Category Uncategorized

Chelsea gained revenge for their loss to Sunderland in November by defeating the Black Cats 4-2 at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.

The rejuvenated Blues produced their third league win in a row to go six points clear of fifth-place Tottenham and just a point behind third-place Manchester City.

Sunderland, fielding new signing Stephane Sessegnon on the left of midfield were excellent in the first half, stunning the Premier League champions with a goal in the fourth minute – Phil Bardsley cutting in from the left to drill a low shot across the flat-footed Petr Cech and into the far corner.

It gave Sunderland fans hopes of another shock result but Chelsea matched the home side’s quality and gradually reeled them in.

They were given a helping hand on the quarter-hour when Ahmed Elmohamady needlessly felled Ashley Cole in the area before Frank Lampard strode up to send Craig Gordon the wrong way from the spot.

Gordon was superb throughout the game and made a string of eye-catching saves, but the Sunderland gloveman made a crucial error in the 23rd minute when he raced out of his box after Nicholas Anelka had produced a defence-splitting pass for Salomon Kalou to run on to.

The Ivory Coast international rolled the ball around the goalkeeper’s star-shaped dive to give the visitors the lead.

The Blues’ advantage lasted only three minutes though as Kieran Richardson netted his third goal in two games when his free-kick traversed under the Chelsea wall and past the stranded Cech.

The equaliser saw the two teams going into the break on level terms but Chelsea were a different class in the second-half as Gordon found his goal under siege in the first 15 minutes with Kalou, Didier Drogba, Anelka and Lampard all going close.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It looked as though Sunderland’s mean defence might thwart Chelsea’s clear superiority but the key goal came on the hour when, from a disputed corner, Lampard produced a magnificent save from Gordon but the ball dropped to John Terry who dug the ball out of the turf and just under the crossbar.

The scoreline was given a look which reflected the balance of power over the 90 minutes when Florent Malouda waltzed by a string of tired challenges to set up man-of-the-match Anelka who side-footed home from five yards.

Rio Ferdinand has denied that a comment he made on Twitter was a racist slur towards Ashley Cole.

The Manchester United defender re-tweeted a comment made by a member of the public that called the Chelsea man a ‘choc ice’.

The term is thought to mean someone who is black but has went against their ethnicity, but Ferdinand has stated that the statement was never intended to be racist.

“What I said yesterday is not a racist term. It’s a type of slang/term used by many for someone who is being fake. So there,” the veteran centre-half stated.

Cole gave evidence in defence of John Terry in his court case last week, in which the England central defender was found not guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.

Meanwhile, Cole’s lawyers have confirmed that the left-back has taken no offence to the ‘choc ice’ comment.

“Ashley has been made aware of the discussion following comments appearing on Twitter and wishes to make it clear that he and Rio Ferdinand are good friends and Ashley has no intention of making any sort of complaint,” Cole’s lawyer states in The Daily Mail.

“Ashley appreciates that tweeting is so quick it often results in off-hand and stray comments.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

The opening weekend of the Premier League season was overshadowed by one incident when Mr Controversy himself, Joey Barton, proceeded to drag the Ivorian to his feet and remonstrate at him for diving and trying to pull the wool over the eyes of Peter Walton.

Gervinho wasn’t best pleased and proceeded to attach himself to Barton with the Toon midfielder doing the same although more in the vicinity of the Arsenal man’s neck. Players from both sides streamed in and all of a sudden Barton flopped to the deck after Gervinho’s hand merely brushed his cheek with Steven Taylor exclaiming ‘HE’S ELBOWED HIM’ to anyone in the vicinity.

Not that i’m condoning this sort of behaviour but it’s human nature to get all giddy and excited when you see two players square up and clench their handbags tightly in their fists. In a majority of cases hilarity ensues as these so called men try to act tough but end up looking like a complete wally as the entire stadium attempts to stitch up the sides that have been split on witnessing the pathetic brawl.

There have been a fair few grapples down the years, some more suited to a comedy sketch and some that wouldn’t look out of place in an UFC ring. For some reason Arsenal are heavily prominent in this list yet are regarded as one of the cleanest clubs this world has ever seen…

Click on the famous Alcock/Di Canio spat to unveil the top 10 tear-ups

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[divider]

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

South Korean manager Cho Kwang-rae was thrilled his side was able to break down Iran’s stoic defence in their 1-0 Asian Cup quarter-final victory.

The South Koreans advanced to the semi-finals of Asia’s premier national soccer tournament – where they will meet Japan – courtesy of a Yoon Bit-garam’s extra-time goal.

Cho said his side’s patience paid dividends, as evidenced when Iran’s defence failed to shut down the space around Yoon, allowing the 20-year-old to fire the Koreans into the final four.

“The Iranian team’s defensive organisation was very strong, especially in the middle where they were very compact and highly organised,” Cho said.

“I believe not many teams can score goals against them and if you see figures of their previous matches this is proven.”

“To win this game with a clean sheet is the greatest thing a coach can get. In general, the defence was successful tonight and in that respect I was satisfied.”

“Regarding the tiredness of the players, it can happen in these tournaments but the most important thing is that the players held on until the end of the game and that was the key factor for me.”

The loss marked Iran manager Afshin Ghotbi’s last match in charge of the side before he departs to take the reins of J-League club Shimizu S-Pulse.

While Iran beat bitter rivals Iraq in the group stages, Ghotbi was disappointed he could not appease the country’s football-mad supporters with a trophy.

“This championship was very important to our players and our team,” Ghotbi said.

“When we reached the second phase we started believing we could be champion and make the people of Iran happy.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“When these two sides meet anything can happen. We tried very hard to get the players to relax and play football, but the Koreans did very well in the midfield and closing down space.”

“At half-time we talked about it and I think in the second half we improved but not as we would have liked. Again, it comes to the importance of winning and I think it got to the players.”

“They are tired of not coming home with the trophy for 35 years and they wanted to do this for the people.”

It’s gone all quiet at Liverpool in the past fortnight. A little too quiet if you ask me. Since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers at the start of June an eerie hush has descended on Merseyside. It’s thought that Rodgers is plotting his first in the transfer market as Liverpool boss with a right sided midfielder and striker sitting at the top of his shopping list. With Dirk Kuyt gone, Maxi Rodriguez expected to leave and Stewart Downing failing to sufficiently provide from either flank the need for a quality wide man is of grave importance. However it’s doubtful that FSG will be willing to sanction another lavish spending spree and the going rate for a high calibre right winger is likely to exceed the budget at Rodgers’ disposal. But there is one option for the former Swansea boss to consider that could save him a lot time and money. It’s been rumoured that he will be giving Cole a clean slate at Anfield when he returns from his loan spell at Ligue 1 side Lille. Cole has been revitalised in France after a torrid first campaign at Liverpool and at 30-years-old  will be keen to show he can still cut the Premier League mustard. Could be he answer to Rodgers right midfield problem? You’ll just have to wait and see!

This week on FFC is Rodgers facing a backbreaking struggle to bring success back to Liverpool and which striker is he willing to splash £7 million on?

[divider]

Best of FFC

Facing an Uphill Task at Anfield?

Caption Competition: Hodgson challenges Liverpool star

Finally Time To Make His Mark At Liverpool?

TWO welcome arrivals back at Liverpool FC?

Should Premier League Take a £15m Risk on Johnson?

Are the pressures of the Premier League harming development?

Liverpool will need to stump up £7m for striker

Liverpool winning transfer race for Juve ace

[divider]

Best of WEB

[divider]

The Iceman Cometh – Does Sigurdsson Fit the Bill? – Tomkins Times

Will This Midfield Pass The Test? – Live 4 Liverpool

“I’m excited!” – LFC legend hails Brendan Rodgers appointment… – Liverpool Kop

Sigurdsson to Anfield? Liverpool fans give their emphatic verdict… – Liverpool Kop

A Cunning Plan? – The Tomkins Times

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

How Do We Replace The Epitome Of Professionalism? – Live 4 Liverpool

Kalou Really The Right Man for Liverpool? Put Simply, ‘Yes.’ – Transfer Tavern

[divider]

Quote of the Week

[divider]

“I have the ultimate respect for Kenny Dalglish. My door is always open for Kenny Dalglish. This is his home. He is the heart and soul of this club. His love for this club is unrivalled. He is the best player in the history of this club.” Brendan Rodgers insists predecessor Kenny Dalglish is always welcome at Liverpool

[divider]

Rodgers wants to keep Cole at Liverpool

Mario Balotelli has risked the wrath of Manchester City fans after claiming that he does not like the city and is homesick, echoing comments made by teammate Carlos Tevez earlier this year. Balotelli is yet to establish himself as a fan favourite at Eastlands, and these remarks are just the most recent in a chain of controversial events that seem to have dominated his career as a footballer.

Whilst Balotelli insists “everything is fine” with regards to playing for Manchester City, his comments about the city will have undoubtedly upset a vast number of Mancunian’s, both blue and red. Unlike Tevez, Balotelli did not discuss his dislikes in any detail, but merely claimed that the city is not to his “tastes”. Manchester may not have the same culture or weather as say, Milan, but it is still ‘home’ for the City fans, who will almost certainly feel disgruntled over Balotelli’s apparent lack of respect for this.

As if this was not enough, the Italian then went on to discuss his future, and insisted that “one day” he would like to join AC Milan. At 20-years-old it would perhaps be unreasonable to expect the forward to remain a City player for the rest of his career, however it is certainly not unreasonable to expect him to respect his contract and the club by not discussing his future so openly, having only been at the club for a year.

Balotelli seems to insist on presenting himself as the “bad boy” of football, and his apparent arrogance and immaturity both on and off the field has overshadowed the talent that we are led to believe he possesses. In his first year in English football Balotelli managed to score just 6 goals in 17 league appearances, including a hat trick against Aston Villa back in December. This record is hardly prolific, and though we have seen glimpses of brilliance from the Italian, it is fair to say he still has a lot to do to prove himself as one of the best forwards in the league.

Balotelli on the other hand, believes that only Messi “is a little stronger” than him when it comes to ability on the field, and that “all the others are behind”. When he joined City he claimed not to know who Jack Wilshere was, but that he would “show him the Golden Boy trophy and remind him that I won it”. It is these kind of remarks that have made him such an unpopular figure in English football, but Balotelli continues to be seemingly unfazed by what the fans think, even his own.

Whilst Carlos Tevez’s comments about Manchester and his outspoken desire to leave the club will have upset a number of City fans, his performances and work-rate on the pitch week-in week-out will have gone some way towards their acceptance of his inevitable departure. Mr Baloltelli plays with an air of arrogance about him, rarely displaying any signs of enjoyment, and is so casual at times you would think he had better things to be doing. The only time we really see any emotion from the forward seems to be when he is substituted, and his outburst at Mancini in a friendly against LA Galaxy a week or so ago exemplified this perfectly. Taken off for attempting a back-heel when through on goal, Balotelli reacted as though he had done nothing wrong.

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]

Whilst it is obvious that he must change his attitude if he is to become a fan favourite at Eastlands, Balotelli seems so uninterested and indifferent when it comes to being ‘liked’, that this “bad boy” attitude is almost certain to continue for the foreseeable future. If (and it is a big ‘if’), the Italian can prove himself to be ‘ahead’ of everyone else in the league, then City fans will almost certainly become less concerned with what he thinks about their city, and English weather. For now, Balotelli should probably watch his tongue a little more carefully – especially whilst the City faithful are the only fans not to have turned on the youngster.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Agree or disagree? Feel free to continue the discussion either below or on Twitter @sixthofficial

Two of the surprise movers of the Premier League season face off on Saturday when Blackpool host Sunderland at Bloomfield Road.

But the Black Cats will have to make do without leading goal-scorer Darren Bent, who completed a shock move to Aston Villa on Tuesday.

Sunderland have enjoyed an unbeaten start to January with wins over Blackburn (3-0) and Aston Villa (1-0) and a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United last Saturday.

The impressive run has seen Steve Bruce’s men carve out a seat at sixth on the table, with Bolton four points adrift in seventh and fifth-placed Tottenham three points ahead.

Blackpool, meanwhile, continue to confound pre-season expectations of an early trip back to the Championship.

The Tangerines are 10th on the table with 28 points, despite a torrid start to the New Year with three losses from four games.

Most recently, Ian Holloway’s men went down 3-2 at West Bromwich Albion, conceding a heartbreaking late winner to Peter Odemwingie after Gary Taylor-Fletcher brought the visitors level in the 80th minute.

But there is still plenty for Blackpool for be positive about, not the least that they defeated Sunderland 2-0 in their away fixture last month.

DJ Campbell was the hero in that meeting with a match-winning brace, and the former Leicester City striker has been among Blackpool’s best in January with goals against Liverpool and Birmingham City.

Sunderland carry one of the longest injury lists in the league, with Danny Welbeck (hamstring), David Meyler (knee), Lee Cattermole (back), John Mensah (ankle), Frazier Campbell (knee) and Michael Turner (knee) all on the sidelines.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Add to that Bent’s defection and Bruce certainly has a number of headaches at the selection table.

Blackpool have their share of injury concerns, with Marlon Harewood (hamstring), Matthew Gilks (knee), Billy Clarke (knee), Malaury Martin (knee) and Chris Basham (broken leg) all unavailable.

Saturday’s encounter could be a swan song for Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam, who has been linked to Liverpool, Aston Villa and Birmingham City in the January transfer window.

Captain Jakub Blaszczykowski admits it’s a dream come true for him and his Poland teammates as the co-hosts prepare to kick-off Euro 2012 against Greece in Warsaw on Friday.

Franciszek Smuda men are gearing up to tackle 2004 champions Greece in the opening Group A fixture of the tournament and, despite being the lowest ranked team in the finals, there is a belief that Poland can make the knockout stage.

It’s only the second time White Eagles have qualified for the competition in it’s 62-year history but with the draw handing them a negotiable group expectations have soared amongst supporters.

But Borussia Dortmund midfielder Blaszczykowski insists that the pressure will act as a stimulant for the Polish to go out and enjoy performing in their home nation and savour the moment.

“The whole country has great expectations and we are aware of it but it will only motivate us to win,” he told reporters at a press conference.

“These are things players wait their whole career for – to play in a tournament like this, in such a great stadium.

“This is a dream come true, the only thing we can do is realise those dreams and make them last.”

They’ll face a tough task against a Greece side that surprised the entire football fraternity after triumphing over host nation Portugal eight-years ago.

A run of just one defeat in 21 games under Fernando Santos during his two-year reign, including an undefeated qualifying campaign, means the Greeks will come into the tournament in high spirits and many will be predicting a routine win over the Polish in the National Stadium.

However captain Giorgos Karagounis has played down his countries chances of causing another upset and is adamant that they must avoid defeat in their opening game if they are to have any chance of making the quarter-finals.

The 35-year-old midfielder said: “If you cannot win then you must not lose because it is the first match.

“We know what we are capable of as a side and we will try and produce it on the pitch.

“Since there are so few games you cannot afford to make any mistakes.”

Injury News

Poland head coach Smuda is sweating on the fitness of Sochaux defender Damien Perquis as he continues his recovery from a fractured elbow.

Greece could be without two key players in the form of defender Vassilis Torosidis and Sotiris Ninis.

Torosidis has a knee injury and looks likely to miss out whilst Ninis struggles to over come a shoulder problem but has a chance of featuring.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Key Players

Roberto Lewandowski

The Borussia Dortmund striker heads into Euro 2012 off the back of a stunning campaign that saw him score 30 goals in 46 games and lift the Bundesliga title for the second year in succession. Poland know that if providing Lewandowski with the adequate service represents their best chance of making it through the group stage. With scouts from some of Europe’s elite sides likely to be in the crowd the 23-year-old will be keen to get off to a strong start and impress his potential suitors.

Giorgos Karagounis

With 115 caps to his name Karagounis is the most experienced member of the current Greece squad and remains key component in their midfield. He was part of the team that defied the odds in 2004 and will be hoping to use his knowledge to help the Greeks to victory in their opening game. The veteran skipper is the man that keeps the engine room neatly structured ensuring it operates with a faultless efficiency. And whilst the goals have dried up in recent years his blend flair and grit make him the ideal man to Hellenic side into the tournament.

Prediction: 1-2

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is expected to be sidelined until January after undergoing knee surgery on Monday.The Ghana international, who has a history of knee injuries, ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament and the meniscus in his right knee in pre-season training last week.

The injury is said to have stunned Chelsea officials, who were expecting scans to reveal a simple twisted knee after Essien fell innocuously during a training drill.

Instead, the 28-year-old has had surgery to repair the torn structures and faces up to six months of rehabilitation before he can return to the Blues.

It is Essien’s third serious knee injury in three years. The midfielder missed a large chunk of the 2008/09 campaign due to cruciate ligament damage and was forced out of the 2010 World Cup with a less severe medial ligament injury.

New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas said: “Everyone at Chelsea wishes Michael well for his recovery.”

“His team-mates and all the staff and I look forward to helping him return to playing as soon as possible.”

The winter weather has taken a huge bite in the Premier League programme this weekend, with only the clashes at the Stadium of Light and Ewood Park given the go ahead. Hopefully tonight’s clash at Eastlands will make up for the loss of action as both sides are desperate for the win.

In the papers today there has been a mixed bag of stories which includes Cesc Fabregas airs title fear; Mancini calls on City fans to back Carlos Tevez, while Roy Hodgson eyes new faces at Anfield.

*

Fabregas airs title fear – Sky Sports

Nelsen lambasts Blackburn owners – Guardian

Now Houllier orders his Aston Villa commuters to get moving – Daily Mail

Hammers chase Ade on loan – Sun

Mancini expects City fans to back Tevez against Everton – Guardian

Hodgson eyes fresh faces – Sky Sports

Everton fans can be forgiven an envious glance tonight – Independent

Tottenham offer contract to Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta – IM Scouting

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Arsenal ready to sanction £2m sale of Nordtveit to Moenchengladbach – Daily Mail

McCarthy has board backing – Sky Sports

Bayern  join race for Glen Johnson – IM Scouting

[divider]

Holy Crap – it’s live fantasy football! Become part of Man City v Everton and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!