Football League: Your thoughts | Jacob Steinberg

Norwich missed the chance to capitalise on QPR's draw, while it's looking grim for Barnet and Stockport County

? Click here to find out all of Saturday's scores and scorers

? QPR missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Championship, as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Hull City. This wasn't too surprising; this was QPR's seventh away draw, while they've only scored 16 goals on their travels (and have conceded just eight), compared to 30 at home. Neil Warnock's side are well placed to win the league and gain promotion, but perhaps they could do with something extra to make the difference in tight away games.

? Given that QPR dropped points, Norwich, a place behind, will be kicking themselves after they only managed a draw away to Crystal Palace to keep the gap between the two sides to five points. Even more annoyingly for Norwich, it means that Cardiff City can overtake them if they win their game in hand. A word of praise for Crystal Palace too, whose spirited display earned them a point that could be vital in their battle against the drop.

? Bournemouth might have lost their highly rated manager, Eddie Howe, to Burnley but it will take more than a simple managerial change to derail their bid for promotion from League One. Lee Bradbury's side were heading for a draw away to Plymouth having thrown away a lead given to them by Marc Pugh, but the veteran striker Steve Fletcher came off the bench to seal the points with six minutes left and lift Bournemouth up to second. Sometimes the old ones are the best.

? Oldham, meanwhile, were set to move up to fourth place, just four points off an automatic promotion spot, only to throw away a two-goal lead away to Carlisle, conceding twice in the last 15 minutes. And to compound their misery, Carlisle's equaliser was a 94th minute penalty.

? Walsall were bottom of League One at the start of the day, but they're not any more thanks to a brilliant 6-1 thrashing of Bristol Rovers. Three-nil up at half-time, they added another three goals after the break to make it a miserable day for Rovers, who find themselves three points away from safety.

? Barnet lost. What's new? Luckily for the League Two strugglers, so did Stockport County, tonked 4-0 away to Rotherham. Doesn't that sound like a fun afternoon? To make matters worse, their fellow strugglers, Lincoln City, left it late to beat Port Vale. Barnet and Stockport are 23rd and 24th respectively ? or 91st and 92nd in the Football League. You don't envy them, and while both sides have not been cut adrift, they've both played four games more than Hereford, the side immediately above them. It's difficult to see a way out of this hole.

Check out all of the latest league tables and have your say on all of the Football League action below

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Jacob Steinberg

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Nasri in Arsenal squad to face Barca but Diaby injured

By Mitch Phillips

14:16 GMT, Tue 15 Feb 2011

LONDON COLNEY, England, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri will be in the squad to face Barcelona on Wednesday after a faster-than-expected recovery from a hamstring strain, manager Arsene Wenger said on Tuesday.

UK Football

The attack-minded Frenchman Nasri, in sparkling form this season, suffered the injury on Jan. 30 and was expected to be out for three weeks.

However, he trained with the squad on Tuesday and Wenger, who said on Monday he would "not take a crazy gamble" on his compatriot, said Nasri had a chance of being involved in the last-16, first-leg match at The Emirates.

"I will take no medical risk, he was quicker than expected -- 17 days instead of 21 -- and everyone is absolutely adamant that he is completely medically available," Wenger told a news conference at the London club's training base.

"It's down to me to make the decision." However, the news was not so good for midfielder Abou Diaby, who misses the match against the Spanish champions with a calf injury sustained playing for France last week.

UK Football

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West Ham fightback fails to calm relegation fears

By Martyn Herman

23:59 GMT, Sat 12 Feb 2011

LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - West Ham United's euphoria at the prospect of moving into London's Olympic Stadium evaporated in a calamitous first half at West Bromwich Albion before a stunning second half fightback earned them a 3-3 draw on Saturday.

UK Football

The prospect of the 500 million pounds stadium being handed over to a team outside the Premier League is a worrying prospect for the Olympic Park Legacy Company but the point West Ham salvaged at least lifted them off the bottom of the table.

Two second-half goals by Demba Ba on his full debut for the Hammers and another by Carlton Cole left West Ham second bottom with 25 points from 27 games, one more than Wolverhampton Wanderers who have a game in hand.

While the situation remains critical, under-fire manager Avram Grant could at least take some comfort from a second half recovery almost as spectacular as Newcastle United's from 4-0 down against Arsenal last weekend.

"I think we have what we need to stay up," Grant told Sky Sports. "If you look at the other teams, if they had the problems we have had this year, I'm sure after the first half the spirit would be low.

"But this team has shown a lot of character and spirit and I don't think another team in this position could have done that."

Defeat would have left West Ham five points adrift of fourth from bottom and safety but their fightback means they are just two points behind 17th-placed West Brom.

"At halftime we just spoke about how to change the game and change the way we were playing because we started the game not organised at all," he said. "Everybody was sad so I thought that my job was to make them relax.

"It was not time for jokes but in my nature I always think that everything in football can change. I knew that if we scored one goal it could change everything."

On Friday the OPLC voted in favour of West Ham's bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games rather than a rival plan by Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham's pledge to retain the athletics track at the Stratford venue was the decisive factor, although the decision must still be rubber-stamped by the government and London Mayor.

UK Football

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Raul?s 71st European Goal

Today wasn’t all about choking and headbutts. There were some huge goals on the day too, including Aaron Lennon’s setup for Peter Crouch against Milan and Saldado’s opener for Valencia. But in terms of Champions League history, this might be the most significant. With this equalizer, Raul passes Pippo Inzaghi to stand [...]

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Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola: Champions League defeat to Arsenal is a pity but we have the second leg

Spaniard feels visitors controlled and dominated the game

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Friday Night Football

Would you be happy if you were going to a Scottish football match this evening?

There is a suggestion that the SPL might be looking at playing games on Fridays as part of their backlog clearing plans.

The talk seems to be of the April holiday Fridays, although as these are both after the split I'm not sure what the need is.

Anyway, it has led to some discussion about Friday kick offs. An experiment tried in both the league and the Scottish Cup in the 1990's when Sky first got involved with the Scottish game.

Henry McLeish also backed the idea in part two of the McLeish Report:

There has to be a greater level of innovation and for example why shouldn?t SFL clubs be able to play on a Friday evening if that represents a response to the changing patterns of social and family life and has the support of clubs, fans and the authorities.

Certainly it seems odd that Partick Thistle can't play at Firhill on a Friday evening but Glasgow's pro rugby side can.

I'm not against the idea. I think Friday games might be appealing to fans especially in the spring and summer months of the season.

Setanta actually wanted 7.45pm kick offs on Friday evenings when they had the SPL television contract.

That met with this response from the police:

Kevin Smith, assistant chief constable at Strathclyde Police and the lead officer on football for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos), described the Friday games as "unacceptable".

He added: "Acpos does not support scheduling football matches on a Friday night as such events place too great a demand on police resources at a time when the demand from communities is at its highest.

"I think this is a common sense approach and allows us to focus our resources in communities throughout Scotland."

One police source went even further, however, saying that should the SPL push on and include the Friday matches in its schedule, forces would refuse to send their officers to police the games. (Sunday Herald, 23 July 2006)

Worth the footballing authorities exploring if that is the still the case. I suspect it might be.

Leaving aside the SPL, that the police apparently consider this a blanket ban is outrageous. If there is any evidence to suggest that fans would the respond to Friday night football then the SFL should be screaming to get them to change their minds.

It's not a new idea but it worth exploring. Time to get together with the police and at least finding a way of trialling Friday night games.

> I'd appreciate your thoughts on the idea of Friday football. Comment in the usual way.

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Turner close to comeback

Sunderland defender Michael Turner is hoping to make his first-team comeback away to Everton.

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Marc Muniesa agrees new Barcelona contract

Barcelona

Valencia

Marc Muniesa has signed new terms with Barcelona.

The Barca B fullback has penned a new 12-month deal, which will be extended should he earn promotion to the senior squad.

Barca moved quickly to tie up Muniesa amid interest from Valencia.

The 18 year-old is regarded at Barca among their top prospects.

 
Click here for the No1 coverage of all the gossip and transfer news around Barcelona.

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Adelaide United skipper Dodd to confirm future at season?s end

Adelaide United

Perth Glory

Wellington Phoenix

Adelaide United captain Travis Dodd will make his decision on his playing future at the end of the season.

The 31-year old attacking midfielder is being heavily courted by the rebuilding Perth Glory with some reports suggesting he is set to sign a lucrative deal with the Western Australians.

Reds coach Rini Coolen is well aware of the Glory interest but says that Dodd will wait until Adelaide?s finals campaign is finished before finalising the next phase of his career.

"We knew he had offers from Perth," Coolen said. "His decision would happen probably after the season but, to be honest, I don't know if he's taken a decision already."

It is believed that Dodd has undergone a medical with the Glory, who are keen to put him through a second test before putting the finishing touches on the deal.

Adelaide host Wellington Phoenix in an elimination final at Hindmarsh Stadium this Friday night - kick-off is at 7:30pm local time (8:00pm AEDT).

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Bringing banter back, Bent and Young and the money league

How do you like those apples? Two goals by England and two Aston Villa scorers. Bent did what he is good at and Ashley Young did what we would all like him to do week in week out at Aston Villa, but that is coming.

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Philadelphia Lands Agorsor

Another day, another Major League Soccer lottery. Today’s lottery was a fairly quick one as only three clubs participated for the rights to land former US U-18 striker Chris Agorsor. The Philadelphia Union beat out the two expansion clubs, the [...]

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Perth Glory releases four players

A-League

Perth Glory

Perth Glory today released four players as the club looks towards rebuilding for the 2011/12 Hyundai A-League season.

Naum Sekulovski, Howard Fondyke, Brent Griffiths and Anthony Skorich were all told by Perth Glory head coach Ian Ferguson they would not be required for next season.

?I?d like to thank these players for their contribution at Perth Glory,? Ferguson said.

?Given the performance of the team this season, changes need to be made.

?We are now in a rebuilding phase and the three signings we have already made for next season are exciting.

?All three players (Dean Heffernan, Danny Vukovic and Evan Berger) have represented Australia at various levels and we will continue to make tough decisions with our squad to turn around an unacceptable season.?

Ten players from this season?s squad have now been released or retired with Aleks Vrteski, Michael Baird, Andy Todd, Tando Velaphi, Jamie Harnwell and Andrija Jukic having already departed.

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AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic: I snubbed Manchester City's fantastic project as I don't play for the money

Swede tips Eastlands outfit to be a top team in a couple of years

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New West Brom boss Roy Hodgson admits Fernando Torres' switch from Liverpool to Chelsea came as no surprise

Former Anfield boss unsure if Baggies can survive

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Reina defends Torres decision to join Chelsea

18:57 GMT, Mon 7 Feb 2011

MADRID, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Pepe Reina has defended the decision taken by his Liverpool and Spain team mate Fernando Torres to join Chelsea and urged fans of the Anfield club to remember the good times he brought them.

UK Football

Torres incensed some Liverpool fans with his explanation that he joined Chelsea because he wanted to win trophies and some burned his number nine shirt in protest.

Goalkeeper Reina, who joined Torres at Spain's training base outside Madrid on Monday as they prepare for Wednesday's friendly against Colombia, said there was nothing to be done but wish the striker good luck.

"Football is like that, as players we come and go," Reina was quoted as saying in Spanish media.

"You have to understand his decision, he felt it was a good opportunity to continue developing.

"The club has to look forward and forget Fernando. He is not here anymore and we can't do anything but wish him a lot of luck."

Torres had a miserable debut at home to Liverpool on Sunday, squandering several chances before being substituted in the 66th minute as Chelsea lost 1-0.

One travelling Liverpool fan held up a banner reading: "18 titles, five European Cups -- is Chelsea a bigger club?", while another threw a Liverpool shirt bearing his name on to the Stamford Bridge pitch.

"It's logical that people don't understand it but I think they have to make an effort and remember what he did for the club during these past three and a half years," Reina said.

"He scored a lot of goals, he provided many entertaining afternoons of football and that is what we have to remember, the smile that he put on people's faces in many matches.

"In my case a friend is leaving, it's tough but football is like that.

"Yesterday at (Chelsea) was a bit strange but football has these situations.

"Today you are playing with a team mate and friend and the next you are playing against him but you have to wish him a lot of luck. He is trying to make things work out well for himself."

UK Football

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Wayne Rooney v Manchester City, 12/02/2011

A single goal means nothing in a career.

And I say that as someone who saw Alan Ormen score "that" goal for Hibs against Rangers at Ibrox.

But this was some strike from Wayne Rooney for Manchester United against Manchester City today.

Out of form, miserable, maligned. He's all that and more. Is one strike enough to get him back to where he was? There have been signs in recent weeks. Maybe this was confirmation.

In any event, it was some strike.

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Review: Germany 1 v 1 Italy - A return to form.

Introduction.
Concern has begun to lift for the first time from the Azzurri camp in recent memory. Wednesday night @ Dortmund could be considered a return to form for our fabled Azzurri; not only did we achieve a positive Germany 1-1 Italy result, but we did it in spectacular fashion amidst a humungous German audience of which only the likes of Dortmund can offer. Even though this match was slated as a friendly on paper; it was quite apparent that the ambiance offered in Dortmund was far more reminiscent of a World Cup match - similar to that found in Paris when Italy fell to the French national team months after our WORLD CUP Final triumph in 2006. This was after all the first time the Germans faced the Azzurri since the 2006 WORLD CUP Semifinal. With tension at a fever pitch, both teams came out of the gate with something to prove. The Germans were there to put to rest the notion that they couldn't beat the Italians, and the Italians came to prove that through our rebuilding we were now capable of playing footy with a team as highly rated as the Germans.

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Torres endures miserable Chelsea debut

By Mitch Phillips

20:54 GMT, Sun 6 Feb 2011

LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Fernando Torres endured a miserable Chelsea debut when his old club Liverpool inflicted a damaging 1-0 home defeat on the English champions on Sunday.

UK Football

The Spanish striker was mercilessly jeered by his former fans whose joy was completed by a 69th-minute strike from Raul Meireles which dashed Chelsea's hopes of closing the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United.

Torres, who joined Chelsea last week in a British record deal, had two early chances but faded before being substituted after 66 minutes to the delight of the travelling supporters.

"He did a good job," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said of his 50 million-pound ($80.54 million) striker. "Liverpool defended very well with three centre backs and we didn't have the right solution to attack.

"Torres was very enthusiastic, very confident and excited but he's had a very busy week so it was right to take him off."

Liverpool defended superbly throughout to record their fourth successive victory and clean sheet under new manager Kenny Dalglish.

Manchester United, beaten in the league for the first time this season by bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, top the standings on 54 points. Arsenal, who blew a 4-0 lead to draw 4-4 at Newcastle United, are second on 50.

Manchester City are third on 49 with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur on 44. Liverpool moved up to sixth on 38 and, just weeks after flirting with the relegation zone, are eyeing European qualification.

Liverpool's new-found solidity was evident in a well-drilled defensive performance.

Jamie Carragher, in his first match since November, played as one of three centre backs in a bid to counter Chelsea's three-pronged attack, with Torres and Didier Drogba leading the line and Nicolas Anelka in a supporting role.

Torres was centre stage and did have a chance to make an instant impact when a wayward Maxi Rodriguez pass sent him through after 90 seconds but he shot wildly over the bar.

A typically determined sliding block by Carragher foiled the Spaniard when Drogba sent him clear and Rodriguez sidefooted against the bar from point-blank range.

Chelsea, recently back to winning ways after a poor run of form which dropped them down the league table, did not look comfortable trying to accommodate their three front men and Liverpool grew in confidence in the second half.

 

PERIPHERAL FIGURE

Torres, a peripheral figure after the break, was taken off and given a raucous send-off by the visiting supporters.

They were shouting even louder when Petr Cech and Branislav Ivanovic, who had exchanged expletives during an earlier mix-up, left a Steven Gerrard cross to each other and Meireles reacted sharply to hook it into the net.

Chelsea piled bodies forward but other than long-range shots by Anelka and Michael Essien they rarely troubled Pepe Reina.

It was a glorious opportunity missed to close the gap on the leaders and their chances of retaining the title look faint following their seventh defeat of the campaign.

"It's always difficult coming here and this is a great result," Carragher said.

"There was a lot of speculation before the game and that might have made it even more special. Players come and go. Fernando is one of the best strikers in world and I'm sure he will prove that at Chelsea but he is not with us now.

"We have to focus on ourselves and our own jobs."

In Sunday's other Premier League match, Birmingham City won 1-0 at fellow strugglers West Ham United who slipped to the foot of the standings on goal difference.

UK Football

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Ex-Man City boss Royle: Smalling looks Ferdinand successor at Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester City

Manchester United

Rio Ferdinand

Former Manchester City boss Joe Royle was full of praise for Chris Smalling after Manchester United's derby victory yesterday.

Royle wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "Sir Alex Ferguson is the best in the business at looking ahead. In Chris Smalling, he has the next Rio Ferdinand.

"This was Smalling's best performance in a United shirt.

"We know about his composure on the ball, as seen in one run out of defence, but Sir Alex will be more impressed with his defending yesterday - that is his primary job.

"When City were going for it in the closing stages, looking for an equaliser, Smalling stood firm and his finest moment came when he made a great tackle in the final moment.

"Nani looks more and more like the successor to Cristiano Ronaldo, Smalling is the equivalent for Ferdinand."

 
Click here for the No1 coverage of all the gossip and transfer news around Manchester United.

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MLS Releases 2011 Schedule

The wait is finally over. Seriously. Major League Soccer took a ton of heat for not releasing their 2011 schedule until today. Not the complaining can be able other things. Each of the League?s 18 clubs will play 34 matches, [...]

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