Ahead of TheGame: Portsmouth face Milan in Uefa Cup

News in 60 seconds

PORTSMOUTH FACE MILAN IN UEFA CUP
Harry Redknapp's side have been handed a tough draw against the Italian giants in the group stage of the European competition. Aston Villa also face a difficult task against Hamburg, the Bundesliga leaders, while Spurs face Dinamo Zagreb and Manchester City play FC Twente, managed by Steve McClaren. "I've just come back to England to catch up on football here and the signings City made are massive," McClaren said. "It should be a fantastic occasion."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article4898510.ece

TERRY SITS OUT ENGLAND PRACTICE
The Chelsea captain was one of four players to miss training with the national team today. Ashley Cole, Wes Brown and Stewart Downing were also rested but all four are expected to train tomorrow as Fabio Capello's side prepare for the World Cup qualifer against Kazakhstan on Saturday.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article4898385.ece

LAMPARD: STOP FOCUSING ON ME
The Chelsea midfielder insists critics of the England side should pay more attention to the overall team effort and less to his problematic partnership with Steven Gerrard. "We haven't really done quite what we could do over the last couple of years," he said. "But it is very important to talk about the team. We are breaking it down much too much." 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article4900120.ece

FABREGAS HINTS AT BARCELONA RETURN 
The Arsenal midfielder has admitted that it remains his dream to return to the Nou Camp, even though his first ambition is to win trophies in England. "I'm fine at Arsenal," he said. "But I cannot deny that to play for Barca would be a dream come true. They are playing cinematic football."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article4899551.ece

UNITED CALM TEVEZ FEARS
The champions have moved to end concerns over the future of the on-loan Argentina forward, insisting they will offer him a permanent contract by the end of the year. "That is still our aim," a club spokesman said. "To talk of delays is nonsense. Both the club and Carlos are relaxed about the situation."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article4898185.ece

AGGER READY TO SEIZE CHANCE 
The Liverpool defender is hoping to fill the spot vacated by the injured Martin Skrtel and prove he is worth a permanent place in the starting XI. "This is not the way I wished to get it," he said. "I know Martin very well because I share a room with him when we travel, but I hope to prove that it's my place."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article4898183.ece

TRIESMAN SLAMS SPURS FANS
The FA chairman says Tottenham should issue life bans to the supporters who verbally abused Sol Campbell at Fratton Park.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article4899306.ece

If you've got another couple of minutes

PODCAST: LAMPARD'S BRILLIANCE, BROKEN SPURS and BEAUTY PAGEANTS
In the week that England restart their World Cup campaign, our team explain why Frank Lampard has risen above Steven Gerrard in Fabio Capello's estimation, expect the England manager will experiment against Kazakhstan, but suggest he has no idea who should partner Wayne Rooney.

They also examine the crisis at White Hart Lane, argue that Rafael Benitez has forged a habit of picking the wrong team and wonder if Martin O'Neill has overspent on unproven talent at Aston Villa. 

Phil Jupitus hosts, with Gabriele Marcotti, Tony Evans and Nick Szczepanik alongside him in the pod. Plus, the former Olympic athlete Du'aine Ladejo joins the crew on the telephone from Australia.

A fitness expert and football fan, Ladejo identifies the fittest side in the Premier League and explains why Gianfranco Zola was right to criticise the condition of his West Ham players. "When I was an athlete, I stayed up late, attended a few beauty contests," Ladejo says. "You pay for it a few days later."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/thegame_podcasts/article4869463.ece

VIDEO: A SWEDISH STUNNER
A Reuters journalist compared it to a work of art, Channel 4 said it was glorious and The Guardian described it as a touch of magic. Watch Zlatan Ibrahimovic's backheeled goal for Inter Milan against Bologna at the weekend and you'll understand the superlatives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDr71KzFy9c

HOW WE LIKED THAT
Tune into ITV4 this evening for one of the best football documentaries ever broadcast. Intended as serious reportage, Channel 4's coverage of Graham Taylor's attempts to qualify for the 1994 World Cup became a comedy of the darkest kind in which the England manager used language as foul as Joe Kinnear's and invented an infamous catchphrase. Click on the link below for a taster of the programme, but please don't hold us responsible for Taylor's catholic tongue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSS4_oKB3Lg&feature=related

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>>>>>THE TABLOID TALE<<<<<
What a winner - Daily Star
What you need to know: 1) The 1966 World Cup was the most watched event in British television history. 2) Researchers trawled the archives in a study for Watch, the new multi-channel TV service. 3) They found that no show topped the 32.3 million people who saw England beat Germany. 3) Only 15 million households owned a TV set at the time.

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In TheGame 

Oliver Kay: Micah Richards' fall from grace
Our columnist examines the case of a defender who not long ago was heralded as England's brightest young player but is so poorly regarded by Capello that he has yet to represent his country under the Italian.

"His assets are his pace, strength and aggression," Kay writes. "But Capello is evidently troubled by his lack of positional sense. If Richards regards himself as a central defender, rather than a right back, he is a long way off being good enough." 
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/10/michael-owen-is.html

Pick Capello's starting XI
What starting line-up would you select for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers? The most recent view of our poll suggested James, Brown, Terry, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Walcott, Gerrard, Lampard, Barry, Heskey and Rooney. Vote while you can. 
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/10/pick-fabio-cape.html

Why Spurs resemble the Titanic
Not since a certain ocean liner sank have Tottenham started a season as badly. Fitting, then, that Tom Dart has found six striking similarities between Juande Ramos and Edward John Smith, captain of the Titanic.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/10/why-tottenham-a.html

England Fanzone: Is Defoe better than Owen?
Our Three Lions loyalist has criticised Capello's decision to pick the Portsmouth forward ahead of his more experienced rival and provided statistics to back up his argument. "In terms of putting the ball in the net," he writes. "Owen is a different animal." 
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2008/10/england-owen-ve.html

Spurs Fanzone: The key problems 
Our beleaguered White Hart Lane devotee has identified the critical issues at the heart of the club's appalling form and thrown out suggestions that they are too good to be relegated. "I am seriously worried," he says.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2008/10/just-say-no.html 

Bill Edgar's trivia: Among midfield players who have scored at least ten international goals, who has recorded by far the best goals-per-game ratio for England since 1980? Edgar has also revealed the answer to the poser he set yesterday.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/10/bill-edgars-t-1.html

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12
Tottenham managers in the time Arsene Wenger has been in charge at Arsenal. They are Juande Ramos, Clive Allen, Martin Jol, Jaques Santini, David Pleat (three times), Glenn Hoddle, George Graham, Christian Gross, Chris Hughton and Gerry Francis.

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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<

One last chance! - The Sun
Fabio Capello will give Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard a final opportunity to prove they can play together against Kazakhstan.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1775723.ece

Capello calls for end to booing - The Independent
The England manager said he would rather his team play anywhere but Wembley Stadium.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/capello-calls-for-end-to-booing-953543.html

Should Almunia play for England? - Daily Mail
Capello will consider picking the Arsenal goalkeeper if he presses ahead with plans to become a British citizen.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1070809/Door-open-Spaniard-Almunia-play-England-Capello-pick-him.html?ITO=1490

Big Slam - Daily Mirror
Sam Allardyce has accused Mike Ashley of buying Newcastle only so that he could make a quick profit.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/10/07/big-sam-allardyce-claims-mike-ashley-only-bought-newcastle-united-to-make-money-115875-20780135/

Board anxious over Ramos' lack of leadership - The Daily Telegraph
Spurs are concerned about their manager's inability to inspire his players.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/tottenham/3148160/Tottenham-Hotspur-board-anxious-about-Juande-Ramos-lack-of-leadership-Football.html

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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox

Two lists that we posted yesterday captured the imagination of Middlesbrough fans. First up is Charles, suggesting a contender for the best ever Premier League performance. Savour the last sentence:

"If Hull's win at Arsenal is included on the basis that promoted teams never do well away to the Big Four, how about Middlesbrough's 3-2 win at Old Trafford in December 1998? Brian Deane and Hamilton Ricard terrorised the United defence that day."

Jayne suggests a Boro display ranks among the best comebacks:   
"Middlesbrough 4-3 Steaua Bucharest, 2006. I became a Boro fan for a night watching on TV. It's rare that a team you don't support can bring out the emotions I experienced. I found myself willing them to come back from the dead and triumph in dramatic fashion - right in the last minute!" 

James is possibly a little too angry with Capello's selection policy:
"Anyone picking David Beckham deserves nothing less than to be shot. Either that or be forced to sit through his 'magnificent' displays for LA Galaxy in the Mickey Mouse League Soccer circus where the 'most famous footballer in the world' has turned a previously successful team into a bunch of clowns."

Sit through LA Galaxy matches? Bit harsh.

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And expect...

West Ham to tell Sheffield United their compensation was held in an Icelandic bank account.

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