All posts by h79snht.top

Blackpool suffered relegation heartbreak on the final day of the season as Manchester United were presented with a record 19th title.The Tangerines almost pulled off the impossible when they went 2-1 up at Old Trafford, but three second-half goals from the hosts condemned Ian Holloway’s side to a 4-2 loss and a return to the Championship.

For United it was a stern test ahead of their Champions League final against Barcelona and was the perfect way to end the season.

Both sides had chances early in the game. Adam’s low cross picked out Blackpool team-mate Keith Southern but he dragged his shot wide.

At the other end, Rafael hit a dipping half volley from 20 yards out which stung the palms of keeper Matthew Gilks.

But just when Blackpool thought they were containing the champions, United were ahead in the 21st minute when Dimitar Berbatov flicked the ball onto Park Ji-Sung running into the box and he duly put it past Gilks.

Berbatov could have increased the lead for the hosts after picking the ball up in the area and shooting at close range, but this time Gilks managed to stick a leg out to make the block.

And the Tangerines stunned Old Trafford when they equalised after 40 minutes through talisman Charlie Adam.

Nemanja Vidic fouled Gary Taylor-Fletcher, and from on the edge of the area the Blackpool skipper brilliantly curled the ball over the wall and past Edwin Van der Sar.

Straight after the break Adam almost put Blackpool ahead with another free-kick, but this time Edwin Van der Sar – playing in his last game at Old Trafford – was able to palm his rasping shot over the bar.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher offered up a lifeline when he converted a well-placed cross by Michael Vaughan with a flick into the back of the net in the 57th minute.

But United proved they were not about to go soft on the Seasiders when Anderson replied five minutes later after a neat combination with Park and a shot from 12 yards out.

Blackpool were dealt a crushing blow in the 74th minute when Chris Smalling sent a swinging cross in from the right towards Michael Owen, but defender Ian Evatt stuck a foot out and sent the ball into the back of his own net.

Owen sealed the victory after Anderson threaded a pass through Blackpool’s defence and the striker placed it past Gilks.

When you’re getting ready to watch your team play, either in the stands or on television, isn’t there always one song that really gets the blood boiling? Either way, you can be stood next to somebody, joining them in a chorus of ’Never Walk Alone’ in the Kop at Liverpool preparing to really get behind the team, or alternatively, you could belong to the section of Manchester United fans (amongst others) whose ears bleed at the very sound of the Rogers and Hammerstein show tune.

Club anthems have become a huge part of football. Certain songs have become synonymous with football clubs and they are recited by fans as proudly as owning and wearing any merchandise. So what are the best cult football chants? We all think our team’s are the best, but let’s be honest, a lot of them don’t hold up to some of the really great songs. I use the term ‘great’ loosely – after all, we won’t all appreciate seeing our biggest rivals’ anthem listed as one of the best around. But below are my top 10 cult football chants from around the Premier League. Some may be connected to the club, others a legend of the game but all in all, these are the ones I think are most renowned in English football. If you feel I’ve unfairly excluded one of your favourite football tunes, feel free to argue your case in the comments section below! Oh, and just before you ask: no, ‘pass and move like the Liverpool groove’ does not count.

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Click on the fans below to see the Top TEN

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Wojciech Szczesny has stated that Arsenal are not over-reliant on Robin van Persie, and despite his goalscoring prowess are not a one man team.

The Netherlands international has been in red hot form this season, and has scored 31 goals in his last 30 games.

Despite the attacker playing a key part in the North London club’s revival from a slow start this campaign, the Polish stopper feels that the Emirates Stadium team have a lot more to offer than one in-form striker.

“I don’t think we are over-reliant on him,” the keeper told The Sun.

“We’ve got some fantastic players in this team and we work as a team. The whole team stuck together when we went 1-0 down against Fulham, we stuck together well.

“I don’t think we are a one-man team — we are a great all-round team,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger has admitted that he will field a number of fringe players against Manchester City in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, resting the likes of Van Persie.

“I believe that some players are on the fringe of being really limited. I will rest some players, but I still want to play a team that has a chance to win the game,” the French coach told Arsenal Player.

“Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emmanuel Frimpong will play, but I consider them to be first-team players.

“Park Chu-Young is adapting to the level he is facing here and he has another opportunity against Manchester City to show that he can do it.

“Yossi Benayoun has been absolutely fantastic, but we have so much choice in midfield and we play with three strikers. The chances for the midfielders are not so big and that is why he has not played as much as he deserves.

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“The attitude of all the players that came in has been great, everybody helps focus the team to win and he does that as well,” Wenger concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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When looking through a Tottenham Hotspur team sheet you will never be short on flair and attacking creativity. Rafael van der Vaart, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale are just a few of the names that possess the skill to win Spurs’ matches in the attacking third. But the one glaring admission that haunted Tottenham last season was a lack of a genuine leader. Much was said about Tottenham’s failure to reach the Champions League last season but was the lack of this big character the reason Spurs’ missed out on the top four?

Every successful team needs that a natural leader on the pitch as well as on the sidelines. The Premier League is rife with big characters who can drive their team forward (for example John Terry at Chelsea, Steven Gerrard at Liverpool and Rio Ferdinand at Manchester United). The Spurs’ team is never short on quality but across the squad there is a lack of leaders to inspire and organise the team. Many Spurs’ fans would argue that the natural leader of the team is Ledley King but unfortunately for Harry Redknapp, King continues to spend more time on the treatment table than he does on the pitch.

King only made nine appearances for Spurs last season in what was another frustrating campaign for the former England international.  Injuries once again took their toll and whilst King has had successful knee surgery this week, doubts still remain over what role he can play for Tottenham next season. The absence of King and the effect that had of Spurs’ push for the top four last season can be seen in the stats for the 2009/10 campaign. That season King made 19 starts for Spurs in the Premier League and captained the side to a fourth placed finish, securing their Champions League entry.

Obviously the absence of King was not the only reason Spurs failed to make the top four. In such a competitive league with six teams pushing for four places, it was always going to be hard for Spurs to replicate a top four finish year on year. Spurs also dropped crucial points in the second half of the season, only struggling to draws against smaller clubs like Wolves, West Ham, Wigan and West Brom. But would a fully fit King have made a difference in those sort of games?

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Well many of the dropped points and frustrating 0-0 draws may have been down to a lack of goals (with only 17 league goals scored by Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch combined). But King’s towering presence at the back may have helped in games like the 3-3 draw with Wolves, a fantastic spectacle for the neutral but one to make most Spurs’ fans tear their hair out! Spurs also have experienced pros in their ranks, with both Michael Dawson and William Gallas having experience in captaining teams.

King’s absence, combined with a lack of solid spine down the heart of Tottenham’s team, cost the London club last season. Whilst settling for the Europa League is not a disaster for Harry, he needs to invest in leaders across the pitch who can drive the team forward and compliment the raft of attacking threats that would make most Premier League managers jealous.

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If you want to read more of my bite size, 160 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

As the transfer window slammed shut, there was the usual flurry of activity from Premier League clubs in a bid to do some last-minute business. Arsenal were one of the busiest clubs, concluding the window with the signature of Mikel Arteta from Everton, while Chelsea had the last word by signing Raul Meireles from Liverpool.

Elsewhere there was plenty going on, with Tottenham turning down a player swap for Bolton’s Gary Cahill, while Spurs tried to hijack Liverpool’s move for Craig Bellamy. Finally, in the newspapers this morning away from transfer dealings, Man United are set to announce record profits and one of their ex-goalkeepers turns down England’s advances.

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Coyle wanted Defoe in exchange for Cahill – Daily Mirror

Arteta takes pay cut to join Arsenal – The Sun

Suarez helps Liverpool bring in key target – Guardian

Man City take gamble on Owen – Telegraph

Spurs tried to hijack Bellamy move – Daily Mail

SWP snubs three clubs to join QPR – The Sun

Roy the Real deal for Moyes – Daily Mail

Crouch in move after learning he didn’t make the 25 – Daily Mirror

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Man United to annouce record profits – Guardian

Foster turns down Capello cry for help – Telegraph

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Liverpool arrives in North London looking to secure a win double in the capital. After the setback at the Britannia last week Kenny Dalglish will be hoping for a positive response tomorrow against arguably one of their main rivals for the Champions League spot.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include the unfair treatment of Carroll; the reasons behind £51m splurge, while Henry and LFC should think bigger.

We also look at the best Liverpool articles around the web this week.

Shall we take Comolli’s lack of transfer plans with a pinch of salt?

Treatment of Liverpool ace is unfair and unjust

Caption Competition: Liverpool new boy up to his old tricks

The reasoning behind Liverpool’s £51m splurge

Managers should stop short of conspiracy theories

The ideal retirement place for former Liverpool stars

Should Henry and LFC be thinking bigger?

Do transfer deals suggest the age of the ‘selling club’ is over?

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Best of WEB

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IS THIS LIVERPOOL’S BEST STARTING ELEVEN? – Live4Liverpool

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Kenny Dalglish Is Ruining Liverpool – The Tomkins Times

Is Jamie Carragher Still a Certain Starter for Liverpool? – Anfield Index

Liverpool FC Summer 2011 – Who went where – This is Anfield

TIME FOR THIS LIVERPOOL LEGEND TO BE PHASED OUT – Live4Liverpool

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I’ve heard a lot of names bandied about for the West Ham job since Avram Grant got the tin tack last week. Martin O’Neill, Sam Allardyce, Steve McClaren, the usual suspects, and then there’s Neil Warnock, Dave Jones, Chris Hughton and Paul Lambert, to name but a few. If it were up to me, though, I’d tell David Gold and David Sullivan to forget that lot, even if the boy Lambert does fit the young-and-smart bill I’d be looking for.

Now I understand why he is tickling their fancy – he’s done a phenomenal job at Carrow Road and had two great years. But if I was him I’d want to see that job through and give at least one season to having a crack at the Premier League. I’d miss Delia’s cooking, too. That’s why my choice for West Ham would be Neil Lennon.

I was up in Scotland at a function with my old pal Saint last week and, from what I picked up, it’s going to be very hard for Celtic to hang on to him the way things are going. And whatever you think about Lennon, the one thing everybody agrees on is that he has a tremendous attitude and fantastic drive. It certainly wouldn’t be a case of the same-old, same-old that West Ham need to avoid.

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A complete overhaul and change of image is what my old club needs now. They’ve won three FA Cups and a Cup Winners’ Cup in the last 50 years and that doesn’t show any ambition. It’s why the move to Stratford is vitally important and so, too, is getting the right manager. Lennon has proved he’s up for the fight, so why not get him out of his situation?

Things are going to be very, very awkward for him and everybody else in Scotland, and it’s not going to get any easier. So get Lennon, get a new stadium… and maybe even a new strip. Keep the claret and blue, of course, but make it claret and blue stripes. West Ham need something that’s going to make the team look radical. They have to say, ‘Right, this is us, we’re a Championship side now’, and then concentrate on getting back to the Premier League.

They’re also going to need new players to do that. I’d move Heaven and Earth to keep Scott Parker, even though it won’t happen, and I’d let the rest go. Why not buy the entire QPR team? They did it this season and a lot of them won’t now get a look-in. West Ham’s a great club but they can’t live on their past any longer.

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The five most identifiable players remain Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds … and Bonzo, the most recent of the lot, hasn’t kicked a ball for the club for 23 years. My old mate Mooro would look at the current situation and, just like everyone else who’s ever played for them, shrug his shoulders and say, ‘Well, that’s West Ham’. But that’s how everyone else sees it as well and it’s an image that needs to be changed.

Arsenal and Tottenham fans have been moaning about ticket prices, their teams and their managers… and they’ll both finish in the top six and have seen European football next season. West Ham fans don’t moan like that, they’re phenomenal. They just say, ‘Right, what you having, pint of Guinness?’ And my bet is a few of them will say they’re looking forward to the Championship because at least they might win a few games.

Gold and Sullivan know what they’re doing, and I don’t think a lot of people give them credit for that. I know Gold, he’s a very nice bloke, although there are mixed feelings about the two of them because of how they make their money. Sure, some people look on it as immoral because it’s the pornographic scene. But they’re two genuine guys who obviously have an eye for a market and good luck to them – I wish I’d been with them when they were starting out.

Liverpool fans seem to be waking each and every morning with a new reason to be optimistic as the gloom recedes over Anfield, and today, Pepe Reina has announced his intentions to remain in goal for the Reds following a series of revelations over the past year that he would be leaving, not least to join rivals, Manchester United.

“I am happy, calm and comfortable here,” Reina told the Spanish radio station, Cadena Cope, before continuing: “I am looking towards the future which I reckon will bring a lot of happiness and hopefully the new project with the new American owners [Fenway Sports Group] will be a convincing one.” The Spainish international had previously suggested that he was considering a career away from Liverpool, like national compatriots Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres, if the club failed to meet his ambitions. But the 28-year-old, who is believed to have a £20m release clause in his current five-year contract, now appears to see a future for himself at a club that has been revitalized under interim manager, Kenny Dalglish.

“Obviously [Rafael] Benítez brought me here but that doesn’t mean that I’m unhappy with [Kenny] Dalglish, quite the opposite. I think he’s the ideal man for Liverpool at this moment,” Reina added. But was has really influenced the player’s sudden change of heart? He isn’t the only high-profile Premier League star to publicly announce his intention to leave his current club this season, and both Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez reneged on their initial avowals to a successful extent, so perhaps Reina believes his recent reversal will enhance his status at Britain’s most successful club.

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He is already considered one of Liverpool’s most significant assets, and has been since his arrival in 2005. He boasts a catalogue of fine performances during his 308 appearances for the club, and cemented his place as a fans’ favourite due to his commanding presence, excellent reflexes and regular penalty saves. What’s more, Reina’s dependability has allowed the three managers he has worked under at Anfield to allow reserve goalkeepers of sub-Premier League standard to occupy the bench. Diego Cavalieri, Scott Carson, Charles Itandje and Brad Jones, amongst others, have all sat patiently in the Liverpool dug-out over the past six years conscious of the unfathomable possibility of dethroning the Spaniard.

This worrying lack of alternatives would have concerned Dalglish up until the point of Reina’s u-turn, and maybe the goalkeeper’s ambition to stay is the final piece in Liverpool’s resurgent jigsaw. Fortunately, the club were able to immediately buffer the departure of Torres with the arrivals of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, and have found in Raul Miereles a decent enough replacement for Javier Mascherano, who left for Barcelona not long after the beginning of the season. But had Reina supported his original plan to leave, Liverpool would have been left with a colossal hole to fill in between the posts, in a market where Manchester United and Arsenal are also searching for goalkeeping solutions.

It is worth mentioning that Reina at no point suggested his desire to leave was motivated by anything other than Liverpool’s perceived lack of ambition, a concern he was more than justified to express. However, it seems like Kenny Dalglish’s influence has convinced Reina of Liverpool’s future objectives seeing as under the Scotsman’s leadership, the team has emerged from the bottom half of the table to be challenging for European qualification. His commitment to Liverpool in now unquestionable and will prove to be one of the most important features in the club’s rehabilitation, behind the signing of Dalglish’s full-time contract.

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Reina fan? Follow me on Twitter

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Listen to the third episode of our brand new podcast – The Football FanCast. – Featuring Razor Ruddock, Gary O’Reilly and singer/songwriter Alistair Griffin, who performs a live version of his cult tribute to Mark Viduka, with Razor on backing vocals!

Desperation drives people into committing acts of mind boggling lunacy. In it’s most extreme form it can range from robbing a bank to scrimping for lost pennies that have fallen down the back of the sofa cushions. In football terms it equates to paying £6 million for Bobby Zamora. Or maybe it’s plying Joey Barton with £70,000-a-week to quote famous philosophers and become embroiled in twitter wars with everyones favourite former news editor Piers Morgan. QPR are guilty of both. The R’s have navigated the last two transfer windows like a 12-year-old would on a fresh Championship Manager save. Keeping your finger pressed on transfer fee until the offer is irresistible. Contract negotiations operate with a similar surrendering mentality. Every players’ demands are met without dispute to ensure they sign on the dotted line. No strategy is employed whatsoever. However it’s a naive blueprint that could come back to haunt the R’s should they fail to secure Premier League football next season.

Like every team promoted from the Championship QPR had only one objective; to survive. At the beginning of the campaign they were the favourites to achieve that goal ahead of rivals Norwich and Swansea who were perceived to have weaker squads. The arrival of owner Tony Fernandes at the backend of August was followed by an influx of signings concluded before the summer deadline snapped shut. Seasoned top flight performers Barton, Anton Ferdinand, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Luke Young all arrived at Loftus Road to offer strength to the belief that the Hoops would achieve their survival goal. It never transpired and ultimately cost Neil Warnock his job with replacement Mark Hughes adopting a similar panic buying philosophy. Djibril Cisse, Nedum Onuoha and Zamora all joined the club during the final week of January but have failed in their mission to lift Rangers out of the relegation zone. However with the prospect of a return to the Championship now very real with 10 games to play their guileless recruitment system could cripple them financially.

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It was revealed during the week that the club have reportedly failed to insert relegation clauses into the contracts of their recent purchases with a majority of them earning between £50,000 and £60,000-per-week. Should the club find themselves back in England’s second tier all the players signed to those deals would still be entitled to that sum putting Rangers in a very precarious position. Usually the custom for a club in their position is to stipulate that in the event of relegation wages be sliced by between 33 to 50 percent. QPR’s reported failure to implement that would see them take on the burden of paying around £3 million-per-year to six or seven players they’d find difficult to move on.

Could you see a Premier League club matching the demands of Barton or 30-somethings like Wright-Phillips and Zamora who have performed way below expectations?

The outlook does look bleak. Ever since taking over from Bernie Ecclestone as chairman in August Fernandes has been signing cheques like it’s going out of fashion in attempt to preserve the clubs top flight status. Newcastle are the most recent example of a club failing to insert relegation clauses into the contracts of their players. When they suffered the torment of demotion it left their finances in an apparent state of disrepair. Luckily for them they were able to move on a majority of their squad whilst also having the infrastructure to soften the substantial blow their accounts took. Unfortunately for QPR they don’t have a 52,000 capacity stadium that would contribute to a major part of their revenue. Whilst £18 million worth of parachute payments will be forthcoming it isn’t enough to sustain a wage bill that pales in comparison to that of Norwich and Swansea. Losses in TV money will also hit them  hard in the pocket. To cut a long story short the club could follow a path tread by Leeds United and Portsmouth – two clubs who have paid the price for over spending.

All the signs point towards an apocalyptic financial meltdown that would take the R’s years to recover from. The sustainability of their current squad would make it difficult for them to operate in an economy that now prides itself on prudent spending. The arrival or Fernandes was expected to herald a bright to new era at Loftus Road. However quite the opposite now appears to be on the horizon with a badly organised transfer master plan owing heavily to their demise. Should relegation occur supporters should be very worried. In fact they should be on tenterhooks fretting over whether their club can survive outside of the Premier League as they continue to burn money at a rate of knots.

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If you have a spare 5 mins then why not watch the latest ‘Football Coffee Break’

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that he wants to avenge his side’s defeat by Manchester City with a positive result against Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

The Gunners were beaten 1-0 by the current Premier League leaders at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, with the French coach stating that his team’s title chances were now over.

Despite this, the North London club are eager to get back to winning ways against Alex McLeish’s men.

“We are a team who wants to respond quickly now and keep our spirit and determination,” Wenger told Mirror Football.

“Then we have a bright future, but it’s important that if we keep that spirit and determination we can go from strength to strength.

“We are not the same team we were two months ago. In the next two months of course we want to be different again.

“They are always passionate games against Villa. We have been criticised a lot since the beginning of the season but you can say what you want but where we go something happens.

“There is always entertainment, even the game on Sunday. It was a game where the two teams went for it – then football becomes a fantastic sport and we will do the same at Aston Villa,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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