Sheffield Wednesday came out on top in this South Yorkshire derby.

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Roy Keane is in real trouble now!

Barnsley V Ipswich Town 2009 – 2010 – Celebrity bloopers here

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Three teams moving in the right direction up the Premier League table appear to be battling for the same three British talents.

All three are apparently keen on Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey, valued in the 3m bracket, who said of the attention:
“At the end of the day I’m still at Wolves and I love it here. The club and the fans have been fantastic to me and I just want to keep going and playing my games. When you look at the table it’s all still there for us with our games in hand – we’ve just got to go and grab it.” (various)

Next up, another Wolves star, 4m rated striker Sylvain Ebanks-Blake
However Wolves’ chief executive Jez Moxey has vowed that none of the club’s big hitters will be leaving this summer.
“We won’t lose anyone that we don’t want to lose,” said Moxey. (various)

And the final member of this trio Barnsley captain Brian Howard
Howard will be offered a massive £10,000-a-week deal to make him the highest-paid
Oakwell boss Simon Davey is desperate to keep the £3million-rated midfielder, who has a year left on his deal Howard said of the possible deal: “I would be delighted to talk about it.” (The Sun)

So will these player resist moves away? If Wolves fail to make it through the play-offs then it will be harder to keep these youngsters and Brian Howard, having now had a taste of the big-time in their fabulous cup run, may seek an even bigger pay packet in the Premier League or indeed he may just see a move to the top tier simply a more ambitious move regardless of salary and I don’t think anyone could blame him. Unlike the Wolves pair, who are a good three or four years younger, Howard may see this as the right time to move up the ladder. Would Villa, Everton and Newcastle fans welcome their arrivals?

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There’s never been any love lost between Cardiff and Swansea, two of the three Welsh clubs in the Football League. Indeed, ex-Swan Lee Trundle received a pretty hostile reception when he recently visited Ninian Park with new club Bristol City. He won’t be forgetting that in a hurry!

The Times reports that this rivalry has led to BBC pundit Leighton James being dumped by BBC Wales after admitting he wants Barnsley to trounce Cardiff in the FA Cup semi-finals. Surely the bloke’s entitled to an opinion?

James, who played 88 times for Swansea in a career that included spells with Burnley, Derby County and Queens Park Rangers, made it plain in his column in the South Wales Evening Post that he retains his loyalty to “his” Welsh club. “To see Cardiff in the final would be hard to take for Swansea fans,” he wrote. “So, to be brutally honest, I think I’m behind Barnsley on this one.”

Is this harsh or should the pundit not be making these sort of comments, considering BBC Wales are representative of all Welsh clubs? It doesn’t stop other pundits on BBC, Sky and ITV from having a clear preference for certain teams to win, although it appears the broadcasting company have no option other than to incur the wrath of their viewing public by keeping the guy on.

The Guardian reports that Chelsea boss Avram Grant will have to win either the Premier League or the Champions League to avoid the sack. Apparently Roman Abramovich was “incensed” after viewing Chelsea slip up to lowly Barnsley in the Fa Cup, and yesterday Grant had a crisis meeting with his squad, in an attempt to figure out how and why they got beaten. After the game Grant was asked whether he would accept that he has to win at least one of the two tournaments that Chelsea are still competing in to keep his job. Grant replied:

“I will accept it. When I am responsible for the team, and when my team loses at Barnsley, there will be many negative things said about it. On the other hand, we have two major competitions left. I am concentrating on them, not other things. But this is a massive disappointment.”

As for Grant’s shellshocked assistant Henk Ten Cate, he very seemed rattled by the result, not sounding at all comfortable with the pressure of the loss:

“One bad run of results and you’re out. You just can’t afford to lose here. I came to Chelsea because I was looking for peace. I wanted to work at the top level and at the same time I was looking for peace.”

So if Grant needs a trophy to stay in a job, how do you rate his chances?

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Minnows Barnsley continue their giants killing habit. They got the better of Premiership giants Chelsea 1-0 in the last 8 of the Fa Cup on Saturday at Oakwell.

Barnsley had earlier beaten Liverpool and now they have added Chelsea to their credit. Chelsea manager Avram Grant though doesn’t hesitate to admit that Barnsley deserved to win the match and says:

We started the game well then we conceded the goal and we couldn’t score.

We didn’t play well, especially in the first half, and all the credit to Barnsley. They won against Liverpool, they won against us. All credit to them and I congratulate them.

I am very, very disappointed and sad about this. It’s an important competition. We had a chance to do something in this competition and we didn’t do it so now we need to look forward for the league and Champions League.

A couple of weeks back, the London Blues were in contension of winning 4 trophies. Now they have the chance to notch up just two. It seems more and more likely that Grant will have to depart from Staford Bridge in the summer.

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Chelsea play minnows Barnsley in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup later on Saturday and although Chelsea skipper John Terry is impressed by Barnsley’s defeat of Liverpool, he doesn’t want the same fate for his team.

Terry says:

I watched Barnsley-Liverpool on Match of the Day and couldn’t believe the result.

I enjoyed it. I think the whole country did — it’s what the FA Cup is all about.

But this competition means a lot to us. We have to make sure we’re mentally and physically right and be hungrier than them. We have to win.

To be fair, Chelsea should get the better of Barnsley although they cannot afford to be complacent. Manager Avram Grant is set to play a full strength team and in all likelihood Barnsley’s wonder run should come to an end here.

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The best way to defend is to attack as they say and under-fire Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is applying that policy. He has been barraged left, right and centre with stinging criticims after the Reds lost to Championship side Barnsley in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday but the former Valencia coach who took charge of Liverpool in the summer of 2004 has hit out.

Rafa retorts:

If you analyse the last few years since I came to the club we have won four trophies and been in seven finals, including two in the Champions League.

How many other managers have done the same in their first three or four years at the club? People can talk about being successful but nobody is winning trophies every year.

To do that is really difficult so I think we are in a really good position with a very young squad, so I have a lot of confidence in the team for the future.

No one questions Rafael Benitez’s pedigree as a football manager but the raw truth is that he has consistently failed to understand the English Premiership and even with millions poured into his bucket, has somehow lost the plot to wrestle the Premiership title. This season, only the UEFA Champions League silverware remains a possibility and to be honest, it is actually a remote possibility.

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Liverpool are swaying from one crisis to another. The Reds are already out of the Premiership title race this season and now they are out of the FA Cup as well. Little Barnsley saw off the former European champions 2-1 in the fifth round on Saturday and Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is left to rue the lost chances and forced to swallow yet more humble pie.

The Spaniard says:

It is very difficult [to describe his feelings] you must be frustrated today.

In terms of work ethic we cannot say anything to the players. They worked really hard, we had a lot of chances, but again it was the same situation as in other games.

We are controlling games but we cannot take our chances and finish games.

So today was the same. The keeper was a very good signing, he was man-of-the-match with some great saves.

I am really, really disappointed.

We had chances, their keeper made fantastic saves, they score in the last minute and sometimes that is football.

All we can do now is prepare for the next game, we know it is an important game so we must put our heads up and be ready to work really hard for this game.

Next game? That’s against the mighty Inter Milan on Wednesday and there’s a considerable chance that Liverpool’s European adventure could end this week.

The Daily Mail reports that after beating Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield, Barnsley’s match winning star Brian Howard said:

“Benitez didn’t play his strongest side against us. He was thinking about Inter Milan on Tuesday and it backfired.

“They are out of the Fa Cup now and well behind in the Premier League, so they’ve got to produce in Europe.”

Rafa on the other hand continued to dismiss the notion that rotation had anything to do with the defeat, even though Steven Gerrard started on the bench and Torres wasn’t even in the squad, Rafa said:

“Torres wasn’t fit and if you are playing at Anfield against Barnsley and you need to think about one player, well…last week people were talking about Xabi Alonso and he played today.

“Pressure is always there. If you want to win games, you must try to change small things. But it was incredible how many chances we had, and if we get that many against Inter Milan, we will score goals. But we must show more confidence in front of goal.”

The People report that Rafael Benitez is well and truly fighting his corner, following criticism that he’s fast becoming a failure at Anfield. The Liverpool manager presided over arguably his most humiliating day in charge of the club on Saturday, when the Reds were beaten 2-1 at home to Barnsley.

“If you analyse the last few years since I came to the club we have won four trophies and been in seven finals, including two in the Champions League.

“How many other managers have done the same in their first three or four years at a club? People can talk about being successful but nobody is winning trophies every year.

“To do that is really difficult so I think we are in a really good position with a very young squad, so I have a lot of confidence in the team for the future.”

The question remains whether Rafa will have the opportunity to turn things around at Anfield in the future. He’s enduring his toughest season as manager of Liverpool and won’t be able to reflect on former glories forever.

Liverpool were given a massive shock by unknown Havant & Waterlooville in the third round of the FA Cup. The non-league side actually twice went ahead but were ultimately vanquished 5-2 by the Reds. Liverpool play another minnow this weekend in the fifth round of the FA Cup and their gaffer Rafael Benitez is not taking any risks against lower division Barnsley.

Rafael Benitez says that although he has one eye on the UEFA Champions League clash witk mighty Inter Milan in midweek, he is not eager to field a weak team against Barnsley.

We have some experience of how difficult these games can be. Everybody says we will beat Barnsley but we must be careful and do the right things.

Against Havant & Waterlooville we were thinking about scoring goals and we conceded. If you concede first goal against whoever you are playing, you will start to get anxious.

We knew of the dangers before that game but it still happened. Clearly this is a cup final for them, so we must be careful and give them a lot of respect. If we score first everything will be okay.

Liverpool’s abysmal Premiership run has forced them to concentrate on the FA Cup and any slip-ups on Saturday could just end Liverpool’s season. Yet given the class and quality of Liverpool, you can put your money on the Reds to move into the next round of the oldest competition in the world.

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o has added to the garrulous Nou Camp gossip layer cake that Didier Drogba will no doubt leap out of in the summer by claiming that the Ivorian would be welcomed with open arms at the Catalan club. (Daily Star)
…Meanwhile, Barca defender Lilian Thuram may leave the Catalan giants and waltz over to Arsenal to take up a player-coach role. (Daily Telegraph)

Lanky Portsmouth striker Kanu is mulling over a move down under to Australian club Gold Coast Galaxy, who unfortunately have links with the LA Galaxy. (Various)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley will make a summer move for Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, and he will bid £5 million for his services. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool to make a profit on something! The Anfield club may sell ‘keeper Nikolay Mihaylo to FC Twente, especially as the big spending Dutchmen are willing to shell out £4m on a player that Liverpool spent a mere £225,000 on. (The Sun)
…And the spawn of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish (no we’re not talking about the “stunna” Kelly Dalglish) – tepid footballer Paul Dalglish has been snapped up on trial by Leeds. (The Sun)

And over on the other side of Stanley Park…Everton are wincing at the thought of an audacious Cardiff City loan bid for striker Victor Anichebe. (Daily Mirror)

Dwight Yorke is playing every minute like it’s his last at the Stadium of Light, his Sunderland contract runs out in the summer and he wants to impress Roy Keane. (Various)

Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill will be given a huge war chest marked “transfers”, in a bid to gatecrash the Big 4’s stranglehold on the Premier League. (Daily Star)
…While Villa ‘keeper Thomas Sorensen has turned his nose up at a potential loan move to Barnsley. (The Sun)

Despite Everton manager David Moyes’ declarations that he didn’t expect to have a busy transfer deadline day, the Toffees actually had quite a lot of transfer activity, moving two players out and bringing one in on loan.
Veteran defender Alan Stubbs was shipped off to Derby County, Brazilian midfielder Anderson made a permanent switch to Barnsley, whilst Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner was brought in to Goodison on loan.
Derby boss Paul Jewell seemed over the moon with the acquisition of Stubbs, saying:

“It’s a terrific capture for us.

“Stubbsy is a first-class pro, someone who has been there, seen it and done it.

“I’m delighted to have him on board and he will add experience and steel to the backline.

“He will train with us on Friday and is very much in contention for a place in the team on Saturday.”

So has the last minute wheeling and dealing by Moyes left Everton in a stronger position?

Upsets left right and centre in today’s FA Cup action. But what was the biggest shock?Coventry somehow managed to obliterate Blackburn 4-1, whilst League One Huddersfield beat Birmingham 2-1. Special mention should also go to Sheffield United who booted out Bolton with a 1-0 win lowly and injury ravaged Oldham, who beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park.

So what was your upset of the day?

Here are today’s 3rd round results in full:

Barnsley 2-1 Blackpool
Blackburn 1-4 Coventry
Bolton 0-1 Sheff Utd
Brighton 1-2 Mansfield
Bristol City 1-2 Middlesbrough
Charlton 1-1 West Brom
Chasetown 1-3 Cardiff
Chelsea 1-0 Qpr
Colchester 1-3 Peterborough
Everton 0-1 Oldham
Huddersfield 2-1 Birmingham
Ipswich 0-1 Portsmouth
Norwich 1-1 Bury
Plymouth 3-2 Hull
Preston 1-0 Scunthorpe
Southampton 2-0 Leicester
Southend 5-2 Dag & Red
Sunderland 0-3 Wigan
Swansea 1-1 Havant and W
Swindon 1-1 Barnet
Tottenham 2-2 Reading
Tranmere 2-2 Hereford
Walsall 0-0 Millwall
Watford 2-0 Crystal Palace
West Ham 0-0 Man City
Wolverhampton 2-1 Cambridge Utd
Manchester United LATE KICK OFF Aston Villa

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