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Tony Cascarino
What a great draw. The highlight for me, as for many, is Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge with Inter Milan.
He's only been at the San Siro for a season and a half but Inter already look like a typical Mourinho team, organised, big, quick and powerful. They'll be tough to crack but Chelsea have more quality. Mario Balotelli is an imposing presence in midfield but Samuel Eto'o hasn't set Italy alight. Inter did well to qualify from a tricky group but Chelsea's superior technique and the advantage of being home in the second leg should see them through in the end.
Mourinho's press conferences will be as good as the matches. He should be in his element, the fans will welcome him back and I expect him to praise Chelsea's squad to the hilt for their talent - and probably take credit for it! It's still, to a large extent, his side.
Continue reading "Manchester United and Chelsea will be too strong for Milan giants" »
Today we ask: Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti will meet again in the last 16 of the Champions League, but what is the history between the pair?
Gabriele Marcotti responds: ”The rivalry between the pair goes back to the time when Mourinho had left Chelsea and was being constantly linked with AC Milan. That was also a time, during the summer of 2008, when Ancelotti was on pretty shaky ground at Milan and even admitted to speaking with Chelsea.
Ancelotti was being asked over and over again “what do you think about Mourinho? Is he going to take your job?” He responded with an off the cuff comment that was made as he was literally walking out of the press conference, he joked “I don’t need Mourinho at AC Milan, he isn’t much of a footballer, have you ever seen him kick a ball”?
Continue reading "Ahead of TheGame: Mourinho v Ancelotti: history behind conflict" »
Sheikh targets Arsenal chief - Daily Star
Manchester City want Arsene Wenger as their next manager. Former Arsenal star Brian Marwood – appointed Manchester City’s football administrator in March – has persuaded owner Sheikh Mansour the Frenchman is the man to turn the club into title challengers and Champions League regulars.
Hiddink's City link puts Hughes under pressure - Daily Telegraph
Manchester City have approached Guus Hiddink about joining the Premier League club, according to the former Chelsea manager’s agent.
Spurs Xmas party shame - The Sun
Tottenham's senior players have heaped shame on the club by organising a secret Christmas party in Dublin behind the back of manager Harry Redknapp.
Pompey chief is a convicted fraudster - The Sun
The new finance chief at cash-strapped Portsmouth is a convicted fraudster. Disgraced lawyer Daniel Azougy is controlling the club's finances, despite a string of convictions for fraud dating back eight years.
Blues eye £25m German - The Sun
Chelsea are chasing £25million-rated German Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Harry in for £8m Upson - Daily Mirror
Harry Redknapp has made an £8m move to sign West Ham’s England defender Matthew Upson.
Coyle in cheeky Gun bid - Daily Mirror
Burnley boss Owen Coyle made a cheeky move for Arsenal whizz kid Jack Wilshere BEFORE the sides met in midweek.
We are Zo soft - Daily Mirror
West Ham legend Julian Dicks last night warned his former club they do not have enough fight for a relegation scrap.
Today we ask whether the Tottenham winger can be the answer to Fabio Capello's right wing puzzle? Should Fabio Capello you pick him ahead of Theo Walcott, who has struggled with injuries for most of the season? Or does Lennon's past patchiness still leave a question marks?
Russell Kempson responds: "Fabio Capello might still prefer Theo Walcott as his main option on England's right flank. And why not? The Arsenal winger has rarely let him down. Yet Aaron Lennon is closing fast on the rails, his flowing form for Tottenham Hotspur a sight to behold in the frantic world of the Barclays Premier League. Lennon is not only adding consistency to his game, performing bewitchingly in perhaps two out of three games instead of one out of three or four, but also an end product, the currency of any winger worth his salt. "Get to the byline, get the cross in" is always the mantra. "And make it a good cross, too."
Continue reading "Ahead of TheGame: Lennon puts Walcott's World Cup place in doubt" »
Frank Praverman
Here's a snippet from Russell Kempson's match report on last night's Tottenham v Manchester City game:
"It quickly turned into the Aaron Lennon show, the England winger twisting Sylvinho, the former Arsenal full back, inside out on the right flank. 'All we have to do is keep giving Aaron the ball,” Harry Redknapp said. 'When he has the ball in that form, he’s a nightmare to deal with.'
"Sylvinho had the nightmare, time and again, Lennon cruising past him with a panache bordering on disdain ... The City dam had to give way and, in the 37th minute, it did. Not surprisingly, Lennon was the inspiration behind it."
And here's a snippet from James Ducker's match report on last night's Burnley v Arsenal game: "Without Cesc Fàbregas, who had been simply irresistible, Arsenal lacked wit, with Fabio Capello, the England manager, likely to be particularly dismayed to hear that Theo Walcott, the Arsenal and England winger, was completely overshadowed by Chris Eagles on the opposing team’s flanks.
"Walcott’s substitution in the 64th minute was almost merciful given the licking he was given by Stephen Jordan, Burnley’s left back."
Does this mean that Capello now has the answer to his right wing puzzle? And can we expect the same from Lennon in an England shirt?
In the past, Lennon has flattered to deceive with his final ball letting down all of his previous good work. But many put Tottenham's sustained bid for a top-four place this season down to the impressive and consistent form of the 22-year-old.
Would you pick him ahead of Walcott, who has struggled with injuries for most of the season? Or does Lennon's past patchiness still leave a question mark in your mind?
And while we're picking Capello's squad for him, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch made a strong case to be included, and perhaps to start together.
Redknapp, the Spurs manager, has seen Crouch as Defoe's main strike partner ahead of Robbie Keane all season and the statistics appear to justify his selection. The Defoe-Crouch pairing has combined for an attempt on goal far more frequently than the Defoe-Keane double act. Last night Defoe scored Tottenham's second goal after Crouch flicked the ball on with his head.
So, two questions: can Lennon be the real deal for England? And should both Defoe and Crouch be on the plane to South Africa. Get your teeth into the debate now ...
Barca
plot £40m Cesc raid - The Sun
Barcelona president Joan Laporta will 'fight' to land Cesc Fabregas next
summer. The Champions League kings plan a £40million raid for the Arsenal
and Spain midfielder - and Laporta is determined to capture the ex-Barca
youth team star
Harry's
£6m bid for Fig - Daily Mirror
Harry Redknapp could be tempted to make a £6million move for Wigan left-back
Maynor Figueroa when the January transfer window opens. The Spurs manager
has been told there is no money to spend having already shelled out
£160million since taking charge, but will raise the funds by selling Gareth
Bale.
Moyes
ponders cut price Maxi - Daily Mirror
David Moyes is weighing up a cut-price deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder
Maxi Rodriguez. The Argentinian, 28, is out of contract next summer and
Atletico are desperate to do a cut-price deal to stop him leaving for free
at the end of the season.
Eid
welcome a return - The Sun
Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen is looking to return to the Premier
League. The Icelandic frontman, 31, wants a quick exit from French outfit
Monaco after a fallout with manager Guy Lacombe.
De
Laet to plug defensive gap for United - The Guardian
Sir Alex Ferguson looks set to turn to the Belgian youngster Ritchie de Laet
for Saturday's visit to Fulham as Manchester United's defensive problems
continue to mount up
Today we ask: Are Aston Villa in a stronger position to challenge for the top four this season and do they have what it takes to finish above Liverpool?"
George Caulkin responds: “First things first, last night was the only time I've seen Villa live this season, so it would be foolish to draw too much from a single performance, but Martin O'Neill's team were deeply impressive at the Stadium of Light. True, Sunderland have dipped a long way below the form they demonstrated when both Liverpool and Arsenal were beaten on Wearside, but equally Villa found a way to wear them down and pick them off. Through the spine of the team - Friedel in goal, Dunne at centre-half, Milner in midfield, Heskey up front - they had players on top of their game and they have pace, height and power. Unlike Liverpool at present, they look like a team, they have balance and they have options on the substitutes' bench.
“Last season's experience will serve them well, they're clearly stronger than they were a year ago and Steve Bruce saw nothing to change his opinion that if any team are capable of crashing the Champions League party, then it's Villa. At this stage, that can only remain an if. Liverpool know what it takes to be in the top four and recent history shows that it's difficult to bet against their powers of recovery, but they are also a club suffering spasm after spasm. If nothing else, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also impressing, the closed shop of the Barclays Premier League summit looks a good deal more open this season.”
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James Ducker
Gary Megson does not have Jose Mourinho’s good looks or a French accent like Arsene Wenger and the more fickle element of Bolton Wanderers’s support, who decided long ago that he was not their cup of tea, will probably continue to hold that against him until they succeed in their efforts to have him replaced.
They will try to tell you that it has nothing to do with image and everything to do with results, pointing in their defence to the fact that they took great delight in seeing Arsene Wenger routinely paint their team as some sort of monster during Sam Allardyce’s reign as Bolton manager after Arsenal had been given another bullying at the Reebok Stadium. It is nonsense, of course.
Megson’s face doesn’t fit as far as some Bolton fans – but by no means all – are concerned and it never will, which is a shame because the former West Bromwich Albion manager has done a far better job than a lot of people give him credit for.
He did not succeed Allardyce. He followed Sammy Lee, who did so much damage in just over six months in charge at the Reebok that the task facing Megson upon his arrival in October 2007 was colossal. Lee is a lovely bloke but his managerial reign should go down as one of the worst in recent history, the woefully flawed vision of a man who tried to do far too much far too quickly in a well intentioned but terribly misguided attempt to distance himself from Allardyce, his predecessor whose shadow loomed so large.
Bolton had taken five points from their first 10 league games that season and were staring into the abyss. If they had kept that form, they would have finished nineteenth with 19 points and been relegated. Instead they ended the season with 37 points, one above the drop zone, and that despite selling Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea in the January. Anelka, incidentally, is one of only two players – El-Hadji Diouf being the other – who Megson inherited from Lee who are still playing in the Barclays Premier League.
That just goes to show the scale of the rebuilding job Megson undertook when he joined Bolton, even if his first season (or rather, three-quarters of a season) was about survival by any means necessary. Have the dissenters really given much thought to where Bolton might be now had they gone down that season?
Some appear to still live in an Allardyce bubble, but it is seriously doubtful that Allardyce would be able to replicate even one of those top six or top eight finishes with the Premier League as strong at the top end as it is now. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool aside, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are stronger than they have ever been, so are Fulham, Sunderland have money to spend and Everton will surely be back up towards the top end of the table once their injury problems relent. That is ten teams already. When you look at it that way, finishing thirteenth – as Bolton did last season – would probably constitute an achievement this term.
Bolton are also a more attractive team to watch under Megson than Allardyce. Sure, they are not always pretty on the eye, but the 3-3 draw at home to Manchester City was an absorbing encounter and demonstrated their ability to play football as well as ask teams some tough questions from set pieces. Megson is pragmatic and demands a little rough and tough, but the signing of players such as Tamir Cohen and Lee Chung-Yong, ball players both, also points to a manager who is not content solely with route one tactics. Kevin Davies’s goal in the 2-2 draw against Spurs at the Reebok Stadium was the product of one of the moves of the season. If Arsenal had scored it, we would still be gushing about it now.
The £11 million signing of Johan Elmander, the Sweden forward, from Toulouse remains a stick with which some like to beat Megson, but all managers are entitled to a mistake. Yes, the money could have been better spent and Bolton do not exactly have that sort of cash to waste, but this is also the same manager who signed Ivan Klasnic on a season long loan from Nantes. The Croatia striker’s goal in the 3-1 win at home to West Ham United last night, which moved Megson’s team out of the relegation zone, was his fifth in as many league starts for the club. And how about the capture of Gary Cahill from Aston Villa, surely the best £4.5 million spent in the top flight in years. Martin O’Neill, the widely feted Northern Irishman, may well lead Villa into the Champions League this season but Megson saw something in Cahill that O’Neill obviously didn’t.
Phil Gartside, the Bolton chairman, was given a lot of flak for appointing Megson but it was a good decision. Last week, he came out in support of the manager, while, at the same time stressing that “none of us are stupid, if you are second bottom of the league, you are under pressure”. The response was a draw against moneybags City and a win at home to West Ham, whose fashionable manager, incidentally, is having a rather tough time of his own at the moment.
No case for the defence
With Nemanja Vidic taken off with a calf injury during Manchester United’s 3-0 win at home to Wolves last night and Wes Brown out for a fortnight with a recurrence of a hamstring strain, Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to again be left with a threadbare defence for the game against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday. Ritchie De Laet, a 21-year-old with just two league starts, could be asked to partner Michael Carrick, a midfield player, in central defence with Darren Fletcher, another midfield player, at right back. Somehow I doubt Roy Hodgson, the Fulham manager, will be making ten changes to his team for that one.
Hughes right to see red over Bellamy blunder
Mark Hughes, the Manchester City manager, had a point when he called yesterday for the FA to change its rules so that retrospective action can be taken over incidents such as that involving Craig Bellamy, who was shown a highly contentious second yellow card during the 3-3 draw against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday for a dive that wasn’t.
Because yellow cards cannot be rescinded except in cases of mistaken identity, Bellamy will be forced to sit out City’s match away to Spurs this evening, even though he was the victim of a mistake by Mark Clattenburg, the referee.
The problem, though, is this: if the authorities give clubs the right to appeal yellow cards, is there not a grave danger that referees will only be undermined farther by managers eager to get more and more decisions overturned. Retrospective action, in theory, is fine if it means a player having a yellow card changed to a red if he has committed a career-ending challenge or, in Bellamy’s case, a dismissal overturned because one of the yellow cards he received was, to quote Hughes, “laughable”, but what happens when managers try to push their luck by requesting legitimate bookings be looked at simply because, in their eyes, they weren’t sure a foul or infringement had been committed?
Surely we need to empower referees, not question their decision-making further and leave them more open to ridicule or unnecessary and potential damaging retrospective action. There is a way around all this, of course, and it is called video technology. It is by no means a perfect solution but surely if it is introduced we’ll see less incidents like that involving Bellamy at the weekend that so angered City and Hughes.
 Oliver Kay
The instinctive reaction upon hearing about the Wolverhampton Wanderers team that Mick McCarthy would be sending out at Old Trafford last night was one of disappointment. Not outrage, not disgust, just disappointment.
It was not a great moment for Premier League football, but nor, in my view at least, was this the start of a national scandal.
Call it wishful thinking, but I don’t regard this as the thin of the wedge, with managers content to field a reserve XI at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and elsewhere in the belief that it is better to conserve their first-team players’ energies for the more winnable games that lie ahead.
It took a particular set of circumstances to prompt McCarthy to field the team he did. It is relatively rare, over the course of the season, for a club to have three Premier League fixtures in eight days – unless they are involved in the later stages of a European competition, in which case they are likely to have assembled a squad in which to deal with such scenarios.
Continue reading "Why McCarthy's pragmatism is no outrage" »
Gillett and Hicks to gain £124m from share deal - Daily
Telegraph
Liverpool co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are closing in on a deal that
will see them sell a significant share in the club to a new investor for
around £124 million. Ferguson eyes Serbian starlet - Daily Mirror
Manchester United are targeting young Serbian central defender Uros Cosic -
seen by his club CSKA Moscow as potentially a bigger talent than Nemanja
Vidic. The 17-year-old may move to Old Trafford next year, despite CSKA’s
desire to keep him, admitted club president Yevgeni Giner.
Bruce eyes Mayn man - The Sun
Steve Bruce, the Sunderland manager, is planning a January bid for Maynor
Figueroa, Wigan's £4m-rated defender.
Wenger fearing Silv exit - Daily Mirror
Arsene Wenger fears he may lose Mikael Silvestre on a free transfer at the end
of the season.
St Etienne eye Adams - The Sun
Tony Adams is poised to return to management with St Etienne. The former
Portsmouth manager held talks with the French club yesterday.
Frank Praverman
Mick McCarthy is waking up this morning to a frenzy of criticism after fielding a woefully understrength Wolves side against Manchester United which consisted of ten outfield changes to the team that defeated Tottenham at the weekend.
To the bluff Yorkshireman this will be water off a duck's back but how much damage did his controversial selection cause?
Firstly, there is the integrity of the Premier League to consider. Section E, rule 20 of the competition's rules and regulations states that “in every league match each participating club shall field a full-strength team” but sources at the organisation indicated last night that it was “doubtful” action could be taken because of the emphasis on the squad system nowadays.
Tony Evans, The Times Football Editor, argues that in picking the side he did - the outfield players had made a combined total of 41 Barclays Premier League starts this season going into the game - he gave up any hope of victory before the first whistle went. "The only thing that shakes a fan’s faith is the suspicion that no one gives a toss," Evans says. "McCarthy, it appears, did not believe his team could win and rested them for the match against Burnley on Sunday. McCarthy made a conscious decision to shrug and surrender three points. It was nobody else’s fault."
Evans says that the Wolves manager's actions are worse than Thierry Henry's, the France striker who was castigated for his handball which cheated Ireland out of qualifying for the World Cup finals. "McCarthy is the villain of the football year. At least Henry was trying to win."
And what about the fans? The Wolves supporters would have paid vast amounts not only for the match tickets at Old Trafford but to travel up to Manchester to sit in freezing temperatures without the warmth which is usually generated by the glimmer of hope for victory.
United's title rivals will also be upset. And so will Spurs, who are desperately fighting for the fourth spot which brings with it entry into the lucrative Champions League.
In his defence, McCarthy cited a long injury list and the importance of his team’s Premier League match at home to Burnley on Sunday. The Wolves manager claimed he had fielded “the best, fittest and strongest team” he could pick in the circumstances and argued that the controversy his selection caused would be long forgotten if he kept the Midlands club in the top flight this season.
Where do you stand on the argument? Was McCarthy right to hand the points to United and not risk injury to his important players? Will the club's fans forgive him if Wolves avoid relegation?
Or does he have a moral right to field a side that would put up a fight? Did Wolves break football's ethical code? Have your say now.
Gabriele Marcotti
Did Mick McCarthy have an ethical obligation to field a more credible side than the one which stepped out at Old Trafford against Manchester United, the one which featured just one holdover from the XI that won away to Spurs on Saturday?
Premier League Rule E20 states that clubs must field full-strength teams, but it may as well not exist since, in practical terms, it's unenforceable. Ultimately, it's the manager's choice. And if McCarthy reckons he's probably going to lose away to United anyway and would rather keep players fresh for the "relegation six-pointer" against Burnley on Sunday, he has a right to do so. His job, after all, is to keep Wolves up and, if this helps, so be it.
The one thing which, perhaps, he could have done differently is to consider the feelings of the fans who travelled to Old Trafford expecting to see the "real" Wolves. This is not the League Cup, fans expect to see their clubs field something approaching their best XI.
You can see why some Wolves fans may feel cheated. A gesture towards them might be a good idea at this point. Just as, with hindsight, it might have been a good idea to share his plans ahead of time.
Continue reading "Wolves fans deserve more, credit to Yeung and what is Mourinho up to?" »
George Caulkin
Expectation. In the context of North East football, how annoying, cliched and utterly misplaced, is that single word? You hear it all the time, often from the lips of tired, beaten managers, getting in their excuses for another failure, another pay-off: “The expectations are so high, too high, up there.” Well, no. They’re not. Quite the opposite. Amongst most supporters, expectations slumber in a long hibernation.
Over the last half-century and more, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United and Sunderland have won a meaningful trophy apiece; respectively the League Cup, the Fairs Cup and the FA Cup. If there is any expectation, it is of ultimate disappointment. Manchester United and Chelsea fans may expect to win things, but in our region, history and precedent simply do not allow that luxury.
Continue reading "North East fans yearn for success, they don't expect it" »
Today Adrian Biggs asked: With Sheffield Wednesday lumbering from one crisis to another over the past 15 seasons or so , can you please tell me who could come in as manager and turn the club around?
Peter Lansley replies: "The burden of this once great club's recent decline cannot be placed wholly on the shoulders of the next manager. There is no one suitable in the mould of Ron Atkinson to come in and sweep the club into the Barclays Premier League; no-one such as Trevor Francis to come straight in off the playing field and lift them into cup finals. This job is about keeping Sheffield Wednesday in the Coca-Cola Championship over the next three years.
Nigel Worthington, the Northern Ireland manager, looks to be among the favourites since he tentatively threw his hat into the ring on Monday night while also letting it be known he is not happy with contract negotiations with his current employers. While he would bring the cachet of being a Hillsborough legend for his part in that great team of the early 1990s, this also smacks of trying to get a raise in his current job. In his six years at Carrow Road, he lifted Norwich City into the Premier League for a single season.
This is not what Wednesday need right now; they require someone ready to roll up his sleeves, work with a limited budget and steady the ship while Lee Strafford attempts to stabilise the club and move towards renovating the dilapidated stadium. Howard Wilkinson, back at the club as a technical consultant, knows this all too well. He will look for a combination of youthful enthusiasm, coaching nouse and Championship experience and, having worked with Steve Cotterill on FA courses and at Sunderland, knows what a superb job the former Cheltenham Town and Stoke City manager, still only 45, did at Burnley.
Burnley, like Wednesday, were a grand old club in danger of falling into the third tier of English football when Cotterill arrived in 2004. Every December, he lifted them into the play-off zone of the Championship; every January, he would be obliged to sell his best player - such as Robbie Blake, Ade Akinbiyi, Richard Chaplow - for a quick million, and the team would stabilise in mid-table. The manager left when he realised the board would not back him to go on to the next stage. Owen Coyle inherited Cotterill's team, doubled the wage bill, Turf Moor received a lick of paint, and the club were ready for a stab at the Premier League. This is the kind of platform Wednesday require right now. Call for Cotterill."
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 Graham Spiers
Few situations at Rangers have been odder in recent years than the current case of Kris Boyd. The facts are, the prolific striker wants to remain at Rangers when his current contract expires in June, and his club also wish him to stay put. Yet Boyd, almost inevitably, will soon be bidding goodbye to Ibrox, possibly even in January.
The history of football is littered with cases of players who, at crucial junctures, have made the wrong decision in terms of a career move, and lived to regret it. Boyd, in the weeks and months ahead, has to carefully weigh up this pitfall, though the circumstances may be out of his hands.
Continue reading "Rangers cannot afford to lose Kris Boyd but cannot afford to keep him either" »
 Rafa's Scotty Potty! - The Sun
Rafa Benitez, the Liverpool manager, is hoping to benefit from the uncertainty surrounding West Ham United by making a £6 million bid for midfielder Scott Parker.
United face battle to sign Huntelaar - Daily Mail
Sir Alex Ferguson will go head-to-head with Steve McLaren, his former assistant, in a bid to capture the AC Millan striker. FC Twente are trying to negotiate a loan to take him back to Holland but his advisers want a bigger club.
Bentley pleads: let me go - Daily Mirror
The Tottenham midfielder is desperate to leave White Hart Lane during the January transfer window. The 25-year-old, who cost Spurs £17 million, has failed to make an impact during his 18 months at the club and didn't even make the bench for Saturday's game against Wolves.
Cech out - Daily Express
Chelsea are preparing to swoop for West Ham United goalkeeper Robert Green following Petr Cech's recent loss of form. Sunderland and Aston Villa are also eyeing the Hammers' No 1.
Smith tips Levein for Scotland job - The Guardian
Walter Smith believes Craig Levein, the Dundee United manager, is right man to take over the reins at Scotland. Smith, who managed Scotland between 2004 and 2007 says he has no interest in succeeding George Burley.
 Ahead of TheGame, our excellent free football bulletin, has returned this season to deliver more of the best breaking news, expert opinion and entertaining titbits to your inbox every weekday lunchtime.
Perhaps most impressively, our new AOTG allows you to put a question to our unbeatable squad of experts, including Patrick Barclay, Oliver Kay, Gabriele Marcotti and Tony Cascarino.
We also give you the platform to sound off about whatever topic you find most pressing, whether it be the crisis at Liverpool, the truth behind the latest club-takeover rumours or daft replica shirt names.
Combine that with superbly written columns, the inside line on the latest transfer gossip plus a healthy dose of fun and wit and you get the best football bulletin available online.
Click here to read an example, then go to this page to sign up - it only takes a moment.
 Today you asked: Is Ryan Giggs a worthy winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Oliver Kay, our man in the North West, responds: “There has been a sentimental swell behind the voting for Giggs but the criteria for the award is “actions that have captured the public’s imagination” and I think he has done that. Going into 2009 I would say he was a nearly-great player coming towards the end of his career, but his form, however fleeting, in the last year has elevated him to the level of a truly great British sportsman.
People may argue that he’s not a world champion, even though United won the Fifa Club World Cup this year, but as a football fan I would argue that his achievements set against those of Jenson Button make him a more compelling candidate.
It’s hard for footballers to win such an award, but Giggs’s ability to unite football supporters, despite playing for United and even being applauded off the pitch by opposition fans, puts him in the top category of sportsmen who are truly revered.
There may be an element of him receiving a lifetime achievement award but only Didier Drogba could match him as Footballer of the Year in 2009. His goal against West Ham stands out, as well as his performance in the derby against Manchester City in September.
He may have been used sparingly but athletes are able to build towards a peak whereas Giggs has been consistently excellent despite playing only about 30 games in United’s title-winning season.
One thing that may have settled any dispute would have been a match-winning performance in the Champions League final. Sadly, he was one of the worst players on show that day but that doesn’t detract from what is a thoroughly deserved award.”
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In his Times column today, Patrick Barclay argues that referees do not properly police penalty kicks.
Citing the example of Thomas Sorensen's save from such a set-piece against Wigan at the weekend, our Chief Football Commentator says goalkeepers are nearly always allowed to breach the rules by moving off their line before the ball is struck. He adds that outfield players benefit from similarly lax officiating by going unpunished for encroaching on the penalty area before the kick.
The situation, he writes, "turns penalty deciders into cheating contests" and must be addressed by the ruling authorities. Do you agree? Should referees do more to prevent the man between the sticks from breaking this rule? Let us know your thoughts via the comment box below.
 1. No better way to the top than being well organised
So many top-class defenders making mistakes — what a crazy weekend. Goals and surprises are great, but it doesn’t say much for the quality on show. Aston Villa, Fulham and Birmingham City are doing well because they’re the three most organised teams, with consistent line-ups and effective tactics.
2. Leaving out Owen proved to be an error for United
Managers blundered, too. Harry Redknapp started Robbie Keane ahead of Peter Crouch for Spurs against Wolves and Sir Alex Ferguson went with Wayne Rooney as a lone striker for Manchester United against Villa. Not starting Dimitar Berbatov or Michael Owen, who got a hat-trick in midweek? Selection, not injuries, cost United.
3. Johnson remains a liability when he defends
Talking of errors: Glen Johnson. I’m fed up of hearing how good he is going forward when he can’t do his main job properly, which is to defend. He makes mistakes and gets in poor positions. It’s got to the point where I think Liverpool should move him to right midfield and buy a steady and unspectacular full back in January.
Continue reading "Tony Cascarino's Fiver" »
Bill Edgar
12
Years since a side outside “big four” won at Anfield and Old Trafford in one league season before Aston Villa: Martin O’Neill’s Leicester City
9
Years since previous Premier League day with two 3-3 draws (Bradford v Tottenham; Charlton v Man United)
Continue reading "Weekend in numbers" »
 Oliver Kay's Final Word
From the moment Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid for a world-record fee last summer, the word from Old Trafford has been that the £80 million proceeds are there to reinvest in the squad, but that any activity would depend on whether Sir Alex Ferguson and the board find deals that offer “value”.
As any economist will tell you, there are numerous theories about what is meant by value. In football terms, value has always been subjective, rather than intrinsic. It is why, when it came to the transfer market last summer, Real and Manchester City, with the greatest needs and the deepest pockets, were willing to spend sums that look astronomical to their competitors.
Continue reading "Transfer gambles could leave Manchester United short" »
Neil Gardner
Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa's wonder strike from inside his own half against Stoke City is rightly being judged as one of the goals of the season so far. Click here to see it.
After referee Mike Dean awarded a free-kick for a foul, the quick-thinking Honduran spotted Thomas Sorensen, the Stoke goalkeeper, off his line and fired in a spectacular dipping shot that evaded the Dane's desparing dive.
It may have only given Wigan the briefest of leads before being pegged back to 2-2 by Ryan Shawcross but the goal has predictably drawn comparison with David Beckham's similarly impressive strike for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996, as well as Liverpool's Xabi Alonso's thunderbolt against Newcastle, although the Spaniard was aided somewhat by Steve Harper's last-minute stumble.
"The football arrogance to make that decision to score from that free-kick is something special," Roberto Martinez, the Wigan manager, said afterwards. "We will be seeing that goal for a long time."
But has the goal of the season competition been sewn up already? Let us know your thoughts below.
Now that the draw has been done and World Cup fever begins to build towards next summer’s tournament in South Africa, we admit a truly magnificent moment to our museum of memories.
Nominated by Gordon Smillie, Archie Gemmill’s wonder goal for Scotland came against Holland in 1978 in a group match that Ally MacLeod’s team had to win by three goals to progress to the knockout phase.
With a hard-to-believe 2-1 lead against the lords of total football, the combative midfield player picked the ball up in the 68th minute and headed towards goal. He played an exquisite one-two with Kenny Dalglish, charged into the penalty area and smashed the ball past Jan Jonbloed. It gave the disillusioned followers of Ally’s Army hope that was cruelly dashed by a 3-2 scoreline.
However, as The Scotsman put it: “It was an extraordinary goal and an extraordinary moment.” Such was the power of that moment that it has been translated into song, a ballet and even gets a mention in the cult film Trainspotting. The much-travelled Gemmill played 43 times for Scotland, 22 as captain, and scored eight goals.
What are your favourite World Cup moments? Send your suggestions to room442@thetimes.co.uk
Words by Calvin Shulman
All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, a novelty song written in 1944, could be the backing track to our latest induction to the museum of footballing memories.
Robert Holden has been in touch to suggest a sight that has become increasingly rare over the years — the gnarly old pro with missing teeth.
Robert says: "Think Joe Jordan [pictured], Nobby Stiles and almost the entire 1967 European Cup winning Celtic side and what do you get? Players seriously deficient in the gnasher department.
"Whether this was due to football accidents or the relaxation of sugar rationing in the 1950s it’s hard to say. If shirt sponsorship had been allowed in those days, I’m sure that Steradent would have been more than happy to fill the gap." Jordan’s smile was always a joy to behold as he revealed a chasm in his top set after scoring for Leeds United, Manchester United or Scotland. And who can forget Stiles’s gap-toothed grin as he skipped around Wembley with the Jules Rimet trophy after England’s World Cup triumph in 1966? He looked as if he had been in a bar-room brawl.
What would you like to see in our treasure trove of memories? Suggestions to room442@thetimes.couk
Words by Calvin Shulman
Today you asked: Do you think Chris Hughton has been given sufficient credit for the job he's done at Newcastle this season? If this were Alan Shearer, the media would be touting him as a possible successor to Fabio Capello.”
George Caulkin, our man in the North East, responds: "I think Chris has been given a fair bit of credit for the job he's done at Newcastle; three Manager of the Month awards are surely testament to that. But I know what you mean. He's a very quiet, polite, undemonstrative and matter-of-fact kind of man, so perhaps doesn't inspire quite the same sort of media attention as other managers. To be honest, I think he prefers that. Has he surprised me this season? Definitely. He and the players have excelled in unearthing a formidable team spirit in the face of what they have admitted has been fairly extraordinary and unhelpful circumstances.
“I'm not sure that the Shearer comparison is fair one, though. At the end of last season, Alan presented Mike Ashley with a programme to tear apart the club and then rebuild it brick by brick. It needed to happen and, in many ways, still does. Where is the football strategy for next season and beyond? (Chris has admitted that he cannot look beyond the prospect of promotion.) Where is the network of scouts? Would a skeleton coaching staff be equipped for the Premier League? Chris has been brilliant and none of those issues I've mentioned are his doing, but Newcastle, as a club, have not yet banished uncertainty.”
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 Bentley to get boot - Daily
Express
David Bentley will leave Tottenham in January after a blazing row with manager
Harry Redknapp.
I
bitterly regret Notts County sale says trust chief - The Guardian
The former Notts County chairman who negotiated and recommended the handover
of the club to Munto Finance in the summer yesterday said he feels he was
"hoodwinked" into believing that Munto were backed by investors who would
make huge money available.
Sell
up Pompey, Pompey sell up - Daily Mirror
Crisis-club Portsmouth’s dire straits deepened last night as Avram Grant was
told he will have to sell players next month to help keep the Fratton Park
outfit alive.
You
can't buy, Harry - Daily Mirror
Harry Redknapp has been told to deliver Champions League football on a budget
after Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy ruled out any spending in the January
transfer window.
Wigan on the Ball - Daily
Mail
Michael Ball is on the brink of resurrecting his career with Wigan. The
30-year-old former Manchester City and Everton full back has impressed while
training with the club.
Tony Cascarino
I read a report that Liverpool were considering a swap deal with Tottenham Hotspur for Roman Pavlyuchenko, with Ryan Babel going to White Hart Lane. Hilarious. What a comical idea: sign a striker who can't get in the Spurs team ahead of two Anfield rejects, Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane. What a damning indictment of Liverpool's transfer strategy that would be.
The way things are going on Merseyside, of course, if it happened, Babel would become a star in north London. He could be a good striker: so much pace and direct running and a great shot. He's not great in the air, not really a predator, but he could be explosive and dangerous. I don't understand why Rafael Benitez hasn't given Babel a shot at centre forward instead of persisting with David Ngog. The Dutch international would do a better job.
Continue reading "Roman Pavlyuchenko is not a player worthy of Liverpool" »
 In today's e-mail bulletin, we asked: "What is going on at Portsmouth?"
Nick Szczepanik responded: "Sometimes I wonder if there's any one person who knows, and I include the club's directors and ownership in that. Avram Grant, the manager, has admitted that he had no idea of how bad the financial situation is, which proves that he doesn't read the papers - well, not The Times anyway. "Portsmouth's problems all come down to the fact that they lived way beyond their means for too long. They bought players and paid wages that a club of their size couldn't possibly afford. They ran up huge debts that - according to some reports - have reached £60 million. "That might not be a large amount to some clubs. But when your gates struggle to reach 20,000 and you haven't got an owner with infinite funds - and there's no indication that Ali al-Faraj is that man - then you're in trouble. "At the moment they are trying to 'refinance', which means taking on debt to pay off other debt. The problem is that if Portsmouth can't get the Premier League transfer embargo lifted by paying off all outstanding transfer and tax debt, they won't be able to buy in January. And they need to sell, in order to unload high salaries negotiated in the mad old days. "If they go down, the situation will get even worse. Administration would be almost certain. As things stand, it is still possible, although since a lot of money is still owed to Alexandre Gaydamak, the previous owner, it's unlikely that he would want to see the club go into administration. "We hear that the owners are working behind the scenes, but it has all gone rather quiet there. Mark Jacob, the executive director, was fairly forthcoming after the takeover by al-Faraj, but seldom returns calls these days, while Peter Storrie, the CEO, says he is no longer involved in financial decisions, which many conclude means that he is being eased out. "The situation is obviously more serious than the new owners thought when they took over. They may now be deciding whether to go for broke and try to spend their way out of trouble in January and then try to sell the club on. More sensible would be to downsize and live according to their means. "Normally that isn't the sort of thing that fans want to hear, but the message boards suggest that many would gladly settle for that, even if it means relegation. The alternative could be even worse." We also reported on Sven-Goran Eriksson's plans to take over Notts County and Plymouth's decision to dismiss Paul Sturrock. Sign up for free here to get the full version featuring the latest news, gossip and fun direct to your inbox every weekday lunchtime and you could be setting the agenda.
Frank Praverman
Another dismal defeat last night ended Liverpool's dire Champions League campaign.
The match against Fiorentina may have been a dead rubber in terms of group E, but the implications are far greater as they now drop into the Europa League without being seeded.
Liverpool's season has lurched from one disaster to the next. They are already out of contention for the Premier League title, sitting in seventh place in the table, 12 points behind Chelsea, the leaders.
What was at first believed to be a blip, has evolved into a full-scale calamity. Since thrashing Hull 6-1 in September, the Anfield outfit have played 14 games in all competitions, won three, drawn four and lost seven. Victory over Manchester United cannot mask the fact that they have also been defeated by Sunderland, Fulham and Lyons as well as Arsenal and Chelsea.
The bright spots last night were the return from injury of Fernando Torres and a first start for Alberto Aquilani, their £17 million summer acquisition.
But are they enough to rescue Liverpool's season? Does Rafael Benitez have the quality in his squad to halt their fall from grace? Bookmakers still have them as favourites for the Europa League but is this justified?
Will Liverpool bounce back to claim the Premier League's fourth spot and with it the spoils of next season's Champions League? Or is the club in terminal decline with further embarrassing defeats awaiting them?
How low will Liverpool go? Let us know now.
On Monday, our Chief Football Commentator asked whether agents should be eradicated from football or are they useful? You've had your say, now Patrick Barclay responds ...
Excellent article Patrick. Certainly £71m will surprise many. But surely it's a market situation - where players will always want to pay for the best independent advice, representation and legal expertise they can get. Wouldn't everyone? Incidentally your story provoked an interesting chat on Sky's Sunday Supplement this morning. In case you haven't heard your colleagues were all very complimentary. Your early Christmas present perhaps? Suzanne Heneghan
PB: Thanks for passing on the kind words, Suzanne. Just on a point of information, I have no objection to players or managers or anyone else paying as much as they like for advice and representation. I just don't think clubs should be allowed to use them in the way they do.
I'm surprised The Times is arguing against the market. Most players are young and not qualified to negotiate million pound contracts. They need professional advice and that is what an agent provides. Also it's a short career and players need to maximise their income while they can. The clubs won't look after the players, they never have. In the 1950s there were huge crowds but the money wasn't shared with the players. There was the maximum wage, restrictive contracts and a great player like Tom Finney had to supplement his income with a second job. Players should grab what they can. Andrew Scott
PB: I'm not arguing against the market. Properly regulated, the market is the best way to run football. Football manipulates the market; that is the problem. And I do point out in the article that players should be allowed to take professional advice. Of course they should. I don't quite understand why so many people have missed the section of my article in which I make this clear. Maybe the headline is misleading.
Continue reading "Patrick Barclay responds: should agents be eradicated from football or are they useful?" »
 Sullivan closes in - The Sun
David Sullivan and David Gold will officially make their move to buy out West Ham this weekend. They had been linked with takeovers of Crystal Palace and Charlton but were swayed by the support they have received from West Ham fans.
Zola feels the Beatt - The Sun
West Ham are weighing up a cut-price move for James Beattie, the forward whose future at Stoke looks finished.
Rafa can't shop, so he'll try a swap - Daily Mail
Liverpool have targeted Roman Pavlyuchenko in a surprise move that could involve selling Ryan Babel in exchange.
James in Pompey sell-off - Daily Mirror
Portsmouth will have to sell David James, Younes Kaboul and Kevin Prince-Boateng unless they can raise £20 million by January.
Everton's Don deal - Daily Mirror
David Moyes is poised to sign Landon Donovan, the United States captain, on a three-month loan deal.
Redknapp: Sol could do a job in top flight - The Sun
The Tottenham manager says Sol Campbell would prove a wise signing for Manchester United.
Powell: I could manage a men's team - The Guardian
The coach of the England women team believes she could cross over into the men's game.
Oliver Kay
I liked what I saw of Alberto Aquilani on his long-awaited first start for Liverpool last night. Elegant, intelligent and blessed with a sublime touch, he is undoubtedly a class act, though it will clearly take time for him and his team to adjust to his role alongside Javier Mascherano and behind Steven Gerrard, who is generally at his best when he has space in which to roam through the middle of the pitch.
My concerns for Aquilani are three-fold. First of all, he is not Xabi Alonso and, in a team where a loss of defensive nous has been the main effect of the Spaniard’s departure to Real Madrid, the immediate priority must be to play safe. Second, some excellent Italian players have struggled to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League, where the prerequisite for any central midfielder is not to play or even to think, but to run. And third, can Aquilani stay fit long enough?
It is far from unknown for a manager to sign an injured player – and, to use two very different examples of how it can work, Sir Alex Ferguson got it right when signing Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had barely recovered from cruciate knee ligament damage, but seemingly failed to do his homework on Owen Hargreaves, who arrived with a tendinitis problem in the summer of 2006 and has struggled with it ever since. Aquilani’s terrible injury record in recent years leads you to think he may be a Hargreaves, rather than a Van Nistelrooy. The difference is that Manchester United had the players to cover for Hargreaves’s long absences. At Liverpool, as ever, the margin for error just isn’t there.
Continue reading "Three concerns for Aquilani, Owen's game-plan and the manager of the year is ..." »
Matt Hughes
If Michael Owen fails to make it into England’s World Cup squad then he has only himself, and possibly some of his advisors, to blame. As a world-class striker he has carved out a brilliant career relying largely on instinct, but away from the pitch his decision-making has let him down.
Rather than enabling him to recapture to his former glories Owen’s move to Manchester United last summer is likely to have the opposite effect, and hasten the end of his career. The 29-year-old has made an impact at Old Trafford as a player of his ability and experience was bound to – scoring a last-minute winner in the Manchester derby and superbly-taken hat-trick against Wolfsburg on Tuesday night – but these dramatic contributions are proving to be the exception that proves the rule. For all his pedigree Owen is viewed purely as an impact player by Sir Alex Ferguson, as a paltry tally of three Premier League starts this season indicates, which is not what he needs at this stage of his career.
Continue reading "Michael Owen let down by his decision-making" »
 In today's e-mail bulletin, we asked: Did the Manchester United forward's hat-trick last night prove that he is worth a place in the England squad?
Patrick Barclay, our Chief Football Commentator, responds: "What it told us is that Michael Owen is fit and that if he can start games, he can still produce his form of old - which is an exciting proposition for United and England fans. The question is whether he can get games under his belt. With Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Owen vying for a place in the starting line-up, someone has to miss out. But if Owen can get a game every ten days, say, England could have what will amount to a new player on their hands.
"For most of his career Owen has been clinical in taking chances. Over the past few months at United that hasn't been the case but maybe he is shaking off that rustiness. That could give Fabio Capello a little dilemma - does he take Owen or Jermain Defoe to South Africa? A fortnight ago, after Defoe had scored five goals against Wigan, there was no question. But that may not be quite as certain now.
Continue reading "Ahead of TheGame: Michael Owen demonstrates World Cup quality" »
Sol Trafford - Daily Mirror
Manchester United are ready to make a shock move for free agent Sol Campbell to boost their injury-hit defence. Former England centre-back Campbell, 35, has finally reached an exit agreement with League Two Notts County following his ill-fated move.
Moyes sets sights on Donovan loan - The Guardian
David Moyes hopes to strengthen his injury-plagued Everton squad in the January transfer window with a loan move for the USA forward, Landon Donovan.
Anton is swapped for Hutt - The Sun
Steve Bruce is ready to offload Anton Ferdinand in a bid to land Tottenham full-back Alan Hutton. The Sunderland manager is desperate for defensive cover and wants to bring Hutton to Wearside in a swap deal with unhappy Ferdinand next month.
Under the Hammer - Daily Mirror
West Ham have set a deadline of Friday for takeover offers as the club’s crisis-hit Icelandic owners battle to fend off creditors back home. Icelandic investment bank Straumur, which owns West Ham, has employed prestigious private firm Rothschild to handle takeover bids for the club.
Carsley set for exit in Birmingham shake-up - Daily Mail
Lee Carsley will be an unexpected casualty of Alex McLeish’s rebuilding campaign at Birmingham City when the transfer window opens.
Arsenal are a Roman target - Daily Express
Roman Pavlyuchenko, the Tottenham striker, is being targeted by north London rivals Arsenal, according to the Russian's agent Oleg Artemov.
Frank Praverman
“Can he have an impact from the start of games? Absolutely. At the end of the day, the evidence is always on the field and Michael has given plenty tonight. His training performances have improved steadily and I have never had a problem playing him."
That's what Sir Alex Ferguson said last night after Michael Owen scored the 14th hat-trick of his career.
The Manchester United striker has been overlooked by Fabio Capello for most of the Italian's reign but the England coach may be stroking his chin this morning as he tries to complete his World Cup jigsaw.
Owen's form in recent seasons has been patchy for many reasons. Injury has curtailed his appearances and scoring opportunities were few and far between as he fought in vain to save Newcastle from relegation last summer.
But at United he has proved he is the man for the big occasion - and what bigger occasion is there than the World Cup finals?
His last-minute winner against Manchester City was taken with the deadly aplomb of an assassin. And three goals in the Champions League when your squad is missing 15 players is a virtuoso performance.
Capello is likely to go with Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey and Jermain Defoe plus one other. Could Owen fill the slot? Or can he only score in a team that creates as many chances as United? Is Owen the answer or an injury-prone liability?
Would you take Owen to the finals in South Africa? Let us know below.
Gabriele Marcotti
Maybe you can help me make up my mind on this one, because I'm not sure where I stand. Last weekend, Ascoli were hosting Reggina in a Serie B clash. A Reggina defender pulled up with an injury, just as he was about to play the ball. Because he was hurt, he tried to kick it into touch, but an Ascoli player intercepted the pass before it could go out of play, advanced on the goal and passed it to a team-mate who scored. Cue all sorts of (understandable) protests from the Reggina players.
The Ascoli boss, Bepi Pillon, ordered his men to allow Reggina to score after the re-start and they duly did. (Reggina went on to win, 3-1). The video is here.
As I recall, something similar happened a few years ago in League 1. Here's the question though: is this an example of fair play? Or do you have an obligation to win, by any means necessary, short of outright cheating?
Continue reading "Win at all costs, the numbers game and scrap penalties from the World Cup final" »
 James Ducker
There were a few laughs when it was put to Mark Hughes after Manchester City’s 2-1 win at home to Chelsea that it was better the club had missed out on Kaka in January rather than Nigel de Jong, but it was a valid point.
Kaka would undoubtedly improve City no end but he was the wrong player at the wrong time. City’s attempts to sign the Brazil forward were equivalent to a chef trying to put a cherry on top of a cake he had still to bake.
A year or two down the line, a player in the Kaka mould may well be the right signing for City, but the building blocks needed to be put in place first and De Jong was just the kind of player the club needed at that stage of their development. Chelsea’s midfield players will not dispute that.
It takes a lot to quieten a midfield as imposing and inventive as Chelsea’s, but Michael Ballack, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard were clearly uncomfortable having the combative Holland midfield player snapping at their heels. It was the kind of performance Claude Makelele used to produce on a regular basis for Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Continue reading "Nigel De Jong pivotal to Manchester City's future" »
 In today's e-mail bulletin we asked: "How will the England manager remedy the national team's poor record in penalty shoot-outs at major tournaments?"
Gabriele Marcotti, author of Capello: Portrait of a winner, writes: "England have lost five out of six penalty shoot-outs over the past 19 years so I can see the argument that says they have a problem but they are not alone in having that kind of record. In Italy, for example, we thought we were cursed when it came to penalties. We lost in the World Cup semi-final in 1990, in the final in 1994 and the quarter-final in 1998. Yet we won the World Cup on penalties in 2006.
"Capello and Franco Baldini, his assistant, do not see it as a major issue for their squad, certainly not above fitness, tactics or diet. That is partly because you cannot replicate the pressure of a shoot-out in training. But Capello also knows that to focus on the issue would unnecessarily exacerbate it.
Continue reading "Ahead of TheGame: Fabio Capello will not prioritise penalties" »
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