All posts by h79snht.top

Forgive me if I’ve missed something, but it would seem recently that the whole of the football hierarchy has gone completely mad. Let me tell you what I know, and please correct me if I’m wrong: Chelsea’s Ashley Cole shoots someone, but is ‘highly unlikely to face any further action’. Wayne Rooney lands a blatant elbow in the face of an opposing player but we should all just forget about it because it was a ‘simple coming together’. On the other hand, we are being told to sharpen our pitch-forks in the hunt for the real ‘bad-men’ of the game – Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. What did they do wrong? Well, the worst offence in sport of all of course, they called somebody a bad name. Dear, oh dear…

Yes, I know, we should all be respecting the referee and other participants of this most civilised of games. But when did we all become so soft? I’m not condoning what either Ferguson or Wenger have recently been saying, and to be honest, I too am tiring of hearing their constant moaning. Let’s be honest, Arsenal were outclassed by Barcelona, that’s the be-all and end-all and Manchester United were nowhere near good enough to take anything away from the games at Chelsea or Liverpool. Anyway, that’s another debate. My point is, hasn’t anyone ever heard of the phrase, ‘sticks and stones’? It would appear not.

This argument is all relative, of course. Compare what is going to happen to the United and Arsenal managers, compared to what has happened to Rooney and Cole. It’s ridiculous. Samir Nasri has recently become another victim of these double standards, as he also called the official in Barcelona a naughty word. Nasty Nasri!

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Let me put it into context. Ashley Cole has been given a slap on the wrist and probably will have to do some fake PR stunt for shooting work placement student, Tom Cowan, with an air rifle. Nine years ago at Sunderland, John Oster ended the career of a young full-back, Mark Maley, by shooting him in the eye with the very same type of weapon. Both have claimed they didn’t know it was loaded. Well, that’s okay, then! The Chelsea star should be thanking his lucky stars his victim wasn’t more seriously hurt and isn’t now milking the incident for every penny he can get his hands on. The shooting has been taken out of the FA’s hands somewhat by the Police. But now they have decided they can’t be bothered with the scrutiny charging a famous footballer brings, surely now the game’s governing body should stand up and make a point of such idiotic behaviour? Or are they just waiting for Cole to call him a pudding before they take action?

It all stinks of double standards. We could even go further and look at the hype surrounding the mess of the Old Firm at the moment. Am I the only one thinking the Scottish government have more important things to discuss other than how to get Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist to make ‘friends, make friends never, ever, break friends‘? Apparently they’ve been meeting because the clash of the SPL’s two biggest sides brings about increased levels of domestic violence, but experts have proved this wrong and labelled the powers that be ‘lazy’ for laying the blame at football’s door.

There are some real issues that need sorting in football, and I for one am bored of the FA wasting their time making an example of the big names just because they have been found guilty of being ‘disrespectful’. If that is the buzz word of the season, let me ask another question: is diving not disrespectful to your opponent? Isn’t cheaply elbowing someone, or lunging in with an intentional two-footed challenge also not slightly disrespectful? By all means, if these issues are all sorted, then move on to finding out who called who a name first and then show us highlights of Wenger and Ferguson shouting “but he started it!” at each other. It might actually interest and amuse me then.

For the time being though, maybe it’s time the FA had a quick glance in the mirror before they charge Fergie and co with another bout of ‘improper conduct’. The only thing that is ‘improper’ is they insist on tackling an issue which isn’t really a priority. Managers like Wenger and Ferguson do need to grow up a little and accept that they are not going to win every game, but I’m getting bored of seeing them get in trouble for showing a little passion for the game. Mind you, if they want to escape further punishment, maybe they should just shoot the ref after a game if they aren’t happy. Sticks and stones, and all that…

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Want to help me putting the FA to rights? Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@joino

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I read at the weekend that Luka Modric made the bold statement that Tottenham are a better team than Manchester City. Modric said “It is going to be hard but I think we are better than them and we still have one game against them. I think that game will again be decisive for who finishes fourth and fifth.” I am not here to argue if that statement is true or not. I am here to explain why that is a clever little tactic from a cunning little Croatian.

The game between Manchester City and Tottenham has been scheduled for 10th May. There will obviously be a lot riding on that game but comments like Modric’s, this far from the game, will make it into more of a grudge match than it already is. With Chelsea looking like they will definitely finish in the top 3, it is likely that one of Spurs and City will play in the Champions League next year and the other will play in the Europa League. But the more hype that game gets, the more it will serve Tottenham.

It might be true that Tottenham play well as underdogs. When teams expect to beat Tottenham, for example AC Milan at the San Siro, they attack and leave themselves more exposed at the back. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon are at their most effective in this circumstance. But Manchester City are unlikely to be guilty of this. Where Milan might have been complacent, City will know what to expect from Spurs. I doubt they would treat Tottenham as underdogs, so Spurs will hardly suffer as a result of building themselves up before this game.

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Manchester City, after the amount of money they have spent, are already under pressure to finish in the top 4. The board of directors will be expecting some results from the ludicrous amount of money they have provided Roberto Mancini with. He will be unsure of his future should he not lead his team to Champions League qualification this year. And after a good start to the season, Manchester City still sit in 4th place. They have it all to lose and have no excuses. The pressure is very much on them.

On the other hand, there is little pressure on Harry Redknapp. He has already had a fantastic season. Tottenham have had a great cup run in the Champions League. It would be an awful shame not to see Tottenham play in the top European competition again next year, but unlike Mancini, the blame will not fall directly on Redknapp. He has had a great season on a limited budget. Given the wage cap he has, and the size of White Hart Lane when compared with The Emirates Stadium or Old Trafford, Redknapp has worked wonders to get his side where they currently are. His excuses are already made.

It is early days yet and there are still 5 Premier League weekends before Tottenham meet Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium. To say that mind games have started already is probably not true, I think Modric was just trying to be positive. But, come may 10,  it is going to be a hugely important game and the more pressure Spurs put on City in the build-up, the better.

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Keep up to date with Joe’s thought on Tottenham and the Premier League on Twitter

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The media, when it comes to Spurs, generally has its head in a tizzy, all a dither. The trouble is that Tottenham’s meteoric rise under Harry Redknapp has raised expectations – allowed the news to be subverted in a certain way and given credence to outlets who wish to tout extremist stories. I can’t be the only one tired of hearing that if Spurs don’t earn qualification for next season’s Champion’s League they’ll have to ship off their best players. Are we honestly supposed to believe that Spurs’ financial situation is such that if they finish fifth rather than fourth in the League it’s goodbye to the likes of Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric?

Daniel Levy and Harry Redknapp’s main aim this summer is sure to be to keep hold of Tottenham’s best players. Given the size of Tottenham’s squad and the fact that Harry will be looking to bring in a world-class striker this summer (something that’s likely to be costly) there will be players who find themselves transferred out of the club. These players won’t be Spurs’ top performers, however. They’ll be the fringe players and it’s unlikely that too many Tottenham fans will lose sleep over their absence.

With this in mind, who needs to go and how much money can Tottenham expect to garner in return for their sales? Harry is an expert when it comes to the transfer market (I hope he wouldn’t mind me saying that) and will make sure that his club gets the best deals possible. Players’ worths here are estimates – feel free to remonstrate with me if you feel I’ve over or under-valued a player.

First up there’s right-back Alan Hutton. It’s pretty likely that he’ll leave this summer – if the tales of his dressing-room bust-ups with Harry Redknapp have any veracity. Despite starting the season well injuries and his attitude have seen him frozen out. He remains a decent enough player and one that should get Spurs £5-6m this summer should he move on.

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Despite Tottenham’s well documented struggles upfront, there’s no room at the club for Robbie Keane who’s currently on loan at West Ham. I expect he’ll be moved on permanently this summer. He’s a natural goal-scorer who has proven himself in the Premier League. Spurs should be able to get about £5-7m for his services – particularly if he starts playing regularly for West Ham before the end of the season. Another striker seeking more first team action is Roman Pavlyuchenko who could fetch Spurs anything between £9-12m should he leave.

As for the midfield, a particularly crowded area for Tottenham, I expect to see Jermaine Jenas, Giovani dos Santos, Jamie O’Hara and David Bentley move on. Jenas isn’t getting enough games at Tottenham and will likely seek out first team football elsewhere – I’d value him at around £4-6m. Giovani dos Santos is currently on loan at Racing Santander where he’s performing well. There’s every chance that Racing will look to keep him or another team will take him on. Given his youth (21-years-old) and his ability I’d say he’s worth at least £9-10m.

Jamie O’Hara’s currently on loan at Wolves with a view to making the deal permanent. He too has been performing well for Wolves and it’s highly likely that they’ll look to keep him on should they stay clear of the drop-zone. I imagine Spurs will demand something in the region of £3-4m for the 24-year-old. David Bentley arrived at Tottenham with a massive price-tag: £15m. At this stage, however, Spurs would be willing to take a massive loss to get rid of the winger, who’s currently on loan at Birmingham City. I expect that they’d be willing to sell Bentley for anything between £5-7m.

That may seem like a large list of players, but as many of them are already loaned to other clubs and most of them don’t play on a regular basis, their sales wouldn’t represent too much of a loss. The revenue they would bring in however would be useful in Harry’s pursuit of players to help him challenge at the top of the table. It’s win-win for both the players and the club.

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Read more of Harry’s articles at ThisIsFutbol.com

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Listen to the first episode of our brand new podcast – The Football FanCast. Featuring Razor Ruddock, Gary O’Reilly and Toploader’s Dan Hipgrave makes a special appearance!

This week’s London derby which ended 3-3 at White Hart Lane was described by many as the most entertaining demonstration of ruthless attacking and woeful defending, but as with anything in football, there are always winners and losers. Even though the majority of viewers were satisfied just observing the showpiece spectacle, the game’s result only served to benefit both halves of Manchester, leaving Arsenal six points behind United in the race for the Premier League and Tottenham Hotspur two adrift of City in the chase for the final Champions League place.

Spectators may feel they reaped the most out of their Sky subscriptions on Wednesday, but for United and City it’s the result that counts, and both clubs can now re-evaluate the importance of November’s 0-0 Manchester derby, which at the time was criticised for a conscious lack of risk, but the shared points could prove vital to each clubs’ pursuit of their respective targets this campaign. Many believed that Roberto Mancini’s reluctance to gamble on that night at Eastlands supported the view that whilst City may be noisy neighbours, they are far from being loud, an interpretation which was dispelled when the Blues triumphed over the Reds at last week’s FA Cup semi-final and will be further eroded should City break in to the top 4 next month.

But is it enough that both clubs are content with achieving results by neglecting the traditional intensity and entertainment that local derby matches usually stipulate? Even though Harry Redknapp and Arsene Wenger will be disappointed to have lost ground on their respective rivals in the League, shouldn’t they both be applauded for encouraging their sides to produce two of the most memorable games of the 2010/11 season, in addition to a 5-goal exhibition in the Carling Cup last September?

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It is worth noting that football’s greatest rivalry reached the second leg of a Spring/Summer quadruple not long after kick-off at the Lane. There aren’t many events better than Barcelona v Real Madrid, and luckily The Only Way is Essex was scheduled to start after full-time, but on Wednesday, all eyes were in London and rightly so.

Arsenal v Tottenham may be the most fun derby in the Premier League schedule, but isn’t the only local fixture to present fans with compelling, goal-laden football this season. Newcastle’s promotion to the top flight added two Tyne-Wear derbies to the League timetable, the Magpies announcing their return to the Premiership with a 5-1 victory over the Black Cats in October. The second fixture wasn’t quite as one sided, but was perhaps just as exciting, when Asamoah Gyan struck a 94th minute equaliser to propel Sunderland within reach of European qualification after 23 games.

Derby matches should always be played a noticeable distance from the League, which is why when local pride is at stake, observers tend to comment that the form of each team going in to such games bears no relation to the action which takes place. The pressure on managers and players to achieve results in any fixture gets more intense year on year, but it is refreshing to see at least some of these fixtures retain their sense of occasion.

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Follow Josh Sheridan on Twitter

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Fulham manager Mark Hughes will not be underestimating Sunderland when he takes his side to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is facing an injury crisis up front with Asamoah Gyan, Danny Welbeck and Frazier Campbell all out of the match this weekend, but Hughes knows his opposite number and old Manchester United team-mate will have something up his sleeve.

“Sunderland are down on numbers in terms of who they can play outfield and that will help us but I’m sure Steve has a game plan what he will implement to try and beat us,” Hughes said.

“I’m sure he would prefer to have those quality players available and if we play as well as we have in the last couple of games then it will take a good team to beat us.”

Fulham go into the match on the back of a solid 3-0 home win over Bolton which makes it six wins from their last seven matches in front of their own fans.

The victory took Hughes’ side to 42 points for the season – beyond the traditional benchmark of 40 normally required for Premier league survival – however the Welshman has urged his team not get complacent against Sunderland despite seemingly having avoided relegation.

“We need to go on the road and replicate our form at Craven Cottage. The key is placing demands on our team and not taking your foot off the pedal,” he said.

“There’s no difference to what my team are doing now than what they were doing at the start of the season.”

“It’s important to have continuity and a good quality of work – we’ve got two big games coming up (against Sunderland then home to Liverpool) and we’re going to see the season though to its conclusion and see where it takes us.”

Bobby Zamora is expected to lead the line for Fulham on Saturday after making a cameo appearance from the bench against Bolton due to a slight back problem, and could be partnered by Eidur Gudjohnsen who has started the last two games.

Clint Dempsey will be looking to add to his twelve goals already this season, as well as cement his place as Fulham’s record Premier League goalscorer after bagging his 33rd strike for the West London club against Bolton midweek.

Rangers moved one step closer to a third consecutive Scottish Premier League title after defeating Dundee United 2-0 at Ibrox on Tuesday.Goals from Nikica Jelavic and Kyle Lafferty in the opening 25 minutes of the clash set up the victory, helping Rangers open up a four-point lead over Celtic in the race for the title.

Celtic travel to third placed Hearts on Wednesday, where a victory for the Edinburgh side will hand the title to Rangers.

Rangers started strongly in front of a parochial home crowd and it did not take long for Walter Smith’s side to capitalise on their advantage.

On 21 minutes, right-back Steven Whittaker whipped in a cross from the right wing and Jelavic nodded home for his 17th goal of the season.

Just four minutes later, Rangers doubled their advantage as Steven Naismith found Lafferty in the penalty area and the striker slotted past United goalkeeper Dusan Pernis with ease.

Dundee United had their chances to get back into the contest in the second half as Craig Conway and substitute Jon Daly squandered good opportunities, but Rangers proved too strong as the pressure fell back to Celtic to keep the title race going into the final day.

Rangers travel to Kilmarnock on Sunday, while Celtic hosts Motherwell on the same day.

At the other end of the table, Hamilton’s relegation to the second tier was confirmed as they lost 1-0 at St Johnstone.

Liam Craig was the match-winner for St Johnstone with a penalty after 29 minutes as the Accies three-year stay in the top flight ended.

In the only other game on Tuesday, St Mirren ensured they stayed in the Premier League for another season as they defeated Aberdeen 1-0 at Pittodrie Stadium.

Gareth Wardlaw’s strike after 65 minutes clinched the three points for the Buddies as Aberdeen’s final home game of the season ended in defeat.

Last weekend wasn’t a happy one for West Ham fans. The phrase ‘you’re too good to go down didn’t ring true’, as West Ham’s selection of stars just didn’t perform over the course of the season. Avram Grant lost his job as a result of the Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League, but there is only one real victim of this West Ham debacle; the fans. While TV coverage from last Sunday was filled with a clearly distraught Scott Parker, there were also countless images of devastated West Ham fans, and here are two of them. What are these West Ham thanks thinking? Perhaps they’re contemplating the trips they’ll have to make to Doncaster and Barnsley next season?

Leave your suggestions below…

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Last week’s winner: Joshua Serlin – click here to see all entries

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New Fulham manager Martin Jol looks set to move for former player Robbie Keane, according to The Sun.

Despite netting his 51st goal for the Republic of Ireland at the weekend, Keane is out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur under manager Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp re-signed the Ireland forward from Liverpool for £12 million in the January 2009 Transfer Window but he has failed to cement a place in the Spurs team since. He has spent much of the past two seasons on loan at Celtic and more recently West Ham and, with wages estimated at £70,000 a week, Redknapp is keen to remove the striker’s salary from the wage bill.

The 30-year old has made 238 League appearances for Spurs and enjoyed a productive period under Jol. The Dutchman is keen to pair Keane with Bobby Zamora and the forward could cost as little as £4 million.

The former Spurs captain has also played for Wolves, Coventry, Inter, Leeds and Liverpool and has commanded over £75 million in career transfer fees. He will hope the move across London will reignite his career but will have to accept a pay cut if Fulham are to secure him on a permanent deal.

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West Ham are threatening legal action against the Sunday Times over claims that illegal payments were made to an official on the Olympic committee. The Hammers are adamant that their bid wasn’t underhand and are going to go through the courts to clear their name.

In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Arsenal set to make a shock bid for Downing; Liverpool losing patience over Adam, while Villas-Boas was shocked that any club would pay his release fee.

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See you in court! West Ham threaten legal action against Spurs over Olympic Stadium – Daily Mail

Wenger vision falling apart – Daily Telegraph

Joey Barton: I wouldn’t leave Newcastle for the Championship – People

Villas-Boas believed no club would pay his release fee – Mirror

Suarez: Torres told me to join Liverpool – Independent

Tevez staying at Manchester City, Mancini claims – Guardian

Liverpool losing patience as Blackpool play hard-ball – Daily Mail

Sunderland ready to move for Dann – Guardian

No League sanctions yet for Yeung or Blues – Guardian

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Arsenal plot shock Downing bid – Mirror

Manchester United snatch early lead over rivals City in race to spend – Independent

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Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan may yet leave the Stadium of Light according to the player’s agent.

The Ghanian international forward signed for The Black Cats from Rennes for a fee of £13million, and following impressive displays and ten goals last term has been linked with a move away from the Wearside club.

Manager Steve Bruce and Chairman Niall Quinn have been quick to rubbish speculation, but ahead of the first day of pre-season training on Wednesday the 25-year-old’s representative Fabien Piveteau has stated the frontman may yet move.

“I can’t say if he is staying or not. As far as I know, one club has tabled an offer. He is returning to the club for pre-season and we will sit down with the coach to talk about it,” Piveteau is believed to have stated in The Guardian.

Zenit St Petersburg are believed to be the side to have bid for the Accra born player, with Harry Redknapp and Tottenham supposedly also interested.

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Meanwhile, Sunderland hope to tie up the signatures of Manchester United trio Darron Gibson, John O’Shea and Wes Brown for a collective £12million in the near future, with the Irish defender the closest of the three to moving thus far.