Manchester United claimed a win against Wolves in todays mid-week clash. United went out with a refreshed side vying out for the 3 points after a rare loss at Old Trafford during the weekend against Villa. Rare starting positions were handed out to Gabriel Obertan and Richie Da Laet. Michael Carrick filled in at centre back due to Wes Brown missing out because of a hamstring injury. Darren Gibson was handed another start,due to his impressive performances,alongside Paul Scholes. Rooney started upfront with Berbatov.
United were unlucky not to go ahead in the 3rd minute after Rooney missed a clear cut chance infront of goal. Rooney was blessed again with another chance in the 17th minute thanks to a Patrice Evra cross but to his frustration the ball did not go into the back of the net. United had to wait to go ahead in the 33rd minute thanks to a Wayne Rooney penalty. This strike has now taken him to 12 league goals. United kept the pressure on Wolves and were rewarded 2 minutes from normal time , when Vidic opened up his season's count with a banging header of a Darren Gibson corner.
It was all done and dusted in the 66th minute when Berbatov's classy flick of a Paul Scholes lob found Antonio Valencia who disposed of the ball into the back of the net with a thunderous volley.
Manchester United kept the pressure until the very last minutes and were rewarded with the 3 points. The champions now go level on points with Chelsea , who play Porthsmouth away tomorrow.
Aston Villa went to Sunderland and really gave them a run for there money to earn the 3 points. This win further established themselves in the top 4. Heskey started proceedings with a rare goal with James Milner capping out the night's work with a long range strike. Aston Villa won 2-0. All seems well in the Villa camp. They now move up into 3rd spot ahead of Arsenal who still have a game in hand.
Other results include Birmingham who beat Blackburn 2-1 and Bolton Wanderers getting the 3 points comfortably against Zola's West Ham side after beating them 3-1.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Owen Hargreaves can still be on that plane to South Africa
Fabio Capello insists there is still time for injured Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves to earn a spot on England's roster for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
But the England manager warned that the Calgary-born midfielder would have to see regular action for Manchester United over the next few months for him to be included in the England team.
Hargreaves, 28, only recently returned to training after two knee operations and spending 14 months on the sidelines.
"Why not? He can because he has time to recover everything. He has to play. Players who do not play will not be with me," Capello told reporters on Tuesday
The Italian added: "I spoke to [Hargreaves] two months ago, I met him in Manchester and he was just ready to start training. But now he is not fit.
"He has six months to recover his good form but he needs to play. I will choose players that will be fit in May, the players that play all the games."
Hargreaves broke the hearts of Canadian soccer fans in 2001 when he suited up for England's national team, pledging his international soccer allegiance to the English.
A FIFA bylaw that allows a player to represent the birth nation of his parents gave Hargreaves the option of playing for England (his father's homeland) or Wales (his mother's birth nation), in addition to Canada.
Hargreaves was England's best player at the 2006 World Cup in Germany but his career has been dogged by persistent injuries since joining Manchester United from German club Bayern Munich in 2007.
With 42 caps to his credit, Hargreaves last saw action for England in an exhibition match versus the United States in May. The last game he played in was in September 2008 for Manchester United.
He was expected to rejoin Manchester United in August, but was forced to delay his comeback and he still hasn't returned to full training with the rest of the team.
During his prolonged absence, Hargreaves's place as the English national team's top defensive midfielder has been taken over by Manchester City star Gareth Barry.
In a recent interview with CBCSports.ca, Henry Winter, chief soccer correspondent for The Daily Telegraph newspaper in England, hailed Hargreaves's talent, extolling him as "a great credit to the sports system that you have in" Canada.
"I've never really seen him have a bad game," Winter said. "When he's on the field, he makes a difference — whether it 's wining the ball, creating, free kicks, penalty kicks. He's a special player and I would definitely have him in England's starting lineup [at the World cup] if he is fit."
But the England manager warned that the Calgary-born midfielder would have to see regular action for Manchester United over the next few months for him to be included in the England team.
Hargreaves, 28, only recently returned to training after two knee operations and spending 14 months on the sidelines.
"Why not? He can because he has time to recover everything. He has to play. Players who do not play will not be with me," Capello told reporters on Tuesday
The Italian added: "I spoke to [Hargreaves] two months ago, I met him in Manchester and he was just ready to start training. But now he is not fit.
"He has six months to recover his good form but he needs to play. I will choose players that will be fit in May, the players that play all the games."
Hargreaves broke the hearts of Canadian soccer fans in 2001 when he suited up for England's national team, pledging his international soccer allegiance to the English.
A FIFA bylaw that allows a player to represent the birth nation of his parents gave Hargreaves the option of playing for England (his father's homeland) or Wales (his mother's birth nation), in addition to Canada.
Hargreaves was England's best player at the 2006 World Cup in Germany but his career has been dogged by persistent injuries since joining Manchester United from German club Bayern Munich in 2007.
With 42 caps to his credit, Hargreaves last saw action for England in an exhibition match versus the United States in May. The last game he played in was in September 2008 for Manchester United.
He was expected to rejoin Manchester United in August, but was forced to delay his comeback and he still hasn't returned to full training with the rest of the team.
During his prolonged absence, Hargreaves's place as the English national team's top defensive midfielder has been taken over by Manchester City star Gareth Barry.
In a recent interview with CBCSports.ca, Henry Winter, chief soccer correspondent for The Daily Telegraph newspaper in England, hailed Hargreaves's talent, extolling him as "a great credit to the sports system that you have in" Canada.
"I've never really seen him have a bad game," Winter said. "When he's on the field, he makes a difference — whether it 's wining the ball, creating, free kicks, penalty kicks. He's a special player and I would definitely have him in England's starting lineup [at the World cup] if he is fit."
Monday, December 14, 2009
Arsenal back in the title race
We all never thought that Arsenal could be back in the title race after only winning 2 games in there last 6 matches. Going to Anfield , most people thought that Arsenal would be on the backlash of a 'turning point' in Liverpools season as said by Benitez.
So Arsenal showed character in there match against Liverpool after going 1 goal down before half time and then scoring 2 in the second half with the help of a own goal and a superb Arshavin strike!
What this win has done , is put Arsenal 3 points behind Manchester United with a game in hand. If Arsenal are to win the game in hand against Bolton come mid-week , we shall see Arsenal going ahead on goal difference.
What this win has done to a injury baffled Arsenal side , is give them confidence and put them back in the title race. Arsene Wenger believes that this years title race will just need 75 points to secure top spot with the chasing pack not far behind.
So the season has been geared up to be one of the most exciting ones to date. Lets site back and enjoy the ride...But who do you think will win the Title race?
Will it be Arsene's kids , Ancelotti's Chelsea or the defending champions Manchester United? Well my choice is somewhat strange. I am actually going with Aston Villa on this years title. ;-)
So Arsenal showed character in there match against Liverpool after going 1 goal down before half time and then scoring 2 in the second half with the help of a own goal and a superb Arshavin strike!
What this win has done , is put Arsenal 3 points behind Manchester United with a game in hand. If Arsenal are to win the game in hand against Bolton come mid-week , we shall see Arsenal going ahead on goal difference.
What this win has done to a injury baffled Arsenal side , is give them confidence and put them back in the title race. Arsene Wenger believes that this years title race will just need 75 points to secure top spot with the chasing pack not far behind.
So the season has been geared up to be one of the most exciting ones to date. Lets site back and enjoy the ride...But who do you think will win the Title race?
Will it be Arsene's kids , Ancelotti's Chelsea or the defending champions Manchester United? Well my choice is somewhat strange. I am actually going with Aston Villa on this years title. ;-)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Manchester United stutter , Chelsea draw!
In what some might call a more exciting weekend in English Premier League football , most Manchester United fans will be throwing a fit due to a lackluster performance by the reigning champions in what seemed to be a runaway victory for the Red Devil's.
All of us were surprised at the way Ferguson approached this game , sending out a negative 4-5-1 starting XI.What makes it worse , is the fact that Aston Villa side hasn't won at Old Trafford since 1983! On the other hand Aston Villa went out all fired up and the top 4 inpired Aston Villa gave Manchester United a run for there money.
Villa went ahead and got the lead through a wonderful header by Agbonlahor. Regardless of this , Manchesrer United kept the pressure and persisted which lead to Rooney creating a chance for himself but unfortunately hitting the crossbar.
With a second half change , Michael Owen replaced the injured Ryan Giggs to bring in some much needed firepower upfront. Much to United fans amazement , United continued to dominate proceedings with 78% of the possession yet not scoring one goal in the entire match.
For many United fans , this was a annoying result and the way Sir Alex Ferguson approached the game has got many fans talking about the future of Sir Alex at Old Trafford with rumours creeping up of 'The Special One' aka Jose Mourinho approaching the Red Devil's managerial seat in a few seasons.
This was one of those days , that just didn't go United's way. Even with Chelsea drawing against Everton in an exciting 3-3 game and the possibility of gaining 3 points to go level with Chelsea. The Red Devil's didn't have what it takes to get the 3 points and put pressure on Chelsea
The Red Devils find themselves 3 points behind Chelsea , with Aston Villa now moving up into 3rd spot. The pack are chasing and it is not up to the lads to move on with the Title Race with a win against Wolves this Tuesday.
One thing is for sure , this is going to be one of the most exciting races towards the Title. Lets get ready for a showdown come the end of the season.
All of us were surprised at the way Ferguson approached this game , sending out a negative 4-5-1 starting XI.What makes it worse , is the fact that Aston Villa side hasn't won at Old Trafford since 1983! On the other hand Aston Villa went out all fired up and the top 4 inpired Aston Villa gave Manchester United a run for there money.
Villa went ahead and got the lead through a wonderful header by Agbonlahor. Regardless of this , Manchesrer United kept the pressure and persisted which lead to Rooney creating a chance for himself but unfortunately hitting the crossbar.
With a second half change , Michael Owen replaced the injured Ryan Giggs to bring in some much needed firepower upfront. Much to United fans amazement , United continued to dominate proceedings with 78% of the possession yet not scoring one goal in the entire match.
For many United fans , this was a annoying result and the way Sir Alex Ferguson approached the game has got many fans talking about the future of Sir Alex at Old Trafford with rumours creeping up of 'The Special One' aka Jose Mourinho approaching the Red Devil's managerial seat in a few seasons.
This was one of those days , that just didn't go United's way. Even with Chelsea drawing against Everton in an exciting 3-3 game and the possibility of gaining 3 points to go level with Chelsea. The Red Devil's didn't have what it takes to get the 3 points and put pressure on Chelsea
The Red Devils find themselves 3 points behind Chelsea , with Aston Villa now moving up into 3rd spot. The pack are chasing and it is not up to the lads to move on with the Title Race with a win against Wolves this Tuesday.
One thing is for sure , this is going to be one of the most exciting races towards the Title. Lets get ready for a showdown come the end of the season.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Manchester United's Zoran Tosic is a mystery man!
I don't know about you , but i seem to have heard this lads name a lot during international football namely with Serbia. Scoring twice against the host nation of the 2010 Fifa World Cup is surely not an easy task. But my question is why doesn't a full international get recognized by Sir Alex Ferguson.
For me , it's rather amusing that he does not get into the Manchester United Starting XI. His competition is the legendary Ryan Giggs and a misfiring Nani as well as the new french sensation Gabriel Obertan.
If you want to know more about this kid , you need to see Zoran's 'one man' goal against Hull City in the reserves. A little bit of skill , pace and utter determination is what describes this small football palyer and the goals he seems to knot under his belt.
Since Manchester United have snubbed Adem Ljajic's deal to come to the club in the January transfer windown , one may ask themselves whether Zoran Tosic's future at Old Trafford is sure to end come January or whether 'Bambi' otherwise known by his team mates will last a long time with the Red Devil's and be sure to leave his legacy.
All i know is that the future of Manchester United's players are in good hands when you know you have the best manager in the world to handle your affairs
For me , it's rather amusing that he does not get into the Manchester United Starting XI. His competition is the legendary Ryan Giggs and a misfiring Nani as well as the new french sensation Gabriel Obertan.
If you want to know more about this kid , you need to see Zoran's 'one man' goal against Hull City in the reserves. A little bit of skill , pace and utter determination is what describes this small football palyer and the goals he seems to knot under his belt.
Since Manchester United have snubbed Adem Ljajic's deal to come to the club in the January transfer windown , one may ask themselves whether Zoran Tosic's future at Old Trafford is sure to end come January or whether 'Bambi' otherwise known by his team mates will last a long time with the Red Devil's and be sure to leave his legacy.
All i know is that the future of Manchester United's players are in good hands when you know you have the best manager in the world to handle your affairs
Thursday, December 10, 2009
World Fifa Player of the Year - Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?
Well , it is that time of the year when we have to honour the world's best soccer player! The shortlist is out and to my amazement , they are all from Spanish La Liga .
I'm not sure whether this means that La Liga is the best league in the world , but it sure does mean that Barcelona and Real Madrid have the best players in the world nonetheless.
So who are the best 5 in the world? Well i'm sure you knew it already
Lionel Messi - Barcelona
Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid
Xavi Hernandez - Barcelona
Andres Iniesta - Barcelona
Kaka - Real Madrid
The favourite for the award is Lionel Messi. He took the Ballon D'Or earlier this year. He won the treble with Barcelona and it would be a huge shock in the footballing world if he does not get it!
So lets wait for the 18th of December and we shall know who the best of the best is!
Feel free , to leave behind your comment.
I'm not sure whether this means that La Liga is the best league in the world , but it sure does mean that Barcelona and Real Madrid have the best players in the world nonetheless.
So who are the best 5 in the world? Well i'm sure you knew it already
Lionel Messi - Barcelona
Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid
Xavi Hernandez - Barcelona
Andres Iniesta - Barcelona
Kaka - Real Madrid
The favourite for the award is Lionel Messi. He took the Ballon D'Or earlier this year. He won the treble with Barcelona and it would be a huge shock in the footballing world if he does not get it!
So lets wait for the 18th of December and we shall know who the best of the best is!
Feel free , to leave behind your comment.
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