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Neville is due to play his first competitive international since the Euro 2004 finals in the opening qualifier for the 2008 tournament, against Andorra at Old Trafford on Saturday.
So amidst all the confusion of the last day of transfer madness he said he had never given up hope of getting an England recall and encourages Beckham to do the same.

However getting replaced by Robinho after 76 goal less minutes in the Real Madrid game against Villareal wouldn't have helped Beckham's cause with Steve McClaren very much .
Calderon has said that Real Madrid, which has not won a trophy in three years,were keeping Beckham mainly for his athletic value, not his marketing allure.

Posted by Anish at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Italy will parade the World Cup Trophy around Naples' San Paolo stadium on Saturday before its first competitive match since winning the title last month.
The Azzurri also will unveil a fourth star on their jerseys to honor their latest World Cup victory when they play Lithuania to open 2008 European Championship qualifying.
Italy haven't won the European Championship in quite a while - the last vicory was in 1968
"After a World Cup victory it's understandable for a bit of a letdown, but we're already thinking about our next objective," captain Fabio Cannavaro said. "We want to win the 2008 European Championship. We haven't won it in a long time."
More on their preparations here

Posted by Anish at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Trainers like these, who needs 'em?

Posted by Chiza Muzia at 12:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Ballack's debut with Chelsea was anything but impressive. He kept crowding Lampard and vice-versa. Maybe Chelsea isn't going to win it all this time around.

Here's a glimpse at the first half - watch Ballack get hammered:

Posted by Gerd Mick at 12:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

This video proves that even without Klinsi, the New Deutschland is on the right track:

We simply picked up where we left off in the World Cup.

Posted by Gerd Mick at 12:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Stop the presses. I think we are witnessing some last minute negotiations before the transfer window closes, but the bottom line is this: Hargreaves is going to ManU!

Mark van Bommel is the key. Now that Bayern has him signed, they're going to make some money. And the money man (cash-cow) is Hargreaves.

They're making sure they get the highest price- £17million, £20 million, £25 million?!

Meanwhile, Hargreaves sits on the bench at Bayern...

Posted by Gerd Mick at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

X-rays seem to have revealed yesterday that Rio Ferdinand had not broken any of his toes after all in Saturday's 2-1 win against Watford.Despite what Ferguson said the injury does not seem to be more severe than a badly bruised little toe.

Posted by Anish at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Will England never get lucky?

Rio Ferdinand is likely to miss England's opening two Euro 2008 qualifiers after suffering a suspected broken toe... Apparently he sustained the injury in the closing stages of United's 2-1 win at Watford.

Scan on Sunday.

Posted by Chiza Muzia at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Guardian's Rob Smyth blogs on about Keano at Sunderland: "Roy Keane could well become the most intriguing manager in English football since Brian Clough..."

The part that got to me was this:

Keane likes his footballers cool and clinical. This devil is obsessed with the detail, the minutiae of football matches. "They say God is in the detail; in football that's true," he wrote in his autobiography. "Sometimes games are won by a magical goal - that's what people remember. But the essence of the game is more mundane. Detail. Wearing down the opposition. Winning the psychological battles - man on man - from the moment the ref blows the whistle for the first time." To many Keane is a law unto himself, but to him all that matters is what he calls the Law Of Cumulation. "First tackle, first pass, first touch, everything counts. A lot of little things add up to the thing that matters: breaking the opposition's hearts - but first their minds, their collective mind."

It was Clough who taught Keane these principles. "If you weren't doing your stuff, Clough would spot it," he said. "A seemingly innocuous mistake that resulted in a goal conceded three or four minutes later, a tackle missed, or a failure to make the right run, or pass, would be correctly identified as the cause of the goal. It was no use pointing the finger at someone else - which is second nature to most players. He knew; you knew he knew. Every football match consists of a thousand little things which, added together, amount the final score. The game is full of bluffers, banging on about 'rolling your sleeves up', 'having the right attitude' and 'taking some pride in the shirt'. Brian Clough dealt in facts, specific incidents, and invariably he got it right."

It is all in the details. And if Keano is going to focus on the little things, big things will happen. Can't wait!

Posted by Christian at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How else do you describe this?

One word, to quote John McEnroe: "Moron!"

Manchester City has suspended the moron pending an internal investigation. The FA and Greater Manchester police are also investigating the incident.

Mendes spent a night in Manchester Royal Infirmary after suffering a fit after Thatcher's elbow caught him across the jaw and sent him crashing into advertising hoardings by the side of the pitch at Eastlands. Mendes lost consciousness while he was being treated and, after a brain scan and other treatment, will continue under medical and neurological supervision for the next several days.

It's time to come down hard on the morons of the game... all Thatcher got on the pitch was a yellow card.

Zidane would've flattened him w/ a headbutt... :-)

Posted by Christian at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Manchester United's volatile striker, Wayne Rooney, is allegedly threatening to refuse to co-operate with England sponsors if the Football Association do not squash his three-match ban for a sending-off in a pre-season friendly.

What a guy!

Posted by Christian at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Will Ruud van Nistelrooy send Ronaldo packing?

The striker's performance led some papers to conclude that the club would now find it easier to sell Ronaldo to AC Milan, whose representatives were in Madrid in an attempt to secure the services of the three-times World Player of the Year.

Says the Guardian >>

Maybe Ronaldo will play for Bruce Arena after all...

Posted by Christian at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Watch these moves and weep. Reminds me of that summer day in my teens when I realized I was never going to play real soccer. I had just seen Zico playing for Udinese... :-)

Posted by Christian at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Robinho's first appearance for Real Madrid vs. Cadiz on August 28, 2005:

The tragedy of this World Cup was the benching of Robinho... what a different team Brazil was everytime he was on the pitch.

Posted by Christian at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A glimpse at the genius of Di Stefano. He scored 428 goals for Real Madrid in 510 appearances- 49 of them in 58 European Cup games. He won 5 European Cups, one World Club championship, and eight Spanish League medals.

Curiously, he played internationally for both Argentina and Spain (his adopted country).

I remember someone telling me that he was complete jerk. Isn't that the way it is with so many brilliant players? One wonders where he'd rank today if he'd been a nice guy...

Posted by Christian at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Once Keano walks into the Stadium of Light, life will never be the same again for Sunderland." That's the way the Phil McNulty at the Beeb puts it.

This is going to be fun. Watch the heads roll!

My other question: How long before Quinn and Keano get at each others' throats?

Posted by Christian at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nice little video put together of Zamora's goals.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 2:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Bobby Zamora is in fine fettle. The West Ham striker seems to have taken the added responsibility on his shoulders, with Dean Ashton out with that broken ankle. In the two matches that the Hammers have played Zamora has scored 3 goals. He has been the difference between a draw and a loss. Instead the Hammers beat Charlton Athletic and today came off with a face saving draw against Watford, 1-1. All because of a Zamora strike in the final minutes.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 2:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Shourin Roy at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kanu scored two goals in Portsmouth's very impressive win against Balckburn Rovers. The number 16 club beating the number 6 club. That is a very impressive win. Kanu also missed a hat trick when Friedel saved his penalty and missed the rebound sending the header wide.

Portsmouth's attack of Nwankwo Kanu, Benjari Mwaruwari, and Svetoslav Todorov were the best amongst the Premiership teams. Porstmouth's defence was better than Chelsea's defence with David James keeping a clean sheet and with stout defending from Sol Campbell, Linvoy Primus, and Glen Johnson.

On the other hand Blackburn Rovers defence was awful, with Lucas Neill and Andt Todd being sent off.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Steven Gerrard learned a lot from the Italians this World Cup and put it to good use against the Blades. A dubious penalty that Robbie Fowler converts.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Reading, Bolton Wanderers, Portsmouth, all overthrew their more fancied opponents.

Reading came from 2 goals behind to go past Middlesborough, 3-2, through Leroy Lita's match winner. Portsmouth blanked Balckburn, 3-0 and Bolton overcame Tottenham, 2-0.

Sheffield United almost became giant slayers with their draw 1-1, with Liverpool. A draw that the Reds were fortunate to get away with, scoring of dubious penalty given to Gerrard, when he was brought down in the penalty box. Replays showed minimum contact. Aston Vllla signaled that it had come to play with Martin O'Neill at the helm holding Arsenal to a draw, 1-1. The Gunners began their history at Emirates stadium with less than an illustrous start.

Overall, only the Blues, amongst the powerhouse clubs looked comfortable. Their second XI beating a disjointed Manchester City, 3-0 the last goal off a perfectly place header by Drogba off a perfectly centered cross by Bridge. The Blues did not play Gallas, Cole, Makelele, and Ballack. Sheva had a quiet game although he should have got a penalty when Dunne blocked his shot with his hand.

Manchester United slaughtered Fulham, 5-1, exposing Fulham's weakness in defence and strengthening the pserception that Fulham would probably be relegated by the end of the season.

Premisership recap:

Arsenal drew Aston Villa 1-1
Bolton Wanderers beat Tottenham 2-0
Portsmouth beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0
West Ham beat Charlton Athletic 3-1
Reading FC beat Middlesborough 3-2
Everton beat Watford 2-1
Sheffield Utd drew Liverpool 1-1
Reading beat Middlesborough 3-2
Newcastle United beat Wigan 2-1.

The promoted clubs started off with an impressive draw (Sheffield United), a well fought loss (Watford), and a come from behind win (Reading).

Remember the name Leroy Lita. You will be hearing this gentleman's name a lot this season.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 6:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Owen Hargreaves's asking price - £34m. A jawdropping figure for someone that no English club would have paid a couple of million for a year ago. However, Man U is so keen to have him and with Hargreaves eager to make a heroe's welcome to a country that detested him, I don't see what can stop him now.

So here is Bayern losing another quality player, it must make the Bundesliga despair of attracting overseas talent. With Hargreaves, those pundits (including me, wink wink), will have to rethink their prediction that Man U would slide down the table.

Chelsea just signed Khalid Bouhlarouz, one of those dour Dutch defenders with a reputation for tough tackles and not averse to playing a bit dirty now and then. Remember Bouhlarouz's open spike tackle of Ronaldo, that led him writhing on the ground, with a deep thigh wound. He could not continue the game. Ronaldo was questionable for Portugal's game against England. Jose Mourinho is not waiting for Cole anymore. Arsenal's encounter with Chelsea promises to be bitter with the Cole saga. Look for the Gunners to beat up on the Blues, deservedly so.

Arsenal have to go for Curtis Davies, woo him, dangle fruit baskets, treat him to a year's supply of unlimited Belgian chocolates, promise him a personal brewery. They should just jettison Ashley Cole as soon as possible and let that disgruntled player go to whichever club in the Serie wants him.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Little Sheffield Utd gave an opening day shocker by battling huge favourites Liverpool to a draw, 1-1. A result that must have made Rafa go through the roof.

Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa meet Arsenal. A great way to begin Villa's campaign going up against one of the best clubs. O'Neill will get a good sense of what his club needs to do to beat the best. Knowing O'Neill, it won't take him too long to figure out.

Tottenham meet pesky Bolton. We will get to see new boys, Dimitar Berbatov and Didier Zokora. Bolton have virtually no name players but they have a great coach in Sam Allardyce.

The new management of Portsmouth make their debut with big guns Sol Campbell, Kanu, and David James and they go up against tough Blackburn.

More scores and fixtures >>

Posted by Shourin Roy at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Beeb says to squeeze the midfield and stop those creative Chelsea midfielders from getting any real estate and to shut of the supply to Sheva. Looks like the Beeb is going with a 4-1-4-1 (or a 4-5-1) and finds no space for an Essien or Drogba. Easier said then done. It will take a tough and speedy defence/ midfield to squeeze these guys. My bet is Liverpool. Or overwhelm the tough Chelsea defence with some great firepower. Again Liverpool.

Posted by Chiza Muzia at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Robert Plant, Wolves fan reunites with Jimmy Page and then Eric Clapton, Baggies fan with Cream play Robert Johnsons's "Crossroads." Wolves vs Baggies.

Posted by Song at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Life long gooner Roger Daltrey sees Highbury off, "My generation". Tomorrow Arsenal plays its first League game at the new Emirates stadium. Nick Hornby will be there to take notes.

Posted by Song at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Arsene is extracting his punishment. He is benching Cole for the opener against Aston Villa but Cole said he is ready for some humble pie. I think Arsene is really going to rub Cole's nose in the mud and see if he can hack it. If Jose Mourinho is balking at Arsenal's price then the reason is that Wenger does not want Chelsea to have Cole. After all, Chelsea was quite sneaky on the Cole deal with the 'tapping' business and then Cole's vitriol was directed towards Wenger. Cole has poisoned the atmosphere permanently.

I think Arsenal will settle for less and sell of Cole to another club. Naturally they want to get as much for him and apart from Chelsea, there is no other English club that can afford (22 - 25 mil) him. It will be the Serie and most likely Inter, that has the kind of cash for Cole.

As for Cole, even his good friend Thierry Henry has stopped pleading for him to continue playing at Arsenal and Jens Lehmann has said that the club can cope without him. All this starts of rumours that Curtis Davies will be a frantic last day signing for Arsenal from the Baggies. If that happens then Wenger does not have to tinker with the left back position.

Posted by Song at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Apparently Jose Mourinho did not want Sheva as much as Roman Abramovich did. As for Sheva he really did not mind going either to Manchester United or to Chelsea. It was left to Kristen Pazik, Sheva's wife, and a well known American model, to decide that Chelsea , or more to the point, West London was a better deal.

But it was not easy, Abramovich's wife, Irina had to befriend her, host her at their Belgravia mansion and squire her around town. As a result of her five-star guided tour Kristen was, apparently, ready to "confirm her approval of the lifestyle change". Fuddy duddy Manchester was dropped for swinging West London.

I have no idea what Pazik models but here are some pictures and they are ummmm..... a bit risque

Posted by Song at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Carrie Fisher who feels that she got roughed up by her insensitive mother, Debbie Reynolds, during those confusing days of puberty wrote her cathartic Postcards from the Edge, that shows Reynolds in an unflattering light. However, it is not just parents or siblings nowadays who are fair game, it is coaches. Ashley Cole has written a book on how Arsenal and Arsene Wenger ill treated him in his stay at the club, which sent him weeping to find solace in the arms of Jose Mourinho, to find out that those feelings scould be assuaged by some more quid.

Vikash Dhorasoo has gone one better. He is bringing out a documentary called Substitute, that gives us the scabrous details on coach Raymond Domenech, another coach that got his fair share of lumps before the World Cup began. The PSG midfielder spent most of his time on the bench except for the last couple of minutes against Switzerland in the World Cup. He has since retired but wants to keep the spotlight on Domenech. Unlike Cole on whom we rely on in his own word, Dhorasoo, who is nowhere to be seen without his handycam has actual footage of Domenech saying and doing things, that well he probably should'nt be doing. But then Dhorasoo is also violating the sanctity of locker room talk. It has got Domenech and captain Patrick Vieira in arms.

And now it is Steven Gerrard's turn to spill the beans on Svennie in his book in which he describes himself as "gutted" when he was asked to take the No9 shirt for the pre-World Cup game against Hungary, and says of Eriksson: "Get real - I'm an attacking midfield player, not an emergency striker."

Looking at the confessionals that are coming out of the woodwork, only Gerrard's book is worthy of consideration. He has criticized Sven for his coaching choices and not personally smeared him. This is a book written by a professional footballer unhappy with the decisions that his coach made. There is also the fact that Sven is no longer the England coach, so one can discuss his legacy.The rest of the books and now the documentary are little more than vilifications. Personally, there should be a gag order on players writing about their coaches, and not just in a tournament, but when they are still active in the game, like Wenger and Domenech. It just does not bode well for the game, if player and coach both tippytoe around each other carrying mikes strapped on their bodies. Of course, one does not want to encourage players choking their coaches either.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Ken Bates has gone over the top again. And the reason is clear - he's frustrated. Chelsea's Roman Abramovich and Eugene Tenenbaum, his right-hand man, have taken Chelsea to new heights, and all he can do at Leeds is watch.

But that's no excuse for anti-semitism.

Crossing the Atlantic, we have our own version of this kind of stupidity - exhibit A: George Allen.

Posted by Christian at 5:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not everyone is impressed by Dunga's managerial style, or his style when he was a player for that matter.

Next game - Argentina in London. Kaka and Ronaldinho have already been called up for that one. But the fat-boys - Ronaldo and Adriano - are still not invited to the party.

Wake up, Brazil!

Posted by Christian at 4:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Goalkeeper:

D James (Portsmouth, England)

Defenders:


S Ramos (Real Madrid, Spain) G Zambrotta (Barcelona, Italy)
A Cole (Arsenal, England), R Ferdinand (Man United, England)

Midfielders:


C Ronaldo,(Man Utd, Portugal), F Ljungberg (Arsenal, Sweden)
Kaka (AC Milan, Brazil), H Nakata (Bolton Wanderers, Japan)

Forwards:

D Cisse (Marseille, France), A Shevchenko (Chelsea, Ukraine)

We did not choose this XI just on the basis of their metrosexuality; these guys don't just smell or look good, they play a decent game of football. On that account Becks does not make it to the team. Sorry.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 3:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Yep! Down Under the Socceroos have maintained their momentum and are turning some great performances in the Asian Cup qualifying tourney under new coach Graham Arnold. There was no Brett Emerton, Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, or Mark Viduka. The Socceroos played with a bunch of local understudies. They beat Kuwait and Bahrain. Lebanon pulled out because of the ME conflict.

Meanwhile India continue their struggles with new coach Bob Hiughton getting beaten by Saudi Arabia, 3-0. So far, they have lost to Japan, 6-0, and Yemen, 3-0.

Japan, South Korea, Qatar, continue their unbeaten streak. More on the Asian Cup

Posted by Ian McKean at 2:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The same gruesome injury to Dean Ashton will keep him out for 3 months >>

Posted by Chiza Muzia at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

First Sol Campbell and now Nwankwo Kanu have moved to Portsmouth. Both Kanu and Campbell were in the double winning 2002 Arsenal squad and then again winning the 2004 Prem. Looks like Moneybags Gaydamak's ownership is paying off, Chelsea style. David James has moved to Pompey too and he should be pretty good in goal, other than the fact that he sometimes fancies himself as a midfielder.

So what is this the Prem title being divvied up by the Blues and Pompey in a few years time? A few years ago, these teams were in the doghouse. This year, Portsmouth is going to climb out of the cesspool.

Pompey has been taken over by the son of a well-known gun runner. It makes for very sleazy reading. I think it is time the Medellin cartel made a play for Sunderland.

For Kanu fans, as I am, go to the must see video >>

Posted by Chiza Muzia at 8:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Joachim Löw, Germany's new coach, on a winning note

Germany left off, with the Swedes in the World Cup, beating them again, 3-0. Miroslav Klose scored two and Bernd Schneider one. Sweden were without Freddie Ljungberg and Zlatan Ibrahamovic.

Great start by new coach Joachim Löw, who feels the pressure to perform to the standards set by Jürgen Klinsmann >>

Btw, I absolutely agree with Shourin that Sepp Blatter has to go. He is a known crook and a political animal, who is ignorant about football.

Posted by Gerd Mick at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hold your horses. It is that rubbish Rupert Murdoch mouthpiece the Sun that is reporting this. I have gone to the German sources and there is nothing on this transfer. Here and here

Uli Hoeness says no go >>

That should settle the matter.

Posted by Gerd Mick at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

The post Beckham era pays off immediately

Posted by Shourin Roy at 6:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It was not too long ago that The Sun compared Owen Hargreaves to "a mass murderer" and Hargreaves was the most reviled player in England. Was it because he could not play? No, errrrr........ because he was Canadian, and you know those Canucks can only play ice hockey. Worse still, he played for Bayern Munich, a Kraut club. You know how those guys can raise the hackles of the mildest mannered Briton. So he was a Canadian- German or a Canuck Kraut, or whatever you might want to call him, pretending to play football, the game that England invented, just because his parents were British.

Now, after his display at the World Cup, where he was the only English player to show up and play the game, he has now become the future of the England squad. With Beckham mercifully out of the play and the papperazzi taking a break from following the Posh couple, he is indispensable to McLaren, who described Hargreaves performance as 'phenomenal' in England's bashing of the Greeks, 4-0. Not only is Hargreaves now a given in the squad, he has become the center of a bitter controversy between a desperate Man U with a dinged up midfield on life support who are ready to throw everything and the kitchen sink to have him join, and an equally deperate Ballackless Bayern Munich, that wants to keep him, since he is the one of the three people that the Bundesliga can claim as being an international league. Plus, he is good.

Owen Hargreaves was political fodder too. During the World Cup, Tony Blair whose keen observations on football parallel his keen observations on world politics, named David Miliband as the Cabinet's Wayne Rooney, and Tessa Jowell as his Owen Hargreaves (getting a lo' of undeserved flak).

Now everybody is falling all over themselves issuing apologies to Hargreaves led by the Sun. The same Sun reports that Owen has been sold to Man U for £13m from Bayern. Fergie switched his attentions to the England star after his World Cup heroics when Hargreaves was the only one of Sven Goran Eriksson’s squad to emerge from the finals with any credit.

Redemption they say is sweet because from what you read about Hargreaves, a soft spoken guy, revenge is probably a word not in his vocabulary.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Richard Williams writes in the Guardian: "Hargreaves inherited the former captain's No7 shirt and went on to match the kind of industry Beckham showed the last time Greece visited Old Trafford."

Redemption.

Now let's see if Manchester United and Sir Alex can pry Hargreaves free from a dour Bayern Munich. After losing Ballack, Bayern doesn't want to lose Hargreaves as well. Maybe £17m will do the talking.

Posted by Christian at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Liverpool strengthened its position in the Premiership and further imperiled Chelsea's lock on the Prem title by signing Dutch sharpshooter Dirk Kuyt, in the process ending speculation that he would go to the Owen-less Magpies.

Kuyt scored a phenomenal 71 goals in 101 matches. He is primarily a poacher in the likes of Crespo, adept at using any body part, to put the ball into the net, including the ear lobe. Kuyt had a disappointing World Cup, but the scouting report was that Van Basten did not utilize him well, having him drop back, because of the out of sorts Dutch midfield.

He is a great addition to Craig Bellamy. Liverpool should score more than 70 goals this time and with a stingy defence, it will be the team to beat.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

No sympathy for the devil this time!

Joseph Blatter is standing for re-election to be president of FIFA in 2007. It would be the worst thing that would befall the world of football if Blatter is re-elected. Joseph Blatter is not a football visionary, he is a quintessential politician. The reason that South Africa was blessed by Sepp Blatter as the next host for the World Cup, is not because he believes that Africa is where the future of football is, or if this is a chance to showcase the new Africa, with its new democracies in the post-colonial world. It is a cheap ploy to get votes. The magnanimous Sepp Blatter will be on display till the elections of 2007, where he will praise the federations of the Asian and African till the heavens fall, because these countries count for 57 votes. Once Blatter gets elected, if South Africa runs into problems hosting the 2010 World Cup, and the the whispering campaigns begin, look for Blatter to pull the plug on South Africa, all the while looking for the best deal that will benefit him politically and financially.

This is the real Sepp Blatter, in an interview with the Brazilian magazine Placar, in 1995, when he was still Joao Havelange's protege. On being asked by the journalist on the formation of an international players union, Blatter responded, " FIFA does not deal with players.They are employees of the club." Or when Diego Maradona asked why international labor rights did not apply to football players, Blatter contemptuously replied, " The last star from Argentina was Di Stefano." Blatter himself was the center of controvery when he became the president in 2002 with direct accusations of