Category Uncategorized

Peter Crouch went some way to making amends for his Champions League dismissal with a brace in Tottenham’s 3-2 win over Stoke on Saturday.Crouch was the villain for Tottenham against Real Madrid on Tuesday, with his early sending off playing a major part in his side crashing to a 4-0 defeat at the Bernabeu in the Champions League quarter final.

But he was the hero at White Hart Lane as his brace ensured Tottenham secured all three points and helped the north London club record their first victory in the English Premier League since February 12.

Harry Redknapp’s side had gone four games without a win, but they are determined to keep alive their chances of finishing in the top four and are now just three points behind Manchester City.

Stoke gave everything but this latest defeat means they are still only six points clear of the bottom three and will need a couple more victories to cement their top-flight status.

In a thrilling first half, it was Tottenham who opened the scoring on 11 minutes.

Rafael Van der Vaart played a short pass to Roman Pavlyuchenko, whose cross picked out strike partner Crouch. The England man made no mistake to nod the ball past Asmir Begovic in the Stoke goal.

Pavlyuchenko turned provider once again on 18 minutes when he fed a short ball to Luka Modric, who raced past Robert Huth into the box and fired the ball under Begovic to make it a dream start for the home side.

Stoke refused to lie down and Matthew Etherington scored a superb individual goal on 27 minutes to help his side get back into the game.

The former Tottenham winger raced from his own half past Michael Dawson and then took the ball around Tom Huddlestone in the penalty area before striking the ball through the legs of Heurelho Gomes to give Stoke a lifeline.

But Crouch restored Tottenham’s two-goal lead when he added his second of the game on 34 minutes.

The Tottenham striker rose above Ryan Shawcross to meet a cross from Huddlestone and directed a powerful header into the corner of the net.

Another cracking effort helped Stoke get back into the game on 41 minutes.

Bale lost the ball and Kenwyne Jones fired an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area which sailed into the roof of the net past Gomes.

Stoke were desperately unlucky not to grab an equaliser on 53 minutes.

Jones weaved his way into the box and crossed in for Jon Walters to shoot at Gomes, with the ball deflected onto the post.

Jones was causing all kinds of problems for the Tottenham defence and he came close to scoring once more on 57 minutes when he connected with a cross from Jermaine Pennant and saw his header fall inches past the post.

Tottenham had the ball in the Stoke net again on 67 minutes but the effort was ruled out after Younes Kaboul was adjudged to have fouled Begovic when he jumped for the ball.

Gomes came to Tottenham’s rescue on 87 minutes when he made a stunning save to deny Jones’ 25-yard effort, but the home side held on to record a crucial win.

One name which has been strangely absent from this summer’s transfer gossip columns is that of Ilan Araujo Dall’Igna. The Brazilian striker is currently a free agent having been released by West Ham United in June. The former Saint-Etienne player made a telling impact during his time in east London, scoring crucial goals in their relegation run-in. He told Sky Sports, “I did well in the Premier League and I was hoping to continue where I left off next season, but West Ham had other ideas, that’s football.” Hammers fans feared their loss would be a rival’s gain as Bolton Wanderers reportedly registered an interest in the striker. Ilan remains unattached as the Premier League season begins this Saturday. Many clubs could do worse business in this period of relative austerity than sign up this intelligent forward.

West Ham fans were justifiably concerned that Gianfranco Zola allegedly signed the forward in January without having seem him play. The player who has made three appearances for Brazil was available as a free transfer after Saint-Etienne terminated his contract. Having made his name with Atletico Paranaense in Brazil he moved to France in 2004 and amassed an impressive goal tally at Sochaux. He moved to AS Saint-Etienne in 2006 and initially adapted well, scoring goals including a beauty which earned him the Ligue 1 Goal of the Year award a year later. The player diminished in the club’s attacking plans and was allowed to leave prematurely in January. He did not have long to wait as he was offered a short term contract by West Ham and handed the number 9 shirt.

During his last full season at the French club the player starred in their successful fight against relegation and was accordingly well-accustomed to West Ham’s predicament. Ilan scored on his debut for the club in their away loss to Burnley. When a ball into the box was missed by Brian Jensen, the Brazilian slid in at the far post to direct it goal wards. It was a simple finish but one delivered by a player of cool temperament. A frustrating period followed for the striker who was customarily left on the bench or used in unfamiliar positions. His fantastic diving header at Goodison Park halted Everton’s seven match-winning streak and West Ham’s seven match-losing streak. Connecting with Julien Faubert’s enticing cross Ilan directed an unstoppably powerful header past Tim Howard to earn a 2-2 draw. It was a header deserving of comparisons with Yordan Letchkov’s winner against Germany at the 1994 World Cup.

This morale boosting contribution was followed by netting the only goal of a scrappy, attritional home game against Sunderland. It was a striker’s finish as he instinctively flicked Carlton Cole’s nod down into the net. Ilan scored once more for West Ham in their decisive home tie against Wigan. Bereft of delivery, Ilan dropped deep to receive the ball and spread the play before making surging, astute runs into the box. This approach paid dividends as Ilan managed to level the scores in the first half. Despite showing an impressive knack of finding space in the box and finishing clinically Ilan remains a free agent.

Why are Premier League sides searching for value in the transfer market ignoring this natural finisher? His absence from transfer proceedings may be due to comments he gave to a Brazilian newspaper while at West Ham. He claimed Zola had, “lost control of the team” and especially, “to players who speak Italian.” Few clubs would welcome the emergence of such unwanted headlines but Ilan steadfastly argued that his comments made months earlier were incorrectly translated. The player was contrite and the fans forgave their latest South American star to guide them to safety. Premier League clubs wishing to strengthen and diversify their attacking options may wish to consider Ilan before the transfer window closes.

Follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my RSS feed

With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Chelsea eased the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas after inflicting Newcastle’s first home defeat of the season with a comfortable 3-0 win at St James’ Park.

Goals from Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Daniel Sturridge saw off a spirited display from the Magpies who will feel the visitors should have had a man sent off after David Luiz hauled down Demba Ba in the early stages. The Brazilian was shown a yellow card by referee Mike Dean and it proved to be a game changer as the home side struggled to find a way through the Blues back four. Alan Pardew’s men did hit the woodwork three times but also had keeper Tim Krul to thank for a series of impressive saves including Frank Lampards first half penalty. The win was only Chelsea’s fourth in 10 games and saw them leapfrog Newcastle into the Premier League top four to ease the pressure on Villas-Boas’ shoulders. It could have been so different had Luiz been shown a red after bringing down Ba just outside the area as the Senegal striker made tracks for goal. Despite being the last man referee Dean opted to brandish a yellow card much to the displeasure of Pardew and the Geordie public.

From that moment on Chelsea took control and should have been four up by half time had Daniel Sturridge not wasted a host of chances after catching left back Ryan Taylor out of position on more than one occasion with Krul denying him with a series of smart stops. The Dutch goalkeeper would really earn his stripes on 13 minutes diving low to his left to save Frank Lampards penalty after Yohan Cabaye had tripped Sturridge in the area. Still the West London onslaught continued and it was only a matter of time before they took the lead with Drogba meeting Juan Mata’s cross to power the ball past Krul. On the balance of play it was well deserved although Newcastle should have equalised just moments later with Ba seeing his header from Danny Guthrie’s cross hit the post with Petr Cech beaten. They took that momentum into the second period with Shola Ameobi coming on for the ineffective Hatem Ben Arfa and it proved to be an inspired change as they went in search of an equaliser.

Ameobi did well to win a corner that saw Ba meet Cabayes whipped corner with a powerful header only to see the ball bounce agonisingly off the bar before being hacked away as Chelsea went on the counter. Sturridge’s pace saw him stride up field catching the home defence napping before squaring for Ramires who was denied brilliantly by Krul from 10 yards. That halt the home side in their efforts to level the game and Ameobi almost produced a moment of divine brilliance picking the ball up 25-yards from goal before cracking a stunning left foot drive that smashed off the post. Brother Sammy Ameobi was then introduced as a substitute with 20 minutes left and the 19-year-old came within a whisker of restoring parity only to see his volley cleared off the line after Chelsea failed to clear a corner. Those missed chances would prove to be vital as the Blues killed the game off in the last five minutes. Firstly substitute Kalou cooly slotted past Krul after being teed up by Fernando Torres before Sturridge got the goal he deserves cutting in from the right and finishing accurately from the edge of the area.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’writer-2′ align=’right’]

The United States will lock horns with Argentina in New Jersey on Saturday in the first of two friendlies ahead of their Gold Cup campaign.The USA will be looking to extend their four-game unbeaten record that has seen them twice draw with South American opposition in Chile and Colombia.

US coach Bob Bradley has named three uncapped players for the friendly, summoning Nuremberg attacker Timothy Chandler, Duisburg keeper David Yelldell and Norwich City defender Zak Whitbread.

The game also offers Bradley the first chance to have his favoured starting squad together for the first time since a 2-2 draw with Poland.

However, the US midfield – the side’s weakest component – has been dealt a blow with Bolton midfielder Stuart Holden ruled out for six months following a collision with Manchester United defender Jonny Evans on Saturday.

Bradley’s men crashed out of last year’s FIFA World Cup in the second round after a 3-0 defeat to eventual semi-finalists Ghana, but will be hoping to secure their fifth Gold Cup crown come June.

Argentina also have a regional competition to contend with, the Copa America which kicks off in July on their home turf.

Coach Sergio Batista’s side will be buoyed by their recent international friendlies, which has seen them account for Portugal, Venezuela and great rivals Brazil.

Barcelona superstar and world player of the year Lionel Messi has recovered in time for the clash after suffering a knee injury in La Liga.

Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez has been left out of the squad with reports suggesting the prolific scorer, who has netted 18 goals this term, was being punished for his late withdrawal from the friendly against Brazil, which saw him subsequently feature for his club only three days later.

Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero is also out of the Argentina squad while Benfica striker Eduardo Salvio comes in in the absence of Inter’s prolific marksman Diego Milito.

Elsewhere, Mexico hosts Paraguay at the Estadio Azteca, with both sides looking to record a positive result ahead of the Copa America, while Chile tackles Portugal at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa in Leiria.

Earlier in the day, Colombia will face Ecuador at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez.

Chelsea head coach Carlo Ancelotti refused to be too concerned despite seeing his side beaten 3-1 by Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley.

The loss was the Blues' fourth consecutive setback during pre-season, with Ancelotti's men having also been beaten by Ajax, Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg.

The Italian told reporters:"I am not worried. We have improved, we may have to improve more and we have to have more time in possession.

"We played too slowly at the start and we didn't have the possibility of finding our play in the first half, so for this reason we have to work.

"They played better than us and they deserved to win, we knew Manchester could play a good game. They did that and they deserved it.

"But importantly now our players are very close to being fit.

"This was Michael Essien's first game of 90 minutes for eight months and Frank Lampard and John Terry played 90 minutes each.

"They need more time, which is why it is good for them to play a national team game this week.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"They could play 70 minutes without a problem. Naturally they have to improve still, but within one or two weeks they will be fully fit.

"It was not a good pre-season. We knew it was a difficult pre-season, but we are disappointed – we don't want to lose these games."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

No matter who the manager, or how big or small the club is, it is inevitable that at some point during the season of 38 games, the manager or fans will complain about the fixture list and state it is clearly biased or in favour of their rivals.

Already this season in the Premier League, we have already had Roberto Mancini, manager of league leaders City complain about the fact he feels most of their fixtures after Champions league games are tough away matches, whereas the other three clubs also in Europe’s premier competition do not face such tough matches. Conspiracy he cried.

Mourinho, when he was manger at Chelsea, complained that not only did the FA make it more difficult for English clubs in the Champions league due to being uncooperative when it came to switching fixtures around, but that Arsenal were always afforded more favourable games than Chelsea at key times of the season – Chelsea were treated like the ‘devil’ the Special One said.

Of course, United are often the ones people pick out as having more favourable fixtures than any other Premier League side – home matches on Boxing day and New year, playing a bottom half side on the last day of the season etc. Even so this has not stopped Fergie from having a customary moan about various things fixture related, claiming his team get ‘cheated’ by the supposedly computer generated list, and after the 2009/2010 season stated that ‘I’m not saying what they do down there, but next year we will be sending someone down to see how it happens I can assure you.’ This was before facing 4 games in 16 days when competing for the quadruple.

So how do these fixtures actually come to pass? Is it really a coincidence that on Fergie’s 25th anniversary weekend United play Sunderland – who are not only managed by a former United player and firm favourite of Fergie, but also have what seems to be half the former United squad on their books.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

The FA will tell you that the randomly generated fixture list is most certainly not fixed, with many considerations being taken into place before the fixtures are compiled – for example teams such as City and United will not play home games on the same weekend, not to mention the vast amount of European fixtures than need to be accommodated– yet most fans will feel the fixture list is questionable at times.

It is remarkable how teams who are challenging for the title will often begin their campaign at home or against a promoted side, not to mention the fact the top six often seem to see a remarkable amount of each other firstly around the October / November time and then again in April / May.

How Sky Sports must love the Premier League fixture computer, as for a random little device, it is remarkably lucky when it comes to setting up the fixtures each season for a brilliant run in over key times in the season – not to mention the ‘Super Sunday’ coincidences.

It is not just English fixtures that come under scrutiny however, the Champions League throws up a remarkable amount of ties that seem to be a case of coincidence? I think not. For example – Mourinho going back to Porto straight after leaving for Chelsea, then Chelsea at Inter etc.

The ‘sentimental’ ties always seem to appear, and a betting man would be wise to place their house, wife and kids on the fact that after the debacle of last season, Real and Barca will not draw each other under any circumstances until the final. Funny how it works like that really. Either God has a massive sense of humour or draws for competitions and fixture lists are not as impartial as governing bodies would like to have us believe.

No matter what the fixture, in reality a team of real quality will manage to win the matches put in front of them no matter what, and for a fixture list to be truly random, even more complaints would be levelled at the FA.

Certain factors such as other European fixtures and teams in close proximity playing away on alternative weekends are things that can’t really be ignored – but when does this list stop? The question of to what extent this should be allowed to affect the ‘computer generated fixtures’ is a valid one, and some people I am sure would prefer a completely random list, whereas others would want all considerations factored in.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Yes teams and managers will always complain that the fixture list is unfair, and whilst the FA would reply with the answer that not everyone can be pleased all the time and it is just luck of the draw, it might be time for the smaller teams to start getting some of this ‘luck!’

[divider]

 FREE football app that pays you CASH

[ad_pod id=’qs-2′ align=’left’]

Barcelona moved 10 points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga with an uncharacteristically staid 1-0 win over Real Zaragoza on Saturday.Seydou Keita was the unlikely hero at the Camp Nou, notching just his second goal of the season two minutes from half-time to secure Barca’s fourth straight league victory.Barca was lacklustre in the first half before Lionel Messi sparked the Spanish champions into action, sweeping a cross to Keita at the far post for the Malian defender to tuck past Zaragoza goalkeeper Dolbas.It was just reward for Keita, who had earlier had a goal controversially disallowed for offside.Pep Guardiola was a less animated figure than usual on the touchline, the Barca boss still suffering from a back injury that necessitated his hospitalisation on Thursday.Real Madrid will have a chance to reduce the gap to seven points when they take on Racing Santander on Sunday.Elsewhere, Villarreal’s top-three hopes suffered a blow with a 3-1 loss at Atletico Madrid.Jose Antonio Reyes put Atletico in front five minutes in with a fine curling effort from 20 yards out, but Giuseppe Rossi drew Villarreal level with a left-footed redirection of Santi Cazorla’s free kick after 33 minutes.But Atletico responded after the break with quick goals to Sergio Aguero (69) and Diego Forlan (72), the former played in to the area by Filipe Luis for an easy finish and the latter converting from close range on Reyes’ good work.Finally, Pablo Hernandez scored in either half as Valencia ran out 2-1 winners at Mallorca, leaving the visitors well placed to clinch third spot behind Barca and Real.

Pre-season 2010 is in full flow but how many of us have noticed? Even the most seasoned football fan would struggle to reel off a detailed list of this summer’s most notable friendly results. With the increasing trend of clubs travelling to compete in pseudo cups in far away places, many have questioned whether it’s worth the effort. For some managers including Tottenham Hotspur boss, Harry Redknapp the preference would be to stay closer to home whilst working on fitness and taking part in a few friendly matches. In an era dominated by Premier League clubs seeking world domination by promoting their team as a global brand would it not be infinitely more sensible to trust the judgement of managers when it comes to pre-season preparation?

Pre-season results cannot be considered a reliable barometer of what is to come following the start of the season. Newcastle’s humbling 6-1 defeat to Leyton Orient last summer hardly paved the way for their rampant form in the Championship where they dominated, amassing over 100 points. Earlier this week, Manchester United could not avoid defeat to the Kansas City Wizards despite having a man advantage for the majority of the match.

The main purpose of a pre-season campaign is to ensure a squad regains its fitness and competitive edge ahead of the new season. Every year though commentators will routinely highlight players who appear weeks away from fitness. Any fan who has attended a pre-season game will usually confirm that it had the atmosphere of a pleasant Sunday kickabout down the park. Nonetheless pre-season offers managers the chance to reassess their squad and tactics while assimilating their new signings. Steve Bruce has stated this summer that the pre-season form of Anton Ferdinand and Phil Bardsley has forced him to rethink their futures at Sunderland. Pre-season also carries particular importance for many new managers who will be meeting and organising their new teams for the first time.

The problem for managers and players comes with the pre-season tour of faraway countries where the schedule can be intense. This summer has seen Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in America, Birmingham City in China and Blackburn and Everton in Australia. In between countless matches against previously unheard of opposition there is the task of promoting the club and enticing legions of new supporters through press engagements, city tours and signing sessions. Clubs can also pay a heavy price for attending such pre-season tours. During West Ham’s friendly match against Spurs in last year’s Asia Cup, Luis Boa Morte suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage in his right knee ruling him out for the best part of a year. Gianfranco Zola was forced to rethink his tactics ahead of impending season due to a lack of experienced wingers. This injury outweighed any potential benefits the tour brought to West Ham’s marketing department.

Such scepticism has been voiced by Harry Redknapp who told The Sun, “I would be a liar if I said it was the perfect way to prepare for the new season because it is not.” Would it not be wiser for clubs to entrust their management teams when it comes to organising pre-season fixtures? Arsenal’s traditional pre-season curtain raiser against Barnet shows the benefits of a localised stance. These encounters provide a chance to boost fitness, build confidence, please fans and construct ties with local clubs. The Emirates Cup later this month will place Arsenal against more glamorous, competitive opposition but at least they won’t have to travel half way across the world for it.

Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer

Every season, after 3 or 4 games, fans and journalists alike begin to make judgements on the sort of season teams are going to have. It is the natural inclination of every football supporter.

Yet, all too often those judgements are premature. Take Wolves for example, who began the season with 7 points from their first 3 games. Confidence spread throughout fans and Mick McCarthy was widely praised. Since, they have lost 5 on the bounce and that early season optimism has turned into negativity.

Now, as the nights draw in and after 8 games, a far better judgement of a team’s season so far is possible, with perhaps the happiest of all fans in the Premier League those of Newcastle United. With the departures of Andy Carroll, Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan, it was predicted that the club would struggle this season.

However, the club remain unbeaten, beat local rivals Sunderland and look to have well balanced and settled starting 11.

Indeed, the team has remained unchanged for the last 4 league games, a rare occurrence in today’s game so highly reliant on squad rotation. Tim Krul has excelled in goal, while Steven Taylor and captain Fabricio Collocini give the team a solid defensive foundation.

It is in midfield that the team look strongest, a wonderful balance of defence and attack supplied by Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye, with great width being supplied by Gabriel Obertan and Jonas Gutierrez. Up front, the confident duo of Demba Ba and Leon Best have 8 goals between them and look capable of consistently scoring goals for the club.

It is now that Alan Pardew will find out the real strength of the squad, in such a competitive league the modern game is now undoubtedly a squad one and the Newcastle boss will need to give other player’s game time as the season goes on.

Pardew must not become complacent regarding the team’s progress under his management, if he does that progress will stall. The size of the club gives Newcastle a great platform to consistently finish in the upper echelons of the league, something that will be possible if Pardew thinks long term in the next transfer window.

The lack of experience amongst the squad may well catch up with the club as the season progresses, with the fans likely to now expect a top half finish as the bare minimum, a couple of signings in January would not go amiss.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

If Pardew strengthens the squad, while at the same time allowing the likes of Dan Gosling and Danny Guthrie to get game time later in the season, the long term prospects of the football club look very healthy indeed.

Comment below and follow me on Twitter @CamHumphries for cutting edge debate regarding all things sport. 

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Premier League footballers are not always the most reasonable bunch and it often seems like their money goes to their head. There have been a whole host of players who have taken action when they have sought a move in order to ensure that they can go to a bigger club and earn a bit more money. One of the first players to do this in the modern game was Pierre Van Hooijdonk who was after a move to Nottingham Forest and said of his contract dispute with Celtic that “£7,000 a week may be good for the homeless, but not for an international striker.” The Dutch international has set the trend, are here are 10 more Premier League ‘Scallywags’ who forced their transfer moves…

Click on the image below to see the TOP 10 PL ‘Scallywags’:

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]