• Home
• About
• Contributors
• Contact Us
• Advertising

• Premiership
• Championship
• League One
• League Two
• Non League
• FA Cup
• Internationals
• Forum

Subscribe

Ronaldo set to return as United push the panic button

After their poor start to the season, winning just four points in three games, and defeat yesterday to Liverpool, Manchester United have pushed the panic button and are looking to rush Cristiano Ronaldo back from injury early.

They need him too!

The Portuguese player is expected to return for United on Wednesday night for their opening Champions League game against Villarreal. He’s been missing for the start of the season after undergoing surgery on his ankle during the summer. He wasn’t expected to make his return until October, but as United’s season looks like getting away from them before they start, he’s being rushed back early.

United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said that Ronaldo could be back for Wednesday, and for the game next weekend against Chelsea in a match United dare not lose.

He’s been making great strides in the direction towards first-team football.

Ronaldo is training now, he’s with the first team and he’s aiming to be a substitute at Chelsea on 21 September. He’s come on leaps and bounds.

I think we mentioned a couple of weeks ago he was making rapid progress in terms of overcoming the injury problem he had and the training he’s been doing with the physios and Tony Strudwick the fitness coach.

Liverpool beat United 2-1

Liverpool notched up their first league win over Manchester United since Rafael Benitez took charge at Anfield, with a 2-1 win over the champions this afternoon. United looked to stamp their dominance on the title race with new boy Berbatov lining up alongside Rooney and Tevez, making a formidable attacking formation for United.

Plus with Liverpool being without inspirational skipper Gerrard and star striker Torres, United looked to have the edge. They showed their upper hand early on too, when Berbatov beat several defenders to set up Tevez to score the opener for United after just three minutes.

It proved a false dawn for the champions however as they failed to work the Liverpool keeper for the rest of the half, as the home side came more and more into the game. It was on twenty-five minutes when Liverpool equalised, when Wes Brown turned the ball into his own net.

The second half saw Babel and Gerrard introduced, as Liverpool moved up to something resembling full strength. As the game reached its final stages, Babel turned in a cross for a much deserved Liverpool win, giving the reds their first league win over United for years.

Brave Wales lose to Russia

Wales narrowly lost to Russia in today’s World Cup qualifier 2-1 in Moscow. Wales looked like they’d hang on for the draw when Tottenham’s new signing Roman Pavlyuchenko gave Russia a win that they looked like missing out on.

It could have been so much better for Wales, as Tottenham’s other player on show, Gareth Bale, missed a 17th minute penalty that would have given Wales an unlikely lead. His tame strike however was easily saved by the Russian keeper.

Moments after Bale’s miss, Russia took the lead themselves as Bales Spurs teammate Pavlyuchenko showed Bale how it should be done, scoring a penalty at the other end.

An inexperienced Welsh defence then held off wave upon wave of Russian attacks. The second half got better for Wales when Joe Ledley equalised, and gave the Welsh hope of sharing the points.

Sadly for Wales they were unable to hold on and were denied in the last ten minutes when Pavel Pogrebnyak gave Russia a 2-1 victory that sees them take control of the qualifying group.

Wales’ display will give them heart though, as they were able to compete with the Euro 2008 semi finalists.

Zola poised for Hammers

It is believed that West Ham are have decided that they want Gianfranco Zola as their new manager. This has come after a board meeting yesterday where the directors were unanimous in their decision of opting for the mercurial Italian.

Former manager Alan Curbishley walked out on the club just over a week ago amid complaints that players were being sold without his knowledge, including the sale of defender Anton Ferdinand.

Zola was in a shortlist drawn up by West Ham, that included Roberto Donadoni and John Collins.

A spokesman for West Ham stated:

We are now negotiating with Gianfranco, although a final decision will be subject to board approval.

We were very comfortable with the three options we had - Zola, Donadoni and Collins - but Gianfranco was the first choice.

The board gave Scott Duxbury authorisation to approach him and will meet Gianfranco before any contract is signed.

Zola seems very keen to move to West Ham, and is currently the assistant manager of Italy’s under 21 side.

West Ham are also very keen on Zola, believing he is the right man for the job.

It’s true that he has no experience of managing a club side, but he knows the Premier League very well

His English is very good and he can talk about football with English players and inspire them.

He has a record of developing young footballers, which is very important to us, and was obviously a world-class player.

We expect an announcement of Zola’s appointment as West Ham manager very soon.

Parry retires from International football

Welsh international footballer Paul Parry has sensationally retired from international football, in the middle of Wales’ two world cup qualifiers. Parry had been out of the Wales squad for 18 months on a self imposed absence, because of problems over his divorce and access to his children. Only recently he declared himself available for selection, and was called up by John Toshack for Wales’ two qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Russia.

However, after being left out of the starting line-up in Wales 1-0 win over Azerbaijan Paul has announced his retirement and left the squad. According to Toshack, Parry had been told he would start the game against Russia on Wednesday night, but the player wasn’t happy at being on the bench on Saturday and walked out of the squad.

Parry is only 28 and has win 12 caps for Wales, scoring just one goal.

Parry plays as a winger for his club side Cardiff, but his eye for goal saw him used often as a striking option.

Former Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe was angry at Parry’s retirement:

It’s a trend these days, players retire themselves, but it’s not the way I was brought up, and I don’t agree with it.

The big difference with players these days is money, that situation has changed everything in the game.

He could have been an important squad member, but he has no reason to feel aggrieved at his treatment by Wales and John Toshack will not be losing any sleep about it.

Terry McDermott leaves Newcastle

Kevin Keegan’s scouse lookalike Terry McDermott has followed his mentor and parted company with Newcastle United. It was King Kev who originally brought Terry Mac to Newcastle as his number two.

The decision was Newcastle’s to get rid of McDermott, and they’ve also sacked reserve team manager Adam Sadler. It was just four days ago that Keegan left Newcastle, amid complaints that the board were selling players without his consent, making his position as manager untenable.

Terry Mac has been at Newcastle on two separate occasions, working under Souness, Roeder, Allardyce and Dalglish.

Terry was a midfielder at Newcastle, and Liverpool in his prime, and came to Newcastle as part of Keegan’s management team in 1992. He helped King Kev bring Newcastle back into top flight football.

As this was Newcastle’s move, sacking Terry Mac, it shows they’re trying to remove the Keegan regime and stamp their own style on the club. The fans won’t like this at all though, as they’re already planning home game boycotts in support of Keegan.

Wilkes scores the winner as England beat Rest of the World 4-3

England captain Jonathan Wilkes (Robbie Williams’ mate) scored the winner in England’s 4-3 win over a Rest of the World side at Wembley tonight. The game was in aid of the Unicef charity, raising money for impoverished children Worldwide. Soccer Aid, as it has been dubbed, was the idea of Jonathan Wilkes and Robbie Williams, and this year is the second time the game has been played. The last game was won by England 2 years ago when they beat a Gordon Ramsey side that included Diego Maradona.

There was no Maradona this time; instead the Rest of the World players included Brazilian legend Romario, Italian Paulo Di Canio and Luis Figo. The England professionals included Alan Shearer, David Seaman and Teddy Sheringham.

Sadly Robbie Williams missed the game with injury, and the ROTW captain Gordon Ramsay was forced out after just five minutes with a torn hamstring. Alan Shearer, playing for the first time at the new Wembley, scored twice (including a dodgy penalty) and it was his old SAS partner Sheringham who opened the scoring.

Singer Craig David won the man of the match, even out muscling Jaap Stam at one point.

Children’s TV presenter Jamie Theakston pulled off a brilliant save from Romario, who failed to find the net all night.

The winning goal came from a quick free kick from Wilkes, that found Shearer unmarked and six yards from goal. Shearer through his head at the ball, but missed it, and it went in anyway.

Wilkes also scored the winner 2 years ago.

Dreadful England just edge out Andorra

All throughout the European Championships, England fans were shouting at the TVs in disgust claiming that if England had been there, they’d have won it. On this evidence, England wouldn’t have got out of the group and thoroughly deserved to not even qualify. They have the stars, they have the talent, but they just can’t play as a team.

Indeed if it wasn’t for Chelsea’s Joe Cole coming off the bench (for the second game in a row) to save England’s blushes, this could have been a disastrous result.

England dominated the game, it has to be said, but then they should have. They failed to break Andorra down and were quite justifiably booed off the field at half time with the score tied at 0-0.

When Cole was introduced at half time he made an immediate impact, scoring in the 49th minute from a Lampard free kick. Then in the 55th minute the Joe Cole show entered its next chapter, as the player scored the second of the game from a Wayne Rooney pass.

As Andorra are ranked 186th in the World, England should be winning games like this with ease, however their performance left a lot of work to do for Fabio Capello if they’re to qualify from the group and reach the World Cup in South Africa.

This was a poor performance, make no mistake.

Barton Banned Again

Just when he thought he was getting his life, and career, back in order, Joey Barton has been slapped with a twelve match ban (six game ban plus six game suspended sentence). This is for the violent conduct charge he admitted to when he assaulted his Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo in a training ground bust-up.

Barton has only just been released from prison for his assault on a teenager in Liverpool, and in his first game for Newcastle against Arsenal he received a deafening tirade of abuse from his own fans.

Barton received the six game ban, the additional six game suspended sentence, and a £25,000 fine for the assault, which only represents half of his week’s wages!

Far from getting his life back on track, Joey Barton seems as though he will never learn, as he was followed on his way to report to his probation officer recently and was seen driving his Range Rover down bus lanes and through a red light, something which he could be banned from driving for.

As if things couldn’t get any worse for Barton, with manager Kevin Keegan walking out he know has no leadership.

Barton will miss games against Hull, West Ham, Tottenham, Blackburn, Everton and Manchester City.

King Kev is dead, long live Sir Alan?

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Kevin Keegan / Newcastle United saga has come to end, with King Kev abdicating his crown amid cries that the board were selling players without his permission. Not something a manager can really work with, but that’s football boards for you. The same thing happened at West Hamm.

Now Kev has gone, rumours turn once again to the man who always gets asked whenever the Newcastle job becomes available, Alan Shearer. He’s the idol of the Toon, a Georgie, a Newcastle fan and their greatest ever goalscorer. He’d be perfect, except, he doesn’t want the job!

Although it’s not the job he’s afraid of, it’s the hierarchy at Newcastle that’s putting him off.

I’d like to be a manager at some point in my career.

But I want to manage - and control who comes in and out of the club.

This, sadly for Newcastle fans, is exactly why Kevin Keegan walked out, for the second time this week, and the third time in his Newcastle career.

With Shearer sensibly declaring himself out, at least until things change at Newcastle, other names that have been cast into the frame are Everton manager David Moyes and Didier Deschamps.

It’s unlikely though that any of the names in the frame would consider a job where the club sell players without the manager’s knowledge. Newcastle have made a rod for their own back with their actions of the last few weeks, and they’ll find it difficult to recruit the right man now.

As far as the fans are concerned, they already had the right man, and he just quit.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Copyright © 2007 Winning Is Everything - XML Sitemap