Bleacher Report - Articles by Ollie Taylor

League Two Playoffs: Penalties Dominate the Semi-Finals

Ollie Taylor — Sun, 10 May 2009 18:05:18 -0400

Earlier today Shrewsbury and Gillingham secured a place in the League Two play-off final at Wembley. The recurring theme of both games was penalties, and over the two matches there were 11 of them taken, nine of which were scored.

Shrewsbury travelled to Gigg Lane, the home of Bury, looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, in which Neil Ashton scored a freak own goal, a pass to goalkeeper Luke Daniels backfiring dramatically.

Daniels would go from zero to hero, saving a Phil Jevons penalty after Ashton again put his side in trouble by bringing down Andy Morell in the box, before Kevin McIntyre scored a dramatic leveller three minutes from the end of normal time.

It was a great hit, screaming into the bottom corner after a poor attempt at a clearance by the Bury back-line. The match was forced into extra time, where Bury were handed the greatest of opportunities just 12 seconds in, when Steven Leslie was sent of for leading in with his elbow.

Bury put the Shrews to the sword, chance after chance fell to star striker Andy Bishop, but again it was Daniel who was the hero, repeatedly denying the desperate attempts by Bury.

Shrewsbury survived, and the game went to the drama of penalties. Luke Daniels name is etched in the history of Shrewsbury Town, after he denied Danny Racchi and Andy Bishop as the Shrews won 4-3.

Later on, the focus fell on Kent, as Gillingham welcomed Rochdale. They got off to the perfect start on 12 minutes, Simeon Jackson latched onto Andy Barcham's low cross and diverted the ball into the Rochdale net.

The Gills looked shaky with their lead however, and when Dale talisman Chris Dagnall feignted past defender John Nutter he smacked the ball into the top right hand corner to tie the game.

Rochdale pushed on, and Gillingham were saved only by the half-time whistle. Mark Stimson must have said something inspirational at half-time, because in the second half the Gills were much better.

It was underlined when Rochdale defender Rory McArdle rashly brought down Nutter in the penalty area, leaving referee Michael Oliver no choice but to award Gillingham a penalty.

Jackson duly bagged his second goal of the game, and took the wind out of Rochdale in the process. Dale huffed and puffed, but there was no stopping Gillingham as they booked a place at Wembley.

On first glance, one could conclude that Gillingham were the better of the two teams that advanced, but that isn't true at all.

Shrewsbury showed great heart to come back from a goal behind, away from home, and to hold out for 30 minutes of extra time with a man down. Gillingham merely capitalized on a couple of defensive errors.

Shrewsbury won't be so kind to Gillingham as Rochdale were, and most of all, Gills fans are no strangers to the ability the Shrews have, after Mark Stimsons' men were on the receiving end of a 7-0 drubbing earlier this season.

I wish Mark Stimson the best of luck, because quite frankly he is going to need every ounce of luck he can get. If I were him, I would be walking around with a four leaf clover whilst kissing the Blarney Stone, and hoping I don't see any black cats.

MK Dons' Date Of Destiny Looms, But How Good Has Roberto Di Matteo Been?

Ollie Taylor — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:19:27 -0400

Pete Winkelman raised a lot of eyebrows when he chose Roberto di Matteo to lead the newly promoted Dons into League One territory.

Let’s not forget this was a team forged by one of the best defensive midfielders this country has ever seen. To go for a Chelsea Legend reknowned for his flair and technical prowess was a surprise, especially since di Matteo has effectively slipped off of the footballing radar.

Still, Pete loves a big name, and no doubt perfectly qualified contenders such as Ian Holloway were overlooked for the glamorous appointment of Roberto di Matteo.

The lack of preseason organization was derided, and a terrible preseason led into a first game of the season against a Leicester City side playing in the third tier for the first time.

The Dons, devoid of any direction, lost out 2-0 to a vastly superior Leicester City. They were a complete polarization of the Dons; their new manager Nigel Pearson had clearly pumped a ruthless aggression into their side, big Steve Howard dominating physically at the top, allowing his pacey teammates to exploit any holes in the Dons defence. Dons target man Aaron Wilbraham hardly had a touch of the ball all game.

The fans listening to Five Live on the way home were treated to an embarrassed sounding di Matteo trying to shrug off the result.

One thing was for sure, with two home games coming up in the next seven days he needed to get the team working quickly.

He started from the back. Both results involved the Dons keeping a clean sheet. Norwich came to stadium: MK in the League Cup, and a great defensive display kept the Canaries out. Sam Baldock’s strike was the only goal of the game as the Dons progressed to round two.

The other fixture was the visit of Northampton town, for the first time ever. Three thousand away fans filled the North Stand, but the Cobblers failed to get past the determined pair of Sean O’ Hanlon and Danny Swailes. Wilbraham netted his first as the Dons got their first three points of the season.

It was the springboard for some great form. Come December the top of the table had MK Dons etched comfortably in the top two.

Then came the 28th of February. Top of the table Leicester, more than 20 games unbeaten, came to Milton Keynes as the Dons looked to cut down their lead at the top of League One. It was a true first versus second tie, end to end. Matty Fryatt, now with more than 30 goals under his belt, gave the Foxes the lead after just six minutes, but two goals from now talismanic midfielder Peter Leven meant the Dons took a lead into injury team.

What followed was farcical. Nine minutes of injury team were played, allowing Max Gradel to put a sweet free kick past Willy Gueret, and snatch a point for Leicester.

Cue amazing scenes from the Leicester bench. Nigel Pearson celebrated madly with his coaching staff. Perhaps the relief shown on the Foxes bench was testament to the class of di Matteo’s team, testament to how worried the Italian’s free flowing team had gotten Pearson.

That leads us, rather unfortunately, to a bit of March madness from the Dons. What started with a failure to close out games against the far inferior Swindon and Huddersfield, finished with a string of very disappointing results.

Defeat at the hands of promotion rivals Millwall, failure to beat lowly Crewe and Yeovil, and defeat at the hands of a resurgent Leeds United meant the Dons ended March with just one win, over a very out-of-form Oldham Athletic.

April had to offer better form, and, to be fair to di Matteo, it did. Four straight wins put the Dons in a head to head race with Peterborough United for the last promotion place, Leicester City? Long Gone and already celebrating promotion.

The Dons failed to live with the pressure, and defeat at home to a poor Walsall side meant Peterborough joined Leicester in securing a place in the Championship next season.

Di Matteo has been left to prepare for the playoffs, and in the last two games the team has performed well enough to effectively relegate Northampton with a 1-0 win on their patch, and secure the same scoreline away to already relegated Hereford.

To finish third, and set up a two-legged tie with Scunthorpe is, in reality, a fantastic season, and better than most could have hoped for, especially after the bleak start.

The big question is though, just how good has the gaffer been? Well quite frankly, some of his decisions have raised some serious questions.

His reliance on scoring more than once to win a game isn’t really arguable when you look at the season as a whole, but a special mention to those last two games has to surface, and hopefully give the back four some confidence against Scunthorpe.

His persistence to keep picking Shaun Cummings is admirable, the Chelsea loanee has been struggling all season, but the boss has remained faithful to the right-back, especially considering the good performances of Luke Howell, who surely must have his eyes on the position.

He seems to still see something in Tore Andre Flo too; despite the Norwegians failure to get a goal all season. He’s made some bad decisions, that’s for sure, but can we really have forgotten all the good decisions?

Luke Chadwick is famous across the country, not just for failing to be the most glamorous of footballers, but for his incredible talent that saw Sir Alex Ferguson pick him for several years at Old Trafford.

Getting him, first on loan and then on a free in January, was a masterstroke by the Dons’ Don. Chadwick is a local lad and will inspired to prove his worth to Milton Keynes.

Jason Puncheon was another fantastic coup. Puncheon was one of the players who came to Milton Keynes with Wimbledon when they moved. He was a bit of a fan favourite back then, but attitude problems saw him fall out with Danny Wilson and eventually he was released.

Paul Fairclough sorted him out, and Puncheon made the League Two team of the year last season, attracting the interest of Plymouth Argyle in the process.

Argyle took him on, but he fell out of favour with boss Paul Sturrock after the Devon side hit some poor form. He was shipped to Milton Keynes on loan, and he’s repaid the Dons fans second welcome with incredible performance.

Indeed, when he’s on the ball, it doesn’t look like he’s ever going to lose it, see Brighton away back in last December if you really need more proof of this kid’s ability.

Perhaps the biggest and best decision of all by di Matteo however, was to be the first manager in Milton Keynes to show some confidence in local lad Sam Baldock.

Sure, the youngster has been far from prolific, but he’s shown bags and bags of quality since been given his run in the first team.

A defender’s worst nightmare, he will chase the boy all day long, move into channels, and generally cause a nuisance whenever he can.

If Sam Baldock can hit his better form in the playoffs, the Dons will be at Wembley come the end of May. When Baldock shines, he scores, braces against Millwall and Colchester prove that.

It’s when he’s forced onto the wings, when he’s made to run into a dead end, that’s when the team struggles as a whole.

It wouldn’t be right to say he’s the heartbeat of the team, that honour has to lie with Peter Leven at the moment, but Sam Baldock is, when he’s on song, the difference maker.

Di Matteo has some big decisions to make ahead of the playoffs it seems. Firstly, Luke Chadwick’s fitness has been to and fro since the new year, do you risk him in both ties, or save him for stadium:MK? Mark Wright has had a run in the team of late, whilst Jemal Johnson has been sublime all year, and whilst it is a good problem to have, it’s a problem nonetheless.

Secondly, if Ali Gerba is fit, just who will he play up front. He seems to stick with Baldock no matter what. Wilbraham has 16 goals, but Gerba is by far in better form.

And lastly, the infamous right-back problem. Shaun Cummings is fully fit again after short appearances against Northampton and Hereford, and will most definitely be considered for the slot against Scunthorpe.

That said, Luke Howell nabbed his first professional goal against Hereford and will want to feature, whilst Carl Regan, who has been filling in for Cummings, has been impressive.

Whoever di Matteo opts for, the side needs to step up for the big occasion, they can’t afford another performance like that against Walsall, they just won’t be good enough if they freeze like that again.

Most importantly of all however, the back four needs to keep its unity even under the sort of hard pressure they were under against Northampton last week.

Scunthorpe proved they have the mental strength when they sealed their playoff spot late in the game against Tranmere. Now Roberto di Matteo needs to somehow inspire his side to do the same. Cummings or no Cummings, Regan or no Regan.

Paul Gascoigne Phone-In: Fans Get The Chance to Quiz Gazza

Ollie Taylor — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:24:59 -0400

When Paul Gascoigne appeared on Victoria Derbyshire's Radio Five show this morning, live on both the station and the BBC website (in the form of live video), the public had a chance to put questions to a Paul Gascoigne that appeared fresh-faced and away from the problems of the recent past.

It was an interesting session which saw "Gazza" proclaim that he is always a happy man, and that if he could go back and freeze any time from his past to experience it again, it would definitely be on a football pitch.

The England hero spoke fondly of his time at Italia '90 and Euro '96, and how proud he was in particular of his spell at Everton and how he "won Man of the Match awards at 35."

The only shame in the session, however, was that a couple of fans felt the need to probe Gascoigne about his notorious past. One "fan" continued to question him about the domestic violence he recently admitted, despite the fact that he clearly had no idea what was meant to have happened.

It is typical of how England has treated one of the most talented footballers it has ever produced. Just when Gazza is up and running again, there will be those that try to knock him back down.

He's had it all, trial by jury, trial by media, but here's hoping that his road to recovery continues along the successful route it's taking right now, and maybe we see Paul Gascoigne back involved with football in some capacity one day.

A Tinpot Salute To... Hereford United

Ollie Taylor — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:59:40 -0400

"They have seven players on loan and they'll all go back next season so what's the future in that?" Gary Peters

This edition of Tinpot Salute will be looking at a team controversially-dubbed "Championship Loan Rangers."

A term coined by then Shrewsbury manager Gary Peters, it perfectly sums up what Hereford have been all about the last few seasons, taking players on loan from the Premiership and Championship for the purposes of promotion.

It worked last season with Hereford grabbing the last automatic promotion spot in League Two, narrowly pipping Stockport to the post.

What is their to love at Hereford? What is the tinpot factor that makes them tick?

Chairman Graham Turner doubles up as the manager. It works well too. The traditional icy link between boardroom and dugout has been destroyed, and Turner's ability to ensure the squad works within his budget has created a successful era at Edgar Street.

Turner was initially installed as manager in the 1995-96 season, but in the aftermath of the side's relegation to the Conference in 1997, Turner tendered his resignation.

It was not accepted, however, and Turner became the majority shareholder in the club. He installed himself as Chairman, taking on the responsibility of the £1 million debt.

The seasons that followed saw Turner sell several key players as the team struggled to maintain financial survival. That is when the brainwave hit.

Taking on multiple loan players, United secured two promotions in three seasons, beating Halifax in the Conference Playoff Final in 2005-06 and winning promotion to League One in 2007-08.

They never compromised on playing good football, and Turner won League Two Manager of the Season in 2008 due to his tactical and financial nous.

It was controversial, but it worked. It's a good business model in the short term at least, but sooner or later Turner is going to have secure some long-term players as loan deals get fewer and fewer.

One player that has actually been at the club for a long time is Richard Rose. The versatile defender first filled in for the club just after their promotion to League Two and played in the centre of midfield. Since then, he has filled in at right back, left back, centre-half and even as a sweeper.

A player that has stayed in centre midfield is the exciting Toumani Diagouraga, who settled at Hereford last season after spells at Swindon and Rotherham. The former Watford man was a big part of Hereford's promotion and started 50 matches.

Diagouraga is a flashback to hero Ronnie Radford, who scored the most famous goal of the Bulls' history in their 2-1 victory over Newcastle United in the 1972 FA Cup.

Right now, the Bulls are struggling badly in League One, eight points from safety. Whilst striker Febian Brandy (on loan of course) has been chipping in with a few goals the past few months, the cheer around Edgar Street is dimming.

A Tinpot Salute To... Dagenham & Redbridge

Ollie Taylor — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:49:52 -0400

"We will be the only league team sponsored by undertakers."—Anwar Uddin.

Dagenham and Redbridge were promoted to the Football League on 7 April 2007 and have never looked back.

They beat Oxford to earn the conference title that season, a club several times their size, thanks to wily boss John Still's tactical nous. He won London Manager of the Year for his efforts, beating Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.

What is there to salute at Dagenham? Lots.

I experienced Dagenham's ground, Victoria Road, in December of last season. A lady was happy to take me to the ground when I got lost outside the train station, and it turned out she was one of many volunteers at the club.

The small staff, all unpaid, had an enchanting kindred manner, and it seemed everybody around the ground knew each other.

Inside the ground, close to the pitch terrace, it was a cauldron of atmosphere. They lost 1-0, but the ground was at no point silent.

Keeper Tony Roberts indulged in bouts of banter with the away fans, and the veteran just had the feel that he was playing for fun. I dare say he would play for free.

That brings me to Paul Benson. The star of the side, he is as good as any other striker in the division. Scoring 28 goals in the 2006-2007 season, he was the main reason the Daggers got to the football league.

His scoring totals have dropped recently, but he has also struggled with injuries. Nonetheless, he is the man that the Daggers fans talk fondly of, the spark of their side.

Anwar Uddin is a slightly-less glamorous player. A gritty old-fashioned centre-back, he is the Daggers skipper and the rock at the back. Of Bangladeshi origin, he is one of few British-Asian players around, but he makes his presence at Dagenham felt.

It is all working rather well for Dagenham this season, they have punched above their weight for months and are flirting with the playoffs. They have a five-point gap to recoup, but if Dagenham has one thing, it's spirit.

Be surprised, but do not be too surprised if they are at Wembley come May.

Beautiful Football Finally Pays Off for MK Dons, with Sixy Results

Ollie Taylor — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:52:52 -0400

Prior to this weekend Milton Keynes Dons had gone seven games unbeaten, but also four without a win, after a strange spell of form, letting leads slip in the last ten minutes has been the main problem.

Word round the campfire has suggested the Dons are just getting too defensive, too early.

The persistence to keep core-players such as Sam Baldock and Shaun Cummings in the team when theirs seasons appeared to be fading out finally paid off.

Baldock ended a spell without a goal in open play in October against Huddersfield on tuesday, whilst Cummings came out of his shell to tell the local press just how committed he is to the Dons cause.

So, with a reinvigorated Baldock and an inspired Cummings, Roberto di Matteo's side welcomed Oldham Athletic to stadium:MK, but didn't get off to the best of starts.

A beautiful free-kick from Kevin Maher before the five minute mark gave Oldham an early lead and set up a frenetic first half.

The Dons huffed and puffed until Aaron Wilbraham drew level on 33 minutes. Controversial Lee Hughes took just seven minutes to reply with a placed header before Jason Puncheon restored parity with a stunning lobbed effort two minutes later, just prior to half-time.

Whatever di Matteo said at half-time, worked wonders, especially with a fresh-looking Baldock who bagged a brace in the space of five minutes to give the Dons a deserved two goal lead before the hour mark. A good birthday gift for the now 20 year old.

They didn't stop their, they killed of the game in stunning fashion, Alan Navarro grabbing a rare goal with 10 minutes to go. Ali Gerba bundled in a late tap-in during injury time to seal a remarkable 6-2 win.

For Oldham, battered and bruised, in would be the last straw of a difficult sevn days, with the reports of a midweek bust-up between players outside a Greyhound track still looming over them, they parted company with manager John Sheridan hours after the game.

For the Dons, it's that critical win, and proof that they can kill a game off again. With young star Sam Baldock looking bright again and with the Midfield acting like a unit again, they can go into a crucial game with Millwall with confidence.

Millwall will be looking to avenge a four goal home defeat at the hands of the Dons early in the season. The Dons however, look a better side than they did then, and will be more than up for it.

Proof! Set Pieces Should Be Drilled Into Every Player's Skull!

Ollie Taylor — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:42:10 -0500

A great friend of mine always makes the point that, at any level, set-pieces are the most important weapon in football.

I think that the events at Anfield last night stand to prove his point perfectly.

Let's call a spade a spade—last night's game was nothing special, and chances were few and far between.

Sure, both sides had great chances to take the lead in the first half. Fernando Torres missed a sitter from 10-yards out and a fantastic header from Tim Cahill was denied by Pepe Reina.

However, when Steven Gerrard finally broke the deadlock, neither side had particularly looked like scoring. No great chances had emerged, but that is the star quality Gerrard has, the ability to appear from nowhere and score a stunner.

It looked all over for Everton. They weren't having any chances and for all their hard work they were failing to break Liverpool down at all.

Enter their hero, the set-piece. The only time in the first 40 minutes of the second half that they had looked dangerous was when Mikel Arteta whipped in an evil free-kick that the Liverpool defence struggled to deal with.

They didn't learn their lesson, and when they gave away a free kick between the edge of the area and the corner flag, Arteta would get another chance.

It was beautiful, none of the defenders could deal with it and all Tim Cahill had to do was slightly divert the ball into the net.

A great set-piece will give any team a chance to score. Everton were the epitome of that last night. Liverpool need to learn lesson's about set-pieces if they are going to win the league.

If Arteta keeps to his fantastic delivery, and his teammates continue their fantastic work ethic, then Everton will be in the UEFA Cup next season.

Former Bolt Richards Shines But the Stars Can’t Prevent Lightning Late Show

Ollie Taylor — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:25:03 -0500

An inspired late comeback may be getting rare these days at St. Pete Times Forum, but Lightning last night recorded their first home win against the Dallas Stars since 1996, despite trailing half-way into the final period.

Vincent Lecavalier once again got the Lightning’s game in motion, scoring a fantastic shorthanded effort after Martin St. Louis found him all alone by his own blue line. The goal just 1:33 into the first period and was another fantastic finish on the breakaway for Lecavalier.

The Lead didn’t last long, and it was Lecavalier’s best friend and former Bolt Brad Richards who converted the Power play with a close range effort. Richards looked delighted to have put a goal past the Lightning, whom he was facing for the first time since being traded away.

The second period brought another point for Richards, combining with Mike Modano to assist Loui Eriksson’s go-ahead goal four minutes into the second period to silence the Tampa crowd.

The Lightning, in a poor patch of form and struggling for goals, waited until there was just nine minutes on the clock to finally click. Former Star Jussi Jokinen assisted Steven Stamkos to slam a shot into the roof of the net from close-range.

Two minutes later, and the Lightning were given the golden opportunity they needed when Stars defenseman Matt Niskanen took a two-minute penalty for Holding.

When Lecavalier converted the Power-play with just five minutes on the clock it looked as though Lightning’s woes at home to Dallas Stars were finally coming to an end.

When St. Louis and Lecavalier set-up Vaclav Prospal to flip home an empty netter in the final minute the result was confirmed, and Lightning goalie Mike Smith celebrated a victory over his former team.

Another Good December As MK Dons March On

Ollie Taylor — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:40:11 -0500

Rewind a month. Roberto Di Matteo won manager of the month for November and things were looking pretty peachy for MK Dons, as they just moved into the promotion places at the expense of Millwall.

This was going to be a huge month though, facing three fellow promotion chasers in Scunthorpe, Leeds, and Brighton, and they were going to have to do it without talisman Dean Lewington after he suffered an ankle injury.

First up was Scunny, and despite improving after a slow start MK fell victim to two late goals from Ian Morris and Garry Thompson as it was The Iron who travelled home with three points. The Dons winning run came to an abrupt end.

Only six days later Di Matteo's men were back in action as the game against Brighton came on a Friday—something to do with football fans causing mayhem with the Park and Ride system during the busy Christmas time.

Did it affect the Dons? Did it heck. Despite Bradley Johnson netting on three minutes for Albion it was the Dons who dominated the game, and Miguel Angel Llera headed home through a cascade of bodies to equalize before the half hour mark.

Fans barely had time to take their seats after the break before Jemal Johnson, finally finding form, hit the back of the net beautifully.

It was three twenty minutes later courtesy of Peter Leven scoring on the break, and when Stuart Fleetwood gave Brighton an avenue back into the game with a goal on 88 minutes, Jason Puncheon served up the perfect response minutes later to finish the game at 4-2 Dons.

Fans packed out stadium:MK the following weekend for the big one, hosting Leeds United. In front of 16,000 fervent fans the Dons were brilliant.

Despite Leeds missing a sitter just two minutes in, the Dons were fantastic throughout and were 2-0 up after less than quarter of an hour into the fixture.

Sean O'Hanlon's excellent low header from a Johnson corner put the Dons one up before a scramble as a result of another corner gave Wilbraham a simple finish to make it two.

Leeds clawed one back just after the break through Robert Snodgrass, but Johnson provided a third goal and second for Wilbraham not ten minutes later to comfortably win the tie.

Boxing Day was the pick of the bunch, a trip to Bristol Rovers. The Memorial Stadium, filled to capacity, went quiet early on as MK took the lead through that man Wilbraham again, but Kuffour responded quickly for the hosts—who began to take the initiative.

The impressive Kuffour drew foul upon foul, and it was no surpise when Llera was dismissed on the 35 minute mark for a foul on the small striker.

Despite the one man disadvantage the Dons held on til half-time, and whatever Di Matteo said then, it worked wonders.

MK Dons came out with fire in their belly, and when they took the lead on the hour it was a surprise to nobody. Jemal Johnson flighted in a beautiful ball which Rovers' defender Byron Anthony could only divert into his own net.

MK held on to take the three points with a 2-1 win. The last game of December was at Stadium:MK against a Southend side in poor form, and Dean Lewington's return gifted the Dons a clean sheet.

No surprises again, O' Hanlon gave MK the perfect start after just nine minutes with yet another graceful near post header, whilst Sammy Baldock ended his goal drought with a majestic 30-yard free-kick.

The Dons defence must have read Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" this month, after the usually stingy back-four was overly generous this month.

The attackers aren't going to bail them out every week and if this good form is going to continue then hopes perhaps rest with Lewington to bring clean sheets back with him after his return this week.

Di Matteo has been rewarded with a new contract for his efforts so far this season, and long may this good form continue.

10 Reasons Why The Real Derby This Weekend Is In Swansea

Ollie Taylor — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:13:26 -0500

We'll all log on to Bleacher on Monday morning, and one thing is for definite, there will be at least five articles on Arsene Wenger. Yet chances are we'll be lucky to see one on the Welsh derby this weekend, upon which there is perhaps more at stake.

I'm talking of course about Swansea City vs Cardiff City at the Liberty Stadium. Here's ten reasons why it's more important a tie than it's London counterpart:

It's been nine years since they met in a league fixture. They may have met in the League Cup a couple of months back, but that's Mickey Mouse stuff compared to this. Both sets of fans are chomping at the bit to see their side beat their counterpart.
Both sides only really consider the other to be their rivals, whilst Arsenal and Chelsea both have much bigger fish to fry. Arsenal's rivals are Spurs, Chelsea's rivals are Fulham and West Ham. They only see fit to build this game up because their both doing well.
There will actually be a full-on atmosphere created by both sets of fans.
There's much more added spice to this game. Take Lee Trundle's t-shirt ( pictured) that was on display after Swansea won the Football League Trophy in 2006. You don't get that in the Premiership.
The fans hate each other. They don't want their team to beat the other. They need their teem to beat the other.
Both sides spend all season playing teams in effectively another country and FA. This is the only time they get to face another Welsh team.
The fans in the ground won't have to pay the best part of £50 for their ticket.
Both teams at the Liberty will be playing players actually from Cardiff and Swansea. Joe Ledley represents the Welsh capital, whilst Shaun McDonald is a Swansea boy. How many Arsenal players from North London will be on show this weekend?
Only one point separates them in the league, so not only will the winners get pride of the last win, but pride of the higher-placed team in the league.
There's the added incentive of the promotion picture. Both sides are in the top eight, so a win will boost their play-off chances greatly. Who knows, next season one of these teams could be the first top-flight Welsh team for decades.

Maybe it's worth a watch on Sunday?

Kinnear Signs On For the Rest of the Season

Ollie Taylor — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:56:35 -0500

Newcastle United have finally given Joe Kinnear the reward he deserves, a contract that will run until the end of the season.

Whilst Kinnear's appointment was certainly a bit of a shocker, you can't deny the man has done a good job at St. James' Park.

Sure, he hasn't set the world alight, but he's gotten them good, steady results, and isn't that what The Magpies crave, a bit of consistency.

Looking back, perhaps his appointment made sense. Whilst Kinnear had been out of football for a little while, he had a decent enough track record. Sure, his period at Nottingham Forest tarnished his CV a bit, but remember what he achieved at Wimbledon.

Couple that with the uproar Luton fans made when he was acrimoniously sacked by their new owners, and it seems Kinnear is a pretty handy man to have at the helm.

Plus, he achieved a great camaraderie at Wimbledon, and that will go a long way up with the Toon.

Another thing I personally remember from his time at Wimbledon was his stringency in the transfer market. I remember reading a Premiership preview and seeing that in the off-season he hadn't signed or sold any players.

Given the revolving door Keegan and Allardyce had going on at St James' Park, maybe Kinnear's approach could help calm things down a bit.

One more aspect of Kinnear's approach of days past is his ability to fuse some great strike partnerships. If he can get Obafemi Martins and Michael Owen working together in much the same way as Efan Ekoku and Marcus Gayle did, he'll be laughing.

Kinnear, maybe, just maybe, is the man for Newcastle United.

Six In a Row For Di Matteo's MK Dons

Ollie Taylor — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:21:00 -0500

Milton Keynes Dons claimed their sixth win a row against Hereford on Tuesday night and cemented their position in the automatic promotion places.

Boss Roberto di Matteo now looks a shoe-in for League One manager of the month as the Dons have been very impressive about their business.

The run started with a 3-1 win at home to former boss Martin Allen's Cheltenham side. The Dons took an early lead through Ali Gerba, but were soon pegged back and lost 'keeper Willy Gueret to a red card.

The Dons stuck to their guns though and went for a shell-shocked Cheltenham after half-time, Sam Baldock and Gerba scoring either side of the hour-mark.

They took their impressive play with them to Brisbane Road too, despite right-back Shaun Cummins being dismissed, MK went home with a 2-1 win. Both goals coming from on-loan Luke Chadwick.

Four days later and the Dons snuck a 1-0 win at home to high-flying Tranmere, Kevin Gallen hitting the only goal in an otherwise drab affair.

Two away games followed, and the Dons won both convincingly. Hartlepool's misery at home continued when Mark Wright finally broke his duck this season, getting his first of the season in a 3-1 win.

Walsall was the next trip, and perhaps di Matteo's men were even more impressive, cruising past the Saddlers 3-0, Wright making it two in two and scoring at his old stomping ground.

This brings us to the game two nights ago; the Dons heaped the pressure on struggling Hereford with a stunning second-half performance, grabbing three goals, to send the Bulls home with nothing to show despite a great first-half effort.

Having scored three goals in each of their last three outings, the Dons have proved that they've got plenty about them going forward at the moment.

But in truth the core reason for their success of late must lie with the back four. Miguel Angel Llera has been incredible this past month, whilst Shaun Cummings has finally established himself at right-back, after playing everywhere imaginable so far this season.

You may not agree with MK Dons and the way they've gone about their business these past few years, but you can't argue that they're certainly a brilliant side. Long may it continue.

Can West Ham Stop Their Downward Spiral?

Ollie Taylor — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:14:18 -0500

Before they narrowly beat Sunderland 1-0 on Saturday, West Ham United had gone seven games without a win.

The eventual win came over a lackluster Mackems side that have lost four of their last five, so Hammers’ fans should not be getting ahead of themselves just yet.

Couple that with the fact their next four games are against Liverpool, resurgent Spurs, Chelsea, and an Aston Villa side who are daring to dream of a top four place after their win at Arsenal and and draw with double champions Manchester United.

It is starting to look as though the Hammers are in trouble of being in the relegation dogfight come Christmas, if they don’t consider themselves to be in one already.

Where is it going wrong for the Hammers? They’ve had bad luck with the fold of XL, their sponsors, and rumors may be circulating that they are in financial difficulty.

That doesn’t take away from the fact they have a decent side, on paper: Quick Welshman Bellamy up front always has goals in him, and Scott Parker who had just been recalled to the England set-up for the friendly with Germany

Matthew Upson had a man of the match performance for England in Berlin last week, even getting on the score-sheet. He could well be key in keeping them clear of the dreaded bottom three.

What does Gianfranco Zola do from here? January could be vital. If the reported cash crisis is bad at Upton Park, he’ll have to fight to keep his talented players.

They will not go down, or at least they really should not. West Brom, Stoke and Sunderland are all worse teams than the Hammers are in my opinion. Wigan and Bolton are on level pegging.

They just don’t need a difficult season. It seems they’ve already got a lot to worry about. Hammers fans will not want another tricky campaign following the 06/07 season when they saved themselves on the final day with a win at newly crowned Premiership champions Manchester United.

Getting a few points before Christmas Day won’t hurt their cause by any means.

Neither will getting those awful looking numbers off the front of their shirts.

Was Paul Ince the Right Man for Blackburn Rovers?

Ollie Taylor — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:03:16 -0500

It is 13 games into the season and Blackburn sit in the relegation zone. Should the alarm bells be ringing for Rovers fans?

Paul Ince was a bit of a surprise appointment at Ewood Park. After a hugely successful season at MK Dons, winning the Football League Trophy in March and the League Two title in May, Ince was hot property.

The general consensus, however, seemed to be Ince wasn't ready for the Premiership. Leicester City came in for Ince and he was widely expected to sign up at the Walker Stadium.

He knocked them back however, and just a matter of days later shocked many by being the man to take the helm at Blackburn.

Taking Ray Mathias with him, he looked to improve the squad for the forthcoming season. He was met by a mini-exodus however. Brad Friedel jumped ship, and David Bentley was sold on to Spurs.

Ince bolstered the squad with winger Vince Grella, Keith Andrews, and Chilean Carlos Villanueva. He replaced Friedel with Paul Robinson, a solid signing.

Overall, it looks clear that the squad has diminished in terms of quality. Andrews may have just scored his first international goal, but I'd be be surprised if many have even heard of the others.

Was this down to Ince's lack of knowledge of the higher-end transfer market? Mathias would hardly have brought a knowledge of top-flight football.

Look at the result, it looks as though Rovers should get ready for a season of struggle. It begs the question, was Ince the right man?

There are other candidates that could have done the job. Gary Johnson and Sam Allardyce are just two names of the top of my head.

It's great to see a manager learn his stuff at lower league level, but perhaps Blackburn should have left Ince to learn his trade for a bit longer.

A Tinpot Salute To... Stevenage Borough

Ollie Taylor — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:46:09 -0500

"An underachiever, proud of it." -Bart Simpson

In 1996, Stevenage Borough won the Conference, and promotion to the Football League. They were refused entry. Their stadium and facilities weren't good enough so Boro stayed put. Over ten years on, and they've made huge strides.

Broadhall Way is now good enough for league football. The problem is, despite their reasonable resources, Stevenage have an underachieving problem.

They are not the biggest non-league club by any means—Oxford have that honour—but given the players and managers they've had they should be in the Football League by now.

The club that brought such talent as Barry Hayles and George Boyd just can't make that jump.

So how do they look for this season? They've got a real gem in Steve Morison—a burly striker who can run, head, and finish better than most in League Two.

In Tommy Black they have a winger with real pedigree, Mitchell Cole is a tasty winger, and Ronnie Henry is a very consistent midfielder.

Stevenage have the quality for a play-off place. Will it happen? Maybe not, boss Graham Westley has struggled to enforce much change from the disappointment under Peter Taylor last season.

For now, Stevenage will have to settle for the perennial underachievers tag.

The Home Nations: How Crucial Are These Friendlies?

Ollie Taylor — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:34:25 -0500

It's that time again, players pulling out of International duty, not a game being played without a manager "experimenting," and as many subs being made as possible. That's right, it's international friendlies. Just how important are they?

The old rivalry between England and Germany is rekindled tonight when the two teams meet in Berlin. Whilst England always have a few first-teamers out, Theo Walcott's injury in training makes the number of regular players missing to eight.

No Gerrard, Lampard or Rooney, neither of the Coles, and in the last five days England found out they will have to go to Germany without Joe Hart or Theo Walcott. Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown are also missing.

Obviously it's a great opportunity for Fabio Capello to flex some of his more unconventional muscles. It's come as a huge surprise that the Italian has picked Michael Mancienne, but if anyone knows a defender, Fabio does, so maybe just maybe it'll be the start of something special.

As John Terry has said, a game against Germany is never a friendly, so it's hugely important that the players that have been drafted in do a job. It's a great opportunity for them, so they have to grab it by the scruff of the neck.

Zip over to Denmark, where Wales travel tonight. John Toshack has finally selected Aaron Ramsey for international duty, but quite rightly has been keen to downplay the role he will play. For Wales these friendlies are a great way to enhance their youth setup.

In an interview yesterday, Toshack stated "Someone down the line will benefit from the hard work we're doing now" and I think that speaks volumes for what he's trying to do.

A transitional manager, Toshack is blooding this new talent for the future, and whether he benefits from it in five years time of if someone else does, he just wants to enhance the future of the national team.

These friendlies are crucial to getting the kids in and playing at international level in a less pressured atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Scotland play host to Argentina at Hampden Park, where the world's media will be watching as Diego Maradona takes charge of Argentina for the first time. I don't think the Scots will be pinning much hope into the game tonight, it's not going to be about them unfortunately.

Perhaps that's what they need though. Focus off of George Burley's selection policy and on their opponents, so they can have a chance to just play some football and hone their game.

The Republic of Ireland host Poland at Croke Park, and I think it's vital they prove they can overcome opponents like this. There's not much to Poland up front but at the back they are solid. The Irish need to prove they can break teams like this down.

If they can, then they'll have no trouble ousting Bulgaria and Montenegro in their World Cup Qualifying group and solidifying second place, and at least challenging Italy for the top spot.

For Northern Ireland these games are huge, playing Hungary at home tonight, they desperately need a win. It would improve their world ranking a fair bit, and help them to get slightly easier groups for forthcoming campaigns.

It isn't just that either, the three teams above them in their WCQ group are arguably only narrowly better than them, and definitely beatable.

A win tonight would do their confidence no harm. That said, the Czech Republic do sit below them, so a return to winning ways may even be necessary for Northern Ireland to avoid the embarrassment of finishing fifth.

All the teams have something to play for tonight. What do I think will happen? I unfortunately suspect England will lose to Germany tonight, just as they did to France at the start of the year.

Scotland may have a chance against the Argentine circus, but will have to be on top form, I reckon they can scrape a draw tonight.

Wales could well go home beaten, but expect both Irish sides to get at least a draw, the Republic should win, the Northern Irish could win.

Captain Shamrock Receives His Rightful Recognition

Ollie Taylor — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:12:35 -0500

Giovanni Trapattoni may have surprised many with his squad selection for the Republic of Ireland's friendly against Poland later this month, but don't expect this writer's jaw to drop at the inclusions and exclusions.

The main shock must be the inclusion of Blackburn's Keith Andrews at the expense of Sunderland playmaker Andy Reid. Whilst Reid had missed the recent game against Cyprus, general consensus had been that the Mackem's man would regain his place against more serious opposition.

It's not to be, but boy what a replacement. I'm a huge fan of Keith Andrews, having followed Milton Keynes Dons since Wimbledon first controversially moved to Milton Keynes (which is a topic for another time altogether).

I think it's great to see a midfielder like Andrews rebuild his career at a lower-league club and gain recognition for the graft. The Irishman spent six years at Wolves as a youngster, and by the end of his spell there was a first-team regular, and wore the captain's armband for one game, becoming the youngest captain at Molineux for a hundred years.

He moved on to Hull City for a season, but an injury plagued spell saw him sold on to Martin Allen's MK Dons for the 2006-07 season. In the two years he spent in Milton Keynes, he was club captain and shades above his teammates the whole time.

The go-to man in midfield that created and scored goals aplenty, Andrews went from good under Allen to great under Paul Ince, when the England legend took the reigns at the Dons. A great season for Keith saw him win the League Two Trophy, the Football League Trophy, and the League Two Player of the Season award.

It was no surprise that when Ince went to Blackburn, Andrews followed. The born-again Irishman has been a permanent fixture so far this season, and his stunner against West Brom netted Rovers a tidy point.

He's hit solid form in the Premiership for the first time, and surely that means he can do a job for Ireland. The Irish aren't blessed with midfielders at the moment, so maybe Andrews' tendency to find that beautiful pass from nowhere could be the element they need.

Either way, it's a great advert for all the lower league footballers out there. Just look what can be achieved.

Who Will Lose the Relegation Rat Race?

Ollie Taylor — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:50:58 -0500

Eleven games into the Premiership season, and it seems any signs of relegation candidates are subtle at best. Normally by this time, almost a third of the way into the season, it would be apparent who is going to struggle to keep their place among the elite in tact.

The resurgent Tottenham Hotspur aside, no team is adrift at the bottom, so it really could be a guessing game for a number of months yet. Just four points separate Everton in 7th and West Brom in 19th, so only half a dozen clubs can afford to avoid looking over their shoulder.

Starting from the bottom, the aforementioned Spurs really shouldn't struggle to stay up. They had a terrible start to the season under Juande Ramos, but in Harry Redknapp they now have a manager that will get the best out of a side that promises so much. They'll finish in the top half.

West Brom, one feels, will go down. While some will salute their tenacity and desire to attack any team put in front of them, it could likely end up being their downfall. They've not got enough of a backbone to support their positive play, a point proved perfectly when they couldn't finish off ten-man Blackburn last weekend.

Bolton Wanderers are another side you have to fear for. Kevin Nolan, their midfield star, hasn't been up to much so far this season and Gary Megson isn't renowned for his tactical nous. Whether they go down or not depends on whether they make any decent January acquisitions, preferably grafters excelling in keeping teams up.

Wigan will be fine. Steve Bruce is no stranger to sitting in the bottom six all of a season, and with the livewire Amr Zaki up front and the hard-working Capello favourite Emile Heskey next to him they shouldn't struggle for the goals that will keep them up.

Roy Hodgson's Fulham achieved a minor miracle at the end of last season, and it is starting to look like they can do it again. They've got the right plucky attitude, and with a team of experienced heads like Mark Schwarzer and match-winning talents like Jimmy Bullard and Andy Johnson, they'll stay up. Just don't expect them to set the world alight.

Why isn't Roy Keane deemed to be under-achieving? He has spent an obscene amount of money upgrading his squad, only for Sunderland to be sitting 15th. He's splashed the cash but the Mackems are but a point from the relegation zone. Like Fulham, they are blessed with match-winners like Djibril Cisse and Kieran Richardson, so don't expect them to be sweating next May.

Newcastle have been incredibly inconsistent these last few seasons, but it's there fluctuating and sometimes rare good moments that keep them up. Michael Owen will be fit and filling in with his fair share of goals soon and in Obafemi Martins they can score at any given minute.

Blackburn aren't so hot on paper, and their performance on the pitch hasn't been overly impressive either. Signing a past-it Robbie Fowler seemed like a sign of desperation from new boss Paul Ince, but Paul Robinson in goal was a great signing and they've enough about them to prevent having to look down the table every week.

Stoke City. Punching well above their weight. I have to back them to go down. Don't let the fact they are 12th fool you, they are only two points off the drop zone, and if key players like Rory Delap get injured then Stoke will have very little about them. The set-pieces could dry up any time too. Stoke to go down, but kudos to their "play-our-way" attitude.

As for the others? West Ham shouldn't get into trouble, unless these reports of financial trouble aren't exaggerated and they have to sell off the spine of their team. Portsmouth are the only other team I can see possibly getting sucked into a relegation dogfight. Tony Adams is yet to show any sign of development (it's very early doors I know), and losing Joe Jordan was a huge blow, but they have the quality and will strive to keep it in January I'm sure.

The Prediction? At a real push, I would have to say West Brom, Bolton, and Stoke City. It's just too tight to call though.