Carling Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Chelsea (Injury time winner from Woodgate)

“Football is like war. You either live or die there is no sentiment”

Juande Ramos, February 2008

Tottenham Hotspur won their first trophy in nine years last night, where they had to come from behind to beat Chelsea FC, with a rather fortunate winner scored in injury time. Didier Drogba had put Chelsea in front in the first half through a freekick, of which Paul Robinson in Tottenham’s goal, should of been wise to. In the second half Tottenham were awarded a penalty after Wayne Bridge had handled in the area. Dimitar Berbatov cooly slotted the ball past Petr Cech in Chelsea’s goal, sending the match into extra time, and putting justice into which team had dominated the match thus far.

Filed under: Chelsea, League Cup, football, soccer, sports, tottenham , football, sports

How do you solve a problem like Rafa?

Rafael Benitez has been a great and fantastic success for Liverpool FC. Coming after having been in charge of Valencia in Spain, he had won two La Liga titles for that team; made them Champions league regulars and won them a UEFA Cup. This was a remarkable achievement considering Valencia were not considered heavyweights before he became their manager, and notable that his first La Liga title with Valencia was their first in thirty-one years.

Filed under: Champions league, football, liverpool, premiership, soccer, sports , football, sports

Goalposts January player of the month: Christiano Ronaldo

When Alex Ferguson first brought this young kid from Madiera, I was unimpressed. The disintigration of Manchester United’s four man midfield; which was chiefly responsible for their best successes in the late 1990’s had begun with Ronaldo taking the departed David Beckham’s number 7 shirt. Soon after Roy Keane would leave to wind down his professional career at Celtic, leaving only Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs in that dominating midfield. Early in the season Alex Ferguson had commented that the Manchester United squad he has at present, is the best he has ever had in a 21 year career at Old Trafford.

Filed under: England, manchester united, premiership, soccer, sports , football, sports

This is England. (part 2)

Where do I stand on a foreign manager again? Who cares. The man could be a Martian for all we know, but as long as he is able to steer the team to success and keep the fans happy, then his nationality should not matter. Sure it would probably be better if an English manager was appointed to an English team, and Cappello’s large entourage of backroom staff is a bit excess-ant, of which Brain Galnville rightly commented that Alf Ramsey only neede one person: Brian Glanville World soccer.I would like that more than most as it emphasises first and foremost a sense of national identity. However the arguement that Italy would never hire an English manager does not wash with me. Both nations are infamously proud of their countries so it must be expected the general outcome in such a case would be expressed unamiously.

Filed under: England, football, soccer, sports , football, sports

This is England (Part 1.)

Well it has been an interesting set of months in English football and indeed the English media. The so-called golden generation of English football failed miserably against a Croatian side supposedly inferior to the stature of Beckhams, Gerrad’s, Owen’s and Lampard’s but who played against them as if they were wearing the gold of the Brazillian team. Even as Israel handed them a life line they still conjured to mess up their chances of world domination. Good riddance to the Golden generation an FA spokesman had reportedly said. And so to the manager the “Golden” Ginger Steve McClaren.

Filed under: England, football, soccer, sports , football, sports

Middlesbrough’s Mido in the African Nations Cup against Senegal.

Egypts Mido reacts badly to being substituted, while his team is drawing against Senegal 1-1 in the 77th minute.

The coach Hassan Shehata stands his ground in his decision to replace the ineffectual Mido for striker Amr Zaki: “Why are you taking me off?” shouts Mido, to which Shehat replies “Because i am the coach” . Mido retorts back “You are nothing but a donkey”. 

As Hossam Hassan tries to calm Mido down and drag him away from the coach before fists are flown, on the pitch Mido’s replacement, Zaki scores the winner ensuring everyone whose side to stay on.

Mido is inevitably banned from international duty for six months by the Egyptian FA.

Filed under: Middlesbrough , football, sports