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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Valenciennes : Montanier sur le banc de l?AJA ?
Valenciennes va-t-il �tre victime du jeu des "bancs musicaux" qui se pr�pare cet �t� en Ligue 1? Selon le bi-hebdomadaire France Footbal
Fascinating finish in Eredivisie: Ajax or Twente?
It happened in England in 1989 ( Arsenal vs Liverpool) and a number of times in Spain, but now Holland has it too. The final day brings the number 1 and the number 2 against one another. And for the third year in a row, it involves only one "Top 3" club... PSV had to let Twente and Ajax go, as a result no doubt of Afellay's exit while Feyenoord...well....
But Twente deserves to be seen as Top. They are the title holder and despite the fact that every season a number of the best players leave, they still are able
But Twente deserves to be seen as Top. They are the title holder and despite the fact that every season a number of the best players leave, they still are able
Monday, May 16, 2011
Post-mortem: Aston Villa take three points from Arsenal
It would be easy to say we were lucky yesterday but most of you know I don't like the easy route although I will happily accept that we got the luck in the right places yesterday and it helped.
But we put the ball in the net twice yesterday, my hopes that Spurs and Wigan would win and The Clowns would lose happened and we defended like a team again. It was a very good day.
In pictures: Diego Maradona appointed as coach of Al Wasl
The ex-Argentina manager is taking a stab at club coaching with the Dubai outfit, and had a hectic first day on Monday as he was introduced to his new home in the Middle East
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Petr Cech / Chelsea No1 Cech: Great to see McEachran get his chance
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech was pleased to see Josh McEachran see action in their draw with Newcastle United.
Cech was keen to remain as upbeat as possible, with the Magpies draw allowing Chelsea to wrap up second place in the Premier League and give important minutes to their stars of tomorrow.
"Despite the bad result, I found two positives in it," Cech said on his personal website.
"The first one was that Arsenal were beaten [by Aston Villa], which means we have definitely secured second place in the league.
"It somehow sums up our season in the way that there was always something missing for us to finish the job.
Read more Petr Cech news
Cech was keen to remain as upbeat as possible, with the Magpies draw allowing Chelsea to wrap up second place in the Premier League and give important minutes to their stars of tomorrow.
"Despite the bad result, I found two positives in it," Cech said on his personal website.
"The first one was that Arsenal were beaten [by Aston Villa], which means we have definitely secured second place in the league.
"It somehow sums up our season in the way that there was always something missing for us to finish the job.
Read more Petr Cech news
Man City : Tevez laissera sa famille d�cider de son d�part !
Qualifi� pour la prochaine Ligue des Champions, vainqueur de la FA CUp, Manchester City vit une fin de saison agr�able. Assez pour pousser Tevez �� remettre en cause son d�part cet �t�. Et si Carlos Tevez restait finalement � Manchester City ? Inenvisageable il y a quelques semaines, cette option a retrouv� un semblant de cr�dibilit� apr�s la victoire des Citizens en FA Cup. Heureux comme tout, l'Argentin a fait comprendre que le challenge propos� par City, � savoir de d�poss�der Manchester United de (...) Lire la suite.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
England: West Ham falls, gets relegated
LONDON (AP) -- West Ham became the first team relegated from England's Premier League this season after squandering a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss at Wigan on Sunday.
Rangers v Celtic: Destiny Calls
Old Firm matchday number seven. Rangers v Celtic. Old friends never get tired of meeting up.
By any footballing standards today?s Easter clash provides drama enough. To the winner, it looks, goes the league title and a tilt at the Champions League.
Sadly Scotland in 2011 relies not on footballing drama alone.
We had already seen the cranking up of the rancour surrounding Old Firm games this season. We had seen the police raise their concerns.
We had seen protagonists fail to acknowledge that increased pressure, that heightened scrutiny, and lose their heads in the heat of the moment.
We had seen the furrowed brows of politicians, of Rangers and Celtic along with the great and the good of Scottish football being summoned to an Edinburgh summit.
But none of that prepared us for the news that Neil Lennon was among those being targeted in a letter bomb campaign.
So today the SPL hosts the one fixture in its calendar that garners some attention outside our borders. But the world, unaware of subtleties and fed only headlines, will now associate this game, this showpiece match, with an attempt to kill the Celtic manager.
There better be lot of people, in a lot of roles, in a lot of organisations asking themselves how it has ever come to this.
In the immediate aftermath of the story breaking I saw a few muted comments about cancelling today?s game or playing it behind closed doors.
The glib answer is that not playing today would be to allow this madman and his twisted hatred to win.
The truth is football is a remarkably resilient beast, unerringly able to march on in the face of outside interference, adept at turning a blind eye to situations it would rather ignore.
There was never any doubt that this game would go ahead today.
But it will go ahead under quite unparalled scrutiny. I suspect that the rational reaction to the week?s events ? to adopt a position of reconciliatory calm ? will pass certain elements by. Instead I fear some will see today as an even better excuse to display their defiance, indulge their more hysterical tendencies.
We?ll do well to get through this game with people commenting only on the football.
That?s a shame because this is one of the climatic events of the season, a season where both Celtic and Rangers have wobbled, recovered, impressed at times and simply got the job done at times.
Different seasons, different distractions, different styles. But they?ve stayed knotted together in the race for the title. Today one of them will take a massive step towards glory.
A point behind and a game in hand, Celtic have a slight advantage. The widely held view is that Celtic have the harder run in, with more away games.
That argument doesn?t always hold in Scottish football though, as evidenced in a week when both Rangers and Celtic converted potentially tricky away ties into 4-0 routs.
Even being visitors today is not a hammer blow. Both sides have felt the pain of Old Firm defeats at home this season. But Celtic are yet to lose a match at Ibrox.
Yet it was Rangers, so chastened in being tactically trumped at New Year, so off the pace in the league at Parkhead and so snarlingly impotent in being knocked out of the Scottish Cup, who took the first silverware of the season.
That day at Hampden Rangers got a lot right and Celtic barely even got started. It proved again, if proof was ever needed, that Rangers have a dogged resistance to being reduced to the role of also rans.
Proof also that this exciting Celtic side, very impressive when playing and attacking with pace and stuffed full of performers who can make the opposition squirm, are not without weaknesses and still lack the gritty experience of some of this Rangers squad.
And how Rangers would relish it if their own attacking force was to perform today. Nikika Jelavic seems to be hitting form and his presence should at least partially soothe feelings of attacking inadequacy when Rangers eye up Celtic?s abundance of options.
Celtic can afford to draw and win their remaining games to take the title.
A draw for Rangers will leave them reliant on Celtic slipping up.
That, along with their strength in depth and their greater ability to relentlessly turn the screw when they get ahead or begin to dominate, makes me consider Celtic favourites.
But the league table shows how little there is between them over the course of a long season.
Will Rangers greater need to win tempt then into a gameplan that suits Celtic by giving them space to exploit?
Will the league cup final performance haunt Celtic or inspire them to guard against complacency?
There?s an interesting ninety minutes ahead. Whoever wins, whatever the result it would be nice if it was the football that people are talking about this evening.
Prediction: Always hard to call these games. Celtic to win 2-1. Might happen. Might not.
By any footballing standards today?s Easter clash provides drama enough. To the winner, it looks, goes the league title and a tilt at the Champions League.
Sadly Scotland in 2011 relies not on footballing drama alone.
We had already seen the cranking up of the rancour surrounding Old Firm games this season. We had seen the police raise their concerns.
We had seen protagonists fail to acknowledge that increased pressure, that heightened scrutiny, and lose their heads in the heat of the moment.
We had seen the furrowed brows of politicians, of Rangers and Celtic along with the great and the good of Scottish football being summoned to an Edinburgh summit.
But none of that prepared us for the news that Neil Lennon was among those being targeted in a letter bomb campaign.
So today the SPL hosts the one fixture in its calendar that garners some attention outside our borders. But the world, unaware of subtleties and fed only headlines, will now associate this game, this showpiece match, with an attempt to kill the Celtic manager.
There better be lot of people, in a lot of roles, in a lot of organisations asking themselves how it has ever come to this.
In the immediate aftermath of the story breaking I saw a few muted comments about cancelling today?s game or playing it behind closed doors.
The glib answer is that not playing today would be to allow this madman and his twisted hatred to win.
The truth is football is a remarkably resilient beast, unerringly able to march on in the face of outside interference, adept at turning a blind eye to situations it would rather ignore.
There was never any doubt that this game would go ahead today.
But it will go ahead under quite unparalled scrutiny. I suspect that the rational reaction to the week?s events ? to adopt a position of reconciliatory calm ? will pass certain elements by. Instead I fear some will see today as an even better excuse to display their defiance, indulge their more hysterical tendencies.
We?ll do well to get through this game with people commenting only on the football.
That?s a shame because this is one of the climatic events of the season, a season where both Celtic and Rangers have wobbled, recovered, impressed at times and simply got the job done at times.
Different seasons, different distractions, different styles. But they?ve stayed knotted together in the race for the title. Today one of them will take a massive step towards glory.
A point behind and a game in hand, Celtic have a slight advantage. The widely held view is that Celtic have the harder run in, with more away games.
That argument doesn?t always hold in Scottish football though, as evidenced in a week when both Rangers and Celtic converted potentially tricky away ties into 4-0 routs.
Even being visitors today is not a hammer blow. Both sides have felt the pain of Old Firm defeats at home this season. But Celtic are yet to lose a match at Ibrox.
Yet it was Rangers, so chastened in being tactically trumped at New Year, so off the pace in the league at Parkhead and so snarlingly impotent in being knocked out of the Scottish Cup, who took the first silverware of the season.
That day at Hampden Rangers got a lot right and Celtic barely even got started. It proved again, if proof was ever needed, that Rangers have a dogged resistance to being reduced to the role of also rans.
Proof also that this exciting Celtic side, very impressive when playing and attacking with pace and stuffed full of performers who can make the opposition squirm, are not without weaknesses and still lack the gritty experience of some of this Rangers squad.
And how Rangers would relish it if their own attacking force was to perform today. Nikika Jelavic seems to be hitting form and his presence should at least partially soothe feelings of attacking inadequacy when Rangers eye up Celtic?s abundance of options.
Celtic can afford to draw and win their remaining games to take the title.
A draw for Rangers will leave them reliant on Celtic slipping up.
That, along with their strength in depth and their greater ability to relentlessly turn the screw when they get ahead or begin to dominate, makes me consider Celtic favourites.
But the league table shows how little there is between them over the course of a long season.
Will Rangers greater need to win tempt then into a gameplan that suits Celtic by giving them space to exploit?
Will the league cup final performance haunt Celtic or inspire them to guard against complacency?
There?s an interesting ninety minutes ahead. Whoever wins, whatever the result it would be nice if it was the football that people are talking about this evening.
Prediction: Always hard to call these games. Celtic to win 2-1. Might happen. Might not.
Wayne Rooney shaves 19 into his chest hair as Man Utd celebrate title
Should have gone to Shrek shavers Wayne Rooney proved he is, in fact, absolutely mental by not only shaving the number 19 into his chest hair but then posting a photograph of his stylish new look on Twitter. The Manchester United star uploaded the picture shortly after his side wrapped up their 19th league title [...]
Rangers v Celtic: Destiny Calls
Old Firm matchday number seven. Rangers v Celtic. Old friends never get tired of meeting up.
By any footballing standards today?s Easter clash provides drama enough. To the winner, it looks, goes the league title and a tilt at the Champions League.
Sadly Scotland in 2011 relies not on footballing drama alone.
We had already seen the cranking up of the rancour surrounding Old Firm games this season. We had seen the police raise their concerns.
We had seen protagonists fail to acknowledge that increased pressure, that heightened scrutiny, and lose their heads in the heat of the moment.
We had seen the furrowed brows of politicians, of Rangers and Celtic along with the great and the good of Scottish football being summoned to an Edinburgh summit.
But none of that prepared us for the news that Neil Lennon was among those being targeted in a letter bomb campaign.
So today the SPL hosts the one fixture in its calendar that garners some attention outside our borders. But the world, unaware of subtleties and fed only headlines, will now associate this game, this showpiece match, with an attempt to kill the Celtic manager.
There better be lot of people, in a lot of roles, in a lot of organisations asking themselves how it has ever come to this.
In the immediate aftermath of the story breaking I saw a few muted comments about cancelling today?s game or playing it behind closed doors.
The glib answer is that not playing today would be to allow this madman and his twisted hatred to win.
The truth is football is a remarkably resilient beast, unerringly able to march on in the face of outside interference, adept at turning a blind eye to situations it would rather ignore.
There was never any doubt that this game would go ahead today.
But it will go ahead under quite unparalled scrutiny. I suspect that the rational reaction to the week?s events ? to adopt a position of reconciliatory calm ? will pass certain elements by. Instead I fear some will see today as an even better excuse to display their defiance, indulge their more hysterical tendencies.
We?ll do well to get through this game with people commenting only on the football.
That?s a shame because this is one of the climatic events of the season, a season where both Celtic and Rangers have wobbled, recovered, impressed at times and simply got the job done at times.
Different seasons, different distractions, different styles. But they?ve stayed knotted together in the race for the title. Today one of them will take a massive step towards glory.
A point behind and a game in hand, Celtic have a slight advantage. The widely held view is that Celtic have the harder run in, with more away games.
That argument doesn?t always hold in Scottish football though, as evidenced in a week when both Rangers and Celtic converted potentially tricky away ties into 4-0 routs.
Even being visitors today is not a hammer blow. Both sides have felt the pain of Old Firm defeats at home this season. But Celtic are yet to lose a match at Ibrox.
Yet it was Rangers, so chastened in being tactically trumped at New Year, so off the pace in the league at Parkhead and so snarlingly impotent in being knocked out of the Scottish Cup, who took the first silverware of the season.
That day at Hampden Rangers got a lot right and Celtic barely even got started. It proved again, if proof was ever needed, that Rangers have a dogged resistance to being reduced to the role of also rans.
Proof also that this exciting Celtic side, very impressive when playing and attacking with pace and stuffed full of performers who can make the opposition squirm, are not without weaknesses and still lack the gritty experience of some of this Rangers squad.
And how Rangers would relish it if their own attacking force was to perform today. Nikika Jelavic seems to be hitting form and his presence should at least partially soothe feelings of attacking inadequacy when Rangers eye up Celtic?s abundance of options.
Celtic can afford to draw and win their remaining games to take the title.
A draw for Rangers will leave them reliant on Celtic slipping up.
That, along with their strength in depth and their greater ability to relentlessly turn the screw when they get ahead or begin to dominate, makes me consider Celtic favourites.
But the league table shows how little there is between them over the course of a long season.
Will Rangers greater need to win tempt then into a gameplan that suits Celtic by giving them space to exploit?
Will the league cup final performance haunt Celtic or inspire them to guard against complacency?
There?s an interesting ninety minutes ahead. Whoever wins, whatever the result it would be nice if it was the football that people are talking about this evening.
Prediction: Always hard to call these games. Celtic to win 2-1. Might happen. Might not.
By any footballing standards today?s Easter clash provides drama enough. To the winner, it looks, goes the league title and a tilt at the Champions League.
Sadly Scotland in 2011 relies not on footballing drama alone.
We had already seen the cranking up of the rancour surrounding Old Firm games this season. We had seen the police raise their concerns.
We had seen protagonists fail to acknowledge that increased pressure, that heightened scrutiny, and lose their heads in the heat of the moment.
We had seen the furrowed brows of politicians, of Rangers and Celtic along with the great and the good of Scottish football being summoned to an Edinburgh summit.
But none of that prepared us for the news that Neil Lennon was among those being targeted in a letter bomb campaign.
So today the SPL hosts the one fixture in its calendar that garners some attention outside our borders. But the world, unaware of subtleties and fed only headlines, will now associate this game, this showpiece match, with an attempt to kill the Celtic manager.
There better be lot of people, in a lot of roles, in a lot of organisations asking themselves how it has ever come to this.
In the immediate aftermath of the story breaking I saw a few muted comments about cancelling today?s game or playing it behind closed doors.
The glib answer is that not playing today would be to allow this madman and his twisted hatred to win.
The truth is football is a remarkably resilient beast, unerringly able to march on in the face of outside interference, adept at turning a blind eye to situations it would rather ignore.
There was never any doubt that this game would go ahead today.
But it will go ahead under quite unparalled scrutiny. I suspect that the rational reaction to the week?s events ? to adopt a position of reconciliatory calm ? will pass certain elements by. Instead I fear some will see today as an even better excuse to display their defiance, indulge their more hysterical tendencies.
We?ll do well to get through this game with people commenting only on the football.
That?s a shame because this is one of the climatic events of the season, a season where both Celtic and Rangers have wobbled, recovered, impressed at times and simply got the job done at times.
Different seasons, different distractions, different styles. But they?ve stayed knotted together in the race for the title. Today one of them will take a massive step towards glory.
A point behind and a game in hand, Celtic have a slight advantage. The widely held view is that Celtic have the harder run in, with more away games.
That argument doesn?t always hold in Scottish football though, as evidenced in a week when both Rangers and Celtic converted potentially tricky away ties into 4-0 routs.
Even being visitors today is not a hammer blow. Both sides have felt the pain of Old Firm defeats at home this season. But Celtic are yet to lose a match at Ibrox.
Yet it was Rangers, so chastened in being tactically trumped at New Year, so off the pace in the league at Parkhead and so snarlingly impotent in being knocked out of the Scottish Cup, who took the first silverware of the season.
That day at Hampden Rangers got a lot right and Celtic barely even got started. It proved again, if proof was ever needed, that Rangers have a dogged resistance to being reduced to the role of also rans.
Proof also that this exciting Celtic side, very impressive when playing and attacking with pace and stuffed full of performers who can make the opposition squirm, are not without weaknesses and still lack the gritty experience of some of this Rangers squad.
And how Rangers would relish it if their own attacking force was to perform today. Nikika Jelavic seems to be hitting form and his presence should at least partially soothe feelings of attacking inadequacy when Rangers eye up Celtic?s abundance of options.
Celtic can afford to draw and win their remaining games to take the title.
A draw for Rangers will leave them reliant on Celtic slipping up.
That, along with their strength in depth and their greater ability to relentlessly turn the screw when they get ahead or begin to dominate, makes me consider Celtic favourites.
But the league table shows how little there is between them over the course of a long season.
Will Rangers greater need to win tempt then into a gameplan that suits Celtic by giving them space to exploit?
Will the league cup final performance haunt Celtic or inspire them to guard against complacency?
There?s an interesting ninety minutes ahead. Whoever wins, whatever the result it would be nice if it was the football that people are talking about this evening.
Prediction: Always hard to call these games. Celtic to win 2-1. Might happen. Might not.
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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Ancelotti: Chelsea squad was good enough to win title
Carlo Ancelotti
Chelsea
Fernando Torres
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti says his current squad was good enough to win the title.
The only major summer arrivals at Stamford Bridge were Ramires and Yossi Benayoun, although Ancelotti admitted yesterday the club had failed in bids to sign Fernando Torres and David Luiz, who eventually joined in January.
He said: "Ramires may not have started so well but, after that, he played fantastic games. David Luiz as well.
"Torres had more problems but he came in January and needed to have time.
"The squad, the power of the squad, was enough to win the title."
It's kicking off again! Click here for your No1 source for Chelsea transfer market news and gossip.
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Newcastle tracking Bordeaux centre-forward Diabate
Bordeaux
Liverpool
Newcastle United
Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew may have found his replacement for Liverpool striker Andy Carroll.
Newcastle are monitoring Bordeaux?s 6ft 5in striker Cheikh Diabate, says the Daily Mail.
The Mali international has two years remaining on his contract but Toon manager Pardew should be handed sufficient funds.
Pardew has spent much of this week in France on a scouting mission.
Soccer-Barcelona are favourites to win final, says Vidic
Soccer-Barcelona are favourites to win final, says Vidic
BELGRADE, May 10 (Reuters) - Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic reckons Barcelona will start as favourites to win the Champions League final at Wembley on May 28.
United lost to Barca in the 2009 final and are out for revenge on English turf.
"There will be no surprises because they haven't changed their style in years but they will be a tough prospect and definitely the favourites in the final," the Serbia centre back told Belgarde's B92 television website (www.b92.net).
"Maybe we have a little bit of an advantage in logistics because we are closer to the venue, but we know that their fans will turn up in numbers just like our own."
Vidic, who scored in Sunday's 2-1 win over Chelsea which all but secured United the Premier League title, said his side were still completely focused on a record 19th domestic crown.
"We haven't had time to think about Barcelona yet because we have to concentrate on our next game away to Blackburn and make mathematically sure that we've won it," he said.
"Only when we have done that can we turn our attention to Barcelona, I've seen them several times this season including their semi-final tie against Real Madrid."
United, who are six points ahead of Chelsea with two matches left in the Premier League, need only one point from their last two games against Blackburn and at home to Blackpool to secure their 12th league title under manager Alex Ferguson.
Vidic, who was named captain this season, revealed anxiety had crept into United's dressing room after Chelsea were able to cut a 15-point deficit with nine wins in 10 games prior to their visit to Old Trafford.
"The pressure was immense after they whittled down our big advantage to just three points before the showdown, but it makes the victory that much sweeter because we are on the verge of winning the title after beating our closest rivals," he said.
"It means a lot to me that I scored but the team comes first and the most important thing is that we are now in a commanding position to cross the finish line first.
"As the team's captain I just try to do the same things I've always done and be at my best all the time, because being the United captain is a great honour and I know I have to repay the faith vested in me by the club."
(Reporting by Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade; editing by Mark Meadows; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Stoke boss Pulis hopes to win FA Cup for Mum
Aston Villa
Stoke City
Stoke City boss Tony Pulis would love to win the FA Cup today for his Mum.
Jean Pulis passed away in September.
The Potters boss said: "She would be so proud of me, so I'm happy about that.
"FA Cup final day was always a huge day for my family back home in Newport and mum would spend the morning making the food for us all.
"Then we'd all sit down together to watch the build-up. Mind you, the girls might disappear once the game started!"
Pulis' mum died on the day Stoke played Aston Villa in a league match.
But the boss still arrived at half-time to inspire his side to a 2-1 win.
Pulis said: "It's what mum would've wanted."
It's kicking off again! Click here for your No1 source for Stoke transfer market news and gossip.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Football League bets to follow this weekend, plus our tipping contest | James Dart
Make your predictions in our ongoing competition and take a look at the best betting suggestions in the lower divisions
Welcome to our tipping round-up. If you don't know the drill by now, every week I post my betting suggestions for the weekend (which you may well wish to steer clear of), as well as our predictions contest. The blog can also act as a talkboard for any Football League-related discussions over the weekend.
Oxford to beat Lincoln at 11-10
The scratchy end of the season from a punting perspective, when most of the teams with something left to play for find themselves heavily fancied, no matter their position in the table, and value is thin on the ground. No matter, we head to the Kassam Stadium first up, where 12th-placed Oxford host Lincoln, themselves very much in the relegation mire, and one of the few whose miserable form ranks them as value to oppose. Seven defeats in eight have left them just two points clear of Barnet in 23rd, capped by the 2-0 home loss to a slumping Cheltenham side last time out. For Oxford, a top-half finish is the limit of their ambitions, but four consecutive draws against Wycombe, Accrington, Chesterfield and Barnet is a fair form line to take into this home encounter. Credit to the Imps, who are laying on free coach travel for their fans (350 of them, the supporters not coaches), but the relative low take-up hints at an understandable lack of faith.
Charlton to beat Walsall at 11-4
A longer-shot option for the second bet, with the Saddlers in the midst of a desperate battle for League One survival. Not that their form ? one win in six ? suggests that this perilous state of affairs is having much of an impact upon their performances. Granted, in the realistic fight for 20th place they sit in the box seat and the Addicks have little to play for, but Charlton didn't care about that when denting Rochdale's play-off hopes last weekend. And in the game prior to that, when leading 2-0 they conspired to get two men sent off, enabling the hosts Bristol Rovers to battle back and grab a late point. Opt for smaller stakes.
NB: prices with Betfair and correct at the time of publication
Tipping contest
Into the penultimate round of matches and it couldn't be much tighter at the top after a tricky set of fixtures last weekend ...
The top of the table so far (The full table will be posted in the comments section below) ?
markier 86
PiggyPingoPiglet 85
captainmorganrum 80
Bobby142 76
horne94 71
stevegrant 70
TheRealRingo 69
Thewalthamstowone 68
richardw 68
Me 68
As for this week: make your result (not scoreline) prediction for each of the games below, with one point per correct result. Note the deadline is MIDDAY BST on Saturday.
Leeds v Burnley (12.45pm)
Watford v QPR
Exeter v Plymouth (Midday)
Walsall v Charlton
Accrington v Barnet
Oxford v Lincoln
I'm tipping draw, QPR, Exeter (sigh), Charlton, Accrington and Oxford. You can also follow me on Twitter if you want more money-losing tips/predictions through the week.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Real Madrid: It was Uefa's choice to start disciplinary proceedings against Barcelona's Sergio Busquets
The La Liga giants have released an official statement to explain the disciplinary proceedings regarding Sergio Busquets and Marcelo following Champions League incident
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Manchester United 2011: Grading the United Players in the Champions League
In 1974, Manchester United were relegated from the first division, and lost Denis Law, Bobby Charlton and George Best. Since 1974, Manchester United have won 30 trophies.
1,974 days ago, Manchester United failed to progress past the UEFA Champions League group stages, having lost 2-1 to Benfica. Last night, Manchester United progressed to their third Champions League final in four seasons.
This slideshow will grade Manchester United* players on their contributions during the Champions League.
* Only Manchester United players who have played five or more Champions Leagues matches this season will be graded.
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011
SPL: Attack On Neil Lennon Overshadows Celtic Win
"It could be a stoater."
That's how I signed off my preview of tonight's Hearts v Celtic game.
We got a rather one sided 3-0 win for Celtic. We got two red cards as the referee stuck rigidly to the letter of the law.
And, above it all, we got someone from a home section of Tynecastle trying to attack Neil Lennon.
Other reports suggest trouble breaking out in elsewhere in the ground in an atmosphere widely described as "poisonous."
Jim Jefferies, who has seen more than most at Tynecastle over the years, said there "was something in the air, ready to kick off from the start."
A poisonous atmosphere is one thing. Disliking an opposing manager is part of the game. Combining that into a platform to try and assault someone? Well, I suppose that's just beyond my ken.
This season of woe and despair takes another lurch towards abject misery.
A lone attacker. An eejit. A lunatic. Whatever.
It seems too many of these idiots are currently feeding off a footballing atmosphere that is becoming more hysterically putrid with every passing week.
Given all that's happened this season I suppose we should be thankful that the assailant seemed to be held up as he approached Lennon. And that he didn't have any kind of weapon except his own brainless bampottery.
Again we ask ourselves how much of this Neil Lennon can possibly take before he walks away for his own safety?
Imagine that. Scottish football in 2011. And we might be looking at a man hounded from a job he loves because his personal safety is being compromised.
What does that say about Scottish football?
You don't have to pretend to be a fan of Lennon to realise that something is going horribly wrong here.
How can we persuade people back to the game, bring families to our stadiums, when a manager no longer seems to be safe inside or outside the ground.
Hearts, the SPL, the SFA and the police will launch investigations. Hearts, I suspect, will face severe censure.
But Lennon was only a leap and a sprint away from his attacker. Difficult to see what clubs can really do to stop people who see that intimacy - which should enhance the atmosphere at the game - as an invitation to go crazy.
Celtic's win set up another title deciding helicopter Sunday this weekend. But the front and back pages of the newspapers, the news and sport bulletins, won't be talking about that.
Instead we'll be reliving another disgraceful chapter in this toxic season.
Most of us just want it to end now. It stopped being anything like fun a long time ago. And amidst talk of the severity of the incident, of investigations and concern, the authorities don't seem to have any real sense of how they can prevent it.
Somehow Scottish football has descended into a morass where a minority - and thankfully it is a tiny minority that seems to either go to these extremes or condone them - think they are entitled to act like this.
Most of us are sickened by this kind of thing. Most of us love the game despite everything that's been thrown at us over the seasons and this new level of madness that we're being subjected to at the moment.
But how much longer can Scottish football be dragged through the gutter before we decide that this really isn't worth the hassle?
And where does the game go from there?
Clint Dempsey / Sources confirm Paris Saint-Germain's interest in Clint Dempsey
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