The FC 100: Loves Talking Football.

All of the Champions League games are delicately poised going into the second legs in a fortnight’s time.
                
Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona are in strong positions having secured an early advantage in their respective ties.
Liverpool produced a dominant performance to secure a 2-0 win over Inter Milan. Having been held by ten-man Inter for 86 minutes, the Italians were on course to pull off a terrific result having defended doggedly from the outset. However goals from Kuyt and crucially Steven Gerrard in the 90th minute, have given Liverpool a terrific platform from which to secure qualification for the quarter-finals. Gerrard’s goal may well prove to be the difference as Inter would surely have settled for a 1-0 defeat. Materazzi’s suspension and an injury to the superb Ivan Cordoba will also give Liverpool hope that they can grab a vital away goal in the San Siro.
The Inter Milan team may well be a much-changed outfit however, with the likes of Viera, Figo and Hernan Crespo likely to feature prominently in the second leg. While Torres was, for the most part, kept quiet by Inter’s excellent defence, the Spaniard will fancy his chances against a weakened defence in the second leg, especially as Inter will have to push far further upfield than they ever did in the game at Anfield.
              
An 87th minute goal from substitute Carlos Tevez gave Manchester United a vital away goal despite a lacklustre performance. Lyon took the lead early in the second half after United-target Karim Benzema scored a terrific solo effort, with four Red shirts around him the Frenchman somehow shifted the ball from his right foot to his left and belted the ball past Edwin Van der Saar.
In a free-flowing game Wayne Rooney’s 1-on-1 with Coupet was well saved while Juninho went close with a free-kick.
Benzema had a chance to make it 2-0 when he evaded a Rio Ferdinand challenge only for the ever-reliable Vidic to step across and sheperd the forward wide.
Ronaldo had a quiet night but produced a terrific save from Coupet late-on when his free-kick threatened to sneak in at the far post. However when Giggs and Scholes were replaced by Nani and Tevez, United began to look brighter and sure enough when Nani’s cross was deflected by Fred, Tevez pounced on the line to give United a foot in the quarter-finals.

Celtic and Barcelona put on a terrific game of football at Celtic Park but with the Catalans running out 3-2 winners, Barcelona will be confident they can secure victory in the Nou Camp, and they are already looking like the team to beat. Despite a disappointing campaign so far in La Liga, Barca have cut the gap on arch-rivals Madrid to just five points and on this display they look like peaking at just the right time.
Celtic took the lead through Venegoor of Hesselink, a terrific header against the run of play. However despite Robson’s goal to make it 2-1, a brace from Messi and a brilliant strike from Thierry Henry leave Barcelona in the driving seat.
Gordan Strachan joked after the game that he wouldn’t put his house on Celtic winning in two weeks time and he’s rarely wrong about these kind of things.

Elsewhere AC Milan and Arsenal played out an entertaining 0-0 draw at the Emirates. AC will be favourites as the old masters denied an exciting Arsenal team. Adebayor’s stoppage time miss will be giving him sleepless nights this week, the Togo striker slamming a header against the bar with the entire goal gaping in front of him…..Chelsea did enough to take a 0-0 game back to London and should progress past Olympiakos. With one eye on Sunday’s Carling Cup Final, Avram Grant rested Terry and Lampard and with one of the strongest squads in Europe, Chelsea should progress to the next phase in two weeks time…… Fenerbache’s 3-2 win over Sevilla makes for a hell of a return leg in Spain. An 87th minute deflected winner means the Turks can progress to the quarter finals for the first time if they avoid defeat in Spain. However, Sevilla will be confident they can turn the game on it’s head at home, and are many peoples’ tips as a dark horse this season…..Roma and Real Madrid served up an entertaining encounter which the Italians shaded 2-1. Despite a strong first-half performance from Real, Roma take the advantage thanks to two Francesco Totti-assisted goals….Shalke 04 lead FC Porto 1-0 thanks to a fourth minute Kevin Kuranyi strike. While the game was always likely to be tight, Shalke are firmly in the driving seat, aware that an away goal will give the Portugese team a mountain to climb. While Shalke’s defence has been their achilles heel so far this season, in Kuranyi they have a top striker and they will look to score and force FC Porto to gamble at the back, having to attack in search of three goals…

After the weekend’s action put paid to another couple of Premiership teams, the draw for the quarter-final of the FA Cup has been made.

         
(Terry and Lampard celebrate last year’s victory over Man Utd)

Manchester United have been rewarded for their victory over Arsenal with another home draw against Portsmouth while Chelsea will travel to giant-killers Barnsley.
Middlesbrough or Sheffield United will entertain Cardiff City while the final game sees a guaranteed place in the semi-finals for a team outside the Premiership when Bristol Rovers host West Bromwich Albion.

The full draw:
Barnsley V Chelsea
Brstol Rovers V West Brom
Man Utd V Portsmouth
Sheffield United V Cardiff City
(ties to be played Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th March: Man Utd’s game against Bolton, Chelsea’s game against Derby and Boro’s game against Aston Villa will all have to be re-scheduled)

MAN UTD V MAN CITY

A thrilling derby is in store for the lunchtime kick-off tomorrow, Sunday February 10.
While the first talking point will be whether the Man City fans will respect the minutes silence for the victims of the Munich air crash, the game itself should be entertaining.
Benjani’s confession that he didn’t want to leave Portsmouth will probably not have endeared him to the City fans. A goal at Old Trafford may go some way to changing that.

Continue reading ‘Sunday Preview’

 (See? Even Alex doesn’t like himself)

Ok, before we start complaining about the most irritatingly smug person in football let’s just say this for the record:

This blog, like everyone else in football, admires Ferguson for his achievements on the pitch. The man has made Manchester United one of the best clubs around and when he goes there will be a void a Old Trafford of a similar stature as Shankly at Liverpool or Clough at Nottingham Forest.

The man has won everything to win in football and when he leaves he will have left the club one of the richest in the world; overseen huge developments in Old Trafford’s infrastructure and man-managed some of the greatest idols in footballing history like Roy Keane, Eric Cantona and Rooney and Ronaldo of today’s crop (who are undeniably on their way to idol status, if they haven’t already achieved it).

 It’s just that he can’t stop rubbing it in peoples’ faces. Humility has never been Sir Alex’s forte, but surely he doesn’t feel that his achievements are not recognised often enough

In the last two weeks, Ferguson has said the following about Manchester United:

Continue reading ‘Alex Ferguson’

It’s an important week ahead in the footballing world. Kind of. Well we’re gonna try and make it sound like it’s important anyway.

International Week:

Fabio Capello took his first training session as England manager today. While the media feverishly tried to figure out who will captain England against Switzerland, a rare honest moment from a Premiership footballer came when Steven Gerrard admitted the players were nervous about meeting Capello.
The fact that Beckham was left out indicates the Italian will not be succumbing to popular or media opinion. While it seems cruel to deny Beckham the 100th cap, the simple fact is - it’s not.
We’ve said our piece about Beckham:

http://thefc100.wordpress.com/2007/11/20/england-v-croatia-preview/

Continue reading ‘The week ahead’

United and Arsenal in happier times… 

It feels like it has been missing for the past few years. There were epics, pitched battles, moments to savour and, unfortunately, a couple of dull ones but when the Arsenal and Manchester United have met it invariably provides talking points, controversy and deepening distaste between fans.

Arsenal falling off the pace of the likes of United, Chelsea and Liverpool over the past number of seasons has been the major factor in this fixture slipping under the radar but now the two top teams in the premier league come face to face again with the stakes higher than they have been in recent times.

This game has a high billing. The two most attrctive, arguably most consistent over the past decade and the two best managers in the league coming face to face on even points with Arsenal having one game in hand.

Ferguson has come out saying that this game won’t decide the title and he’s right but the confidence and the mental advantage that is at stake here will go a long way to getting there. It is a testament to the consistencey and performance levels of the top teams in the league that clashes such as this are so vital. We have seen Chelsea, United and Arsenal all sit on top of the league for months and months at a time. Even though it is only a table and the real decisions will be made on the pitch, the confidence of being on top is crucial to a league winning side. We saw it with United and Chelsea last year, Chelsea simply were not comfortable chasing the title.

No matter what the managers, players, pundits, tea-ladies or your mother says, this game is vital. And it is sure to be an absolute cracker. Often this fixture can be over-hyped and since the exit of Messrs. Keane and Viera it has most definitely lost some of its appeal but now there is a host of new, young players in each club and hopefully tomorrows clash will be the breeding ground for many new rivalries.

With both teams on song and both squads relatively healthy it is next to impossible to pick a winner tomorrow but when push comes to shove it has got to be United really.

Arsenal have talent and what they lacked in experience over the past few years they are making up for with determination and conviction this year but they still lack that cutting edge and if it becomes a real battle tomorrow at the Emirates then I don’t know who they have to fight for them. Fabregas is turning into a real player, a soon to be “great” player but his attitude and desire haven’t really been tested so far this season so it remains to be seen how good he is. Far be it from me to question the judgement of Arsene Wenger but, for tomorrow especially, he has to pick Gilberto over Flamini. The Brazilian’s experience of the big games and his ability to lead on the pitch is second to none, even if Wenger bowed to pressure by giving the Captain’s armband to Gallas.

Ferguson doesn’t have too much to do for tomorrow but will be boosted that Gary Neville, Louis Saha and Michael Carrick are all available. Neville is unlikely to feature but Carrick is likely to come in for the injured Scholes and then Sir Alex must decide if Saha sits on the bench or disrupts the balance of the attacking phenomena which is currently in progress. The form of United at the moment is likely to carry them through tomorrows game and give them the win they need. Big performances are expected, hoewever, from the likes of Hargreaves who needs to show why he was signed. He has yet to play the way he played for England in the World Cup and I wonder if we will see that side of him.

I’m still backing United but I don’t think there will be as many goals for either side as in previous games. It will be good to watch so make sure you see it. Anything tipped to be “GAME OF THE SEASON” usually disappoints but maybe, just maybe we could be in for something special tomorrow afternoon. 

Brazil has been announced as the host nation for the 2014 World Cup Finals. With all they hype about Mr. Ramos taking the reigns at Spurs, this story has been slightly overlooked today. Perhaps because we have to wait another seven years for it to materialise. Still, it’s exciting news and most of us will be wondering whether we’d be in a position to afford to go in seven years time. Personally I think I know the answer to that question, good luck to the rest of you though….
Ok, ok. Ramos. Spurs.
Continue reading ‘In Brief’

(Just press refresh)

0min: Probably a bit nippy in Kiev. I’m doing my best to keep warm with the central heating on and a cup of tea in my hand….

1min: Apparently Ronaldo is ‘fresh as a daisy’. Smashing news from ITV.

2min: Not too many Utd players wearing gloves that I can make out. A few Kiev players feeling the cold though. Anderson and O’Shea as a central midfield partnership is more likely to get the knees knocking though, let’s be fair….

Continue reading ‘Dinamo Kiev V Man Utd. Live commentary’

Wednesday’s Fixtures:

• Rangers Vs Stuttgart
• Barcelona Vs Lyon
• Roma Vs Dynamo Kiev
• Sporting Lisbon Vs Man Utd
• PSV Eindhoven Vs CSKA Moscow
• Fenerbache Vs Inter Milan
• Arsenal Vs Sevilla
• Slavia Prague Vs Steaua Bucharest

Tonight’s fixtures are generally more attractive on paper. After a frightening lack of top class goals last night, we’ll be hoping for better fare tonight when some entertaining teams take to the pitch. Pick of the bunch has to be at the Emirates where two of the most attractive teams to watch in Europe face each other; Arsenal Vs Sevilla. 

Arsenal have enjoyed a terrific start to the season and although Wenger admitted today that selling Henry was a gamble, the man himself has also stated that Arsenal are playing more like a team in his absence. Sevilla have had their problems recently. Puerta’s death means every game is shrouded in emotion and the pressure to perform intensifies. With Ramos and star full-back Alves linked away from the club, it has been a trying few weeks. However, free from distractions, thefc100 has high hopes for this game. Both play a fluid counter-attacking game and neither are afraid to commit numbers forward. (after all that, a boring 1-0 win for the Arsenal has to be the outcome, we’ve gone and built it up too much again….bugger.)

Moving on, Sporting Vs United could also be a cracker. Now that we’ve put a few on Ronaldo to score in the 90 mins, expect him to be either rested or absolute crap. Either way it’ll be interesting to see the reaction of the crowd to the fairyboy and Nani returning home. SPARKS WILL FLY. Possibly they won’t, however the game has high scoring draw written all over it….

Elsewhere Barca V Lyon looks decent. Lyon are traditionally absolutely superb in the group stages (Barca could ask Madrid about the last two seasons. Chances are they won’t though. What with them being sworn enemies and all…) and knocked out as soon as the going gets tough and they decide winning Ligue 1 for the 54th time in a row is a better idea……The battle of the capital letters is our dark horse for the night. PSV Vs CSKA might be absolutely sensational and we’re willing to bet anyone any money that there will be at least six goals*. The fact that Russian teams have a harder time on their travels than Bin Laden at US Passport control suggests PSV will walk it but we’re not so sure. PSV are a more defensive outfit under Koeman, but Inter Milan and Fenerbache make up a tough group so attack may well be the order of the day….

*we’re not willing to actually bet any money with anyone, it just sounded good at the time….. 

• Tottenham 1 (Bale) Arsenal 3 (Adebayor x2, Fabregas)
• Chelsea 0 Blackburn Rovers 0
• Birmingham 1 (Kapo) Bolton 0
• Wigan 1 (Koumas, pen) Fulham 1 (Dempsey)
• Portsmouth 0 Liverpool 0
• Everton 0 Manchester Utd 1 (Vidic)
• West Ham 3 (Bowyer, Young o.g., Ashton)  Middlesbrough 0
• Sunderland 2 (Jones, Wallace) Reading 1 (Kitson)
• Playing Sunday, 18th: Man City Vs Aston Villa
• Playing Monday, 19th: Derby Vs Newcastle

So, new leaders (Arsenal), same old problems (Spurs) and winning games like potential champions (Man Utd). Throw in a poor performance from Liverpool, the goal that got away for Chelsea, Sunderland doing it for the old boy, West Ham playing like Brazil, Fulham and Wigan getting a draw as predicted by anyone who’s ever watched football and Birmingham taking another valuable three points, and it looks like the Premiership is back.

Unfortunately, Saturday kicked off with three entertaining games being played at overlapping times. Utd’s trip to Everton is rarely easy, sometimes comical (last season’s 4-2 win) and occasionally dull as a politician’s wife (see yesterday’s game). Utd toiled, Everton toiled and 0-0 looked about right until the game’s outstanding performer Nemanja Vidic powered what is fact becoming a signature bullet header into Everton’s rarely tested net. While the goal was seemingly harsh on Everton, Vidic has established himself as an absolutely vital part of Utd’s team. Everton may wish they had shown greater attacking threat and they could have been the happier of the teams, however Ferdinand and Vidic were in no mood to be bullied by Yakubu and Johnson.

Liverpool were desperately dissapointing in their stalemate at Fratton Park. Portsmouth occasionally played some outstanding football, creating excellent chances and having a penalty saved, Jose Reina diving to his right to keep out what Harry Redknapp later described as Kanu’s “crap” penalty. While the decision to award the spot-kick caused controversy, thefc100 stands by the decision. Arbeloa clearly uses his grip on Kanu to gain an advantage in getting to the cross, the fact that Kanu barely thought it was a penalty shows how far wrestling in the box goes unpunished these days. Liverpool didn’t conjure up enough, James had a quiet day in goal for the home side, and the midfield of Benayoun, Alonso, Sissoko and Pennant never sparkled.

Arsenal racked up another impressive win to keep confounding the critics, this time winning at Spurs, who continue to struggle against the top 4 sides. Spurs took the lead through Gareth Bale’s free-kick that will have had Lehman giggling at his deputy’s attempt to keep it out. Does Lehman giggle though? Or even laugh? Probably not. Probably goes hunting to express his amusement. Local sheep beware. Spurs had several excellent chances against a makeshift Arsenal back four. Berbatov’s one-on-one the pick of the bunch, rounding Almunia before attempting to round Kolo Toure. One too many attempts to round methinks. The kind of situation, according to RTE pundit Graeme Souness, that will have Martin Jol “tearing his hair out”. Really Graeme. Which hair is that then?     

Goals from Adebayor (why Robinson went charging out to swipe at thin air we’ll never know), Fabregas (why Robinson went for it with his left paw we’ll never know) and an absolute beauty for Adebayor’s second (why Robinson bothered diving we’ll never know) ensured Arsenal fans went home absolutely delirious. Top of the league. Oh and Spurs are kicking their heels down by the relegation area.

Elsewhere, West Ham put on a great show for their fans. Lee Bowyer got to perform his ‘i’m the world’s biggest scumbag’ celebration for the second time in three weeks. Nice. Dean Ashton in silly blonde hair and shiny red boots prodded in the third. His first goal in nearly a year and a half. And it showed; celebration was a bit rusty. Birmingham beat Bolton 1-0 to leave the Trotters in the relegation area and looking in big trouble. Failure to pick up points is one thing, but against potential relegation rivals…..uh-oh. The only team Bolton have beaten this year is Reading who lost again, this time to Resevoir Dog wannabe Roy Keane’s Sunderland. Kenwyne Jones apparantly played a blinder on his debut. Gotta wonder how impressed Keane is by the man’s ‘cirque du soleil’ impression for a celebration. Man wasn’t built to do ridiculous flips through the air. Just ask Lua-Lua. So Sunderland are back on track. Fulham are not. Kinda. Despite dominating for periods against Wigan, a ridiculous challenge by Bouazza on Melchiot (ooh if I just knee him from behind chances are there won’t be a goalscoring opportunity. What? Penalty? Ah so that’s the downside…..) meant Wigan continue their decent start to the season.

European Previews will be up shortly. Peace.