This is excellent news for everyone. He was playing so well up until his injury so I hope he gets back to his best as soon as possible. It's a shame he will, like Ryan Giggs, waste his international career with Wales but I guess you can't have it all.

I'll have a wee look at some of this weekend's upcoming games shall I?

SATURDAY:

12:45 Tottenham vs West Ham

Nice London derby to kick things off on Saturday. West Ham have been pretty good recently but I can't see Tottenham losing this one. Maybe a draw, but I reckon Spurs will win.

15:00 Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton

Bent and Young have been so good playing up front for Villa that I cannot see how Wolves will contend with them. However, Villa are suspect at the back (the Bolton game anyone?) and Wolves have the physicality to cause any team problems.

15:00 Blackburn vs Blackpool

Blackpool will be looking to get back to winning ways now they have dropped firmly into the relegation battle. Blackburn are just one place above Blackpool on the same points so this game is easily a six-pointer.

15:00 Man Utd vs Bolton

Man Utd have lost their last two Premiership games in a row and Bolton are never an easy team to play. I can see this one being close but Man Utd's home advantage might see them through.

15:00 Stoke vs Newcastle

This is going to be a tough game for Newcastle. Stoke are very physical and will put plenty of balls into the Newcastle box. I'm not totally convinced by Newcastle's back four so I think they will concede. Can Best and Lovenkrands do enough up front for the Toon? I don't think they can.

15:00 West Brom vs Arsenal

This should be a walk in the park for Arsenal but as any Gunner fan will know, these games never seem to be easy anymore. With Man Utd involved in such a tough game against Bolton, Arsenal should be looking to win this game comfortably to keep the pressure on the Red Devils.

15:00 Wigan vs Birmingham

Wigan desperately need the points, as do Birmingham, who need to shake off that Cup winning hangover quickly if they want to stay in the Premiership. This one should be a cautious game so I can't see too many goals.

17:30 Everton vs Fulham

It has been the same story for both of these teams all year. You never know which team is going to turn up. The really good one or the really poor one. I guess the lack of consistency is the main reason why they are both languishing in mid-table obscurity. I literally couldn't hazard a guess at what will happen in this game.

SUNDAY:

13:30 Sunderland vs Liverpool

I can see Liverpool keeping up their current good form with a win at the Stadium of Light. Suarez looks a fantastic player and I can't see the Sunderland defence coping with him.

16:00 Chelsea vs Man City

This is a huge game for the end-of-season bragging rights. Which of these teams is going to finish third? It should be, I stress should be, a fantastic game. I'm going with Chelsea.

EPL News Round-up

Plenty of news to hit you with this weekend. 

First off, I want to say good luck to Arsenal in the Carling Cup final today. I think that Arsene Wenger is easily the best manager in the Premier League. He barely spends any money (Arsenal are the only club in the top four that actually makes a profit every year) and has spent several years cultivating a young team that, on its day, plays the best football in the world (cemented by the fact they recently beat Barcelona). He deserves a trophy and I hope he wins it this afternoon.

Right, on with the news.

Newcastle United have signed Cheik Tiote to a new long-term deal. For Toon fans that is great news. Tiote has been one of their best players all season and they are going to need more players like him if they are to kick on in the Premier League next year and reclaim their position as one of the biggest clubs in the country.

Liverpool midfielder Raul Miereles has come out and said that he feels he has more support from Kenny Dalglish than he got from ex-Reds manager, Roy Hodgson. I can't stand when players come out and say derogatory things like that. If he feels that then he should keep it to himself. I can't imagine it is true anyway considering Roy Hodgson bought the guy, paying 11.5 million quid for him. Why would Hodgson do that and then not give Miereles enough support? I like Miereles as a player but I am losing respect for him as a person after he came out and said that.

Wayne Rooney reckons this is the worst season he has ever had. Really? Thanks for updating us Wayne but we already know.

With less than 18 months left in his contract, Samir Nasri is still locked in discussions with Arsenal regarding a possible extension. If Arsene Wenger wants continued success with his young team, he is going to need to keep a hold of players like Nasri. It will be interesting to see if Nasri waits until the end of the season to sign a contract or not. If he does and Arsenal don't win a trophy I have a hunch he might follow Fabregas out the door.

More news just in. West Ham 3-1 Liverpool. Not a good result for the Reds there. I wonder if Miereles didn't get enough support in this game because I don't see him on the scoresheet.

Enjoy the Cup Final.

Update:
Birmingham City 2-1 Arsenal - Yet again Arsenal prove that for all their flair and skill, when it really matters they can't finish the job. All the possession in the world won't win you a Cup if you can't score. Oh yeah, if you try to kick the ball out of your Keeper's hands in the 88th minute it won't help either. Epic finish to the game.

I feel for you Wenger.

Well done Birmingham! Carling Cup Champions 2011

The Race for the Europa League!

First off, I have to apologise to all you EPL fans out there. I have been favouring the NHL a little too much recently but there has been a lot going on. If you are intrigued about the NHL but you don't know where to start, then head over to NHL.com and check it out. Right now is the best time to have a look as we near the business end of the season!

Ok back to football.

For many teams who cannot hope to compete for the Premier League title or a Champion's League spot, the prize at the end of the season is a position that will qualify them for entry into the Europa League.

The battle for a Europa League qualification spot is quite exciting to watch as it tends to concern around 10 teams in the League. Only a maximum of 4 teams can qualify for the Europa league and only one of those teams is guaranteed entry. More rules on the qualification process can be found here: Europe League Qualification.

Basically 5^th place is guaranteed a spot in the Europa League. Whoever finishes 6^th usually qualifies also with 7^th and 8^th being circumstantial.

Now, who is currently in the race to play against some of Europe's best teams next year? Well, we have Chelsea, who are favourites to finish 5^th with 45 points, then we have Liverpool (39pts), Sunderland (37pts), Bolton Wanderers (36pts), Newcastle United (35pts) and Stoke City (33pts) all within six points of each other. On the outside looking in we have Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool and Fulham. Arguably even Everton, Birmingham City and Aston Villa still have a long shot at getting in as they are only nine points behind 6^th place Liverpool.

The race for qualification is very tight this year but I think Liverpool have to be considered the favourites for 6^th and Sunderland favourites for 7^th. As a Toon fan that is a very difficult thing to say but after looking at the facts and the rosters it is clear that Liverpool and Sunderland have the most complete teams.

Liverpool are favourites for 6th place.

Newcastle are capable but they have a very small squad and will be too weak to challenge if they suffer anymore injuries. Bolton are very solid and tough to beat but they don't have the quality that Sunderland and Liverpool possess. Stoke are much the same as Bolton insofar as they are a solid side that can win if they stick to their formula, but don't have the quality to change things when their formula isn't working. Because of that I don't see Stoke qualifying either.

There is a possible fourth Europa League spot and if the Premier League does get it this year (see Europe League Qualification) then I would fancy Newcastle to qualify in 8^th.
 

Playing in the Europa League gives teams a chance to play against some of the biggest teams in the world and gives them a shot at winning one of the most coveted trophies in football. It also means more money, which can lead to better players and more success...

Who do you think will qualify this year?

Premier League Round-Up

Another Saturday in the Premiership has come and gone and there were, as there always are, a few important results to discuss.

Man Utd's 2-1 win over rivals Man City (thanks to a contender for goal of the season from Wayne Rooney) was a huge relief for Sir Alex after last weekend's slip up at Wolves. Man City would have managed to get themselves back in the race for the title if they had won today, instead they are now firmly out of it. Only Arsenal are left to try and catch the Red Devils this season and that might be too difficult a task as this is typically the part of the season where Man Utd get stronger and stronger and Arsenal tend to fade away.

The Gunners, however, did their title bid no harm today by overcoming last week's conquerors of Fergie's men at the Emirates Stadium. Wolves, for all their endeavour, never looked like scoring today and so Arsenal keep the pressure on United at the top of the table courtesy of two Robin Van Persie goals.

Newcastle and Blackburn failed to repeat their goalscoring (and goal-conceding) acts from last week and played out a 0-0 draw. Newcastle had most of the pressure and will probably consider this game two points dropped, although both managers will have been relieved to get a clean sheet.

In a far more entertaining game, West Ham managed a Toon style come-back against West Brom. After going in at half-time 3-0 down and looking like they would rather be at home than on the pitch, West Ham somehow managed to get themselves going in the second half and fought for a hard-earned draw.

Kranjcar "kranks" in another one.

Tottenham march on thanks to yet another wonder goal from Niko Kranjcar and Birmingham battled to a 1-0 victory in a true clash of the giants against Stoke. Despite Miereles getting his fifth goal in six games, Liverpool could only manage a draw as Wigan halted the charge of The Reds. Miereles is getting better and better with every game and looks a class act in that supporting role.

A quick mention should go to Jean Makoun who should be docked wages for idiocy after his inexplicable two-footed tackle today. He is lucky Villa held on for the 1-1 draw after his dismissal. I can't understand players sometimes. If you KNOW that going in two-footed will result in you getting sent off...then why do it? It brings no advantage to a tackle, it could seriously injure the player on the receiving end and you will be sent for an early bath, thereby making the game more difficult for your team so, I say again, why?

Full results:

Man Utd 2 Man City 1

Arsenal 2 Wolves 0

Birmingham 1 Stoke 0

Blackburn 0 Newcastle 0

Blackpool 1 Aston Villa 1

Liverpool 1 Wigan 1

West Brom 3 West Ham 3

Sunderland 1 Tottenham 2

Leave your comments below!

Transfer Deadline Day: EPL

The January transfer window slammed shut at 11pm last night but not before we had seen some huge transfers. Liverpool were arguably the busiest of all Premier League clubs as they try to re-build their squad. Chelsea were also fairly busy and both the blues and the reds spent a record amount of cash. West Ham managed to strengthen their side, as did Sunderland.

Over 200 million pounds was spent in January, which dwarfed the paltry 29 million that was spent at this point last year. Some of the biggest signings included Bent (£24 Million) from Sunderland to Aston Villa, Dzeko (£27 Million) from Wolfsburg to Manchester City, Torres (£50 Million) from Liverpool to Chelsea, Luiz (£21.5 Million + Nemanja Matic) from Benfica to Chelsea, Carroll (£35 Million) from Newcastle to Liverpool and Suarez (£23.5 Million) from Ajax to Liverpool.

Statistics of note:

Andy Carroll's transfer fee is the most expensive between Premier League clubs in history (for a British player) after he was sold to Liverpool by Newcastle for a princely 35 Million.

Fernando Torres broke the Premier League transfer record after signing for Chelsea for 50 Million

Darren Bent is has cost more money than any other player in Premier League history if you count the costs of all of his transfers. If you think that is an odd one, bear in mind that no striker (other than Rooney and Drogba) has scored more goals in the last 5 seasons than Darren Bent.

Winners:

Liverpool – Potentially gone from bad to good overnight with the additions of Suarez and Carroll. Could be a devastating partnership. If they had managed to secure the services of Charlie Adam then it would have been the icing on the cake.

Chelsea – Managed to bag a fantastic young talent in David Luiz and finally got their man in Torres who we all know is an excellent player. Torres and Drogba up front? Terrifying.

Aston Villa – They have paid a lot for Bent, maybe too much, but they have a bona-fide goal scorer now and that is what they needed more than anything else. They should be OK.

Tottenham Hotspur – 3 Million for Pienaar? What. A. Steal.

West Ham United – Robbie Keane and Wayne Bridge bring plenty of talent and experience to a side that desperately needs it.

Losers:

Newcastle United – The 35 Million will help ease the pain but Newcastle have lost their best player and future talisman. With Ameobi as their best back-up striker, things might become very difficult for the Toon. Staying up is more important than ever now so that the 35 million can be put to use in the summer to bolster this team.

Everton - Losing Pienaar for such a small return is going to sting. They didn't pick anyone up to replace him either.

Stoke City – Stoke haven't really lost here, but fans of the Premier League have. John Carew's arrival at Stoke can only mean more of the same boring long ball, physical football that we have come to expect from Tony Pulis' side. Let the yawning commence.

Well that's all folks from an exciting transfer deadline day. It could be the biggest transfer period for a long time as well with those new rules coming in for the 2012-13 season so I hope you enjoyed it.

Did your team win or lose during the window? Let's hear some of your thoughts!

Dull Derby Day Draws

On Sunday, Premier League fans were treated to three big derby matches. The Tyne and Wear derby between Newcastle and Sunderland, the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton and the Second City derby between Birmingham and Aston Villa. As you have probably gathered from the aptly chosen title, all three games ended in draws. It is never surprising when these matches end in draws because of a few reasons.

1. Both sides know how much it means to win so, while the games are full of effort, emotion and energy, there is usually a loss of focus and judgement making the games physical, scrappy affairs.
2. I would say that both teams do not want to lose more than they want to win so, naturally, the players are a little more cautious.
3. Sometimes, when a game gets hyped up as much as these derby games do, they can be a little disappointing. Perhaps we expect too much.

In defence of the Merseyside derby, the game was pretty good. The second half in particular, after Everton's explosive comeback, set the game up for a fantastic last 30 minutes. Also, in the Tyne and Wear derby we were treated to a last gasp equalizer from Sunderland's Asamoah Gyan. So it is not as though the games were totally devoid of drama, it's just that they won't go down in history as memorable encounters.

Furthermore, in regard to League position, these games did nothing. None of the teams greatly benefited or are now disadvantaged because of the results. Along with that, none of the fans of any team go home from these particular games with bragging rights, which is arguably the point of a derby game.

I was hoping to write a fairly lengthy article discussing the red cards, penalties, hat-tricks, defensive mistakes, goalkeeping howlers or bad refereeing but there was only the Kuyt penalty in the Liverpool game that springs to mind and that was a penalty so there really are no talking points.

"But hold on!" I hear you cry, "Spurs played Man Utd today...there is still hope!" Fair enough, what about the Tottenham v Man Utd game? Surely that would have had some drama? Both teams would have benefited greatly from a win; Man Utd would have gone back to the top with games in hand over their rivals or Tottenham would have broken back into the top four. With that in mind let's check the sco...oh well, at least there was a sending off.

Maybe next week? 

My thoughts exactly.

Sundays games:

Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle United

Birmingham City 1-1 Aston Villa

Liverpool 2-2 Everton

Tottenham Hostpur 0-0 Manchester United

Saints' starlets attracting attention.

17 year old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

For a number of years now the Southampton FC Youth Academy has been producing some of the brightest young talents in the UK. Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale, Wayne Bridge and even the great Alan Shearer are all products of the Southampton youth system. All have since left the Saints to go on to bigger and better things in the Premiership. Walcott plays for Arsenal, Bale for Spurs and Bridge now plays for West Ham but had stints at Man City and Chelsea too. Alan Shearer initially left Southampton for Blackburn before returning to his home town of Newcastle, where he played for the majority of his career.

Anyways, enough of the history lesson. The fact is, two new youngsters, both products of the Saints Youth Academy, are being watched by Premier League clubs. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam “I don't-have-a-fancy-double-barrelled-second-name” Lallana are playing some great football for Southampton down in League One.

Adam Lallana (Right)

Lallana had a breakout season last year, scoring 20 goals as Saints marched towards success in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and a 7^th place finish in the League (they started the season with -10 points). Oxlade-Chamberlain, on the other hand, is currently in the middle of his breakout season. His recent form on the wing for Southampton has been nothing short of astonishing and he deserves all the plaudits he is getting.

Despite the undoubted talent of both players, whether or not they could play in the Premier League, at least right now, is disputable. If either player moved to a club like Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea, they wouldn't get anywhere near the first team. They would be playing reserve team football or warming the bench. They might get 10 minutes of game time here or there in the cup competitions but they won't progress as players.

Theo Walcott made the mistake of leaving Saints for Arsenal at too young an age and sat on the Gunners' bench for two years before playing. In contrast, Gareth Bale stayed at Saints for an extra year after gaining the Premier League's attention, learned his trade by playing regularly, and is now thought of as one of the best left wingers in the world.

Southampton do not have to sell their prize players any more (thank you Markus Liebherr), but if the players really want to leave and would like to ply their trade at a higher level, they should really make sure they are ready to do so. Lallana seems to have already made his decision by signing a four-and-a-half year deal with Saints in a move that will delight the fans.

It is worth noting that Southampton have yet to recieve any offers for either player despite Lallana and Oxlade-Chamberlain being linked to Newcastle United and Liverpool respectively.

The Romance of the Cup lives on...

The FA Cup

The FA Cup has to be my favourite cup competition out of all the sports I follow. Nothing even comes remotely close to the size of it or provide half the drama that it brings. For the smaller clubs it is a chance to play against some of the best teams and players in the world and possibly cause an upset or two along the way. For the bigger clubs, it is a chance to achieve glory and win one of the most coveted trophies in football.

For me, the single best thing about the cup are the upsets. To see a smaller club play against the odds and defeat a bigger club is fantastic and every neutral fan wants it to happen. On Saturday, the FA Cup proved once more that there is still magic in the competition as we saw plenty of higher ranked teams toppled by lower league opposition.

Southampton (League One) defeated Blackpool (Premier League) 2-0

Southampton controlled this game from start to finish and won the game by two goals to nil that included a wonder strike from substitute Guly Do Prado. Both sides made plenty of changes to their squads before the game started and it is testament to the second string players that Saints have that they were able to overcome a squad that plies its trade in the Premiership.

Stevenage (League Two) defeated Newcastle (Premier League) 3-1

Were Stevenage out for revenge for what happened 13 years ago? I think you can safely assume that they were. Stevenage came out and played this game like their lives depended on it and embarrassed a pretty strong Newcastle side. It wasn't just a smash and grab victory either. Stevenage scored three goals and only conceded a wonder strike from Joey Barton. Of course Newcastle are focused on Premier League survival, but this one will sting for a while, no doubts there.

Notts County (League One) defeated Sunderland (Premier League) 2-1

Despite Notts Country being a whole league higher than Stevenage, this result was a bigger shock than the Newcastle one because this game was played at Sunderland's home ground. They weren't beaten on some awful pitch, they were beaten in their own back yard. Steve Bruce will not be happy with his side after this one and we could see a dip in form for the Black Cats if they don't bounce back quickly.

Burton Albion (League Two) defeated Middlesbrough (Championship) 2-1

If you had read my other article then you would know that I called this result before the game kicked off. It was written in the stars. Middlesbrough have been so rubbish all season and they were playing away from home...it was meant to be that Burton would further compound the misery of the teeside club. This result does nothing to lift the already depressed spirit of the players and fans of Middlesbrough football club and we could see a relegation to League One if they don't sort themselves out. 

There were also some great efforts from lower league teams that forced replays.

Leeds United (Championship) drew with Arsenal (Premier League) 1-1

Leeds were only a few minutes away from beating Arsenal at the Emirates before Fabregas scored a 90^th minute penalty. A draw was probably a fair result on reflection and now Leeds get to entertain Arsenal at Elland Road in the replay. I think Arsenal will probably get the job done at the second time of asking but the game served to highlight, once more, just how inconsistent this Arsenal team has been at home.

Leicester City (Championship) drew with Manchester City (Premier League) 2-2

Sven managed to pull off a great result by guiding his Leicester side to a deserved draw with the mighty Manchester City, his former club. The return fixture, at the City of Manchester Stadium, will probably be a different story but Leicester can enjoy the moment for now.

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Thank you for reading!

FA Cup Weekend: A look at some of the tastier ties.

The FA Cup

Saturday:

Arsenal v Leeds

Brighton v Portsmouth

Burton v Middlesbrough

Southampton v Blackpool
Stevenage v Newcastle

Tottenham v Charlton

Sunday:

Leicester v Man City
Man Utd v Liverpool

Arsenal v Leeds:

Two great clubs with great history will clash at the Emirates on Saturday. While one has fallen quite spectacularly from grace, the other finds itself chasing Man Utd for the Premiership title. A forgone conclusion then? I'm not so sure. Arsenal have not been entirely convincing at home this season and Leeds are a tough side to face on their day. They will be pumped up for this game and could, with a bit of luck, pull off a big upset here. Arsenal are the favourites of course, but keep your eyes on this one. Leeds have already proven they are giant killers after dumping Man Utd out of the FA Cup at this point last year.

Brighton v Portsmouth:

South coast rivals Brighton and Portsmouth face each other this saturday in what should be a fiery affair. Red hot Brighton, who top League One, will find themselves to be the underdogs in this game despite the fact that Portsmouth, 18^th in the Championship, are struggling at the moment. I fancy Brighton in this one although manager, Gus Poyet, will surely ring some changes as he has one eye on the League One title race.

Burton v Middlesbrough:

Look to this game for an FA Cup upset. Middlesbrough are having an awful season in the Championship and find themselves sat just outside the relegation zone despite being favourites for the league title before the season started. Burton Albion (currently 17^th in League Two) will be playing on their own turf in front of their own fans and will very much believe that they can pull off a shock here. This one could be very interesting indeed. The Teesiders simply cannot afford to lose this game.

Southampton v Blackpool:

Blackpool, with their focus on Premier League survival and Southampton, with their focus on promotion from League One, will probably both make several changes to their squads. This will cast the spotlight on some of the fringe players from both squads who will be looking to stake a claim for their respective first teams. Southampton come into the game in the better form of the two sides but Blackpool are a Premiership club and will be heavy favourites. I fancy Saints to take the game to Blackpool, possibly forcing a replay. A cup run is hardly in either club's plans this year but they are always welcome for the morale boost they bring.

Stevenage v Newcastle:

A replay of one of the best FA Cup ties of the last 20 years sees Stevenage take on the club they so very nearly dumped out of the Cup back in 1997/98. After drawing 1-1 with the Toon at Stevenage, the Boro were unfortunate to lose the replay 2-1 at St. James' Park where goal-line technology actually showed that Alan Shearer's opening goal in the replay did not cross the line. While we all hope the magic of the FA Cup will produce a game similar to the one we witnessed over ten years ago, I think the Magpies will overcome Stevenage at the first time of asking here.

Tottenham v Charlton:

An all London clash awaits us at White Hart Lane this Saturday as Tottenham host Charlton. This game should be a forgone conclusion, with Tottenham playing so well this season and Charlton sitting two leagues below them. However, derby games have a way of upsetting the status quo, as do FA Cup games. I would still expect Tottenham to win this one but it might be closer than first expected.

Leicester v Man City:

Sven Goran Eriksson entertains his former club at the Walkers Stadium this weekend in what should be a relatively easy game for the away side. Eriksson enjoyed a decent spell at the Manchester club (that included two derby wins over rivals Man Utd) before being rather unjustly sacked after just one season in charge. Leicester will fancy themselves, as they are playing at home, but the might of Man City will be too much for the Swede and his Foxes.

Man Utd v Liverpool:

In what is easily the pick of all the third round ties, Manchester United will host their bitter rivals Liverpool. This could be the make or break game for Roy Hodgson as Liverpool manager. Lose and he may be out of a job. Win and things could start to turn around. To beat heavy favourites United on their own turf could provide the team with a much needed spark to kick-start their season. I would like to see Liverpool win this one but they have been so naff this season that I just can't see it. Man Utd are a tough side to face even on a bad day and should have more than enough to see off the Merseysiders.

My New Year Wishlist...

As we have reached the halfway point for the Premiership, League One and NHL seasons, I thought I would post up where I think the teams I support need to strengthen.

Southampton: Centre Back, Left Back, Right Back

While they have a great squad that looks impressive going forward and some quality young players, Southampton have been prone to defensive inconsistency this season. Jose Fonte has been a brilliant signing and has looked solid at centre back all year but has yet to strike up a great partnership with anyone else and while Rahdi Jaidi has a tonne of experience, he is starting to show his age.

Daniel Seabourne has been less than assured, as have Dan Harding and Ryan Dickson. Frazer Richardson has been ok when called upon but I can't say that any of these defenders (other than Fonte) could cut it up in the Championship. A couple of big signings for Saints at the back would do wonders for their promotion push.

Newcastle United: Centre Back, Attacking Central Midfielder, Winger, Striker

Newcastle have barely made any changes to the squad that won them the Championship title last season. They have two quality goalkeepers in Tim Krul and Steve Harper and a quality striker in Andy Carroll. While some of the players are coping in the Premiership, such as Carroll and Jose Enrique, many are not, such as James Perch, Wayne Routledge, Danny Guthrie and Danny Simpson.

Newcastle need strengthening down the spine of their team. A quality centre back, with Premiership experience, to play alongside Williamson or Coloccini would be beneficial as Sol Campbell looks too slow these days and Steven Taylor is still largely unproven.

While Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan and Cheik Tiote are playing well for Newcastle in the centre of midfield, they are all devoid of creativity and flair. I guess Hatem Ben Arfa could fill the position of attacking midfielder when he returns from injury, but Newcastle will need to dip into the transfer market for a winger as Routledge looks lost in the Premiership and Gutierrez, while full of effort and running, doesn't seem to know what he wants to do when he gets the ball.

Another striker would also be a great buy for the Mags. Andy Carroll has been playing very well for Newcastle this season and certainly looks like he could be a great player in the future. However, you do worry for the Toon should he get injured at any point this season. There is no-one else even remotely good enough to play in Carroll's position up top so the need for another goal-scorer is paramount in the transfer window.

Phoenix Coyotes: Defenseman, Sniper

The Coyotes have been massively inconsistent this season and have been very frustrating to watch at times too. While they have improved on their offensive game since last season, they seem to have taken a couple of steps back defensively. They have been allowing far too many shots on Bryzgalov and do not seem to be skating with the same effort that served them so well last season.

What they need is an injection of pace in their defense and someone to score 30+ goals a season up the other end of the ice. First of all though, they need to re-sign Bryzgalov and Yandle to lengthy deals, as those two have been the standout players of the season for the 'Yotes and both need to stay in Arizona for the franchise to get better.

With a new owner in place and a secured financial future, the building blocks are in place for the Coyotes to push forward. I am certainly looking forward to this year's trade deadline.

A taste of their own medicine...

The Red Devils

Manchester United are a good team led by a great manager. In fact, Alex Ferguson has proved that he is one of the best managers to have ever graced the game and should be placed alongside the Ramseys and Cloughs of this world. His Manchester teams have conquered the Premier League more times than any other side and have conquered Europe on two occasions also. They have lifted the F.A Cup and the League cup along with the FIFA Club World Cup. There is not a winnable trophy that Alex Ferguson has not brought to Manchester.

While they deserve all the plaudits they get, and more, I have to say that they have also enjoyed a fair amount of luck.

Let me back that up before you all scream “heathen” and have me hunted down.

“Sir” Alex Ferguson was nearly sacked only 3 years into his reign at Manchester United. Indeed, if it had not been for a fortuitous run in the 1989/90 F.A Cup, which led to United winning the cup, he would have been sent packing. Where would United have been then? Without their great manager they surely would not have become the force they are today. There must be more luck to it than that I hear you cry. Well, there is.

In January of the 1995/96 season, Manchester United sat 12 points behind a rampant Newcastle United at the top of the table. A series of unfortunate events befell Newcastle from that point on, (including the epic 4-3 loss against Liverpool) while lady luck seemed to have a permanent smile for the Red Devils.

Manchester United were gaining last minute winners while Newcastle were conceding them and then there was that all important fixture between the two teams. Man United won the game 1-0 but only the brilliance of Peter Schmeichel (and the goal posts) kept Newcastle from scoring a goal that day. The Red Devils went on to win the Premiership trophy that year, finishing four points clear of Newcastle.

Surely there must be more? Of course there is.

Bayern's players are dejected after the game.

In 1999, Manchester United had reached the Champion's League Final. In that match they played Bayern Munich, one of the powerhouses of Europe at the time. After 90 minutes, the score stood at 1-0 in favour of the German side and the game looked dead and buried for United. However, their old friend – “injury time” was not about to abandon the Red Devils. United scored two goals in as many minutes (timed at 90:36 and 92:17) to become European Champions, leaving the Bayern players devastated.

Since that day United have made the last minute winner a hallmark of theirs, and have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on numerous occasions. Some people reckon you make your own luck and, to a certain extent, I agree with that. However, to get as much luck as United have enjoyed over the years would surely require some sort of pact with a devil, demon or another form of otherworldly creature.

So, why the lecture on United's luck? Well today when a win would have taken United five crucial points clear of Arsenal, and two points clear of Man City at the top of the table, Fergie's men could not manage a victory. Instead, they threw away a 1 goal lead over struggling Birmingham.

That meant the game ended as a 1-1 draw and that means United are only 3 points ahead of Arsenal and are level with City. But draws happen all the time though don't they? They do, however this draw was a special one because of the time on the clock when Birmingham found the net.

The 89^th minute. 

Lovely.

The problem with football

Le Tiss: loved, and loved by, his club

Contracts don't seem to mean anything in football these days. Managers are hired and fired at an alarming rate and players are signed to lengthy contracts that they rarely intend to stick to. In the last 10 years I can think of only a handful of people, both managers and players, who have been with one club for a long time. Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have been at Manchester United and Arsenal for 24 years and 14 years respectively. Francesco Totti (AS Roma), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) and Matthew Le Tissier (Southampton) are three players who committed their entire careers to one club. There aren't too many more to tell you about, at least not in the last 20 years, which is both a shame and a sign of what football has become today.

Footballers are becoming more and more like mercenaries, playing for whoever will pay them the most money, and managers are under increasing pressure to bring instant success to their clubs and are cast aside if results go against them. Whereas in the past the leagues in any one country would be full of native players, today there are many foreigners who play alongside them. This is the especially the case in the Premier league, which attracts the best players from all over the world. The main problem I have with this is that all the new players coming in to the country have no affinity for any club. They don't support any team and therefore have no ties or love for that team. There is nothing to stop them from leaving when the going gets rough.

Modern players are only out for success. If they don't get it at one club, they will move to another, and another until they do. Call me old fashioned, but I believe you should play primarily for the love of the game and the love of your team. Any trophies or success should be secondary to that. Players like Matthew Le Tissier at Southampton and Alan Shearer at Newcastle United have attained an almost god-like status with their fans but have never won any major honours at those respective clubs. Success was secondary to them and they are loved because of it. The game desperately needs more characters like them.

Also, I have a problem with the frequency with which managers are being fired these days. To expect one man to come in and deliver instant success to any club is utter madness. Sure, the manager plays a big part and a great manager can do great things, but success is also down to the players, the staff behind the scenes and, of course, the Chairman. The reason for managers being fired so often is simple: there are more and more non-footballing people getting involved in football.

We have a lot of loaded businessmen who are buying football clubs these days who have too much say concerning how the club is run at the football level. There are also a lot of chairmen around who also don't know football. These people don't realise it takes time to build a trophy-winning squad and short term success is not always attainable. 

Alex Ferguson

Look at Alex Ferguson. His first three years at Manchester United were pretty naff. It is also claimed that he was on the verge of being fired before he was fortunate enough to win the FA Cup in the 1989/90 season. Following this, Manchester United stayed with him and are now on the verge of becoming the most successful English club in history.

There is a lot wrong with football these days and unfortunately it is all down to money. Football is a business, the players are the assets and we are the customers. Rant over.

Premiership Preview 18/12/10

Saturday's Games:

Sunderland v Bolton
Arsenal v Stoke
Birmingham v Newcastle
Blackburn v West Ham

Liverpool v Fulham (Match called off)

Wigan v Aston Villa (Match called off)

The wintery weather has claimed two of today's games but the remaining four fixtures should provide plenty of entertainment.

Wenger needs a win today

Arsenal v Stoke is obviously the biggest of the games as Arsenal look to reclaim their spot at the top of the Premier League before Manchester United travel to Chelsea on Sunday. Arsenal, despite their ability and skill, always seem to struggle against big, physical sides like Stoke, Blackburn and Bolton. These teams close down the fragile Arsenal players as quickly as possible and put in hefty challenges when they can to disrupt the flowing football that is so crucial to the Gunners' success.

However, if Stoke don't play as hard and as fast as they can, Arsenal have the ability to cut them apart and turn this game into a drubbing. Arsenal have been painfully inconsistent this season but are miraculously still in the title race. I can't see them faltering today with such a big opportunity to go top once more. I reckon Arsenal will take this game by two or three goals. Whatever the result, it should be a very interesting affair as two contrasting teams clash at the Emirates stadium.

Newcastle and Sunderland will look to continue their impressive seasons with games against Birmingham and Bolton. Sunderland may find the going difficult against Bolton, who boast a ton of Premiership experience throughout their side. Led by the effective Kevin Davies, Bolton are currently sitting in 6^th place, two points ahead of today's opponents. I fancy a draw here as both teams are full of running and effort and will probably cancel each other out. However, that superior experience may swing things Bolton's way.

Newcastle talisman Andy Carroll

Newcastle claimed a fine win last weekend over Liverpool at St. James' Park in Alan Pardew's first game in charge. Today they face a Birmingham side who have been struggling of late. An easy win for the high flying Magpies? Im not so sure. Newcastle fans will be the first to tell you that the Toon Army have been throwing away points against sides they should be beating, like West Brom and Blackpool, all season. So, while Newcastle will be hoping today is the day that trend comes to an end, I suspect that instead Birmingham will snap their recent slide.

The last game is a clash between Blackburn and West Ham. The Hammers have been struggling all season and this is one writer who hopes they get relegated. They have been clinging on for too long in the Premiership and I'd like to seem them gone. Blackburn, on the other hand, recently sacked their manager, 'Big' Sam Allardyce. 

Sam Allardyce is out of a job...again.

While many pundits are dumbfounded by this news, because Blackburn are doing OK, I welcome it. Allardyce is a blight on the game. His boring long ball strategies are a sin and his overly physical tactics are thuggish. Blackburn are a side who are a bore to watch week in, week out and I agree completely with the new owner's decision to rid himself of one of the most overrated managers in the league in an effort to change his team's playing style. Allardyce should be managing in Leagues one and two where his playing style is more welcome. If he ever gets the England job, I'm switching nationalities. That being said, I can see Blackburn taking this game today and further compounding West Ham's miseries.

Enjoy the football!

It's not really going to plan, is it?

This has not been a season for the favourites in football has it? We have Middlesbrough, favourites to take Championship glory, languishing just outside of the relegation zone. Southampton, favourites for League 1, are struggling to find consistency as they continue to throw away valuable points and Premiership favourites Chelsea, sitting in fourth place, have hit a slump the likes of which we haven't seen in years, and it's not even that bad of a slump. It just goes to show you that in football, things aren't as predictable as we once thought.

I guess inconsistency is rife in the lower leagues, so Southampton are just following the natural order and Middlesbrough have been simply awful this year and have no-one to blame but themselves. But why are Chelsea failing? Well, the main reason behind their current struggle is that many of the other teams in the league have gotten much better and the level of competition has increased. In the Premiership we now have “smaller” teams (hardly the right word, but I think you know what I mean) regularly beating those in the “big four” (Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and, although I don't think they deserve to be a part of it, Liverpool).

For example, Manchester City have become a massive threat to all of the “big four”. They are now the richest club in the world and, even though it isn't the most admirable way of gaining success, their money and power in the transfer market will mean it is only a matter of time before the real Manchester club wins the Premiership (Man Utd fans can send me hate mail if they want, it doesn't make it less true). It's not just Man City and their billions either.

Teams like West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United, newly promoted from the Championship, have taken points off Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. In years gone by this would not have happened. This is surely a sign that many of the smaller clubs in the Premiership have made some progress in recent years. Even Alex Ferguson believes this is the case. Of course, it was admit that or say that his team has gotten worse...

Everton have often been a threat, as have Aston Villa over the past couple of seasons. Big, physical sides like Bolton Wanderers, Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers have also enjoyed some success against the "big four" in recent times. Likewise, it would seem that Tottenham Hotspur, the Premiership's perennial underachievers, have finally got themselves into a position where they can challenge for a top three spot.

While we may never see a really drastic change to the top three sides in the Premiership, the higher level of competition is definitely making the title race a lot more exciting. Right now the top of the table looks enticing:

1^st Manchester United – 34pts

2^nd Arsenal – 32pts

3^rd Manchester City – 32pts

4^th Chelsea – 31pts

5^th Tottenham Hostpur – 27pts

-

9^th Liverpool – 22pts

While Man Utd do have a game in hand, it is not, as it may have been two or three years ago, a guaranteed three points. In fact, if that extra game proves to be an away game, United will be happy with just one point as they have been less than convincing away from Old Trafford's soil.

Liverpool, much like last season, are also going through a rough patch. However, unlike Chelsea, their trouble can be attributed entirely to the terrible running of the club and the average quality of the players that have been brought in. In addition, Torres and Gerrard, their only two great players (other than Pepe Reina of course) have not been that good and have had injuries to contend with. Simply put, without those two in the side, Liverpool are very, very ordinary. Hodgson has spent a fair amount of cash since his arrival on some real tripe. While Raul Meireles is starting to find his feet, Christian Poulsen has looked like a fish out of water since his switch from the slow paced Serie A to the fast paced Premiership, which is odd considering Scandinavians usually adapt very well to the English game.

Chelsea haven't imploded like Liverpool so the slump they have hit is not really their own fault. It is simply the case that everyone else is upping their game. I guess this is a change for the better for the Premiership. The more teams that can challenge for Europe and the Champions League, the better. If a couple of extra teams want to throw their hat in for the Premiership title as well, I won't complain.