John Terry, quite contrary?
Sunday, 12 November 06, 07:57 PM
Well, lots has happened in football over the last week or so; some interesting upsets in the Carling Cup, the Pardew-Wenger incident, and a bit of this and that, but one incident that seems to have disappeared somewhat, is the sending off of John Terry in Chelsea's loss to Tottenham last weekend.
Now the foul itself is innocuous enough, but when Terry is getting up, he clearly says something to Ledley King. This infuriates two of the other Spurs' players - mainly Chimbonda and Zokora, with Aaron Lennon and King joining the fracas slightly later. So clearly what he has said really infuriated a group of Tottenham players (all of whom were black), to the extent that they are absolutely livid and chasing him up the field.
Terry, on his part, tries to avoid the confrontation entirely. Players are shoving him left and right, but he just walks away, and offers no argument or response or hesitation when Poll shows him a second yellow and then a red. In fact he seems more than happy to leave the commotion on the field behind.
So what did he say? What did he say that seemed to drive two Spurs' players absolutely ballistic, and cause such an incident? What could he have said to one player, that so offended so many others? We often see players involved in scuffles, but those are generally over things like bad tackles and fouls, very rarely do we see an exchange of words between two players affect others as well. OK, him and Ledley King go back a long way, and they "exchanged words", but what could these words between two "old friends" have been that they so enraged others on the team?
Well, no one knows. There are only rumours. If you have anymore information, please let us know in the comments. Some of the allegations are quite interesting, but getting into Chelsea's bad books is probably not the safest thing to do at the moment.
Terry himself now claims to be shocked by referee Graham Poll's decision, but why did he not say or do anything when walking off. We have seen him involved in enough confrontations and incidents in the past to know that if he was wronged, people would know. None of his teammates argued with the referee, or got involved with the brawl (Wright-Phillips pulled him aside, and Essien and Drogba went to hold Chimbonda and Zokora off and talk to them). Terry, Cole and Chelsea have done their best to discredit Poll in that article, but Poll at the same time has not helped by keeping quiet about it. There is too much confusion over the issue, and Poll has either been given orders to shutup, or feels like that is his best option.
No word has come from the Tottenham people either. Who knows what is going on? They have a strange relationship with Chelsea, but they are well aware of the power at Stamford Bridge, having accepted a quite large payoff from the West London moneymen over the poaching of their former Director of Football Frank Arnesen. The Terry incident is either a whole lot of something or nothing, but by the enraged looks of the Spurs players and the subsequent media hush after, it seems more like the latter than the former (allegedly, the forums at Football365.com have been banned from discussing the incident, can anyone confirm this?)
Chelsea don't need anymore dirt to deal with. Apart from their generally awful behaviour and lack of respect and decorum, there are some more incidents. Barcelona's African striker Samuel Eto'o claimed to have been racially abused when Barca lost at Stamford Bridge in 2004/2005. They have the Ashley Cole tapping up incident sitting on their heads, the John Obi Mikel "signing" scandal with Manchester United, as well as the poaching of Arnesen from Spurs and two youngsters from Leeds (all three clubs accepted massive payments to settle the issues). The last thing they want is a scandal involving their captain and only "home grown" player (the reason i'm sure why many Arsenal fans gave Ashley Cole the benefit of the doubt so often). Terry might seem like the angelic responsible role-model these days, but don't forget his nightclub scuffles, or him urinating into a pint glass at a pub, or just over 5 years ago when he and Frank Lampard (along with Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jody Morris) drunkenly misbehaved in front of grieving Americans at Heathrow Airport after the disasters of September 11th. Granted, he has grown and matured and become a fine player, but his character should still be open to question.
What has also been disappointing, if unsurprising, is the hush from the English media. Known for sticking their noses into everyone and everything, they have been noticeably quiet about this incident. Why? Well perhaps because John Terry is the England captain, and we all know how the English love their heroes. For years Alan Shearer's flying elbows were quietly ignored. Andy Johnson and Robert Pires and Cristiano Ronaldo are all divers, but when Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard collapse like wilting lilies in a slight breeze, well... they are just trying hard for the team. Double standards are the norm.
What is equally distressing is the Wenger-Pardew incident that has been getting all the coverage. To their credit, the media have been playing it up and have blown it nicely out of proportion. It seems to have taken centre-stage with the neutrals, taking the attention away from the Terry incident. Chelsea fans probably don't want to know or hear more about it, and Tottenham fans don't really care because they won, and everyone else is supposed to be wrapped up in Pardew vs Wenger. A childish manager over-celebrating a game-winning goal right in front of a much senior peer, who has just seen his side be denied a clear penalty and now lose the game. Pardew was silly and provocative, Wenger was silly and provoked. That's it. It was a minor scuffle, involving a few shoves and some words exchanged. Yet they've both been charged with improper conduct, while the Terry vs Spurs incident has not been investigated at all. For all we know, Terry will probably have the red card revoked, and will be given a kilo of gold and a new car instead.
Now the foul itself is innocuous enough, but when Terry is getting up, he clearly says something to Ledley King. This infuriates two of the other Spurs' players - mainly Chimbonda and Zokora, with Aaron Lennon and King joining the fracas slightly later. So clearly what he has said really infuriated a group of Tottenham players (all of whom were black), to the extent that they are absolutely livid and chasing him up the field.
Terry, on his part, tries to avoid the confrontation entirely. Players are shoving him left and right, but he just walks away, and offers no argument or response or hesitation when Poll shows him a second yellow and then a red. In fact he seems more than happy to leave the commotion on the field behind.
So what did he say? What did he say that seemed to drive two Spurs' players absolutely ballistic, and cause such an incident? What could he have said to one player, that so offended so many others? We often see players involved in scuffles, but those are generally over things like bad tackles and fouls, very rarely do we see an exchange of words between two players affect others as well. OK, him and Ledley King go back a long way, and they "exchanged words", but what could these words between two "old friends" have been that they so enraged others on the team?
Well, no one knows. There are only rumours. If you have anymore information, please let us know in the comments. Some of the allegations are quite interesting, but getting into Chelsea's bad books is probably not the safest thing to do at the moment.
Terry himself now claims to be shocked by referee Graham Poll's decision, but why did he not say or do anything when walking off. We have seen him involved in enough confrontations and incidents in the past to know that if he was wronged, people would know. None of his teammates argued with the referee, or got involved with the brawl (Wright-Phillips pulled him aside, and Essien and Drogba went to hold Chimbonda and Zokora off and talk to them). Terry, Cole and Chelsea have done their best to discredit Poll in that article, but Poll at the same time has not helped by keeping quiet about it. There is too much confusion over the issue, and Poll has either been given orders to shutup, or feels like that is his best option.
No word has come from the Tottenham people either. Who knows what is going on? They have a strange relationship with Chelsea, but they are well aware of the power at Stamford Bridge, having accepted a quite large payoff from the West London moneymen over the poaching of their former Director of Football Frank Arnesen. The Terry incident is either a whole lot of something or nothing, but by the enraged looks of the Spurs players and the subsequent media hush after, it seems more like the latter than the former (allegedly, the forums at Football365.com have been banned from discussing the incident, can anyone confirm this?)
Chelsea don't need anymore dirt to deal with. Apart from their generally awful behaviour and lack of respect and decorum, there are some more incidents. Barcelona's African striker Samuel Eto'o claimed to have been racially abused when Barca lost at Stamford Bridge in 2004/2005. They have the Ashley Cole tapping up incident sitting on their heads, the John Obi Mikel "signing" scandal with Manchester United, as well as the poaching of Arnesen from Spurs and two youngsters from Leeds (all three clubs accepted massive payments to settle the issues). The last thing they want is a scandal involving their captain and only "home grown" player (the reason i'm sure why many Arsenal fans gave Ashley Cole the benefit of the doubt so often). Terry might seem like the angelic responsible role-model these days, but don't forget his nightclub scuffles, or him urinating into a pint glass at a pub, or just over 5 years ago when he and Frank Lampard (along with Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jody Morris) drunkenly misbehaved in front of grieving Americans at Heathrow Airport after the disasters of September 11th. Granted, he has grown and matured and become a fine player, but his character should still be open to question.
What has also been disappointing, if unsurprising, is the hush from the English media. Known for sticking their noses into everyone and everything, they have been noticeably quiet about this incident. Why? Well perhaps because John Terry is the England captain, and we all know how the English love their heroes. For years Alan Shearer's flying elbows were quietly ignored. Andy Johnson and Robert Pires and Cristiano Ronaldo are all divers, but when Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard collapse like wilting lilies in a slight breeze, well... they are just trying hard for the team. Double standards are the norm.
What is equally distressing is the Wenger-Pardew incident that has been getting all the coverage. To their credit, the media have been playing it up and have blown it nicely out of proportion. It seems to have taken centre-stage with the neutrals, taking the attention away from the Terry incident. Chelsea fans probably don't want to know or hear more about it, and Tottenham fans don't really care because they won, and everyone else is supposed to be wrapped up in Pardew vs Wenger. A childish manager over-celebrating a game-winning goal right in front of a much senior peer, who has just seen his side be denied a clear penalty and now lose the game. Pardew was silly and provocative, Wenger was silly and provoked. That's it. It was a minor scuffle, involving a few shoves and some words exchanged. Yet they've both been charged with improper conduct, while the Terry vs Spurs incident has not been investigated at all. For all we know, Terry will probably have the red card revoked, and will be given a kilo of gold and a new car instead.
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Unbelievable Arsenal
Saturday, 04 November 06, 01:15 AM
"Unbelievable" for two reasons:
1. For playing the best football they've played in the last two seasons, and perhaps the best they've produced in the Champions League, especially against a team as solid and canny as CSKA Moscow.
2. For squandering chance, after chance, after chance. 29 shots on goal, only 5 on target, and Rosicky missing a wide open goal from about 3 feet away. Criminal.
Arsenal started this game on the back of some criticism and tension. They were unable to break down a dogged, unambitious Everton side over the weekend (who should have received far more criticism for the way they played [or declined to] for a team purporting to have ambitions of Europe on a regular basis). In Moscow, CSKA played better, probably the first team to outplay them this season, but Arsenal were denied a draw by an absurd refereeing decision to disallow Thierry Henry's late goal. And although they gave Reading a masterclass in football the weekend after, last Saturday's game against Everton was throwback to what people have come to identify the Arsenal with over the last couple of years - all foreplay without any real hanky panky. Arsenal passed the ball beautifully, every which way posssible, had about 90% of the second half posession (a record maybe?) but eventually were unable to create any real clear cut chances despite having 23 shots to Everton's 2. It didn't help that Tim Howard was in good form as well, but with Everton playing a 1-9-1 formation, good chances were few and far between.
The post-match criticism of that performance echoed a common consensus amongst Arsenal fans - that Arsenal lack a Plan B (not that Arsene Wenger seems to care). The awkward presence of the injured Emmanuel Adebayor challenging for high balls was missed, and would probably have lent some more legitimacy to the crosses that Robin Van Persie was swinging into the box with no one there. Arsenal weren't outfought, and they definitely weren't outplayed. Everton just decided to be football's version of a chastity belt, and Arsenal for all their effort, were unable to penetrate their defence (WOEFUL pun, yes I know). To further the discomfort after the match, a hack from the News of the World, Antony Kastrinakis, decided to concoct a story about Thierry Henry and the team being booed, and then all the broadsheets and "proper" papers and everyone else decided to be clever and relay the story. So suddenly a 1-1 draw turns into a mini-crisis.
Well the CSKA Moscow tie at Ashburton Grove was supposed to be the next step in series of difficult games, and everyone was doing their best to rally the troops. Thierry Henry said he didn't believe the story and wanted the fans to get behind the team, Wenger said he wasn't concerned, and that negative football was terrible, and that Arsenal wanted to punish teams that played negatively, and meanwhile CSKA were talking up their chances and warning Arsenal not to underestimate them.
As it so happened, CSKA were torn apart. If Everton were a chastity belt, then CSKA were something along the lines of a complete bimbo on a drinking binge. Except, the irony in the midst of all these awful sexual metaphors, was that Arsenal just could not finish.
From the moment the game kicked off, Arsenal took control, and repeatedly ran rings around CSKA with their passing, pace and movement. The shooting prowess however was non-existent. Robin Van Persie had 3 quite clear chances, ones that we've seen him bury before. Henry had two decent chances, ones that we've seen him nonchalantly stroke home on previous occassions. Fabregas rounded the keeper and rushed a shot wide of an open goal when he had time to take a touch and compose himself. Rosicky had one of the most incredible misfires ever, missing an absolutely open goal from right in front of the penalty spot, sidefooting the ball to the keeper who was lying at the left far post having tried to cut out Henry's cross. Words can't do justice to it.
Yes, the CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev did well, but he was not really tested enough. He made one great save from a late Gilberto header, and came off his line bravely to put off Henry and Van Persie, but he wasn't tested enough. Akinfeev, as well as the CSKA's defenstroika won plaudits from the commentator, but the truth is that on 9 out of 10 occassions they should and would have been 3 or 4 goals down at half-time. The Arsenal finishing was embarassingly bad, and there can't really be any explanation for it other than just having an "off day", because Van Persie and Henry have scored those and tougher ones before.
For Arsenal, well... everyone was quite good except for Henry, and Van Persie (who was quite involved in the play, but rubbish in front of goal), but the midfield trio of Fabregas, Rosicky and Hleb were oustanding - their movement tore CSKA to shreds, and Hleb in particular was very, very good for most of the game except one occassion where he should have probably shot instead of squaring a slightly poor ball to Henry.
For CSKA, well their Vicente Del Bosque lookalike coach can be proud about Ignashevich's outstanding commitment at the back, and Akinfeev's great shot-stopping and agility. He might not make it in the Premiership because of his smallish frame and lack of presence (although Shay Given has always done well), but he will be a top class keeper, and could do well in someplace like La Liga where shot-stoppers like Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes thrive. I was also very impressed by Vagner Love. After playing well and giving the defence a hard time in Moscow, he led the line very well in London. He's a quick, skilfull striker, like many Brazilians, but he was also outstanding as a target man, playing with his back to goal. Time and time again long clearances or goal kicks would be sent up field, and more often than not, he would materialise exactly where they were landing, controlling them with one touch, or dribbling to the wings to make time and space, or providing clever little lay-offs and flick-ons to his teammates. He was unlucky not to get a goal, when he easily bamboozled Gallas but then shot weakly at Lehmann, who made a good save and then gathered the ball at the second attempt after it had rolled behind him. That was a lucky escape for a very unlucky Arsenal.
It was probably the most one-sided 0-0 i've ever seen, especially in the Champions League, between two good teams. But I won't talk about it anymore. YouTube highlights are below. Enjoy!
1. For playing the best football they've played in the last two seasons, and perhaps the best they've produced in the Champions League, especially against a team as solid and canny as CSKA Moscow.
2. For squandering chance, after chance, after chance. 29 shots on goal, only 5 on target, and Rosicky missing a wide open goal from about 3 feet away. Criminal.
Arsenal started this game on the back of some criticism and tension. They were unable to break down a dogged, unambitious Everton side over the weekend (who should have received far more criticism for the way they played [or declined to] for a team purporting to have ambitions of Europe on a regular basis). In Moscow, CSKA played better, probably the first team to outplay them this season, but Arsenal were denied a draw by an absurd refereeing decision to disallow Thierry Henry's late goal. And although they gave Reading a masterclass in football the weekend after, last Saturday's game against Everton was throwback to what people have come to identify the Arsenal with over the last couple of years - all foreplay without any real hanky panky. Arsenal passed the ball beautifully, every which way posssible, had about 90% of the second half posession (a record maybe?) but eventually were unable to create any real clear cut chances despite having 23 shots to Everton's 2. It didn't help that Tim Howard was in good form as well, but with Everton playing a 1-9-1 formation, good chances were few and far between.
The post-match criticism of that performance echoed a common consensus amongst Arsenal fans - that Arsenal lack a Plan B (not that Arsene Wenger seems to care). The awkward presence of the injured Emmanuel Adebayor challenging for high balls was missed, and would probably have lent some more legitimacy to the crosses that Robin Van Persie was swinging into the box with no one there. Arsenal weren't outfought, and they definitely weren't outplayed. Everton just decided to be football's version of a chastity belt, and Arsenal for all their effort, were unable to penetrate their defence (WOEFUL pun, yes I know). To further the discomfort after the match, a hack from the News of the World, Antony Kastrinakis, decided to concoct a story about Thierry Henry and the team being booed, and then all the broadsheets and "proper" papers and everyone else decided to be clever and relay the story. So suddenly a 1-1 draw turns into a mini-crisis.
Well the CSKA Moscow tie at Ashburton Grove was supposed to be the next step in series of difficult games, and everyone was doing their best to rally the troops. Thierry Henry said he didn't believe the story and wanted the fans to get behind the team, Wenger said he wasn't concerned, and that negative football was terrible, and that Arsenal wanted to punish teams that played negatively, and meanwhile CSKA were talking up their chances and warning Arsenal not to underestimate them.
As it so happened, CSKA were torn apart. If Everton were a chastity belt, then CSKA were something along the lines of a complete bimbo on a drinking binge. Except, the irony in the midst of all these awful sexual metaphors, was that Arsenal just could not finish.
From the moment the game kicked off, Arsenal took control, and repeatedly ran rings around CSKA with their passing, pace and movement. The shooting prowess however was non-existent. Robin Van Persie had 3 quite clear chances, ones that we've seen him bury before. Henry had two decent chances, ones that we've seen him nonchalantly stroke home on previous occassions. Fabregas rounded the keeper and rushed a shot wide of an open goal when he had time to take a touch and compose himself. Rosicky had one of the most incredible misfires ever, missing an absolutely open goal from right in front of the penalty spot, sidefooting the ball to the keeper who was lying at the left far post having tried to cut out Henry's cross. Words can't do justice to it.
Yes, the CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev did well, but he was not really tested enough. He made one great save from a late Gilberto header, and came off his line bravely to put off Henry and Van Persie, but he wasn't tested enough. Akinfeev, as well as the CSKA's defenstroika won plaudits from the commentator, but the truth is that on 9 out of 10 occassions they should and would have been 3 or 4 goals down at half-time. The Arsenal finishing was embarassingly bad, and there can't really be any explanation for it other than just having an "off day", because Van Persie and Henry have scored those and tougher ones before.
For Arsenal, well... everyone was quite good except for Henry, and Van Persie (who was quite involved in the play, but rubbish in front of goal), but the midfield trio of Fabregas, Rosicky and Hleb were oustanding - their movement tore CSKA to shreds, and Hleb in particular was very, very good for most of the game except one occassion where he should have probably shot instead of squaring a slightly poor ball to Henry.
For CSKA, well their Vicente Del Bosque lookalike coach can be proud about Ignashevich's outstanding commitment at the back, and Akinfeev's great shot-stopping and agility. He might not make it in the Premiership because of his smallish frame and lack of presence (although Shay Given has always done well), but he will be a top class keeper, and could do well in someplace like La Liga where shot-stoppers like Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes thrive. I was also very impressed by Vagner Love. After playing well and giving the defence a hard time in Moscow, he led the line very well in London. He's a quick, skilfull striker, like many Brazilians, but he was also outstanding as a target man, playing with his back to goal. Time and time again long clearances or goal kicks would be sent up field, and more often than not, he would materialise exactly where they were landing, controlling them with one touch, or dribbling to the wings to make time and space, or providing clever little lay-offs and flick-ons to his teammates. He was unlucky not to get a goal, when he easily bamboozled Gallas but then shot weakly at Lehmann, who made a good save and then gathered the ball at the second attempt after it had rolled behind him. That was a lucky escape for a very unlucky Arsenal.
It was probably the most one-sided 0-0 i've ever seen, especially in the Champions League, between two good teams. But I won't talk about it anymore. YouTube highlights are below. Enjoy!
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Keep Those Entries Coming!
Thursday, 02 November 06, 12:16 AM
Well, we've had a great response to the launch of our website. Thanks to all our visitors for taking the time to come and check the site out, and we encourage more of you to enter the contest - it's a great opportunity.
I've also been disappointed by the lack of comments! Loads of hits, but no one with anything to say? What happened to football fans being the lippiest bunch around??
So anyways, today was the "much anticipated" Barcelona v Chelsea rematch - the 3,327th time they've played in the last two seasons, and it ended in a 2-2 draw. Deco put them up 1-0, and then Frank Lampard equalised to make it 1-1 with a goal that for once was both good AND did not involve 6 massive deflections off the knees or arses of the other team. Eidur Gudjohnsen then fired home to put Barca en route to victory, but some poor concentration and defending from Barca (coupled with great stamina and doggedness from Chelsea) saw Drogba score in injury time to salvage a draw. It was an exciting game, with some very good goals.
For the first one Deco carried the ball for about 20 or 30 yards down the left flank before cutting sharply inside and shooting from just outside the box into the far corner. It really was a cracking strike - a low, rising show, hit with great power straight through the legs of the lunging Carvalho. Hilario couldn't get near it.
Lampard's equaliser was an equally sensational goal. Essien chested the ball down about 40 yards out, and clipped a speculative lobbed pass over the defense which Lampard ran onto. He missed his first touch, and so had to shepherd the ball away towards the byline, giving the defender time to recover. However as he moved away from the goal along the byline, back turned to the keeper, he looked up to seek out options, and then swivelled to stroke a dipping lob over Valdes from an impossibly acute angle.
It was a great goal, but Valdes should have been positioned better. He first came off his line when anticipating a shot from Lampard from Essien's pass, but then instead of going back into position, he continued to hover around the near post even when Lampard was moving away from goal and had a defender covering.
There was also more than a hint of flukiness about the goal, because Lampard never once looked to see where the keeper was. Right before he struck it, he took a look up to see who was arriving in the box - Ballack was starting a run towards the far post, and Drogba was lurking close by at the near post, so it might well have been intended as a cross. But since we'll never know, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt, because it was a nice goal as it turned out.
Gudjohnsen's goal was all about Ronaldinho. The perma-smile Brazilian was hugging the left touchline, and brought down a long pass from defence with one touch, and then flicked it past the right-back Boulahrouz in almost the same motion. He then slid a perfect pass across the face of goal with the outside of his right foot, and Gudjohnsen nipped ahead of the Chelsea defenders to convincingly fire home. A good moment for him up against his former club, and it will give him confidence at a time when the critics have been in full flow.
As for Chelsea's equaliser... well I think most people could see it coming. They lost the ball far upfield, with too many players committed too far forward. Either they lacked concentration, or stamina, but their attempts to win back the ball were exasperated. When they lost the ball, and Chelsea charged forward down the right with Essien, they put in a few half hearted challenges, and a few desperate sliding tackles and lunges when they would have been better served trying to get back into position and slow down the play. Essien powered forward and lumped it into the box, it was nodded down by Terry at the far post, and then Drogba chested it forward and stroked it home. Marquez was very culpable, first ball watching when Essien delivered the cross - meaning that Zambrotta had to try and mark Drogba, leaving Lampard free behind him, and then when Zambrotta moved back towards Terry, Marquez vaguely waved a back heel at the ball when Drogba chested it past him.
I think it was a fair result, but Chelsea's celebrations at the end were once again far too over the top. They are not winning any friends with the way they continually behave, and this was just the latest installment. Mourinho sets the tone for this team, and there is a visible lack of class in the way they conduct themselves. It is tiring to see them always behave like angry underdogs, when in fact they are bankrolled by one of the most powerful men in the world - flagrantly breaking the laws and conventions of football, throwing money at anything and everything, and generally destroying the whole idea of "competition". Apart from the various tapping up scandals, and the fact that they blatantly sabotage the transfers of other big Premiership teams, their disgustingly opulent spending has not resulted in anything close to the standard of football that you'd expect from a team with such overwhelmingly large resources. All Abramovich is doing is buying results, albeit indirectly. I hope for the sake of the Premiership that someone else can win the title this year, because if Chelsea win, and Abramovich spunks another 100 million pounds in the summer, hope will well and truly be hanging by a thread.
I've also been disappointed by the lack of comments! Loads of hits, but no one with anything to say? What happened to football fans being the lippiest bunch around??
So anyways, today was the "much anticipated" Barcelona v Chelsea rematch - the 3,327th time they've played in the last two seasons, and it ended in a 2-2 draw. Deco put them up 1-0, and then Frank Lampard equalised to make it 1-1 with a goal that for once was both good AND did not involve 6 massive deflections off the knees or arses of the other team. Eidur Gudjohnsen then fired home to put Barca en route to victory, but some poor concentration and defending from Barca (coupled with great stamina and doggedness from Chelsea) saw Drogba score in injury time to salvage a draw. It was an exciting game, with some very good goals.
For the first one Deco carried the ball for about 20 or 30 yards down the left flank before cutting sharply inside and shooting from just outside the box into the far corner. It really was a cracking strike - a low, rising show, hit with great power straight through the legs of the lunging Carvalho. Hilario couldn't get near it.
Lampard's equaliser was an equally sensational goal. Essien chested the ball down about 40 yards out, and clipped a speculative lobbed pass over the defense which Lampard ran onto. He missed his first touch, and so had to shepherd the ball away towards the byline, giving the defender time to recover. However as he moved away from the goal along the byline, back turned to the keeper, he looked up to seek out options, and then swivelled to stroke a dipping lob over Valdes from an impossibly acute angle.
It was a great goal, but Valdes should have been positioned better. He first came off his line when anticipating a shot from Lampard from Essien's pass, but then instead of going back into position, he continued to hover around the near post even when Lampard was moving away from goal and had a defender covering.
There was also more than a hint of flukiness about the goal, because Lampard never once looked to see where the keeper was. Right before he struck it, he took a look up to see who was arriving in the box - Ballack was starting a run towards the far post, and Drogba was lurking close by at the near post, so it might well have been intended as a cross. But since we'll never know, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt, because it was a nice goal as it turned out.
Gudjohnsen's goal was all about Ronaldinho. The perma-smile Brazilian was hugging the left touchline, and brought down a long pass from defence with one touch, and then flicked it past the right-back Boulahrouz in almost the same motion. He then slid a perfect pass across the face of goal with the outside of his right foot, and Gudjohnsen nipped ahead of the Chelsea defenders to convincingly fire home. A good moment for him up against his former club, and it will give him confidence at a time when the critics have been in full flow.
As for Chelsea's equaliser... well I think most people could see it coming. They lost the ball far upfield, with too many players committed too far forward. Either they lacked concentration, or stamina, but their attempts to win back the ball were exasperated. When they lost the ball, and Chelsea charged forward down the right with Essien, they put in a few half hearted challenges, and a few desperate sliding tackles and lunges when they would have been better served trying to get back into position and slow down the play. Essien powered forward and lumped it into the box, it was nodded down by Terry at the far post, and then Drogba chested it forward and stroked it home. Marquez was very culpable, first ball watching when Essien delivered the cross - meaning that Zambrotta had to try and mark Drogba, leaving Lampard free behind him, and then when Zambrotta moved back towards Terry, Marquez vaguely waved a back heel at the ball when Drogba chested it past him.
I think it was a fair result, but Chelsea's celebrations at the end were once again far too over the top. They are not winning any friends with the way they continually behave, and this was just the latest installment. Mourinho sets the tone for this team, and there is a visible lack of class in the way they conduct themselves. It is tiring to see them always behave like angry underdogs, when in fact they are bankrolled by one of the most powerful men in the world - flagrantly breaking the laws and conventions of football, throwing money at anything and everything, and generally destroying the whole idea of "competition". Apart from the various tapping up scandals, and the fact that they blatantly sabotage the transfers of other big Premiership teams, their disgustingly opulent spending has not resulted in anything close to the standard of football that you'd expect from a team with such overwhelmingly large resources. All Abramovich is doing is buying results, albeit indirectly. I hope for the sake of the Premiership that someone else can win the title this year, because if Chelsea win, and Abramovich spunks another 100 million pounds in the summer, hope will well and truly be hanging by a thread.
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The End Is The Beginning Is The End
Saturday, 28 October 06, 12:56 PM
Or something like that.
Well what a day it is... I'm another year older and wiser (I wish), and the site has finally launched! Congratulations to everyone who put so much work in, and we hope this is the start of something very special. We're hoping to bring you unmatched features and content, and to really go a few levels above what the mainstream football sites have on offer, and we'd love to have your support and enthusiasm as the site builds and unfolds. And don't forget about our contest that gives 2 bloggers the chance to go to Tokyo, Japan for the FIFA Club World Cup this December. It's the first time that football bloggers will have the chance to be elevated to full press status for an event like this, and it's something that we're all very excited about, and we hope you are too. Just click the contest banner above this entry.
We hope that our blog network will cover the world (get in touch on the left hand panel if you'd like to blog for us), and that our European Super League fantasy game will really provide some of the best fantasy football entertainment on the web. And there's lots more to come, but we don't want to let out all of our secrets straight away though ;o)
As for this weekend's Premiership football, well the fixtures of note will be Liverpool v Aston Villa, Arsenal v Everton, and Bolton v Manchester United. I also think Charlton can cause an upset against Newcastle, and if West Ham mess up against Blackburn at home, changes could be underway.
Liverpool are struggling horribly, and with the quality (Alonso and Gerrard) they have, their struggle at the moment is inexplicable. Last season Arsenal struggled, but they had just lost Vieira and Edu, and only signed Hleb, and it took them a while to find their feet. But this season Liverpool have signed Kuyt, Bellamy, Pennant, Mark Gonzalez, Palletta, Agger and Fabio Aurelio, and not lose anyone of note, so their poor form really is a kick in the teeth to the management. I expect they'll find their way and manage to steer themselves into the top 4 much like Arsenal did last season, but really with them being the favourite to challenge Chelsea, their season is essentially already a disappointment.
As for Bolton v Manchester United, the Red Devils have always struggled against Bolton. They've lost twice at home to them, and drawn away on a few occasions, including when Solskjaer equalised in the last minute a few seasons ago. United's midfield, their traditional strength, have been poor this season, but Scholes and Carrick are slowly finding their form. However form books generally tend to go out the window as far as Bolton are concerned, because their no nonsense, kick-and-shove, long-ball approach often means that it's a battle more than a football match. It will be tough to score against Bolton, and if Anelka is up for it he could easily pinch a goal. Fat Sam and Sir Alex are good friends, and these games are generally good-natured encounters as a result.
Arsenal v Everton will be a tough game. Everton have finally showed some sort of consistency this season, and are very tough to breakdown, and quite physical. For Arsenal, this is a game in which Adebayor would be important to give them an option against Everton's direct approach, but he is injured for 3 weeks after going off early on in the Carling Cup. Forgotten man Jeremie Aliadiere should win a spot on the bench. Arsenal have been in good for home, and will be looking to continue it at home so they can turn Ashburton Grove into a real fortress. However, Everton games of late have shown quite polarised results - either they are on the end of a drubbing, or they pull of a 1-0 or 2-1 victory, but that is also due to their inconsistency which seems to have been eliminated this season. Theo Walcott is expect to make a start on the wings with the other attacking options of Ljungberg, Adebayor and Baptista still being injured. Everton are affected by the loss of David Weir for 3 weeks, but they have enough quality in Yobo and Lescott to make up for it. Fabregas will really have to take charge of what will be a very busy midfield, but with Rosicky and Hleb buzzing around him, expect a good midfield contest.
In Italy, the Milan derby will take on extra significance today. It's AC Milan v Inter Milan, and Inter really must win the Scudetto this year. AC Milan have been shamed, and very "lucky" to avoid relegation and larger points deduction, and Inter who've suffered so much over the years from dodgy refereeing decisions and not being one of the "big clubs" must really deliver a clear message with a convincing victory. Adriano's personal life is not helping anything, but with Crespo, Cruz, Ibrahimovic and company up front, they have arguably more quality than Gilardino, Inzaghi and Ricardo Oliveira.
The following day, Fiorentina take on Palermo at home in what should be an entertaining encounter. Luca Toni will come up against the club where he did so well, and both teams play positive football. Palermo will want to show their title credentials, and Fiorentina are still fighting to regain some credibility after their involvement in the match-fixing scandals. The Palermo chief rightly said that Serie A results were much more interesting now, and that it probably has a lot to do with Luciano Moggi no longer being able to handpick the referees, and Juventus rotting in Serie B.
Well what a day it is... I'm another year older and wiser (I wish), and the site has finally launched! Congratulations to everyone who put so much work in, and we hope this is the start of something very special. We're hoping to bring you unmatched features and content, and to really go a few levels above what the mainstream football sites have on offer, and we'd love to have your support and enthusiasm as the site builds and unfolds. And don't forget about our contest that gives 2 bloggers the chance to go to Tokyo, Japan for the FIFA Club World Cup this December. It's the first time that football bloggers will have the chance to be elevated to full press status for an event like this, and it's something that we're all very excited about, and we hope you are too. Just click the contest banner above this entry.
We hope that our blog network will cover the world (get in touch on the left hand panel if you'd like to blog for us), and that our European Super League fantasy game will really provide some of the best fantasy football entertainment on the web. And there's lots more to come, but we don't want to let out all of our secrets straight away though ;o)
As for this weekend's Premiership football, well the fixtures of note will be Liverpool v Aston Villa, Arsenal v Everton, and Bolton v Manchester United. I also think Charlton can cause an upset against Newcastle, and if West Ham mess up against Blackburn at home, changes could be underway.
Liverpool are struggling horribly, and with the quality (Alonso and Gerrard) they have, their struggle at the moment is inexplicable. Last season Arsenal struggled, but they had just lost Vieira and Edu, and only signed Hleb, and it took them a while to find their feet. But this season Liverpool have signed Kuyt, Bellamy, Pennant, Mark Gonzalez, Palletta, Agger and Fabio Aurelio, and not lose anyone of note, so their poor form really is a kick in the teeth to the management. I expect they'll find their way and manage to steer themselves into the top 4 much like Arsenal did last season, but really with them being the favourite to challenge Chelsea, their season is essentially already a disappointment.
As for Bolton v Manchester United, the Red Devils have always struggled against Bolton. They've lost twice at home to them, and drawn away on a few occasions, including when Solskjaer equalised in the last minute a few seasons ago. United's midfield, their traditional strength, have been poor this season, but Scholes and Carrick are slowly finding their form. However form books generally tend to go out the window as far as Bolton are concerned, because their no nonsense, kick-and-shove, long-ball approach often means that it's a battle more than a football match. It will be tough to score against Bolton, and if Anelka is up for it he could easily pinch a goal. Fat Sam and Sir Alex are good friends, and these games are generally good-natured encounters as a result.
Arsenal v Everton will be a tough game. Everton have finally showed some sort of consistency this season, and are very tough to breakdown, and quite physical. For Arsenal, this is a game in which Adebayor would be important to give them an option against Everton's direct approach, but he is injured for 3 weeks after going off early on in the Carling Cup. Forgotten man Jeremie Aliadiere should win a spot on the bench. Arsenal have been in good for home, and will be looking to continue it at home so they can turn Ashburton Grove into a real fortress. However, Everton games of late have shown quite polarised results - either they are on the end of a drubbing, or they pull of a 1-0 or 2-1 victory, but that is also due to their inconsistency which seems to have been eliminated this season. Theo Walcott is expect to make a start on the wings with the other attacking options of Ljungberg, Adebayor and Baptista still being injured. Everton are affected by the loss of David Weir for 3 weeks, but they have enough quality in Yobo and Lescott to make up for it. Fabregas will really have to take charge of what will be a very busy midfield, but with Rosicky and Hleb buzzing around him, expect a good midfield contest.
In Italy, the Milan derby will take on extra significance today. It's AC Milan v Inter Milan, and Inter really must win the Scudetto this year. AC Milan have been shamed, and very "lucky" to avoid relegation and larger points deduction, and Inter who've suffered so much over the years from dodgy refereeing decisions and not being one of the "big clubs" must really deliver a clear message with a convincing victory. Adriano's personal life is not helping anything, but with Crespo, Cruz, Ibrahimovic and company up front, they have arguably more quality than Gilardino, Inzaghi and Ricardo Oliveira.
The following day, Fiorentina take on Palermo at home in what should be an entertaining encounter. Luca Toni will come up against the club where he did so well, and both teams play positive football. Palermo will want to show their title credentials, and Fiorentina are still fighting to regain some credibility after their involvement in the match-fixing scandals. The Palermo chief rightly said that Serie A results were much more interesting now, and that it probably has a lot to do with Luciano Moggi no longer being able to handpick the referees, and Juventus rotting in Serie B.
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2-1,1-2
Thursday, 26 October 06, 10:30 PM
Well there were two exciting David vs Goliath games in the Carling Cup over the last few days.
First, on Tuesday, Alan Pardew's West Ham went down 2-1 away to Chesterfield, and then today at Gresty Road, Crewe Alexandra lost to an agonisingly late winner from Manchester United in the last minute of extra-time, 2-1 to the Red Devils.
Pardew's situation now becomes more precarious than ever before. Not only have his side just lost to a team two divisions below them, but by all accounts they played very very poorly. Marlon Harewood grabbed his early goal against the run of play, and Chesterfield were in control for large parts of the match and deserved their win. Pardew has very few excuses to fall back on at the moment, and even though he said after the loss to Tottenham that the Carling Cup game was a bit too soon for them, he has more than enough quality in his squad in players like Benayoun, Reo-Coker, Zamora, Harewood and even the aged Sheringham. There was speculation after the Hammers' recent wonderful form in the Premiership, that the addition of Tevez and Mascherano had disrupted the team, but neither was included in the squad against Chesterfield, and one would be hard pressed to find a way of explaining the loss. But well done to the Spireites!
As for Pardew, he's a good character, and really took West Ham far beyond people's expectations last season. Perhaps they are suffering somewhat from the burden of increased expectations this term, but with the murky signings of Tevez and Mascherano, and Kia Joorabchian's continued takeover attempts, there is probably a lot more going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. I would hope that he doesn't get sacked - West Ham are a good side, have a great fan base, and he's done very well for them. They play some good football, and managed to get results against some of the big teams last season, which is what a lot of teams aren't willing to try and do these days, dampening the whole competition of the Premiership. West Ham have previously had a very stable managerial history - just 6 managers in the last 42 years (and Glenn Roeder's time was cut short by illness), but the Premiership has turned into such a media circus of late, that I wouldn't be surprised to see Alan Pardew's position in some real jeopardy. They have a tough test facing them on Sunday against Blackburn, a team which they might have considered themselves to be equal to by the end of last season, and then an even tougher match against Arsene Wenger's Arsenal the following weekend, where I think a drubbing at the hands of the Gunners might truly signal the midst of a "crisis".
As for Crewe, well done to them, and condolences for a heartbreaking loss. United had some experienced players out there, and despite the results, I think the fans at Gresty Road will have enjoyed the contest and seeing their team do so well. A upset would have been a great reward for Dario Gradi and his commitment to the Alex and their youth program, but it was not to be - United youngster Kieran Lee scored his first senior goal in the 119th minute to give the longest serving manager in the Premiership, Alex Ferguson, a victory over the longest serving manager in the Football League. 20 years and 23 years respectively.
That's all for now! The site should officially be launching this Friday, the 27th of October (which is the same birthday as me, some coincidence that!), and as you can imagine we at OleOle are all very excited about the start of something that could be very, very big.
First, on Tuesday, Alan Pardew's West Ham went down 2-1 away to Chesterfield, and then today at Gresty Road, Crewe Alexandra lost to an agonisingly late winner from Manchester United in the last minute of extra-time, 2-1 to the Red Devils.
Pardew's situation now becomes more precarious than ever before. Not only have his side just lost to a team two divisions below them, but by all accounts they played very very poorly. Marlon Harewood grabbed his early goal against the run of play, and Chesterfield were in control for large parts of the match and deserved their win. Pardew has very few excuses to fall back on at the moment, and even though he said after the loss to Tottenham that the Carling Cup game was a bit too soon for them, he has more than enough quality in his squad in players like Benayoun, Reo-Coker, Zamora, Harewood and even the aged Sheringham. There was speculation after the Hammers' recent wonderful form in the Premiership, that the addition of Tevez and Mascherano had disrupted the team, but neither was included in the squad against Chesterfield, and one would be hard pressed to find a way of explaining the loss. But well done to the Spireites!
As for Pardew, he's a good character, and really took West Ham far beyond people's expectations last season. Perhaps they are suffering somewhat from the burden of increased expectations this term, but with the murky signings of Tevez and Mascherano, and Kia Joorabchian's continued takeover attempts, there is probably a lot more going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. I would hope that he doesn't get sacked - West Ham are a good side, have a great fan base, and he's done very well for them. They play some good football, and managed to get results against some of the big teams last season, which is what a lot of teams aren't willing to try and do these days, dampening the whole competition of the Premiership. West Ham have previously had a very stable managerial history - just 6 managers in the last 42 years (and Glenn Roeder's time was cut short by illness), but the Premiership has turned into such a media circus of late, that I wouldn't be surprised to see Alan Pardew's position in some real jeopardy. They have a tough test facing them on Sunday against Blackburn, a team which they might have considered themselves to be equal to by the end of last season, and then an even tougher match against Arsene Wenger's Arsenal the following weekend, where I think a drubbing at the hands of the Gunners might truly signal the midst of a "crisis".
As for Crewe, well done to them, and condolences for a heartbreaking loss. United had some experienced players out there, and despite the results, I think the fans at Gresty Road will have enjoyed the contest and seeing their team do so well. A upset would have been a great reward for Dario Gradi and his commitment to the Alex and their youth program, but it was not to be - United youngster Kieran Lee scored his first senior goal in the 119th minute to give the longest serving manager in the Premiership, Alex Ferguson, a victory over the longest serving manager in the Football League. 20 years and 23 years respectively.
That's all for now! The site should officially be launching this Friday, the 27th of October (which is the same birthday as me, some coincidence that!), and as you can imagine we at OleOle are all very excited about the start of something that could be very, very big.
Like this blog? Help spread the word:
1
On 2-0 in the San Siro, 0-0 in the JJB: Boro next