david/schiavone

Manchester United Have New Inspiration

2010-08-17T12:45:00.000+01:00

The Premier League is underway and the two main title protagonists have recorded emphatics wins coupled with extremely impressive performances. Chelsea’s 6-0 victory over West Brom was somewhat of a surprise given their lacklustre pre-season form and disappointing Community Shield display, but Didier Drogba has now declared Chelsea aren’t even ready for the season yet, an ominous warning to the rest of the Premier League.

Title rivals Manchester United though have already captured some silverware and in both competitive matches so far this season have produced two displays of hunger, fight and desire to win. This hunger was typified by Antonio Valencia and Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, both pressed high up the pitch against Newcastle winning the ball in the final third with both opportunities leading to goals for their side.

The team though is being led by evergreen Paul Scholes and a rejuvenated Dimitar Berbatov.

Scholes has undoubtedly been the catalyst for the victories over Chelsea and Newcastle; he exudes calm and patience before picking that killer pass. He controlled the Community Shield from start to finish finding acres of space in the centre of the pitch, Essien, Mikel and Lampard couldn’t get near him. Sir Alex Ferguson labelled him ‘special’ after the 3-0 victory over Newcastle in the Premier League and few would argue as at 35 years of age, he can still mix it with the best of them.

His age though will inevitably work against him in the long run; he can no longer be expected to play two games a week at the highest level. Despite starting the season brightly, it would be safe to say Sir Alex will be managing his game time to the minute making sure he is fit when it matters.

United’s other star performer has been Berbatov, the Bulgarian enigma. The moody, lethargic and sometime disinterested £30 million man has seemingly sprung to life scoring a delightful chip against Chelsea and a well taken chance against Newcastle. It has not only been his new found liking for goals, his general play has gone up a level, on the face of it he seems happy and enjoying his football but journalist Andy Mitten followed United on their pre-season tour and noted the Bulgarian’s off pitch attitude is still lacking.

Given this he controlled the final third of the pitch in both matches, dropping deep to collect the ball, moving wide to occupy the full-backs and drag the central defenders from their comfort zone, all this then sewn together by his undoubted touch and vision. His partnership with new signing Chicharito looks promising in addition to his link up play with the improved Nani.

Can this form be sustained? Possibly, as on the pitch Berbatov is playing with a smile on his face, the burden he was saddled – the huge transfer fee – seems to have been lifted somewhat. The belief and desire emanating from Old Trafford is clear to see and on early season form only it would be hard to see the title not making its way back to Manchester.

Pre Season Friendly: Espanyol vs Sampdoria

2010-08-02T12:45:00.000+01:00

Espanyol won the 36th edition of the Ciutat de Barcelona after defeating Sampdoria on 6-5 penalties. The home side were perhaps the better of the two teams and had a number opportunities to win the match but after ninety minutes it ended 0-0 and the game went to penalties where Francesc Casilla was able to get behind Massimo Volta’s penalty ensuring Ernesto Galán gave the victory to Espanyol.

Sampdoria traveled with a strong squad and Domenico Di Carlo started all three of this big guns, Antonio Cassano Giampaolo Pazzini and captain Angelo Palombo. With everyone back from World Cup duty there was also room in the starting line up for Swiss pair Reto Ziegler and Marco Padalino.

Espanyol though did not include new signings Jesus Datolo or Felipe Mattioni in the squad, though Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, on loan from Bologna led the line for the home side, supported by José Callejón and Luis Garcia. They also started with Javi Chica, Victor Ruiz and Juan Forlin at the back.

Both teams shrugged off defensive duties for the evening as the crowd were treated to some excellent attacking play, Espanyol had a good chance to score after an excellent combination between Luis García, Oslvado and Verdú, which finished with a shot by midfielder. Sampdoria though were not rattled and replied with a shot from Poli which Cristian Álvarez gathered at the second attempt. Verdú and Oslvado both had chances to score, but Curci was very alert in the Sampdoria goal.

The match though did threaten to turn ugly as a number of yellow cards were dished out by the referee, more than should be shown in a friendly. But at the match wore on Sampdoria were having more an more opportunities on goal with two shots of Padalino and Pazzini, though they were always looking for a bit of magic from Antonio Cassano, but on this occasion he could not provide for his team.

The final whistle went and it was 0-0 so the match wore down to the lottery of the penalty shootout. 24-year-old defender Ernesto Galan slotted home the kick that led the Periquitos to a 6-5 win on penalties.

Though the game was 0-0 it was fair to say that having no goals was a travesty as both teams created a number of golden opportunities though it could be argued Espanyol had the better of these chances. Both teams will take great confidence from the game though Sampdoria will have to raise their defensive game especially if they are to make an impact in the Champions League.

Espanyol (4-3-3): Cristina Darío Alvarez (78 Casilla), Francisco Javier Torres Chica (46 Galan), Villà Rosselló Didac (46 Alvarez), Torre Victor Ruiz, José María Bueno Callejon (46 Alvaro), Fernandez Luis Garcia (73 Lopez), Joan Fernandez Verdu (61 Pau), Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (60 Rui Fonte), Juan Daniel Forlin, Ferran Cominas Telechea Coro (76 Ivan), Jordi Maas Amat (46 Moises)

Sampdoria (4-4-2): Gianluca Curci (59 Fiorillo), Marius Stankevicius (46 Cacciatore), Reto Ziegler (60 Volta), Angelo Palombo (60 Tissone), Daniele Gastaldello, Stefano Lucchini (76 Rossini), Daniele Mannini (70 Semioli), Antonio Cassano (76 Marilungo), Andrea Poli (46 Dessena), Giampoalo Pazzini (70 Pozzi), Marco Padalino (60 Koman)

Booked

Espanyol – Galan, Alvarez

Sampdoria – Gastaldello, Lucchini, Mannini, Dessena, Pozzi

Emirates Cup: Arsenal vs AC Milan

2010-08-02T12:41:00.000+01:00

The Emirates Cup started in entertaining fashion as Arsenal and AC Milan shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, though the score line does not reflect what was an extremely entertaining match. With teams awarded an extra point for each goal in the competition, Celtic and Olympique Lyonnais lead the way with three points apiece after a 2-2 draw in the opening game. Thus, Arsenal and Milan are tucked in behind with two points each.

Arsenal started with Lukasz Fabianski in goal ahead of Manuel Almunia who didn’t even make the bench. New signings Laurent Koscielny and Marouane Chamakh both started at the Emirates alongside youngsters Jack Wilshire, Kieran Gibbs and Emmanuel Frimpong. Arsene Wenger sent out a very attacking side with no recognized holding midfield player.

AC Milan were the complete opposite in terms of starting players as a number of veterans started for the Rossoneri. Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf and Alessandro Nesta were all in the first eleven. Massimino Allegri also preferred new signings Mario Yepes, and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, though he did not pick new goalkeeper Marco Amelia instead choosing Christian Abbiati as his number one. Brazilian Pato also partnered Marco Borriello up front.

Arsenal were neat and tidy from the off with Nasri and Wilshere impressing. And both new boys earned early ripples of applause. Chamakh and Rosicky made inroads down the right in the opening exchanges but Kieran Gibbs’ early inroads down the left looked more likely to do damage.

With the Rossoneri were under pressure early on Pato sprinted into the area but was closed down as he tried to square the ball back along the six-yard area. The same player then dipped a header wide from a Seedorf corner. Flamini had an effort deflected off Koscielny and onto the woodwork after a long ball from Yepes was knocked down into his path.

Arsenal opened the scoring on 36 minutes when Marouane Chamakh slotted home from inside the area after collecting a through ball from Arshavin. Rosicky then shot straight at Abbiati but it was Milan who looked lively going forward in the closing stages of the first-half.

Milan kept Arsenal on their toes after the break but the home side looked more likely to extend their lead than relinquish it. They nearly had a second on the hour mark after Chamakh drove down the left and found Arshavin inside the box with an audacious drag-back. The Russian’s shot was blocked and the rebound just eluded the onrushing Wilshere.

But Milan levelled four minutes after he departed the scene. It was a soft goal from Arsenal’s perspective as Clarence Seedorf curled in a free-kick from the left, Pato was allowed to run free and he glanced a header into the corner. It hinted at defensive failings that will need to be addressed.

Milan then almost snatched victory with two minutes remaining when Gianluca Zambrotta curled an exquisite effort against the bar.
An entertaining match with both side looking to attack from the off and a draw was probably the correct result.

Arsenal (4-4-2): Fabiansky, Ebouè (46 Sagna), Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs (46 Clichy), Rosicky (46 Walcott), Frimpong (69 Djourou), Wilshere, Arshavin (63 Vela), Nasri, Chamakh (73 Randall). Subs not used: Szczesny, Emmanuel-Thomas, Nordtveit.

Milan (4-3-3): Abbiati, Papastathopoulos (65 Zambrotta), Nesta, Yepes, Antonini, Gattuso (62 Merkel), Seedorf, Flamini (77 Strasser), Abate (81 Verdi), Borriello (69), Pato (82 Oddo). Subs not used: Amelia, Roma, Bonera, Albertazzi, Novinic, Adiyah.

World Cup 2010 Focus: Portugal

2010-05-31T10:45:00.000+01:00

Portugal set out to South Africa in pursuit of World Cup glory in the knowledge that the Seleccao's so-called ‘golden generation’ has gone, in the last few tournaments they have come close to major championship glory with the likes of Luis Figo and Rui Costa but Carlos Queiroz will be in optimistic mood given the record of three semi-finals and one final in the last five major tournaments.

In qualifying the Portuguese made hard work of what should have been a straight forward task; Denmark and Sweden were their main rivals, but ones that should have been dispatched. It was Denmark who triumphed in the group, posting a 3-2 victory in Portugal and a 1-1 stalemate in Copenhagen, this meant Queiroz had to contest a play-off with his team. Portugal then dispatched an impressive Bosnia side 2-0 on aggregate to claim their place at the World Cup.

As you would expect Portugal’s main threat will come in the shape of Real Madrid forward and worlds most expensive player Cristiano Ronaldo. The £80 million man will carry the nation’s hopes in South Africa, though it must be noted the Portuguese played a lot better when he wasn’t in the side during the final games of qualifying and the playoff matches.

But can they do without him, he is confident though: "I will try to give the best of me, as I always do, both in Madrid and in the national team. I'm in a great form but I don't do miracles. The important thing is not me, if the team is fine, we can go far and that is the mentality we will have at the World Cup."

Other’s in the squad capable of the unexpected are Manchester United’s winger Nani, who is in explosive form for United, especially during the final months of the season. Simao can produce moments of magic and Danny is a midfield maestro who can unlock defences with inch perfect passes. Pepe of Real Madrid has been passed fit for the tournament despite not playing for six months.

Much rests on coach Carlos Queiroz who is under pressure to perform, lacklustre qualifying made him a prime candidate for the chop but he survived and will lead his team in South Africa, but as usual Portugal are without an out-and-out striker, Liedson is the likely starter but isn’t renowned for his accuracy in front of goal.

Portugal’s Provisional 24 Man World Cup Squad: Eduardo (Sporting de Braga), Daniel Fernandes (Iraklis), Beto (FC Porto); Miguel (Valencia), Ricardo Costa (Lille), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Bruno Alves (FC Porto), Rolando (FC Porto), Ze Castro (Deportivo), Pepe (Real Madrid); Fabio Coentrao (SL Benfica), Duda (Malaga), Pedro Mendes (Sporting CP), Tiago (Juventus), Deco (Chelsea), Raul Meireles (FC Porto), Miguel Veloso (Sporting CP), Simao Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid), Danny (Zenit), Nani (Manchester United); Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Liedson (Sporting CP), Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen)

Legend of Calcio: Luigi Meroni

2010-05-26T11:39:00.000+01:00

Luigi Meroni was born on February 24th 1943 in the sleepy town of Como just north of Milan. He was a magician with the ball, bandy legged, thin but incredibly fast and blessed with immense control of a football. He spent his formative footballing years with local side Como before being transferred to a Genoa side in decline.

At Genoa Meroni was to become an idol, scoring beautiful goals, entertaining the crowds with fantastic dribbling that dazzled defenders. Though in 1963 after only a year in Genoa he was at the centre of a doping case. He failed to attend a drugs test, claiming to forget. The three others who did attend were found to have taken amphetamines and Meroni was banned for five matches as a result.

Moving to Torino in 1964, he cemented his legendary status with some gripping displays. Playing on the right wing, Meroni would terrorise defenders, his pace was phenomenal and he was able to easily glide pass the opposition. He scored one memorable goal at the San Siro against Inter in 1967; he chipped the ball over the despairing keeper that helped Torino defeat Inter who had not been beaten at home for over three years.

His style earned him the nickname, the ‘Purple Butterfly’. He always wore his socks at his ankles and in the days before shin guards he took immense punishment, though not one to feign injury, he always got up and carried on.

Not only a notable presence on the field, his off field antics often got him onto the front and back pages. Interestingly his hair was often a point of note for the masses, fans would often shout at Meroni to cut his hair, he was also labelled a gypsy or tramp because of his long Che Guevara-esque locks.

There were a number of incidents involving his hair; it had become a national obsession. In 1963, he was selected for the Italian B team by manager Edmondo Fabbri, who asked him to cut his hair, he did, but was incensed for being asked to do so. He was again called up by Fabbri, this time for a World Cup qualifying match against Poland in 1965, and again he was asked to cut his hair, he refused, stating in a press conference: “I hope I might play well even with long hair.”

Meroni was flamboyant, he went against the grain, he dressed very odd for the time, he wore massive sunglasses pulled down on his nose, odd hats and garish suits, he even began to design his own clothes. He would also play up to his anarchic image as on one particular occasion he drove into the main square of his hometown with a chicken on a lead. He walked the chicken round the square a couple of times before going to the banks of Lake Como to unsuccessfully dress the innocent chicken in a bathing suit.

During the summer of 1967, Torino’s great rivals Juventus made a move for Meroni, offering 750 million lire, an astronomical sum. The bid was accepted. Torino fans were furious, demonstrating in the streets and outside the president of Torino’s mansion and also that of the Juve owner Gianni Angelli. It is even claimed that the FIAT factory would have gone on strike – The Angelli’s own FIAT – and thus the transfer bid was withdrawn.

The following season Meroni was back in the colours of Torino and in October 1967 the defeated Sampdoria 4-2 at home. While celebrating the victory over Samp, he and his Torino colleague Fabrizio Poletti went to find their respective girlfriends. Meroni was in a buoyant mood, as he just found out he could marry Cristiana Uderstadt, a woman he was deeply in love with and with whom he was in a relationship with for many years.

Both players were crossing the road and while waiting in the central reservation Meroni stepped back to avoid a fast car coming from the right, but as he did so another vehicle was coming from the left. Poletti was hit but only slightly, Meroni was thrown into the air and catapulted onto the other side of the road where he was hit by another onrushing car, dragging him along the ground for a full 50 metres.

The driver of the second vehicle was Attilio Romero, a nineteen-year-old student and Torino fan. He was at the match earlier that day, his favourite player was Meroni, and he had a huge poster of his idol in his bedroom plus a small photo of him in his car. Meroni had broken both his legs, his pelvis, cranium and suffered a collapsed chest.

Luigi Meroni died of his injuries he was only 24 years old.

The funeral was attended by 20,000 people, prisoners from a Turin jail clubbed together to send a wreath and the headline in next days paper read ‘all Turin cried’. Torino’s priest, Don Francesco Ferraudo told the crowd, ‘Gigi was not just a body, muscles and nerves… but also genius, kindness, courage, understanding and generosity.’

As with all Tornio’s tales there is an eerie twist. In 2000 the appointed a new president, his name Attilio Romero… the same Attilio Romero who ran over a club idol.

Sampdoria Hire Domenico Di Carlo

2010-05-26T11:29:00.000+01:00

Sampdoria were left reeling by the departure of Luigi Del Neri to Juventus, the coach who guided them to Champions League qualification. But the bluecerchaiti have moved quickly in the managerial transfer market and appointed former Chievo boss Domenico Di Carlo.

The deal had been mooted ever since the departure of Del Neri and Samp announced the deal install Di Carlo just one hour after Chievo announced his departure.

Clearly a step up for the tactician but one he could not refuse: "I know I have a lot to do to match the work of Del Neri, but I am not fazed by the challenge.

"I wanted to stay at Chievo but when someone offers you the chance to compete in the Champions League, you can't say no," Di Carlo stated.

"It is a painful choice, but for me also a very important professional choice.

“Personally this is a significant reward as the team will play in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League." He continued.

After two very successful seasons in Verona, he has been tempted away. But his legacy will remain at Chievo just as the man he is replacing in Genoa’s did.

Luigi Del Neri is a legend at Chievo and Di Carlo did a phenomenal job at the helm. It must not be forgotten that in his two years there Chievo were tipped by almost every media pundit, newspaper and expert as relegation certainties, however they remain in Serie A with a relatively poor squad.

The organization of the Flying Donkey’s defence was exemplary; they only conceded 42 goals all season, the best defence in Serie A other than the top four. A feat not to be shirked at.

Taking an unfancied side and overachieving is one thing but how will the tactician fare in the Champions League and in Serie A with a pool of players that are, with all due respect, more talented than those he had to work with at Chievo?

Can he tame Antonio Cassano as Del Neri has? Will he get the best out of a team that has overachieved this season? One thing is for certain, he will need a strong start to the Serie A campaign to keep the doubters from his back.

Lets hope he lasts and may his good work continue.

Diego Alberto Milito: El Principe

2010-05-24T11:41:00.000+01:00

Diego Alberto Milito has written himself into the history books of Italian football, the cool, calm and collected Argentinean bagged a brace in the Champions League Final to sink Bayern Munich and take Inter to their first European Cup success for 45 years. Added to the winner he scored in the Coppa Italia Final and his Scudetto clinching goal, it is almost unanimous that Milito is the most dependable and clinical striker anywhere in Europe.

He began his goal scoring exploits with Racing Club in Argentina, where he one the Apertura title in 2001, he then attracted the interest of Genoa, then playing in Serie B. Fifty nine games and Thirty three goals later he was on the move once more, as Genoa were relegated to Serie C1 after an alleged match-fixing scandal. He joined his brother Gabriel at Real Zaragoza in Spain.

The goals never dried up and he ended his first year as Real Zaragoza's top scorer with 16 goals in La Liga. Not long after he was made club captain when Gabriel departed for Barcelona.

Milito was one of the top scorers in the La Liga 2006–07 season. He scored 23 goals, two less than the top goalscorer Ruud van Nistelrooy and three behind European Golden Boot winner Francesco Totti. His goals helped Zaragoza to a sixth place finish in the league.

When Zaragoza were relegated at the end of the 2008 season, Milito chose to move back to Genoa, on 1st September. He even rejected a number of major European clubs and more lucrative contracts to return to il Grifone.

His return sparked an upturn for the oldest club team in Italy, his goals propelled them to the upper echelons of Serie A, he was averaging over one goal every two games. A phenomenal strike rate and in the end came second to Capocannonieri, Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2009.

Internazionale were watching ‘El Principe’ closely and swooped for the hitman last summer in a deal valued at €22 million, but he did leave Genoa with a heavy heart as he wrote an open letter to the fans, and in it said, “Now we leave each other, I hope with a smile and affection that has become love, at least that's what I feel.” A humble and honorable man, but he had one last crack at the big time and rightly took it.

A break out season at the age of 30 is almost unheard of, but Milito has proved he can score goals at every level. He not only tallied 32 goals in all competitions, it was the importance of these goals that is so special.

An 85th minute winner against Fiorentina in November; scoring in both Milan Derbies, but his contribution in the final furlong was immense. Not to mention the tremendous work-rate and effort he exudes, his performances against Barcelona in the Champions League were immense, scoring what turned out to be the winner, he collapsed with cramp after 60 minutes of the first leg such was his application and willingness to give everything for this side.

He may not be mesmerising like Messi, but if presented with a chance to score he almost always does. Vision, technique timing but most importantly he possesses that rarest of traits only top strikers enjoy, that is composure in front of goal.

A provincial hero has well and truly entered the realms of Calcio royalty.

Inter vs Bayern Munich: Champions League Final Preview

2010-05-21T11:43:00.000+01:00

Jose Mourinho is on the verge of writing himself into Internazionale legend, the Portuguese coach has already captured the Serie A title and Coppa Italia this season, with plans to add the Champions League on Saturday, an unprecedented treble is indeed on the cards and the chance to end 45 years of heartache for the Inter faithful.

Not since Helenio Herrera took Inter to the final of the European Cup in 1967 have Inter graced the penultimate game of Europe’s premier club competition. Il Mago – The Wizard – won back-to-back titles in the 60’s and is regarded as their best ever coach, but if Jose can triumph over Bayern Munich in Madrid, he too will go down in Beneamata folklore.

In Madrid, Jose will go up against his former boss, Louis van Gaal, the Dutch master was in charge of Barcelona and took Mourinho under his wing before he flew the nest to go on and become the worlds most sought after coach.

With victories over CSKA, Chelsea and Barcelona on their way to the final, it can be said they have had a tougher route to Madrid given Bayern faced Fiorentina, Manchester United and Lyon, and have been somewhat fortunate in the decisions they have had in their favour from referees, something even van Gaal has admitted:

"I don't think we are among the best teams in Europe. Inter, Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester United are the best teams around in Europe, not Bayern," Van Gaal was quoted as saying.

"We are kind of lucky to have made it to the Champions League final. We have reached the final because of some refereeing mistakes that were in our favour. That's why we really should be using cameras to support referees.” He continued.

Inter will likely start with three forwards on the pitch in Goran Pandev, Samuel Eto’o and the goal machine Diego Milito with former Real Madrid starlet Wesley Sneijder linking the play from midfield.

If Javier Zanetti starts, of which there is no question, he will make his 700th appearance for Inter, a great achievement from a magnificent professional and thoroughly nice chap. He will thus move up into midfield as Thiago Motta is suspended and Cristian Chivu slotting in at left-back.

If he scores, Samuel Eto'o would become only the second player in the history of the competition to score in three different European Cup finals after Alfredo Di Stefano.

Bayern Munich are also on course for a treble but will have to do without the suspended Franck Ribery. Though Mark van Bommel has tipped former Real Madrid man, Arjen Robben, to shine:

"The team knows how to play for him and he knows how to play for us. We compliment each other very well, everyone knows what to do in his position and Arjen is working very well. I love having him here,” van Bommel stated.

Aside from Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger has came into his own this season, dictating the play from the centre of midfield, he is central to the way Bayern play, finally fulfilling the promise of his early years.

One difficulty Inter will have if they decide to ‘park the bus’ is the ability of Bayern’s players to shoot from distance. Robben has already shown earlier in the tournament that he can smash a ball from 30 yards, Hamit Altintop, Mark van Bommel, and Schweinsteiger are no strangers to a long shot either.

One weak spot for Inter to exploit is the Bayern centre-back pairing. Both Manchester United and Fiorentina found plenty of gaps and this is something Mourinho will surely have noticed. Plus they have a solid foundation to build from.

Many are predicting a close encounter with Inter slight favorites, though there are many duels on the pitch and off it that will decide the outcome.

Possible Line-ups

Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu; Cambiasso, Zanetti, Sneijder; Pandev, Eto'o, Milito.

Bayern Munich: Butt, Lahm, Badstuber, Van Buyten, Contento, Altintop, Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Olic, Muller.

The Azzurrini... One Year On

2010-05-21T11:42:00.000+01:00

The World Cup is ever closer and Azzurri fans are downbeat and disenchanted by Marcelo Lippi for leaving out such talents as Antonio Cassano and Fabrizio Miccoli. There is also concern about the age of some of the squad; many have past their best and the tifosi feel Lippi needs to look to the future instead of 2006.

That said, Italy had a generation of talent on show last year in Sweden at the U21 European Championships. Many of these players would become ineligible for U21 play after last summers tournament, but what has become of this latest crop of Azzurrini?

Goalkeepers

Andrea Consigli, Salvatore Sirigu, Andrea Seculin

Consigli has made the Atalanta jersey his own and despite some good performances he has made a number of errors and will find himself in Serie B next year.

Sirigu on the other hand has excelled this season. He deposed Rubinho in the Palermo goal and has never looked back; he is even in contention for a spot in the Azzurri squad. Has an excellent future ahead of him. Seculin is third choice at Fiorentina.

Defenders

Marco Motta, Marco Andreolli, Domenico Criscito, Lino Marzorati, Andrea Ranocchia, Francesco Pisano, Salvatore Bocchetti

Of these talents, Motta was team captain and standout performer, but he has failed to get regular football at Roma, but when brought on has performed well.

Bocchetti and Criscito have done well at Genoa and are both in the mind of Marcelo Lippi. Criscito in particular may find he is handed the left back slot in South Africa. Ranocchia would be on the plane if he had not been injured.

Pisano has had a season blighted by injury and managed just 7 starts all season.

Marzorati and Andreolli have only been but part players at Cagliari and Roma respectively, with the formers most notable contribution coming as a last minute equalizer against Fulham in the Europa League.

Midfielders

Paolo De Ceglie, Piermario Morosini, Ignazio Abate, Claudio Marchisio, Antonio Candreva, Andrea Poli, Alessio Cerci, Luca Cigarini, Daniele Dessena

The Juventus trio of De Ceglie, Marchisio and Candreva have had a difficult season. But both Marchisio and Candreva can be proud of their efforts and both look to be key players for the future for club and country.

Abate is another who has had a difficult season, played mostly at right-back. Not for lack of effort it seems a future for Italy is not to be had.

Andrea Poli has been a revelation for Sampdoria and was key in their run towards Champions League qualification. His teammate Dessena has endured more of a substitutes role for Samp, but has done well when given the chance.

Cigarini on the other hand has not been a regular starter for Napoli, but has made telling contributions when given the chance. A last minute goal against Milan springs to mind.

Cerci and Morosini have not made an impact at their respective clubs, with the latter not even making a league appearance.

Forwards

Robert Acquafresca, Sebastian Giovinco, Alberto Paloschi, Mario Balotelli

What is left to say about Balotelli? He is mecurial, bad tempered, stroppy but ultimately hugely talented. An Azzurri legend…

Giovinco was touted as the star of this side but the Atomic Ant has endured a stop start campaign. Not receiving enough first team action has and could hamper his development further.

Paloschi is another who has endured an irregular season, he started well at Parma but injury has hampered what promised to be a break out year for the youngster.

He was the focal point in the U21 attack, but failed to impress in Sweden and this season has failed to impress at both Atalanta and Genoa. Unable to step up to the rigours of Serie A.

You need not be worried about the future of La Nazionale, I fully expect many of them to become regular starters in the coming years, maybe a crack at the 2014 World Cup isn’t that unrealistic?

Leonardo Can Be Proud Of His Achievements With AC Milan

2010-05-18T11:45:00.000+01:00

AC Milan playmaker Ronaldinho recently said of coach Leonardo, “It has been beautiful to work with him. He is my friend and I want to see him happy wherever he is.”

As we all know he was not happy and he will not be working with his fellow countryman following their final match against Juventus, a 3-0 victory incidentally in which Ronaldinho bagged a brace. A fitting end to Leonardo’s reign at the San Siro.

The Brazilian leaves behind a side that performed over and above its ability, to which a lot of credit must go to the coach. He leaves with his head held high and his reputation enhanced despite a somewhat imagined Scudetto challenge, Champions League humiliation and disappointing Coppa Italia exit.

Leonardo was a new beginning after the departure of long serving Carlo Ancelotti and the sale of star man Kaka, not to mention the retirement of club icon and legend Paolo Maldini. Leonardo was charged with the colossal task of ushering in this new era at Milanello, he did have his issues during a turbulent few weeks in charge of the AC Milan side.

The rookie had no experience as a coach, no notable signings were made and expectations were low, the Rossoneri faithful had very little hope for the season.

But after putting together a magnificent run of 13 matches unbeaten between October and December, which included a 3-2 win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu against the Nuevo Galácticos. Milan were playing some of the best attacking football on the continent.

This resurgence was led by a tactical switch from playing a trequartista to an attacking tridente of Ronaldinho, Marco Borriello and Pato, coupled with the return to form of Alessandro Nesta and the superlative partnership he formed with Thiago Silva.

It can be said the injuries to Nesta and Pato derailed the Rossoneri challenge on all fronts but even still Leo can be very proud of what he has achieved this season.

Third place in Serie A while playing Giuseppe Favalli at centre-back deserves a knighthood. Most of his squad were the wrong side of thirty yet he managed to instill a never say die attitude and demonstrated a very canny tactical brain.

As the season wore on it become clear he was going to leave, rumblings of discontent from the hierarchy and an emanating tension, together with a desire to be close to his family in Brazil may have hastened his decision, but it could be one Silvio Berlusconi regrets.

Leonardo said at a press conference: "We are here to announce that we are parting ways through mutual consent, in a calm and serene manner, just as it has always been in our relationship throughout the years.

"There's nothing surprising. Everything is very clear today, as always. We have arrived at the end. The Champions League aim, which I desired so much, has been achieved and this morning we have decided to make it official. The time to end this adventure has come."

I for one will be sad to see him depart Calcio; he has proved himself to be an intelligent, thoughtful man and not to mention a pretty handy tactician.

Grazie Leo!

The Search For Leonardo's Successor At AC Milan Begins

2010-05-18T11:44:00.000+01:00

The search for Leonardo’s successor in the AC Milan hot seat will be one of the summer’s hottest topics in and around the peninsula after the Brazilian left the club by mutual consent following the clash with Juventus at the weekend.

But of the many big name mangers who is most likely to get the Rossoneri hot seat? We weigh up the leading candidates for the role.

Marco van Basten

Former player and legend at Milan, he is a favourite of Silvio Berlusconi and someone with experience of managing at the highest level. He coached the Dutch national side at Euro 2008 where they played some mesmerising football.

He has strong footballing principles and has had a number of spats with players most notably Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Coach at Ajax after the 2008 European Championship, he lasted one season and resigned after failing to gain Champions League qualification.

When asked about the link, he admitted, “Me at Milan? I've read it too and it surely would be a good idea, I'm really close with Milan, with the management and supporters." Though he has since ruled himself out the running, citing an injured ankle.

Mauro Tassotti

Another former player linked with the post. He was the number two, to both Leonardo and Carlo Ancelotti. Having spent 17 years at Milan as a player and having been part of the coaching team since 1997, Tassotti certainly has the experience.

He already has a relationship with the players and will know them well, he will also come relatively cheap, something that will no doubt be a factor in the decision making process.

When asked about his intentions, Tassotti said: “Who wouldn't like to train Milan? Trainers who don't have their coaching badges dream about it, as do those who have it and have been at this club for 30 years. I have been here for 30 years and my relationship with this club will not change.”

Fillippo Galli

We seem to have a recurring theme as yet another former Milan player is in contention for the top job. Not only is Galli a former player, he is the current director of the youth academy and technical assistant to the first team.

A favorite of Adriano Galliani he may not have the coaching experience but he is Milanista and like Tassotti, he will come cheap. A mooted duel role with Tassotti has also been mooted.

His response to the recent speculation is, “I am a professional and a Milanista,” Galli said,
“I live within the Milan environment every single day and I am at the club’s disposal. But this choice is down to the President or the Chief Executive Adriano Galliani.” He continued.

Massimiliano Allegri

The first candidate with no prior links to the club, Allegri worked wonders at provincial Cagliari, led them to a 9th place finish in his first season in charge, despite having limited funds and no truly top-class players.

Despite an indifferent campaign he was eventually given the boot due to ‘distractions’ off the field. Maybe he knew of Leo’s departure before we did.

The Serie A Coach of the Year was expected to leave the Sardinians this summer to further his career, Galliani hinted that Allegri has links with Milan: “He is a Milanista, because he went on tour with us.”

Galliani said, referring to when Allegri was invited to go on a tour of the United States with Milan while playing for Cagliari in the 1990s.

Who gets the job, you decide.

Manchester United vs Stoke City: Preview

2010-05-09T15:21:00.000+01:00

Here we go, it’s crunch time in the Premier League as Manchester United face Stoke City at Old Trafford on the final day of the season. Once last chance to clinch a record breaking 19^th League title and 4^th in a row, but two teams stand in the way… Chelsea and Stoke.

The Blues lie one point clear of United at the summit of the table and if they win their match at home to Wigan then they will be crowned champions, but if they draw or lose and we overcome our opponents at Old Trafford then United will be crowned champions… Simple.

All matches today kick off at the same time so the crowd will play a big part in communicating the results at other grounds to the players on the pitch, imagine if United get an early goal, the pressure on Chelsea will be enormous. Can they cope? We may be looking to make amends for another final day disappointment when in 1995 we failed to take advantage of Blackburn’s slip up at Liverpool.

Even Sir Alex wont be able to shut out events at Stamford Bridge,

"It's pointless going into the game expecting anything from Chelsea in our favour," said Ferguson.

"I have confidence that Wigan will do their best and they will try.

"There's pressure on both us and Chelsea because we both need to win but I don't know what's going on in Chelsea's minds - all I know is that in this situation we just hope.”

United will be going into today’s game with a relatively fit squad. Edwin van der Sar will sit behind a back four that should consist of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand in the centre. Wes Brown could well get a start as he is now fully fit following a metatarsal injury, but has Gary Neville, Rafael and John O’Shea all vying for the right-back slot. No such problems for Patrice Evra as he will make his 38^th Premier League appearance, only one has been as a substitute.

Expect an attacking line up and a four-man midfield. The superlative Nani will be looking to add to his recent goal tally as he starts on the right, Ryan Giggs will look to take up at slot on the left, drifting into the centre when needed. Paul Scholes who has been turning back the years will be joined by Darren Fletcher in the centre of midfield.

With a 30 second run out for Owen Hargreaves last weekend, an extended appearance may be the order of the day, depending on the score of course. Antonio Valencia is out with an ankle injury so wont feature.

It appears the last chance saloon has closed for Dimitar Berbatov so this could be his last match at Old Trafford if rumours are to be believed, lets hope he makes it one to remember. Wayne Rooney will be his strike partner as he enters into a personal duel with Didier Drogba for the top scorer accolade, his record is 31 games 26 goals, and Drogba’s is exactly the same.

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis will name an unchanged line up from the side that beat Fulham 1-0:

"It will be the same team and I think that is only fair on the lads who have done so well for us against Everton and Fulham," he told stokecityfc.com.

"The only change may be Abdoulaye Faye coming back in on to the bench after overcoming his recent injury.

"Hopefully we will have learned our lessons from Chelsea, but it is still difficult if the likes of Wayne Rooney are right on top of their games. The big sides can turn teams over if they aren't at 100% so we have got to go there be strong and keep doing what we have done over the last couple of games."

The last time we won our final four league matches we won the title – 2001/02, so lets hope for a repeat. As the saying goes it’s not over till the referee blows his whistle.

Come on Wigan!!

Prediction: 3-0 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs; Berbatov, Rooney

***

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Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Sunderland vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-05-02T15:18:00.001+01:00

By the time Manchester United’s visit to Sunderland comes around, the Red Devils will know the task in hand as Liverpool will already have beaten Chelsea – fingers crossed.

The Stadium of Light will prove to be a tough fixture, the talk of Liverpool ‘rolling over’ and Sunderland boss Steve Bruce giving his former club a ‘free ride’ should be put to be straight away as these are professional players who would not throw a game. Both United and Chelsea will be made to work by their respective opponents.

United have won five and lost none of their last seven trips to Wearside, so we will be hoping that stat gets better but Sunderland have lost only two of their last 10 games.

Focussing on the Manchester United side, the defensive line up will be relatively similar to the Spurs match, Rafael on the right, Patrice Evra on the left, with Nemanja Vidic partnering Rio Ferdinand at centre back. The England Captain returned to training this week following a groin injury and looks set to start.

Gary Neville should only make the bench as he is still carrying a slight calf strain.

The midfield should contain an in-form Paul Scholes partnered with Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs could continue his role as an attacking midfield player, supporting a lone striker.

Nani is in scintillating form and will no doubt start the match, however he may move to the right side to make room for Ji-Sung Park who could start on the left.

Owen Hargreaves was a surprise name last week as he was named on the bench, and the same could be true this week for the injury hit player.

Dimitar Berbatov will probably lead the line on his own once more, but Wayne Rooney returned to training on Friday but may have to settle for a place on the bench at Sunderland.

Sir Alex Ferguson does not expect an easy game:

“Sunderland have hit form,” says the boss. “My old captain has done a great job there, and he's started to bring one or two young players. It's refreshing to see a manager putting his trust in young players.

“Darren Bent has had a great season, young Fraizer Campbell is doing very well. He's getting a quota of goals and it is encouraging for him. Kenwyne Jones is also a real handful and they’ve got some good young players in their team, like [David] Meyler and [Jordan] Henderson. So, we know what we're facing.

“And it’s one thing saying we hope Liverpool do us a turn, it’s Sunderland’s last home game of the season and they are in good form. Sunderland will do their best and we have to match that. It’s not an easy game,” He concluded.

Steve Bruce’s Black Cats will be without Alan Hutton who is suspended, so for former United full-back Phil Bardsley could get a start. George McCartney and Andy Reid are both out with hamstring injuries, but Lee Cattermole and John Mensah could return from their respective calf and knee problems.

Despite absentees there will be plenty to worry about as Darren Bent is a striker on form and looking to cement a place on the plane to South Africa, so United cannot expect any favours from the former Tottenham man.

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon is another key player for the Wearside club. He struggled when he first arrived but has now proved his doubters wrong with a string of fine performances, compared to United’s own Edwin van der Sar it will be a difficult task to beat the Scottish shot stopper.

Of the match, the Black Cats boss said:

"We seriously believe we can win. All this stuff about just because I played there for 10 years. What am I going to say to the players 'Oh by the way lads, just forget it today'.

"There will be near 50,000 here, we're live on telly, every man and his dog wants to be here. 'Just let them win, will you?' It is not going to happen.”

So there you have it, no favours from Fergie’s first title winning captain. Though it must play in his mind that he has never beaten his mentor. In 13 meeting between the two, Ferguson has won 10 and drawn three and Sunderland's last league win over Manchester United was in March 1997. Since then United have won 11 and drawn four of their last 15 league meetings.

But having said that, only Chelsea and Aston Villa have come away from the Stadium of Light with maximum points this season.

Expect no favours from Sunderland, but lets hope for one from Liverpool!

Prediction: 3-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs, Park; Berbatov

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

AC Milan Plummet To New Lows After Loss To Palermo

2010-04-25T11:47:00.000+01:00

Finish the season with honour’ AC Milan boss Leonardo has proclaimed, but the Serie A season cannot finish soon enough for the Rossoneri as the 3-1 defeat inflicted by Palermo brought home some stark realisations for AC Milan and their supporters.

The third place side travelled to Sicily to face Delio Rossi’s Palermo team who are in the fight for fourth place and in some scintillating form, whilst also showing magnificent team spirit the weekend previous by coming back from two goals down against Cagliari.

As the Aquile go from strength to the Diavolo seem to have run out of steam during the final furlong. Leonardo’s team selection on Saturday again brought home the distinct lack of depth and quality in the Milan set-up. There were four full-backs in the first eleven, Marek Jankulovski, Massimo Oddo, Luca Antonini and Gianluca Zambrotta. Two of which were played out of position – Oddo at centre back and Jankulovski in midfield.

Defensively Milan are awash with old, unreliable players, Giuseppe Favalli being a case in point and miss the injured Alessandro Nesta more than a fat cop misses a donut. Delving further into the squad, four of the six outfield players on the substitutes bench were from the primavera side, thus supplementing the argument for more squad depth.

Not that I want to demean any of the youngsters as they are a quality bunch of players shown by the fact they have reached the Coppa Italia Final and are second in the Primavera Championship, but I would expect these young players to be blooded in slowly and having to earn their place in one of the most prestigious in the peninsula.

But having made the point about investment needed in the club time and time again, it looks as if Milan will be having a quiet summer as vice-president of the club Adriano Galliani has said, “I wanted to reinforce the structure of the youth sector to get it back to a very high level. We can confirm that a new era began for the Rossoneri's academy in the summer of 2009. We'll keep investing a lot in the youth sector.”

So it looks likely a complete first team squad overhaul that is well overdue will be put off for another season, this backed up by Galliani’s statement after the AC Milan annual general meeting where he said, "We will not be selling any stars. Certainly not Pato, certainly not Thiago Silva, Certainly not Ronaldinho, Huntelaar and Borriello.”

He continued, "Silvio Berlusconi loves Milan, but he will not spend €810m in five years like Inter did."

No ins and no outs according to Galliani, the same man who proclaimed Kaka would not be sold last summer.

Having said that some minor points of speculation regarding the Milan strikers has been doing the rounds recently. First Pato is rumoured to be leaving for either Real Madrid or Chelsea and Huntelaar, who has constantly been liked with the Premier League since his arrival at the San Siro, is once again being linked with a move away, this time to Manchester United in part-exchange for Dimitar Berbatov.

If Milan let Pato go, it would be a clear signal from the hierarchy Milan are now a selling club as the €50 million he would bring in, would not be spent on reinforcing the team, more likely used to balance the books at Via Turati.

Finally we come to the future of Leonardo. Unhappy at the numerous jibes from Silvio Berlusconi about his tactics, the Brazilian looks increasingly likely to be out of the Milan hot seat this summer.

Unhappy with lack of funds to strengthen, coupled with his family being in Brazil, the end of the road seems neigh.
Some tifosi cannot wait for the summer but it may prove to be another summer of disappointment for the long-suffering Rossoneri fans.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview

2010-04-24T15:15:00.001+01:00

The twists and turns of the Premier League continue and thanks to the ‘Ginger Ninja’ Paul Scholes Manchester United are still in the title hunt, but credit must also go to this weeks visitors Tottenham Hotspur, who travel to Old Trafford as conquerors of Chelsea, thus reigniting the title race.

This game is of monumental importance to both clubs, United have to win to keep pace with Chelsea and Spurs need to win to make sure Manchester City don’t overtake them in the race for fourth. It promises to be an effervescent affair.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was full of praise during his Friday press conference, “I think this is the best Tottenham team in my time at United,” Sir Alex said. “When I came here they had Glenn Hoddle, Chris Waddle and Clive Allen, but this team has a lot of substance to it. He's done a great job, Harry.“

Going into the match United have no new injury worries, in fact, Rio Ferdinand has recovered from a groin strain and Wes Brown from a foot injury. Ferdinand should partner Nemanja Vidic in the centre of defence, with Patrice Evra on the left. But there is a question mark over who will face off against Gareth Bale?

Will Fergie go with the experience of Gary Neville to combat the searing pace of Bale? Or will he opt for the sturdy John O’Shea? Or will youth get a chance in the shape of Rafael? Not to mention the fit again Wes Brown.

As United need three points, a four-man midfield will more than likely be used. Paul Scholes will have earned his place alongside Darren Fletcher. Antonio Valencia will take up his usual slot on the right and Nani should be brought in on the left side, as Ryan Giggs was poor against City last weekend.

Owen Hargreaves was in line for a spot on the bench, but he has once again been sidelined by injury, thankfully it is only a calf strain and not a recurrence of his knee problems.

One thing that is always certain is, if Wayne Rooney is fit then he will start... sometimes he will start even if he is not. This rule is not true when it comes to Dimitar Berbatov. Linked with a summer move away from Old Trafford, the Bulgarian will have a chance to show his current employers the form he displayed with his former employers when they visit Manchester on Saturday.

One thing though is the worry over Spurs’ current form, Sir Alex is pessimistic though:

“Of course I was delighted with Spurs’ displays against Arsenal and Chelsea. They were absolutely brilliant, and could've won by more goals than they did, but their performance level was terrific. Now I'm faced with the same problem, coming up against them.

“The good thing is that all our players have watched these games. They've seen the quality they've got and that helps – we're not going into the unknown.”

As Ferguson mentioned, wins over Arsenal and Chelsea will have done wonders for the visitors’ confidence, especially as they should have won both fixtures by a much bigger margin than they eventually did. However, a trip to Old Trafford is something, which Spurs’ don’t do well. They last emerged victorious at Old Trafford 21 years ago, and last season they let slip a 2-0 half-time lead to eventually lose 5-2.

Having said that, Gareth Bale is in magnificent form having been pushed to a more advanced role. Luka Modric is showing touches of brilliance we all expect and Michael Dawson is playing himself into England contention with his imperious displays.

Unluckily for United, Aaron Lennon looks set to make his long awaited comeback from injury and will have a place on the Spurs bench. Jermaine Jenas and Ledley King could also be restored to the line-up, while Wilson Palacios is back from suspension.

Harry Redknapp is in buoyant mood after the recent victories, "They were two great victories. When you play the top three teams in the country within 10 days and to beat all three of them, that would take some beating. You are not going to do that too often in your life.

"I would have snapped your hand off for five points. I would probably have taken four to be honest with you. But we have another tough game tomorrow.

"The sun's shining, it's a great stadium, a fantastic place to play football against a great team. We're looking forward to it."

Lets hope Tottenham get stage fright in the Theatre of Dreams, the statistics certainly point to a United victory.
Spurs have not won in their last 66 Premier League visits to the ‘Big Four’ clubs and United are unbeaten in their last 17 league matches against Tottenham who have only beaten Manchester United three times in 35 matches in the Premier League.

We should go back to the top of the league on Saturday, if only for 24 hours. Unless of course Stoke aren’t beaten at Stamford Bridge on Sunday… stranger things have happened.

Prediction: 2-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra;, Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani; Berbatov, Rooney

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Serie A Week 35 Preview: Roma Look to Extend Lead at the Top of Serie A

2010-04-24T11:48:00.000+01:00

Serie A is certainly hotting up and Gironata 35 is here!

AS Roma will be buoyed by Derby victory and safe passage through to the Coppa Italia final after a 2-1 aggregate win over Udinese. Not many of the first team regulars started the midweek match as the tinkerman; Claudio Ranieri worked his magic in anticipation of Sampdoria’s visit to the Olimpico on Sunday evening.

Unbeaten in 23 league matches, Roma will face the toughest of their remaining four games. Will Ranieri leave out Francesco Totti? With Claudio you never know, it may prove to be another masterstroke reminiscent of his substitutions during the derby.

The Blucerchiati are in great form after victories over Genoa and AC Milan respectively, which propelled them to fourth position in the league table. To add spice to the match, former Romanista, Antonio Cassano will be hoping to dent Roma’s Scudetto challenge while further enhancing his own team’s claim for a Champions League berth.

Challenging Samp for fourth spot are Palermo, the Sicilians have laid claim to the coveted position since late February, but had to relinquish control last weekend, so the visit of Milan will likely prove a stern test for the Rosanero. Milan though are in terrible form, and have only won once in the last five. Notably, Palermo have only lost once at home to Milan in six years.

Change is on the horizon for Milan, third place is all but secure and there are rumours of unhappiness with players and manager. Leonardo is apparently sick and tired of Owner, Silvio Berlusconi’s constant tactical jibes, plus Ronaldinho has been asked to take a pay cut; all is not well with the Rossoneri.

Couple this with a defensive crisis which could mean Massimo Oddo playing in central defence, there is little reason for the Diavolo to be optimistic.

Meanwhile, Inter play host to Atalanta on Saturday evening. The Nerazzurri will no doubt have half an eye on the Champions League second leg and could well be feeling the after effects of Tuesdays match considering the effort they had to put in against Barcelona. Atalanta on the other hand will be fighting for their lives as relegation looms large.

The shadow of Balotelli will be cast over Inter, as Super Mario had another tantrum on Tuesday resulting in exclusion from this match squad. His future uncertain, his talent undoubted, but harnessing this appears difficult. Jose Mourinho may look to rest a few of his players as well, which will certainly favour Atalanta, who themselves are playing wonderfully.

Defeats to Juventus and Roma were harsh, but the Orobici have remained defiant and are one of the form teams in Serie A, so expect a tough game for Inter, who may well drop more points as they continue to prioritise Europe.

Other fixtures:

Bologna - Parma
Fiorentina - Chievo
Genoa - Lazio
Juventus - Bari
Livorno - Catania
Napoli - Cagliari
Udinese - Siena

Manchester City vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-04-17T15:13:00.001+01:00

Prior to the Blackburn match last weekend few of us would have thought things could have gotten any worse, but they did. A disappointing draw at Ewood Park matched by a lacklustre performance, the title now seems like a distant, fading dream.

Next up are our neighbours from across town, Manchester City who are in their own battle, that for fourth place. We managed a 4-3 victory in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford, but Eastlands will be a tough place to go, especially considering the form Roberto Mancini has his charges in.

City have scored sixteen goals in their last five matches and have only lost once as well, so United’s defence will have to be on top form if this goal scoring run is to be halted.

Sir Alex Ferguson feels it is the most decisive derby he has contested:

“It could be the most significant derby I’ve been involved in. City could get into the Champions League, and their form in the last few weeks has been excellent. Six goals against Burnley, five against Birmingham – nobody has scored five against Birmingham all season, their defensive record has been fantastic.”

Edwin van der Sar will be the usual custodian between the sticks and will make his 150th Premier League appearance for United. Playing in front of the Dutch master will be a central defensive pairing of Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans as Rio Ferdinand is out with a groin strain. Rafael could be brought in on the right to replace Gary Neville and Patrice Evra will surely be back in his left-sided role.

The United midfield is more troublesome, should Sir Alex Ferguson go with a 4-4-2 or revert to the 4-5-1 that is so often used away from Old Trafford.

Considering we need to win the match, 4-4-2 would seem the best option with Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick in the middle, Nani on the left and Antonio Valencia on the right.

Dimitar Berbatov is fighting for his United future and Sir Alex may give him a chance to shine against City, alongside Wayne Rooney who should be fit to start the match.

Injuries to Ryan Giggs (hamstring), Anderson (knee), Wes Brown (metatarsal) and Michael Owen (hamstring) mean they will miss the match.

Manchester City will be looking first to gain a valuable three points to help their ambitions of reaching the Champions League next season and the added incentive of killing off United’s title challenge will mean Roberto Mancini will not need to give his side any further motivation.

Of the match Mancini is quietly confident:

"It's a big game, of course, it is the derby - but also it's just important that we win, and if we continue to play like we have been playing then we have a good chance. It is a difficult game. United are a good squad with some fantastic players, but we also have fantastic players and we are a very good team.”

Pablo Zabaleta is available for the Blues after serving a two-match suspension; Stephen Ireland is also back following a three-game absence with a shin injury. Joleon Lescott (hamstring), Wayne Bridge (groin), Martin Petrov (knee) and Michael Johnson (knee) are all definite absentees.

Many in the media have spoken of Carlos Tevez, former United striker and now City talisman. With good reason as well, he provoked a war of words with Gary Neville before the Carling Cup semis and has been in top form for City this year, also managing to score a hat-trick (over two legs) in City’s Carling Cup defeat to United.

But one player who is becoming indispensible to the City attack is Adam Johnson. The former Middlesborough man has made the right wing slot his own, and in the process ousting Shawn Wright-Phillips from the City starting eleven.

As always with a derby, form goes out the window. If United can get the three points and close the gap on Chelsea to one, it may give the league leaders something to think about going into their match with Tottenham.

If United lose then it is curtains for a 19th Premier League title… until next year anyway.

Prediction: 2-2 Draw

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Rafael, Evans, Vidic, Evra;, Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani; Berbatov, Rooney

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Sampdoria Pip Genoa in the Derby della Lanterna

2010-04-12T11:50:00.000+01:00

As week 33 in Serie A drew to a close we were treated to a magnificent Derby della Lanterna between Genoa and Sampdoria. Both teams have European ambitions, the Rossoblu are looking to gain Europa League qualification, while the Blucerchiati are in the running to claim a Champions League spot. The game at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris kicked off just over fifteen minutes late due to traffic delaying the arrival of both side, but it was certainly a match worth waiting for.

Sampdoria took the earlier initiative and were in complete control from the off, and had early chances through a Daniele Gastaldello header and a Stefano Guberti volley from the edge of the 18-yard box which forced Genoa’s stand in goalkeeper, Alessio Scarpi into a magnificent save.

The deadlock was broken soon after and to be fair it had been on the cards as Samp were putting sustained pressure on the Genoa defence, and it was Antonio Cassano who got the goal as he nodded in a Stefano Lucchini cross-box header.
Tensions threatened to spillover as a number of reckless challenges began to fly in.

Genoa did score though as Giuseppe Sculli fired in a thunderous volley but he was correctly deemed offside.

Following the half-time interval, it was Genoa who were taking control of the tie, wave after wave of Grifone attacks were thwarted by a stubborn Sampdoria defence with Marco Storari making a number of saves.

In the final minute of the match Genoa had the chance to rescue a point as Salvatore Bocchetti rose unchallenged in the Samp penalty area, but could only put his header wide.

Sampdoria coach Gigi Del Neri was in buoyant mood following the final whistle: “It was a great victory in front of a wonderful crowd,” stated Del Neri.

“We learned from the mistakes of the past and didn’t allow Genoa any space to hurt us.” He continued

“Now we want to keep hold of fourth place. We are the favourites for that Champions League spot and I hope we can maintain it until the end of the season.”

But the Genoa boss Gian Piero Gasperini was not so complimentary:“Genoa overall had a good game, perhaps they were even the better side compared to Sampdoria, who made the most of the goal and built their performance on that.

“To be perfectly honest, I am struggling to remember any other scoring opportunities Samp had.” He continued.

“We did our best and were the only ones to create chances, especially in the second half. An equaliser could’ve transformed the game, but at the end of the day the result does not reflect the whole match.”

Genoa now lie tenth, six points behind Juventus in the race for a Europa League spot, so it will take a minor miracle for the Rossoblu to reach Europe once more and facing some tough teams in the coming weeks, a top half finish may be the best Gasperini can hope for.

Sampdoria on the other hand are still in the hunt for fourth spot, level on point with Palermo the current occupiers of fourth place, but Samp do have a difficult run-in. AC Milan and AS Roma are next up for Del Neri, then a potential Champions League decider in week 37 with Palermo.

Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-04-10T15:12:00.000+01:00

The last week has been a tough one for many of us Manchester United fans, but look no further as we have a Premier League fixture against Blackburn Rovers to contend with. A visit to Ewood Park is probably not the easiest of tasks considering the last seven days. Sir Alex Ferguson will surely be hoping there are none of these typical Germans in Sam Allardyce’s line up come Sunday.

We have had a terrible time of it recently, first the defeat to Chelsea, a miraculous recovery from Wayne Rooney and then a controversial sending off which led to Bayern Munich snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Surely the lads will be 100 per cent focussed on overtaking league leaders Chelsea.

Patrice Evra certainly is in good spirits:

“At the end of the season I might regret the way we threw our Champions League chance away, but now is not the time for regrets. Now it’s about fighting and playing with heart. Winning the league will be difficult, but I’m confident.”

Going into the match against Blackburn, team selection will be crucial. Some have argued that Ferguson had gotten it wrong in the last two games, but when Sunday comes he must get it right. A good job we have won our last four league and cup games against Blackburn.

Edwin van der Sar will start in goal as in the norm and his defence will no doubt be Patrice Evra on the left, he says he isn’t tired but others may disagree. In the centre will be the pairing of Rio Ferdinand, making his 400th Premier League appearance and Nemanja Vidic. There may be some changes on the right with Gary Neville, John O’Shea and Rafael all gunning for the starting berth.

Will Sir Alex stick with the young Brazilian after an immense showing against Bayern – before the sending off – or will he opt to give O’Shea some more time on the field after a five-month lay off, or will he go with the experience of Neville? It would be testament for the boss to stick with Rafael and an opportunity to see how he reacts to being thrown right back in the mix.

Due to lack of options in the forward department a five-man midfield will against be supporting a lone striker.

On the right side of midfield will be Antonio Valencia, with Nani on the left. The Portuguese has shown what an integral player he can become to United and will look to add more goals to the brace he collected on Wednesday. In the middle will be Darren Fletcher supported by either Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes or Ji-Sung Park.

Carrick’s form of late hasn’t been the best and he is struggling to make his presence known in games, Scholes may be brought in as a result.

Then we are left with the enigmatic Dimitar Berbatov on his own up-front, a position he is clearly not comfortable in, but we know he has the capability to make telling passes and score excellent goals, especially against weaker opposition. Federico Macheda may also get a run out at some point in the match.

Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of the game by Ferguson along with Danny Welbeck (knee), Michael Owen (hamstring), Anderson (knee), Wes Brown (toe) and Owen Hargreaves (knee).

Blackburn though have only lost two league games at Ewood Park this season, the first of which was on the opening day. But Big Sam is glad he doesn’t have to face Rooney:

"They have had 13 own goals in their favour this year. That shows the pressure they put on other teams but it also shows there's a big gap and a big loss with Wayne not playing and hopefully that can only be a help for us to get a result."

Doubtful for Blackburn are Keith Andrews, Yildiray Basturk and Lars Jacobsen, as they will all be subject to late fitness tests, while Ryan Nelsen played 90 minutes for the Reserves this week, so will at least make the bench.

The primary attacking threat will come from attacking midfielder David Dunn; he has scored nine goals so far this season and is his clubs top scorer. In-form 18-year-old Phil Jones has become a starter in the centre of defence and looks a good prospect, while Martin Olsson has become a dangerous player for them this season.

Blackburn struggle against teams with pace and with the wingers we have lets hope we can get back on track for a 19^th Premier League title.

Prediction: 2-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Rafael; Nani, Fletcher, Giggs, Park, Valencia; Berbatov

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Manchester United vs Bayern Munich: Preview

2010-04-07T15:11:00.000+01:00

The second-leg of the Champions League quarter-final is almost upon us, and their will be much anticipation over an encounter that could in theory make or break out season. Manchester United welcome Bayern Munich to Old Trafford hoping that the 2-1 first leg defeat can be overturned, and the ‘spirit of 1999’ rekindled.

It promises to be very tough indeed, both teams are dangerous on the attack but also partook in top-of-the-table clashes over the weekend. United lost their encounter with title rivals Chelsea, but Bayern were victorious over Schalke and even played a large part of the game with ten men. So United will be aware of the threat they pose especially with the attacking talent they have.

Looking to stop the Bayern forward line will be Edwin van der Sar, who in the first leg was by far United’s best player and kept us in the tie with a string of wonderful saves.

Supporting the Dutchman will be first choice central defensive partnership Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, who will be looking to dominate the Bayern attack and provide the platform for the attacking players to build. After a couple of below-par displays it seems Gary Neville will not start this evening, in fact, youngster Rafael will get the chance to pit his wits against the likes of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben. As always, Patrice Evra will be ever reliable at left back.

The midfield will be crucial in deciding the outcome of this match, an obvious statement you would think. But after being dominated against Chelsea and being non-existent in Germany, the United central midfielders have a point to prove.

Michael Carrick should be recalled to the side in place of Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher will keep his place in the middle along with Ji-Sung Park who needs to provide a more dynamic and intelligent performance, possibly replicating form shown in recent matches against Liverpool and AC Milan in particular.

It will fall to the wingers to provide support to the lone frontman, Antonio Valencia on the right and Nani on the left. The Portuguese was exciting and gave United more attacking impetus when he was brought on at the weekend, up against Philip Lahm he faces a defender who likes a foray into the opponents half, so Nani should look to exploit this trait.

Now, there have been rumours that Wayne Rooney could start the match, making a miraculous recovery as such. The best he can expect is a place on the bench, and this may only be a means to unsettle the Bayern management and give them something extra to think about.

He didn’t train with the team and Sir Alex Ferguson stated he will not be risked:

"No. We have made some good progress with the lad. The medical team have done some fantastic work, but I'm not prepared to take a risk on a player that's not 100 per cent fit. We're looking more at the Manchester City game, or maybe Blackburn as a sub. The boy is making good progress, but it's an ankle injury. It's no different to any other ankle injury. I can't take a risk." Ferguson stated.

As a result, expect Dimitar Berbatov to be in the starting line-up, and let’s hope he can step up to the plate

Bayern Munich on the other hand welcome back their most potent attacking threat, Arjen Robben. The Dutchman missed the first leg and was absent at the weekends game against Schalke, but he is widely expected to start against United. Along with Robben, Bayern welcome back midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who missed the first match through suspension.

Mark van Bommel was fantastic in Munich and will look to use all his experience and dominate the midfield once more, but Bayern coach still sees United as favourites for the tie. When asked, he retorted,

"Yes. They have scored an away goal and they are a great team. They have a lot of experience playing big games at home and of course, they will have the support of the crowd. Our team is quite a young one in that it consists of young players, so that is a different situation.”

Lets hope the lads can get the job done and a trip to France can be booked at the end of the month.

Prediction: 3-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Rafael; Nani, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Valencia; Berbatov

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

CSKA Moscow vs Inter Milan: Champions League 2nd Leg Preview

2010-04-06T11:51:00.000+01:00

The Champions League rolls around once more and Inter travel to Moscow for the quarter-final second leg against CSKA. The Italian champions hold a 1-0 lead going into the game at the Luzhniki Stadium.

In the first leg Inter could have scored a couple more, especially in the second half when they were particularly wasteful in front of goal. Though, it must be remembered CSKA were extremely dangerous for the first 45 minutes especially through dynamic winger Milos Krasic, while centre midfielder Evgeni Aldonin was also a dominating force in the middle of the park. A tough game lies ahead for the Nerazzurri.

Going into the match Inter welcome back ‘Super’ Mario Balotelli who was also included and scored in the weekend’s 3-0 victory over Bologna. The 19 year-old striker had been in a well-publicised spat with the club and Jose Mourinho, but he has since apologised so should find a place on the bench in Moscow.

There have been concerns over Wesley Sneijder fitness as he injured a foot in training on Tuesday, though Jose Mourinho has confirmed he will play.

There have been concerns over the synthetic pitch at the Luzhniki, but Mourinho has been quick to extinguish any talk of it having a negative effect on the game, "We know how we want to play there, aware of the difficulties regarding the opposition and the artificial pitch, which will be a first for everyone," said Mourinho.

Inter, incidentally have scored in every away game, bar one, in the Champions League this season.

They will go into the game with Maicon and Lucio restored to the defence along with captain Javier Zanetti; all three missed the weekend’s match through suspension.

CSKA on the other hand are playing in their first ever Champions League quarter-final, though they will be confident they can overturn the 1 goal deficit. Though they will have to do it without the aforementioned Krasic and Aldonin, who are both suspended for the match after picking up bookings in the first leg.

Young starlet Alan Dzagoev is likely to be drafted into the first eleven and it could be his chance to shine on a global stage; he already scored one in the 3-3 draw with Manchester United earlier in the campaign.

The Russian side haven’t played since the match in the San Siro so should be fresh and well aware of the task at hand.
Jose Mourinho’s men will be under no illusions of the task that faces them, avoid defeat and the semi-final is there. They managed to win away when they schooled a Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge, thus a victory in Russia should not be a problem.

Mourinho’s number one objective is European glory and failure is not an option, Inter will thus keep it tight at the back and look to exploit a CSKA side who must score to have any chance of progressing further in the competition.

Legend of Calcio: Zvonimir Boban

2010-04-05T11:52:00.000+01:00

Football and politics are two entwined entities and often throughout history have influenced each other. But one man encompasses this relationship more than most, his name is Zvonimir Boban.

Born in the small town of Imotski, very near the Bosnian border, in the nationalist south of Croatia. He grew up in communist Yugoslavia, but as he neared adulthood Yugoslavia was crumbling. With communism heading for the exit door, nationalism was to rear its head, with Boban a very receptive consumer.

He probably would not have guessed the impact and place he would gain in Croat folklore for one particular incident which took place on 13th May, 1990.

At the time he was playing for Dinamo Zagreb, in the Croatian capital against Red Star Belgrade, the dominant side from the Serbian capital. The match had degenerated into hooliganism and fans had made their way onto the pitch, tensions were also high between the two ethnic groups and this manifested itself in the football hooligan culture.

Boban spotted a police officer beating a Dinamo fan, he then ran over and karate kicked the official in the face. The Red Star fans began tearing down the Maksimir Stadium while the Yugoslav police did nothing, except watch the carnage unfold. Boban can be seen pacing back and forth on the athletics track, visibly angry, muttering to himself, "Where is the police? Where is the bloody police?"

That kick was, for many Croats, the symbol of the uprising against the 70-year Serb domination in Yugoslavia. Many feel that with that kick their nation was born. The war of independence began a year later.

Boban was suspended by the Yugoslav FA for six months and criminal charges were brought against him, and as a result missed the 1990 World Cup Finals in Italy.

His playing career was a little less eventful than events playing out in his homeland, but it was a magnificent career. Beginning in Zagreb where he played a total of 109 games for Dinamo, making his debut as a 16 year old and made captain of the club at only 19. He also played a big part in Yugoslavia's win in the 1987 World Youth Championships.

Following the aforementioned incident with the Yugoslav police officer, he made a move to Italy and joined AC Milan at the specific request of manager Fabio Capello. Signed in and £8 million deal he was immediately loaned to Bari, which allowed Boban time to settle in the peninsula and get himself up to speed with the Italian game. Bari were fighting relegation and the talented Croat could not stop the Galletti from dropping to Serie B. However, despite this, Boban demonstrated his qualities, excellent technical skill, vision and ability to play the killer pass.

On his return to Milanello, he was made an integral part of the Rossoneri side. Given his debut in a 6-2 victory over Ternana he quickly established himself in the AC Milan midfield, a midfield that contained Ruud Gullit, Roberto Donadoni and Demetrio Albertini. In particular, his partnership with Albertini would hold Milan in good stead for years to come and provide the platform for continued success for AC Milan.

Milan won the Champions League in 1994 and Boban was the star of that side which swept away all challengers before coming up against Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona dream team, a match in which AC Milan were underdogs and expected to be swept aside themselves. But this was not to be, Boban gave a master class in midfield wizardry, very much involved in the first goal as Milan went on to win 4-0. Milan’s performance is regarded as one of the finest European Cup performances in the history of the competition and Boban was a vital part in it.

More success was in the pipeline for Boban and the Rossoneri, another Scudetto in 1996 and one in 1999, his last. It was this triumph in 1999 which could be thought of as sweetest for Boban as Milan at this point were on the wane and Alberto Zaccheroni had been brought in from Udinese. Milan started the campaign in disastrous fashion and were way behind title favourites and big spenders Lazio, but Milan held firm and refused to give up as they won the championship on the last day of the season as the beat Perugia 2-1.

Boban was vital to this success, he showed incredible craft and vision, he took on more responsibility as he was an elder member of the side, and he scored a number of important goals, whilst assisting in even more as he operated behind the formidable strike force of George Weah and Oliver Bierhoff. He had everything you could want in a midfield playmaker, a true trequartista.

In 2001, Rui Costa was brought to Milan from Fiorentina and Boban found himself on the fringes of the first team, a loan move was agreed to Celta Vigo in Spain but after starting only four matches he announced his retirement from the game in October 2001. Zvonimir Boban played 251 games, scored 30 goals for AC Milan and is one of the best foreign imports ever to have plied their trade in Serie A.

In nine seasons at the San Siro he won four Scudetti, the European Cup, three Supercoppa Italiana and the European Super Cup. But he also had a distinguished international career with his beloved Croatia. Initially playing for Yugoslavia, he won seven caps before Croatia gained independence. A further 51 caps were acquired as a Croatian; he played in the 1998 World Cup and captained the side to an outstanding third place finish.

Since his retirement from the game Boban has gone on to complete a history degree at the University of Zagreb, submitting his thesis on "Christianity in the Roman Empire". Always regarded as an articulate man, he reads widely and impressed many with his eloquence and knowledge of world literature, history and political affairs. Upon completing his degree he is quoted as saying: "Only after four years of study have I understood how little it is that I know. Learning new stuff serves one solely to understand the insignificance of one's knowledge."

He also started a career in sports journalism, writing for Croatian sports newspaper Sportske novosti, as well as being a commentator for the Sky Italia and columnist for La Gazzetta dello Sport. He also owns a bar in Zagreb, imaginatively titled ‘Boban’.

Zvonimir Boban’s first love will always be his country, in the documentary The Last Yugoslavian Football Team, he states. "Croatia is the reason I live. I love my country as I love myself. I would die for Croatia."

Manchester United vs Chelsea: Preview

2010-04-02T15:10:00.000+01:00

Its crunch time in the Premier League with Chelsea coming to Old Trafford to face a Manchester United side somewhat shell-shocked from a last minute defeat against Bayern Munich, a fact the Blues will be well aware of and will of course look to exploit, not to mention the injury to a certain striker.

A tough match will ensue as the top two in the Premier League go head to head on Saturday afternoon. Manchester United will look to their defensive record at home, conceding only 9 goals in the league, but this will no doubt be tested by Chelsea who coincidentally have the most potent attack, scoring 82 goals in the 32 league games played so far.

The United line up should remain fair consistent with recent weeks, as per usual Edwin van der Sar will take up his place between the sticks. In front of the Dutchman will be Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, with Patrice Evra on the left and either Gary Neville or Rafael on the right. The club captain has been in reasonable form but has played the last nine matches, so it could be time he gets a breather.

John O’Shea could also be in line for a seat on the bench after returning to training but Wes Brown is still out with a metatarsal injury.

Of John O’Shea, Ferguson said, "John O'Shea and Owen Hargreaves have trained very well with the first team.

"They are not far away and I may use one of them as substitute tomorrow and the other on Wednesday.

"John O'Shea in particular has done a lot of work. The boy has come on terrifically well in the last two or three weeks.

"If I include one tomorrow and one on Wednesday it will give them the confidence that they are back.

"That is what they need."

You did read correctly Owen Hargreaves may well be back on the bench come Saturday. It is likely he won’t get on the pitch but if selected as a substitute his confidence will be boosted no end.

A five-man midfield will again be deployed, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park should line up in the middle, with the South Korean acting as a defensive attacking midfielder assigned the task of keeping Frank Lampard quiet, while offering support to the front players. Michael Carrick should be dropped after a number of ineffectual performances.

They will be flanked by Nani on the left and Antonio Valencia on the right.

Many of you may have read that Wayne Rooney is injured. He has minor ligament damage in his ankle but should be back in a couple of weeks. All this means, Dimitar Berbatov will lead the line against Chelsea, though Sir Alex Ferguson is confident the Bulgarian can cope,

"Berbatov's form has come great at the right time," the United boss said.

"It is always hard to leave a player of his ability out of important games, and I am sure he can thrive on the responsibility. He is experienced enough to be able to handle that."

Expect also, to see some of Federico Macheda, Sir Alex has confirmed he will play a part in the coming weeks,

"He is a terrific talent and can certainly play a big part," Ferguson said.

"He was sub at Bolton, he will be sub again tomorrow [against Chelsea] and he will be sub on Wednesday [against Bayern]."

Chelsea will be going into the match after having a full week to prepare and rest ahead of what could prove to be a title decider, though they do have injury worries of their own.

Michael Essien, Ashley Cole, Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Bosingwa are all still unavailable, while Branislav Ivanovic is out with a knee problem. Didier Drogba has recovered from a knee complaint and will start against the Champions.

Interestingly though, Chelsea do seem to play with a lot more vigour and freedom when the Ivorian is not in the side. He has not been part of the two seven goal thrashing Chelsea have dished out this season and having Nicolas Anelka up-front on his own frees Frank Lampard to get forward and score, something he does with alarming regularity. Something Carlo Ancelotti commented on:

"Lampard is a very dangerous midfielder," stated Ancelotti. "It is difficult to block him because he is a very dynamic player and he gets into the box at the right moment.

"He is a midfielder who scores 20 goals every season and he is unique in that respect. I was surprised by him. I knew him but not with the timing into the box and that is his most important quality.”

Ominous for Chelsea is their coach Carlo Ancelotti who has won five of his last six meetings with Sir Alex Ferguson. While United have lost three of the four league games that have followed European away games this season.

The tightest of margins separate these two sides and if Chelsea win they will have their Premier League fate in their own hands once more. United will have to forget the defeat against Bayern quickly and move on as we are entering a critical stage of the season where complacency is not an option.

On a more positive note, for those worried about the loss of Wayne Rooney, United have won their last nine league games without Rooney so lets hope that trend continues tomorrow.

Prediction: 1-1 Draw

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Neville; Nani, Scholes, Fletcher, Park, Valencia; Berbatov

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Legend of Calcio: Pavel Nedved

2010-03-31T11:52:00.000+01:00

There have been many great players to grace Serie A in recent times, but one of the most outstanding is Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved. A legend at Juventus after initially being brought to the peninsula by Lazio, he won Scudetti, Coppa Italia and numerous European honours, in addition to the plentiful array of personal accolades he collected during his nineteen year career.

He started his career with Dukla Prague in his home nation and made his debut at the age of 19 and after a number of impressive performances he was picked up by city rivals Sparta Prague, the most successful club in the Czech Republic.

After spending three years with Sparta, winning the Czechoslovak League in his first year then after the split of Czechoslovakia, adding the Czech Gambrinus Liga on a couple of occasions along with the Czech Cup. It was Nedved who propelled the club to these three back-to-back titles with consistent and influential performances.

The form he showed with Sparta Prague caught the attention of the national team boss Dušan Uhrin and in June 1994 he debuted in a 3-1 victory over Rep. of Ireland. Consequently, it was the form he showed for the national side that brought him to worldwide attention especially in UEFA Euro ’96, where he was part of the Czech Republic side that reached the final, only to be beaten by Germany as Oliver Bierhoff scored the first ever golden goal in football.

Nedved did have an agreement to join PSV Eindhoven 1996 but after these excellent performances Lazio came calling. Awash with money thanks to Sergio Cragnotti, Lazio were keen on buying the worlds best players and Nedved was of course one of this elite band.

Lazio then embarked on one of the most successful periods in the clubs history with Nedved at the heart, he won his first competition with the Biancocelesti during his second season with the club – a 3-2 victory over AC Milan in the 1998 Coppa Italia Final.

Further success was to come for Nedved and Lazio in the Cup Winners’ Cup during the 1998/99 season. This was the final year of the competition before it was to be disbanded in favour of an expanded Champions League and UEFA Cup. Lazio reached the final against Real Mallorca and Pavel Nedved scored the last ever goal in the competition as Lazio went on to win 2-1.

He added another Coppa Italia a year later but the crowning glory of his Lazio career has to be the Scudetto win in 1999/2000. This was his sides holy grail having only won the title once before in their history. In addition, Nedved won the Italian Super Cup twice and helped defeat Manchester United in 1999 to win the European Super Cup.

The Scudetto triumph under Sven Goran Eriksson was to be the high point of a glittering Lazio career because Cragnotti had essentially run the club into the ground and with the vast pools of money drying up, the Aquile were forced to sell players.

Juventus were to come calling in 2001 after Zinedine Zidane moved to Real Madrid, Juve were therefore looking for a playmaker and Nedved was the perfect fit. A transfer fee of €41 million was agreed between the two clubs and Nedved went on to become an integral part of a very successful Juventus side.

He won Scudetto with Juve in 2001/02, 2002/03, 2004/05, and 2005/06 (negating the Calciopoli scandal).

Nedved was instrumental in leading Juventus into the 2003 Champions League final against AC Milan, but was forced to sit out the final because of accumulation of yellow cards, after being booked in the semi-final for tackling Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman.

It is said if Nedved played in this final, a drab nil-nil draw, he could and would have been the difference between the two sides, as Milan only won on penalties and Nedved was instrumental in Juve’s run to the final. In the Semi-Final he tormented the Real Madrid backline and scored the goal that took Juventus to the final.

At the end of the year, he won the Ballon D’Or, as well as the Serie A Footballer and Foreign Footballer of the Year awards.

When Juventus were relegated as a result of the Calciopoli scandal in 2006 speculation was rife about the future of Nedved, but as a Bianconeri symbol he stayed loyal to the club. Juventus bounced back and Nedved was an integral part of the Serie B winning side.

In his final season with Juve he wracked up 44 games in all competitions, at the age of 36 this was a great achievement. After putting off his retirement for a year he finally retired at the end of the 2009 season, captaining Juventus in their final match against former team Lazio. He was substituted before the final whistle and was given a standing ovation by both sets of supporters. After the match ended, the other Juventus players formed a guard of honour and Nedved did a lap of honour to thank the fans. Later, club-captain Alessandro Del Piero presented him with a commemorative shirt.

Known for his combative style, he was given the nickname Furia Ceca – The Czech Fury. His technique was exemplary, capable of using both feet, he was a nightmare for defenders, pin-point crosses reigned in from his right and left foot. He also possessed a thunderous shot and was a set-piece specialist.

Pace, power and vision kept him at the top of world football for many years and he is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of the modern game.

Bayern Munich vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-03-30T15:07:00.000+01:00

Not a moment after the magnificent victory over Bolton, the quest for a fourth Champions League trophy and third successive final gets underway. Manchester United travel to Munich and the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich in the Quarter-Finals of this years competition.

Many memories for 1999 will be brought back, incidentally the only time Manchester United have overcome the German side in Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Wes Brown and Ryan Giggs, players that will no doubt look to make it two victories in eight against Bayern.

Sir Alex will have his first-choice back line available, something he is particularly pleased about,

he said: "I think that the return of [Nemanja] Vidic and Ferdinand and the back-four being so solid together again – [Edwin] Van der Sar's returned.

"There was a time in the season where all those players were injured - it wasn't easy and we were very fragile.” He continued

"But you can see the solidity now, you can see the experience of these players and it is making a massive difference to the performance of the team.”

So we can presume Edwin van der Sar will start in goal, behind a back four of Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand who will be restored to the line up after missing out against Bolton, and Gary Neville, who is enjoying a fantastic run in the side at the moment.

As we are playing in Germany first, it is widely expected that Sir Alex will play a five-man midfield, as he tends to do away in Europe.

Ji-Sung Park will be given a similar role to the one he had against AC Milan and Liverpool, whilst looking to support the lone front-man as much as possible.

Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher will provide the steel in the middle of the park, where they will be up against the formidable Mark van Bommel.

On the flanks will be Antonio Valencia and Nani, patrolling the right and left sides respectively. They will both have to do their fair share of defensive duties given Bayern’s penchant for playing wingers high up the field.

There will be no question Wayne Rooney should lead the line against the German’s, he is in superlative form and on current form is one of the best players on the planet right now. So lets hope he adds to the four he has so far in this years Champions League.

Bayern Munich boss Louis van Gaal thinks Rooney can be tamed,

he said: "He [Rooney] has developed and is hard to mark out of the game.

"But we can manage because we also have quality. Ferguson and his players should be scared of that.”

Lets hope the Dutch tactician is wrong.

Going into the match, Bayern are sweating on the fitness of influential winger Arjen Robben, who is still rated doubtful after straining a calf muscle at the end of Saturday’s Bundesliga fixture against Stuttgart.

If the Dutchman does not play then the hopes of the side will rest ever more on Franck Ribery, who is only just coming back from injury himself, starting the last two matches from the bench.

Bastian Schweinsteiger is suspended for the match and Mario Gomez remains a doubt after recovering from a ruptured calf muscle, though Martin Demichelis, who suffered multiple facial fractures while playing for Argentina four weeks ago, could start after making a substitute appearance at the weekend.

Defensively they are weak, and it will be up to the United attackers to expose these weaknesses. The aforementioned Demichelis can be suspect and lacks pace, while Daniel van Buyten is prove to the odd defensive mishap and also lacks overall pace, though according to van Bommel a draw would be sufficient,

“We actually don’t need to win. A goalless draw would be a decent result,” van Bommel insisted.

Despite the game being in Munich, United can have confidence in their ability to win away from home. Fiorentina managed a goal at the Allianz Arena so there is no reason United cannot get one as well, but Bayern are a dangerous side and should under no circumstance be underestimated, something Ferguson will not be doing,

"I respect Bayern Munich," he stated.

"I have great admiration for them as a club. That is what we are playing. We are playing history. A team with history has a certain pride and we have to remember that.

"They have had one or two bad results recently but it doesn't mean they are a bad team.

"We are not going to get carried away for one moment that this could be an easy game. It won't be."

An exciting match is on the cards, lets hope we get the correct result at the end of it

Prediction: 2-2 Draw

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Neville; Nani, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Valencia; Rooney

***

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Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

AS Roma Reignite Title Race With Win Over Inter

2010-03-30T11:54:00.000+01:00

The joy on the faces of all Romanista was a delight to see after the victory over Internazionale at the Olimpico on Saturday night, giving the Claudio Ranieri fairytale the chance to reach a magical end.

For most of the season it was felt that AC Milan would be the main protagonists to challenge Inter for the Scudetto, but as the Milanese giants have wilted in recent weeks, AS Roma have gone on an amazing run, before the match twenty games unbeaten in Serie A.

It must be said that Serie A has been crying out for a title race, every other aspect of the league has been exciting other than the fact it was almost a near certainty that Inter would go on to lift another Scudetto.

Roma now have the wind in their sails, producing an excellent first half display against the Nerazzurri led by the superlative Daniele De Rossi. Despite Inter having the best of the play after the break, hitting the woodwork a number of times, Roma held on and even when Inter equalised, the Giallorossi show tremendous sprit and character to find the winning goal.

With only seven rounds remaining, each week becomes more and more important, but it has been said by many that Roma do have the less taxing run of fixtures.

Coming up at the weekend for Ranieri is a tricky away tie in Bari, a place where the home side have only lost twice this season and is somewhat of a fortress. Thus, Roma will have to be at the top of their game if Saturday was a mere flash in the pan result.

Following the trip to Bari, Ranieri and his gladiators face Atalanta at home, Lazio in the Rome Derby, relegation threatened Udinese, Champions League chasing Sampdoria, a Parma team safe from relegation and not in contention for Europe, Cagliari and finally the mighty Chievo at the fortress Bentegodi on the final day of the season.

Some tough fixtures indeed but ones that are all winnable. Some also of note, Roma captain and talisman Er Pupone, Francesco Totti has not been in the fold due to injury, forcing players such as Luca Toni, De Rossi and the magnificent David Pizzaro to step into the breach and provide inspiration when needed.

Roma can also count on the fact Inter have a number of tough fixtures still to contend with, such as a trip to Florence, a Juventus team struggling to get into fourth spot, a resurgent Lazio, along with ties against Bologna, Atalanta, Chievo and Siena.

This coupled with involvement in both the Coppa Italia and the Champions League will surely make Roma favourites for the Scudetto.

Jose Mourinho’s side are of course still the strongest side in Italy, one defeat does not change that, but their priority is European glory, which again could play into the hands of Claudio Ranieri and Roma.

We have a relegation dogfight, a race for fourth place featuring a five or six side and now thanks to Roma we have a title race to speak of.

Could we ask of any more from Serie A?

Bolton Wanderers vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-03-27T14:54:00.000Z

Manchester United make the short trip to the Reebok Stadium today to face Bolton Wanderers, knowing that by the time they kick off, both Arsenal and Chelsea could have leapfrogged the reigning champions due to their three o’clock starts. It is therefore imperative we get the three points against the Trotters and reassert our dominance over our title rivals.

A period of four fixtures that will probably define our season are coming up. Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Bayern Munich all after a tricky tie with Bolton. With these fixtures in mind, Sir Alex Ferguson may shuffle his pack and give a few fresher faces the chance to shine today.

Saying that, Edwin van der Sar will be the starting goalkeeper no questions asked. The 39 year old has looked back to his best since returning from injury and will look to keep a clean sheet after conceding last weekend.

At the back, Jonny Evans may get a run out in place of Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic with Rafael in line to take over from Gary Neville at right-back. Patrice Evra doesn’t seem to get a break at all and he will no doubt keep his place against Bolton.

United are without long-term absentees Wes Brown and John O’Shea, though the Irishman is back in training and should return to first team action soon.

Many would expect Sir Alex to go with a four-man midfield against Bolton, who are a weaker side, no disrespect intended, but it is more likely he will line up with five.

Nani will be buoyed from his contract extension, and should replace Antonio Valencia on the right side of midfield. Ryan Giggs only managed a cameo against Liverpool but should start here alongside fellow veteran Paul Scholes.

With so many big games on the horizon, Darren Fletcher should get a breather, so Michael Carrick will join the ginger ninja in the middle and Ji-Sung Park will no doubt continue to play in the attacking midfield role he has made his own in recent weeks.

Ferguson tried to play down fears that Wayne Rooney is carrying an injury,

"Wayne is fit and there's nothing wrong with his knee," Sir Alex stated.

Despite this, Dimitar Berbatov should lead the line today and will look to give a repeat of last season where he scored a 90th minute winner against Bolton at the Reebok.

Out for Bolton are Chris Basham, Gavin McCann, Sean Davis and Joey O'Brien, thought the do possess Kevin Davies who is a handful Chung-yong Lee and Jack Wilshere are young, technically gifted, and a joy to watch but keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen is likely to be given a touch day by United.

Manager Owen Columba Coyle has the Trotters organised in defence and playing some excellent football. He's also made the Reebok Stadium a fortress, as Bolton have lost only once there since he took over and that was his first game in charge - a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.

"We are in terrific form at the Reebok and if we show our spirit and desire and our undoubted quality, then that will serve us well," he told reporters.

Interestingly, Bolton have scored the joint-highest number of goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season - 21. Whereas, United have conceded the fewest number of set-piece goals in the league – 7.

However, United have won nine of the last 10 meetings against Bolton, and lost only one of their 10 Premier League games at the Reebok, so we have some good omens but a tough match will no doubt ensue.

Prediction: 1-0 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Evans, Vidic, Rafael; Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Park, Giggs; Berbatov

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Manchester United vs Liverpool: Preview

2010-03-20T14:53:00.000Z

Manchester United welcome great rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon just over a year from the 4-1 result last season.

At that time Liverpool were real title challengers to United but in the end finished only four points behind the eventual champions. However, this time round Rafa Benitez’s side are way of the table–toppers’ pace, which could see them fail to finish fourth, thus missing out on the Champions League.

Sir Alex Ferguson, in his pre-match press conference was less than complimentary about the Reds’ and feels they are a team past their best:

"Did they over-perform? Yes. I think they did very well. When they got that run going they showed form and consistency,” said Ferguson

"I don't know what they are mired in.

"I think that their challenge last year was championship form, but sometimes a team peaks with that particular team and sometimes it's difficult to do again.”

Manchester United will enter the fray with a somewhat settled side. Edwin van der Sar will no doubt be in goal as per usual with a strong United defence in front of him. It has been 699 minutes of league football since we last conceded at home, when Gabriel Agbonlahor scored for Aston Villa in a 1-0 win on 12 December.

Starting at the back for the Red Devils will be first choice pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic; lets hope the Serbian can stay on the field for the full ninety minutes this time as he has been sent off in the last three matches between United and Liverpool. The left-back slot will be Patrice Evra’s as normal, though Ferguson will have a choice to make at right-back, the youthful exuberance of Rafael or the experience of club captain Gary Neville?

Wes Brown and John O’Shea are still sidelined. Though Jonny Evans has recovered from injury and will be on the bench for Sunday’s game.

A five-man midfield will probably be deployed as Ferguson looks to win the midfield battle. Antonio Valencia will resume right midfield duties, and Nani on the left with both expected to support lone striker Wayne Rooney. The midfield will probably line up with Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park all in the middle. The Korean will probably be given the role of keeping Steven Gerrard quiet, similar to the job he did against Andrea Pirlo in the Champions League.

Ryan Giggs has recovered from his broken wrist and is available for selection, though he will probably start on the bench, alongside fellow veteran Paul Scholes. Owen Hargreaves made his long awaited comeback for the reserves on Thursday but he is well short of match fitness still, so he wont play a part.

Wayne Rooney will look to continue his fine form against Liverpool, his 25th league goal against Fulham saw him equal Ruud van Nistelrooy's best ever league tally for United.

Liverpool make the trip to Old Trafford without Martin Skrtel, out with a metatarsal injury and Albert Riera, suspended by the club for comments made against Rafa Benitez. Alberto Aquilani is also doubtful following a stomach bug, which kept him out of the Europa League clash with Lille. Fabio Aurelio will also face a late fitness test to determine if he has recovered sufficiently from a thigh injury.

Liverpool are desperate for points to help them in their quest for fourth place, but Dirk Kuyt still wants to dent United’s title charge:

“No one here at Liverpool wants to see them winning another league title but the main thing for us is to win our own games," Kuyt told the Reds' official website.

The left side of Liverpool’s midfield could see one of either Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun or Maxi Rodriguez start the game, though Maxi played a blinder against Portsmouth last weekend, so he looks to be in pole position.

Fernando Torres has scored four goals in the last week and will line-up against old foe Vidic still short of match fitness, even Benitez thinks he will find it tough,

"Vidic is a good player with experience so it will be tough for Torres to beat him but hopefully he can do it," the Reds manager commented.

In these clashes form goes out the window, but with Liverpool looking a shadow of the side that pushed United so close last year, we must be favorites. Liverpool are without an away league win in their last five games and have lost the last two of three, as well as failing to score in their last four away matches.

United on the other hand are somewhat impenetrable at Old Trafford, whilst scoring 26 goals in the last seven league matches at Old Trafford.

Prediction: 2-0 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Neville; Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Nani; Rooney

***

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Legend of Calcio: Roberto Donadoni

2010-03-17T11:55:00.000Z

Mention the name Roberto Donadoni to most people and the first thought that would creep into their mind is ‘incompetent coach’, but many forget he was a great winger and one of the reasons AC Milan dominated Serie A and Europe during the late eighties/early nineties.

Born on 9th September 1963 in Bergamo, he was picked up by local side Atalanta where his glittering career began and after an outstanding season with the Atalanta youth side he made the step up to the first team in 1982 while they were playing in Serie B. Helping Atalanta to promotion in 1984, he managed a further two seasons in Serie A with the Orobici.

Donadoni was a winger, not just any winger a superlative winger, he was known for his wonderful technique and ability to run with the ball. He could dribble, cross and finish to as high a standard as any player of his day. He owned the right side of midfield and his bursts of pace legendary.

His big move came in 1986, when Silvio Berlusconi personally brought Donadoni to the recently acquired AC Milan side. Berlusconi did the negotiating himself and Donadoni was his first capture as new Milan owner.

There was controversy surrounding the capture as Juventus, it seemed were in pole position to sign the right-winger from Atalanta and allegedly had an agreement in place with Atalanta before Silvio swooped. This was the first time a player ‘promised’ to Juventus had not made the move to Turin.

His time in Milan was awash with silverware; Donadoni was a vital cog in a team that won five Serie A titles, three European Cups, three European Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups. Possibly his finest hour came in the 1989 European Cup semi-final where he was instrumental in the 5-0 drubbing dished out to Spanish giants Real Madrid, scoring the final goal in the rout.

Playing under with Arrigo Sacchi and with Fabio Capello he was a stalwart in the Milan side for ten years, winning everything there was to win with the Rossoneri. So in 1996, Donadoni moved across the Atlantic and joined NY/NJ Metrostars of the newly formed American MLS (Major League Soccer). In this first season he was voted into the Best XI for that particular year.

After two years in the USA he returned to AC Milan and played a further two seasons for the Rossoneri and won his final Scudetto in 1999 under Alberto Zaccheroni.

Emigrating to Saudi Arabia to play in 'Al-Ittihad, he won the last championship of his decorated career during his only year with the club. He retired in 2000.

Coupled with a glittering club career he was also key for the Azzurri side. Winning 63 caps between 1986 and 1996, playing in the European Championships of 1988, and 1996. Unfortunately his national career will forever be remembered for his penalty miss in the 1990 semi-final. He was also part of the team the lost on penalties to Brazil in the 1994 World Cup Final.

Since his retirement from playing, Donadoni has gone on to coach a number of sides in the Italian lower leagues. He began his coaching career with Serie C1 side Lecco in 2001; he took over the top job at Livorno in 2002. A brief stint at Genoa during the 2003/04 season resulted with Donadoni returning to Livorno in 2005. It was here he made his name as a coach when he amazingly led the Tuscan team to sixth place in Serie A. But he handed in a shock resignation during February 2006, after Amaranto chairman, Aldo Spinelli, denounced Donadoni’s tactics after a 2-2 draw with Messina during a television interview. Donadoni was wounded and felt this was not the way he wanted to be treated and he immediately quit the club. A bigger job was to come calling soon after.

After Marcelo Lippi resigned from the Italian national job following the 2006 World Cup triumph, Roberto Donadoni was his chosen successor.

His reign at the helm of La Nazionale was disastrous to say the least, only months after taking the job Italian newspaper La Nazione's front page featured "How to reduce Lippi's masterwork to pieces in just three weeks," following some embarrassing EURO 2008 qualifier performances, though Italy did qualify for the tournament.

During EURO 2008, Donadoni was handed the biggest defeat for Italy's national team in over 25 years by former Milan team-mate Marco van Basten: a 3–0 loss to the Netherlands. He was castigated in the media for his choice of players and tactics during the tournament. As a result of Italy’s dismal showing he was relieved of his duties in June 2008.

On 10 March 2009, Napoli announced the appointment of Donadoni, he lasted 18 games, winning just four.

Roberto Donadoni may not have the best record as a coach, but he is one of the most decorated players ever to play the beautiful game. He captivated audiences and was part of an invincible AC Milan side, holding his own with the likes of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard.

Manchester United vs Fulham: Preview

2010-03-14T14:52:00.000Z

After an imperious display in the Champions League against AC Milan, it’s back to the bread and butter of the Premier League as Fulham make the trip up north to face Manchester United, a team they inflicted a 3-0 drubbing to, in December.

Confidence will surely be sky-high following the 4-0 victory over Milan and Wayne Rooney will be looking to add to his 30 goal tally this season. The omens are good for United as Fulham have only won once at Old Trafford in 47 years, that was a 3-1 victory in 2003.

Edwin van der Sar will again start as goalkeeper. The Dutchman will have the reunited centre-back pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in front of him, something the Serb is delighted about and commenting on the partnership,

He stated: “We understand each other - he knows how I will react in certain situations and it’s the same the other way round.”

It is inevitable Patrice Evra will start at left-back and Gary Neville at right-back following impressive midweek showings. Wes Brown is out with a broken bone in his foot and John O’Shea is no nearer a first-team comeback.

After a couple of matches with a five-man midfield, Sir Alex Ferguson should revert back to a more familiar four-man set-up with Michael Carrick returning to the line-up following his European suspension. Darren Fletcher should be beside him giving Paul Scholes a well earned rest. Antonio Valencia was one of the star performers on Wednesday and will retain his place on the right side. Ji-Sung Park was immense during the week and has earning an opportunity to replicate his European form in the League.

Sir Alex will have to do without Anderson who is out for the season with a knee injury, in addition, Owen Hargreaves’ comeback has been delayed yet again, and despite returning to training this week Ryan Giggs is still nursing a broken arm and will not feature.

Wayne Rooney is the man of the moment; so expect another goal or two from the world’s most potent striker. Partnering Wazza will be Bulgarian superstar, Dimitar Berbatov. Still trying to win over some fans, he has shown in recent weeks the kind of player he can be with a number of standout performances.

Ferguson was full of praise for Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, tipping him for the England manager job once Fabio Capello steps down,

"Roy Hodgson has great experience, the kind of experience you need in international management. He would be ideal for that type of thing".

He continued by calling for calm in the weekends match following the victory over AC Milan:

“Our performance level was good. The minute we scored the second goal it became better and in fairness I think that goal knocked the stuffing out of them and there wasn’t really a way back after that.

So, of course, it was a fantastic result for us, but as I said we need to calm ourselves down a little bit.”

Fulham boast a team beaten in one of their last six league matches and one that trounced United at Craven Cottage earlier this season. February manager of the month Roy Hodgson will no doubt have a well organized unit at Old Trafford and one that have February’s player of the month Mark Schwarzer among its ranks.

One man to watch out for is Danny Murphy; the former Liverpool player has a knack of scoring against United, though has a slight groin problem. Bobby Zamora has eight league goals this season and is the Cottagers’ leading scorer, while Damien Duff is enjoying a new lease of life with the London club.

John Pantsil has a knee injury and Kagisho Dikgacoi is doubtful with an ankle complaint.

Some comfort can be taken from the fact that Fulham have not won away since the opening weekend victory against Portsmouth and United have went over 10 hours since they last conceded at home.

Prediction: 3-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Neville; Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Park; Berbatov, Rooney

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

AC Milan Crushed By Magnificent Manchester United in the Champions League

2010-03-11T11:56:00.000Z

AC Milan crumbled 4-0 to Manchester United in the second round of the Champions, the seven time European Cup winners were an embarrassment to so many great Milan sides of the past as United completely dominated and overwhelmed the Serie A side resulting in a number of serious questions for the Milan giants.

Many would have expected defeat after the 3-2 first-leg result at the San Siro, but surely you would think Milan would at least put up something of a fight. This was not to be the case. Even Vice-President Adriano Galliani admitted he knew they would lose the tie, “I knew it was going to go badly yesterday afternoon. We had taken Alexandre Pato, Alessandro Nesta and Luca Antonini in the squad, but all three of them pulled out with injuries on Tuesday,” he stated.

“Without such important players and taking on a Manchester United side of such quality, it was always going to be extremely difficult.”

If I was being optimistic I would say the game could have been very different had Ronaldinho put away his early header, though Klaas-Jan Huntelaar also spurned a number of chances to put the Diavolo ahead, at the same time making his case for a prolonged stay in Milan all the more difficult. All the talk was of David Beckham and his return to Old Trafford, but even the introduction of D-Beck could not inspire any sort of fight from his adopted team.

Leonardo’s comments after the match told of a man gracious in defeat but also in full realisation of Milan’s problems: he said, “In all honesty, straight after the home game I had a strong belief, as the way we played was very good, aside from the result,”

“Here the game started in a strange way and we were faced with a team on a great night with real talent who expressed themselves. The 4-0 has to be tied to the fact we needed three goals and so the belief drained out of us. “He continued.

“I chose my line-up for Roma, but we also had in mind to experiment something that could be useful this evening. We needed to score early, get back from a deficit and make a real impact without Pato.

“I don't think it was a tactical issue tonight, as many things happened over the last couple of days that affected our preparation.”

On the decision to bring on Clarence Seedorf, the Brazilian stated, “We were losing 1-0 and knew we had to score three. I introduced Seedorf, who is not fit to play 90 minutes yet, to push the team up. Bonera got an injury, so he had to be one of them and I opted to put Massimo Ambrosini in defence so we wouldn't lose any more substitutions.”

The flaws Milan have were cruelly and brutally exposed by Manchester United, Alessandro Nesta was sorely missed at the back both as the defensive leader and calming influence on Thiago Silva. The full backs were run ragged by Antonio Valencia and Nani, while Wayne Rooney was his imperious best, though gifted a header by Daniele Bonera that all but killed the tie.

The reluctance of Milan to counter-attack was woeful. A desire to slow the play down and pick killer passes was clearly not effective against a Manchester United team full of hunger and desire. Ji-Sung Park and Darren Fletcher were wonderful in the central midfield area, giving no time and space to Andrea Pirlo at all. One thing that stood out for me was the distance between defence and midfield lines which allowed the United attack an age in which to play the killer ball. All too often Milan failed to close Manchester United players down.

For all the Rossoneri out there, lets hope Silvio Berlusconi was watching as it is obvious that his beloved AC Milan need investment; it should have been carried out last summer but if any challenge for silverware is to ensue in the future then Silvio needs to get his Euro’s out.

Manchester United vs AC Milan:Preview

2010-03-10T14:51:00.000Z

The Champions League rolls around once more and Manchester United will host an AC Milan side looking to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg in the San Siro.

United should start with a very familiar back five. Edwin van der Sar will continue in goal after a steady performance against Wolves. He will be behind a back four of Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Rafael. The young Brazilian will get the nod ahead of Gary Neville as Wes Brown is out for six weeks with a broken foot.

Up against fellow countryman Ronaldinho, Rafael seems to be optimistic about his chances against the former World Player of the Year,

he said: 'It was a great privilege for me. It made me feel that the manager really trusts me by giving me the opportunity to play in this type of match.”

He continued: “It's a great feeling knowing that the manager believes in my ability to play at this level.

As Milan will be forced to attack, needing two goals to qualify, Sir Alex Ferguson may opt again for a five-man midfield. Antonio Valencia somewhat changed the first-leg with his direct running at Milan’s full-back Antonini, so he is shoe-in on the right side. Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes will probably line up in midfield with Ferguson preferring Ji-Sung Park on the left for his hard-work, discipline and Nani’s terrible performance at the weekend. Michael Carrick is suspended for the fixture so Darron Gibson could well continue in the middle.

Question marks remain over whether or not Wayne Rooney will be fit enough to start the match.

Sir Alex in his press conference explained: "He is fit, I am glad to say that he is fit.

"He has showed a rapid improvement since Saturday morning. He was extremely doubtful, but he is OK."

Rooney may only make the bench and we will see Dimitar Berbatov leading the front line as he did at the weekend.

Ferguson is confident of an entertaining match against Milan,

he stated: "It is certainly an open tie and I think what we are going to see tomorrow will be a very open game.

"We will hope to kill the tie with our own attacking abilities. There is no doubt that AC Milan have to score, which should make it a really open match.

He continued: "I don't think we are very good at defending leads, so we will play our normal way. That means attacking, it always has. We will try and do it our normal way.

"I don't think we should be confused by the score of 3-2 as passage into the next phase of this competition.

"We accept this is a very difficult game for us and one which we need to win. And that's how I'm approaching it, to win the match."

AC Milan will be forced to attack from the offset as they look to overturn the 3-2 first-leg defeat.

A similar situation to Rooney’s developed in Milan as Pato was an injury doubt, but he has travelled and will definitely play a part in proceedings, most likely from the bench. Clarence Seedorf his also shrugged off an injury and should also start from the sidelines.

David Beckham has spoken of his excitement about the upcoming tie,

he told Milan's TV channel: "If I play on Wednesday I won't be frightened but I will be excited because I played in that stadium for many years and I know what it means to be a Manchester United player.

"I know what it means for opponents to play there."

Leonardo can either deploy him as a right-winger or in a three-man midfield.

After a good display away to Roma on Saturday evening Milan are unbeaten in seven Serie A matches. During this game Leonardo experimented with a narrower formation, having Huntelaar and Borriello up-front together with Ronaldinho behind, so it will be interesting to see if he continues with this tactic or revert to his tried and tested 4-3-3.

The Milan manager has taken an understandable positive approach, “My confidence in tomorrow’s game comes from our recent performances and how we already played in the first leg at San Siro. I don’t think Manchester United will change much from that tie.

“We need an important result at Old Trafford and so the psychological aspect will be crucial. It’s not easy to prepare a game like this, but we have different alternatives and will try to make the most of them.”

A tough game will be inevitable but three away goals put United firmly in the driving seat and they will look to kill off the tie with an early goal.

Prediction: 2-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Rafael; Valencia, Scholes, Gibson, Fletcher, Park; Berbatov

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-03-06T14:50:00.000Z

After picking up the first trophy of the season in last weekends Carling Cup final, in the process retaining the trophy and becoming the first side ever to do so. The week has since been littered with talk of the Glazers and a possible takeover from ‘the Red Knights’. Whether this will emerge as a reality remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, Wolves will be looking to take full advantage of any post-trophy winning complacency and financial speculation surrounding the club.

After midweek international duty many of the players will now have to focus on the game at Molineux against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Many would expect Edwin van der Sar to return to the Manchester United line up, though Tomasz Kuszczak will have something to say about that. A good display in the Carling Cup final and more over the same in midweek for Poland, the PIG will be looking to a prolonged run in the team.

Rio Ferdinand is available for selection and should partner Nemanja Vidic in central defence. Patrice Evra will be at left-back as ever, and Gary Neville may get the nod over Rafael on the right side against weaker opposition and due to the Brazilian carrying a slight knock. Jonny Evans will miss the game with a knee injury.

Some semi-exciting news, Owen Hargreaves looks likely to play for the reserves in midweek, so he may be in for a first team call-up very soon indeed, but Wolves have came maybe a week too soon. Anderson is out for the season and Giggs is still sidelined with a broken arm. It would not be surprising if United lined up with five across the middle, Antonio Valencia on the right, making his 100th Premier League start. Nani is back from suspension, so could be on the left, but Ji-Sung Park will probably get the nod. Darren Fletcher, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick should be the central midfield trio.

We have all heard the news that Michael Owen is out of the remainder of the season with a hamstring problem, so it seems we have an issue with our strikers. Wayne Rooney is also a doubt with a knee problem and Federico Macheda is only just returning from long-term absence. So the responsibility to lead the United front line should fall to Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian still has doubters and a good performance leading the line on his own will do nothing but help his case.

Sir Alex Ferguson though expects a battle, he said, “It’s a real dogfight down there. Wolves are fighting for their lives so we expect a difficult match. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re in a situation now where we need to win all of our games. They have to gather points to stay in the league, and it’s the same for all the other teams down there. It’s not easy, but knowing Mick, he’s never been one to shirk a challenge. There is no doubt that they will have a go at us. We’ll just have to make sure we’re prepared for a battle.”

All the talk after the reverse fixture in December was about Mick McCarthy’s decision to field a weakened team, a suspended £25,000 fine will put a stop to any likelihood of a repeat as the Yorkshireman is likely to field an unchanged side from the one that was beaten by Bolton last weekend.

The main dangerman for Wolves this season has been Kevin Doyle, the clubs top scorer with six goals thus far. Jody Craddock is having something of an Indian summer in the gold and black, whilst also contributing four strikes to aid the anti-relegation cause. One player of interest to United fans will be Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, a goal machine in the Championship, has struggled with the step up scoring a paltry goal in the Premier League this season.

Doyle does seem optimistic, stating "United have so many games and, no matter how good a player you are, with that amount of matches, it is difficult to do it week in and week out. I think that is why you have seen some of the results this season, with the top teams beaten. We have less games to play all season, so that is an advantage and hopefully that will show on Saturday."

Wolves’ only victory in 14 Premier League matches against Big Four opposition was at home to Manchester United in January 2004. A 1-0 win, though last time the side met at Molineux United were 3-0 victors, in the FA Cup four years ago. As well as being the Premier Leagues lowest scorers with 21 goals, Wolves have failed to score in 12 of their 27 league matches this season.

United on the other hand have only won two of their last six away matches in the league and failed to win in both previous Premier League visits to promoted clubs this season.

A battle will ensue, that is certain. Wolves are fighting for their lives and may feel they have something to prove with a full strength side on show, but United are beginning to move into top gear and the Carling Cup may well act as a catalyst for a rousing performance.

Prediction: 3-0 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Neville; Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher, Park; Berbatov

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

AS Roma vs AC Milan: Preview

2010-03-06T11:57:00.000Z

Undoubtedly, the most important match in Serie A this weekend takes place at the Olimpico in Rome. Third place AS Roma host second place AC Milan. Roma are three points behind Milan, who are in turn a further four behind, league leaders and defending champions Inter. Can Roma close the gap or will Milan become the only realistic challengers to Inter? After tonight’s game a lot of questions will be answered.

Roma are in superlative form in Serie A, unbeaten in the league since a 2-1 defeat to Udinese on 28th October 2009. Though a few recent results haven’t helped the Giallorossi. Two 3-2 defeats against Panathinaikos in the Europa League resulted in elimination from the competition and the last gasp equalizer from Marek Hamsik gave Napoli a well-deserved draw against Roma last weekend. So Claudio Ranieri will be looking to prove his sides title credentials against another of Italy’s form teams.

The derby hangover has well and truly been shaken off in Milanello. Leonardo’s men have notched up four consecutive victories in Serie A. A very fortuitous victory in Florence and defeat in the Champions League against Manchester United have show all Milan’s weaknesses, as if we didn’t know about them already.

With Roma very impressive at home, 11 victories from 13 games, it would take an almighty performance from Milan to get all three points. Though they are highly capable of such a display.

Roma should welcome back Luca Toni, who has been out with a calf problem, but David Pizarro is doubtful, along with Mexes, De Rossi and Perotta. Er Pupone, Francesco Totti has been ruled out as well.

Milan will have to cope with the absence of Pato who has a thigh injury. Not as bad as first feared it looks as if he will be out for at least 10 days. Former Roma winger looks likely to step into the void left by Pato and will hope to reproduce the form that made him so feared while in Rome. Gattuso is suspended, so David Beckham will probably step in to full Rino’s boots.

A very tight game will ensure with both side desperate for the points, Milan will look to Ronaldinho who has been in scintillating form and Roma could do with some Toni magic, if he can play to the level he was before his injury then Nesta will be in for a torrid evening.

AC Milan vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-02-15T14:49:00.000Z

So after a disappointing draw against Aston Villa, nearly a week has passed without seeing Manchester United in action, but a tough test is upon us. AC Milan are next up for Sir Alex Ferguson and his Red Army in the Champions League Second Round 1^st Leg. With United at the San Siro first, it is sure to be a difficult tie.

Minds will surely be cast back to the last time the two sides met in 2007, United took a 3-2 lead back to Old Trafford and were very confident of finishing off the job in Manchester, only for Kaka, Gattuso, Pirlo et al to completely dismantle an inform United, utterly deflating them and producing a display akin to the great Milan side of the early 1990’s.

Other than 2007 the Rossoneri have dumped United out of Europe's elite competition on three other occasions, - 1958, 1969 and 2005. So no matter what you have heard about Milan being a waning power and a team in decline, they will be dangerous, especially at home, there is no doubting that.

Manchester United go into the tie off the back of a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa a draw in which Ryan Giggs broke his arm ruling the midfielder out of the Milan match.

In goal, Edwin van der Sar should provide a formidable barrier to Marco Borriello, Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato. Protected by Rafael, who should be preferred to Gary Neville given the recent performances the club captain has had. It will be a massive game for the youngster, coming up against his fellow countryman and former FIFA World Player of the Year could be the making of him. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic should recreate the fearsome central defensive partnership that lead United to glory in 2008. Of course Evra will be in place at left-back.

Expect Sir Alex Ferguson to line up with a five man midfield, Antonio Valencia is likely to be in that team and is rightly looking forward to the match, stating, "They will be the biggest games I've played in club football." Joining him will be Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and probably Paul Scholes. The Ginger Ninja has been in superlative form recently and the added time on the ball he will be afforded by Milan will surely mean he can do damage. Nani should also make the team, despite his red card on Wednesday his form over the last month has only been eclipsed by that of Wayne Rooney, who will be the lone frontman on Tuesday evening.

Underestimate AC Milan at your peril. There are deficiencies in the team; of that there is no doubt. But rookie manager has manages to shape some sort of team from the remnants of Carlo Ancelotti’s reign. Leonardo prefers a 4-3-3, which becomes more a 5-5.

Staring in goal will be Dida, by no stretch of the imagination back to the form of six years ago when he was one of the best stoppers in world football, he has at least achieved a reasonable level of performance so far this season, and can still pull of the odd wondersave.

The back four will be key for AC Milan, Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva are one of the most solid defensive partnerships in Europe right now. Nesta has managed to nurse himself back to a semblance of health, while Silva has proved his ability with masterful displays throughout the season. Against Udinese on Friday, Nesta made his comeback from injury only for Silva to go off injured in the same match. Much will depend on the fitness of these two.

Both full-back are the places where Milan are most vulnerable, Ignazio Abate, though young and full of running, is not a right-back, he is a best a decent right midfielder. His defensive positioning is poor and he can be a bit ‘over eager’ to say the least. Luca Antonini has made the left back position his own this season, but a journey man player, he spent 8 years away from the San Siro on various loan spells before he returned in the summer.

The Milan midfield will have a number of familiar faces, Massimo Ambrosini, the club captain and longest serving player is in a rich vein of form. He will more than likely be alongside Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. Pirlo will be pushed further up, as if he is in the trequartista role with the two generals behind him.

The front three will consist of Borriello, Pato and Ronaldinho.

Pato is just back from injury and scored against Udinese, he may be lacking in match sharpness so David Beckham may be given a starting berth, on the right side of a front three. Ronaldinho is back on form, not quite at his Barcelona best but not far off, he still has all the skills and can easily beat his man, he may have lost that acceleration of old but he has a potent weapon in the Rossoneri attack. Both will be playing off targetman Marco Borriello, the former Genoa striker his banging in the goals, while not a star, he is effective and can give any defence a rough ride.

Milan did not win for three games after the derby defeat to Inter. If United can press the ball just as Inter did then Milan do become vulnerable, but given space and time, Milan will hurt you. Just as Real Madrid.

Prediction: 2-1 Milan

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Rafael; Nani, Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Valencia; Rooney.

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

AC Milan vs Manchester United: Champions League Preview

2010-02-15T11:59:00.000Z

So after a disappointing draw against Aston Villa, nearly a week has passed without seeing Manchester United in action, but a tough test is upon us. AC Milan are next up for Sir Alex Ferguson and his Red Army in the Champions League Second Round 1st Leg. With United at the San Siro first, it is sure to be a difficult tie.

Minds will surely be cast back to the last time the two sides met in 2007, United took a 3-2 lead back to Old Trafford and were very confident of finishing off the job in Manchester, only for Kaka, Gattuso, Pirlo et al to completely dismantle an inform United, utterly deflating them and producing a display akin to the great Milan side of the early 1990’s.

Other than 2007 the Rossoneri have dumped United out of Europe's elite competition on three other occasions, - 1958, 1969 and 2005. So no matter what you have heard about Milan being a waning power and a team in decline, they will be dangerous, especially at home, there is no doubting that.

Manchester United go into the tie off the back of a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa a draw in which Ryan Giggs broke his arm ruling the midfielder out of the Milan match.

In goal, Edwin van der Sar should provide a formidable barrier to Marco Borriello, Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato. Protected by Rafael, who should be preferred to Gary Neville given the recent performances the club captain has had. It will be a massive game for the youngster, coming up against his fellow countryman and former FIFA World Player of the Year could be the making of him. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic should recreate the fearsome central defensive partnership that lead United to glory in 2008. Of course Evra will be in place at left-back.

Expect Sir Alex Ferguson to line up with a five man midfield, Antonio Valencia is likely to be in that team and is rightly looking forward to the match, stating, "They will be the biggest games I've played in club football." Joining him will be Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and probably Paul Scholes. The Ginger Ninja has been in superlative form recently and the added time on the ball he will be afforded by Milan will surely mean he can do damage. Nani should also make the team, despite his red card on Wednesday his form over the last month has only been eclipsed by that of Wayne Rooney, who will be the lone frontman on Tuesday evening.

Underestimate AC Milan at your peril. There are deficiencies in the team; of that there is no doubt. But rookie manager has manages to shape some sort of team from the remnants of Carlo Ancelotti’s reign. Leonardo prefers a 4-3-3, which becomes more a 5-5.

Staring in goal will be Dida, by no stretch of the imagination back to the form of six years ago when he was one of the best stoppers in world football, he has at least achieved a reasonable level of performance so far this season, and can still pull of the odd wondersave.

The back four will be key for AC Milan, Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva are one of the most solid defensive partnerships in Europe right now. Nesta has managed to nurse himself back to a semblance of health, while Silva has proved his ability with masterful displays throughout the season. Against Udinese on Friday, Nesta made his comeback from injury only for Silva to go off injured in the same match. Much will depend on the fitness of these two.

Both full-back are the places where Milan are most vulnerable, Ignazio Abate, though young and full of running, is not a right-back, he is a best a decent right midfielder. His defensive positioning is poor and he can be a bit ‘over eager’ to say the least. Luca Antonini has made the left back position his own this season, but a journey man player, he spent 8 years away from the San Siro on various loan spells before he returned in the summer.

The Milan midfield will have a number of familiar faces, Massimo Ambrosini, the club captain and longest serving player is in a rich vein of form. He will more than likely be alongside Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. Pirlo will be pushed further up, as if he is in the trequartista role with the two generals behind him.

The front three will consist of Borriello, Pato and Ronaldinho.

Pato is just back from injury and scored against Udinese, he may be lacking in match sharpness so David Beckham may be given a starting berth, on the right side of a front three. Ronaldinho is back on form, not quite at his Barcelona best but not far off, he still has all the skills and can easily beat his man, he may have lost that acceleration of old but he has a potent weapon in the Rossoneri attack. Both will be playing off targetman Marco Borriello, the former Genoa striker his banging in the goals, while not a star, he is effective and can give any defence a rough ride.

Milan did not win for three games after the derby defeat to Inter. If United can press the ball just as Inter did then Milan do become vulnerable, but given space and time, Milan will hurt you. Just as Real Madrid.

Legend of Calcio - Gianluca Vialli

2010-02-13T14:06:00.000Z

Juventus have had a plethora of phenomenal strikers over the years but there is one who stands out over his modern day rivals His name is Gianluca Vialli, a legendary centre forward and accomplished manager; as a it can be argued he started the Chelsea revolution we see today, laying the foundations for Claudio Ranieri, Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti to build on.

He started of his career at hometown club Cremonese after playing youth football with Pizzighettone. His first team debut came in Serie C1 for Cremonese and they were subsequently promoted to Serie B, he then played with them in Serie B, scoring 23 goals in 103 games. His performances attracted the interest of Serie A side Sampdoria, to whom he transferred in 1984.
Sampdoria were on the verge of the most successful period in the clubs history and Vialli was an integral part of it. He formed a deadly partnership with Roberto Mancini; they had an understanding that was second to none, telepathic even. This earned them the nickname ‘The Goal Twins’.

Vialli’s goals, coupled with Mancini’s led Sampdoria to amazing success, they won the Italian Cup 3 times and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once, but their crowning glory was winning Serie A in 1990-91, a truly outstanding achievement considering the competition from the likes of Maradona’s Napoli and the great AC Milan side containing Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. This victory meant qualification into the European Cup the flowing season. The fairytale was to end when Barcelona triumphed over the Sampdoria 1-0 after extra time in the 1992 Final. Still to this day that Samp side are revered in Genoa among the Blucerchiati faithful.

After 85 goals in 223 appearances for Samp, the peninsulas biggest club, Juventus swooped to sign the prolific forward and in 1992 paid a world record fee of 12.5 million to sign him. This was to prove a catalyst for the rejuvenation of Juventus; Vialli first formed an awe-inspiring attacking trident with Fabrizio Ravanelli and Roberto Baggio, then later with Alessandro Del Piero when he replaced Baggio in the Juve side. In 1996 he had the most important victory of his career, the European Cup, beating the final in Rome Ajax on penalties and managed to win the trophy he lost with Sampdoria in 1992. Adding another Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup, Serie A title and Supercoppa Italiana he was key to the Juventus side in the 1990’s, scoring 32 goals in 102 appearances.

With such success in Turin, Vialli moved to the Premiership as one of Ruud Gullits big name Chelsea recruits. His time at with the Blues wasn’t always rosy; he had many disagreements with Gullit which limited his playing time. He was instrumental in an F.A Cup win over Liverpool in which he scored two goals to complete a marvellous Chelsea comeback. They won 4-2.
The following season he lifted the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, along with the UEFA Super Cup in 1998 as player coach after Gullit was sacked in February 1998. This European victory cemented his place as one of the most decorated players in the game, and he is one of only nine to win all three major European trophies.

Following the sacking of Gullit he took over the reigns at Chelsea, first in a player/coach capacity but then becoming full time coach to the side. He lead a Chelsea team to F.A. Cup glory in 2000 after beating Aston Villa and then won the Charity Shield by defeating Manchester United. Vialli’s fifth official trophy with the club, in less than three years, made him the club’s most successful manager at the time.

As with everything, all good things must come to an end, and Vialli was sacked after a poor start to the 2000-01 season and a number of rows with star players, such as Gianfranco Zola and Didier Deschamps. He did take up one other managerial role, with Watford. It wasn’t a success; he spent a large amount of money making wholesale changes to the side and only managed a 14th place finish in the First Division. Leading to his departure after only a year in charge.

Since then he has been linked with numerous managerial roles, including QPR, West Ham United and Juventus but thus far has not taken charge of another club. He has though been working on his golf handicap and took part in the Dunhill links championship pro-am event. On 26 February 2006 was the bearer of the Olympic flag during the Closing Ceremony of the XX Olympic Winter Games Torino 2006

In 2006, he co-wrote a book with journalist Gabriele Marcotti, entitled The Italian Job. It is a discussion into the differences between English and Italian football and also his time at Chelsea.

Currently he is a pundit on Sky Italia covering Serie A matches.

AC Milan Woes Continue as Pressure Mounts on Leonardo

2010-02-11T14:07:00.000Z

After a brief period of hope the lights have finally been extinguished on Sunday with the 0-0 draw with relegation threatened Bologna. The somewhat fortuitous draw had more to do with the excellent performance of Roberto Colombo in the Bologna goal; he foiled Marco Borriello, Andrea Pirlo, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and new signing Mancini. The wood work also had its part to play as Milan twice thumped the frame of the goal.

Starting the game with new signing Mancini on the right-wing and notability Daniele Bonera in centre of defence, preferred to Giuseppe Favalli. AC Milan set their stall out from the off with Andrea Pirlo dictating the play and creating the first openings. Bologna though did give the visitors a few scares as Marco Di Vaio who was thwarted by Bonera and Ignazio Abate in quick succession.

As the game wore on and Milan failed to make the breakthrough, Leonardo decided to throw on Huntelaar in an attempt to get a goal. The Dutchman did have a one-on-one chance but his shot was smothered by Colombo in the Bologna goal. Ronaldinho hit the bar after Colombo completely lost the flight of the ball from a Pirlo corner.

In the dying minutes though, Milan had a chance to snatch the points as Ambrosini rose to head a Mancini cross, only for his header to cannon back off the crossbar. Two points dropped and the Rossoneri are now a massive 10 points behind city rivals Inter who lead the way in Serie A.

The last four games have been a wake up call for Leonardo and his merry men, since the Milan Derby they have not won a match and look to be in a state of shock. Ronaldinho’s form has dipped, the goals have dried up and defensive errors are becoming more prevalent.

Alessandro Nesta’s continued absence leaves the Milan backline looking very frail. Luca Antonini has made the left back position his own, but offers no real threat going forward and even less defensive stability at the back, whereas on the other flank, Abate is clearly not a full-back, his defensive positioning leaves a lot to be desired and he seems intent on always diving in when challenging opponents. The return of Bonera is a welcome on considering the other candidates for Nesta’s spot. Kaladze and Favalli are nowhere near the desired level of ability Milan are looking for. Favalli is closer to getting and pension and a bus pass than making a decent contribution to this team, while Kaladze is more adept at conceding own goals than defending them.

Dumped out of the Coppa Italia by Udinese and all but out of the Scudetto race, the Champions League is Milan’s last remaining hope for silverware, but they would have to overcome last years beaten finalists Manchester United to navigate their way into the quarter finals. A task that seems all the more daunting given the English champions’ form and Wayne Rooney being in the form of his life.

As a consequence of the recent dip in form the future of Leonardo has once again been called into question. The Brazilian has been under constant scrutiny since taking the job at Milanello, even fighting back from the brink of losing his job. Latest reports in the peninsula are linking Rafa Benitez and Juande Ramos to the Milan hot seat, but only if Leonardo doesn’t make it into the top three in Serie A.

It seems likely Milan will finish at minimum third but that will most probably be the best they can hope for. President Silvio Berlusconi recently commented on the form his team are in, “On Sunday I go to the stadium and see people crying,” he joked. “Imagine how I feel, as not only should I cry, I also pay for this team.” Maybe an off the cuff remark but feeling in the Curva Sud is of discontent and unhappiness at lack of investment in the ever aging squad.

Old problems remain and need to be fixed… pronto.

Aston Villa vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-02-10T14:48:00.000Z

A five-star showing and brilliant performances from the likes of Michael Carrick, Nani and of course Wayne Rooney. Sir Alex Ferguson must be rubbing his hands with glee as his team face Aston Villa at Villa Park tonight, the side are in full flow and finally look like a team of Champions.

Aston Villa have the best defence in the Premier League and will look to extinguish the majestic Wayne Rooney who is in superlative form. In a dress rehearsal for the Carling Cup in two weeks Manchester United will look to flex their muscles and exact revenge after Villa won 2-0 at Old Trafford in December.

United will start the game with Edwin van der Sar, backed up by Tomasz Kuszczak as is the norm. In front of the Dutchman will likely be Rafael, Wes Brown, Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra. Rio Ferdinand is still suspended and Nemanja Vidic, though in the squad, is not fully recovered from his leg problem so may have to settle for a place on the bench.

The midfield is taking a more familiar shape as the weeks go by, Carrick, Nani and Darren Fletcher will all start the game and should be joined by both Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs as Sir Alex Ferguson looks to play a five man midfield to make sure he wins the midfield battle. Though Antonio Valencia may make the line up given his consistent performances this season, though fitting both he and Nani into the side may be difficult.

Gary Neville has been on the PR trail for Nani, "He has incredible ability, and when he performs like he did against Arsenal he is unstoppable. Players like Nani, who have such high skill levels, rely on confidence. We hope the level of performance, determination and skill he has shown in the last few games can be maintained until the end of the season because he's a match winner for us. I think Nani can be anything he wants to be. People expect so much from young players, but it sometimes takes time. It took time for Cristiano Ronaldo to settle in at United as well."

If the last few weeks are anything to go by then Nani should cause Villa a number of problems.

No doubt Wayne Rooney will begin the game, his record of 21 goals from 24 league appearances is amazing and he has truly stepped up to become the player the club look to. On his own upfront he will have a tough evening but he does have the quality to cause the likes of Richard Dunne plenty of problems.

Wes Brown, for one, is confident of victory, "Villa are playing well at the moment. They have some really good players. But when we met them before we weren't playing too well. We are playing really well now."

Aston Villa will be looking to consolidate their bid for a Champions League spot and prove their credentials once more. Emile Heskey is a doubt after limping off at the weekend against Tottenham Hotspur, so John Carew is in pole position to partner Gabriel Agbonlahor. Marlon Harewood, Nigel Reo-Coker and Stephen Warnock are the only other injury worries for Martin O’Neill’s team.

Stewart Downing has been in super form for the Birmingham side of late, along with England colleague James Milner, who has flourished in his new central midfield role. On the other hand Ashley Young is having what can only be described as an indifferent season, especially considering the standards he last during the last campaign.

United's last defeat at Villa Park came on the opening day of the 1995/96 season, which famously prompted Alan Hansen to declare "you win nothing with kids".

Prediction: 2-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Evans, Brown, Rafael; Nani, Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs; Rooney.

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Top 5 Aston Villa Players of the Last Decade

2010-02-06T16:27:00.001Z

Aston Villa are riding high under the tutelage of Martin O’Neill, a good crop of young English player have established the club in the higher echelons of the Premier League, but the last ten years has seen a number of player come and go at Villa Park, but who are the top five from the previous decade. Let’s find out.

5. Paul Merson: 1998 – 2002, 117 apps

He may not have played for much of the decade, he also had his troubles off the park, but the impact Paul Merson had on Aston Villa cannot be understated. Signed in the summer of 1998 for £6.75 million, he quickly established himself as a fans’ favourite, helping them reach the F.A. Cup Final in 2000. The goal below does nothing but demonstrate his immense talent.

4. James Milner: 2005-2006 & 2008 – present, 88 apps

A more recent edition to the list, James Milner has had two spells at Villa. First joining in 2005 for a season long loan spell from Newcastle United, he was one of the few players to gain any credit during a disappointing season for Villa. Newcastle then refused to sell the winger come midfielder and it wasn’t until 2008that a permanent transfer was completed. His versatility and work rate have ensured Milner is a key component in this Aston Villa side.

3. Gareth Barry: 1997 – 2009, 365 apps

Forget the way he left the club; remember the years he was there. An excellent passer of the ball, Barry’s great strength was his versatility which allowed him to play as a holding midfielder, attacking midfielder, or defender. Former club captain and youth graduate, he spent more than a decade with Villa. He is also seventh in the all-time list of appearances for the club.

2. Olof Mellberg: 2001 – 2008, 232 apps

A giant of a man and an excellent defender with some stunning facial growth. The big Swede signed from Racing Santander in 2001 and instantly became the rock the heart of the Villa defence for many years. His parting gift on his last game for Aston Villa, away to West Ham, he gave every single Villa fan at Upton Park either a home or an away shirt with his name and number on the back emblazoned with the message ‘Thanks 4 Your Support’.

1. Martin Laursen: 2004 – 2009, 91 apps.

An injury plagued career ensued at Villa, the £3 million signing from AC Milan in 2004, would prove to be key in Aston Villa’s chase for success. Initially, a frustrated figure, Laursen would soon prove himself as the number one defender at the club, an excellent scorer of goals and taking over the club captaincy from Barry in 2008, he was a natural leader. He was also voted the Supporters’ Player of the Year in 2008. Retiring from the game in May 2009, he gave an emotional speech at Aston Villa’s final game of the season at home to Newcastle United.

Manchester United vs Portsmouth: Preview

2010-02-06T14:47:00.000Z

The first 3D football match and John Terry axed as England captain, football…bloody hell! Aside from drooling over the magnificent victory at the Emirates Manchester United must now refocus their thoughts as attention turns to the visit of the Premier League’s bottom side Portsmouth.

Avram Grant is probably on his way to another brothel to take his mind off the thought of the impending visit to Old Trafford. As United showed their superiority against Arsenal, a signal that the traditional New Year title push is underway, Portsmouth have on the other hand picked up one point in their last five games, are without a win since late October and have not beaten United in the League since 1957.

United on the other hand go into the match in fine form, one defeat since Christmas and that was the Carling Cup Semi-final 1st Leg, but the last three matches have seen a United raise the level performance greatly.

Therefore expect a number of changes given the visitors’ predicament.

In goal will be Edwin van der Sar, since his return he has only conceded 3 goals in 5 games since his return from compassionate leave. Tomasz Kuszczak will be on the bench after receiving some deserved praise from the United number one, "I thought he really played well in a difficult situation," added Edwin, whilst talking about the defensive injury crisis.

With Rio Ferdinand serving the second match of a four-match suspension and Nemanja Vidic only rated as doubtful though he should make the bench, Wes Brown and Jonny Evans will continue as the centre-back pairing. Gary Neville should replace Rafael at right-back while the ever present Patrice Evra deserves a breather, so Fabio should step in at left-back given his impressive showing for the reserves last week.

It could be taken as blasphemy is Nani is not on the team sheet given his rousing performance on Sunday, only a few weeks ago his Old Trafford career seemed over, funny how things work out.

Sir Alex was full of praise this week, "In the case of Nani, like Rooney, I think we are seeing a player who is maturing. He's a young lad who has come in from a different country and he has taken more time than some of the others to settle. But that sometimes happens. Sometimes you bring a player in from another country and they settle straight away, but with Nani you can see his progression over the last few games because he has been outstanding." Said Ferguson

Nani should be joined by evergreen Ryan Giggs, given a something of a breather against Arsenal; he will be raring to go this weekend. In the middle of the park will be Anderson, given another chance to prove his worth to Sir Alex Ferguson and alongside him will be either Darron Gibson or Michael Carrick. Ji-Sung Park and Antonio Valencia will be looking to make an impact, if needed, from the subs bench.

Newly crowned January player of the month, Wayne Rooney is normally a certain starter, but with fears of burn out and some big matches coming up, he may well get a little time out. Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen will be desperate for some game time, and given the level of opposition they should be awarded an opportunity against Portsmouth.

For the away side, new signings Ricardo Rocha and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie will be pushing for their first starts for Pompey since joining in the transfer window. Nadir Belhadj, Hassan Yebda and Aruna Dindane all returned from the African Cup of Nations and played in the midweek game against Fulham. However Nwankwo Kanu has yet to arrive since being out on duty with Nigeria. Also out are Papa Bouba Diop and Michael Brown.

Looking to avoid defeat, a 4-5-1 formation will likely be employed by Pompey with Aruna Dindane playing as a lone striker. Four owners later and only four wins this season could be an inkling into the number of goals United will put past David James.

Avram Grant was in optimistic mood ahead of the clash, "I have no doubt the players will give everything again against Manchester United. When you see the fact that they keep coming onto the pitch, again and again, giving everything that is good. I always believe - and I do not want to see anyone in my team who does not believe. This is football - anything can happen. I saw Manchester United in their last game against Arsenal, okay they played a bit quick for us but you always have to face up to the challenge in a positive way."

Pompey have won just one of their last 25 Premier League matches away from home, so do not expect this stat to change much after the game, it will likely read - Pompey have won just one of their last 26 Premier League matches away from home.

Prediction: 4-0 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Fabio, Evans, Brown, Neville; Nani, Anderson, Gibson, Giggs; Berbatov, Owen

***

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Legend of Calcio - Pierluigi Casiraghi

2010-02-06T14:09:00.000Z

Pierluigi Casiraghi carved out a very respectable career in Italy with Monza, Juventus and Lazio, then moved to England to play for Chelsea. He now coaches the Italy U21 side. But what makes Pierluigi a Legend of Calcio? We will find out.

Casiraghi started of his career in 1985 playing for local side Monza in Serie B and Serie C1, he helped them achieve promotion to Serie B, with one season of consolidation and 9 goals to his name, he caught the eye of the biggest club in Italy.

Juventus signed the striker in 1989, his best season for Juve came in 1990/91 when he scored 8 goals in 24 appearances for the Old Lady, but he didn’t quite fit in Turin and was shipped off to Lazio in 1993. He did manage to win a couple of UEFA Cups and the Coppa Italia during his time there but ultimately 20 goals in 98 appearances wasn’t good enough for the Turin giants.

It was the move to Lazio which ignited his career; he did start slowly in the Italian capital, scoring only 4 goals in 26 games when paired with Giuseppe Signori in his first season. The following season Casiraghi was the number one striker for Lazio, he combined with the crafty Alen Boksic, and in 34 league games Casiraghi scored 12 goals, including four in an 8-2 victory over Fiorentina and a memorable goal in the Rome Derby that Lazio won 2-0. His most successful season came the following year; he scored 14 goals in 28 Serie A games. This ultimately proved to be the height of his career.

The Lazio manager Sven Goran Eriksson preferred Roberto Mancini and Boksic as a strike partnership, thus giving Casiraghi limited opportunities in the League. But it was in Europe where he continued his goal scoring exploits, leading the team with 4 goals in 10 matches in the UEFA Cup that took Lazio to play their first European final, losing 3-0 in Paris against Inter Milan. He did though win the Coppa Italia that season as a consolation.

Casiraghi made his debut for the national side on February 13, 1991 against Belgium the match ended 0-0. He was also part of the 23-man World Cup squad in 1994, playing three matches in Italy’s run to the final; he did not manage to score. Competing in Euro ’96, he scored a brace in a 2-1 win against Russia, though could not stop Italy crashing out of the tournament early. His contribution was also vast during the run up to the 1998 World Cup, sealing Italy’s qualification for France 98 with the only goal in a play-off against Russia in November 1997; he failed to make the squad as Coach Cesare Maldini preferred an emerging Christian Vieri in attack.

It was just before the World Cup in 1998 he moved to Chelsea, in a £5.4million deal from Lazio. He did manage 10 appearances for the Blues in his time there and his effort is to remain un questioned, his only goal came against Liverpool at Anfield, you may remember it, think Phil Babb and a goal post becoming more than friends.

It wasn’t long after that his Chelsea career came to an end, thanks to a cruciate ligament injury sustained during a collision with West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop in November 1998. Despite going through ten operations, he was unable to make a comeback and his contract with the club was terminated in March 2002 with Casiraghi receiving a £450,000 insurance payout.

After a career ending injury, Casiraghi dedicated himself to coaching the game and went back to his roots when he took up a position as a youth coordinator at Monza. His first coaching role was achieved in 2003 with Serie C2’s Legnano which lasted almost a year. He was then back Monza and their youth sector before landing the Italy U21 job in July 2006.

So far he has led the Azzurrini to fifth place in the 2007 European U21 Championships, the quarter final of the 2008 Olympics, victory in the 2008 Toulon tournament and third place in the 2009 European U21 Championships.

Currently, Italy are struggling in qualification for the 2011 U21 European Championships and lie third in their group behind Wales and Hungary. Casiraghi has come under increased pressure and it looks as if he will be out of a job after the current campaign is over.

Manchester United vs Manchester City: Preview

2010-01-27T14:42:00.000Z

Only one week ago a Carlos Tevez brace gave Manchester City a slender 2-1 lead over Manchester United in the Carling Cup Semi-Final 1^st Leg, but as United strolled to a 4-0 victory over Hull at the weekend, they sent out a clear message. We are top dogs in Manchester and will not be giving cup the trophy without a fight, Wayne Rooney is in inspired form and Sir Alex Ferguson will be going all out for victory.

City have won the League Cup on two previous occasions and coincidently the Final comes exactly 34 years after the last won the trophy, their last trophy. So the fans, players and management will be well aware of what this game means, especially as it is against bitter rivals United.

In the first leg United dominated for long spells and will not look to let a lead slip at Old Trafford this time around and as we are out of the F.A. Cup, Fergie will make retaining the Carling Cup a priority, so a full strength line-up is expected.

Edwin van der Sar will continue in goal with Tomasz Kuszczak an able deputy.

Rio Ferdinand will continue his comeback from injury and partner Jonny Evans in central defence, Patrice Evra will also take up his usual spot at left-back and Rafael should keep his place at right-back. Nemanja Vidic is out with a calf strain along with long term absentee John O’Shea.

With Ryan Giggs and Antonio Valencia rested at the weekend, expect both to start on the left and right side of midfield respectively against City. Paul Scholes should drop to the bench with Michael Carrick returning to the starting line-up to partner Darren Fletcher.

It is inevitable Wayne Rooney will start against City after a four goal haul against Hull, but his strike partner is a different story. Dimitar Berbatov replaced Michael Owen against Hull and it is highly unlikely the former Liverpool striker will start two games in a row.

Sir Alex has called for discipline from his side after the spat between Gary Neville and Carlos Tevez threatens to boil over in the 2^nd Leg.

"We have enough experience of playing in big games to know it is important to keep your head. It is always a key factor. We have had feisty games against the likes of Leeds and Liverpool since I have been here. Player behaviour has always been good. It has never been an issue." Said the United manager.

Manchester City want to establish themselves as the best team in the world, and since the arrival of Roberto Mancini the Blues have won five wins with one defeat since his arrival just before Christmas.

Carlos Tevez is in imperious form netting 13 times in his last 11 games, so he will be a key member of the City arsenal. Emmanuel Adebayor could have a part to play after returning from compassionate leave. Kolo Toure is also available upon his arrival back form the African Cup of Nations. Wayne Bridge and Joleon Lescott are both out with knee injuries and United nemesis Patrick Vieira is sidelined with a calf strain along with Roque Santa Cruz. Robinho could also play a part as his move to Brazilian side Santos has not been completed as yet.

Roberto Mancini has set his stall out well in advance, he will attack United.

"We don't want to go to Old Trafford only to defend," said the Italian tactician.

"It is possible we will have to defend if United attack. Then we will need to defend very well because they have so many good players. But we want to win, not just the tie, but at Old Trafford. To do that we must attack." He added.

United have only conceded nine goals in 15 domestic games at home so far this season. While Ferguson’s semi-final record is exemplary, he's been at the helm for 42 last-four matches and, of those, United have lost just six, including last week's first leg. Let’s hope Sir Alex and the Red Army can silence Carlos Tevez once and for all.

Prediction: 2-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Evans, Ferdinand, Rafael; Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs; Berbatov, Rooney.

* * *

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Legend of Calcio - Toto Schillaci

2010-01-20T14:11:00.000Z

Cast your mind back almost two decades, the Cold War was ongoing, Margaret Thatcher was leader of a Conservative government in the UK and everyone was doing the Vogue, courtesy of Madonna. But there was something else about 1990 that will have you in a world of excitement and wonder; it was indeed the performances of Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci for Italy at the 1990 World Cup. The tournament propelled the diminutive Sicilian from obscurity into world superstardom.

Toto was born on 1st December 1964 to a very poor family, and was raised in an area of Palermo, controlled by the mafia. He started his career with the local amateur side, Amat Palermo, before he caught the attention of Messina, to whom he transferred in 1982.

At the time, Messina were decaying in Serie C2 – the Italian fourth division, but with the help of Schillaci’s goals, they slowly improved and were eventually promoted to Serie B at the end of the 1985/86 season. The catalyst for Toto’s career was the arrival of Coach Francesco Scoglio in 1984.

Messina became Serie B stalwarts and consolidated their place in the Italian second division, but Zdeněk Zeman replaced Scoglio in 1988. The Czech tactician’s attacking style of football complimented Toto’s style of play perfectly, as he finished Serie B most prolific marksman, bagging half of Messina’s 46 goals in season 1988/89. This magnificent tally brought him to the attention of the country’s biggest club and he signed for Juventus in the summer of 1989.

Under Juve coach and footballing legend Dino Zoff, Schillaci continued his superlative goal scoring exploits throughout the 1989/90 season. The World Cup of 1990 was to be played in Italy and Toto desperately wanted to be part of Azeglio Vicini’s Azzurri squad. That season, Toto proceeded to score 15 goals as the Bianconeri won both the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.

Despite his exploits many in the media expected Schillaci to leave be left out of the Azzurri squad as he already had four strikers of considerable ability and reputation ahead of him in the pecking order – Sampdoria goal twins Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini, Napoli’s Andrea Carnevale, and Inter’s Aldo Serena. Even if picked he would probably only sit on the bench but, to the surprise of many Toto was called up to Italy’s World Cup squad despite having played only one game previously.

Toto started the tournament from the bench. Vicini chose to start Carnevale alongside Vialli for the opening group game against Austria. With the game poised at 0-0 and 76 minutes gone, the Juve striker was given the call to warm up. Within a few minutes of being introduced, Vialli swung the ball over from the by-line, and Toto was there to score with a bullet header to save the home nations blushes. His moment of glory arrived, Toto announced himself on the World’s biggest stage.

However, he was left out for the next game against the USA, but with Vialli’s poor form and growing public pressure, Schillaci started the last group game against Czechoslovakia where he again scored a header.

Toto scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the semi-final against Diego Maradona and Argentina; the game ended 1-1 after extra time and went to penalties. Schillaci did not take a penalty as the Azzurri crashed out in heartbreaking fashion.

He finished off his meteoric rise by scoring the winning goal in the third place play-off against England and subsequently ended as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, thus winning the Golden Shoe award. FIFA also awarded him the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

The seasons following that World Cup were disappointing and scoring only 11 goals for a Juventus side in transition brought much criticism of the Sicilian. He then incurred a series of injuries and was soon shipped out to Inter Milan in 1992.

Ignored by new Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi, continually booed by his own fans at the San Siro and even insulted outside the ground itself, called a ‘terrone’ literally meaning ‘farmer’ it is a derogatory term used by northern Italian towards their southern counterparts. He had fallen from national hero to non-person in a couple of years. Inter fans used his presence as an excuse for the teams continued poor form and results.

After Inter decided to rid themselves of Toto, he moved to the emerging J-league in Japan and signed for Jubilo Iwata in 1994. Never the same player during his time in Japan, his natural capacity for scoring goals never left him, as he ended up scoring a club record of 60 goals in three seasons.

Since his retirement, he has opened up a football academy in the island of Sicily, while he also had a short foray into politics, as he was elected as a local councillor in his home town of Palermo, more recently he took part in the reality TV show L’isola dei Famosi in 2005.

One of the greatest rollercoaster rides a player could have had, but one that will forever keep him in the hearts of all Italians. Toto, we salute you.

Manchester City vs Manchester United: Preview

2010-01-19T14:40:00.000Z

The Carling Cup semi final first leg is here, its Manchester United versus Manchester City, and it promises to be a mouth-watering encounter. City are in decent form, whereas United are in a crisis according to the media, but who will come out on top? Will Carlos Tevez score against his former team? Or will we prove that there is only one team in Manchester?

Not having won any silverware for 34 years the city’s other team will be out with something to prove and Sir Alex Ferguson is not taking them lightly, "You have to recognise they (Manchester City) are a competitor now. They are making a much better fist of their league programme this year than they have done in the past. We have had to wait a long time for it to be like that. It's a popular argument that the match means more to City. As far as I am concerned it is a semi-final," stated Ferguson.

A semi final indeed, in 34 years City have seen United lift 25 major trophies, and Sir Alex as seen 13 City managers come and go. Newly appointed Roberto Mancini realises the importance of winning that elusive trophy, "I am new in Manchester City, so the trophy is important to me. But the same is true for the players and the club because when you start to win trophies, you change your mentality, we want the Carling Cup. But it must only be the start," said the Italian.

The team selection could be interesting on United’s part. Sir Alex did say before the first attempt to play the fixture he would stick with the kids and there should be no reason to doubt him, or should there. We have been in terrible form and a settled line up could well be just what we need.

Edwin van der Sar should continue in goal, making his 200^th appearance for United, as it would be unproductive to leave him out after one game. Tomasz Kuszczak will likely be keeping the bench warm as Ben Foster has a back complaint.

In defence, Nemanja Vidic could make a return to the first team, along side either Wes Brown or Jonny Evans, more likely the latter given Brown’s lack of form recently. Patrice Evra at left back is a no-brainer and Gary Neville, our Club Captain should keep his place, despite the lackluster performance against Burnley. Rio Ferdinand and John O’Shea are still out.

Being away from home, Sir Alex would likely field a five-man midfield. In the centre, Michael Carrick and Anderson accompanied by Darren Fletcher, who returns from suspension. Antonio Valencia has been in sparkling form of late and will look to terrorize the City defence. On the left either Gabriel Obertan or Ji-Sung Park, considering Park’s lack of playing time, he will probably get the nod. Giggs is being rested for this one.

Wayne Rooney cannot be looked past for the lone striker role. Michael Owen or Mame Biram Diouf will make a cameo at some point in the game. Dimitar Bebatov has a dead leg.

City go into the tie missing a number of players, obviously Adebayor is on compassionate leave. Wayne Bridge and Joleon Lescott are out with knee injuries, Santa Cruz and Patrick Vieira are out with calf injuries and Kolo Toure is on African Cup of Nations duty.

One player who is itching to play is Carlos Tevez, I want to play in this match for many reasons," Tevez said. "The squad is confident, morale is high and if we get a victory over United it will be sensational." It remains to be seen if the Argentine can score. Something he failed to do in the 4-3 game earlier this season.

Interestingly enough the last three Manchester derbies at Eastlands have ended 1-0, twice in United's favour and under Sir Alex Ferguson United have contested seven League Cup semi-finals, reaching the final on six occasions.

It promises to be an intriguing tie, but a difficult one. Lets hope we can take an advantage to Old Trafford next week and finish them off on our own patch.

Prediction: 2-1 City

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Evans, Vidic, Neville, Park, Anderson, Carrick, Fletcher, Valencia, Rooney.

* * *

Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register.

Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted).

Manchester United vs Burnley: Preview

2010-01-16T16:55:00.000Z

Just as the dust has almost settled after the dismal performance against Birmingham, we get the fantastic news about our financial situation. The doomsday soothsayers are out in force and every Manchester United fan in the land is slightly worried. Apparently the club are in crisis. So what better time to be facing a team that has just changed coach? Burnley visit Old Trafford later today and this could well prove the match that gets our season back on track.

Newly appointed Brain Laws will be looking to continue the good work of the departed Owen Coyle, he is of course the best pound for point manager from the Championship during the period 2006-2009. Yes folks! That’s the reason he was appointed as Burnley manager,

“The results of a Deloitte and Touche study, delivered at the club’s request, confirm that he was top of the list of Championship managers over the period 2006-2009, in terms of delivering the best results relative to financial budgets,” according to Burnley chairman, Barry Kilby.

United go into the match with the news that Edwin van der Sar is back fit and with the squad, Sir Alex Ferguson is going to make sure van der Sar feels right before making the decision on whether to start him or not. Due to the confidence he brings at the back it looks likely he will replace Tomasz Kuszczak in goal.

Ferguson has stated he wants a consistent side, especially in defence. Jonny Evans and Wes Brown should continue in the heart of the defence, Patrice Evra will of course be at left-back and Rafael should start on the right side. Rio Ferdinand has made progress while training in Qatar, but the Burnley game comes a bit too early for him. Nemanja Vidic may make the bench as he is close to a full recovery.

Darren Fletcher is suspended after his red card last weekend, so Anderson may be drafted in as a replacement. Michael Carrick will be his midfield partner. Antonio Valencia will take up his usual right midfield role, with Ryan Giggs brought back into the side at the expense of Ji-Sung Park.

As usual Wayne Rooney will lead the United front line, but who will be his able assistant? DImitar Berbatov is carrying an injury that will have to be operated on, so Ferguson may decide not to risk him. Michael Owen will be itching for a start, though Mame Biram Diouf might get his first start since joining the club earlier in the month.

Burnley are also in a bit of a slump, they haven’t won in 10 games. Defender and captain Steven Caldwell looks likely to miss out with a groin strain while midfielder Jay Rodriguez should also be absent with an ankle injury. Andre Bikey has now joined up with the Cameroon side at the African Cup of Nations in Angola so is unavailable.

Defenders Stephen Jordan and Tyrone Mears should both return to the side after the pair missed the FA Cup trip to MK Dons due to suspension.

The Clarets have picked up just one point from a possible 30 away from home in the Premier League, the worst record of any team. Their last away win at Old Trafford was a 5-2 victory in September 1962. They have also conceded at least two goals in all of their Premier League away matches this season and failed to score in the last three as well. So statistics are at least on our side.

We need to win; it’s as simple as that.

Prediction: 3-1 United

Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Evans, Brown, Rafael, Giggs, Anderson, Carrick, Valencia, Rooney, Owen.

Serie A Giornata 19 - Round Up

2010-01-12T14:12:00.000Z

For anyone to say Serie A is boring, needs to sit down and watch Internazionale vs. Siena. This match had it all. Siena took a shock lead that woke the league leaders up and they duly overtook the Tuscan visitors with an excellent finish from Diego Milito and a superb Wesley Sneijder free-kick. Albin Ekdal restored parity within a minute and continued to play a fine game for the following 50 minutes. Man of the match, Massimo Maccarone put the bottom side one up on 64 minutes with a lovely side footed finish from the penalty spot.

Inter looked a shadow of the side that have romped to the top of Serie A, Reginaldo, Maccarone and Ekdal were causing the Nerazzuri defence havoc, and had opportunities to wrap up the game. Jose Mourinho switched to a 4-2-4 system, his gamble paid off as Sneijder lashed in a 30 yard free kick on 88 minutes, then Walter Samuel acting as a centre forward swept home a Goran Pandev through ball in the 93rd minute. This is why Inter will win Serie A.

AC Milan visited Turin to play a beleaguered Juventus side. Leonardo took on Ciro Ferrara in a match the Italian coach needed to win to ease the pressure on himself. After the opening 10 minutes Juventus retreated and Milan dominated possession and were never really troubled by an impotent Juve strike force.

Ronaldinho manages a brace, with the help of De Ceglie and Alessandro Nesta got himself on the score sheet after taking advantage of some woeful defending by Juve. This result means Juventus’ season has gone up in flames, just as the Olimpico was on Sunday and Milan have made the Scudetto race an all Milanese affair.

Napoli continued their marvellous fun of results under Walter Mazzarri after a hard fought victory over Sampdoria, it ended 1-0 to the Partenopei at the San Paolo and subsequently Napoli have caught Juve.

Elsewhere in the peninsula Cagliari earned a surprise win over Bologna at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara thanks to Alessandro Matri’s 66th Minute strike. One of only a few chances the Sardinians had. Livorno also earned a surprise victory over fellow promoted side Parma, who have had differing fortunes of late. Serse Cosmi has managed to galvanise this Amaranto team since his inception.

Palermo and Roma recorded 1-0 victories over Atalanta and Chievo respectively, with Luca Toni particularly impressive for the Giallorossi.

Fellow strugglers Lazio and Udinese met at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and played out a 1-1 draw, Sergio Floccari and Antonio Di Natale continuing their impressive goal scoring exploits. Genoa beat Catania 2-0 thanks to Giandomenico Mesto and Giuseppe Sculli.

Finally, Fiorentina entertained high-flying Bari at the Artemio Franchi, in an enthralling match. Both teams were locked on 27 points prior to kick off. Fiorentina were quicker off the blocks and made a few chances, but it was Bari who took the lead against the run of play and Andrea Ranocchia's redirected header fell for Barreto to nod in unmarked from a yard. La Viola rallied and got their equaliser from Adrian Mutu. Bari came out after the interval a rejuvenated side and fashioned a number of chances, Rivas, Alvarez and Barreto were proving a real handful, but their afternoon was ruined when Sergio Almiron received his marching orders after collecting two yellow cards. Following Almiron’s dismissal Fiorentina dominated and received their reward when Jose Ignacio Castillo pounced on a Montolivo rebound.

Birmingham City v Manchester United: Preview

2010-01-09T16:54:00.000Z

Manchester United are back in action this weekend after the midweek postponement of the Carling Cup semi-final. The F.A. Cup 3rd Round loss to Leeds United has been hard to swallow, with many of the team in for harsh criticism, so expect two things against Birmingham later today. First, a number of changes and second, the dreaded United backlash.

A week dwelling on an embarrassing defeat is almost over and the team will be looking to make amends at St. Andrews, but it will be by no means an easy match. Birmingham are unbeaten in 11 Premier League matches and have equaled the record set in 1907/08, ironically, a run which ended with a 1-0 loss to Manchester United on 29th February 1908. They have also kept nine clean sheets so far this term, only Chelsea have done better.

Sir Alex Ferguson said after the Leeds match he would be ringing the changes for the following Manchester Derby. Since it was called off, these changes will be made against the Midlands side. So it looks as if it will be the 100th consecutive game he has made changes to his starting line-up.

One constant will be Tomasz Kuszczak, who, despite his error against Leeds, will continue to keep the number one spot from Ben Foster or even Ben Amos.

The defence will have a couple of changes: Patrice Evra coming in for Fabio at left-back and the other twin, Rafael, replacing the abysmal Gary Neville at right-back. The centre-back pairing of Jonny Evans and Wes Brown was not up to standard against Leeds, but due to injuries it will remain intact for this match. Sir Alex and his fitness team have now worked out what is wrong with Nemanja Vidic; it appears he has tweaked a nerve in his leg and will be out for just over a week. Rio Ferdinand is edging closer to a comeback, but he is about two weeks away from that. John O’Shea is out for a while yet.

The midfield should look completely different from the weekends match, Antonio Valencia will be restored to the right side of midfield, Ryan Giggs should come in on the left, while Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher will take up their customary roles in the heart of the midfield four. It should be expected that Anderson will see some action against Birmingham, as he was one of the better players at the weekend along with Valencia. Owen Hargreaves has stepped up his rehabilitation from his knee troubles but is only training with the reserves at the moment.

The strike force will inevitably be Wayne Rooney and one other. Dimitar Berbatov was atrocious and it is also rumored he is carrying an injury that needs operating on. Berbatov has scored six league goals so far this season, but none of those have come against a side higher than 10th in the current table. Birmingham are 8th. Will Michael Owen get a chance to start? He should, given the Bulgarians form.

We have not lost to the Blues since 1978 and Paul Scholes is confident we can get back on track, “We’ve been written off so many times before and come back and proved people wrong, so hopefully we can do that again,” he said.

Alex McLeish’s team should remain unchanged for the ninth successive league match. Look out for the centre back pairing of Roger Johnson and Scott Dann, who have both been imperious this term, and behind them Joe Hart is staking a serious claim to be England’s number one goalkeeper at the World Cup. Lee Carsley, Stuart Parnaby and Gregory Vignal are all ruled out through injury

Newly crowned manager of the month McLeish will be definitely be looking to get one over his mentor, as yet he has never beaten his former boss. In jovial fashion, he joked, “The big one for all of us who have played for Sir Alex is to beat him – but you’re not allowed, I’ve never done it. We lost 1-0 at Ibrox in the Champions League when I was manager of Rangers and then got thumped 3-0 down the road. I’ve lost two games since I’ve been here at Birmingham — both 1-0 — so I’m getting closer.”

Lets hope he doesn’t get any closer and 3 points are on their way back to Old Trafford.

Prediction: 1-0 United

Probable Line Up: Kuszczak, Evra, Evans, Brown, Rafael, Giggs, Fletcher, Carrick, Valencia, Rooney, Owen.

Manchester United vs Leeds United: Preview

2010-01-03T16:53:00.000Z

Happy New Year! With a change in year comes a change in competition, The FA Cup begins in earnest and Manchester United begin the competition with a mouth-watering third round tie against arch rivals Leeds United;
a fixture that has been off the regular calendar since 2004

However, Leeds are a side on the up and sit six points clear at the top of League One with a game in hand. Two divisions separate the teams, but come 1 PM, a proper cup-tie will ensue.

Leeds are unbeaten in 15 games in all competitions stretching back to October and boss Simon Grayson is confident in what they can achieve at Old Trafford,

“We’re in a decent run of form and we’re very confident in what we can try and achieve,” he said. “I feel we have got some talented players that can perform, certainly in the next level and hopefully the next level after that, but the proof will be in the pudding on Sunday. Hopefully we will be able to handle it. We’re going into the game with a huge amount of confidence and belief. “They will believe by the time the kick-off comes around that’s for sure. The last thing I will tell them is good luck, and make sure you win the game.”

Going into the match Leeds Defender Leigh Bromby is suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Stockport, but other than that the visitors have no new injury worries and are missing only long-term absentee Ben Parker and defender Rui Marques, who is on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Angola. Jermaine Beckford is the obvious choice as danger man, the tall striker has bagged 19 goals in all competitions this season leading to speculation over his future as he is out of contract in the summer, he will most likely be looking to impress on the biggest stage.

United on the other hand will be joyful of each passing day as more and more defenders are passed fit. Sir Alex Ferguson will look to use some more of his squad giving club captain Gary Neville a starting berth as he has recovered from a groin injury. Fabio may get in ahead of Patrice Evra, giving the French left-back a well earned break, but expect Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic to continue in the centre of defence. The game comes too soon for Rio Ferdinand, who has been doing some light jogging, but Jonny Evans could feature following a return to fitness. John O’Shea is still out.

With Edwin van der Sar on compassionate leave, Ben Foster may be given another chance to stake a claim for the number one spot, leaving Tomasz Kuszczak to watch from the bench.

The United midfield could see the return of Paul Scholes who has recovered from a hip complaint. Along side him will be Darren Fletcher or Anderson — more likely the Scot could be selected to give the midfield some added bite. Expect Gabriel Obertan and Ji-Sung Park to be given the wing berths, while Nani and Owen Hargreaves are still sidelined. Ryan Giggs and Antonio Valencia should be on the bench.

As for the strike force, the big question is will Michael Owen make his 400th appearance for an English club? If so then Dimitar Berbatov will partner him, with Wayne Rooney dropped to the bench giving the United talisman a well-earned breather.

Sir Alex underlined the importance of the game during his press conference, stating,

“I don’t need to spell out to Manchester United fans and players what Leeds games have meant over the years,” said Sir Alex, “They were fantastic, feisty occasions every time we met, there was always a tinge of hostility hovering around the game and we always told the players to behave themselves on the pitch. I used to enjoy the games – they made us perform. We had some great games at Leeds because the atmosphere was always electric and our record was good, I think we only lost once there. They were two competitive teams then, but it’s a different United team now, and we just have to make sure we play our normal game. They’re bringing 9,000 fans, so it will be a brilliant atmosphere and a fantastic cup tie.”

Let the War of the Roses commence.

Prediction: 3-1 United

Probable Line Up: Foster, Neville, Brown, Vidic, Fabio, Park, Fletcher, Scholes, Obertan, Berbatov, Owen.

Manchester United vs Wigan Athletic: Preview

2009-12-30T16:51:00.000Z

The games come thick and fast during this time of year and later today Manchester United face off against Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford in their last match of 2009. United find themselves in a favourable position in the Premier League, if they win this match that would take them back to within two points of Chelsea at the top of the table. Considering our form of late and the less than convincing performance over Hull at the weekend, we must look to push on and continue the title fight.

Due to Edwin van der Sar’s absence for family reasons, we wish him and his family well; Tomasz Kuszczak will continue his stint in goal and hopefully continue his fine form.

Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic both returned from injury against Hull and after assessing their fitness it is expected both will retain their respective places in the United side. Rafael also returned to the side and should start at right-back, while the ever present Patrice Evra will play in his usual left-back slot. The usual list of absentees continue to watch from the sidelines, those being Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans and Gary Neville. Fabio and Ritchie De Laet will again find themselves on the bench.

With the defence slowly returning form injury, this gave Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick a chance to prove their worth in their natural positions. So expect to see them both in a settled midfield line up, Valencia will no doubt play against his former club and Ryan Giggs will continue to gain match fitness after being substituted at the weekend. If Giggs isn’t deemed fit to start then another player short of match fitness, Ji-Sung Park will be given the nod.

Up front we have the usual suspects, Wayne Rooney will look to furthermore make up for the mistake that so nearly cost his team and Dimitar Berbatov should be in line to start once more. Michael Owen is expected to be on the bench once more. It looks like Sir Alex Ferguson will stick with an unchanged line-up, the first time this month.

Since being humbled by Tottenham 9-1 the Latics have come back fighting and proved tricky opponents. Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is optimistic of his side’s chances,

“We know it’s a monumental task but we’ll enjoy it. We’re going to go there and try to nick it. Their home record is outstanding and they’ve got such a big squad but we’re all excited to be going there.” While also showing his admiration for Sir Alex, “It’s a tough challenge but it’s always great to go head-to-head with probably one of the best managers ever in world football,” he said.

Wigan go into the match with no real injury worries, Mohamed Diame is the only player missing. Despite their good performances of late, they are without a win in four. The record in all competitions against Wigan makes good reading for us, we have won all 10 previous encounters, scoring 30 goals and conceding just four. The omens look good indeed.

The main threat will be from Hugo Rodallega; the Colombian has scored seven times this season and has proved to be a key player since his arrival form Necaxa last January. However, they have conceded 39 goals in 18 league games so a clean sheet looks unlikely.

Wes Brown is in a positive mood ahead of the match,

“We’re in a confident mood now and hopefully we can keep that going against Wigan,” he stated “We’ve got a good squad, me and Vida (Nemanja Vidic) are back now and we can hopefully go on a nice little run and keep winning.”

After a tough few weeks it seems as if the wheels are back on, so three points it is.

Prediction: 2-0 United

Probable Line Up: Kuszczak, Rafael, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney.

Manchester United vs Hull City: Preview

2009-12-27T16:48:00.000Z

Merry Christmas, after a few days of relaxation the hard graft of the Premier League gets underway once more. Manchester United face a trip to Hull City and the KC Stadium later today, with Chelsea slipping up once more and the defeat last week against Fulham, it is imperative we return to winning ways. A positive result would leave us a mere two points adrift of the league leaders, unthinkable a week ago.

We can start with the good news, we have defenders fit! During the press conference on Thursday, Sir Alex Ferguson retorted to questions about the United defence, stating,

“We rushed Fabio back a little bit, but given the situation we find ourselves in sometimes you have to do that,” admitted Sir Alex, while “Rafa’s only trained for a few days but he will be involved on Sunday,” Ferguson confirmed.

However, Jonny Evans, John O’Shea, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand are still out.

So, in a return to the usual 4-4-2, Rafael will likely to be back in the side at right-back, Patrice Evra will almost certainly line up at left-back, there are two spots to be filled in the centre of defence, Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown have almost recovered from hamstring and calf injuries respectively. It would make sense for one or both of them to start given the humiliation last week, if not then expect Michael Carrick to have one more outing at the back. Edwin van der Sar has still not recovered from a knee injury, so Tomasz Kuszczak will continue in goal.

With a defensive crisis, the two most consistent midfield performers were dropped to the backline, but as the situation at the back improves, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick should be moved to their more natural positions. We have missed both, in particular the drive Fletcher provides to the midfield. Alongside one or other would have to be Anderson or Darron Gibson. Paul Scholes should be dropped to the bench after his dismal showing last week.

On the wings will be Antonio Valencia on the right, and either Ji-Sung Park or Gabriel Obertan on the left. Ryan Giggs is a doubt as he still has a hamstring niggle, while Nani has an ankle problem.

As for the strike partnership, Wayne Rooney will lead the line along side Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian hitman came on as a sub against Fulham and was a bit more effective than Michael Owen who will no doubt drop to the bench.

Hull will no doubt prove to stern test given our form, two defeats in the last three. Sir Alex is also expecting a tough test, saying,

“Hull will be encouraged by our injury problems, and I’m sure they’ll have a go at us.”

Hull manager Phil Brown has no real injury worries, other then Jimmy Bullard and Ian Ashbee, only Nick Barmby is a doubt after he suffered a calf strain in the defeat to Arsenal and looks likely to miss out. An unchanged line-up other than that is to be assumed.

The most dangerous player Hull possess, is undoubtedly Brazilian forward Geovanni, he can produce the unexpected and has bags of quality, it just depends on whether he turns up on the day. Arguably though Hull’s player of the season so far is Anthony Gardner, the former Spurs defender has been in terrific form for the Tigers and will look to help his team to a clean sheet today.

Hull are unbeaten in six matches at home, but having scored just 17 goals in the league this season, they hold second worst tally in the league and are without a win in four games and haven’t scored in three Thus, a United side out with something to prove would look to take advantage of such poor momentum. Victory for United.

Prediction: 2-0 United

Probable Line Up: Kuszczak, Rafael, Carrick, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Anderson, Park, Berbatov, Rooney.

Manchester United vs Fulham: Preview

2009-12-19T16:47:00.000Z

After comfortably overcoming a Wolves reserve side Manchester United must travel to Craven Cottage to face an in-form Fulham team fresh from Europa League duty. Expect a tight match as Fulham are unbeaten in their last six games, in all competitions. United on the other hand are hindered by the same plethora of injuries that have become commonplace over recent weeks.

For United, Tomasz Kuszczak will start in goal, as Edwin van der Sar has not recovered from a knee injury in time to face his former club. Ben Foster will remain benched.

The biggest job for Sir Alex Ferguson will be reshuffling the defensive pack, as Nemanja Vidic picked up a calf strain in the game on Tuesday. Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans and Gary Neville are all still out. Rafael, it seems has recovered from an ankle problem and could be in contention for the right-back slot, along with Ritchie de Laet. Despite his injury, Vidic should be partnered by Michael Carrick at the back, with Patrice Evra on the left-hand side.

Owen Hargreaves is all still out, while Ryan Giggs and Nani are doubtful, with hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively. Darren Fletcher will more then likely be partnered by Paul Scholes in the centre, with an ever improving Valencia on the right, and depending if Giggs has recovered from injury or not, look for Obertan or Park on the left.

Up-front, Wayne Rooney will lead the line as always, joined by Dimitar Berbatov. Michael Owen will again have to settle for a place on the bench.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson will be without Diomansy Kamara and Simon Davies who are sidelined with knee and ankle injuries respectively, while Andy Johnson is unlikely to be in the squad as he is hampered by a groin injury. Good news for the Cottagers though, Danny Murphy made his comeback midweek and is expected to keep his place.

Striker Bobby Zamora looks to be back to his best after scoring four goals in his last three games, including a brace in Switzerland against Basle in midweek. Jonathan Greening is expected to make his 300th career league start on Saturday, will be facing his former club.

Last season, Fulham beat Manchester United at Craven Cottage for the first time in 45 years, a 2-0 victory. This season they have made their best start to a league campaign since 2003.

It will no doubt be a tough match, and one that we could struggle to win, especially with our defensive issues, though, one ray of light is the fact Fulham have failed to win in six of their seven league matches immediately following a Europa League outing. That provides some comfort at least.

Rooney has also scored seven goals in the last seven Premier League away matches, while Scholes is one goal away from 100 in the Premier League.

Prediction: 1-1 Draw

Probable Line Up: Kuszczak, De Laet, Carrick, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney.

UEFA Champions League Second Round Draw

2009-12-18T14:16:00.000Z

There you have it the second round of the Champions League has been drawn and we can now look forward to the football feast that will begin in February.

The first leg will be played on 16-17 or 23-24 February, with the second legs on 9-10 or 16-17 March.

Jose Mourinho returns to Chelsea, Fiorentina have a tough tie against Juventus’ conquerors Bayern Munich and David Beckham will return to Manchester, as AC Milan take on last years finalists Manchester United.

Here is the draw in full.

Inter Milan v Chelsea
Lyon v Real Madrid
AC Milan v Manchester United
Olympiakos v Bordeaux
FC Porto v Arsenal
CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
Stuttgart v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Fiorentina

Let us know what you think of the Serie A sides chances of qualification. Leave a comment below.

Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Preview

2009-12-15T16:43:00.000Z

The greatest tonic for a shock defeat is a relatively straightforward fixture as soon as possible. That’s what Manchester United have when Wolverhampton Wanderers visit Old Trafford later on this evening. After two straight wins, the first time that has happened in the top flight for 26 years, Wolves will not be short on belief especially after the 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and United will be looking to bounce back in emphatic fashion against the newly promoted side.

Mick McCarthy will be bringing his men up the M6 for just under 100 miles, in high spirits the victory at the weekend coupled with United’s defeat will have Wolves believing they have travelled to face United at the perfect time. The well-publicised injury crisis has ravaged the Manchester United squad, and it looks like there will be the usual 50 absentees for the game this evening.

Tomasz Kuszczak will continue in goal as Edwin van der Sar is still out with a knee injury.

The defence against Aston Villa saw Wes Brown rushed back from his latest setback and he never looked comfortable. He should continue to partner Vidic at the back despite this. Rafael could make the bench, as Darren Fletcher will reprise his role at right-back. The left side is, as always, taken by the magnificent Patrice Evra.

The latest recipient of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Ryan Giggs will not be risked after tweaking his hamstring against Villa. I would expect Obertan to be given another start, alongside Carrick, Anderson and Valencia. Though Gibson will be looking for a recall to the team.

Michael Owen must wonder what he has to do to earn his place in the team, dropped after scoring a European hat-trick, but he should be restored to the first team against Wolves. Partnered by the ever-present Wayne Rooney, who will be looking to make amends for his horrendous attempt at diving during the game on Saturday.

Mick McCarthy was in jovial mood when asked about the game,

“They must be thinking ‘Wolves are coming and we have just been beaten by Villa… If ever there is a chance to get yourself back on track it is to slap these insolent little so and so’s coming up from the Black Country and we are going to give them the biggest doing they have ever had.”

Despite this Wolves will be without Michael Kightly and Andrew Keogh, out with ankle injuries, David Edwards will also join them on the sidelines. Former United youth player Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, will again be looking to impress his former employers, while United must be wary of Wolves’ record signing Kevin Doyle, who got the early winner against Tottenham at the weekend.

A win against Wolves would take Sir Alex Ferguson’s side level on points with Premier League leaders Chelsea for 24 hours at least. Wolves’ last win away to Manchester United came on 9 February 1980. The match will also be Sir Alex Ferguson’s 900th league match in charge of the Red Devils.

United should bounce back as they always do after a defeat and this will be no different, as in the Carling Cup match earlier on in the season where United triumphed 1-0.

Prediction: 3-0 United

Probable Line Up: Kuszczak: Fletcher, Brown, Vidic, Evra; Obertan, Carrick, Anderson, Valencia; Owen, Rooney

Ferarra's Last Stand At Juventus?

2009-12-13T14:20:00.000Z

Is this the end for Ciro Ferrara? The Juventus coach will be under tremendous pressure from the Juve tifosi as his side slumped to a 3-1 defeat at the San Nicola against Bari. This coupled with the humiliating Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich means that the best Juve can hope for this season is the Coppa Italia and Europa League; effectively their season is already over in December. But who is to blame?

Cast your mind back six months or so, La Vecchia Signora were basking in the remnants of the successful transfer campaign, Diego, a world class trequartista and Felipe Melo, the star of Fiorentina’s season both arrived in Turin to a club that has finally recovered from the Calciopoli scandal.

The €45 million spent on the aforementioned was complimented by the addition of Fabio Grosso from Lyon.

But this early season optimism and expectation has evaporated, it seemed lost during the week but now it is completely forgotten. The defeat against Bari has left the Bianconeri six points behind leaders Inter, this doesn’t sound too bad, but it is the performance that must make you wonder about the longevity of this team and in particular its young, inexperienced coach.

Ciro Ferrara looked devoid of ideas as he tried to fashion a victory for his side, the initial team selection again called into question his judgement. Molinaro can try as much as he likes but he is not of the quality Juventus require and are used to, he makes far too many mistakes, coupled with his poor defensive attributes leaves him as a liability, one that the Galletti gratefully exploited.

Sebastian Giovinco needs to leave the club if he is to ever fulfil the potential he quite obviously has. Brought on only when Camoranesi was injured shows a complete lack of faith in the young forward. Amauri doesn’t seem to have that goal scoring prowess he did last season and at Palermo. He seems a shadow of the player he once was and surely cannot even think about pulling the Azzurri shirt given his recent run of form.

The two Brazilian summer signings started brightly but in the last two months both have fallen into relative obscurity. Diego needs to step up to the plate to show the Juventus faithful and the rest of Italy he is the player we all thought he would be.

However, it is all well and good looking the underperforming players. The coach must also come under scrutiny. Ciro Ferrara has not lived up to any expectations we had at that seasons start, he continues with the 4-3-1-2 formation, that does not work, and even in matches where this is apparent, he does nothing to amend the situation.

When comparing the differing fortunes of AC Milan and Juventus, a colleague of mine stated, “Leonardo has learned and developed as a coach, Ferrara has not.” Simple, he is not the coach we thought he would become. I wouldn’t advocate for his departure yet, I think every coach needs time, but given the current predicament Juventus are in, how long will the hierarchy give Signor Ferrara?

Manchester United vs Aston Villa: Preview

2009-12-12T16:42:00.000Z

It’s that time again, when the Premier League comes to the forefront of our minds and fresh from a thumping victory in Germany confidence will surely be high as Aston Villa visit Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

Remember August 1995 when one Alan Hansen famously said ‘you win nothing with kids’? Well… the opponents of Manchester United that day were Aston Villa, they won that tie 3-1 prompting the aforementioned comments, but since then, United they have gone 27 league games unbeaten in this fixture, and won 12 of the last 13 against Villa. Villa’s record is worse when you consider in all 34 Premier League clashes they have amassed just two wins and their last victory at Old Trafford was back in November 1983.

However, as many of you are aware this United squad is currently undergoing a major injury crisis.

In goal will be Tomasz Kuszczak, Edwin van der Sar is still recovering from a knee injury and Ben Foster’s confidence issues mean he will be the P.I.G’s back up.

The defence, the biggest problem for Sir Alex Ferguson, out are Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Fabio, Gary Neville, John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Rafael. Expect Darren Fletcher to retain his right-back berth, Patrice Evra will also continue on the left side. Some good news in the form of the big Serbian, Nemanja Vidic who has recovered from flu, should return to the heart of the back four, partnered by midfield maestro, Michael Carrick who seems to be making the centre back position his own. Confirmed by Sir Alex in his press conference,

“Michael will continue in the centre alongside Vida and Darren will play at right-back. We’re certainly encouraged by the fact that players like Michael and Darren can adapt to playing in different positions and help us cope with the current situation.”

Considering the midfield moves to the backline, a fairly settled midfield should continue, thought Paul Scholes is serving a one-match ban. Welsh Sports Personality of the Year, Ryan Giggs was rested for the trip to Wolfsburg so he should return to the line up, alongside him will be on-form Darron Gibson, Anderson and Antonio Valencia. Nani, given a rare first-team outing on Wednesday will more than likely drop to the bench, along with Ji-Sung Park who is not yet match fit.

Some cause for optimism in the final third however, Wayne Rooney has recovered from a Hamstring strain and Dimitar Berbatov from a knee problem, add this to Michael Owen’s hat-trick on Wednesday and Sir Alex Ferguson has a welcome selection headache. Owen should have done enough to earn a start, probably alongside Rooney.

Aston Villa manager, Martin O’Neill will be looking to end the barren run Villa have had at Old Trafford and to do so he has a full squad to choose from. So expect an unchanged side from the one that trounced Hull 3-0 last weekend.

Going forward Villa are a potent threat especially on the counter attack, they possess great pace in Ashley Young, James Milner and Gabriel Agbonlahor. Stewart Downing has added himself to the array of attacking talents and shifting Milner to a centre midfield spot in the process.

O’Neill is also in a positive frame of mind,

“We are buoyant. We are in fine form and we are well aware of what we are up against, in terms of the difficulty of the task and our recent history. The club doesn’t have a great record against United but we are unbeaten against sides in the top four and those hoping to get into the Champions League this season. I’m not getting overly excited by the talk of a defensive crisis,” he said. “To my mind, Nemanja Vidic will play and so will Patrice Evra. Michael Carrick may have played at the back in midweek, but they still went to Wolfsburg and won.”

Losing only once in the last thirty-one home matches, a victory seems certain, but beware Aston Villa have the highest goals from corners record in the League with eight and have scored in each of their last 14 Premier League matches.

Prediction: 3-1 United

Probable Line Up: Kuszczak; Fletcher, Carrick, Vidic, Evra; Giggs, Gibson, Anderson, Valencia; Owen, Rooney

Manchester United vs Vfl Wolfsburg: Preview

2009-12-08T16:39:00.000Z

The final game in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League is almost upon us and we need one point to finish top of the group. With qualification to the second round already assured, the pressure will surely be off the Red Devils as they make their way to Germany to face Bundesliga champions, Vfl Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg are a team packed with immensely talented players — most familiar are Edin Dzeko and Grafite, the highest scoring strike partnership in German footballing history.

Most of the headlines in the previous meeting between the pair centred on these two but, in my opinion, the biggest danger to United is Zvjezdan Misimovic, the Bosnian playmaker. He pulls the strings in this Wolfsburg team and last season came away with 23 assists in 36 games, not to mention the 6 goals. This season he has managed 8 assists and 9 goals during the 22 games started.

Former Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins will be unavailable as he has a shin injury that is expected to keep him out until at least the New Year. Other than that Veh has a fully fit squad to choose from.

While the attacking threat is well documented, remember the defensive players at Armin Veh’s disposal. Alexander Madlung, Ricardo Costa and Andrea Barzagli. They are a well-drilled unit and will prove difficult to break down, especially at the Volkswagen Arena.

Manchester United on the other hand have a number of issues, and they are mostly to do with defenders. As mentioned yesterday, we are in the midst of an almighty injury crisis. From defence to attack we are at less than half strength.

Just a reminder, in case you missed it: Wes Brown, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans, Fabio, Rafael, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Gary Neville, Edwin Van Der Sar and Owen Hargreaves.

That would leave Patrice Evra as our only recognised defender. It is tough times at Old Trafford. Tomasz Kuszczak will start in goal as he continues his fine form. It looks as if Michael Carrick will be used as a makeshift centre-half along side Oliver Gill, the 19-year-old son of chief executive David. This has nothing to do with his very close ties to the United hierarchy, apparently.

“It doesn’t concern me. If he is good enough, he plays,” Ferguson told reporters at a press conference.

“That is the name of the game at Manchester United. I had my own son in the squad for four or five years and he was treated exactly the same as any other member of the squad. It will be the same for Oliver.”

Darren Fletcher should deputise at right-back.

The shuffling of the defence will definitely have an effect on the midfield selection. Sir Alex Ferguson will have to pick his strongest side if he wants the valuable away point. Valencia, Gibson and Anderson will all start, with either Obertan or Ji-Sung Park given the left-wing berth. He may even decide to play a five-man midfield, as is so often the case in Europe. So Paul Scholes could keep his place in the side.

Up front there is not Rooney, Berbatov or Macheda, thus leaving Michael Owen or Danny Welbeck to fight it out for a lone striker spot, or try to forge a winning partnership.

The game looks very tough considering the Germans need to win to make sure of a second round spot, they will need no extra motivation and Fergie has already hinted they will be enjoying the injury crisis currently engulfing Old Trafford.

“Wolfsburg will be delighted we have so many injuries,” jested Ferguson.

“I know we might come second in the group but I am not sure whether it really makes much difference.”

It may not make a difference, but top spot would give an easier draw in the next stage and the first leg at home, but ultimately we may pay the price for our medical shortcomings.

Prediction: 2-0 Vfl Wolfsburg

United’s 19-man squad for the game in Wolfsburg: Tomasz Kuszczak, Ben Foster, Patrice Evra, Oliver Gill, Gabriel Obertan, Magnus Eikrem, Paul Scholes, Darron Gibson, Antonio Valencia, Michael Carrick, Matty James, Darren Fletcher, Ji-sung Park, Anderson, Cameron Stewart, Nani, Oliver Norwood, Michael Owen, Danny Welbeck

West Ham United vs Manchester United: Preview

2009-12-05T16:38:00.000Z

Fresh from World Cup draw fever, the attention will once more be focused on the Premier League. Manchester United have the rare occurrence of a Saturday, 3pm kick-off, and the lucky recipients of a visit from Sir Alex Ferguson on his 1,300th game in charge of the Red Devils are West Ham United. That’s 3pm GMT at Upton Park or the Boleyn Ground if you prefer.

The Hammers are fresh from the 5-3 victory over Burnley last weekend, at one point 5-0 up. But former United reserve Chris Eagles was the catalyst for the Clarets as they looked to make the score more respectable and ultimately demonstrate the weakness of West Ham’s defence. Having not had a clean sheet since August and scoring in each of their last eleven matches, including an impressive 8 in their last three games, a goal fest should ensue.

Matthew Upson should have recovered from a hamstring injury to help repair the leaky defence that has conceded at least two goals in 9 of their last 10 Premier League matches. Reported United target Carlton Cole is out until the New Year and Alessandro Diamanti is doubtful with a thigh strain. This means Zavon Hines will start upfront for the Hammers,

Long-term absentees Calum Davenport, Dean Ashton and Luis Boa Morte are all still sidelined. Valon Behrami is also out after minor knee surgery. Forgotten man Kieron Dyer should be on the bench after playing 75 minutes for the reserves on Monday.

Gianfranco Zola has the Hammers playing an attacking brand of football, a brand of entertaining football that has led his side into a relegation dogfight. One player who is always up for a battle is Scott Parker, he has matured into a more holding role during his time with West Ham and is a vital component of Zola’s team, he will look to impose his game on our midfield and is also a threat when he ventures into the opposition half.

United go into the game on the back of a comfortable 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the Carling Cup. With Ferguson selecting a second string side, the young lads will have definitely put themselves into first team contention, Darron Gibson being a case in point.

Edwin Van der Sar, who has saved 83% of all shots on target, a league high, has recovered from a knee injury and will force Tomasz Kuszczak back onto the bench.

Patrice Evra will return to the back line to join Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown in an almost unchanged unit. John O’Shea and Jonny Evans are still out with thigh and ankle injuries, respectively.

The biggest headache for Ferguson is the midfield, Anderson was impressive against Spurs, Michael Carrick had a late cameo but Darron Gibson stole all the headlines with two wonderful goals and surely deserves to keep his place in the side. Antonio Valencia, Darren Fletcher and Ryan Giggs should all return to the team, and Paul Scholes is also in with a shout.

Wayne Rooney who bagged a hat-trick last week, will almost certainly partner Dimitar Berbatov, leaving Michael Owen out in the cold once more.

There have been more goals at Upton Park than at any other Premier League ground this season. We do not have a great record at Upton Park with two defeats in our last three trips to east London, though last season we completed the double over the Hammers. We should expect nothing less than a victory to keep the pressure on Chelsea, who face a tricky tie against that ‘massive club’ from across the way.

Prediction: 3-1 United

Probable Line Up: Van der Sar, Neville, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Gibson, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov

Italy's World Cup Group

2009-12-04T14:22:00.000Z

There you have it, Italy in Group F, drawn with New Zealand, Paraguay and Slovakia. A relatively simple group and one Marcelo Lippi should take the Azzurri through with comfort.

Group F

Italy
New Zealand
Paraguay
Slovakia

They begin the defence of their crown in Capetown at the Greenpoint soccer stadium on June 14th 2010 against Paraguay before traveling to Nelspruit to face New Zealand on 20th June in the newly built Mbombela Stadium and finishing their Group F campaign in Johannesburg at the Ellis Park Stadium against Slovakia on 24th June.

Lets hope World Cup number five is on its way to Rome and Italy retain the trophy deservingly won in Germany.

What are your thoughts on the draw and how do you think Italy will do? Leave a comment below.

Is Ciro Ferrara On His Last Legs at Juventus?

2009-12-03T14:23:00.000Z

While the worlds press gathered to salivate over Spain’s 'El Classico', matters in Serie A were taking a more dramatic turn. Inter managed to overcome Fiorentina at the San Siro thanks to a Diego Milito Penalty. Milan struggled to break down Catania, and were knocking on the door for 90 minutes until Klaas-Jan Huntelaar produced two moments of striking magic to propel himself into the hearts of the Rossoneri. However, with the two Milan sides gaining 3 points, it was Juve who slipped up once more. They were well and truly humbled by Cagliari at the Sant’Elia with Jeda on from in the 2-0 defeat.

This has meant they are now a massive 8 points behind leaders Inter and have dropped to third place behind a Milan side that have huffed and puffed all season.

Juventus were seen by many as Inter’s main and possibly only challengers for the Scudetto this season, after a better than normal transfer campaign and terrific start to the Serie A season. Diego looked an inspired piece of business during the opening few games. Cannanvaro and Chiellini were assured at the back, Iaquinta was fast becoming Juve’s number one striker, with youth a plenty in De Ceglie, Marchisio and a rejuvenated Giovinco, a title challenge seemed a realistic possibility.

In stark contrast, the last month or so have been a relative disaster for the Bianconeri, capitulation against Napoli, struggling to overcome Udinese and thoroughly outplayed by Cagliari, not to mention the Champions League trouncing at the hands of Bordeaux.

This had led to increased pressure on relative rookie Ciro Ferrara, his position has come under the microscope in recent weeks, with some even calling for his head. According to Turin newspaper, Tuttosport, Juve patron John Elkann apparently called Ferrara after the weekend’s game to remind him of the money spent in the summer and the expectations of the Juve board and faithful.

Ferrara himself has admitted that there is something wrong at the club, according to the coach the Brazilian is not following instructions on the pitch. This usually means the coach is losing control of the dressing room, and inevitably is the beginning of the end. Ferrara has made mistakes, he has not used players to their full effectiveness, the team are still adjusting to the new formation, the coach is still learning his trade and maybe does not deserve the criticism he has received.

England manager and Juventus legend Fabio Capello has came to the defence of his former captain, “Juventus have reinforced, but need time to mature. Let's give this Juve a little time.” And President Jean-Claude Blanc insists that coach Ciro Ferrara will remain in charge. "The outcome of the next two games will not change anything, we move ahead with our project,"

A decisive game is coming for both club and coach, the Derby d’Italia. Lose this and any slim hopes of a championship triumph will be extinguished, win and it could prove the catalyst in such a difficult time. The choice is there for all at Juve. This has the making of a defining moment in Juve’s season.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview

2009-12-01T16:36:00.000Z

Fresh from the Premier League triumph against Portsmouth, the Carling Cup is next for Manchester United. Last season’s beaten finalists, Tottenham Hotspur are the designated opposition and are likely to provide a stern test for the boys in red.

Expect a much-changed side from the weekend’s Premier League fixture at Fratton Park. Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to field the young guns as he usually does in this particular competition.

One player who should retain his place is Tomasz Kuszczak who performed admirably at the weekend. Though Ben Foster is looking for another chance to show he has an Old Trafford future and he may have to study penalties on his iPod as he did in last years final. Edwin Van der Sar has a knee problem so he is definitely ruled out.

The defence should remain fairly stable as, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans, Fabio and Rio Ferdinand are all out injured. Gary Neville should be replaced by Rafael, leaving Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic to continue in the centre of defence. Patrice as usual will take up his left-back berth.

It should be all change in the midfield, though similar to the Besiktas quartet. Darron Gibson and Anderson look definite starters, while Ji-Sung Park will be looking to increase his fitness following a long spell on the sidelines. This leaves a place for Gabriel Obertan, Nani, who is feeling the wrath of Sir Alex after some unsavory comments regarding his position at United, and Zoran Tosic, who recently bagged a brace for the reserves, thus putting himself in Carling Cup contention.

The strikeforce will be three of Danny Welbeck, Federico Macheda and Michael Owen.

Sir Alex Ferguson has also reacted to criticism of his young players by journalists:

“Those lads need to be challenged and I thought they did okay, they did not deserve that kind of criticism. Those same people will be going cap in hand to them, begging them for interviews in a few years’ time, mark my words. It is so hypocritical. What is the difference between that and Alan Hansen doing it in front of millions? Yet one gets slaughtered for it and this guy gets off. Wonderful. What a world. I don’t need to motivate them with what has been said. Their future is well mapped out,” he asserted.

Tottenham visit Old Trafford knowing it has been almost two decades since they returned to London with a win at Old Trafford in any competition and face a United side that has not lost in this competition since being humbled by Coventry in 2007. In addition, United are yet to concede in the Carling Cup this season.

Spurs will no doubt field a strong line up, though, Woodgate, King, Cudicini and Luca Modric are all missing. Aaron Lennon will look to give Evra a tough time on the right and Defoe will be brimming with confidence after his recent five-goal haul against Wigan in the League. It must also be noted Peter Crouch is the competitions joint top scorer with four goals, three of which came against Preston.

Giovanni Dos Santos, the wonderkid and next big thing in world football has arrived back from Ipswich where he was on loan and has recovered from injury so he may play some part in Spurs’ game plan, as Harry Redknapp is of the opinion, Champions League qualification is more important for the North London side,

“You can win a cup and have a bit of luck on the way, but to get to a Champions League position would be done through a whole season. It would be great for us.”

It will prove to be a fascinating fixture and a good opportunity to see some of the younger talents lurking in the Old Trafford set-up.

Prediction: 2-1 United

Probable Line Up: Kuszczak, Rafael, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Obertan, Gibson, Anderson, Park, Owen, Welbeck

Manchester United vs Portsmouth: Preview

2009-11-28T16:33:00.000Z

After a miserable midweek Champions League match against Besiktas, the Premier League is here to save the day as bottom club Portsmouth host the Champions at Fratton Park. However, Sir Alex begins his two-match ban, so Mike Phelan will be handing out the touchline instructions.

It is Avram Grant’s first game in charge of Pompey after the departure of Paul Hart on Tuesday, and he seems up for the challenge,

“The spirit of the team and atmosphere are good. The squad is good enough to take us from the bottom, but we need some players who can improve us.”

It is Grant’s second spell at the club as he left Fratton Park in July 2007 to take up a director of football role at Chelsea succeeding Jose Mourinho in September of that year, but he was sacked at the end of the season despite guiding his side to second in the Premier League and the Champions League final, where they lost on penalties to our good selves.

Many of you may also remember Avram Grant’s first game in charge of Chelsea, a 2-0 defeat against the mighty reds. Lets hope history repeats itself on Saturday. Omens look positive for us as Portsmouth have been stuck at the bottom of the Premier League table since August and have the least effective front line in the Premier League, scoring just 10 goals in their 13 games. Vidic may have to wait for his contract and also some defensive tasks on Saturday.

Goalkeeper David James looks likely to miss the match with a calf injury, and should be replaced by Jamie Ashdown. Pompey could welcome back Papa Bouba Diop, who has recovered from a hamstring injury. John Utaka and Steve Finnan may also make it to the bench. One player to look out for is Aruna Dindane, Portsmouth’s top scorer with 4 so far this season (3 of which came against Wigan). Jamie O’Hara is another to look out for, he has been one of few bright lights at Fratton Park this season, providing the energy in the Pompey midfield and also an attacking threat we should be wary of.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been very gracious and respectful to his opposite number,

“He’s very experienced and I’m sure he will get the right reaction from his players. We’ve kept in touch quite a lot and he will be glad to get back into management. He has got a big challenge, but they have some good players and they might be in a false position.”

A much changed line up from Wednesday won’t include Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves who are definitely out, while Jonny Evans and John O’Shea have not made the trip south. This means Wesley Brown, “the best natural defender in the country” according to Ferguson, will continue his partnership with Vidic at the back. Evra should be recalled and Gary Neville will take up his usual position, as will Van der Sar.

With Portsmouth weak at left-back, Valencia will start to give the side a potent attacking threat down the right. After a rest in midweek, Carrick and Fletcher should form the midfield pairing, with Ryan Giggs battling it out with Gabriel Obertan for the left side position. Giggs should be given the nod as he searches for his 100th Premier League goal.

In the final third Dimitar Berbatov should be back after missing the last four matches and Wayne Rooney will commence service as well with Michael Owen dropping to the bench as has become the norm.

A word of caution: We have only managed two victories at Fratton Park in the Premier League out of six attempts, we have lost our last two away fixtures, not three in a row since 1996. Portsmouth haven’t scored in the last three matches between the sides. A comfortable victory and one that would be our 2,000th in the league, should ensue given the majority of the first team has in effect had a week off and should be fresh.

Portsmouth will have that air of confidence a new manager brings, but ultimately we should be too strong.

Prediction: 3-0

Probable Line Up: Van der Sar, Neville, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov

Is Failure Just Around the Corner For AC Milan?

2009-11-26T14:26:00.000Z

The weekend’s fixtures in Serie A produced a number of exciting matches, fantastic goals and thrilling performances. One such game was AC Milan’s 4-3 victory over Cagliari. The enigmatic Ronaldinho produced a mesmerising second half performance, Pato scored a wonderful goal, Seedorf seemed back to the Clarence of old, while Dida once more defied the ‘donkey’ tag to churned out a string of impressive saves. Such behaviour has prompted many Rossoneri faithful to claim all is well at Milanello and a serious Scudetto challenge can be mounted. I would recommend an air of caution because it wasn’t that long ago the San Siro side were in crisis.

Those of you may remember the breath of fresh air Leonardo brought to AC Milan, a new young coach with different ideas, a new way of thinking. You may also remember the very same coach who looked inept, at a loss to change a side that looked worn, tired just plain too old. Week 2 heralded the early arrival of the Derby della Madonnina or the Milan Derby to you and me. An optimistic Milan arrived ready to do battle with the Inter juggernaught, and instead of going into battle with a magnificent roar, nothing more than a silent whimper could be heard as il Biscione suffocated its prey with a masterful display, the final score 4-0.

Disappointing results against Livorno, Udinese and Bari were to follow; these were accompanied by dismal performances. Ronaldinho looked disinterested as he did all of last season, more likely to be seen partying in Paris than playing football in Milan. The culmination of this crisis came in the Champions League when Swiss minnows FC Zurich arrived at the San Siro. The result was a disaster, humiliating for the great AC Milan and Leonardo as a coach. But was this a turning point?
Since that fateful night on the 30th September 2009, the Rossoneri have gone on a 10 match unbeaten run in all competitions. They have moved from 12th in the Serie A standings to 3rd, only 2 points away from Juventus in second place, they even occupied second place on Sunday, if only for a few hours.

This resurgence can be attributed to a number of factors, first and foremost Leonardo has ditched the 4-3-1-2 formation in favour of a more attack minded 4-3-3, playing Ronaldinho and Pato, left and right of a target man striker, namely Borriello. Seedorf has found his role in midfield, creating chance after chance for the front men. Credit must also go to the Thiago Silva-Nesta foundation this forward line is built on. Nesta in particular has been superlative this season as a whole, he may be 33 and a frequent visitor to the Milan physio, but you cannot take away his effervescing class.

The results do speak for themselves, winning away in Madrid, dispatching highflyers Parma and dominating Lazio for the most part. However in my mind there is a lingering doubt that AC Milan can keep up this miracle of miracles. Everyone has written them off as a team of pensioners unable to cope with one game a week never mind two. Yet these doubters have been proved wrong, thus far at least.

My main issue lies in the squad and is related to the arguments made by many a few months ago. The team has many flaws, it is slow, it is ageing and the personnel are past their prime. These problems do not go away, they are only being managed better by a young coach who is learning at a swift rate. How will Gattuso, Nesta, Zambrotta, Oddo, Jankulovski, Inzaghi, Pirlo et al cope in February three quarters of the way into a gruelling season? What if the stars, Ronaldinho, Pato or Nesta are injured for a prolonged period?

Milan may be on a high now, but it only takes a couple of negative results then it is back to the drawing board and a so-called ‘crisis’ ensues once more. To all you Rossoneri, be optimistic but don’t believe the hype.

Manchester United vs Everton: Preview

2009-11-21T10:42:00.000Z

Another international break has ended finally giving United the opportunity to avenge the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea. Willing victims, Everton, line up at Old Trafford in the day’s late kick-off, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s touchline ban not set to begin until after the match; he will surely demand a victory before he takes his seat in the stands.

In the terraces, for sure, will sit Gary Neville, who is suspended. Our defensive injury crisis worsened as John O’Shea picked up an ankle injury against France and remains doubtful for today’s game. Jonny Evans is touch and go with a calf strain and along with long-term absentee Rio Ferdinand, our defence will be stretched to its limits.

The good news is Nemanja Vidic — who has been out of action for three weeks with a calf problem — should return to marshal the defence after playing 70 minutes for Serbia against South Korea on Wednesday. Lining up beside him will no doubt be a jubilant Patrice Evra; Wes Brown, fresh from a woeful display against Brazil, and likely Rafael at right-back.

One thing you can probably guarantee is Nani won’t be getting on the pitch this weekend, despite his heroics for Portugal over the last week. His recent attack on Sir Alex will have not gone unnoticed by the manager. Paul Scholes, a lover of the much-maligned international break looks a certain starter; well rested and having missed out against Chelsea, he will surely be raring to go. For the other midfield slot, it is probably between Fletcher and Carrick, although since Carrick is carrying a slight thigh strain expect the Scot to start beside Scholesy.

Ryan Giggs, stuck on 99 Premier League goals, is expected to feature at some point as well in a bid to grab that all-important 100th goal. Gabriel Obertan will be pushing for a start, given his recent performances for both the first team and reserves, while Valencia will provide the attacking thrust down the right. Let’s hope he can deliver a few telling balls and carry on his recent run of good form.

Stand-in England captain, Wayne Rooney will no doubt lead the line against his former team. Dimitar Berbatov will look to carry forward his form with Bulgaria, as he bagged brace in the 4-1 thrashing of Malta to become Bulgaria’s all-time leading scorer with 48 goals in 74 appearances. He replaces Hristo Bonev, who held the record for 30 years.

The Toffees bring a number of ex-United stars back to Old Trafford. Louis Saha will be out to prove a point, if he manages to stay fit between now and kick-off. Tim Howard and, of course, the other Neville brother will be back, though the latter is out through injury.

Fergie clearly has a great amount of respect for Everton boss David Moyes, commenting on the injury crisis at Goodison and comparing it to our own. “Everton have had a tremendous run of injuries and David Moyes is facing much the same situation as myself at the moment. You can understand how difficult it is to win games when you don’t have your best team out. Once they get their full squad back they will soon come up the table again.”

Russian winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov will definitely be out for Everton as he serves the second of his three-match suspension while Tim Cahill is doubtful with a groin injury. Among other absentees for the Merseysiders are Mikel Arteta, Phil Jagielka, Leon Osman and Victor Anichebe. Despite this Everton find themselves in exactly the same situation as last season, 12th on 15 points after 11 matches.

They are also bring a potential United star of the future, Jack Rodwell, recently linked with us for a staggering £20m fee, who will have the chance to show his potential employers what he is capable of. With a cool head and likened to Rio Ferdinand in style, it is easy to see why SAF is interested given the injury problems Rio has.

This season has been a tale of inconsistency for Everton but a run of 7 games without a win was ended with the 3-2 victory over West Ham two weeks ago. An injury ravaged Everton should provide a relatively simple test for us, especially after the injustice at Stamford Bridge. However, recent home results against Birmingham, Manchester City, Sunderland and Bolton do not exactly inspire confidence.

We can’t afford to drop any more points despite proclamations that the five point lead Chelsea hold isn’t ‘insurmountable’. Unbeaten at Old Trafford since 1992 against Everton, United have only lost once in the last 28 meetings between the sides.

Prediction: 3-1 United

Probable Line Up: Van der Sar; Evra, Vidic, Brown, Rafael; Obertan, Scholes, Fletcher, Valencia; Rooney, Berbatov

What is Best For Manchester United and Rooney?

2009-11-15T10:40:00.000Z

With the international break nearly over, the excitement of the Premier League will be back with us and Manchester United will be looking to get back to winning ways against Everton at Old Trafford at the weekend.

Following the Chelsea defeat I began thinking about what the best Manchester United eleven actually is? You can name Chelsea’s best eleven fairly easily, as with Arsenal and Liverpool. But with United it proves more problematic.

Assuming everyone is fit and assuming Ben Foster does not have any more opportunities to show his ‘skills’ then Edwin van der Sar will be the goalkeeper of choice. Going along the back four it is one that picks itself, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic as the centre-back pairing, Patrice Evra at left-back and John O’Shea at right-back. A solid foundation to build upon, but it is from here things become a tad more difficult.

Firstly we must decide which formation to use, will it be 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1? Then think of the personnel, who are the first choice centre midfield pairing? Michael Carrick and Anderson? Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes? Add Ryan Giggs and Owen Hargreaves to this equation then you are left with a headache only asprin can cure.

You also have a number of wide players, Nani, Antonio Valencia, Ji-Sung Park et al. Plus there is a the argument about how much Michael Owen should play, as it seems Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov are nailed on starters.

In my opinion against the top class sides a 4-4-2 does not suffice, and this is especially true with Manchester United, as they don’t have centre midfielders that can match Europe’s best. So I would argue for a 4-5-1/4-3-3 depending on possession of the ball.

Then we must add the players to the system and I feel Manchester United have the perfect style of player to adapt to this fairly easily. The system was also used to great effect during ‘the Ronaldo years’. Ronaldo may have gone but I think the person to step into the void left by the Portuguese is Mr Wayne Rooney.

Personally, I would have Fletcher, Carrick and Anderson as the midfield trio. I think they work extremely well together, bring different attributes to the table and can dominate even the strongest midfields in Europe, given the job they did over Chelsea. When a Scholes-Carrick axis was used against Liverpool, it failed, dramatically.

This would leave three places for forward players. The three I would choose would be Nani, Berbatov and Rooney, with Berbatov as the lone striker, Nani on the right and Rooney on the left. I’m braced for the backlash.

Before it comes let me justify this. Rooney is a top class player, no question, but in my opinion he can help the team more cutting in from the left onto his right foot. Evra can provide width and the aforementioned midfield three can provide cover then Rooney moves infield. Think of him in a Messi-esque role. He can cut in, dribble, play the through ball to Dimitar and generally put himself about. The added bonus of his work rate means he can provide support for Evra when needed.

He may operate best behind a front man, but I think he can offer more to the team coming in from the left. This would then allow others to express themselves in a more efficient way and ultimately help the Manchester United side to more success and become more of a cohesive unit.

Let the backlash begin!

Much of the Same But With a Sprinkling of Black Pepper

2009-11-14T10:32:00.000Z

With the final international break of the year almost upon us, Marcelo Lippi has named his squad for the upcoming games with Holland and Sweden and he managed to spring a few surprises along with the usual sprinkling of nailed on members.
Lets have a look at the players Senor Lippi has given the call ahead of the two games.

The goalkeeping position is about the only area of the Italy team that isn’t up for debate; if he is fit Gianluigi Buffon will be Italy’s number one, no questions asked. His save against Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League was nothing short of phenomenal. For me he is the best in the world.

The only question is finding an able deputy for the great man, he personally earmarked Federico Marchetti as his successor but I am a fan of Luca Castellazzi of Sampdoria myself. He has been in superb form all season, and can be considered along with Cassano as a vital cog in the blucerchiati machine, but Morgan De Sanctis managed to get the nod instead for the upcoming games.

In defence we have what will be the starting back four in South Africa, Fabio Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini, Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso. Then we have back up centre-backs Salvatore Bocchetti and Nicola Legrottaglie who seem certain to be boarding the plane and subsequently we have a number of fringe players given the chance to shine.

Mattia Cassani of Palermo has a chance to impress and according to his coach Walter Zenga, the entire Palermo side should be in the Azzurri squad. Cassani has been in good form this season and deserves a chance, lets hope he can take it. He will have competition from Christian Maggio of Napoli who is as strong going forward as he is at defending, a player who has earned his call up and will look to oust both Zambrotta and Cassani for this starting right-back slot.

Finally in the defensive stakes we have Domenico Criscito, the Genoa left-back. A star for the U21’s and for his club, he will be a future star for the national side and should be given the chance to challenge Grosso for a starting berth.

Again with the midfielders, Lippi has selected a core that will almost certainly be heading to South Africa. Andrea Pirlo, Mauro Camoranesi, Danielle De Rossi and Angelo Palombo. All have been heavily involved in the qualifying campaign so expect them to travel.

Marco Marchionni has been in and out the squad recently, his two goals against Catania a couple of weeks past will have earned him one last chance to impress Lippi. I however, do not expect him to retain his place in the squad.

Danielle Galloppa has one cap, earned against Northern Ireland in June this year. He has been superb for Parma as they climb higher up the Serie A table. He can provide added to drive and energy to a midfield that has become slow and cumbersome.
Then we have two surprise call-ups, Davide Biondini of Cagliari and Antonio Candreva of Livorno.

For me Candreva has particularly impressed this campaign, on loan from Udinese he was part of the Italy side that took part in the U21 European Championships in the summer. It may be a bit too late for him to get a place in the final World Cup squad but if there are a few injuries then he could well get a chance. A player who has been Livorno’s only shining light.

Riccardo Montolivo was a late call-up to replace the injured Danielle De Rossi. He has been out of the Azzurri picture since the disastrous Confederations Cup campaign and has been given one last chance to shine and show Lippi he can offer something to La Nazionale in South Africa. He was earmarked as the next great Italian creative talent but so far has failed to live up to such a label.

As for the strikers it is pretty much as you were, with the additions of Genoa’s Raffaele Palladino and Sampdoria’s Giampaolo Pazzini. Pazzini will be looking to cement his place in the squad and carry forward his form with Samp; lets just hope he doesn’t receive a silly red card. No place for Antonio Cassano, it seems his World Cup dream is dead and buried.

As Lippi continues to shape his team for 2010, it can be safely said he knows about 18 of his 23 man squad and there wont be much room for any wild card entries. It would now be a case of instilling the same belief and cohesion the 2006 side had. Would you bet against Italy lifting the World Cup next year?

Full Squad

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)

Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Fabio Grosso (Juventus), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan)

Midfielders: Davide Biondini (Cagliari), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Antonio Candreva (Livorno), Riccardo Montolivo (Roma), Danielle Galloppa (Parma), Marco Marchionni (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (Milan)

Forwards: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Raffaele Palladino (Genoa), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Guiseppe Rossi (Villarreal)

The Partenopei Phoenix, Is Napoli Rising?

2009-11-03T17:40:00.000Z

Have Napoli turned a corner? Many people, including myself, think they have indeed.

It wasn’t so long ago that the Partenopei were conducting a magnificent summer transfer campaign, bringing in Juan Zúñiga from Siena, Hugo Campagnaro a surprise addition from Sampdoria and enticing Fabio Quagliarella back to his hometown club. While adding Azzurrini sensation Luca Cigarini to an already talented bunch of youngsters that included Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik.
I could go on, as the amount of talent that Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has brought in is truly amazing. They have one of the most impressive squads in the peninsula.

But after the sacking of Edy Reja in March this year, it was left to former national team boss Roberto Donadoni to lead this expensively assembled squad. We all know how successful his reign as coach was. Poor performances, restlessness in the dressing room and strange player selections – Zúñiga at left-midfield anyone? But ultimately terrible results.

The Naples outfit was, at one point, 15th in the table with four defeats in the opening seven league matches. Donadoni’s overall record was a humiliating four victories in 17 games at the helm of the Azzurri.

After a 2-1 defeat to AS Roma, it was time for change. In waltzed Walter Mazzarri, former Sampdoria manager talking up the club and players. It seemed overnight, the Donadoni curse had lifted. Victories over Bologna and Fiorentina, A magnificent comeback against AC Milan and the stunning victory over Juventus at the weekend have propelled Napoli to 6th place in the table.

Mazzarri has instilled the kind of belief that Donadoni could not. During his tenure the Azzurri would have capitulated when going behind and more often than not did capitulate. Whereas now we see a renewed sense of optimism where going behind is not the end of the world but frees the side from the shackles of expectation.

Going into Saturdays match at the Olimpico in Turin, Napoli were undefeated under Mazzarri who had instilled a never-say-die spirit into the Partenopei players. This re-birth of the Napoli side could catapult them into title contention, I’m not for a second tipping them as Scudetto winners but as a side who will prove a real thorn in the Juve’s and Inter’s of this world. It may be that they have a very large impact on the destination of the 2009/2010 Championship.

Already having a magnificent season, Hamsik has been a shining light for his side in recent weeks and seems to have taken over from Lavezzi as Napoli’s go-to-guy. His performance against Juve was his best performance of the year, capping it two wonderfully taken goals. He is fast becoming one of the best attacking midfield players in Europe. His darting runs and clever one-twos leave opposition defenders in a daze. With 7 goals already in Serie A, it seems there will be many more.

The season is only young but can the Mazzarri machine make a strong title push, probably not. Can they secure European football, in particular the Champions League, most definitely?

Can Diamanti Emulate Di Canio?

2009-09-22T18:15:00.000+01:00

Can West Ham United’s new Italian talent have the same impact on the Hammers as club legend Paolo Di Canio did between 1999 and 2003? Gianfranco Zola signed Alessandro Diamanti for a fee of around £6 million in the summer. Big money for an untested player especially in light of West Ham’s supposed financial handicap. But it could prove to be a smart acquisition by Zola in light of the past weekends game.

After scoring a controversial penalty against Liverpool on Saturday he has been thrown into the limelight for the wrong reasons. Chris Waddle who commentated on the match for ESPN UK was convinced that Diamanti touched the ball twice – as he took the penalty- but the Italian himself is adamant he scored a legitimate goal, “I don’t care what TV shows. It deserved a goal. I don’t believe I touched it twice. I was trying to hit it down the middle and that is what happened.” I will leave you to make up your own mind.

Signed from Livrono in Serie A, Diamanti was a star in Serie B last year, guiding the Amaranti to promotion with six goals in the final ten matches of the season as the Tuscan side went up via the playoffs. He is also accustomed to scoring magnificent long-range efforts, such as the edge of the box volley for Livorno against Triestina.

His current boss has likened the player to himself and former Hammer, Di Canio, as Zola told Italian sports daily, Gazzetta dello Sport: “He’s a cross between myself and Paolo Di Canio.” These are large boots to fill given the standing Di Canio has amongst the West Ham faithful and after the performance against Liverpool he showed that the potential is most definitely there.

Alessandro Diamanti is a very pacy player with fantastic ball control and explosive shot, with the added bonous of being a set-piece specialist, it appears West Ham have unearthed another Italian gem. He is somewhat of a late bloomer, spending most of his career so far in the lower divisions of Italian football with hometown club Prato, and it wasn’t until he befriended Fabio Galante who recommended him to the Livrono chairman.

More recently, for West Ham reserves he banged in two magnificent free kicks in a 6-0 rout over Birmingham, after almost six months out. It is his goals but also his personality that will win over the fans, Diamanti stated on joining, “I chose West Ham because the club have the tradition of playing great football. Also, because the West Ham fans are really passionate and that is the way I am.”

Once full match fitness is achieved he will be a real thorn in the side of Premier League defences. You have been warned.

When Will Paul Scholes Learn to Tackle?

2009-09-14T18:01:00.000+01:00

Manchester United finished up 3-1 victors over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, but the victory was somewhat spoiled by the sending off of Paul Scholes, who was made to walk after two yellow card offences. Did the punishment fit the crime or is it about time the ‘Ginger Prince’ mastered the art of tackling?

It is often said that Paul Scholes simply cannot tackle; he is a magnificent midfield player who has an Achilles heel. Against Tottenham he showed his full repertoire of tools, the long range passing, his ability to hold the ball and find space for himself, his ability to spot a cutting edge pass and bring others into play, in addition to his undeniable capacity to mistime the tackle.

This uncanny gift Scholes possesses, earned him the ninth red card of his career. It was coming, from the moment Scholes was booked for his rash and clumsy tackle on Jermain Defoe, he was walking a thin line. The second yellow is far more contentious, a 50-50 ball, which he and Tom Huddlestone both competed for and to his credit, whenever Scholes knew he was not going to win the ball he, in my view, pulled out of the challenge.

The sour taste is echoed by Sir Alex Ferguson, “He’s never touched him. He’s been sent off because his name is Paul Scholes. That is why he was sent off. It was a ridiculous decision.”
However, Paul Scholes is a professional footballer who, at 34 years of age, should know the laws of the game, and I would hope, has practiced ‘tackling’ of some sort, during his many training sessions at Carrington. I wonder why he can be so reckless in his challenges time and time again, especially when already carrying a yellow card.

His penchant for the yellow card has ruled Scholes out of many important games, whilst getting himself sent of in important matches has also been an illness which needs remedied. The most famous and significant match in which he picked up a yellow card was the 3-2 victory over Juventus in the 1999 Champions League Semi-Final that subsequently ruled the midfield maestro out of the Final.

Time may not be on his side with his extremely successful career winding down, but please Paul learn to put in a legal challenge, if not, it may cost your beloved Manchester United dear in the future.

Lacklustre Italy in Attendance Once More

2009-09-08T21:24:00.000+01:00

Italy took another step towards World Cup qualification a 2-0 victory over Georgia courtesy of a Kakha Kaladze own-goal brace. However, this result does mask what was a lacklustreperformance from the Azzurri and if this is the best Italy can do then the title of ‘World Champions’ will most definitely be shifting.

As the line ups were announced, Lippi sprung a couple of surprises, preferring Domenico Criscito to Fabio Grosso while giving Marco Marchionni his firstAzzurri start since 2006 and starting He also started with a 4-4-2 formation, instead of the 4-3-3 that has been the Italian staple for the last couple of years.

In terms of player performances, the most notable were Criscito along with Camoranesi, substitutesD’Agostino and Quagliarella. Buffon also did well when called upon and produced a couple of truly stunning reaction saves, for me, still the best in his position.

It must be said; the lack of creativity and killer touch in attack is vast. Giuseppe Rossi was given a rare start and produced a woeful performance, which led to his removal. Iaquinta for all his hard work does not, it seems, possess the required quality to play at this level, for all his endeavour he continues to be wasteful in front of goal.

Criscito made a fine claim for the starting left-back slot as his marauding runs forward were proving to be extremely dangerous to the Georgian backline, and on one occasion he dribbled past three players in the penalty area before being bundled over, but the referee waved play on.

Quagliarella was dangerous when he came on, looking lively upfront and hitting the upright with a diving header. D’Agostino carried his form over from last season and was extremely assured in the centre ofmidfield.

Problems for Lippi remain, the Antonio Cassano question will not go away. When asked after the match if the team needed a fantasista he replied, "We have our own fantasista in goal, his name is Gigi Buffon. A great goalkeeper like him does nothing for an hour and then comes up with a decisive intervention."

This is all well and good, having a top-class ‘keeper is essential in the modern game but for me and pretty much every other Nazionale supporter, Cassano is a must have in the team, going on his performances of the previous year. One other addition could be his partner in crime, Giampaolo Pazzini, who has been unable to stop scoring since his move to Sampdoria in January.

After the indifferent performance against the Georgians, he also went on to say Italy will be a much stronger team come the World Cup in 2010, “We have always been a national team built for tournaments. Now we are focusing on getting to there, but wait until the World Cup, as in those 30-40 days it will all be different.”

Things that appear different are actually the same, Italy have all the same problems they did at the Confederations Cup and Lippi does not want to remedy them. The lack of firepower is apparent withalternatives in Serie A begging for a chance, the possibility of Amauri being given an Azzurri chance seems more and more likely, with the Brazilian commenting, "I hope to be in South Africa. If the call comes, I would be honoured to wear the Azzurri shirt." But with issues over his passport application it should only be a matter of time till he puts on the blue of Italy.

Milan Destroyed!

2009-09-03T20:30:00.000+01:00

As anticipation grew, the media focused on whether or not Jose Mourinho could overcome a Milan side that were assured and impressive in the first round of games. Milan, it seemed had turned a corner, Ronaldinho finally found his range of passing and regained the creativity which had been lacking in the previous campaign, Pato looked ever the world class centre forward and with Nesta returning to shore up the rearguard, the Diavolowere having a wonderful time of it.

Inter though, plugged the creative gap in their team with the signing of Wesley Sniedjer who slotted into the Nerazzurri midfield as the trequartista, just behind Samuel Eto’o and Gabriel Milito. Christian Chivu and Walter Samuel made the starting line up with Javier Zanetti moving to the right side of midfield. Inter looked a formidable unit, and so it proved.

Milan coach Leonardo’s face told a million stories, the lack of creativity going forward, an ineffectual Ronaldinho and complete lack of physical imputes. All the optimism the Rossoneri had going into the 271^stDerby della Madoninna had dissipated within the first thirty minutes. Inter had clearly moved up a number of levels from the previous weekends disappointing draw with Bari. Milan were well and truly destroyed.

Marco Boriello managed to keep his place in the Milan first eleven; I personally want an explanation for that. He did not justify his inclusion; he was poor against Siena and invisible on Saturday night. Maicon ruined Marek Jankulovski throughout the evening, with the Czech at fault for a couple Inter’s goals. Gattuso has definitely lost some of the physical prowess that was the foundation of his game, perhaps this led to his sending off, as he could not compete with the Inter midfield and alongside Pirlo, who again looks well past his best, Milan were well off the pace all night.

One glimmer of hope was Alexandre Pato, the young Brazilian terrorised the Inter defence, especially when drifting to both flanks, he is truly a world superstar in the making, but this alone is not enough for the Rossoneri.

The team were shown up by a far superior side, Silvio Berlusconi is kidding himself if he thinks this squad has the quality to challenge for the Scudetto never mind the Champions League, as said in the summer, a complete overhaul is needed badly. As mentioned previously, Milan Coach, Leonardo did not seem to have any answer to the Jose juggernaught, his face told of a coach void of ideas and with no clear direction in his tactics of team selection. My early season optimism has evaporated.

This was a sore defeat and one that will ring loud on the ears of the Milan faithful, one that will surely make the AC Milan hierarchy realise, this team needs to be changed. Not only were they beaten by a superlative Internazionale side, they were beaten by their own inadequacies. Problems that have surfaced over and over, finally led to a humiliating capitulation and rout. Milan may overcome the smaller teams in Serie A but when it comes to the stronger teams, I’m afraid the flaws, which are already there, will be exposed time and time again.

Can Anderson Be the Key?

2009-08-25T11:12:00.001+01:00

Cast your mind back to May 2009, Manchester United were comprehensively and soundly trounced in Rome by a magical Barcelona side, inspired by Xavi and Iniesta. For many, the lack of quality in the centre of the park was plain to see, Carrick looked lethargic and unsure of himself, Fletcher was missed, this, a surprise in itself. Club legends, Giggs and Scholes were ineffective and nowhere to be seen.

The class of the Manchester United midfield is weak in comparison their Premier League rivals, Chelsea with Essien, Lampard, Ballack and Liverpool have Mascherano, Aquilani and Gerrard respectively. Carrick, Fletcher and Scholes just do not compare.

Some of you may cry, “You forgot about Owen Hargreaves!” Indeed I did, mainly due to the length of time he has been injured and latest estimates say he will return around Christmas.
With the transfer window almost closed there are no centre midfielders in sight. So I put it to you that, Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira or just plain Anderson will flourish this season.

In my opinion, Anderson possesses all the qualities to become a top class midfielder, he has pace, acceleration, strength, a strong positional sense coupled with the ability to thread through a match winning final ball. He is a combatitive all action midfielder, beginning his career further up the park, he has since developed a very useful defensive side to an already impressive array of attacking talents.

Anderson reminds me a little of Kaka but with a hint of Roy Keane, obviously these are massively talented players, whose level of ability he has not yet reached, but I think he can and has to an extent combined the best parts of their respective games.

He can sit in front of the defence and play a disciplined role, spreading passes to his teammates further up the field. He can also play as an attacking midfielder, a place where he is most comfortable. In this position he offers all the samba skills you can want – just ask Cesc Fabregas – he has vision, dribbling skills and an eye for goal.

The single shortfall of Anderson’s game, and it is a rather large one, is his uncanny ability to do everything right in the lead up to a shot then fluff the final act, footballs have been found as far away as China. Seemingly he did not bring his shooting boots to Old Trafford.

But I have hopes he can eradicate this untimely habit throughout the forthcoming season, and if pre-season is anything to go by we are in for a few treats, as his sublime free-kick against Boca Juniors was a joy to behold.

I think this could be the season where stamps his authority on this Manchester United side, he has already shown in the past he can mix it up with the big boys dominating in games against Fabregas and Steven Gerrard during his first season with United. He may just prove that there is infact life after a certain Portuguese.

How Will Milan, Juventus and Inter Fare This Season?

2009-08-20T00:16:00.001+01:00

As the Serie A season draws upon us, I thought it was about time I produced my thoughts on the upcoming season and the summer gone. I will begin with the big three Juventus, Inter and Milan, and assess how they will do in the coming nine months.

I will start with champions Internazionale, who on the back of a 4th successive Scudetto sold their most prized asset in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. While I am sad to see the wonderfully talented Swede leave, I do think Inter have managed to achieve a magnificent deal for themselves. Samuel Eto’o will score goals that is of no doubt, and the €40 million will come in handy when purchasing a trequartista.

Inter will no longer be relying on one player to win them games, in addition they should also play more as a unit than happened last season. Jose Mourinho has also bolstered this defence with Lucio, who is a monster of a centre-back who can add extra steel to an already impressive back-line.

The one aspect that is missing from the team is a bit of creativity in the middle of the park, a fact that has been documented for the entire summer. Thiago Motta was brought in from Genoa, and in Esteban Cambiassio they have one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. An old style number 10 is a must for Mourinho and many have been linked to the club, Wesley Sneijder has looked the most likely in recent weeks.

Inter look just as strong as previous years and it is up to their rivals in the championship to up their game, something that Juventus have done over the summer. Bringing in Diego, Felipe Melo Jose Caceres and Fabio Cannavaro. Bear in mind talented coach Ciro Ferrara has had a full pre-season under his belt; the omens look good for La Vecchia Signora.

Ferrara also has a number of young Juventino to call upon; Claudio Marchisio has established himself in the first eleven and also on the fringes of the Azzurri starting line-up. Paolo De Ceglie has also the potential to be a very good player for Juve, while the super-talented Sebastian Giovinco should get more of a chance to showcase is talent under Ferrara. The 4-3-1-2 brought in to accommodate Diego also suits Giovinco to the ground.

The acquisitions, development of the squad and hunger that they no doubt will possess under Ferrara make Juventus my tip to end the Biscione’s grip on the Scudetto.
AC Milan in stark contrast to their rivals have had a chaotic summer, only winning one pre-season friendly – on penalties – summer recruits have been few and far between, plus a lack of quality is apparent. New coach Leonardo hasn’t convinced during the summer, though I did have high hopes for him, and to an extent still do, I think he is being hampered by the clubs hierarchy.

Milan will be relying on a number of Brazilians this season, the aforementioned Leonardo, Thiago Silva, who was brought in during the January transfer window but unable to play due to EU player regulations, Pato, a player that at times showed signs of the absolute brilliance be posses last season and one Ronaldo de Assis Moreira or Ronaldinho to you and me.

The Milan number 80 has been placed as the centre of the team, Silvio Berlusconi made him stand on a table and pronounce to his teammates he will be a ‘better’ player and person this year. Leonardo will use a 4-3-1-2 system and build his team round the mercurial talent. Everything is there for Ronaldinho to get somewhere close to his best having gone through three years of relative mediocrity.

As a fan I am worried about the club, Jan-Klass Huntelaar is the only signing of quality brought in, Kaka sold and Maldini retired. Milan have failed to address any of the issues that have plagued them over the last year and it seems a year of underachievement beckons for myself and my fellow Diavolo.

Also there will be a full preview of Serie A on the Italian Football FanCast this week… Join myself, Dave, Aymen and Kris for all the latest happenings in Serie A.

The Future is Bright, The Future is Azzurrini

2009-07-03T02:01:00.001+01:00

As the Azzurri floundered and failed in South Africa, it was left to the Azzurrini to provide the Italian nation with something at cheer about or at the very least restore some national pride, which they managed to do, and even more so if it weren’t for the great German machine.

Heading to the European U21 Championships in Sweden, the Italy U21 side were the favourites, along with England and Spain U21’s. Boasting an unbeaten qualifying record and an impressive group of youngsters, more of whom have been tried and tested this season in Serie A, the omens looked positive for the Azzurrini, who have won this tournament a record five times.

Several of coach Pierluigi Casiraghi’s players have this season broken through in for their respective Serie A clubs, Marco Motta has made the right-back slot at AS Roma his own, Domenico Criscito and Salvatore Bocchetti are stalwarts of the Genoa defence, Claudio Marchisio has shown for Juventus he can dominate a midfield, while the front trio of Sebastian Giovinco, Robert Acquafresca and Mario Balotelli are a fearsome prospect for any defence in Europe.

In a group that contained hosts Sweden, Serbia and Belarus, a semi-final place was all but assured for the Azzurrini, however a nil-nil draw with Serbia in the opening game may have led to some furrowing of eyebrows among the Italian nation. But, the positive from an opening day performance were that this U21 side looked a very exciting prospect coupled with some truly excellent players.

In the following game against Sweden the Italian defence held firm against an extremely talented Swedish attack, containing Marcus Berg and Ola Toivonin. A ten man Italy triumphed two-one, with two goals from Balotelli and Acquafresca assuring the Azzurrini of victory. Then a brace from Acquafresca propelled Italy from one-nil down to Belarus, to victory and subsequent first place in the final Group standings. A semi-final with unfancied Germany awaited.

Earlier in the day England played Sweden, and produced game of the tournament. Sweden coming back from three-nil down, only to lose on a penalty shootout. Italy vs. Germany had a lot to live up to.

Maybe lacking in goals the second semi-final was an enthralling game. German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer pulled off a string of top class, if unconventional saves as Italy totally dominated from start to finish, with only a momentary lapse that eventually cost them the match. Andreas Beck’s forty-eighth minute strike meant Germany would play England in the final.

Undeservingly the Azzurrini were dumped out of the competition. However, the performances of many Azzurrini throughout the tournament were a joy to behold.

The first to spring to mind has to be Giovinco, he terrorised defences in each match and unlucky not to get on the score sheet at all. It is clear from his performances, the ‘Atomic Ant’ is best used as a trequartista, operating just behind a front two. His incisive passing, endless running and eye for the unexpected led to him picking holes in all the defensive lines put in front of him. His attacking partners, Balotelli and Acquafresca had differing tournaments. Balotelli showed his amazing potential and tremendous skill, but also his fiery temper and ungainly attitude. Acquafresca on the other hand had a relatively successful tournament, bagging three goals and a man of the match performance against Belarus.

The midfield of Marchisio, Paolo De Cegile and Luca Cigarini demonstrated the benefits of a well balance centre. Combining defensive solidity and organisation with drive and creativity. Luca Cigarini being the standout pupil. His passing range, vision and set pieces distinct highlights, described as an heir apparent to Andrea Pirlo and on this evidence he is surly the only viable candidate.

For me, most praise must go to the defence. Andrea Consigli, Bochetti, Criscito, Marco Andreoli and Marco Motta were the most solid unit of the championship. Andreoli and Bocchetti were imperious as a defensive pairing, both acting as this own version on the ‘Berlin Wall’ they laid the solid foundation for many an Italy attack. Criscito was showing the form that has been with him all season. But it was Marco Motta who stole the show throughout the Azzurrini journey. Bombing down the right flank like a man possessed, as if single handedly wanting to claim the title for Italy. As team captain, showed authority and leadership, while containing opponent’s advances with precision timing and composure. This boy man (as Sir Paul would say) given a few years is certain to be attracting the interest of Real Madrid, who seem intent on buying the worlds best.

As the Confederations Cup left Italy desperate for any glimmer of hope internationally, a full-scale fireworks display blazed in Scandinavia. A few of these players could and should have been present in South Africa, where many others will most definitely be close to Marcelo Lippi’s thoughts. The future is bright, the future is Azzurri.

Italy: Confederations Cup Disaster

2009-06-29T17:09:00.000+01:00

As the final of the Confederations Cup approaches, the tournament for one team in particular has been an unmitigated disaster. Coming into the competition, as World Champions would surely mean an easy route to the semi-finals at least, however Italy capitulated in almighty fashion. A somewhat fortuitous victory over the USA followed by an embarrassing defeat to Egypt and a master class from Brazil, meant Italy were on the first plane back to Rome.

Going into the tournament Italy were expected to contest the trophy with Brazil and Spain, not necessarily the favourites but with more quality than the other sides, a semi-final berth was the minimum expectation.Marcelo Lippi named his 23 man squad, ‘old’, ‘past-it’, ‘over the hill’, ‘geriatric’ and claims they ‘don’t have the legs’, were all terms used to by the media to describe the Azzurri hopefuls. Lippi was defiant and had complete faith in his band of World Cup winners.

Personally, I was more concerned with the quality of some, for example Andrea Dossena is not international quality and how he is in an Italy squad remains a mystery to me. Luca Toni has not been performing to the standards set in 2006. While Gattuso has missed most of the season through injury and Cameronesi has also spent large chunks of the campaign on the treatment table. Add this to a 32-year-old Zambrotta, 35-Year-old Cannavaro, 32-year-old Legrottaglie, a recipe for disaster was unquestionably in the making.

In their opening fixture against the USA, Italy started the match well, but as the first half wore on the USA edged more and more into proceedings, creating the best chances of the half. Even after going down to 10 men, USA took the lead through a Landon Donavan penalty. But it wasn’t until the introduction of Giuseppe Rossi that Italy looked dangerous in the final third. He grabbed two goals and all the headlines.

But it was against Egypt that the wheels well and truly came off, a hapless performance both defensively and creatively. Italy lacked ideas going forward and solidity at the back. They fully deserved to be beaten.Then came Brazil in the final group game, a win was needed to guarantee qualification but 3 goals in eight minutes put an end to any hopes of winning the match. Although with the USA leading Egypt by thee goals all the Azzurri needed was one goal, but the impotent attack couldn’t even muster a decent opportunity. Italy were humiliated and on their way home.

After such a humbling tournament Lippi must realise that with the World Cup less than a year away, a serious and quick rebuilding program is needed. Young players need to be introduced; Rossi and Santon have to be given more responsibility. Some of the 2006 class need to be dropped for good, as it is quite clear they are not of the required quality any longer.

The tactics have to be rethought, the 4-3-3 does not work, it has been tried for a year and it has be a veritable disaster, the players don’t like it, aren’t suited to it and cannot make it work. It requires a lot of hard work from the midfielders and so called wingers, Pirlo, Montolivo, Rossi et al do not work as hard as the tifosi would like and age has caught up with Gattuso.

Each time Italy changed formation in the competition they were more competitive, relatively speaking of course. Why not use 4-4-1-1 or 4-3-1-2? These are two formations used on a more regular basis in the peninsula, the players are used to them and this would have a positive effect on the side as they would know what their job is on the park.

A couple of positives did come out of the tournament, one being Andrea Pirlo, his passing and vision seem to be back after a two year absence, coupled with his advanced position up the pitch, it is clear he is a vital player for the Azzurri. Second, Giuseppe Rossi, he has clearly demonstrated his quality and must now be one of the first names on the team sheet, young, hungry and with a predatory instinct, he can be the catalyst to a younger, brighter Azzurri, once that may have something to say in 2010 in South Africa.

Giuseppe Rossi to Manchester United?

2009-06-27T17:06:00.000+01:00

One positive to come out of Italy’s disastrous Confederations Cup adventure was the emergence of Giuseppe Rossi. Having been on the fringes of the Azzurri squad for some months, he finally made his breakthrough against the nation of his birth, putting himself firmly in the shop window this summer.

Having begun his career in the youth team at Parma, he quickly caught the attention of Manchester United, who took him to England as a 17 year old. After spending a successful spell in the reserves, he was loaned to Newcastle United, where he only made five starts. His old club Parma took an interest in the forward, deep in a relegation battle and in need of goals, Rossi joined the Tardini outfit in January 2007, and scoring 9 goals in 19 appearances, helping them avoid relegation.

On his return to Old Trafford it become clear he would not be guaranteed first team football and Sir Alex Ferguson, recognising this allowed Rossi to leave for Villarreal for around £7 million. But aware of his potential and ability a buy back clause was reportedly inserted into the deal.

During his first season in Spain, the potential that was bubbling under the surface at Old Trafford finally made its way to the surface. Twenty-three starts, five substitute appearances returned eleven goals and three assists. His performances were exceptional and a keen eye for goal demonstrated as he lead the front line during his first season with the Yellow Submarine, helping them qualify for the Champions League.

This season Rossi has progressed even more 12 goals and 7 assists in La Liga, plus 3 goals in the Champions League. His international career also blossomed, top scorer in the Olympics with four goals in four games, whilst also making his debut for the Azzurri against Bulgaria in October.
His rise has been rapid with his first goal for the Azzurri coming against Northern Ireland in June, another two were added against the USA, his country of birth in the 2009 Confederations Cup. One of the few positives to come out of Italy’s disastrous campaign.

I would advocate for the inclusion of the youngster in the Azzurri first team from now on, he brings a verve and tenacity the other forwards do not possess, he is not afraid to have a shot from long range, as his goals against Northern Ireland and USA are testament. One criticism of his game may be his lack of predatory instinct in the penalty area, though his finishing ability is fantastic.

It is these performances that have brought him to the attention of various clubs in and around the peninsula. Juventus have been mooted as a possible destination, but Rossi has expressed his desire to play for Milan. However, one team who could put a spanner in the works are former side Manchester United, after losing Tevez and Ronaldo, they may find the replacement is a player they know very well. Although he has expressed a desire to return to Italy, I feel SIr Alex Ferguson is a keen admirer and would love to have him back, but only time will tell.

Manchester United: Summer Transfer Targets

2009-06-22T17:31:00.001+01:00

With the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo adding £80 million to Sir Alex Ferguson’s usual £25-30 million yearly budget. A summer spending spree is surely on the cards. Looking at the side, it would appear to me a winger and some quality in centre midfield are needed, with possibly, a striker as the icing on the cake.

Looking at the players linked to Old Trafford, it would seem we have some familiar names.

Luis Antonia Valencia - £15-18 Million

A flying right-winger has player over 80 games for Wigan and looks a very tidy player. His premier League experience will mean he can fit right into the side and wont need much time to settle. Nominated for the Best Young Player at the 2006 World Cup it appears the 23 year old who has 34 caps for Ecuador has a bright future. Some downsides may be the size of the fee, and doubts as to whether or not he is better than what United already have. In addition, his goal scoring record is quite woeful with only 7 goals during his time at Wigan and only 4 for Ecuador, he does have potential, but I only see him as a squad player at most. Wigan Chaiman Dave Whelan will not stand in his way and Sir Alex is a long time admirer, this transfer is pretty much nailed on.

Franck Ribery - £40-50 Million

A world-class player, a player, who would be the ideal replacement for the departing Cristiano Ronaldo. Apparently United put in a £60 million bid a few months ago and Sir Alex is keen to have him as part of the Old Trafford set up. His abilities are unquestioned, great dribbler, pace and immense skill, he also added goals to his repertoire scoring 14 in all competitions this season. Bayern have stated they would not keep him against his will and he has stated his desire to play in Spain. United would have a fight on their hands to persude him his future lies in Manchester, added to the hefty fee; Barcelona and Real Madrid are also circling thus increasing the price further.

Karim Benzema - £30-40 Million

The next great French striker in my opinion, and at 21 years old has plenty of time on his side. A seasoned Champions League performer, 24 caps for France and over 50 goals for Lyon in two seasons. He is tall, powerful and strong yet possesses pace coupled with a deadly eye for goal. Lyon have said he is not ‘untransferable’ and Ferguson has had an eye on him for years. The only issue would be his intention to stay in France during a World Cup year to maintain his place for Les Bleus.

David Silva - £30-35 Million

A player I like a lot, he has pace, skill, vision, great technical ability and a lethal shot on him. Part of Spain’s Euro 2008 winning team he can play on either flank and behind the strikers. With Valencia harbouring a mountain of debt and in dire need to sell, Silva’s days are numbered at the Mestalla. Ferguson bid for him last summer and another attempt appears to be on the horizon, but with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool all interested, competition will be fierce for el Chinito. For me he would be an excellent addition and should be pursued vigerously.

David Villa - £35-40 Million

If a well-known brewer made strikers they would probably make David Villa. As with his namesake Silva, his days at Valencia appear to be numbered due to the moeny he would bring in to help clear debts. A fantastic goal scorer and leader of the Spanish front line, a transfer to Real Madrid collapsed last season and it could be the same again this season. Although it looks far more likely he will remain in Spain, Chelsea and Liverpool have both announced interest but United have apparently put in a cheeky bid. Villa would add some much needed goals previously brought to the Stretford End by Ronaldo. A transfer to United however, seems just out of reach.

Mirko Vucinic £20-25 Million

The 25 year old Montenegrin currently ply’s his trade for AS Roma. This season having established himself as Roma’s number one striker, he has scored a number of important goals including two against Chelsea in the Champions League. With an impressive record of 48 goals in 83 games for the Giallorossi, he seems ready to step up another level and play for a top European club. Along with his excellent finishing ability he is also versatile, playing as a left-winger, and behind the striker during his time in Rome. Coupled with Roma’s lack of Champions League football and huge debts, it may be time to cash in on a very saleable asset.

Douglas Maicon - £30-35 Million

The Inter right back is arguably the best in the business. He controls the right side, from corner to corner, strong in the tackle and great positional sense; he bombs forward with consummate ease to deliver a phenomenal quantity of crosses. Athletic and agile, he could be the answer on the right side. Sir Alex tried to sign him in 2003 but was refused a work permit. Reportedly unhappy in Italy, a move appears ever closer for the Brazilian.

Honourable mentions must go to Victor Valdes of Barcelona and Douglas Costa of Gremio. Both have been on the radar but I don’t see any developments in the near future at least.

Every one of the above has been linked with Manchester United at some point over the last few weeks. For me a ball winning midfielder should be high on the list of priorities though the rumour mill seems obsessed with attacking players.

A very eventful summer could come into fruition very soon and you may well find a few new faces strutting their stuff in the Theatre of Dreams.

Leonardo Leading the Renaissance

2009-06-15T18:10:00.002+01:00

With the loss of Kaka to the second Galactico era of Real Madrid, AC Milan have a lot of rebuilding to do and a pot of gold to do it with.

It has been a summer of loss of the Rossoneri, Paolo Maldini has retired, Carlo Ancelotti has moved to Chelsea and Kaka has taken on a new challenge in Madrid. Together with the losses of David Beckham, who was a veritable hit during his short spell at the San Siro, although is seems he will be back. The ever ineffective Shevchenko, will depart for Chelsea once more, this time it is only the end of his loan spell and Phillipe Senderos will join his in London as he is returned with joy to Arsenal. Other players expected to leave are calamity keeper, Dida and walking corpse, Guiseppe Favalli.

With new coach Leonardo being brought in, some say on the cheap others say as a puppet for President Berlusconi. I am more optimistic as think Leonardo is a smart man, an intelligent man and a man that has been around the club for a number of years, thus know its workings inside out. It must also be noted that he was instrumental in bringing Brazilian starlet Alexandre Pato to Milan.

It is believed he will play a Brazil 1982 inspired 4-3-1-2, with the much maligned and often said dead trequartista role being resurrected. This position is seems is destined for former World Player of the Year, Ronaldinho. It is hoped he can rediscover the form that was so instrumental in Barcelona’s success of a few years back. Kaka is gone and Ronnie will have the team build around his deflated genius. Most hope he can rediscover his past form, especially those in and around Via Turati.

The summer has only just begun but Milan have already lined up a couple of young defenders. First to arrive was Thiago Silva, actually signed in January for around €10 million, although he couldn’t join due since his Milan already signed two non-EU nationals during the season. He has already played in Europe for Porto and Dynamo Moscow, this spell was unsuccessful and he returned to his native Brazil to rebuild his career and reputuation. His good showing for Brazil in the Olympics and Fluminense earned him a return to Europe and to the fortress that is the San Siro.

He has more recently been joined by Frenchman, Aly Cissokho who has just joined from FC Porto for around €15 million. He has had a rapid rise from French division 3 side Gueugnon two years ago, to the bright lights of Milan. He cemented his reputation in the Champions League against Manchester United where he dominated the left side of the park. He is mostly compared to Dani Alves; he can also play on both sides of the pitch and on the wing. It seems he will be a useful signing for the Rossoneri.

With both players being 24 and 21 respectively it seems youth will finally be given a chance.

Along with this newly found youth, Alessandro Nesta and Gennaro Gattuso should have recovered from long-term injuries adding a touch of class to the side.

The pursuit of a striker seems to be on the cards very much so. Emmanuel Adebayor linked repeatedly throughout the season, but of late it appears Edin Dzeko, German Footballer of the Year, is going to be moving across Europe. Plus being only 23 himself, a new transfer strategy is most definitely in place. Others linked include Phillipe Mexes and 23 year old, attacking midfielder, Hernanes of Sao Paulo, who is rated by some as the most promising young player in the world.

Leonardo is presiding over a revolution in Milan, and could well be leading a renaissance just as his namesake did over 500 years ago.

Ibrahimovic is the Best in the World: Yes or No?

2009-06-11T12:40:00.000+01:00

Now regular listeners to the Italian Football FanCast and the Manchester United Football FanCast will be very aware of my liking for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, some of my colleagues would even call it a blind obsession. After weeks of mockery, I have decided to take it upon myself to explain why I think Zlatan is truly world class and up there with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. So be prepared for some statistics!

He is a player that has everything, his 6’3 and a half inch frame holds within it, a talent that many of us can only dream of. He possesses pace, movement, sublime finishing ability, the dexterity to try then ultimately pull off the unexpected and amaze his watching audience. All this is complemented by a footballing intelligence that can only be described as extraordinary.

This season in Serie A, Ibrahimovic has been at his most prolific, scoring 25 goals in 35 games adding 7 assists, that’s 0.7 goals per game. He is the reigning Capocanonniere. Comparing this to Nicolas Anelka, the Premierships top scorer with 19 goals in 33 games, 0.54 goals per game. Granted the likes of Samuel Eto’o, and Lionel Messi boast better records, but it must be noted, La Liga is much more open tactically compared to Serie A, thus leading to more goal scoring opportunities.

His record for Sweden is also impressive, 21 goals in 56 games, in addition to his 6 goals in 7 games for the U21’s. With all due respect, Sweden aren’t exactly setting the world alight with their scintillating brand of football and thus adds weight to a very good scoring rate at international level.

It is not only his scoring record that is worth looking at, on the most part his performances have been excellent and in some cases breathtaking. A mention has to go to the manner in which he scores his goals, most notably his near post back heel flick against Bologna, the free-kick he blasted in against Fiorentina and the sublime ‘edge of the box’ chip against Reggina. Plus the final day back heel, which showcased his strength, touch and ability to pull off the unexpected.

Ibra began his career at local team FBK Balkan, and on one occasion a 10 year old Ibrahimovic was a second half substitute, at which point FBK Balkan were losing 5-0, Zlatan went on to score 8 and his team won. Ibra-cadabra indeed. Transferred between Malmo, Ajax, Juventus and Inter for a combined total of €50 million, it was money well spent as far as I’m concerned.

On his Champions League debut in 2002 he scored 2 goals for Ajax against Lyon and in the same season scored what can only be described as a wondergoal against NAC Breda, later voted goal of the season by Eurosport. He dribbled past the whole defence took the ball round the keeper, put another 3 or 4 players on there backsides and slotted the ball home, beyond the shadow of a doubt the work of a marvel.

He then went on to play for Juventus and was an instant hit with the Bianconeri, with 16 goals in his first season. Although in his second and final season with Juve, his form dipped and eventually forced his way out of the club after the Calciopoli scandal, moving to the club he supported as a boy, FC Internazionale.

It is in Milan that Irbahimovic has blossomed and become and integral part to the Inter juggernaught. Last season he managed to bag 22 goals in 33 games including 5 goals in 7 starts in the Champions League. It must also be noted that Ibra had 24 shots of which 7 were on target in the Champions League, what that tells you is … if you give him a chance he will score.

He has often been criticised for his performances against the big clubs and especially those in the Champions League. Statements which bear fruit when you consider he has never scored in the knockout stage of Europe’s premier club competition. This aside, I will put forward a case for his defence. This player is one that is arguably his teams only attacking threat, nullify Ibrahimovic and Inter become somewhat impotent in attack.

Pressure on him to perform has resulted in a player that can it be said, ‘tries too hard’ in the so-called ‘big’ games. Instead of just playing his natural game, he seems intent creating and scoring all on his own in an attempt to prove to all his doubters that he is indeed the best player in the world. Although Jose Mourinho already deems this to be the case.

Zlatan however, does have his shortfailings, he is a supremely confident young man, when asked what could stop him becoming the best player in the world he replied with only one word “injury” then asked to describe himself in three words … his retort, “I am brilliant”. A statement I agree with wholeheartedly.

In more recent times he has voiced his desire to move from the peninsula, stating, “I don’t know what else I can still do in Italy, other than keep going and build a collection. We’ll see. Now there are two internationals with Sweden and then we’ll wait and see what happens. The future? I don’t know. If something is going to happen, it will be after this match. We will see, I don’t know yet”.

In my view Zlatan would only go to a top club, and with no disrespect to any other teams in Spain that means Barcelona or Real Madrid. At both teams he would score more goals get more assists and ultimately become a Ballon d’Or winner.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a magician, a talisman and an enigma but even so he is undeniably one of the finest players on this small blue planet and if he does leave it would be a massive loss to Inter and Calcio as a whole.

An important summer ahead for Wenger and Arsenal

2009-05-12T17:01:00.000+01:00

After another defeat against a fellow top four side, it is clear that Arsenal have a fair amount of work to do that will enable them to challenge for the end of season silverware once more. Defeats from Manchester United and Chelsea have shown that the Gunners are a long way from being a championship winning side once more, but the manner of the losses were far more telling.

Going into the Champions League semi-final tie, Arsenal were in great form and most people thought, coming up against a Manchester United side that were in the middle of a blip, the Gunners would provide a very stern test and possibly even cause a shock. This was not to be as they were out fought, out shot and out gunned by a far superior Manchester United side.

Serious failings in the backline were exposed by a United side lead by Ronaldo, who was at his imperious best. Manuel Almunia was a shadow of the goalkeeper that performed heroics a week prior. Kieran Gibbs let his mistake, which led to the opening United goal, affect his game, and from that point he looked fragile. Fabregas, Van Persie and Adebayor were all overran and handled with ease by Vidic, Evra and an imperious Darren Fletcher, my man of the match despite his red card.

Another devastating home defeat against Chelsea highlights the defensive frailties in the Arsenal line up. Going forward you may not see a better example of passing and movement from an attacking unit in England. Contrast this with a defence that cannot deal with the pace and power Chelsea showed when attacking the frail Arsenal defence. Mikael Silvestre is clearly not up to the job and cannot perform at the highest level, Fabianski does not inspire confidence and the midfield are reluctant to help their defenders out.

The age of Arsene Wenger’s team has often been used as an excuse of kind, but I advocate that most of them are established international players and almost all have plenty of first team experience. A sentiment shared by Manuel Almunia, “The young players are internationals and have been playing for Arsenal for a long time, they have played many games. They should have the experience now. We need to be criticised,” he told the Sunday Express.

My problem with Arsenal is the extremely visible ‘soft centre’ they accommodate. Fabregas, Nasri, Song and Diaby are all reluctant to track back and help their fragile defence, they are far more interested in how they can next attempt to score the perfect goal, Song is probably the most defensive minded of the four but he cannot be commended for his tackling. He reads the game well, but has only just broke into the first team and cannot be relied upon to nullify top quality attacking players such as Frank Lampard every week. A world class proven defensive midfield player should be top of Arsene’s wish list, Denilson is not the answer.

Along with a midfielder, a top quality centre back should be a priority as well. Djourou and Silvestre are not up to the task of replacing Gallas and Toure in the big games. Experience players of quality are essential if Arsenal are to progress from the stagnant state they find themselves in. It seems Arsene is already on the look out for two such players, “We will try, of course, to bring in one or two players to strengthen the squad but we have plenty of strikers. And if we buy, it certainly won’t be players who lack experience. We have enough of those.”

A make or break summer is in the offing for the North London club. Will players like Fabregas and Adebayor stick around to see if Arsene’s plan will come to fruition or will they move on to pastures new, where the chance of silverware may well be higher.

http://www.epltalk.com/apr/7157

Tevez will be missed at Manchester United

2009-05-11T16:58:00.001+01:00

As Manchester United moved closer to their 18th championship, it was Carlos Tevez who made the back pages of the Sunday papers with the revelation that he probably wont be a Manchester United player next season. After months of speculation it appears the Argentinean has ran out of patience with United’s lack of urgency in making his loan move permanent.

In an interview with the News of the World Tevez said, “I do not feel wanted. I feel bad over my situation, I do, but it’s very, very difficult to stay any longer. I guess what I’m saying is goodbye.” Words that indicate his intentions and also stressed the fact he hasn’t been offered a contract by United. He goes on to say, “I don’t think I will be a Manchester United player next season. I have done everything I possibly can but they have never made me an offer or given me a contract, so I have to leave. I don’t think I deserve to be in this position but you realise if your time is up you have to go.” Thus fuelling the fire with regards the speculation.

“Realistically, my time is over and I think I will be at another club next season. It’s very, very difficult to stay any longer, so I have to finish this season the best I can and move on,” he explained. But he did thank the fans for their support, “The fans treat me like family, but United have not signed me so they do not respect me as a footballer.”

Where he will end up at the end of the season seems to be a matter which looks less shrouded in mystery and a move away from England appears less likely, “It’s not true my family are unhappy in England. It’s not true I want to leave England for Spain. My four-year-old daughter Florencia is learning English and my wife is very happy living in England,” said Tevez.

“We want to stay. I want to play in England because it is the best league in the world and it suits my style. Any club I join, whether it be Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool or Everton, will be a rival of Manchester United. I would like to thank the United fans for their support. They will always have a special place in my heart.” Tevez explained.

A few questioned must be raised after such a frank interview by the United forward. Firstly, Will Sir Alex Ferguson allow him to move to a rival, knowing full well they will also have to stump up the £20 million United are believed to have been quoted. Secondly, Tevez, to me, is a vital cog in the Manchester United machine that could go on to dominate Europe of years to come. He scores vital goals, adds an urgency and snap to the United attack, that is somewhat lacking especially in the absence of Wayne Rooney.

I feel it would be a mistake to let Tevez leave a club he has become admired and loved by the fans. They love his work rate and passion for the club. Something that Dimitar Berbatov should take note of. It should not be forgotten that in United’s recent double winning triumph Tevez scored a number of vital goals, notably, a late equaliser against Blackburn late last season. He also formed a fluid and devastating attacking trio with Rooney and Ronaldo.

It could be argued he has not delivered this season, but his lack of playing time or prolonged run in the first team will have an effect on a players confidence and match sharpness. In addition, when he was given the chance, no matter how he performed, he almost knew that in the next game he would be benched. A prime example was in the Carling Cup where he scored four goals against Blackburn yet in the following match he didn’t start. The mind boggles.

Maybe the writing was on the wall all season, maybe Ferguson has grand plans in the summer, or will he promote one of the promising youth strikers he has uncovered. As most would say letting the little Argentinean leave is the wrong decision, one must feel Sir Alex knows what he is doing and most definitely has Manchester United’s best interests at heart.

http://www.epltalk.com/tevez-will-be-missed-at-manchester-united/7146

Newcastle United Need a Miracle to Stay in the EPL

2009-05-04T15:43:00.001+01:00

After another defeat, Newcastle United look destined for the Championship. Alan Shearer’s men have three games to save their season, but it appears too little too late, and although it is not mathematically certain they will go down, performances on and off the pitch have made it clear they are just not good enough to remain in the EPL.

After a 3-0 drubbing from Liverpool and a performance that can only be described as disconsolate, hopeless and somewhat distressing for the fans. Despite an encouraging opening start, Newcastle were forced into their own half for much of the game and did not muster a single shot on target throughout the match.

The omission of Michael Owen from the starting line up has also raised even more doubts over his future, furthermore Shearer’s tactical nous must also be called into question, Duff at left back and switching a reasonably effective Joey Barton from centre midfield to right wing is baffling, and may have been a factor in his sending off.Next Monday’s match against relegation rivals and neighbours Middlesbrough has gained even more significance and will most definitely decide which team has at least a chance of survival.

The draw against Portsmouth coupled with the above defeat has left the Magpies in a precarious position and once that I do not see them escaping. Being currently 3 points from safety may not seem much but if recent performances are factored in, Newcastle may as well be preparing for life in the second tier of English football.

On paper, Newcastle have a talented bunch. Damien Duff was a revelation at Blackburn whilst helping Chelsea secure an EPL title. Viduka is an established international and Obafemi Martins is a £10 Million player. Meanwhile, a special mention must go to Michael James Owen, brought in from Real Madrid, earning a reported £100,000 per week, yet he cannot string two full games together. Now even when seemingly fit, Shearer decides he is not good enough for the first eleven. With only 8 goals from 26 EPL appearances, time must be up for the injury prone, former Ballon d’Or recipient. But each of them have failed to perform this season.

I would also point to the loss of Shay Given from the squad as a major factor in the plight of Newcastle United. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the league and served Newcastle well but after 12 years of loyal service, even he knew this was a sinking ship and gladly waved goodbye in January. In previous seasons he was probably responsible for accumulating 10 points or more for the Magpies, and how desperately they need those points now. Steve Harper, though an able deputy is not a first team goalkeeper.

The decision to appoint rookie manager Alan Shearer must also be questioned. He doesn’t have the necessary qualifications, and has never managed before. His lack of experience is telling, the decision to play a 3-man defence against Tottenham was a mistake, Damien Duff is not a left wing back and Joey Barton on the right wing is wrong.

His appointment stinks of desperation from Mike Ashley, who was so desperate to win over the fans he employed the one man that every member of the Toon Army would not disagree with. All this, to the detriment of the club.

In a season where mistake after mistake has been made, it looks as though Newcastle United will not be competing in the EPL next season, and is it coincidence that their new kit does not feature the Premier League logo, I think not.

http://www.epltalk.com/newcastle-united-need-a-miracle-to-stay-in-the-epl/6583

Sunderland Can Still Go Down!

2009-05-04T09:34:00.001+01:00

The relegation battle is reaching its culmination. This weekend Middlesbrough faced Manchester United, Liverpool hosted Newcastle and Sunderland took on Everton, with Hull still to play Aston Villa.

Sunderland entertained Everton at the Stadium of Light and succumbed to a 2-0 defeat and put more pressure on themselves to reach the magical 40 points total. The Black Cats have now only won 1 of their last 10 games and look have lost the vigour Ricky Sbragia gave them when he was appointed Roy Keane’s successor. His side seemed flat and nervous whilst Everton took the game to the Mackems, looking to cement 5th place and Europa League football next season.

Goals from Steven Pienaar and Marouane Fellaini gave Everton the victory, which means Sunderland need, for me, 5 points in the final three fixtures to make sure of survival. Two away games against Bolton and Portsmouth respectively are must win fixtures, as the final game of the season is a match up with Chelsea.

Against Everton, Sunderland did have their chances, most notably from Danny Collins, whose header and Steed Malbranque’s cross/shot, were both tipped over the bar by Tim Howard. Anyhow, this was as good as it got for the Mackems as Everton asserted their physical prowess, technical superiority and tactical command over a lackluster Sunderland side.

Ricky Sbragia must count himself lucky that his team put together an admirable run of form when he first took over the reigns full time. After an excellent performance against Manchester United despite the 1-0 defeat were followed by 4-0 and 4-1 victories over West Brom and Hull, respectively.

Whether Sunderland can reach these heights in the forthcoming games remains to be seen, but the players Sbragia has at his disposal do posses enough quality to keep the Mackems in the Premier League. In Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse, they have two forwards that are more than capable of scoring the goals to keep them up.

The physical presence of Jones is enough to trouble the most solid of defences, coupled with Cisse’s pace, a match can truly be made in the Northeast. Aside from the form both have showed earlier this season, where in parts, both have been woeful in front of goal. They have 18 goals between them, which is not good enough. But three solid showings and a few goals between them, then all would be forgiven.

Quality is also prevalent throughout the side, with the aforementioned Malbranque, Tal Ben-Haim, Anton Ferdinand not to forget the British record signing for a goalkeeper, Craig Gordon. The talent is there and one final push is all that is needed.

I would expect a minimum of 3 points from the final games, although this is not a total that would surpass the magical 40 point mark, I feel it would be enough given the form of the teams around them. Sunderland are not out of the frame just yet, and a miraculous turn of form from all those around them would be needed to see the Wearsiders relegated. Rest on these laurels, and thus must fight to ensure survival is in their own hands.

http://www.epltalk.com/sunderland-can-still-go-down/6555

Serie A Weekly - Roundtable

2009-05-01T12:53:00.001+01:00

This week I guested on Kevin Walker's Serie A Weekly Roundtable. Give it a Listen!!

In this week's Serie A roundtable I'm joined by Dov from Italian Football Fancast and El'Negrini himself from the MadAboutFutbol blog website. Together the guests and I discuss the first Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Chelsea as well as the top Four in Serie A, Inter, AC Milan, Juventus, and ?Sit back and enjoy the show and please send us your feedback to, owngoalnetwork@live.ca

Listen Here

http://www.serieaweekly.com/2009/04/podcast-serie-weekly-roundtable-01x.html