Bleacher Report - Articles by Daniel Gooch

Kaka Poised to Move to Real Madrid From AC Milan For £56million

Daniel Gooch — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:25:32 -0400

Kaka is tipped to move to the Spanish giants Real Madrid for a record £56million as AC Milan are struggling to keep him on their side.

The star midfielder was also reported to have had talks with FA Cup winners, Chelsea. When Ancelotti was appointed manager of Chelsea, one of his aims was to bring Kaka with him to England. Manchester City also tried to snatch him up, but Kaka rejected a £100million deal to move to Manchester.

AC Milan's owner, Silvio Berlusconi, has said it will be hard to turn down the offer because of the amount of money in it for the club:

"I don't know if we'll be able to keep Kaka because they have offered him so much money."

Kaka's father/agent has claimed Real sealed the deal for the Brazilian star.

Kaka has had a good season in Italy, scoring 15 goals in 30 games. He is an asset to the Milan team, and if he goes it will be difficult to get someone to replace him.

Which ever team he joins (if any) will have a star player on their side and will better their performance.

New Boobs Please: Young Tennis Star Will REDUCE Her BOOBS To Help Career

Daniel Gooch — Thu, 28 May 2009 08:42:10 -0400

Stunning Wimbledon hopeful Simona Halep, wants to reduce the size of her breasts to further her career in tennis. Can you believe it? Going smaller is better?!

The Romanian 17 year old is 5ft 5in and has a 34DD bust. She thinks that they are holding her back.

She has an army of fans, not because of the obvious things, but because she is way out in front in junior internationals.

The youngster is a star of the future as she has won numerous titles and was able to reach the final of the junior French Open last season.

Unfortunately the weight of her 'assests' are hindering her tennis career. She says she can't get to the ball for vital points.

"The breasts make me uncomfortable when I play."

"It's the weight that troubles me - my ability to react quickly."

Champions League Final Preview: Manchester United v. Barcelona

Daniel Gooch — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:28:50 -0400

The road to Rome has been a long and exciting one. Only one of the teams can leave with the trophy and go back to their country as kings of Europe.

The match will be the clash of two champion—Manchester United, champions of England, and Barcelona, champions of Spain. Alex Ferguson will be hoping to win a record second consecutive Champions League crown, while Pep Guardiola will be hoping Barcelona can win it again.

It IS one of the most unpredictable finals in years, and for once it's not an all English one.

Barcelona may be without Thierry Henry as he is not fully fit. Both of Barca's full-backs are suspended which is good for United when they attack.

The Spanish side play a great passing game, starting in their box and ending up in their opponent's box, but against Chelsea they didn't look like scoring.

It seems to me that the main part of the side is their striking force. However, United have just as much power going forward as well as strength in defence with the partnership of Ferdinand and Vidic.

Whos going to win?

Putting what I believe behind me, I'm choosing on who I think will win, not just who I support.

Drawing against Chelsea has lowered my expectations of them. They were able to stop any attacks but were unable to push forward and score. On the other hand, United thrashed Arsenal 3-1, which showed how forceful they can be.

I believe that if United try their best, they will be able to win. My prediction is 2-1 to United.

Gillingham Are Back Where They Belong In League 1 After Last Gasp Goal

Daniel Gooch — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:20:57 -0400

Gillingham are nearly back where they deserve to be. After a nail-biting League Two Play-off Final the Gills are now back in League One. Now just one more promotion to get into the Championship.

Saturday 23rd May is a day that will stay in my memory forever. The atmosphere was amazing all day, from Gillingham's stadium, to Wembley, and back again.

"7-0, and you f**ked it up!", what could be better than thousands of fans shouting that at complete strangers?

The journey getting to the stadium is part of the experience, and...well, this certainly was an experience. Walking straight past fans at the station to be stopped in our tracks as we got to London.

The sight and sound that greeted us at London Victoria was outstanding. A sea of blue and a choir of...great voices.

Who needs Mourinho, we've got Stimmo!

Mark Stimson has been a God-send since he started out at Gillingham. He has kept the faith in the team since the sem-final win against Rochdale at Priestfield, and he has been able to get the full potential out of this squad.

The game was something else.

Chance after chance. Gasp after gasp. Miss after miss.

Gillingham were the first to create a chance after Simeon Jackson was fouled. John Nutter took the free kick which was headed into the side netting by Barcham.

The South East side had a few more close chances going wide of the goal before Shrewsbury Town had the first chance of the game after the half an hour mark.

Gillingham centre-back Garry Richards was penalised for an elbow "to the face" on Nick Chadwick. Ben Davies curled the free kick inches wide of Simon Royce's right-hand post.

The Gills started the second half in the same spirit that the ended the first. Both teams had their chances, with Gills going closer on a number of occasions.

Five minutes in, Royce was tested, but pulled off a great save to stop the volley by Davis. As the game rolled on Gillingham were as good as they have been, but the northerners had a spell of pressure.

However, with 20 minutes to go, Barry Fuller made a great run to the edge of the 18-yard box, only for Jackson to miss the shot. Then a minute later, another cross by Fuller went towards Andy Barcham, only for him to do an air kick and miss the ball completely.

89:58—A corner swung in to the six-yard box was met by the diving head of Jackson which flew towards the post. The defender on the line tried to stop it, but it hit his arm and went into the top of the net. The keeper clawed it away but it was too late.

GOAL!!!

One goal was all that was needed for Gillingham to gain instant promotion back up to League One.

AC Milan Target Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor

Daniel Gooch — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:07:05 -0400

There is a "good chance" that AC Milan will sign Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor in the transfer market this season.

The Italian "big boys" wanted him 12 months ago, but were not successful as he signed a new contract for the London club.

Milan is not the only team to be of interest in signing him. Chelsea have also put there name in to be a possibility.

Boss Arsene Wenger, has "no problem" with selling the player, but says he is part of his plan for the team's future.

Adebayor has said that the chance of him staying at the club is "100 percent," but its not stopping Milan from trying.

Milan president, Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed the interest in the deal and is positive about persuading Adebayor to move to the San Siro.

He told the Italian media, "There is a good chance that we can get Adebayor."

Wembley Stadium: The New Home of the NFL?

Daniel Gooch — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:21:57 -0400

Wembley has suddenly become an extra fixture in the NFL season. At the moment its one game. In 2010 it could be two; and then the Super Bowl in 2014? or 2015?

If you look at the newspapers from the UK and the US you would think there was an American football team in London.

The media coverage is massive on both sides of the pond, but do the fans really want it?

Each game at England's national stadium out-sells every existing NFL franchise, and even has more fans than Dallas AND New York added together.

According to down to earth reporters in the US, "London does a heck of a job in promoting the NFL", and "The appetite for gridiron in Great Britain is off the chart".

Amazingly, England can stage the occasional game at the stadium without falling flat on its face and embarrassing themselves in front of the 3 million viewers in the UK, and the countless numbers of viewers in the US.

But has everyone got carried away with the idea?

The latest announcement of commissioner Roger Goodell makes it look like a certainty.

"The fan reaction we've had in London has been extraordinary. We would like to feed that passion."

"We have a great fan base in the UK. There have been discussions of taking the second game and playing it in another market in the UK. That's something that we'll evaluate."

Two games? Can the UK really hold that mean?

If this is the case then its not good news for Germany, Mexico and Canada. Each of them thought they were going to be the next country to join the NFL bandwagon.

Wembley...ummm...Where else?

The UK isn't like America. We do not have 70,000 seater stadiums for our University teams. We just about have some for our best football teams. There are only three other stadiums in the whole of the UK that could possibly hold the big game:

Cardiff (Millenium Stadium) - 74,500

Manchester (Old Trafford) - 82,000

London (Twickenham Stadium) - 82,000

(Wembley being the biggest at 90,000)

Three out of these stadiums are national stadiums. It is only Old Trafford plays host to a non-national team—the world renowned club, Manchester United.

You can just imagine the look on Sir Alex Ferguson's face when he sees 'the pads-and-helmet brigade' ruining his haloed ground. Especially in the middle of the season! There's no way that would happen.

However, the teams that travelled to London in 2007 and 2008 had other ideas. The players and coaches did not like the travel, the turf or the idea of losing a home game. At the moment there is only one game, so all the negative views can be shrugged off, but give them two games and you won't hear the end of the bad comments.

Super Bowl?!

Despite the negative issues there is a suggestion of the Super Bowl being staged at Wembley. It has been reported that it could take place as early as 2014 and no later than 2020.

Even journalists in America are calling it a "bloody good idea."

So with all this talk of more and more NFL game being played in London, is Wembley the new home of the NFL (at least in Europe)?

Should There Be Playoff Style Games for the Relegation Zone?

Daniel Gooch — Thu, 14 May 2009 05:25:34 -0400

I've always thought...why are there play-off games to get promoted, but not to get relegated?

The Championship, League 1 and League 2 all have playoff zones and finals, but none of them have that sort of layout at the bottom of the table.

In my opinion, it would make the last week of the season even more exciting than it already is.

The fans would be out in force to cheer on their team and encourage them to try and stay up.

Rather than just hearing so and so got relegated, you would hear so and so got relegated but now it's up to which ever two teams to keep their place in the certain league.

However, I can remember a few seasons when it went down to the final day to see who was and wasn't getting relegated. If there were play-offs at the bottom then this nail bitting day won't happen, there will just be a final game to see which team will stay up.

I believe that it would be a good idea, and the pros outweighs the cons.

What do you think??

EPL Preview: Wigan v. Manchester United

Daniel Gooch — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:44:52 -0400

It's Manchester United's chance to go six points clear of Liverpool as they play Wigan.

The main concern for Alex Ferguson is his two defenders, Rio Ferdinand (calf) and Jonny Evans (hamstring). They will undergo a fitness test today to see if they will be able to play.

Wigan have also got a few problems on the pitch. They will be without striker Amr Zaki (knee) and may have to do without Chris Kirkland who has been outstanding for them this season but is suffering from a back pain. If he is unable to start, Richard Kingston will deputise for the club.

It is a big game for United as they only need to collect four points from their remaining three games to be crowned champions. If they win today then they could clinch the title at home against Arsenal.

Facts

Last season United won this fixture 2-0 at the JJB Stadium, and got the points to retain the title. This time United could have one hand on the cup before meeting Arsenal.

United have won their last six games, whereas Wigan are looking for their first victory in six.

The last eight league and cup games between these clubs have ended up with United being victorious every time.

Both Managers, Steve Bruce and Sir Alex Ferguson, share the same birthday (31st December).

Team of the Season: Look Back...Who Would You Choose?

Daniel Gooch — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:18:20 -0400

This season has proved that English football is the best in the world. Now its your turn to pick the players who have shone for you in the last year.

Lets see if you agree with my choice of players...

Get choosing...!

Keeper:

Edwin Van Der Sar (Man. Utd)

Choosing a keeper was tough. There have been some amazing keepers this season and some not so amazing. Edwin Van Der Sar has pulled off some superb saves and has helped Manchester United to be top of the table and stay competitive in lots of competitions.

He was unbeatable for 1,311 minutes, keeping the ball out of the net from 8 November 2008 to 4 March 2009.

Defenders:

Kyle Naughton (Sheffield Utd)

Naughton established himself as the first team right-back at Bramall Lane. He is in the England U21 squad and has a "massive future" ahead of him. He has been a big part of the team and has help United to get promoted to the Premier League.

Nemanja Vidic (Man. Utd)

Vidic has come on leaps and bounds since joining the red devils. He has added class to his already impressive CV and has been a wall in the United defence. His tactics and strength has made him one of the best centre backs in the EPL, and this is why he is in my squad.

Kolo Touré (Arsenal)

For me Kolo was the key player for Arsenal this season. Arsenal have had an awful season. Struggling to stay above Aston Villa at the beginning of the season and then losing to Chelsea 4-1 to make them end up in fourth position. It seems a lifetime ago that they won the title. Touré is one of the only player that has stood out.

Rio Ferdinand (Man. Utd)

Ferdinand has been the other half of the United wall. His partnership with Vidic has been key to keeping United where they belong, at the top. He can demand more from his fellow players and they listen. He is a force to be reckoned with. Even though has has had an injury recently, he is still a good enough payer to be in this team.

Midfielders:

Cristiano Ronaldo (Man. Utd)

The one and only. Not many keen football fans would leave Ronaldo out of the team of the season.

He has showed off his skill and placement with a number of jaw dropping goals, and is a contender to be a possible captain of this fantasy team, even with his recent tantrum after being substituted. It just shows how desperate his is to play football.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

"The best in the world," according to Zidane. After injuries this season he has come back and showed us how good he can be. He has been a key player in Liverpool's push for the top. His passing, shooting and vision has put him into my team.

Ryan Giggs (Man. Utd)

The granddad of the team. Giggs is getting older by the year but he is not losing any skill. He is running up and down the wing like a teenager but has the vision and skill to pull off some of the best passes. Lets hope he continues. Giggsssyyyy.

Steven Ireland (Man. City)

Ireland has had a memorable season at City. He has scored 13 goal this season and is one of the best young players in the EPL at the moment. His passing and determination has been outstanding.

Forwards:

Simeon Jackson (Gillingham)

This is a bias choice but a fair one. Playing for my local club i can see his skill first hand. He is remarkable and doesn't deserve to be playing in the lowest tier in the league. He has scored 20 goals this season and scored both of the goals that have put the Gills into the Play-off final at Wembley.

Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

He might be a cheat and a total a**hole but he is still a good footballer. Nothing is ever just positive with the striker. Recently there has been a lot of media coverage about his rant at the ref in the Champions League.

There has been less coverage of his scoring ability. It kills me to say this (as I'm a Man. Utd fan), but Drogba is a good player and, for this season, deserves a place in my team.

What's your team?

The Greatest Day: Manchester United, Jenson Button And Gillingham All Win

Daniel Gooch — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:54:39 -0400

Sunday 10th May will stay in my memory for many years to come. Manchester United won the derby against city, Jenson Button won yet again and Gillingham are off to the home of football ... Wembley.

Manchester United

It was the day of that big derby between United and City. The reds against the blues. The biggest club against the richest club. The mighty red devils against ... City.

With Liverpool is first position United were looking to get the 3 points and go clear at the top. Mathematically United can win the title before Liverpool play their next game.

The game was electric from the start. The tackles were flying in and the shots were flying over.

It was only 18 minutes into the match when Cristiano Ronaldo (... who else?) smashed a free kick towards the City goal. The deflection off a defender put the ball just on the finger tips of Shay Given, but he could not keep it out.

Just before half time (the soon to be leaving?) Carlos Tévez curled a shot which went in off the post to put United into a convincing lead.

There were more close chances in the game, but that was the way it ended.

A win for United puts them 3 points clear of Liverpool with one game still in hand.

Jenson Button

Pinch yourself Jenson, this is real.

British F1 driver Jenson Button is having the best year of his life. After years of misery with few wins and retirements nearly every race, he is in a dream world.

This season he is racing for the new kids on the block, Brawn GP. He has incredibly won 4 out of the 5 race this season. He is well clear in the driver championship and is pulling off a better season than Lewis Hamilton has in previous years.

All the way through the race his car control was spotless.

The race got off to a sensational start with two separate but impressive crashes.

One thing that made me laugh was Felippe Massa. The one thing i certainly know about F1 is that the car needs fuel to go round the track. This is something the Ferrari team nearly got wrong. On the last lap of the race Massa was in third, but his fuel was running very low and his speed was dropping rapidly.

He got overtaken twice and finished 5th. He was lucky as he completely ran out of fuel a few corners past the finish line.

Gillingham

The pride of Kent will be playing on the hallow turf of Wembley in 2 weeks after their victory in the Coca-cola League Two Play-Off Semi Final 2nd legagainst Rochdale. The first leg was a dull 0-0 draw, but the 2nd leg at Priestfield was high tempo and exciting.

"F*** off you dirty northern monkeys".

It was all or nothing for Gillingaham. They had to win to go to the final.

Simeon Jackson put the Gills 1 up after 13 minutes with a sneaky chip over the foot of the Fielding.

Rochdale then pulled one back with a smash from Dagnall which fizzed past Royce's hand.

The man of the moment, Jackson the blasted a penalty into the back of the net to put Gills into the final.

Yoosof Farah, a legendary Bleacher Reporter, said "Gillingham are too good for this league. Look at us ... the stadium, the facilities, the players and the fans. We're to good to be down here".

Up next for Gillingham is Shrewsbury at Wembley. They havn't had the best record against them. Their last meeting was a devastating 7-0 defeat for the Gills. Lets hope the final will be the other way round.

Bring on Wembley!!!

Best Moment of the Day:

(Well 2) 1.The final whistle at the Gills game 2.The pitch invasion

Saddest Moment of the Day:

When Shrewsbury scored

Funniest moment of the day:

Massa nearly running out of Fuel

Carlos Tevez to Leave Manchester United in the Summer

Daniel Gooch — Sun, 10 May 2009 03:10:24 -0400

Carlos Tevez expects to leave Manchester United during the summer, due to what he calls a lack of respect from the club.

In an interview with News of the World he said:

"I am very sad about this but I guess what I'm saying is goodbye."

"I don't think I'll be a United player next season. I've done everything I possibly can, but they have never made me an offer or given me a contract."

"I have not been treated as a member of the family. The fans treat me like family, but United have not signed me so they don't respect me as a footballer."

The Argentinian has been at the club since 2007. He is now at the end of the two year loan.

He left West Ham United and became a free agent after his agent, Kia Joorabchian, gave the Hammers £2m.

He has loved playing for United and said that the fans have a special place in his heart.

"I would like to thank the United fans for their support. They will always have a special place in my heart.

"If I was a United fan I wouldn't want to see their player in any other shirt, but I think they will accept I've done everything I can."

Injured British Soldier Completes London Marathon in Two Weeks

Daniel Gooch — Sat, 09 May 2009 13:59:45 -0400

An injured British soldier has walked the London Marathon on crutches, and has completed the course after 13 days, walking two miles each day.

Major Phil Packer, of the Royal Military Police, lost the use of his legs in a rocket attack while on a patrol in Iraq.

He began the race with 35,000 others on 26 April and finished the event at about 12:30 in the Mall. There, he was presented with a medal from his hero, rower Sir Steve Redgrave.

Maj Packer hopes to raise one million pounds for the soldiers' charity Help For Heroes by doing this challenge.

At the end of the 26 mile course, Major Packer said: "It feels bitter sweet. I heard the news yesterday that four members of the armed forces were killed in Afghanistan, so I'm thinking about those families.

"I would not be standing here but for the work of the doctors and nurses that have looked after me and the reason for doing this is to raise £1m for them.

"It's not about me, it's about the people who are not walking with me.

"It's very humbling, I'm just a soldier and I'm not used to all this."

The officer, who lives in central London, was told by doctors that he would never be able to walk again, after he was injured in Basra in early 2008.

He suffered damage to his ribs and chest, a bruised heart, and lost the motor and sensory use of his legs.

CONGRATULATIONS MAJOR PHIL!!!

Didier Drogba Edges Past Cristiano Ronaldo in "Players We Love To Hate"

Daniel Gooch — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:11:15 -0400

Every English football fan knows of the battle between Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo to be the most fun player to hate in the EPL.

The fight sees no let up as this week both players have tried to edge into first place.

Arsenal fans this week haven't had the best experience against Ronaldo. He put two goals past them in the Champions League semifinal win. He has been classed as a "total wazzock" by many fans recently.

The day after Ronaldo took the lead Drogba came back and took the Red Devil apart.

Unless you have no life and no television, it would be difficult to have missed Drogba's reaction to the result of their Champions League semifinal against Barcelona. The final result of the match was 1-1, but the Chelsea players are adamant that they should have been handed a handful of penalties.

The Chelsea striker may have gone up in Chelsea fan's eyes but not in everyone else's. Shouting "f**king disgrace" into a live TV camera in front of millions of viewers, including children, is not the way to win the heart of a proper Englishman, but maybe the chav side of the nation.

Michael Ballack tried to add his name to the battle with his impressive dancing routine with the ref.

Ballack isn't going to take Drogba's place in the battle without a fight. During the Barcelona match, Drogba did what he does best and decide whenever an opponent got within a few inches of him, he would flop on the floor like a fish and act as if he was hit by a hammer.

Rolling on the floor making it look like he'll never walk again, then miraculously jumped to his feet when the free kick was awarded.

Didier is an entertainer in his own right. After the final whistle he pranced round the referee, waving his hands, shouting in the ref's face and just being a right dickhead.

It was great television but not for the politically correct bunch, like Andy Gray who said, "Apologies to anyone who can lip-read" after Drogba clearly shouted "FUCKING DISGRACE" straight into the camera following him down the tunnel.

It's obvious that Didier is a twat who may get penalised for having a hissy fit, but it has provided some of the entertaining football moments of the season. After all, football is in the entertaining industry. Let's hope there is more entertainment like this next season when he completely losses it.

UEFA Will Not Recind Darren Fletcher's Red Card Against Arsenal

Daniel Gooch — Wed, 06 May 2009 06:48:34 -0400

Uefa have confirmed that Darren Fletcher will miss the Champions League final after receiving a red card against Arsenal after 75 minutes of the second leg of the semifinal.

Fletcher received a straight red card after supposedly taking down Cesc Fabregas in the United box. He will now miss the final due to the referee's mistake.

Uefa has said that United have the right to appeal the decision within 24 hours, but it will not be changed due the the rules.

A Uefa spokesman said, "the protest is only admissible if the referee made an error and mistakenly identified and cautioned or sent off the wrong player."

"There cannot be an appeal against a factual decision taken by the referee, and there is nothing to indicate that the referee made a mistake in identifying Fletcher as the player he penalised last night."

In other words if a referee makes a stupid decision, it cannot be corrected.

In my opinion this is a rule that should be changed. If a team is put a a disadvantage, or a player will be prosecuted for doing nothing wrong, then the men in the offices at the top are making the wrong decision.

Manchester United Push For U-Turn On Fletcher's Red Card

Daniel Gooch — Wed, 06 May 2009 06:31:55 -0400

Manchester United are hoping that something will be done about the red card Darren Fletcher received in their 3-1 (Agg 4-1) victory in Champions League semifinal against Arsenal.

Alex Ferguson hopes that the Italian referee Roberto Rosetti will redeem himself by admitting his mistake.

For those of you who didn't see the match last night (what were you doing?), Fletcher received a straight red card after "fouling" Cesc Fabregas in the United box.

The commentators, the fans, and maybe even Fabregas would admit that it was not a penalty—let alone worthy of a red card.

If the Italian refuses to admit his error the midfielder will miss the Champions League final, one of the biggest games in his career.

It was clear to see that when Fletcher went in for the tackle his foot made contact with the ball and changed it's direction, meaning HE GOT THE BALL.

UEFA can rescind the card if the Italian referee requests, although it would be a very rare case.

Even the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted the decision was "very harsh".

The red card was the only negative part of the night for the current champions. They were leading 1-0 from the first leg and added another three on the night to leave the final aggregate score of 4-1.

Next up for United in the Champions League in either Chelsea or Barcelona in the final.

Southampton Given a 10 Point Penalty and Are Relegated

Daniel Gooch — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:06:12 -0400

Southampton has been given a penalty of 10 points by the FA, which means they have no hope of staying up in the Championship.

The penalty was a result of the club's parent company going into administration in early April.

At the moment Southampton lie four points from safety with just two games to go. Even if they manage to win their remaining games and get out of relegation, the points will take over and plunge them into the third tier.

If they remain in the bottom three at the end of the season the points will be taken over to next season and be deducted then.

This is very unfortunate for the club. It had nothing to do with the players. It is just one of those cases where something off the pitch impacts the club dramatically.

Roy Keane Has Been Appointed Ipswich Manager

Daniel Gooch — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:50:02 -0400

Former Manchester United player and Sunderland manager, Roy Keane, has been announced to the public as the new boss of Ipswich Town.

The dismissal of Jim Magilton on Wednesday has lead to the ex-Irish international signing a two year contract with them.

He took his last team, Sunderland, to the top tier of English football. He resigned from manager there in December, but now hopes to make the same impression further south.

When leaving the north of England he said: "I'm happy to move house. I'm not tied to Manchester."

He believes Ipswich has the team, but just need to be pushed to make it to the Premiership:

"I truly believe I am joining a club that has the potential, ambition, and infrastructure to once again be a Premier League side."

Inter Milan Star Sulley Muntari Set For Tottenham Hotspur

Daniel Gooch — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:52:38 -0400

Ex-Portsmouth midfielder, Sulley Ali Muntari, has not ruled out a move from Inter Milan to the London club Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Muntari enjoyed a great year at Portsmouth before going to the Italian giants in July of 2008.

Inter boss, "legendary" Jose Mourinho, has placed him on the first team sheet for the majority of the season, but the midfielder is becoming frustrated about the growing racism he receives from the Italian supporters.

With this uncertainty for his future, the probability of him moving is growing.

"I love the football in England, there is no doubt about that, that is where the best league is.", Muntari said.

"At the end of the season things could change, though, so we will have to wait and see. A move to Spurs? I don't know."

English and Scottish Premier Leagues Could Merge Under New Plans

Daniel Gooch — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:12:04 -0400

Under new plans the EPL and SPL could merge and produce two new leagues. Clubs such as Celtic and Rangers would face formidable opponents from the EPL like Manchester United and West Brom (well not any more, relegated).

Each league would consist of 18 teams. The change is to free up weekends for players to go on international duty.

Clubs who lose income when relegated to the Championship will lose less money under this scheme.

The idea came from Bolton chairman, Phil Gartside, who will present it to his fellow Premier League clubs.

The addition of the Scottish teams would mean they would face tougher opponents from south of the border. It will create more enthusiasm for the fans and more benefits for the broadcasters.

The broadcasters would put in money that the clubs would lose after the league expands to the 36 clubs, rather than the 20 clubs at the moment.

There are a few drawbacks though. UEFA has repeatedly said that "teams will not be allowed to play in leagues outside their own country". It would also make it difficult for the Scottish giants to qualify for the Champions League.

The top four, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, will probably be against the plan as they would suffer a huge loss in income. High flyers such as Everton and Aston Villa may also feel the drop in funds.

A spokesman for the Premier League said:

"We haven't seen any proposal and therefore are unable to comment."

Will the idea go ahead? Is it a good idea? Do you even know the names of all the teams in the SPL?

If the plans do go ahead it will change the face of top flight football in England and Scotland.

FA Cup Semifinal Preview: Manchester United v. Everton

Daniel Gooch — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 08:22:52 -0400

Manchester United play Everton at Wembley in the semifinal of the FA Cup to see who will join Chelsea in the final.

The Merseyside club will be looking to emulate their win in the 1995 final, when they beat United by a single goal.

Since their victorious year 14 years ago, they have only been able to reach the quarterfinal twice, the first in 1998-99 and the next in 2001-02.

They have made it past that milestone, but can they go an further?

The Blues' manager, David Moyes, has said that this match is important to him and the club:

"It is Everton's biggest game of the season, definitely," he said. "I think it is probably David Moyes' biggest game as Everton manager as well."

After their winning performance in the Champions League during the week against Porto, United will be hoping to carry on their great form.

After a number of injuries, the Reds will be looking forward to the return of key players including Ferdinand, Vidic, Anderson, and Berbatov.

Yobo and Vaughan could start for Everton after a period of injury.

Man Utd haven't won the trophy since they beat Milwall in 2004, and will want to get their own back on Chelsea after they lost in the final in 2007.

Bets On:

Man Utd to win: 5/6

Draw: 12/5

Everton to win: 7/2

Football Club Pays Back Fans For "Pitiful" Performance

Daniel Gooch — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:09:34 -0400

Energie Cottbus' players will reimburse the ticket price of their 600 fans who made the long trip to Gelsenkirchen, North West Germany, to watch their team lose 4-0 at Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga club last weekend.

It was their sixth defeat in seven league games.

Hundreds of fans travelled 610 kilometres (380 miles) from Cottbus in the eastern part of Germany near the Polish border to the other side of the country.

Cottbus are second from bottom the the German league, the Bundesliga. They are in serious danger of being relegated this season. If they perform the way have been doing, relegation will be the probable outcome.

"By refunding the cost of admission for their supporters, the red and whites would like to apologise for the pitiful performance which they displayed at the Veltins Arena." This was written in a press release by the club entitled "Sorry".

Their next game is going to be a tough one, against first placed VfL Wolfsburg.

Real Madrid Sign Mystery World Class Player

Daniel Gooch — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:23:57 -0400

Real Madrid claim to have signed 'one of the worlds best players'. The former president of the Spanish giants, Ramon Calderon, says that the star has already agreed to move to the capital.

Calderon was demoted earlier this season but believes the arrangement is still in place with the star player.

RMC, a French radio station, reported that Ramon said:

"Anyone who becomes the next president will have at his disposal one of the best players in the world, who is already formally committed to Real Madrid".

"I cannot give any names, but all I can say is that thanks to the difficult and laborious work that I did last year, he is already formally a Madrid player, subject obviously to him being able to sign the relevant contract."

The biggest question in this story is Who is the secret player?

Liverpool Fans Want Justice for the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989

Daniel Gooch — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:33:53 -0400

Liverpool is to come to a standstill this week as it marks the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. The bells of Liverpool's two cathedrals and its civic buildings will ring out in memory of the 96 football fans who tragicly died at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium on that awful day, 15th April 1989.

Public transport in the city will be coming to a stand still for two minutes at 3:06pm on Wednesday, exactly 20 years after the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Many people weren't alive when this happened (including me), but they still feel the sadness and share the prayers for the families of the tragedy.

The Hillsborough Disaster campaign group, for those who want justice:

http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/home.shtm

Gillingham-Dagenham & Redbridge: Late Show at Priestfield Boosts Promotion Hopes

Daniel Gooch — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:12:40 -0400

Gillingham left it late to win their penultimate home game this season, beating Dagenham and Redbridge 2-1 at the KRBS Priestfield Stadium.

Your usual Gillingham reporter, Yoosof Farah, was unable to attend this match so I stepped into his place, but not his seat (as I was in the VIP area).

The Gills took control in the first few minutes, as they had several shots missed and saved by the Dagenham and Redbridge goalkeeper before most people had taken their seats.

The home side made the better start, when John Nutter's (great name) shot was saved and parried into the path Mark McCammon, who 'slotted' the ball into the corner of the net.

I put ' ' marks around "slotted", as it was not as easy as that. Actually it was, but McCammon just made it look hard. It bounced right in front of him, but he still acted like a schoolboy playing in the playground, as he just hit it with whatever part of his body he could.

Dagenham then had a clear opportunity seconds later. The ball was back passed to Gills keeper Simon Royce, whose clearance was blocked by Paul Benson. His shot then rolled agonisingly wide of the post to the amusement of the home fans behind the goal in the Kop of Kent, a.k.a the Rainham End.

Gillingham survived another scare a few minutes later in nearly the same manner. It was yet another backpass from Garry Richards to the keeper, who kicked it straight back into the path of D&R striker P. Benson... again. This time he did not get a shot in as the ball rebounded of him and straight back into Royce's hands.

Towards the end of the first half Gillingham were on the offensive and caused a fine save from Roberts down to his left.

Unfortunately, Dagenham also pressed forward towards the 45 minute mark and were rewarded for their persistence with an equaliser. Ben Stevens was able to get into space in the penalty area and slid the ball across the 6-yard box into the path of Sam Saunders' flying leg.

Half-time only made the fans think of previous games. Starting well, only to lose in the end. Not this time. The fans were cheering and were optimistic about the game, and so they should be. They are watching real football. Real football, being played, really badly.

Back to the game and the second half.

The first shot on target was by my least favourite player, Mark McCammon. He headed a cross from Nutter towards the net only for the keeper to make an easy save.

Around the 60-minute mark yet another Nutter cross found the head of McCammon and yet again it was saved. Curtis Weston then came up for the rebound only to hit it into the side netting.

The game hotted up in the last 10 minutes as (finally) McCammon was substituted by Mark Bentley, who nearly made an instant impact. He was able to head a Nutter cross across the face of goal, but found no blue shirts.

In the 85th minute Bentley's pass found Dennis Oli in yards of space, with Oli feeding the ball to Simeon Jackson, but the Canadian's low drive was well saved by Roberts.

With 88 minutes gone, the hosts were agonisingly close to the final whistle and all but condemned to that dismal single point.

However, then came the moment we were all waiting for. John Nutter once again crossed the ball into the opponents box, and Dennis Oli rose above everyone else to head the ball into the net.

In the process, the Daggers' keeper received a blow to the head and had to be taken off.

The Gills managed to hold on in the five minutes of injury time to record a vital win and all three points.

Gillingham lie sixth in the League Two table, five points ahead of Chesterfield in seventh, and only a single point behind Rochdale in fifth, with Exeter City in second only three points ahead of the Dale.

The Gills need to make the most of their last three games to ensure they stay in the play-off places, and maintain the chance of moving up into those automatic promotion places.

Newcastle to Target Manchester United Keeper Ben Foster in Summer

Daniel Gooch — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 07:33:24 -0400

Troubled Newcastle United will be looking to sign Manchester United's No. 3 keeper Ben Foster, to increase their goal keeping strength.

Newcastle havn't had any strength at the back since selling Shay Given to Manchester City. They only have one keeper who can compete at the top level and need someone to compete with Steve Harper next season, be it in the Premiership or Championship.

Sir Alex Ferguson does not wish to sell Foster, despite him being Manchester United's third choice keeper; ahead of him are Edwin Van Der Sar and Tomasz Kuzczak.

United boss is willing to let him go on loan next season, but only if Newcastle stay up.

Alex Ferguson To "Definitely" Quit After Two More Champions League Crowns

Daniel Gooch — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 04:10:40 -0400

Legendary boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, has confirmed that he will "definitely" quit his beloved Manchester United if they win two more Champions League trophies.

He had already hinted that he will step down from the top spot at United in 2010.

Now he has changed his mind and knows that if United win three Champions League trophies in a row, it will be his signal to quit.

In the 23 years he has been manager at Old Trafford he has won 18 domestic trophies, which include only three European Cups—one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and two Champions League trophies.

Sir Alex would love to win more trophies before he goes, and definitely more European Cups.

He spoke recently about Manchester United and his time so far at the club: "If there was one challenge, I'd love the club to win more European trophies than they have done and I think I've made this point a few times over the years. I don't think we've won the number we should have won."

"There have been years when we've been unlucky and years we've been disappointed, and there've been years when we've thrown games away, and that sort of gives a kaleidoscope of what football's like.

"If we could win a couple more European trophies I then would definitely quit."

(Quotes from CNN)

Who's Going Up and Who's Going Down This Season?

Daniel Gooch — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:36:12 -0400

With only a few weeks left it's close at the top and bottom of each table. The question on every fan's lips is, "who's up and who's down?"—or at least they are thinking it.

Your team may be included so watch out and good luck.

Premier League

Top

Manchester United and Liverpool. With a one point difference (+ a game), can Liverpool come back and overtake United to win the EPL?

No (but that's my opinion).

Manchester United have only won one of their last four games, and that was against Aston Villa (3-2).

Liverpool have had a better run, but lost their last game in the Champions League 3-1 to Chelsea.

My Prediction on the top four:

Manchester United
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal

Unfortunately Aston Villa have had a bad second half to the season as they were ahead of Arsenal for a period this season.

Bottom

Two of the three teams who came up last season are going to be safe from the drop this season. Hull City, the dark horse at the beginning of the season did enough to stay clear of the relegation zone. Stoke are in the same position.

West Brom however have not made the cut and will (almost) definitely be going back to the Championship for next season.

As well as the team from the West Midlands, Middlesbrough are looking like a fatality from the top flight.

Newcastle, with help from Alan Shearer, are in trouble. If they can get out of the bottom three I believe that Sunderland would be on the wrong end of it.

My Prediction of bottom 4:

17. Newcastle 18. Sunderland 19. Middlesborough 20. West Brom

Championship

Top

It is quite obvious that Wolves are going to get promoted, and stay in the first spot, but who will be behind them?

Birmingham City are my favourites for getting the second automatic promotion place. My pick for the winners of the play offs would be Sheffield United. They haven't lost in their last six games.

I doubt Preston North End will be able to get back into the play off places, but you never know in football, they could come back and beat everyone to the top (which is actually impossible).

Bottom

There is no hope for Charlton at this late stage. Going all the way from top flight football, down to League 1. What's gone wrong for them??

Southampton and Nottingham Forest are in the relegation zone at the moment but they are fighting it out with Norwich City who are just above them.

League One

Top

Leicester City and Peterborough United are the runaway leaders leaving the other clubs miles behind (well five points, not miles).

Peterborough have won all of their last six games, and my pick of over taking City and going top at the end of the season.

As for the play offs i think it's between Millwall and Leeds United. They are both in good form and want to get promoted back to where they were in the "good old days".

Three for the top :

Leicester
Peterborough
Millwall

Bottom

Cheltenham and Hereford are very unlikely to get out of their situation and will be going down into League Two.

Seaside club Brighton are in a bad position as well. They are three points behind Northampton, who have a game in hand, and five behind Crewe who have played one more game.

Four for the drop:

21.Crewe 22. Brighton 23. Hereford 24. Cheltenham

League Two

Top

Brentford seem to be taking the top spot but the other two spots can be taken by five teams. Who will take them?

Wycombe and Exeter are my picks, but what about the play offs?

Gillingham! Who else?

Bottom

Luton are out of the League! The most obvious thing in the world. Chester and Grimsby are fighting to stay up. I think Chester will go down.

Hope your team isn't going down.

Manchester United Leave It VERY Late to Go Back to Top of EPL

Daniel Gooch — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:46:07 -0400

Federico Macheda United's teenage debut star has scored the winning goal late into injury time against Aston Villa to reposition themselves on the top of the league table.

The late stunner meant that United got three badly needed points to go one point ahead of fellow northerners Liverpool, with just one game in hand.

That goal ended the nail biting five minutes of injury time and gave United a 3-2 win.

The first goal was struck by Cristiano Ronaldo ( moving to Madrid?? http://bleacherreport.com/articles/150773-manchester-uniteds-cristiano-ronaldos-75million-deal-with-real-madrid) with an indirect free kick, after James Milner backpassed to keeper Brad Friedel (picture above).

Villa then put two great headers past Van Der Sar and into the back off the United net.

This gave Villa the lead (well you could have worked that out).

Ronaldo then slotted another shot into the corner of the net to equalise.

Seventeen year old Federico Macheda then turned his defender in the box and curled the winner home.

United have stopped their losing streak, but by the skin of their teeth.

Manchester City Target £20 Million Star Samuel Eto'o This Summer

Daniel Gooch — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:25:42 -0400

Manchester City are going to target Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o this summer for £20million, so that they have a fighting chance of some silverware next season.

City's billionaire owners told the fans they would get world class players arriving at the club. So far this season's signings haven't made the desired impact.

Their last signing, Robinho, is the British record signing, but has yet showed that he deserves the amount of money paid for him. The signing that never was, Kaka, did little to help the fan's moral.

The bosses of City are hoping that a £120,000 a week salary will persuade the star to hop across the English channel and go up north to Manchester.

There has been speculation all over Europe that his future at the Spanish club is no longer, due to his high demanding salary.

Manchester City are willing to pay him what we wants, but will he join the blues?

Rain Plays Spoilsport at Malaysian GP, And Jenson Button Sails to Another Win

Daniel Gooch — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 07:44:38 -0400

This year's Malaysian Grand Prix was been stopped after a thunderstorm hit the circuit.

The race was suspended after 31 laps because of the serious conditions on the track. Cars were spinning wildly off the track even under safety car conditions.

Thunder and lightening, streams of water on the track and the lack of light all contributed to the decision.

A number of lightening bolts hit the marvelous grandstand, stopping TV transmission for a few seconds.

The race took place late in the afternoon. This was controversial because if the light levels drop too low, it would be very dangerous for the drivers.

There was a lot of confusion (especially with the BBC commentators) about what was going to happen and about the rules.

The drivers had to sit in the pouring rain on the pit straight for 53 minutes, while the top dogs deliberate on what to do.

There decision was to call off the race and award the point scores, half the points. This is because they did not complete 75% of the race.

Many cars were in the pits when the race was halted. This meant that the final positions would be taken from the results of the last completed lap. This was not good for a few drivers.

Lewis Hamilton got caught up in the confusion. "I was fifth wasn't I? Wasn't I fifth?", but then found out he had been demoted to 7, "Oh, seventh. I heard I was fifth."

Jenson Wins

British driver, Jenson Button has won his first consecutive victory in his career. After the Australian Grand Prix, he was looking forward to the Malaysian GP.

Driver's Comments

"It's too dark to race" - Trulli

"This is not a race" - Mark Webber.

"The visibility is nothing." -Alonso

"We could have a serious accident if we restart." -Alonso (again)

"What a crazy race, it really was." - Jenson Button

Final Standings

1. J Button

2. N Heidfeld

3. T Glock

4. J Trulli

5. R Barrichello

6. M Webber

7. L Hamilton

8. N Rosberg

[Pictures, Standings and Quotes from BBC Sport - F1]