League Cup Final 2011 preview

Last week Birmingham fans would have had little  hope going into this Sunday's Carling Cup final at Wembley against Arsenal.

Arsenal had just beaten the "best" team in the world at the Emirates and confidence was sky high with nobody  expecting Birmingham to stop Arsenal ending their six year trophy drought.

Fast forward a week and after Arsenal's makeshift side couldn't put a brave Leyton Orient to the sword in the FA cup which will now go to a replay,this will have lead to belief among Birmingham fans and if that was not enough then some big injuries has put Alex McLeish's Brum side in with a real chance of causing a big upset.

Theo Walcott will be missed and his pace can change a game in an instant with his eye for goal however, Captain Cesc Fabregas will be the big miss as the influential Midfield maestro is the heart of the Arsenal side and he will be missed on Sunday.

Birmingham have worked their way to the final and can cause an upset if they play like they have shown over the last few seasons and in this cup run. Full of team spirit who don't know when they are down.

Arsenal will still start as favourites and if Arsenal turn up then and Birmingham are not at their best then Arsenal will run amok as they can to any English side. When Arsenal play at their best there is not many teams who can compete with Arsenal at their best.

No matter who wins the Final should be an exciting spectacle for fans of both teams and neutrals alike.

Crawley Town's Big day out

The FA Cup is known for producing memorable cup ties and great draws that can lead to memorable games and upsets.

On Saturday Crawley Town have the chance to produce one of the biggest if not the biggest Giant killing in FA cup History as they travel to Old Trafford to face English giants Manchester United.

2nd in the Blue Square Conference with four games in hand Crawley town are the big spenders of the lower leagues however their big spending is nothing compared to what any team in the Championship never mind Premiership leaders Manchester United spend.

Manchester United seem to be cruising to the title without really having to step up to first gear, however it is unlikely that Sir Alex Ferguson will field his strongest side as he will trust his young stars and reserves will have enough to defeat Crawley who have never played in a match like this before.

Crawley have money and have splashed out on expensive signings which is big for their lever with acqusitions of Sergio Torres,Richard Brodie, Matt Tubbs and willie Gibson over the last year costing a total of £595,000 which shows they mean buisness.

Crawley have a chance to cause a massive upset that will go down in FA cup history if they beat Manchester United and all eyes on Old Trafford on Saturday that are not Manchester United fans will most likely be hoping an uoset is on the cards.

Top 5 loan signings of January Transfer Window

As the dust has started to settle on what was a record breaking January transfer window, the headlines were hogged by the bank busting efforts of Chelsea's 50 million pounds Torres swoop and andy Carroll's 35 million move to Liverpool which rightfully so where the major talking points on an incredible deadline day.
   The January Transfer Window was full of many other big money moves like Darren Bent for example however as well as these big money moves there was some important signings that cost nothing at all that could turn out important over the remaing months of the season and here is five that could turn out to be important signings:

 Yakubu, Everton to Leicester:    A few seasons ago Yakubu was one of the top strikers in the Premiership. Successful spells with Portsmouth and Middlesbrough earned him a big money move to Everton and Yakubu keps his striking prowess as he continued to torment defences in the Premiership. Injuries have hampered his recent from and a loan move to Championship side Leicester doesn't sound like a good move
 but 2 goals in 3 appearences so far could lead to Yakubu finding his form and tormenting defences all over England once again.

 Adebayor, Man City to Real Madrid: Jose Mourinho has had some problems with his forwards in his quest for glory with Real Madrid and a loan signing of out of favour Manchester City striker and former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor may not sound perfect but in Spain's recession it is looking like a wise move. Two goals already in his short time will help get the fans behind him and Adebayor has enough quality to fire Real Madrid to success.

 Obafemi Martins, Rubin Kazan- Birmingham:  Martins is a quick player who has the ability to score goals and torment defences. Birmingham are in a relegation dogfight so the loan signing of Martins could prove to be shrewd buisness by Alex Mcleish in his quest to keep Birmingham in the Premiership.Time will tell but on paper the signing of Martins could add some much needed pace and quality to the Birmingham front line which may be an advantage against their rivals.

 Stephen Ireland, Aston Villa - Newcastle: After falling out of favour at Manchester City when Mancini came to the club, Ireland was sold to Aston Villa at the start of the season as Milner went in the opposite direction. Ireland's time at Villa was short and not what he hoped for so a loan move to Newcastle could be perfect for both parties as he could help keep Newcastle up and also help get his career on the right track again.

 

Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea to Bolton: 21 year old Sturridge is a prospect for the future at Chelsea and Owen Coyle has pulled off a swoop with bringing Sturridge on loan for at least the rest of the season to help Bolton have a successful season. Two appearences so far and two goals to his name, Sturridge has began to show already why Coyle has brought him to Bolton and why Chelsea rate him so highly.

Letting Torres go could go either way for Liverpool

As we near the end of a relatively quiet January transfer window, things are starting to get a bit hectic!

With teams battling for players and lots of cut price deals circling the footballing world so teams can make a profit of players going out of contractin the summer, one transfer story has appeared from the crowd yesterday that has got everybody talking.

Yesterday morning Liverpool rejected an offer from Chelsea for their star striker Fernando torres in what is a believed fee of £35-40 million pounds.The Liverpool striker a few hours ago submitted a written transfer request to the club asking they consider Chelsea's offer as he is interested in the move and a new challenge.

Liverpool quickly rejected the request expecting him to honour his contract however has the damage already been done?

Fernando Torres is a fan favourite and the news will worry Liverpool fans who hope to hold on to Torres as they try and fight their way back to the top 4 after a disappointing season last season under Rafael Benitez which had carried on under Roy Hodgson before his dismissal.

Despite not having the best of seasons so far which has mostly been plagued by injuries or disappointing performances, Torres is one of the major players at Liverpool with 9 in 26 games so far this season and along with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher , was  "indespensable" to the club until today where things seem to have changed.

On the same day Torres is wanting out, Liverpool have signed a highly rated and so far proven goalscorer in Luis suarez from Ajax for £23 million pounds.

Suarez scored 111 in 159 games for Ajax and is rated as a top class player with his very impressive pedigree and his impressive displays in the world cup for Uruguay,in which he scored three goals while also being involved in the controversial "handball incident."

Suarez may be replacement for Torres or he may be his new striking partner but if he is the replacement and he continues to play the way he has for Ajax and Uruguay, Suarez will help Liverpool forget about Torres and will be their new hero while Liverpool get lots of money in from the Torres sale which would help invest in other areas of the team which has to be done if Liverpool are going to improve.

Selling Torres however, could lead to Liverpool slipping even more than they have as Torres has a prescence and like Steven Gerrard for Liverpool,when they are on the park the other players seem better and more confident with great players lik Torres alongside them and they know they can create magic, scoring great goals every so often.

We will see in the next few days if Torres moves or if he stays until at least the end of the season but sand in boss Kenny Dagleish has a job on his hands making sure Liverpool are fit to continue their rise up the table no matter if he stays or goes.

Miller's departure not the main problem for Rangers in their title challenge:

Saturday's loss at Tynecastle to Hearts has caused a bit of doubt among the Rangers support and the media on whether Rangers will reclaim the SPL title for the 54th time this season.Has the departure of Kenny Miller cost Rangers the SPL title?

The answer is no. Kenny Miller's departure is a big blow and his 22 goals have helped Rangers to the position they find themselves in right now however there is a much bigger problem than where the goals will come from.

There are strikers at Rangers who have what it takes to step up to the plate such as Jelavic, Naismith and Lafferty who could fill that void for Rangers and rumours seem to suggest Kris Commons will be at Ibrox any day now which would be a good signing and would bolster Rangers' attacking numbers, however Rangers may have to change the way they play if the title is to be taken back to Ibrox once again.

Rangers never seem in a rush when attacking and nobody seems to go for goal straight away. It sometimes looks like they are trying to avoid having to take a shot by passing it quickly and shifting the responsibility.When this is mixed with the odd case of mistaken choice when shooting Rangers don't seem to create many clear cut chances and hardly any of the chances Rangers create are inside the box.

The strikers are not given the support they need from a midfield which is able to pass the ball around well but rarely manages to create clear cut chances and this leads to frustration in front of goal which has been shown particularly in last few games against Inverness and Hearts .

The defence isn't exactly in great form either and at times is a bit shaky and for me there is two main reasons or players to blame for this: Lee Mculloch and Madjid Bougherra.

Lee Mculloch hasn't made an impact in a game for Rangers in a while and Madjid Bougherra has to start staying in his position as he is leaving the defence open for a counter attack every time he tries to play winger, midfield and striker and he should just leave these roles to the people who were originally put in these positions by the manager.

Rangers are still in a good enough position and a win tomorrow away to Hibs will help return some of the confidence as well as getting revenge against Hearts at Ibrox next week. With two games in hand over a Celtic side five points aheads of Rangers, Rangers need to win their games in hand and continue winning to maintain their position at the top of the pile.

A 4-4-2 with Jelavic and Naismith up front seems to be the best option available to provide the right stuff needed up front and both can find the net which is needed.

Rangers may stick to the way they are playing and it could come right but no matter how they play, the next few weeks are crucial to Rangers' season and they have to play at the highest level they can and if they do this, they will be in the best position possible to keep up their chase of trophies on four different fronts and winning the league with maybe a few other trophies would be the perfect way for Walter Smith to bow out at Rangers.

A change in style would help make this perfect ending for Walter's second reign at Ibrox and help make it an easier trasition to whoever the next manager is.

El Hadji Diouf - lower life form than a Sewer Rat?

"In my opinion he is an absolute disgrace"-Jamie Mackie
"I would say he was a sewer rat but that would be offensive to sewer Rats."-Neil Warnock


The words of QPR manager Neil Warnock and striker Jamie Mackie about El Hadji Diouf could not be anymore spot on when discussing a man who has constantly disgraced Football fans in the Premiership, fans of football and just people in general with his constant antics that shame the football club he is playing for at the time.

Yesterday which was Sunday during the Blackburn/ QPR  Fa Cup game  Scottish International striker Jamie Mackie contested for a 50/50 ball with the Blackburn defender Givet however they collided and both players had to be stretchered off after the incident which had no malice or intent and the players even chatted after the game to show there was no feelings.

As Mackie lay on the floor writhing in agony with what has now been revealed to be a broken leg ,El Hadji Diouf ran over shouting obscenities at Mackie branding him a disgrace and screaming "F**k you and F**k your leg you are a disgrace among other obscenities"

Every other player looked on ashamed and even his team mates looked ashamed as diouf disgraced himself again.It was a fair challenge which both players had every right to go for and Mackie done no wrong.He is an honest professional who was not in the wrong at all and his season is now over which is a shame as Mackie has been on form this season with his 9 goal helping QPR to the top of the Championship. He also made his Scotland debut this season which means he will never forget this season although it had an abrupt ending which was not fair for the player but he will be back fighting next year and he has expressed his support for his team mates to fire QPR to the Premiership so he can face Diouf again.

As Mackie's career gets better and better, the same cannot be said Diouf. Hated by many fans across Britain for his antics, Diouf continues to shame wherever he goes.

When Diof was at Liverpool he caused all the wrong headlines when during a Uefa Cup game against Celtic at Parkhead he spat at a fan in the home support. The incident caused furious backlash and Diouf was banned for a few games as a result of the incident.

Diouf hit the headlines again when he spat at Middlesborough fns during a loan spell with Bolton. And a few weeks later he was caught on camera spitting in Arjen De Zeeuw's face who played for Portsmouth at the time. Diouf was charged by police and given another ban.


Diouf has showed time and time again he will never learn and Blackburn should disassociate with Diouf as quick as possible as he has shown he has trouble on many occasions and he doesn't seem like the type of player who was once voted as African footballer of the year.

There is no doubt he could be good if he kept his calm and didn't go crazy all the time.He has had enough chances to change and he never has. Neil Warnock describing him as worse than a sewer rat is probably one of the nicest things anybody has said about Diouf and it is hard not to agree with Warnock.

I think most teams would rather have a sewer rat in there squad.

10 Team SPL may not be popular but it is necessary

Today the SPL clubs voted in agreement for a 10 team SPL tier which may be seen by many fans as a big problem. The proposal has been widely seen by fans as the wrong move and a backwards step. A recent survey showed. 88% of the people asked in a recent survey of Scottish Football fans were against the proposal of a 10 team SPL and fans of teams outside the SPL are also against regionalised leagues and Football fans will feel hard done by after showing their view against the plans.

However, the plans are going to go ahead and although seen as a problem now, a ten team SPL could be a move forward in Scottish Football instead of the backwards step many see it as.

A 16 team or 18 team SPL may be seen as an exciting league setup however an 16 or 18 team league would never work with the way Scottish Football is right now. A 10 team SPL makes sense as it will not be a massive change with only two teams dropping out of the SPL and it would get rid of the horrible split.

The split doesn't work and causes many problems as it never worls out even. The team who finishes 7th in the league before split can finish 5th or 6th after the split which is stupid and the fact that every year a few teams has played another team three times at home or away and once the reverse in the league as the SPL fixtures always end up confusing shows obvious problems that have been in the game for years and should never have been allowed to happen in the first place so good riddance to them.

Play offs are the same for promotion and relegation or for the title itself. Why should a team that finishes 8th be relegated before the team that finishes 9th? Why should the team that finishes 4th be able to win the league instead of the team that finishes 1st? It doesn't make sense and it doesn't matter how exciting it would be it shouldn't be aloud to happen. The funniest thing about the call for the SPL title playoffs is the teams calling for them are the teams who are against the split!

The new SPL plans will reportedly bring more money to the clubs in the SPL which will be one of the main reasons for the new SPL plans being passed.The game needs to be improved and mnay clubs earning more will be very beneficial to the game. An SPL 2 if it is introduced will also make more money available to the teams in the SPL 2 and this will be great for the game.

I have already shown my support for the plans and i am very happy that the 12 team SPL will be no more and it will take the split with it. It may not be everybodys cup of tea but in the short term at least it will be beneficial to the Scottish game until improved plans are created.Lets hope the next meeting to discuss the introduction of earlier season starts and winter breaks are just as productive.

The way forward for Scottish Football

The festive season is the time for gifts and the plans for the new leagues and the combining of the SFL and SPL to one governing body could be the best gift giving to Scottish Football in years.

Although not every point in the plan is a new one and a few like the SPL 2 have been floating around for years, these plans if they are passed will be a great move for Scottish Football.

There are many positives in the plans that will improve the current state of Scottish Football:

-Changing to two top leagues of ten and making the First division the SPL 2 will increase revenue in Scottish Football. It has been said that the teams could earn up to ten times more money than they do right now which would be a great thing for the teams and will lead to more competition to get into the SPL or even the SPL 2 and this will be exciting for the fans with teams doing all they can to get promoted and who doesn't like watching exciting football?

-Regionalised leagues will be financially beneficial to the teams in the lower leagues as they won't have to spend crazy amounts of money travelling every week and regionalised lower leagues would lead to more local derbies which will lead to bigger turnouts.

-Colt teams or top teams playing their reserve sides in the lower leagues will also lead to bigger turnouts as Stranraer vs Rangers B woule attract more fans than Stranraer vs Annan Athletic with no offence to Stranraer and Annan intended.

The Winter break is a must for the Scottish game again and would be a great away to avoid so many call offs. It would also help let teams try and make more money by going to different countries or inviting teams over to play glamour friendlies. The Old Firm will try and play big teams like Rangers did a few years ago against AC Milan, however what would stop other teams going over to do a mini tour of countries and play a few games to make a bit of money as well as keeping the players in top condition.

These are just a few positives in the plans however there are some other things that could be done to help increase revenue or even the quality of the Scottish game:

-Friday night football would be possible if Friday night Rugby is. Even if it is not the Spl 1 the SPL 2 or the regionalised leagues would easily be able to host at least 1 game on a Friday and STV's sports centre could show it live and would increase attention to the SPL 2 as well as giving more money.

-Tv deals should be looked for for all divisions of Scottish Football. STV in the past had a highlights show for divisions 1-3 and If the SPL stays with Sky and ESPN the SPL 2 could easily try and look to have a highlights show on BBC or  STV.The lower leagues highlights could also be on this show like the Football League show for England's lower divisions.

The outcome of the vote on Scottish Football is important for the game to improve and if they are done properly, the plans put forward by Neil Doncaster and later( which was convenient ) in Mcleish's Scottish Football report would definetly pave the way forward and could one day lead to a top tier with 14,16 or even 18 teams in it.

Lets hope the plans are given a chance and are not just thrown on the scrap heap like many other proposed changes.

Super Bolton

Oh Bolton, Bolton. Bolton, how things change.

A boring side with players such as Johan Elmander who couldn't hit water if he fell out a boat!

That statement would not have been a surprise to see last year as that is what was the view of most peolple when talking about Bolton.

A year on and Owen Coyle has worked wonders at Bolton and in the process Bolton under Coyle have turned into a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League with their attacking flair and style that rivals any in the Premier League at the moment.

Johan Erik Calvin Elmander has also gained a new lease of life this season and is starting to show the quality of a player with a great middle name like Calvin!

As the clubs record signing in 2008 for 8.2 million a lot was expected of  Elmander however until this season he only showed his quality in small doses. This season he has been on fire in front of goal and his goal against Wolves is one which is definetly a goal of the season contender.

Another Player on top form this season is Stuart Holden who since joining in January has became a fan favourite and if he keeps performing like he is, will no doubt find himself on the shortlist of candidates for player of the season.

Long serving captain Kevin Davies has been on top form as have many others such as Martin Petrov,sitting Bolton just behind Tottenham in 6th place which would be a dream scenario at the end of the season, however with Bolton's uneasy defence which rarely ever keeps a clean sheet, Bolton will have to stay on top form all season to make sure they stay in the position they are in.

Owen Coyle has done a fantastic job at Bolton and if the attacking flair continues, Bolton will be a very happy side come May time.

Surprise dismissal of Sam Allardyce

Sam Allardyce has surprisingly been sacked as manager of Blackburn today.

The 56 year old and his assistant Neil McDonald were relieved of their roles at the club by the club's new owners, the Venky's Group from India.

Allardyce has expressed his shock at the decision and you can see why.

Allardyce took over in December 2008 as the club was struggling and managed to turn the club's trouble around in the last few years and make Blackburn a solid mid table side in the Premiership, however a recent loss of form and the sale of the club to new owners has led to Allardyce's dismissal.

Recent results such as the 4-2 defeat by Spurs and the 7-1 defeat by Manchester United have seen Blackburn slip nearer to the relegation zone and has left the new owners with the belief that Allardyce was not the man to bring the club success.

The decision was even more surprising as when the Venky's group took over in October they promised to give Allardyce funds to spend in January to improve the team and the board could have at least waited to the end of January to give Allardyce a chance to turn the team around.

The Owners however if they hire a manager quickly could be thinking of letting the new manager create his team or start to in January and if this was the thought and it works out then not many Rovers fans will complain.

There is no doubt Allardyce will be back in work sooner than later however the Blackburn job will already have a few candidates with Phil Brown and Alan Shearer to name a few who will most definetly be mentioned.

An outside bet would be Chris Hughton who unfairly lost the Newcastle job last week and he could be the man who could take the club forward.

Lets just hope the owners treat Hughton better than Mike Ashley did as he deserves it.