Ahead of the Game: Gazza Sectioned And Arrested
News in 60 seconds
GAZZA SECTIONED AND ARRESTED
Paul Gascoigne has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act. The former England midfielder was arrested after police were called to a hotel in Gateshead.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3409776.ece
PERRIN: WE CAN BEAT UNITED
Alain Perrin, the Lyons coach, is confident his side can knock Manchester United out of the Champions League. He thinks the 1-1 draw in the first leg in France could make United “lazy” at Old Trafford.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3409600.ece
BELLAMY OUT FOR SIX WEEKS
Craig Bellamy faces another six weeks on the sidelines after undergoing a second operation on an abdominal injury. AOTG almost feels sympathy for the firebrand forward. Almost.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/west_ham/article3410336.ece
RAMOS COY ON KEEPER DILEMMA
Juande Ramos could recall Paul Robinson to the Tottenham Hotspur side to play Slavia Prague in their Uefa Cup tie tonight. The coach would not say whether Robbo or Radek Cerny will get the nod.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/tottenham/article3406250.ece
MOYES NOT COMPLACENT
David Moyes is refusing to accept the claim by Ivar Mjelde, the Brann coach, that the Norwegian club need a miracle to beat them in the Uefa Cup. Moyes is using his side’s embarrassing defeat by Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup as motivation.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/everton/article3406251.ece
FERGUSON FIRED UP
Barry Ferguson has dismissed reports that Rangers do not want to beat Panathinaikos in the Uefa Cup. “The Champions League is the place to be,” he said. “But I enjoy every game in Europe, I really do.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article3406643.ece
BAYERN FEAR ABERDEEN TYROS
Ottmar Hitzfeld, the Bayern Munich manager, expects Aberdeen to produce a battling performance in their Uefa Cup tie in the Allianz Arena. He is particularly fearful of the threat posed by Sone Aluko and Josh Walker, the youngsters on loan at Pittodrie.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article3406670.ece
LIVE: UEFA CUP
You can follow all of tonight’s Uefa Cup ties live with our match tracker.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/live_match_tracker/
CHELSEA PUBLISH FINANCIAL RESULTS
Chelsea make their annual financial results public today. We’ll publish them online as soon as we get them. AOTG has not seen the figures but suspects Roman Abramovich is still fairly flush.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/
TERRY CUP FINAL FEAR
John Terry fears that he will be omitted from the Chelsea side to face Tottenham in the Carling Cup final. Avram Grant has not given Terry or Frank Lampard assurances that they will play.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article3406168.ece
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you’ve got another couple of minutes
Today, we’ve turned this section over to Mr Kevin Eason, of The Insider fame.
WEMBLEY WARN WELL-HEELED FANS
The infamous prawn sandwich brigade have been reminded to behave themselves before the Carling Cup final on Sunday. It seems that the curtailed silent tribute for the victims of the Munich air disaster before England’s match against Switzerland this month may have spooked officials at Wembley, to judge from a memo sent to members of Club Wembley, owners of the stadium’s most expensive seats.
Bad behaviour at football matches is nothing new, but it would certainly not do in the exclusive wining and dining areas that provide such lavish income at modern stadiums, particularly Wembley, where Club packages range from £1,618 to £6,532 for season tickets, not to mention the one-off ten-year debentures of between £4,676 and £19,296.
Nervousness has spread to the corporate hospitality areas, where the richest fans could become rowdy after a few chilled white wines and copious lagers. Club Wembley is an unsegregated area where fans from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will be able to mix in the carpeted bars. That brings its own dangers and Wembley has banned aggressive or abusive behaviour and inappropriate chanting. Club Wembley members are also reminded that they are not to wear team shirts.
There is also the clampdown on members selling on their tickets, with a warning that this remains a criminal offence. As Wembley tells its corporate members: “Finally, we remind you that you are responsible for the actions and behaviour of your guests. We ask that you please forward this note on to any friends, family or clients using your tickets to ensure that they are also aware of the rules.”
So now they have been told.
More from The Insider, The Times sports diary:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/kevin_eason/article3406255.ece
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>THE TABLOID TALE<<<<<
Dog talk left Dani dumped – The Sun
What you need to know: 1) Jermain Defoe dumped Danielle Lloyd because she wanted a pet dog. 2) The Portsmouth striker felt the Celebrity Big Brother star was getting too serious. 3) She wanted to carry the dog in her handbag Paris Hilton-style. 4) Defoe presumably didn’t want to be smaller than his girlfriend and his pet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A quickie before you go, sir?
BOLTON FACE ANGRY ATLETICO
As build-ups go, it could hardly be spicier. Bolton Wanderers, fifteenth in the Premier League and three points above the relegation zone, face Atletico Madrid, the Spanish club fourth in La Liga and hoping to qualify for the Champions League. Gary Megson’s team have a 1-0 advantage, but we reckon this one could get a bit tasty. Examine the evidence.
Atletico have five players injured: Thiago Motta, Simao Sabrosa, Leo Franco, Ze Castro and Juan Valero. They must also cope without Raul Garcia and Sergio Aguero, both of whom are suspended, the latter for spitting at Matt Taylor in the first leg. By contrast, of those eligible to play for Bolton in the competition, only Ricardo Gardner and Heidar Helguson are unavailable, both through injury.
Read the Spanish club’s website, however, and you realise the problems run deeper. Christian Abbiati, the goalkeeper, has insisted the dressing room is united even though it got “heated” at the weekend following a defeat at home by Athletic Bilbao, which meant they have taken only four points from five league games and incensed Don Enrique Cerezo, the club president. “I told the manager,” Cerezo said, “if we continue like this we'll end up in the Intertoto." Little wonder Luis Garcia, the former Liverpool midfielder now at Atletico, said they will treat tonight’s match “like a final”.
They will also approach it feeling they were victims of injustices at the Reebok Stadium. Javier Aguirre, the coach, said the referee failed to clamp down on Bolton’s muscular approach and claimed Aguero spat at the ground rather than at Taylor. Maxi Rodriguez, the Atletico midfielder, has added to the furore by warning Ivan Campo that Atletico fans will target him for calling Aguero “foolish” on Spanish radio.
As if the tension was not acute enough, Bolton’s travel itinerary was published on the Atletico website – though it appeared to have been removed today. Megson then tried to calm the situation by insisting his side “play huge games every week”. That is true but few count as much as this one. Can Bolton get the result they need? Watch this footage of Atletico being carved apart by Bilbao and you feel certain they can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdrCbdN6UUM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4
Divisions separate Cardiff City and Newport County, of Blue Square Conference South. Newport beat Cardiff on penalties in this week’s FAW Premier Cup semi-final.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In TheGame
Tony Cascarino has eased your latest football-related problems. Our agony uncle explains how to take the perfect penalty, thinks it’s fine to play competitively on Saturday and Sunday and insists that one reader cuts off his Kevin Keegan perm.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/keep-fit-dodgy.html
It is half-time in the first knockout stage of the Champions League and each of the five British sides involved stand a chance of making it to the last eight. Liverpool look in the best position, Celtic face a huge task and the rest must turn a first-leg draw into overall victory. Which of them do you think will go furthest in the competition? Have your say in our debate.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/you-the-jury-wh.html
David Gold, the Birmingham City chairman, has provoked some impassioned response with the first of a new fortnightly column. Gold suggested that the 39th step makes sense. Brave man.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/the-39th-game-i.html
Amazing what one victory can do for a manager’s reputation. Before Liverpool beat Inter Milan, only a third of you thought Rafael Benitez deserved to keep his job, but our poll shows 54.7 per cent now think he deserves to stay no matter what. The rest are split almost equally between wanting him sacked immediately and thinking he should be judged at the end of the season.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/so-what-do-you.html
Avram Grant was right to omit Lampard and Terry from Chelsea’s Champions League tie against Olympiacos. That’s what you think, anyway, judging by the comments on our debate.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/avram-grant-sen.html
Our Wigan Athletic aficionado in Fanzine Fanzone has warned Paul Jewell, the club’s former manager, that he can expect a frosty reception when he returns to the JJB Stadium with Derby County on Saturday. Our writer says Jewell betrayed his old club by calling his new club’s fans the best he’s known.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2008/02/jewell-taints-l.html
Our Fulham fanatic finds that the BBC’s Premier League predictor suggests his side will avoid relegation. Unfortunately, Fink Tank, our football-minded big brains, suggest otherwise.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2008/02/the-appliance-o.html
Bill Edgar has posted his daily trivia question: “Which was the last League Cup final to take place on a Saturday?” We’ve also revealed the answer to yesterday’s poser.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/bill-edgars-t-1.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<
Carragher rebukes Benitez over rotation – The Guardian
Wenger needs Henry’s Euro cutting edge – The Sun
Liverpool hero Gerrard just won’t shut up – Daily Mail
Vassell’s dreaming of Europe – Daily Mirror
Cruyff leaves Barca door open for Mourinho – The Independent
Carroll earns Newcastle call – The Daily Telegraph
Platini: Teen stars need home comforts – Daily Express
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Bloggs’ Soapbox
“Re: the interest in Benitez. Has anyone a better solution? He is a master tactician in Europe and a mediocre one in a very strong domestic league. You could say the opposite for Ferguson and Wenger. The players at Benitez’s disposal perform to the best of their abilities. Gerard and Torres are the only world-class players. The rest are ordinary Premier League players who up their games for Europe. United and Chelsea have bought several players in the Torres price range and you get what you pay for. Arsenal have invested huge amounts on youth, which is now paying dividends in the likes of Fabregas, Clichy etc. In Babel, Benitez bought a young player for a wedge of money for the first time and has been criticised for not playing him enough, whilst Ferguson keeps Nani and Anderson on the bench to no criticism. We could go on making excuses for all managers but, in the end, it's trophies that matter. Each manager of a big four side is expected to win something and will be under pressure if he doesn't. The picture is just clearer now that Liverpool have one less chance of silverware. Lay off Benitez till the season’s end!”
That’s Cai Roberts and he talks sense.
“What's the fuss? Against Olympiacos, Chelsea demonstrated that they are a class act in the first two thirds of the field. Possession was excellent, and passing and movement first rate. They did, however, lack incision in the final third, and perhaps Drogba might have been replaced after picking up a slight injury. But Olympiacos are no mugs, especially at home. So, a job well done.”
Matt thinks Avram Grant was vindicated in his decision to drop Terry and Lampard.
“I would be interested in a poll of the London-based press asking them which clubs they support. How else can I understand how editorial in AOTG starts off as an exploration of Gallas's actions and turns into a piece seeking covert actions in Sir Alex Ferguson [yesterday’s AOTG]?
Yes, it’s strange that the FA let this one slide, but it’s even more strange that the press shouldn't explore the implications of Gallas's actions, given that tackling from behind and kicking an opponent are banned.
Bias is understandable. I am biased towards United. However, I don't hold a position that can shape the opinions of a nation so there's no onus on me to be objective. I grew up trying to believe that the press strives to be honest and objective, and slowly that view is being eroded. I'm not surprised or angry because, working in a London office, I'm surrounded by Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs fans and understand the bias towards them. I just take a lot of football editorial with a large pinch of salt when a contentious issue between United and a London club occurs.
I may be wrong and there may be as many journalists from outside London. However, if you could clear this up, I would find it extremely interesting. Certainly more interesting than trying to stoke up ‘SAF is playing mind games again' fears.”
Matt Drewry makes a fair point and a paranoid point. Gallas was a very lucky boy indeed and a villain of the piece on Saturday. But Fergie was definitely out of order.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomorrow’s news today
- Analysis: Chelsea financial results
- FA hold board meeting to discuss 39th step
- Adebayor: How did I miss open goal?
- Beckham plays 90 minutes for LA Galaxy, but they still lose
And expect…
AOTG to give only due coverage to Tottenham’s victory over Slavia Prague.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anonymous tips, suggestions, funnies, fan mail and complaints: sport@timesonline.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments