Ahead of the Game: Capello drops Beckham
The
news in 60 seconds
CAPELLO DROPS BECKHAM
The
England manager says he will only pick players turning out regularly for their
clubs. So, no Becks and no Paul Robinson. Gabriel Agbonlahor, Curtis Davies and
Emile Heskey have made the cut.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3284151.ece
LENNON MAKES U-21s http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3283803.ece
Well, not on everybody's form. The Tottenham winger has
been rejuvenated under Juande Ramos but hes still not good enough for Capello.
Lennon is joined in the Under-21 squad by club-mate Jamie O'Hara and Theo
Walcott.
ANFIELD
FANS PLAN BUYOUT
A group of Liverpool supporters have launched an ambitious
plan to buy the club. The American owners insist they wont sell. It could be
Rafa's only hope of survival.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3281517.ece
RONALDO
SCREAMER
Sir Alex Ferguson says Ronaldo scored the Premier League's best free
kick ever last night. The Times published suitably exemplary coverage
of it.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3280102.ece
BALLACK
BULLISH
Michael Ballack says Chelsea's home form could decide the destination
of the Premier League. Even though everybody else knows it depends on
Ronaldo.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article
3283989.ece
POMPEY UP FOR SALE
Portsmouth have been put up for sale by
Alexandre Gaydamak. The Franco-Russian owner would accept a bid in the region of
£60 million.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/portsmouth/article3279506.ece
SVEN
HOPEFUL
Sven-Goran Eriksson insists Manchester City can still finish in the
last Champions League qualification place. They can as long as Liverpool keep
coming up short.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article3283881.ece
HODGSON
LANDS LITMANEN
Fulham have signed Jari Litmanen until the end of the season.
"I don't think there is a need to explain the obvious reasons for wanting to
bring him to Fulham," said Fulham boss Roy Hodgson of the unattached
36-year-old.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/fulham/article3283860.ece
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If you've got another couple of minutes
DIEGO SAYS
SORRY
In an unexpected announcement, given that few thought his
narcotic-addled memory stretched back two decades, Diego Maradona has apologised
for the Hand of God goal. Yes, possibly compelled by the immovable chip on Peter
Shilton's shoulder as well as the promptings of our tabloid sister paper, the
brilliant Argentinian said he wishes he could erase his infamous fist from
history.
This, of course, is far from the first time a public figure has
said sorry for an old injustice. Tony Blair recently admitted sorrow at Britain's
role in the slave trade, the prime minister of Japan expressed regret at the
exploitation of women in World War Two and, according to unconfirmed reports,
Newcastle chairman Mike Ashley has considered apologising to the clubs fans for
the past 50 years.
To AOTG's limited knowledge, however, this is the
first occasion that a footballer has sought redemption over a mistake committed
in a generation past. It could set an interesting precedent. AOTG would now like
to see Roy Keane request forgiveness from Alf-Inge Haaland, Graham Taylor to
apologise for Carlton Palmer, and Chris Waddle to seek a pardon for that sinful
mullet. Who would you like to see crawl out of the woodwork and plead mea culpa?
Email
sport@timesonline.co.uk
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>>>>>THE
TABLOID TALE<<<<<
Cash and Harry - Daily Mirror
What you need to know: 1) Harry Redknapp made a £450,000 profit on a house
he sold to his defender Hermann Hreidarsson. 2) The Portsmouth boss bought the
seaside home for £2.4m in October 2006 and sold it for £2.85m the following
August. 3) You might have expected Harry to offer his player a reduction. 4) But
given the performance of Portsmouth's defence last night, maybe
not.
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A quickie before you go, sir?
WAS THAT REALLY THE
BEST FREE KICK EVER?
Was Fergie right to call Ronaldo's free kick the Premier
League's finest? Was it superior even to any of those scored by, say, David
Beckham, Gianfranco Zola or Thierry Henry. Or did the United manager get carried
away by the occasion of another superlative performance at Old Trafford? Log on
to our poll and have your say. To help you decide, youll find footage of both
the score in question and a few of its closest rivals.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/was-this-the-be.html
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7
The number of players who were named in Steve
McClaren's last squad but not in Capello's first. They are Paul Robinson, Sol
Campbell, Phil Neville, Beckham, Stewart Downing, Jermain Defoe and Alan
Smith.
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In TheGame
Hold on to your keyboards.
Times Online is providing hourly updates on the latest moves on
the final day of the transfer window. It could turn frantic.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/transfer-window.html
We
have also devoted a section of the website to the 50th anniversary to the Munich
air disaster. We start it today with Richard Whitehead's brilliant account of
the tragedy and review of the articles that The Times published at the
time.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/system/topicRoot/The_Munich_Air_Disaster/
Tony
Cascarino has fixed your latest round of footballing problems. His
solutions include how to master the Ronaldo free kick (or at least try), why a
workhorse player beats a fancy dan and the best way to improve your
confidence.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/loose-lips-taki.html
Martin
Samuel has responded to your replies to his debate on the MK Dons.
Martin admires most of your arguments, but he takes issue with the reader who
questions him for not criticising Arsenal's move from Woolwich. In 1913.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/martin-samuel-1.html
Gabriele
Marcotti has answered your contributions to the Game Podcast
debate . Gabriele debunks the myth that most fans support clubs outside
the Premier League, notes how Havant & Waterlooville made headlines even in
Italy and explains why a minute's silence is better than a minute's
applause.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/david-moyes-dis.html#more
Kaveh
Solhekol is following the African Cup of Nations from
the comfort of his armchair. In the latest post on his excellent blog, Kaveh
notes how Lawrie Sanchez is analysing the event for Eurosport despite refusing
to buy a foreigner for Fulham.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/africa_cup_of_nations/index.html
Fancy
yourself as a football brainiac? Then try Bill Edgar's daily trivia
question . Today's poser is possibly his hardest yet.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/thursday-trivia.html
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>>>>>THE
RIVALS<<<<<
Beni on brink - The Sun
Dennis is
here to help me, says Kev - Daily Mail
Given warns Magpies they may
go into free fall - The Guardian
Harrys 9m for Defoe - Daily
Mirror
Bentley will be just fab - Daily Star
Etoo shatters
scoring record for tournament - The Independent
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Joe
Bloggs' Soapbox
Scottish fans should be very, very afraid with
Terry Butcher getting a gig under Burley. If he is restricted to packing up the
balls after training they may be OK, but the utter balls-up he has made of
pretty much every coaching job he has had (I can only assume Motherwell was a
fluke) suggests he should not be allowed to do anything of significance. Of
course, as a Melbourne Victory supporter, I will be forever grateful to him for
the amusement he provided during his spell at Sydney FC.
Joel
Gaskell, from Australia, issues Scotland fans with a warning. Not that
they needed it.
David Beckham should be awarded his 100th cap only
if, at the time, he is the best that England can offer for the job that needs
doing. If not, and I believe he isn't, he should not be considered.
Would any
sensible selector consider awarding a 50th cap just because someone has already
been awarded 49? To award Beckham his 100th just because he has 99 would be the
equivalent of Australia allowing Pietersen to be given another run once he gets
to 99. In just such a situation the fielding side would make an extra special
effort to deny the batsman his century - and quite rightly.
Any international
cap should be awarded solely on merit. To do otherwise would simply devalue the
award - both to the recipient and to anyone else who has reached that milestone.
Sadly, I can't see Beckham seeing it in this way!
David Jones
posted his missive before Fabio Capello announced the England squad.
AOTG agrees with David's point but is struggling with his logic.
I
thought Tottenham were not planning to buy players in the transfer window. Did
Ramos not say only struggling sides bought players in January? If he is saying
Spurs needs help and his answer is to sign Woodgate and Hutton - two of the most
overrated players in history - then God help the boys from White Hart Lane. Who
next, Jason Roberts? Massimo Taibi to play in goal? How about a line up of
Taibi, Marco Boogers, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Hutton,
Stuart Slater, Benito Carbone, John Jensen, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Darren Bent and
Jermain Defoe! Roberts can come off the bench.
Thanks Al
, from Glasgow. Who would be in your overrated XI? Email
sport@timesonline.co.uk
Obviously Stuart Mennie [in yesterday's
AOTG], along with everyone else advocating players not being allowed to talk to
refs, has never played the game. It's a simplistic view that offers nothing when
you actually break it down. What player is going to pull back from saying, for
example, 'ah ref' when pulled up for offside, say, or calling for a foul, or
shouting for offside against the opposition. It shouldn't be about not being
able to talk to the ref, which could just as easily build resentment rather than
respect. Its about the way they do it.
I'm all for stopping players crowding
round the ref or abusing referees but it needs something more sophisticated than
this surely. How about giving the refs licence to book players who actually
abuse them, eh? Oh. . .
Ray Clark thinks this particular
rule is fine as it stands. So, quit
complaining.
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Tomorrow's news today
- Full analysis of
Capello's first England squad
- Benjani leads the rush for the transfer
window before it shuts
- Is Ronaldo the best No 7 United have ever
had?
And expect. . .
-
Capello to refuse to apologise for England's years of underachievement - but to
promise it's all about to end.
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Anonymous tips, suggestions,
funnies, fan mail and
complaints:
sport@timesonline.co.uk
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BY ROBERT DINEEN
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