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Manchester United vs. Wigan – EPL Title Battle – Second Half

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Second half report from the final match day of 2007/2008 EPL season.There were no changes to the United side during halftime despite Scholes’s yellow card and his risky play.United found themselves in a more attacking mood in the second half, with 3 shots taken within the first 10 minutes. By the 65th minute that tally rose to 5. At full time it had risen to 7 (4 on goal and 1 goal). Wigan did not get their first decent chance at goal until the 69th minute.Referee Steve Bennett’s calls caused massive frustration and sparked Rooney’s temper; a penalty not given against Wigan for bringing down Scholes immediately created controversy. Rooney was awarded a yellow card for his attitude in the 57th minute. Steve Bennett famously dismissed Javier Mascherano for a temper tantrum, so Rooney’s inability to keep his thoughts to himself could have been cause for concern. With Scholes on one yellow and risking tackles in his usual fashion, and Rooney on one yellow and apparently unwilling to calm himself down, the chances of a red seemed to be mounting against United. In the 67th minute this pressure was alleviated as Scholes was taken off and Owen Hargreaves brought on.In the 61st minute everything grew uncertain in United’s world as Chelsea scored against Bolton, courtesy of Andriy Shevchenko. Fans and players surely knew if Wigan evened the scoreline Chelsea could take the title. Undeterred, United continued to press Wigan as second wore on.In the 68th minute Ryan Giggs equaled Bobby Charlton’s record for United appearances as he came on for Ji-Sung Park. In the 69th minute Antoine Sibierski replaced Marcus Bent, who played strongly for Wigan today.In the 79th minute Ryan Giggs ended all uncertainty. His goal from a Rooney cross crowned Manchester United the 2007/2008 EPL Champions. It was an amazing way to mark his historic 758th appearance. Bobby Charlton looked on as the man who met his record brought his team to victory.Following the goal Marlon King replaced Michael Brown for Wigan, and Wigan didn’t give up the fight. In the 85th minute their second shot (off target) of the half came via Jason Koumas. Desperate attempts to take something away from this match saw two more shots in the 88th and 89th minute, and 3 more in the 90th. Wigan finished with 7 shots in the half, 4 on goal.Full time stats show Manchester United’s domination with 67% of possession to Wigan’s 33%.Despite a rocky start United went on to fully earn this 2007/2008 EPL title, and even the Wigan supporters gave the squad a standing ovation as they made their way off the pitch to prepare for the trophy presentation.An emotional end to an incredible season: Ryan Giggs hoisted the EPL trophy and Sir Alex sang along to “We Are the Champions”. There is pure joy in the JJB tonight.The results around the league:Birmingham vs. Blackburn 4-1Birmingham put in a very strong showing but it’s too little, too late. Had they played this way during the season the overall outcome would have been far more positive. Birmingham have been relegated.Chelsea vs. Bolton 1-1Unfortunately for the West London side not only did they not win the title, but they couldn’t hold onto a clean sheet to end their season. Kevin Davies gave Bolton its consolation prize in the 90th minute. Bolton are safe from relegation.Derby vs. Reading 0-4Hapless Derby couldn’t end their dismal season with even a single goal for fans to celebrate. Reading, however, routed them with 4 goals—to little end. Reading’s play this season has landed them in the relegation zone as well, and in fact Reading rounds out the trio of relegated teams. Birmingham, Reading, and Derby have gone down.Portsmouth vs. Fulham 0-1This was undoubtedly one of the most exciting surprises of the day. Fulham seemed destined for relegation but very recent form kept them in the league by the skin of their teeth. The hero today was Danny Murphy, ensuring his team remains in the EPL to fight another year.Sunderland vs. Arsenal 0-1A match of little consequence and little coverage! Sunderland will be happy to be safe and Arsenal will be disappointed to end their season, which was so strong for so long, in third.Tottenham vs. Liverpool 0-2Liverpool bested the North London club to keep them in 11th place. Liverpool’s spot in 4th was never in doubt or danger.West Ham vs. Aston Villa 2-2Thanks to a late goal by Dean Ashton West Ham managed one point from this match, to ensure their place in the top 10 regardless of what occurred at Tottenham vs. Liverpool. West Ham stay up in 10th, and Aston Villa ends the Intertoto Cup club in 6th.Wigan vs. Manchester United 0-2The trophy celebrations for Champions Manchester United are still under way!Middlesbrough vs. Manchester City 8-1An embarrassing end to the season for City, who started the year so strongly. With the sending off of their captain and stalwart defender Richard Dunne, City seemed to lose all composure. They allowed 8 goals, a bitter pill to swallow, and managed only one as small consolation. Manchester City finish in 9th while Middlesbrough lodge themselves firmly in the middle of the bottom half of the table. Surely this result seals Sven Goran Eriksson’s unfortunate fate.Everton vs. Newcastle 3-1It’s not an end-of-season result Kevin Keegan will remember fondly, but Newcastle finish in 12th. Considering they were flirting with relegation earlier in the season, it can be no cause for complaint. Everton’s 5th place spot, and UEFA Cup inclusion, were not doubted and have now been secured.What a season and what a finish for all.Champions: Manchester UnitedChampions League: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, LiverpoolUEFA Cup: EvertonIntertoto Cup: Aston VillaRelegated: Birmingham, Derby, Reading

Manchester United vs. Wigan - EPL Title Battle - First Half

First half report from the final match day of 2007/2008 EPL season.

A United side that looks slightly nervous has managed to score against a Wigan side that seems confident and plucky. Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty (given against Wigan in the 32nd minute for a foul in the box against Wayne Rooney) pushed his team ahead, 1-0. It’s the Portugese scoring machine’s 31st goal of the season.

Wigan have boldly attempted, and nearly succeeded, to dominate United. Their physicality has worked in their favor in their end of the pitch, and United have struggled to mount any decent attacks. Aside from his penalty Ronaldo is not in his usual form, and Carlos Tevez is also struggling to find his scoring boots.

Wigan held the mass of possession during the opening half of the first, but by the halftime whistle United wrested possession back 57% to Wigan’s 43%. Wigan have kept United’s defense on their toes, with 8 shots (2 on goal) to United’s 4 shots (1 on goal).

One can only wonder if the news from around the other Premiership fixtures will influence United’s morale in the locker room. John Terry, Chelsea skipper, was stretchered off early in the goalless Chelsea vs. Bolton game with what appears to be a collarbone injury or dislocation or shoulder injury to the left arm. If Chelsea lose their focus they will pose no threat to United.

As the first wore on, rain began to pour on the JJB, slickening the surface of the pitch. Tackles grew messy and Scholes seemed bound and determined to receive a second yellow late in the half. Fortunately for him and for United, referee Steve Bennett let him off with a warning. Scholes’s physical play on a sloppy pitch may be a reason for concern to United in the second.

Overall United’s first half performance has been far from the smooth, clockwork machine we’ve seen when United are at their best. One goal is all they need, but if Wigan convert a shot and Chelsea score, the situation will be turned on its head. A sense of urgency must lead United in the second.

Around the League:

Blackburn vs. Birmingham 1-0
With relegation a very real possibility the goal in this game is a major boost to Birmingham, and throws the relegation zone into further unsureness.

Derby vs. Reading 0-1
Two teams also in the relegation zone, though there is no question Derby are already relegated. Reading are fighting for their EPL survival.

Portsmouth vs. Fulham 0-0
Portsmouth are safe in middle-to-lower top half of the table, and Fulham are another team on the brink of relegation. The relegation zone is an exciting mess!

Sunderland vs. Arsenal 0-1
A match with very little at stake, since Arsenal are already in the Champions League for next year, and Sunderland are safe from relegation but have no hope of passing any milestones with this match.

Tottenham vs. Liverpool 0-0
Liverpool’s title hopes ended long ago, but they are safe for next year’s Champions League. Tottenham are firmly in 11th place, and have struggled for a long time to dislodge West Ham and break into the top half of the table.

West Ham vs. Aston Villa 1-1
Aston Villa are, as it stands, the Intertoto cup team. If scores hold as they are West Ham will finish in 10th place, where they have remained for much of the second half of this season.

Wigan vs. Man Utd 0-1
If this scoreline holds, United will be declared Champions within an hour.

Middlesbrough vs. Man City 0-2
A 10-man City (Richard Dunne sent off early in the first) is safely lodged in 9th place; Boro might best Wigan for 13th.

Everton vs. Newcastle 1-0
Everton will compete for the UEFA Cup next year. Newcastle have no chance of achieving the top half of the table, and will likely finish the season in 12th.

The top five free kick goals

With the disappointment that David Beckham had yesterday by not getting into the England side for the friendly against Switzerland, he would be very pleased that he is still top of pack.

When it comes to brilliant free kick goals, his have always stood out well above the rest and so when Fabio Capello is looking at the team sheet and thinking who the hell can I put on now, he should had had a look at these top free kick goals and see where the real talent lies in England.

The top goals from free kicks:

1. David Beckham - Everton Vs Manchester United 11/05/2003

2. Cristano Ronaldo - Manchester United Vs Portsmouth 30/01/2008

3. John Arne Riise - Liverpool Vs Manchester United 04/11/2001

4. Cristiano Ronaldo - Sunderland Vs Manchester United 26/12/2007

5. Matt Le Tissier - Southampton Vs Wimbledon 26/02/1994

Well maybe there is only one left out of this lot who could possibly ever play for England again, and so does everyone else in the country.

Source [SL]

FA Cup fifth round draw

It promised to be a great round for some of the lower league clubs that had made it through to the fifth round of the FA Cup, but as usual it seemed the balls were not going their way as the top two teams in the country Arsenal and Manchester United have once again been drawn against each other preventing those lower league teams of a decent pay day.

This means that one of the top teams will not be making it any further in the competition, which is probably a sad thing, although it will give a couple of those teams the opportunity to progress through and maybe then have the opportunity to face up to the premierships finest.

FA Cup fifth-round draws in full:

Bristol Rovers v Southampton

Cardiff v Wolves

Sheffield United v Middlesbrough

Liverpool v Barnsley

Manchester United v Arsenal

Preston v Portsmouth

Coventry v West Brom

Chelsea v Huddersfield

Ties to be played 16/17 February.

Who is going where?

With the transfer window open there has been a little flurry of activity going on, here are the details:

Arsenal
OUT: Matthew Connolly (Queens Park Rangers, undisclosed)

Aston Villa
OUT: Chris Herd (Port Vale, loan)

Birmingham City
OUT: Neil Kilkenny (Leeds United, £150,000), Sam Oji (released), Rowan Vine (Queens Park Rangers, undisclosed), Wilson Palacios (loan expired), Olivier Tebily (released)

Blackburn Rovers
OUT: Robbie Savage (Derby County, £1.5million) , Peter Enckelman (Cardiff City, loan)

Bolton Wanderers
IN: Tamir Cohen (Maccabi Netanya, undisclosed), Gretar Steinsson (AZ Alkmaar, £3.5million) OUT: Gary Speed (Sheffield United, loan); Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea, £15million), Gerald Cid (Nice, undisclosed)

Chelsea
IN: Nicolas Anelka (Bolton Wanderers, £15million), Branislav Ivanovic (Lokomotiv Moscow, £9million)

Derby County
IN: Danny Mills (Manchester City, loan), Emanuel Villa (UAG Tecos, £2million), Laurent Robert (unattached, free transfer), Robbie Savage (Blackburn Rovers £1.5million), Hossam Ghaly (Tottenham Hotspur, loan) OUT: Steve Howard (Leicester City, undisclosed), Mo Camara (Norwich City, loan), Andy Griffin (Stoke City, £300,000), Matt Oakley (Leicester City, £500,000)

Everton
IN: Manuel Fernandes (Valencia, loan), Dan Gosling (Plymouth Argyle, undisclosed) OUT: Lukas Jutkiewicz (Plymouth Argyle, loan)

Liverpool
IN: Martin Skrtel (Zenit St Petersburg, £6.5m)

Manchester City
IN: Nery Castillo (Shakhtar Donetsk , loan) OUT: Danny Mills (Derby County, loan), Marc Laird (Millwall, undisclosed), Ched Evans (Norwich City, loan), Matthew Mills (Doncaster Rovers, loan)

Manchester United
OUT: Jonny Evans (Sunderland, loan), Lee Martin (Sheffield United, loan)

Middlesbrough
OUT: Andrew Davies (Southampton, undisclosed)

Newcastle United
IN: Ben Tozer (Swindon, undisclosed) OUT: Tim Krul (Falkirk, loan extension)

Portsmouth
IN: Danijel Subotic (Basel, undisclosed)

Reading
IN: Marek Matejovsky (Mlada Boleslav, undisclosed), Radoslav Vasilev (Slavia Sofia, undisclosed) OUT: John Halls (Crystal Palace, loan)

Sunderland
IN: Jonny Evans (Manchester United, loan), Jean-Yves M’Voto (Paris Saint-Germain, undisclosed) OUT: Stanislav Varga (Burnley, loan)

Tottenham hotspur
IN: Chris Gunter (Cardiff City, undisclosed) OUT: Ben Alnwick (Leicester City, loan), Philip Ifil (Colchester United, undisclosed), Hossam Ghaly (Derby County, loan)

West ham united
OUT: Hogan Ephraim (Queens Park Rangers, undisclosed)

Wigan athletic
OUT: Fitz Hall (Queens Park Rangers, undisclosed), Wilson Palacios (Deportivo Olimpia, undisclosed)

Toon Army Need A Miracle For Glory Days To Return

The dismissal of Sam Allardyce from the post of Newcastle United manager came as little surprise, the speculation having been rife for a number of months. His reputation, whilst not in tatters, is damaged by his short reign on Tyneside. That he was widely touted as England manager two years ago is forgotten although now he has been a failure at club level, he is probably ideal as far as the Football Association are concerned such is their impoverished record of employing the elusive ‘right man for the job’.

Allardyce though was a dead man walking in any case. New owner Mike Ashley did not appoint him, a change in the leadership inevitable once it was apparent that even a UEFA Cup place was beyond them this season; the only consistency they have shown is inconsistency. How low their stock has fallen was the manner of celebration following their recent 1 – 1 draw with Arsenal; the elation mirrored that of a team which had won a trophy not a point.

Whoever they appoint, and it seems likely to be Harry Redknapp, has a monumental task ahead of them. Any expectation of a trophy rests with the FA Cup. Assuming that they overcome Stoke City in their Third Round replay, they face a trip to The Emirates where they will more than likely face the Arsenal Reserves. If they can overcome that trip, there is a possibility of getting to Wembley yet they are so unconvincing in their displays this season that is scarcely credible to consider them as potential winners of the trophy.

Aside from the 1950s, Newcastle has never been one of England’s successful clubs. Undeniably, one of the best supported but silverware has not been a strong point in the trophy room. The last trophy of any substance was the 1969 Fairs Cup. Since then they have lost three FA Cup Finals and a League Cup Final. There is an air of expectation that keeps their supporters flocking to St James Park, an optimism that is hard to match elsewhere but sadly for them, an absence of end product.

In the League, their record is considerably worse. The wait for a title has been over eighty years, two runners-up places in the mid 1990s do not give grounds for belief that they will challenge for their first title since 1927. The wait will go on for considerably more time unless the new manager is given substantial funds to invest in new talent. Quite simply, Newcastle do not have the quality in the playing staff to sustain a title challenge. They could on a one-off basis but would need to rely on others failing en masse rather than their own ability. Redknapp has a reputation for ‘wheeling and dealing’ and will need to be at his best if he is to coax anything other than mid-table obscurity from the players.

January Transfers Mount in England

Although January 1st saw the greatest number of transfers on a single day since the January window opened in English football, the moves are still predictably full steam ahead. In the past ten days 39 moves have been made in and out of the EPL alone.

Perhaps not surprisingly, struggling Derby County have been most active in transfers. Including those conducted on January 1st, Derby has seen 10 transfers to and from their club. With a new manager and more financial support, the club had promised to take full advantage of the transfer window.

The least active EPL teams thus far, with 1 transfer each since the 2nd, are Arsenal, Aston Villa, West Ham, Wigan, Everton, Middlesbrough, Liverpool, and Portsmouth. (For a list of January 1st transfer see this Corner Kick article.)

A list of EPL transfers between January 2nd and January 11th, 2008:

Steve Howard from Derby County to Leicester City for an undisclosed amount

Hogan Ephraim from West Ham United to Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed amount

Matthew Connolly from Arsenal to Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed amount

Leslie Thompson from Bolton Wanderers to Torquay United on loan

Michael Barnes from Manchester United to Chesterfield on loan

Stanislav Varga from Sunderland to Burnley on loan

Danny Mills from Manchester City to Derby County on loan

Neil Kilkenny from Birmingham City to Leeds United on loan

Jonny Evans from Manchester United to Sunderland on loan

Ryan Bertrand from Chelsea to Norwich City on loan

Mo Camara from Derby County to Norwich City on loan

Matthew Pattison from Newcastle United to Norwich City for an undisclosed amount

Fitz Hall from Wigan Athletic to Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed amount

Scott Spencer from Everton to Yeovil Town on loan

Ben Alnwick from Tottenham Hotspur to Leicester City on loan

Ben Tozer from Swindon Town to Newcastle United for an undisclosed amount

Danijel Subotic from FC Basle to Portsmouth for an undisclosed amount

Neil Kilkenny from Birmingham City to Leeds United for £150,000

Sam Oji from Birmingham City to Leyton Orient (free)

Laurent Robert as free agent to Derby County

Marek Matejovsky from Mlada Boleslav to Reading for an undisclosed amount

Rowan Vine from Birmingham City to Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed amount

Emanuel Villa from UAG Tecos to Derby County for £2,000,000

John Halls from Reading to Crystal Palace on loan

Chris Herd from Aston Villa to Port Vale on loan

Marc Laird from Manchester City to Millwall (free)

Robbie Savage from Blackburn Rovers to Derby County for £1,500,000

Lee Martin from Manchester United to Sheffield United on loan

Peter Enckelman from Blackburn Rovers to Cardiff City on loan

Ched Evans from Manchester City to Norwich City on loan

David Button from Tottenham Hotspur to Grays Athletic on loan

Andrew Davies from Middlesbrough to Southampton for an undisclosed amount

Phil Ifil from Tottenham Hotspur to Colchester United for an undisclosed amount

Lee Holmes from Derby County to Walsall on loan

Hossam Ghaly from Tottenham Hotspur to Derby County on loan

Mark King from Blackburn Rovers to Accrington Stanley (free)

Martin Skrtel from Zenit St Petersberg to Liverpool for an undisclosed amount

Andy Griffin from Derby County to Stoke City for £300,000

Nicolas Anelka from Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea for £15,000,000

Source:
ESPN

Will Redknapp move north?

Despite the fact that Harry Redknapp said when he moved in as the boss of Portsmouth that this would be the last job that he would take in football, it seems that he is coming under increasing pressure to move up to the north of England and take charge of Newcastle United.

It makes no difference where your loyalties are in football, when a big club comes calling offering you more money and any else that you want for, it has to be very hard for anyone to sit back and keep saying no. well Harry is this position right now, Newcastle United owner is said to be not interested in bringing in a foreign manager as with other clubs, and so he is working hard on securing the services of Harry.

It is rumoured that he does not want to leave is home in the south, so Newcastle have offered to pay for a private jet to fly him up and down the country, nice work if you can get it!

Source [BBC News]

Derby Seek Reinforcements to Counter Relegation Concerns

With Derby County at the bottom of the EPL table at a mere 7 points, it’s hard to imagine any new signing could make a tremendous impact to counter their relegation worries. But with the confidence of chairman Adam Pearson—and cash to back it up—Derby manager Paul Jewell is moving into the remainder of the 2007/2008 season full steam ahead.

Jewell is looking to bolster the team, whose performances he recently described as not “good enough”, with strategic signings during the January transfer window. Derby are presently the only side with no European players, having invested heavily in homegrown talent; Pearson revealed it’s part of the club’s plan to look outside of the UK for reinforcements.

That search has already bearing fruit, with Argentinian striker Emanuel Villa arriving from UAG Tecos in Mexico. Frenchman Laurent Robert, a winger with a past in Newcastle and Portsmouth, is likely to join after a trial period. He was with Spanish team Levante until his contract was canceled following a lackluster season.

Derby will see the inclusion of at least one UK player during the transfer period, however; they are set to welcome defender Danny Mills from Manchester City (on loan), perhaps in time for this weekend’s FA Cup 3rd round. The former international player has previously been playing on loan to Charlton.

Derby need all the fresh blood they can muster; with only 1 win and 4 draws in 21 games played, they are far from a threat in the Premiership. Yet Pearson remains optimistic. “We will be a Premier League force, I’ve no doubt about that,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “The club’s in good shape. It’s got a fantastic fan base, great facilities, one of the best managers we could have possibly have attracted to the club and we’ve got potential investment coming into the club in the new year. With or without it, this club will come back.”

Source:
ESPN [1] [2] [3]
BBC

The transfers begin

The 2008 transfer window has only been open for a less than two days and yet already there has been some serious action:
1 January 2008

Cliff Akurang [Histon - Barnet] Undisclosed

Guy Branston [unattached - Notts County]

Lee Bullock [Hartlepool - Bradford] Loan

Tom Cahill [Rotherham - Altrincham] Loan

Adam Dugdale [unattached - Droylsden]

Adam Eckersley [Man Utd - Port Vale] Free

Liam Hatch [Barnet - Peterborough] £150,000

Barry Hayles [Plymouth - Leicester] Loan

Steve Howard [Derby - Leicester] Loan

James Jennings [Macclesfield - Altrincham] Loan

Lukas Jutkiewicz [Everton - Plymouth] Loan

Liam King [Rotherham - Altrincham] Loan

Scott Laird [Plymouth - Stevenage] Loan

Kieran Lee [Man Utd - QPR] Loan

Diego Leon [unattached - Barnsley]

Scott Loach [Watford - Morecambe] Loan

Gavin Mahon [Watford - QPR] Loan

Scott Mitchell [unattached - Peterborough]

Damian Scannell [Eastleigh - Southend] £5,000

Mamadou Seck [Sheffield Utd - Scunthorpe] Loan

Gary Speed [Bolton - Sheffield Utd] Loan

Andy Todd [Rotherham - Accrington] Loan

Ryan Toulson [Halifax - Altrincham] Loan

John Welsh [Hull - Chester] Loan

Ashley Westwood [Chester - Stevenage] Free

Tom Williams [Wycombe - Peterborough] Loan

2 January 2008

Akos Buzsaky [Plymouth - QPR] Undisclosed

Matthew Connolly [Arsenal - QPR] Undisclosed

Wilfried Domoraud [Yeovil - Weymouth] Loan

Hogan Ephraim [West Ham - QPR] Undisclosed

Danny Grainger [Gretna - Dundee Utd] Undisclosed

Thomas Harban [Barnsley - Halifax] Free

Nathan Joynes [Barnsley - Halifax] Free

Neil McCafferty [Derry City - Grays] Undisclosed

Ryan McCann [unattached - Queen of the South]

Jim McNulty [Macclesfield - Stockport] Free

Eric Odhiambo [Leicester - Dundee Utd] Loan

Sebastian Sorsa [HJK Helsinki - Leeds] Free

John Stewart [Falkirk - Queen of the South] Loan

Danny Swanson [Berwick - Dundee Utd] Undisclosed

With twenty nine days to go there are bound to more moves on the cards, but will they help the teams for the rest of the season?

Source [BBC News]

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