Avram Grant’s men are just 90 minutes away from a trip to Wembley and a chance for West Ham to take something positive for this season. While the Hammers are far from dead and buried in the Premier League, you feel a Carling Cup final would do them the world of good. Alex McLeish’s Birmingham of course have other ideas, but does Wembley beckon for West Ham?
Everything points towards the match tonight being extremely tight. When you take into account that Birmingham have only scored 10 goals at St Andrew’s in the Premier League this season, the same amount that West Ham have scored away from home, it’s likely that few goals will be scored. Thus it would be worth betting on…
Under 2.5 goals @ 4/5
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If there is to be a goal then with Frederic Piquionne suspended, West Ham will be largely relying on Carlton Cole to provide it. Cole scored in the first leg of the semi final and is well priced in the first goalscorer market…
Carlton Cole to score first @ 15/2
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As for Birmingham, they’ve scored 6 of their 21 goals this season in the last 15 minutes, and with West Ham conceding 8 goals this season in the same time period, you might want to put a bet on the Blues scoring near the end of the match…
In the last week Macron released images of Millwall’s upcoming home and away kits for the new season
I know Millwall aren’t exactly known for droves of fans in home kits, but this time it was different..
If you look at the new kit you might think you’ve seen it somewhere before, and you most likely have, this being due to it using the same template as Leeds and West Ham’s training kit from last season.
To be honest I do not see a problem with this, templates are often re-used by designers, just look at West Ham’s away kit. Take that claret and blue and it was the same kit Millwall had last season, this stuff happens, but this hasn’t gone down well.
One fan saying on message board HOf “Nice to see us get the vermin’s training kit, disgrace” with other comments such as “Possibly the worst kit we’ve ever had” and “Without doubt the worst kit in my lifetime, looks like the kids designed it!”
I think the club will be battling to see a few of these. That’s the main problem, getting a club’s throwback won’t go down well. From the kit being shown this also brought up the issue “why not let fans vote on what the kit will be?” This was done by Millwall to celebrate their 125th anniversary, letting the fans choose what will be the home colours, a kit was picked (one of the best in recent years) and this was a rousing success with apparently 15,000 being sold.
A great feat for such a club. But fans voting can also mean a turn for the worst.
If anyone has seen Crystal Palace’s badge choices, no matter what is voted in it will be bad after using a voting poll.
At least Lions fans picked a good one. Plus not matter what people think about the new kits its not as bad as the ghastly Barcelona wannabe kit from Palace.
I don’t mind the kits to be honest, but can see why Lions fans are disappointed, I mean, I’m sure Charlton fans would love a kit the same design as a Millwall kit from last season, but Millwall fans don’t usually buy shirts.
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In all honesty, the only way ‘Wall fans would buy a new shirt is if it came with a horse or crocodile on it, and came in a wide range of colours, but sadly that isn’t the case but it is defiantly not the worst kit we’ve ever had.
I’m sure the bright green and white striped kit from the 03/04 season may be close to claiming that prize. The kit is not that bad, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to wear it.
To be honest along as the team are winning, does it really matter what the kit their wearing is? On the bright side, less then 40 days to go till the first competitive game of the season.
English Premier League club Tottenham face British counterparts Hearts in their Europa League play-off tie this month.Spurs drew the Scottish Premier League side at the official draw in Nyon on Friday, while 2010 champions Atletico Madrid will take on Portugal’s Vitoria SC to try and earn their group stage spot.
Fulham – inaugural finalists in the second-tier European competition – face a battle with Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, while Stoke City will go up against FC Thun, of Switzerland.
The other English club in the play-off – Championship side Birmingham City – will take on Portuguese club Nacional.
Fifth in La Liga last term, Sevilla will take on last season’s fourth-placed Bundesliga side Hannover 96, and their fellow Spanish club Athletic Bilbao will go up against Turkish side Trabzonspor.
Spanish giants Celtic will be keen to avoid any early exits after rivals Rangers’ embarrassing Champions League qualifying defeat in mid-week, when they face Swiss side Sion in their play-off.
In other notable play-off fixtures, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Panathinaikos will go head to head, AS Roma will take on Slovan Bratislava and 2011 finalists Sporting Braga will face Swiss outfit Young Boys.
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has revealed Ryan Babel will be staying at Anfield for the remainder of the season.
The Reds accepted a seven-million-pound bid from Hoffenheim for the Dutch international last week, but it appears Babel was unable to come to personal terms with the Bundesliga club.
It was mooted that Babel may be used as part of a deal to sign Ajax striker Luis Suarez, but Dalglish was giving little away about Babel’s future, saying only: “He’s staying here.”
It was a typically tight-lipped performance from Dalglish at his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Fulham on Wednesday, with the Scot refusing to comment of potential bids for Suarez and Blackpool’s Charlie Adam.
“I’ve said before, when we’ve got some business to discuss, we will discuss,” Dalglish said.
“We’ve said that we will try and adopt the way of Liverpool Football Club, certainly one of our ways is to be respectful to other club, and certainly players at other clubs.”
“The most important thing we have is the ones at our football club, not somebody else’s players.”
Dalglish earned the first win of his second managerial stint at Anfield with a 3-0 away victory over Wolves on Saturday.
The victory brought a sense of relief to Liverpool fans and Dalglish believes the impact of the win spread through his dressing room.
“There were thousands or even millions of Liverpool fans that had huge smiles on their faces on Saturday but, by the way, so did the players,” Dalglish said.
“We stick as one, we need their help and we’ve got to help them at times.”
“Together we will move forward, as individuals we will get nowhere. We will stick together as a unit and stick together as a football club and see what happens.”
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“Every game is different, just because we’ve won one it doesn’t mean we will get carried away. We have seen what it takes to win a game and now we need to repeat that.”
Dalglish denied there have been wholesale changes since he took over from sacked predecessor Roy Hodgson, and said Fernando Torres’ upturn in form is all down to his own attitude.
“We have done training the way we think it should be done. There has never been any doubt about many the players’ ability here,” Dalglish said.
“I think Fernando Torres comes in the same bracket as many others, they are doing better than they were before and they are more like themselves than they were before which is a great credit to them.”
Giuseppe Rossi is undoubtedly coming off the worst season of his career so far. While the La Liga star should have been taking up a prominent role for Italy at this summer’s Euros, Rossi is instead recovering from an injury which will now see him miss at least 12 months of football.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that Villarreal would have avoided relegation this past season (probably by a considerable distance) had Rossi been an ever-present in their squad. The Italy international was ruled out of action last October by tearing his right ACL and has suffered a further setback on the path to recovery.
But with Villarreal now competing in the second tier of Spanish football, and only 12 months removed from being courted by Barcelona, should Premier League clubs look to reignite their interest in one of La Liga’s deadliest strikers?
I’m inclined to write-off Rossi’s time with English football—there was nothing significant during his time with Manchester United and Newcastle to suggested he’d be this good in front of goal. Talented of course, but few would have projected him to be a 30 goal-a-season striker. But since moving to Villarreal, he’s never looked out of place as a striker capable of leading the line for any club. Villarreal, while relegated now, did enjoy the admiration of having one of La Liga’s most impressive starting lineups. Rossi’s form two seasons ago was wonderful and breathtaking, not only helping but ensuring the club finished in the top four behind Valencia and the two usual suspects.
Maybe last season would have panned out differently for him if Barcelona had opted for the Italian instead of Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez. Villarreal were certainly banking on it. But the pursuit from Barcelona should open the door for a number of other suitors as an indication of just how good Rossi is and can continue to be.
The Premier League should never be overstocked with the outstanding; one of La Liga’s former stars managed to clinch the league title for Manchester City in Hollywood fashion, and there’s a sense that Rossi could make a similar impact as Sergio Aguero.
The underlying worrying, however, will be whether Rossi can regain the form prior to his injury. There’s no guarantee that 12 months out of the game can simply be dusted away through intense training and preparation. The injury, of course, would then have a double blow on Villarreal, who would be hoping to receive maximum payout from any sale of their star forward.
But like with any striker, his success in front of goal usually goes hand-in-hand with a midfield partner able to offer him his chances at goal. Santi Cazorla and, at times, Borja Valero were Rossi’s wingmen, counting on the Italian striker’s movement and technical excellence in the final third and turning Villarreal into a very successful outfit. No longer were the Submarine destined to sink and then resurface later on in the league table; they had enough to ensure regular pushes for European football.
There was a time when Villarreal were considered to be the team to challenge the might of Barcelona and Real Madrid. Ok, they don’t have the financial backing, nor does their stadium resemble a coliseum for the Gods (El Madrigal only holds 25,000.) But they had the football. They had the incredible passing, the unbelievable movement and triangles that you’d only normally associate with Barcelona. They also had a rising superstar in their attack to finish their many, many chances.
The departure of Manuel Pellegrini to Real Madrid, of Santi Cazorla last summer and the subsequent injury to Giuseppe Rossi ended that. The Yellow Submarine might not rise to the surface of La Liga for many years, but Rossi should be afforded a second chance on England’s stage.
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Rossi has surpassed Diego Forlan’s goal scoring record at Villarreal, and alongside Cazorla, the duo were comfortably considered the best talents in La Liga outside of those from Barcelona and Real Madrid.
There’s no telling how great Rossi’s recent injury will impact his abilities on the pitch. But if his previous exploits for Villarreal are anything to go by, there is a player who could become a crown jewel for most of the Premier League’s top clubs.
Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini is reportedly looking for a move back to Spain according to the Sun.
The Argentine defender, who was handed the armband only last month after the departure of Kevin Nolan, wants to play Champions League football.
Despite his new role as skipper the Argentinian wants to play in Europe’s premier competition although it’s unlikely the Magpies will let their key defender leave.
It’s thought that his agent Macello Lombilla has already met with St James’ Park officials with the Spanish club preparing a £5 million bid.
It would be yet another blow to manager Alan Pardew who has suffered a testing first pre-season on Tyneside.
Having lost Nolan to West Ham and seeing his side beset by injury worries, visa problems and player unrest losing his captain would be the icing on the proverbial cake.
Coloccini is a massive fans’ favourite at St James’ Park and has won the Geordie public over with some commanding performances over the last two seasons after his debut campaign ended in relegation
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The 29-year-old would be prepared to take a drop in wages to £40,000 if he could secure a three-year deal to move back to La Liga.
He spent four years playing in Spain for Deportivo up until his £10.9 million move to Newcastle in 2008. He also had three separate year-long loan spells at Alaves, Atletico Madrid and Villareal from 2001 till 2004.
After Celtic’s vitally important 2-0 victory at Ibrox yesterday its time to state five things we learnt from the game.
1. Just when doubt was beginning to surround Celtic manager Neil Lennon, the former Northern Irish international stepped up to the plate and reassured those less than convinced Celtic fans. Neither team were at their strongest and Lennon was able to mastermind a vitally important victory, which now see’s Celtic lead the division by four points, shifting the pressure from the East end of Glasgow to the west end.
2. If anyone thought the Old Firm was losing some of its bite on the field, they were wrong. The match yesterday had all the intensity this kind of game deserves, Celtic’s Biram Kayal thoroughly got stuck in breaking up the play in midfield. When Kyle Lafferty came on he predictably threw his weight around trying to agitate the opposition.
3. Although there is intense and bitter rivalry between the two Glasgow teams and their supporters, Sundays game which was in memory of the Ibrox disaster in 1971 proved that there is an immense amount of respect between the two sets of fans. The minutes silence prior to the eagerly anticipated match was respected by all and marked a fitting tribute to those who sadly lost their lives on that horrible day.
4. Special mention must be given to Celtic’s Giorgios Samaras, the much maligned Striker has often failed to gain the support of the Celtic faithful, but his match winning performance yesterday certainly put him in the hearts and minds of all attached the club, if only for a short time. After the match Lennon heaped praise on his big Greek centre forward yet made it known that the player’s one consistency was his inconsistency. If Samaras can play out the remainder of the season in similar fashion he may well secure a future for himself at Celtic Park, that’s if he hasn’t already been shipped out during this current transfer window.
5. Finally, with Ally McCoist a certainty to take over the reins when Walter Smith leaves Ibrox at the end of the season is the future of the club in somewhat uncertainty? From the looks of things McCoist played an even bigger part in the team selection and tactics yesterday, in turn the balance of the team looked off and Whittaker as a midfielder was less than convincing. Should McCoist get the job, Should Celtic fans be filled with confidence?
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So Chelsea have done it. Roman Abramovich’s millions finally bought him the trophy he so desired, the Champions League. The Blues did it the hard way though, scrapping through extra time before Didier Drogba sealed the victory in the shootout with his calm and collected effort. Many people believe a shootout is a cruel way to decide a game of football, but nothing beats it in terms of drama and excitement. In recognition of Chelsea adding their names to the list of masters from twelve yards, here are the Top 10 Trophies decided by penalty shootout:
10. Arsenal – FA Cup 2005 (Beat Manchester United 5-4)
This FA Cup Final will live long in the memory for Gunners fans, mainly because it’s the last piece of silverware they picked up. After both teams failed to find the net in normal time, extra time couldn’t separate them either and down to penalties it went. Decisively, Paul Scholes missed the second spot kick and it left Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira needing to score to send the trophy back to North London. With what turned out to be his last kick in a red and white shirt, the Frenchman slotted past Roy Carroll to win the cup.
9. Manchester United – League Cup 2009 (Beat Tottenham 4-1)
Another scoreless game in a Cup Final resulted in United and Spurs facing off in a shootout at Wembley in 2009. Sir Alex Ferguson had chosen to rest regular Number One Edwin Van der Sar, picking Ben Foster in his place. Foster turned in an impressive shift in normal time before he saved from Jamie O’Hara in the shootout. After David Bentley missed his, Anderson stepped up and completed the task. However, this shootout was memorable for Foster’s use of an I-Phone to research the spot kick takers moments before the penalties began. Modern technology eh!
8. Manchester United – Champions League 2008 (Beat Chelsea 6-5)
The two rivals went head-to-head in the first all English clash and 120 minutes of football couldn’t separate them after first half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard cancelled each other out. Interestingly for two English sides competing in a shootout, the spot kick quality was high until Ronaldo missed his effort, leaving John Terry the chance to win the game. His unfortunate slip saw him hit the post and after a round of sudden death, Van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka to ensure United were Champions of Europe.
7. Czechoslovakia – European Championship 1976 (Beat West Germany 5-3)
The 1976 Final went down to spot kicks after Czechoslovakia squandered a 2-0 lead against the Germans. The first seven penalties were all successful before West Germany’s Uli Hoeness blazed his effort over the crossbar. Midfielder Antonin Panenka then wrote himself into shootout folklore, cheekily chipping his effort straight down the middle to win the tournament. It was also the first and only time the Germans have lost on penalties, a remarkable record that now stretches back 36 years.
6. Liverpool – European Cup 1984 (Beat Roma 4-2)
English team winning the European Cup at the home ground of their opposition on penalties? Sound familiar? Well, Liverpool did it first, seeing off Italian opposition Roma on their home patch at the Stadio Olimpico. The game finished 1-1 and headed to the dreaded shootout and the Reds started badly after Steve Nicol skied his effort. However, Bruce Grobbelaar immortalised himself in shootout history after his wobbly legs tactics put off the Italian takers. Two of them subsequently missed and Alan Kennedy bagged the winning effort, sending the European Cup back to Anfield for the fourth time.
5. Italy – World Cup 2006 (Beat France 5-3)
Despite this clash finishing 1-1, the 2006 World Cup Final is remembered for one thing and one thing only. Zinedine Zidane’s astonishing behaviour that saw him sent off for head butting Marco Materazzi in the chest was one of the most reckless acts ever seen in the field of play. Unlike Zidane, Italy kept their nerve in the shootout, scoring all their penalties after David Trezeguet missed the second for France. Left back Fabio Grosso had the honour of delivering the match-winning strike and sending the nation into meltdown.
4. Zambia – African Cup of Nations 2012 (Beat Ivory Coast 8-7)
No one had expected Zambia to get beyond the group stage, never mind the final, but they defied all the odds to set up a clash with a strong-looking Ivory Coast side. The game was a disappointment, as the Zambians held on for a 0-0 draw, but they certainly showed everyone how to take penalty when the shootout came around. Both sides notched their first five and then the next two in sudden death before Kalaba missed to hand Manchester City’s Kolo Toure the chance to win the game. He missed though and Sunzu slotted home for Zambia, before Arsenal’s Gervinho also missed, ensuring Zambia defied all the odds to return home with the trophy.
3. Liverpool – Champions League 2005 (Beat AC Milan 3-2)
Liverpool’s truly astonishing comeback in normal time saw them recover from a three goal deficit at half time to snatch a draw and a shot at penalties. Jerzy Dudek decided he’d make up his own version of Grobbelaar’s wobbly legs and pranced around on his goal line distracting the opposition. It obviously worked. Serginho sent the ball into Heskey territory in row Z, before Dudek saved from Pirlo and Shevchenko, completing the most unlikely of victories.
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2. Olympiacos – Greek Cup 2009 (Beat AEK Athens 15-14)
The Greeks certainly know how to do crazy and the 2009 Cup Final was certainly no different. The game itself was an absolute cracker as the sides drew 4-4, with Englishman Matt Derbyshire bagging twice for Olympiacos. The shootout was on another level though and after both sides scored their first five, they also both missed the decider. They both missed the ninth spot kick each as well and with the score locked at 14-14, Agustín Pelletieri stepped up for AEK. He failed though, leaving Olympiacos goalkeeper and Captain Antonios Nikopolidis the opportunity to win the cup. The Greek legend tucked home his second of the shootout and ended one of the all-time great penalty marathons.
1. Brazil – World Cup 1994 (Beat Italy 3-2)
A drab 0-0 affair in the final in Los Angeles saw Brazil and Italy face the first penalty shootout in the history of the World Cup Final. Defenders Marcio Santos and Franco Baresi traded misses first up, before both sides scored their next two each. However, Daniele Massaro missed his effort and after Brazilian skipper Dunga converted his, it left Roberto Baggio needing to score to keep the Italians in the game. The ‘Divine Ponytail’ had been the tournament’s star player, but he fired his penalty so far into space, NASA are still looking for it today.
Chelsea are close to agreeing a deal for promising Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu, according to the Daily Mail.
The Blues have tabled a £5 million offer for the 19-year-old and he is now on the verge of swapping the Nou Camp for Stamford Bridge.
Big things are expected of the defensive midfielder who broke into the first team last season and made two appearances.
However with the plethora of world class midfield talent already established in Pep Guardiola’s side a move appeals to the youngster who will no doubt find it difficult to gain regular playing time.
Andre Villas-Boas is keen to bring the Spaniard to London after trying to sign him when he was at Porto. The Chelsea boss is keen to add to his midfielder after losing knee injury victim Michael Essien for six months.
The Spanish giants are prepared to sell the midfielder although they want an option to buy him back after two seasons. This comes after the success of Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal who left the Catalan club without much ceremony in 2003.
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It may prove to be a deal breaker for Chelsea as they’d obviously like to keep the player if he does go on to be a success.
Newcastle United need to recruit a big name manager to replace Chris Hughton, otherwise it would be a "joke" says Jose Enrique.
The Spanish defender, who has already played under five managers in his four years on Tyneside, has revealed the players are angry at the club's decision to sack Hughton.
Captain Kevin Nolan and veteran defender Sol Campbell have already spoken out about the dressing room unrest at St James' Park and Enrique has now offered his thoughts, pulling no punches with his frank assessment of the recent goings on at Newcastle.
Enrique feels it will be a "joke" if the club do not appoint a big-name who has won trophies in the past to replace Hughton, with Alan Pardew set to take over within the next 24-hours.
The 24-year-old does not specifically name Pardew, but it seems safe to suggest he does not fall under the category of a "big-name" having been sacked by League One side Southampton earlier in the season.
"The fans are not happy, the players are not happy," Enrique told the Shields Gazette.
"It was a big surprise and we haven't been told a thing about why he left or who might come in."
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He added:"If they are going to fire someone as good as Chris, they have to then bring in a big name, someone who has won trophies.
"And that doesn't even mean he will necessarily be better. If they just bring in someone similar, it's a joke."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email