Ahead of the Game: Capello set semi-final target

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Tuesday, May 6. 1600 BST
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News in 60 seconds

CAPELLO SET SEMI-FINAL TARGET
The England manager has been told by the FA bigwigs that he must be the first manager since Terry Venables in 1996 to get the national side to a semi-final, either at the 2010 World Cup or the 2012 European Championships. The impossible job just became the improbable one.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article3881453.ece

MANDARIC WON'T WALK AWAY FROM LEICESTER
Leicester City's maverick chairman has assured fans that he will not leave the club despite fears for its future due to mounting debts and its relegation from the Championship on Sunday. Which will come as a great relief to Leicester supporters who have endured five different managers under his stewardship and seen the club drop into the third tier of English football for the first time in its 124 year history.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article3880625.ece

MARTIN JOL WANTS NEW CHALLENGE
The burly Dutchman has had enough of twiddling his thumbs and counting his hefty pay-off from Spurs and wants to get back into the thick of things at SV Hamburg. Well, if he fancies more of a challenge there could be a vacancy coming up at the Walkers Stadium in the very near future.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3879155.ece

KEEGAN UNSURE OF SUMMER BUDGET
The Newcastle manager says he has no idea how much money he will get to spend to rebuild his side over the summer after releasing three players today. Still, given that he thinks the top four is a closed shop does it really matter?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3881216.ece

NO UNITED DEAL FOR BOSINGWA SAYS AGENT
Jose Bosingwa's agent has dismissed rumours the Porto defender has agreed terms with Manchester United. The 25-year-old Portugal international has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but Rui Neno, his agent, insists nothing has been agreed. "There is not any sort of agreement with Manchester United," he said of the player some say would be a snip at £24.3 million
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3879258.ece

NANI APOLOGISES FOR RED CARD
The Portuguese shows some remorse after headbutting Lucas Neill during his side's 4-1 drubbing of West Ham. Not for getting up close and personal with the mouthy Australian but for some rather petulant behaviour that will see him get a fine and a few blasts of the Fergie hairdryer.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3878697.ece

WIGAN WON'T ROLL OVER SAYS GIGGS
Ryan Giggs says that an already safe Wigan, managed by Fergie protégé Steve Bruce, wouldn't dream of letting Manchester United sneak a win on Sunday to seal the Premier League title. Oh no sirree Bob.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3879786.ece

HACKETT: DIVING NO LONGER A PROBLEM
Keith Hackett, the referee's chief, suggests that diving has ceased to be the bête noire of officials in the Premier League. Which is just as well as he claims "the speed of action in the Premier League has increased by around 40 per cent over the last four years alone, which means that it is very difficult for match officials to distinguish between a genuine foul and a cynical attempt to deceive the referee"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3878713.ece

FABREGAS MUST MAKE FIRST MOVE, SAY REAL MADRID
Having already lost Mathieu Flamini to AC Milan, Arsene Wenger has to put up with Real Madrid making eyes at his talented playmaker, although the Spaniards insist the player must initiate proceedings. How very modern of them.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3878996.ece

JOHNSON: BIRMINGHAM SHOULD STICK WITH MCLEISH
Birmingham's Northern Irish midfielder says that the club must stay to true to Alex McLeish, their manager, even if he leads them back into the Championship at the first time of asking.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3879372.ece

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43
The number of Premier League points Chelsea have earned away from home this season, compared to Manchester United's 32 and 33 by Arsenal.

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If you've got another couple of minutes

KEEGAN SLAMS BORING PREMIER LEAGUE
Kevin Keegan has proclaimed that the Big Four's domination of the Premier League has turned the competition into a bore where Champions League football is nothing but a fantasy for 16 teams every season. Should we be switching our attentions to the variable delights of the Championship or is the Newcastle manager just priming his own fans for more disappointment in years to come. You decide.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/debate-is-the-p.html

JUST WHAT IS WRONG WITH MOSCOW?
With all the criticism heaped on the choice of Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium as venue for the Champions League final you'd think it was being held in war-torn Somalia instead of a modern European capital.

However, that hasn't stopped the AA putting the boot in by attempting to discourage people without air tickets from driving to Moscow, citing a £2,000 cost for two people and highlighting Russia's poor roadways.

Still with a £400 budget put aside for sustenance, you could buy a heck of a lot of Zyr vodka and Ginsters pasties to keep you warm on the way there.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/does-anyone-wan.html
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>>>>> THE TABLOID TALE <<<<<

'Dad and Son are United' - Daily Mirror
1) Father and son strike partnership Doug Rowe, 34, and 17-year-old Doug Jnr have shot Southampton minnows Nimbin United to a league and cup double after scoring 60 goals between them this season. 2) Doug Snr said: "He knows to make sure I get the most goals or he'll be doing the washing up at home." 3) Will Doug Jnr have to dust the trophies too?
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A quickie before you go, sir?

In tribute to Keegan's comments we present some footage from a time when the top division most certainly wasn't boring - the classic 1996 encounter with Liverpool that tore Newcastle's title dream to shreds. See, they didn't win anything then either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEee1qoIQHg

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In TheGame

Martin Samuel started a debate on whether Sir Alex Ferguson should retire if Manchester United lift the Champions League trophy. Our Chief Football Correspondent says Fergie is far too intelligent to do a stupid thing like that but what do you think? Has the old warhorse seen enough or is he incapable of putting his feet up?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/debate-should-f.html

Chelsea's professional performance against Newcastle United has taken the title race down to the wire. But who will win the Premier League? Will Steve Bruce's Wigan Athletic roll over and die for his old manager or are Avram Grant's team still in with a shout?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/who-do-you-thin.html

Our classic smug shots feature shows no sign of abating. Latest off the production line is the King of Sheffield Wednesday David Hirst meeting the 'legendary' (so he says) Tom Kirby. Can you do any better?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/football-smug-1.html

Bill Edgar has filed his latest quiz question, while also revealing the answer to yesterday's poser. Chew on this: What do the following years have in common in relation to English clubs in European competition: 1968, 1970, 1971, 1981, 1984?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/05/bill-edgars-tue.html

The smartest football presenter on the planet Jeff Stelling joins regular hosts Guillem Balague and Gabriele Marcotti and reveals some of the secrets of Soccer Saturday. The boys also consider another enthralling weekend in the Premier League and look back at last week's dramatic Champions League semi-finals.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/podcasts/thegame/article3853777.ece

Missed any of the weekend's Premier League action. Want to relive Fulham's Houdini act at Craven Cottage or re-watch Derby's comical defending at Ewood Park? Now you can.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article2236741.ece
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>>>>> THE RIVALS <<<<<
Chelsea prove they are the real deal - The Daily Telegraph
United play for the double on back of £58m losses last year - The Guardian
We've got the Ballacks - The Sun
Keegan: I'll never win boring title - Daily Express
England is best, says Mourinho - Daily Mail
Redknapp lures Crouch with £75k a week offer - Daily Mirror
New visa deal for Moscow final is just the ticket for fans - The Independent
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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox

"How many goals has Lampard scored without the aid of a deflection? Not in Stevie Gerrard's league"
Derek from Padiham takes issue with Frank Lampard's speciality - the deflected assist.

Retire? Don't be silly. SAF has a spot of unfinished business with that lot down the East Lancs. Twenty titles for United, ie THREE more after this seasons win, plus a couple more CL wins. Then the man can retire in peace as the best ever...by an even bigger margin than he is today.
RedDevil scoffs at rumours that Sir Alex is about to head for a comfy chair and a nice bottle of red if United break Chelsea hearts in Moscow.

"I am a Man United supporter and honestly think he is not as good as people say he is and it's about time he retired. I would rather see a more astute manager like Ramos take over. I do think Chelsea will win the Champions League and Ferguson will bottle it."
But Jamie Hutber rather bravely, and perhaps unwisely, sticks his head over the parapet and delivers a damning verdict on SAF's tactical nous.
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Tomorrow's news today

- Ballack: The pressure is all on United
- Turf war: Just how bad is Wigan's pitch?

And expect...

Wayne Rooney's dad to replace Louis Saha at Old Trafford.

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