Title to Be Decided This Weekend

The majority of the teams only have two matches left. With Chelsea playing Wigan in its final match, everything comes down to their game against Liverpool this Sunday. It is at Anfield and Chelsea need all three points. It currently has a one point lead over Manchester United who you would expect would gain maximum points against both Sunderland and Stoke. The betting odds currently have Chelsea as slight favorites but that can all change after the weekend.

The game isn’t a dead one for Liverpool who are an outside chance of stealing that final Champions’ League spot. They are two points behind Tottenham and inbetween them stand both Aston Villa and Manchester City. Those two play against each other in Manchester. If that is a draw and Tottenham draw with Bolton then Liverpool can leapfrog them all with a win. That is a pretty crazy turn of events.

Down the bottom of the ladder everything has been determined. All of Portsmouth, Burnley and Hull will be relegated. It was a good fight for all of them but in the end it wasn’t enough. West Ham will be safe on 34 points even if they don’t gain another point. The fact is they have a cushion of 23 goals in the for and against column which Hull won’t overcome.

So Birmingham host Burnley in a dead game. Birmingham have hit the skids and badly ran out of gas. They were flying high after the first half of the season but have since then fallen in a heap. At one stage they were a chance for gaining a spot in the Europa League but it wasn’t to be.

One team which suffered the reverse fate is Everton. At one stage in November they had slumped so badly that it looked like they could be in danger of relegation but they have found themselves and clicked to have risen up the ladder. Now they will finish 8th and just miss out on a place in Europe. For a team who was struggling so badly as they were, that is a remarkable turnaround. The travel to Stoke in a match which should be a comfortable win for them. Against West Ham, Fulham will be coming down to earth after their Europa league tie against Hamburg. Either they have won, are in the final and can’t focus on a meaningless Premier League game or they lost were knocked out and can’t focus on a meaningless Premier League game.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about live betting.

Sven’s shot at World Cup redemption

When it was revealed Sven Goran Erikson had agreed to take over the reins at Ivory Coast ahead of this year’s World Cup I expect the reaction of most England fans was to tut and comment on how much he likes big bags of cash.

During his rather unspectacular time in charge of the England side he gained a reputation as a manager who was interested in a hefty payday and very little else. Apparently indifferent performances from his players at two major tournaments didn’t help, and nor did the “Fake Sheik” incident.

However, England fans are not exactly the most balanced of football pundits. The vast majority of them expect their side to win the World Cup, seemingly forgetting that there are seven or eight teams who are just as good as, or better than, the Three Lions.

The truth of the matter is England neither overachieved nor underachieved while Erikson was in charge. They got to two quarter finals and that was about their level then and, to be honest, it probably still is now. The betting site odds that make England third favourites for the current tournament are not a reflection of how good the side is, but just how heavily they have been backed by overexcited fans.

If you want an example of a bad England manager look at Steve McClaren or, if you want to go a bit further back, Don Revie. The latter failed to get the side into Euro 1976 and then quit to become coach of the United Arab Emirates, selling the story of his resignation to the Daily Mail along the way.

This brings us nicely on to the Fake Sheik story. Yes Erikson was foolish, but can anyone blame him for trying to line up a new job if England won the World Cup? And how many people in whatever field they work in don’t look for a new position while currently contracted to an employer?

With the Ivory Coast in such a tough group Erikson has his work cut out, as glance at any betting guide will tell you as much. However, with a few good performances this could be his chance to rehabilitate his reputation as an international manager.

List of Capello’s Injured Players who will miss World Cup 2010

Fabio Capello’s heart rate may have risen as he closely watch his men being injured one after the other, making England’s odds in World Cup 2010 narrow enough. FIFA World Cup 2010 will start on June 11 and will last for a month in South Africa. This month long competition between the fast and the strong will show the world who really is team to be hailed victorious and raise the trophy of victory. For others, it is fun, but for Capello, it is a great challenge since he already has lots of casualties even before the World Cup starts.

Here are five of Capello’s injured players who may not be able to play in FIFA World Cup 2010;

David Beckham

He has been an effective Captain for England, has played side by side with other high profile players, and has worked hard to be able to play in the World Cup which happens only every four years. However, while on duty for AC Milan in Italy last week, David had another injury which was thought to be minor at first. But when the news came out, it confirmed that his Achilles tendon has been badly torn ruling him out of the FIFA World Cup 2010. Although the surgery was successful to repair the damaged tendon, the timing of the injury seems to be a problem since he will be able to play only later this year and would completely miss the World Cup.

Wes Brown

He suffered from injury due to broken metatarsal six weeks ago and is hopeful to be back this weekend. However, it seems that his condition is still not really good for the World Cup. He still needs to practice after six weeks of being inactive. But most likely, he will not be able to play just like David as his broken metatarsal is still fragile and needs attention most of the times.

Michael Owen

He is supposed to be England’s World Cup striker but everything vanished when a hamstring injury hit him during United’s Carling Cup against a worthy opponent, Aston Villa. The injury was serious that Michael has to be ruled out of the World Cup. This 29-year old striker has made his way up since 1997 when he made his first goal and never stopped since then. He has become England’s 7th most capped player with a national record of 26 goals from total of 40 in 89 appearances.

Wayne Rooney

Being the best striker Manchester United can have this season, the injury of Wayne Rooney has put the team into a difficult situation of racing for the Premier League. The torn metatarsal has stopped this invincible striker to help out his team have better chances for this season. Although it is not yet confirmed, Rooney may also be ruled out of World Cup if he will not be able to play early. Rooney is a big loss for United and also for England. Everyone is still hopeful for the full recovery of Wayne Rooney.

Joleon Lescott

He made his first ever appearance under Capello during a friendly match between England and France last year as a substitute for John Terry during the half time. It could have been a great time playing for Joleon Lescott who has just recovered from a knee injury. However, after playing seven games, he was hit hard by a hamstring injury ruling him out for the whole season. Thus, this suggests that he will also be ruled out from the World Cup.

The Bottom Line

Injury is just one thing that no coach can ever control. However, England’s World Cup Squad injuries have become so alarming. Sports News said that Capello never expected to have his first choices be vanished by injuries which started with his star player, David Beckham. It must have been so frustrating to see his striker, Wayne Rooney, went down with yet another broken metatarsal. The National Coach, Capello, is still hopeful to be able to have a pool of good players for the FIFA World Cup 2010. He is even more inspired to come home bringing the trophy.

England not alone in fitness worries

No England World Cup campaign can start without a national panic over injured players. Talismanic figures such as Kevin Keegan, Bryan Robson, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney have all started finals partially fit, and England fans must hope the recent concern over Rooney’s ankle injury is the final scare.

Sadly, this is unlikely to be the case, largely because fretting over injured players is an English disease – other nations are more philosophical about crocked players. Although it is true that no other team is as reliant on one player as England are on Rooney – and their World Cup odds would lengthen significantly if he was ruled out – supporters should perhaps concentrate on who is fit.

Furthermore, England are not too badly off. David Beckham was unlikely to make the squad, Ashley Cole is fit enough to return for Chelsea already and Aaron Lennon has not yet run out of time in his fitness battle. Most importantly Rooney has games to play to get back to full sharpness.

A glance at Arsenal’s injured overseas stars reveals the problems faced by other nations. Cesc Fabregas and William Gallas have both been ruled out for the season, while Robin van Persie is rusty after enduring nearly six months on the sidelines.

Fernando Torres has recently gone under the knife and will probably arrive in South Africa not having played a competitive match since the surgery. However, Spain are still the favourites on most betting sites despite the potential for high-profile absentees.

Michael Essien is another who will not play again this season and his absence would all but end Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the second round.

Clint Dempsey is a key figure for United States and is currently suffering the familiar scenario of picking up niggling injuries after returning from a long layoff. The cruciate ligament damage he suffered in January might yet ruin his World Cup dream.

Germany’s first choice goalkeeper Rene Adler has a broken rib, while Sami Khedira and Marcell Jansen are also struggling with injuries. Opening round opponents Australia have even more players sidelined, including Harry Kewell and Mark Bresciano.

England fans should realise things could be worse and might be better off worrying about the form of leading players like John Terry and Steven Gerrard.

Premier League Gets Tipped On Its Head

A crazy weekend in the Premier League with Manchester City losing to Manchester United in injury time for the third time this season. Tottenham then followed up its win against Arsenal with one against Chelsea. Those six points have seen it take fourth spot and have a two point lead over City.

Things continue to get interesting regarding the fourth spot with City going to Emirates to take on Arsenal while Tottenham go to Old Trafford to tackle Manchester United. It is an interesting schedule which gives Spurs these three consecutive games but could they do the impossible and take nine points from them?

The United match is the early game and the City one is the late one on Saturday. In City’s favour is that Arsenal are out of the race and have nothing to play for. Even crazier about the fight for fourth spot is that the goal difference between Spurs and City currently stands at one goal in favour of Spurs. If that is level it goes to who has scored more goals and currently City has one more than Spurs so things couldn’t be tighter between the two.

Chelsea have a game against Stoke and this should be relatively stress free for them. Stoke have nothing to play for and so you would expect Chelsea to take the three points at home. Most online betting has Chelsea as the favorite.

Of the teams currently in the bottom three, only Hull has the chance to avoid relegation. They host Sunderland and need to win this game is they are to have a hope of not dropping to the Championship. West Ham are only three points above them and play Wigan. This is a tricky game.

You would think that Wolves are safe and thus everyone above them can breath a sigh of relief. Usually 40 points is the threshold for being safe but it looks as though teams are going to be ok with less than that.

It hasn’t been the best season for Liverpool and the pressure is going to mount on Rafa Benitez. They face Burnley, Chelsea and Hull in their final three games so two of those should be ok for them. Saying that, they also have to recover from their trip to Spain which they had to do by bus due to the volcano in Iceland.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about live betting.

City midfielder calls for recovery

Manchester City need to bounce back and ensure they finish in the Premier League top four to ease the pain of their fans after the weekend’s last-gasp derby defeat, according to one City midfielder.

Dutchman Nigel De Jong believes qualifying for the Champions League will ensure City end the season on a high note, despite the obvious shock and disappointment experienced by the fans after a late Paul Scholes header gave Manchester United all three points at the weekend.

The loss at Eastlands, coupled with the fact Spurs beat Chelsea to climb above City into fourth spot, means the Citizens now sit two points outside the Champions League qualification places with four games of the season to go. The Premier League odds suggest they face a tough task.

City face Arsenal, Aston Villa, Spurs and West Ham before the end of the season and De Jong claims these could be important games, but all the pain “will be forgotten” if they get that fourth spot.

“The Tottenham game looks more and more like the crunch. But we have Arsenal and Villa before that, so they are pretty big games, especially Villa because they are direct opponents for fourth place,” he said.

One man certain to play no part in City’s remaining games is Martin Petrov, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

The Bulgarian winger has struggled with injuries during his time at Eastland and will not be able to help his side’s efforts to finish in the Premier League top four.

For his part, De Jong will be hoping to cap a successful Premier League campaign will a good display in South Africa.

Holland are currently relative outsiders in the World Cup betting, but they have some good players at their disposal.

Heading Into the Final Straight

It is an exciting conclusion to the Premier League season. Most of the teams left have four games which isn’t that much. There is only 12 available points in which to do something. At the top, Chelsea have a four point lead as well as a superior goal difference by five goals. This means that United have well and truly got their work cut out for them. They can’t do anything but win all four remaining games to have any chance. It doesn’t help that the first one is against Manchester City.

City also have it all to play for. They are one point clear in the coveted fourth spot. Following Spurs win over Arsenal, City and Spurs are now the two fighting for a spot in next year’s Champions League. You would think Liverpool who are currently six points behind City would have no chance given that these two both have a game in hand as well.

Down the bottom of the ladder, some daylight has emerged between the bottom three and the other teams. West Ham has a four point lead over 18th placed Burnley. Wigan is a point ahead of West Ham but has a far worse goal difference. Hull who avoided relegation on the final day of the season last year have a game in hand and if they win could somehow survive for another year. Most of the online betting uk is favoring Hull to go down.

They are away to Birmingham in what is a definitely winnable game for them. Burnley travel to Sunderland and West Ham have to go to Anfield to take on Liverpool. This means all is not yet lost for Hull. With Wigan playing Arsenal, there would have to be a huge upset for any of these bottom teams to win.

The two big games of the round are the Manchester Derby which is the early game on Saturdaay and the clash between Tottenham and Chelsea which is the late game on Saturday. Given how Spur broke through for their first win against Arsenal in over 10 years, who is to say that couldn’t take that momentum and beat Chelsea?

The two will have the advantage of knowing what has happened in the Manchester game and that knowledge could prove to help or hinder them. A win for Manchester City could put extra pressure on Spurs knowing a win is even more critical.

Once again, should be a cracking weekend of football.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about live bets.

Relieve the Memories: Thierry Henry vs Tottenham, EPL, 2002/03 [Video]

I’m proud to announce that SFB will now publish a new series of articles, called “Relieve the Memories”, and in each article I’ll post an Arsenal video (mostly goals) which are some of my favourites. Not only that, I’ll add my own comments and views of the goal. So do not hesitate and give your opinions of the goal too!

As the final North London Derby of the season approaches, let’s look back to the season of 2002/03, in which Thierry Henry scored this spectacular goal…

My thoughts on the goal

This goal was all about speed, pace, trickery and finish. And Thierry Henry (in an Arsenal shirt of course) had all of the above. The speed at which he takes the ball from his own half, and single-handedly dribbles past all the Tottenham defenders to score the goal was breathtaking. Henry really had everything: power, speed, composure, technique and finishing ability, and in this goal he showcased some of those traits.

And what about the goal celebration.

How much more perfect could it get? You single-handedly dribbles past the Tottenham defenders from your own half to your opponent’s half to score, and you run back from your opponent’s half to your own half to celebrate in front of the Tottenham fans. This time however, he was not alone. As he celebrated, all the Arsenal fans were joining him…

That’s my thoughts on the goal. Do share yours! Remember, the whole series is called “Relieve the Memories”, so it wouldn’t be complete unless the fans share their thoughts. I hope to showcase a goal once every few days. Thanks for watching and reading.

Dariano

P.S. And if someone can suggest to me a better name for this series rather than “Relieve the Memories”, do not hesitate! “Relieve the Memories” sounds corny to me but I’ve ran out of brain juice so I can’t think of a better name at the moment. So do me a favour please. Thanks once again.

And The Premiership Champions Of 2010 Are?

As the season draws to an end it’s time to pull out the guesses. Who’s it going to be? The Premiership champions of 2010. Chelsea and Arsenal are separated by 4 points, who both hold a game in hand over last year’s Champions Manchester United, who now sit one point below Chelsea but failed to take the initiative against Blackburn Rovers and take the lead in the league.

So is Arsenal still in the title race now that Manchester United slipped up. Arsenal face Tottenham, Wigan, Man City, Blackburn and Fulham in their upcoming fixtures where as Chelsea face Bolton, Tottenham, Stoke, Liverpool and Wigan. Both teams are likely to drop points and are missing key players.

Chelsea have however been in recent good form. Both teams have crashed out of the champions league, which Chelsea seem to be showing now signs of but Manchester United certainly have. Arsenal could drop points at Tottenham and Man City, maybe even Fulham could spoil some of the fun at the end of the season, what an amazing European run they have seen. Chelsea will most certainly have a task at Liverpool especially if El Nino ( Fernando Torres ) is playing, I do not have to explain kind of matches these two teams have had. Tottenham could also give Chelsea a challenge.

The victorious team will be the one that manages to grind out results, and bearing in mind Chelsea’s superior goal difference, it may have already been decided. But then again who knows this may be Wenger’s year. A second place finish is certainly an improvement.

Chirag Bhatti (http://twitter.com/Chirag_Bhatti)

English Domination On The Wane?

So after the last round of Champions League games, the semi-finals line-up was finalised. We’ve got Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Lyon- Spanish, German, Italian and French representatives. Interestingly, no English team remains.

This time last year, the teams left in the semi-finals were Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United. And in 2007/2008, the teams left were Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. And the year before? Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Milan. And in 2005/2006? Arsenal, Barcelona, Milan and Villarreal. A trend was started in the 2003/2004 and wasn’t broken until this year- that of an English team being present in at least the semi-final stage. Now that this trend has been broken, does it tell us anything significant?

Some have argued that the English ’strangle-hold’ on the Champions League has been loosened, while others have argued that this season is nothing but a temporary blip. FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, would hope it was the former. He has always been uncomfortable with the dominance of English teams, understandably. Not that he’s anti-English, no; he just thinks one particular country dominating the competition is not good for the game. Would he feel the same if it were Spain, not England, dominating? Probably, I’d say, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

So, temporary blip, or what?

Chelsea were knocked out in the last 16 stage, Manchester United and Arsenal in the quarter-finals, and Liverpool didn’t even make it past the group stages. None of the English teams were knocked out because of questionable refereeing or anything of the sort. Let’s face it, they were knocked out by the better teams. Will it be more of the same next season?

Looking at Liverpool, they have had a terrible season up until now and I do not think it came as a surprise to anyone to see them out of the Champions League when they were. Having lost Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard due to injury for large parts of the season, they haven’t looked like a team good enough to compete at the kind of level they have in the past.

Chelsea? Their ageing squad were knocked out by Inter, managed by their ex-manager and ‘tormentor’.

Manchester United on the other hand, were knocked out by Bayern even though at one stage it looked as if they were cruising to the semi-finals.

Arsenal, shorn of a number of key players through injury, were outclassed by Barcelona for majority of the tie. They’d argue though, that if the draw had been kind to them and they had drawn any team other than Barcelona, that they would have gone through to the semis. Who knows?

What is clear though, is that the English teams have been weakened this season. All of them, apart from Chelsea, lost key players at the start of the season and have arguably failed to replace them adequately. United lost Tevez and Ronaldo, Arsenal lost Toure and Adebayor, while Liverpool lost Alonso and a few others. Chelsea may not have lost any players, but they failed to add to their squad and had to start the season with a new manager. Consistency from last season to this season has been missing from all these teams. This is also reflected in the performances in the domestic League. The competition in the Premier League may have been stiffer this season, but these teams have lost more games this season than one would expect, taking into account the increased competition.

It might have been easier for the Big 4 to get away with not adequately strengthening their teams as far as the Premier League is concerned (Liverpool excepted), but they have been able to escape in Europe. Other teams have either bought new players or have maintained the same management structure and squad as the previous season, giving them more scope to develop on their success. It may not be the only reason for their success, but it has certainly not handicapped them.

Having said all that, I do expect the English teams to dominate the Champions League next season. Not expecting an all-English final, but I am pretty sure that at least one of them will be in the semi-finals. They’ve had their season in the ‘Wilderness’ and you would think they would not be making the same mistakes they made this season in the next. They have managers who have been there before and know what it takes to get back there. So I’ll stick my neck out and say that this blip will be over next season.