Archive for October, 2006
News of the World “writer” Antony Kastrinakis made up a headline grabbing story on Sunday claiming that football legend Theirry Henry had been booed at the Emirates Stadium during the game against Everton.
Now, the News of the World is not renowned for its integrity and high journalistic standards but surely the least one would expect of someone there to do a match report is for them to just report what happened and not invent stuff.
There was no booing. This man is a hack who should be put back onto repporting the weather until he works out the difference between reporting and “making stuff up”.
You can read the full story at Arseblog (A real football blog) where they go over it in detail.
October 31st, 2006
Chelsea have been installed as 4/1 favourites to win the Carling Cup after beating Blackburn on Wednesday night.
Jose Mourinho fielded a strong side at Ewood Park as the Premiership champions ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. The Chelsea manager said earlier in the week he would again like to get his hands on the trophy he won two years ago, and Sporting Odds go 4/1 he does so.
Chelsea are drawn to face Aston Villa at home in the fourth round.
Arsenal, who won away at West Brom on Tuesday night, are joint second favourites even though the Gunners meet Everton at Goodision Park in the 4th round.
Manchester United, who needed extra-time to see off Crewe at Gresty Road and Liverpool are also around 6/1 to 7/1 after beating Reading 4-3 at Anfield.
And Giantkillers Chesterfield who have already knocked out 2 Premier League sides in Man City and West Ham have drawn more top flight opposiition in Charlton Athletic. Bet365 has them at 250/1 to go all the way and win the cup.
Notts County and Wycombe, who meet at Meadow Lane in the fourth round, are 400/1 and 500/1 respectively.
SELECTED ODDS :
Chelsea at 5.00 at SportingOdds
Arsenal at 8.00 at PaddyPower
Manchester Utd at 8.00 at SportingOdds
Liverpool at 7.50 at SportingOdds
Tottenham at 11.00 at SportingOdds
Everton at 13.00 at PaddyPower
Chesterfield at 251.00 at Bet365
October 26th, 2006
Matches to be played week beginning November 6
Birmingham v Liverpool
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Chesterfield v Charlton
Everton v Arsenal
Notts County v Wycombe
Southend v Manchester United
Tottenham v Port Vale
Watford v Newcastle
October 25th, 2006
As reported last Sunday by the Labrat, David Beckham’s frustration at getting limited game time looks likely to start transfer talks in January.
The 31-year-old midfielder cannot hold down a starting spot for the Galacticos under new coach Fabio Capello. Beckham has started just four games under the new regime and played only 13 minutes of Sunday’s ‘el clasico’ victory over Barcelona.
And with Beckham refusing to sign a new contract at the Bernabeu until he is guaranteed regular first-team football, the Spanish giants may offload him in January to stop him leaving for nothing next summer.
Now Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to sell former England captain David Beckham for £5million in January’s transfer window.
Real bought Beckham from Manchester United for £25million in 2003, but it seems certain he has no future under Capello as the former Roma boss on Tuesday insisted he had handled the player’s situation correctly.
Beckham has been strongly linked with a move to America’s MLS – but a return to England’s Premier League would arguably give his chances of a return to the England national team under Steve McClaren a shot in the arm.
October 25th, 2006
Henry Leads The Way In Race For The “Ballon d’Or”
Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry is the 6/4 favourite with Sportingodds.com for the 2006 European Player of the Year Award. French magazine France Football awards the “Ballon d’Or” for the best European Footballer of the calendar year.
Italian players feature strongly in the betting after their heroics in Germany during this year’s World Cup. Fabio Cannavaro is priced at 100/30, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon at 20/1 and Andrea Pirlo at 25/1.
Champions League holders Barcelona also have a number of players featuring prominently in the list. Last year’s winner Ronaldinho is available at 4/1, striker Samuel Eto’o at 6/1 and defender Carles Puyol at 16/1.
A journalist from each UEFA participating European country will vote for their top five players from a current shortlist of 50. The player with the most votes will be declared the winner in mid-December.
- This year will be the 51st presentation of the award
- Juventus are the club with most players honoured (8).
- Germany and Holland are the countries with most players honoured (7 each).
- Lev Yashin in 1963 was the only goalkeeper to ever win the award.
- 3 players have won the award 3 times – Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten and Michel Platini.
- Before 1995 only European born players were eligible for the award.
- George Weah was the first non-European recipient of the award in 1995.
Sportingodds.com Selected Prices:
Thierry Henry 6/4, Fabio Cannavaro 100/30, Ronaldinho 4/1, Samuel Eto’o 6/1, Carles Puyol 16/1, Miroslav Klose 18/1, Gianluigi Buffon 20/1, Andrea Pirlo 25/1, Deco 28/1, Franck Ribery 28/1, Steven Gerrard 28/1, Zinedine Zidane 28/1, Genaro Gattuso 40/1, Didier Drogba 40/1, Gianluca Zambrotta 40/1, Kaka 40/1, Luca Toni 40/1, Fabio Grosso 50/1.
See SportingOdds.com site for more.
October 24th, 2006
Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen saved two penalties in two minutes as Bolton secured a remarkable 1-0 victory over Blackburn.
The Finnish shot-stopper came to the rescue with Rovers chasing the game after Ivan Campo’s goal just past the hour.
Jaaskelainen first blocked Benni McCarthy’s effort in the 87th minute then sub Jason Roberts’ attempt 60 seconds later.
Bolton skipper Kevin Nolan was then sent off for dissent as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven games to stay on the shoulders of Manchester United and Chelsea.
Blackburn, however, will wonder how they lost this match.
October 23rd, 2006
Tottenham heaped more misery on woeful West Ham, winning 1-0 thanks to a first-half strike from Egyptian striker Mido.
The former Roma hitman scored his first goal for the club since he returned to White Hart Lane on a permanent basis in the summer. Mido struck seconds from the end of the first half when he collected a low cross from Edgar Davids and turned Anton Ferdinand before firing the ball home via the far post.
Although Spurs dominated the second half the could not find a second score – but the single goal was enough to defeat a shot-shy West Ham side who have failed to score in their last seven games now.
The victory was belated revenge for Tottenham’s defeat to West Ham on the final day of last season when, amid suggestions of a food poisoning outbreak, they missed out on a place in the Champions League.
October 23rd, 2006
Arsenal reinforced their claim to be genuine contenders for the title with a 4-0 demolition of top-flight newcomers Reading
Thierry Henry opened the scoring in the first minute, and added the fourth from the penalty spot, while Alexander Hleb and Robin van Persie supplied quality finishes either side of halftime the Gunners reigned supreme at the Madejski Stadium.
Reading had forced both Manchester United and Chelsea to battle all the way for points in previous games – but they had no answer to the free-flowing game from the North Londoners.
October 23rd, 2006
Rio Ferdinand’s stunning half-volley sealed a deserved 2-0 win for Manchester United in a hard fought clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford.
The England defender scored the winner in this fixture last season – and was again on target with a thunderous strike on 66 minutes.
Paul Scholes had capped his 500th appearance for United with the opening goal on 39 minutes – and Ferdinand secured a win which saw the Red Devils leapfrog Chelsea into top spot on goal difference.
October 23rd, 2006
Former England captain David Beckham has revealed his frustration at being left on the bench for Spanish giants Real Madrid. Beckham has been left out of the England squad since Steve McClaren took over as boss, and has only played from the bench for his club this season.
Beckham in discussions about a new contract at the Bernabeu and made his first start for Real in five games last weekend when he was included in the side to face Getafe – only for Real Madrid to lose 0-1.
Beckham found himself back on the bench for the midweek Champions League clash with Steaua Bucharest.
“Every day I feel sad and very frustrated as a footballer because I am not playing for my country or for my club,” Beckham told the Englsih newspaper Mail on Sunday.
“Two more years on the bench would be very difficult. At the moment it is very difficult for me not playing.” He added: “I am not even thinking about retiring. When my heart and legs give in then that will be the time, but that is not the case now.”
October 22nd, 2006
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