Football Food

Weekend Fixtures

2006-03-17T11:09:00.000Z

This weekend sees Harry Redknapp head back to his old club, West Ham, for the first time and his Pompey side are desperate for points. After a last minute reprieve against Manchester City last weekend, another win here would pile the pressure on fellow relegation strugglers West Brom and Birmingham.

Saturday
Everton v Aston Villa, 12.45pm, Prem Plus
Arsenal v Charlton. 3pm
Blackburn v Middlesbrough, 3pm
Bolton v Sunderland, 3pm
Man. City v Wigan, 3pm
West Brom v Man. Utd, 3pm
West Ham v Portsmouth, 3pm
Birmingham v Tottenham, 17.15pm, Prem Plus

Sunday
Newcastle v Liverpool, 1.30pm. Sky Sports 1
Fulham v Chelsea, 4pm, Sky Sports 1

Reaction to the CL Draw

2006-03-10T12:25:00.000Z

Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona are sitting pretty this morning, after learning that their path to reaching the Champions League Semi-Finals is obscured only by Benfica, surely the weakest team to reach the last 16 this season. Should the Catalan giants overcome the Portuguese champions they might well face a stiffer test in the semi-finals, where they will meet either Lyon or AC Milan. These two sides have both shown admirable form in the competition thus far and will undoubtedly provide a fascinating showdown later this month.

Elsewhere, the draw rekindled a relationship severed as recently as this summer, bringing Patrick Vieira back to Highbury for the first time since his £13.6 million move to Juventus. The Gunners have already overcome one heavyweight of this division so far but will need a healthy lead to take with them to the Stadio Delle Alpi, if they are to progress here.

Finally Villarreal will no doubt be delighted to have been drawn away first. They will face either Inter or Ajax, neither of whom will relish a trip to El Madrigal; the home side are now unbeaten there in their last eight games.

Champions League Draw

2006-03-10T11:46:00.000Z

Champions League Quarter Final Draw

Arsenal v Juventus
Lyon v AC Milan
Inter v Villarreal
Benfica v Barcelona

Semi Final Draw

Arsenal or Juventus v Inter or Villarreal

Lyon or AC Milan v Benfica or Barcelona

Whatever happened to The Galacticos?

2006-03-09T15:51:00.000Z

Real questions asked after the most inexperienced Arsenal side of Wenger’s reign dump Madrid out of the Champions League

Since Florentino Perez’s accession to the presidency of Real Madrid in 2000, Los Merengues’ team sheet has read like a who’s who of modern day greats in the game of European football. Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham and Figo all arrived during his tenure - at their peak and ready to install Real Madrid as an untouchable super power in the modern era.

In such an exciting passage of the club’s history it was with fear and envy that the Madrid side were opposed, rather than the heavy criticism at Perez’s transfer regime that is beginning to rear it’s head. After all, few could argue with his philosophy. Buy the greatest player on the planet each year, reap the financial rewards and assemble a team of unrivalled ability to secure a bounty of silverware.

Unfortunately for Perez the outcome of his apparently risk free policy have been very different. Real have been trophy-less for the past three seasons and the Bernabeu has merely flickered with individual brilliance, failing to witness the swashbuckling team play that Perez had expected.

Real have suffered numerous ignominious incidents in Spain of late, thrashings at the hands of Barcelona and, more humiliatingly, Zaragoza. But their incapacities spilled over into the Champions League last night, as Arsenal highlighted the many deficiencies in their side, a result that will surely lead to the breaking up of the ‘galacticos’.

Against Arsenal, Madrid were lifeless, uninspiring and spineless, qualities that have characterised their season. The main culprits again, were the supposed stars of their generation. The problem is, that their generation appears to have passed, whether they admit it or not.

Too many of them were abject last night. Ronaldo looks hideously overweight and ineffectual, and in this form surely Adriano will take his place in Brazil’s starting line-up. Zinedine Zidane, once the world’s most complete footballer, was jaded and shadowy compared to the glory days of the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 and Beckham, though tireless in his effort as always, made less of an impact on the right than the substitute Cassano, a centre forward, late on.

So where do Madrid go from here? A mass cull of ageing, overpaid superstars might seem a sensationalised reaction but, in truth, it’s the only option for Perez’s successor.

The contrast between the two opposing sides from this tie could not be more marked. Both are enduring difficult seasons, but while Wenger appears to be building for the future, Real seem desperate to cling onto the past. Wenger has been criticised this season for his side’s soft under belly but, when assessing the two team-sheets at the end of last night’s fixture, it is Real that require the major overhaul.

Arsenal, perhaps, need one or two experienced heads to come in and help the mass of young talent sprouting up at Highbury. But Real will surely seek replacements for Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Raul when the summer kicks in and this could prove an altogether more difficult proposition.

Initially, Perez’s outlandish recruitment policy might have been successful, had he installed a capable coach and given him the time and power to forge a decent team ethic. Now, it is much too late and the players at the new coach’s disposal are not as galactic as they once were.

There is a new order in European football these days, one that Zidane and co. do not belong to. Ronaldinho, Lampard, Gerrard and Henry are the new galacticos and that their teams are made up of more sturdy, unstylish professionals to compliment their individual brilliance, serves as a reminder to Perez and all at Madrid. For every Zinedine Zidane, a team must have its Claude Makelele.

Blog It!

2006-03-09T12:20:00.000Z

With TV Punditry plumbing new depths, be it Gary Lineker's attempts to become a resident on the Jongleurs Comedy Club circuit or Andy and Ally's pitch side love-ins, it's time to log on to hear the views of the unforgiving football fan.

NAME THAT TEAM…Part 1)
Chelsea

Amongst the unprintably filthy suggestions for a new nickname for Jose Mourinho’s much-loved Chelsea was this little gem from kopblog.com:

“My suggestion would be to call Chelsea fans ‘Barcodes’ because the ‘lifelong’ fans cropping up all over the place still have their price tags hanging out of their replica shirts!”

MISSING WINGER…

If found please return to Anfield

The conspiracy theorists among the Liverpool faithful, and let’s face it there are plenty of them, have come up with a unique explanation for Harry Kewell’s new found form…

“I first became suspicious when I saw a player claiming to be Harry Kewell, putting in a couple of great performances for Australia as they qualified for the World Cup Finals. Imagine my surprise when this impostor started to appear at Anfield. This guy is totally committed, aggressive, tigerish in the tackle, a constant attacking threat who is also chipping in with a few goals. This is clearly not the same player at all, so where has the old Harry Kewell gone? Wherever it is I hope he stays there because this new guy is terrific!"

SHUT IT WRIGHTY!

Not only can Arsenal legend be seen regularly putting his foot in it on the BBC these days, he’s managed to stick his size nine’s well and truly in his mouth regarding Thierry Henry’s future.

“With everything that Henry has done at Arsenal and with the desire he has to win the Champions League I would have to consider it if Barcelona called me,” mused Wrighty, surprising the football world who were under the impression that it was nothing to do with him, and sparking angry tirades from his own adoring public at arseblog.com in the very same breath.

“The more he talks the more I wish he’d shut his mouth. For someone who claims to be an Arsenal fan he’s got a funny way of showing it. Anyway, after insisting his son went to Chelsea maybe Wright is not the person to be giving advice based on how well that move worked out!”

Touché!

2006-03-09T10:59:00.000Z

AddMe.com, Search Engine Placement

Champions League Odds

2006-03-09T10:29:00.001Z

The latest odds from Ladbrokes.com

Barcelona 6/4
Juventus 4/1
AC Milan 5/1
Lyon 7/1
Inter Milan 8/1
Arsenal 10/1
Villarreal 18/1
Benfica 33/1
Ajax 80/1

Champions League Preview - Liverpool v Benfica

2006-03-08T16:33:00.000Z

Nando’s easy pickings for Premiership defenders.

By Edward Bearryman

Liverpool’s strike force has scarcely been this fruitless in recent years and, although the longevity of Peter Crouch’s intermittent spells without a goal has been well publicised, it is the plight of a more established name in world football that must be giving Rafael Benitez most concern.

Since arriving from Real Madrid in the January transfer window last year, Fernando Morientes has shown an incredible difficulty in coming to terms with the pattern and pace of the English game. A player who looked assured, clever on the ball and full of class in recent La Liga and Champions League history, seems to have been reduced to a footballer who offers little more than awkward, nervous touches in and around the penalty area.

The Spaniard has given cameos of his former brilliance in the red of Liverpool; a stunning left-foot drive against Charlton in the Premier League last season and a similarly ferocious effort against Anderlecht in the early stages of this season’s Champions League were vintage Morientes. Yet such flashes of quality have been rare at Anfield and it is a constant supply of goals, or at least exciting interplay, which Benitez and The Kop desire most.

Too often this season the man Benitez calls ‘Nando’ has appeared detached from his strike partner, be it Cisse or Crouch, and it is now Crouch that Benitez seeks to mould his forward line around. This time last year that was Morientes’ mantle, but a series of inept and uninspiring performances have led to his downward slide in the pecking order, along with continued suggestions that Benitez will cut his losses and move him on in the summer.

The anticipation that accompanied Djibril Cisse’s arrival on Merseyside has long since been scotched and Morientes’ plight looks like following a similar pattern. He has hit the net on only 6 occasions in the Premier League and as this season begins to reach the business end, the groans and howls of incredulity at his inability to thrive in English football are unrelenting.

It is quite remarkable that a side, who sold their best striker to Real Madrid two seasons ago, should now begin to remodel their strike force around Peter Crouch but Benitez clearly holds the England international in high regard. It is Morientes’ apparent inability to forge an impressive partnership with Crouch that could spell the end of his time in the Premiership.

Despite the focus on his lack of goals, Crouch has impressed many this term and has looked like forming half of a prolific partnership for some time. Unfortunately for Benitez it appears that he is yet to find the other half of the jigsaw.

Liverpool’s attack is often disjointed and uncomfortable. Crouch wins countless knockdowns against Premiership opposition, but there are rarely any Liverpool benefactors from his willingness to compete. Morientes is frequently found languishing out wide whilst Crouch is nodding through the centre. His effort’s with the ball have been no more impressive, at times the Spaniard’s control is woeful and, although this may well be a result of diminished confidence, it will surely cost him his place in Liverpool’s starting eleven sooner or later.

It would undoubtedly be sooner but for Benitez’s lack of options now, and a lack of resources in January, which has forced him to keep faith in his countryman for so long. The fact that he tried to lure Jermain Defoe to Anfield with a last gasp transfer bid in January shows he does realise what kind of player would compliment Crouch. Sadly for Morientes it seems Benitez will soon be ready to return to the transfer market for someone pacy, aggressive and with a goal scoring ability – a description which Defoe is on his way to fulfilling, but surely conjures up an image of one English target man in particular; Michael Owen.

Until Liverpool can bring home their second prodigal son of this generation, however, Morientes will have more chances to prove his quality. It has often been argued that the Champions League suits the Spaniard more than the Premiership’s hustle and bustle, so tonight is a night when Nando’s offerings must taste better than ever.

Champions League Review - Mourinho Madness

2006-03-08T15:25:00.000Z

Jose Mourinho loses 'Special' touch and reverts to tinkering

By Edward Bearryman

Why Shaun Wright Phillips or two centre forwards could have saved Chelsea from elimination in the Champions League.

Jose Mourinho has been much lauded for his ability to administer tactical switches to ensure his Chelsea side prevail at all costs. But last night ‘The Special One’ got it horribly wrong as Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League in the Nou Camp, without so much as an attacking whimper.

It was in this competition two years ago that Claudio Ranieri’s tinkering was brought to the fore and with it departed Chelsea’s Champions League campaign, in a tie against Monaco, which they were widely expected to reign victorious.

This time, the context of the clash may have been different, with Chelsea very much the underdog, but the consequences remained alarmingly similar. Tactical frailties have cost Mourinho another foray towards the Champions League title, a quest that looks to be beyond the current crop of players at Stamford Bridge.

From the outset, it was clear that Chelsea would have to arrive at Camp Nou in attacking mood. In search of a two goal winning margin to progress to the last eight, it might not have been a surprise for Mourinho to abandon his one up-front philosophy and find a space for both Drogba and Crespo in his first eleven. Whatever the Portuguese manager plumped for, it was clear that the attacking threat from his side would have to be of far greater substance than was apparent in the first leg.

Two weeks ago Mourinho’s game plan was undoubtedly altered by the premature departure of Asier Del Horno, for his reckless challenge on the superb Lionel Messi, but Barca’s impressive style of pressing should have been resonant in Chelsea minds right up until kick-off last night.

At Stamford Bridge, Barca were predictably fluent on the ball, but it was without it that they proved most intelligent. The Catalans applied unremitting pressure on Chelsea players with the ball, squeezing The Blues deep into their own half and suffocating the midfield of Lampard, Makelele and Gudjohnsen. The midfield trio who have offered so much in the Premiership this season, performed creditably, but without the dynamism with which we have come to expect. In attacking Chelsea even without possession of the ball, Barcelona enjoyed a high line of defence with plenty of room in behind. Last season in the second leg of this tie, Chelsea exploited that high line explosively with three goals in 20 minutes at The Bridge. Perhaps Mourinho should have paid more attention to the events of that game in preparation for last night.

With goals needed and a high line to attack against Chelsea had the perfect opportunity to introduce a relative outcast of their season. Rarely could the attributes of Shaun Wright-Phillips have been so suited to European football than against the Spanish champions, but Mourinho spurned the opportunity. It’s true that SWP has appeared less coherent with his current teammates as was the case at Manchester City last season and, his inclusion in the starting eleven would have been an unquestionable gamble. But the diminutive winger has shown sparkles of his precocious talent lately and if heading to Camp Nou 2-1 down is not time to have a speculative flutter then Chelsea fans must be wondering when would be more appropriate.

Instead Mourinho opted for the consistent blandness of another £20m plus signing, Didier Drogba. This plan had worked well against Bayern Munich last year but with none of the three supporting members of Mourinho’s attacking cast getting close enough to the Ivorian centre forward, the ploy was doomed from kick off. Cole and Robben offered diligent touches and flashes of potential cutting edge but neither possess the raw pace that might catch out such a defence. Damien Duff on the other hand has seemed out of sorts for some time and his contribution was so peripheral, he might well be the first of the new Chelsea era to be ushered out stage left come the end of the season.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, Mourinho still had more tactical aberrations up his well-tailored sleeve. When the time came to make his trademark double substitution, Mourinho once again refused to inject some pace to the proceedings, preferring Eidur Gudjohnsen to SWP in replacement for Duff, but also relinquished the physical strength of Drogba with which he has put his trust in so regularly.

At such a delicate stage of the evening, one striker for another was perhaps acceptable, however what followed next was ludicrous. As he has done before in similar circumstances, Mourinho hoisted the German defender Robert Huth up the pitch, as a makeshift centre forward. Perhaps Huth is a regular victor in ‘Wembley Doubles’ in training, for one can find no other reason for the Chelsea staff’s continued belief that he will one day score the goal that rescues a game for Chelsea.

Entering the final minutes of a game Chelsea could still have won, Huth partnered Crespo up-front. No room for Shaun Wright-Phillips and no room for Gudjohnsen as a striker. And, if Mourinho does insist on plugging the gap in his front line with a centre-half, surely there is another, more suitable candidate for the role. John Terry is a constant menace in the opposition penalty area, with the ability to score or create. It was he who fashioned Chelsea’s undeserved equaliser last night, with typical stoicism that Huth would do well to emulate.

Of course, even if Chelsea had used SWP, opted for two strikers or sent their most attack-minded centre back forward, they might still have been thwarted by the best Barcelona side to turn out for a decade. But maybe Roman Abramovich will study the patchwork forward line with which Chelsea ended the game and come to the same conclusion as many others.- Jose Mourinho is no longer 'The Special One'.