For years, the tabloid newspapers in England have been renowned for overhyping the expectations
of England's chances in the World Cup. Those wheels have already been set in motion and now The
Sun newspaper, which has a daily readership of 7.9 million, have declared that England's group
which includes the United States will be easy.
The pain of yesterday's mauling is likely to linger for a while. I still can't think straight
and it's impossible to digest that we could be so naïve, almost idiotic. This isn't a new feeling
either. We have been outplayed in the big matches with mind numbing regularity in the recent past.
It's as if all of us deserve shock treatment every few months for being mentally challenged enough
to support the Arsenal.
Ring of Fire
Talk to the majority of English Premier League fans about the MLS and they will more than likely
turn their noses up in disgust. Knowledge is the bomb though, so don't knock it 'til you've tried
or at least heard a little about it. Nobody can deny that a fair amount of EPL games are played out
against a backdrop of near silence in the stands nowadays.
This week's main report looks at the newly-crowned Ballon D'or winner, Leo Messi. The transcript
can be found below, while vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at
the foot of the post.
Listen to the report here
Recently I was involved in a discussion with some friends over whether Brazilian star Kaka was a
better player than his Real Madrid team mate Ronaldo.
According to Paul Kendrick at the Wigan Evening Post, Wigan Athletic boss
Roberto Martinez might possible loan out starlet James McCarthy.
Martinez said,
"This season has been part of a big learning curve for James ... He is only a young man, but he
has come a very long way and he is slowly getting there .
Not since the departure of Roy Keane has Manchester United had a midfield general like Darren
Fletcher. In a revealing interview with United fanzine United We Stand, Fletch describes the
challenge he finds competing at the heart of United's team against the best players and teams of
the English Premier League.
Very much a game of two halves yesterday. As the first ended I can't say I felt particularly
confident that we'd get anything from the game. A goal down, as poor a performance as we've had all
season, our record in big games not very good at all either, so there were reasons to doubt.
Arsene said we played with fear in the first half.
AP Photo/Massimo PincaThe Special One and Felipe Melo get sent off as Inter fall to Juventus, but
Milan put on a show. [Goal, Gazetta dello Sport]The richest club in the world continue to get up
for the big games, this time stunning league...
AP Photo/Massimo PincaThe Special One and Felipe Melo get sent off as Inter fall to Juventus, but
Milan put on a show. [Goal, Gazetta dello Sport]The richest club in the world continue to get up
for the big games, this time stunning league...
Two unlikely heroes emerged out of the two big games this weekend, Juventus-Inter and
Roma-Lazio. In the first game on Saturday, Claudio Marchisio was the game-winner,
using an excellent display of technique to control a ball in tight space and chip Julio Cesar to
score Juventus' second goal.
Graeme Souness, as Rafael Benitez pointed out, did not have a great record as Liverpool manager.
There was one season when Liverpool looked potential title winners, but that challenge quickly
fizzled out and, for the most part, he filled the squad with ordinary players, and won the FA
Cup.
Notice any similarities?
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The Club World Cup Final takes centre stage on this week's predictions battle but we also have
some big games from England, Spain, Italy and Portugal. This week's guest predictor is Jonathan who
is a big Liverpool fan.
Under the freedom of information act, my friend requested these figures from Lothian and Borders
police:
The following costs were billed to Hibernian Football Club for the following
fixtures:
Celtic 30/8 £6,407.80
Kilmarnock 17/10 £2,718.60
Aberdeen 31/10 £4,899.
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has revealed he turned down an invitation from Fabio Capello to
return to the England set-up.
Carragher, 31, won 34 caps for his country but announced his international retirement in the summer
of 2007.
However, with encouragement from club captain Steven Gerrard he initially agreed to meet Capello's
assistant Franco Baldini, but changed his mind at the last moment.
I have been thinking about this ever since our trip to Anfield. In his post match interview
after Liverpool, Arsene said,
I believe first of all Liverpool played very well in that period and we played with a handbrake
because of our fear. That fear was of not winning the big games because we lost against Chelsea and
Manchester United.
COS Contributor Retryboy discusses the issue of Video Replays and the FIFA presidents rather
short sighted view on a long running footballing debate.
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Sepp Blatter has re-iterated again that whilst he remains FIFA president video replays will not
be used saying "Please do not insist on the technology, the day that the referee takes 2 captains
aside to study monitors and see if something is inside the box or outside is the day the spectators
will say no, we are not coming to the game.
UPDATE: According to the Glasgow Evening Times, Wigan Athletic
starlet James McCarthy is willing to leave the club on loan to get more playing
time. McCarthy said,
"It is a big squad and is difficult to get in the team, and it is a big step up from the SPL to
the Premier League .
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Most leagues around the world are on a break but not the English Premier League which has one of
its busiest schedules of the season over the next two weeks. Lots of big games that will affect the
top and the bottom of the table.
Maddy's Note: Today was one of those days. A day when all Arsenal fans
reached for the jersey that they all own and lovingly kissed the crest. A day when fans of every
other team in Europe wished the Magician who is Francesc Fabregas Soler was a part of their squad
sheet.
