Wigan ready to piss on Manchester United bonfire
May 9, 2008
Thirteen years ago, Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League title, despite losing 2-1 to Liverpool on the last day of the season. This was because rivals Manchester United just simply couldn’t get over the finishing line at West Ham, drawing 1-1 and spurning several chances to land the spoils. Could history be about to repeat itself at the JJB Stadium?
Despite a question mark over Steve Bruce’s allegiances to the Red Devils, his players are talking up their chances of ruining United’s big day in a big way. Emmerson Boyce has told the Daily Mail that the bobbly pitch, the way that the Latics will be organised and a burning desire to make their own headlines could stop Sir Alex Ferguson’s men in their tracks.
He said: “People don’t like coming to our ground and playing against us.
“It will help against Manchester United. On a perfect pitch all their top players will have a field day, but they will have difficulty passing and running with the ball on ours, even though they are top-class players. They won’t be able to play the game they’re used to, it’s nowhere near the standard of Old Trafford.
“We can get in their faces, test their touches and it will help us. A lot of people have moaned about it this season, but that’s usually because we have either got a good result or given them a tough game. We have got good results against the big teams because we love being the underdogs and there will be no pressure on us on Sunday, it’s all on them.”
He added: “We would like to emulate West Ham. People still talk about that team that cost Manchester United the title 13 years ago and I’d love people to remember us in 13 years’ time. We are loving the publicity. Everyone will be watching us across the world and it shows how far we’ve come as a club. We are going to enjoy being in the limelight.
“People are talking about Wigan right now and that’s a good thing. The fact we can have a say in the title race has given us extra motivation. I and the rest of the players want to show people what we can do against Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez and if we cost them the title everyone will talk about us. We are safe in the table. They are the ones with everything to lose.”
This will be music to the ears of Avram Grant and his Chelsea mob as they set about destructing Bolton on Sunday while holding a transistor radio to their left ear. That’s apart from Didier Drogba who will be moodily sitting on the subs bench, listening to his ipod as usual. Wigan managed to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw recently, thus helping to end the Gunners’ title challenge. Emile Heskey then scored in the dying embers of the match at Stamford Bridge to make it ‘advantage United’ in the title race. Will the Latics’ final act be to deprive the champions a second successive league title?
Manchester United manager slates ‘partying Bolton players’
May 9, 2008
Have the Wanderers squad been on the lash ever since beating Sunderland on Saturday? According to Sir Alex Ferguson, they’ve certainly been letting their hair down ever since they made sure of their place in next season’s Premier League. Indeed, much has been made of Wigan’s approach to Sunday’s game against the Red Devils, yet there’s been little mention of how motivated Bolton are likely to be, following something of a great escape in recent weeks.
The Manchester Evening News reports that SAF continues to play his own special brand of mind games, questioning the motivation of the Trotters ahead of their visit to Stamford Bridge. Whether they’ll notice the Scot’s words of warning is another matter, those hangovers often take some sleeping off.
“All the press seem to be talking about is the integrity of Wigan,” said the United manager.
“Nobody has questioned Bolton. Nobody has even mentioned Bolton. It is interesting the different attitudes. All we have had is Wigan players saying we will beat Man United and that’s fine.
“We have no problem with that. We are a big club.
“And then you hear about Bolton players out celebrating all week. It amazes me the difference in attitude.
“Both teams are safe. Both can relax. Both are confident but one team can celebrate while the other is all keyed up to play Manchester United!”
It now appears that Gary Megson has ordered his players to stop drinking. At least on the Saturday before the match. Well, at least they’ve been asked to stay off the spirits and just stick to long drinks like beer and wine. But will they pay attention to their manager now that they’re safe. Cheers!
Manchester United alert! Chelsea keeper’s gotta brand new shirt
May 8, 2008
What a contest the Champions League final promises to be. The bookmakers can’t split Manchester United and Chelsea in the betting, with both teams packed to the brim with talent. Just one moment of brilliance or madness could make all the difference in Moscow. Or maybe just the colour of a goalkeeping jersey…
The Daily Mail have revealed that Petr Cech is almost certain to wear a bright orange goalkeeping top for the contest against the Red Devils. He’s claiming it’s more likely to distract the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez when they’re bearing down on goal with the ball at their feet. Could there be anything in this?
“Studies say the orange colour spreads the most when the striker attacks, in the split of a second as he focuses,” said Cech, whose side need to get a better result at Stamford Bridge than United achieve at Wigan to win their third title in four seasons.
“This colour is like a sort of alarm or alert which really spreads and is very difficult to avoid, so this should be good for me.”
Petr, as a goalkeeper, your hands and arms should be very good for you, not the colour of your goalkeeping shirt. Apparently there’s no truth in the rumour that Edwin Van Der Sar is going to dress up as a clown for the final, squirting water out of a flower and into the eyes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. Which is a shame as we all would have liked to have seen that!
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Wigan manager: ‘Yeah, we’re going to try really hard against Manchester United, honest’
May 8, 2008
Avram Grant, John Terry and Michael Ballack are all confident that Wigan are going to try their level best against Manchester United on Sunday. Or at least they have stated this in public. Why shouldn’t Manchester United be asking the same of Bolton Wanderers, who now travel to Chelsea knowing that they will be playing in the Premier League next season?
Nevertheless, the Daily Telegraph report that Wigan boss Steve Bruce has cited two million reasons for his team to beat the Red Devils on Sunday. It’s hardly convincing as an argument, especially when put up against the motivation for their opponents to land the three points.
Bruce, who helped United to win three Premier League titles during his nine years with the club, said: “We’ve got to be professional and we will be. The difference between finishing two places in the Premier League these days is almost £1.5 million.”
Wigan were floundering in the lower reaches of the top flight when Bruce took over and he’d certainly have bitten your hand off if you’d offered him Premier League safety at the end of the season. Therefore, while there may be a couple of million to play for, it’s only the same as what the Latics manager might expect to receive for keeping the Lancashire club afloat. We should also remind you of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tendency to phone his former player earlier in the season.
Chelsea will be hoping that Wigan deliver a similar performance to that which beat Villa 2-0 last Saturday, although the six matches between the two teams have yielded the same result every time and it’s extremely difficult to see any other outcome on Sunday.
Will Chelsea manager step aside for Rijkaard even if they beat Manchester United?
May 8, 2008
You can hardly blame Avram Grant for wanting to be out of the limelight at the end of the season. Since taking over, he’s been subject to a barrage of criticism, along with endless speculation over his future as Chelsea manager.
The tide has turned in recent weeks after the Israeli guided the Blues to the brink of a third Premier League title and a Champions League final spot in Moscow. However, The Sun report that Grant could end up stepping down whatever happens between now and the end of the season. They have collared a supposed ‘good friend’ in Portsmouth reserve player Richard Hughes to spill the proverbial beans.
He insisted: “This (Rijkaard steeping in) will take place with Avram’s blessing. He is a modest guy who does not particularly like being in the limelight.
“He’d be happy to revert to the role where he acts as a link between the coaching staff and the board.
“Avram is a student of football. I had countless conversations with him when he was here about Barca, their players and the way they play.
“It is well known Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is an admirer of Barcelona and the football they play.
“He seems to be on a crusade to bring a similar brand of play to Stamford Bridge.
“A big reason for Jose Mourinho leaving was that Abramovich wanted to see a type of football the Special One was not delivering.”
Perhaps Grant was merely a self-knowing stop-gap at Stamford Bridge, knowing full well that Abramovich wanted rid of Mourinho as quickly as possible, but perhaps could not get hold of the Barcelona coach until the end of the season. Or perhaps the above is a load of tosh from a footballer with a big mouth?
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Should Chelsea manager be surprised that his massive squad of world-class players are challenging for title?
May 6, 2008
After all, the Blues have quality all over the park. Chelsea’s second string would probably finish sixth or seventh in the Premier League, so why have Avram Grant’s expectations been exceeded by his team’s strong finish to the season, which could mean a domestic-European double this season?
Look at the players he has at his disposal! Perhaps Arsene Wenger should be the man that is making the below sort of quotes, considering the smaller squad and the terrible luck with injuries that Arsenal have experienced in the past few months. To hear Grant speak (through the medium of Sky Sports), anyone would think he was manager of Aston Villa or Everton.
“From day one our target was to be in the Champions League final and to improve our game,” he said.
“We’ve done more than I even expected, so we want to believe the season will end well and we will fight to the last minute.
“United have had a fantastic season. They’ve been champions many times before but this year we have given them a good battle and it is not finished yet.
“Even if they win the title on goal difference you must give my team respect.”
Hmmm, can’t see many neutrals ‘respecting’ Chelsea for their achievements, particularly as their success is down to a Russian billionaire deciding to pick them as his pet project and investing hundreds of millions to ensure that they become one of the world’s leading clubs and brands. Surely, Everton, Villa, Portsmouth and Sunderland deserve more respect for having decent seasons, while Stoke and West Brom should also be praised for scrambling out of the Championship without having a bottomless pit of cash.
Wigan v Manchester United, Chelsea v Bolton, Birmingham v Blackburn - which game will you be watching?
May 6, 2008
It’s possible that Sky may have missed a trick by not showing Portsmouth v Fulham on Sunday, especially as the Cottagers’ chances of survival (along with Birmingham and Reading’s) rest in their own hands. However, the Sky Sports website reveals that they’ll be televising the matches from the JJB Stadium, Stamford Bridge and St Andrews instead - which game will you be watching?
Sunday’s title showdown is in danger of being a complete anti-climax, especially if Manchester United tear into Wigan from the off as they did against West Ham last Saturday. The ITV website reports that Michael Ballack expects the Latics to put up a decent fight, although it was only a fortnight ago that Steve Bruce was reporting a smooth operator that goes by the name of Sir Alex Ferguson had been calling him up.
“The pressure is on and I hope Wigan are proud enough to give everything in the last game and we have to beat Bolton.
“United have everything in their hands, but we are relaxed now. We did our job. We will give everything to beat Bolton at home and we will see what they do.”
Goodness me, the German captain is really getting into this fighting talk malarkey. One minute he was out of favour with Mourinho, now he’s leading the calls for United’s opposition to give it their best shot! Let’s also hope that the Wanderers play with pride at the Bridge after essentially guaranteeing their Premier League safety against Sunderland.
The match being televised at St Andrews could also be pretty dull, although the Sky cameras are likely to have some gratuitous shots of football fans in tears, with Birmingham extremely likely to be relegated after their 2-0 defeat at Fulham. Watch out for small children sobbing their hearts out - and a few grown men too!
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Newcastle boss thinks the Premier League is boring, and he’s not the only one…
May 6, 2008
The final hurdle of the Premier League is coming and whilst Chelsea and Man Utd limber up for their final matches, noone has successfully broken the Bog Four’s choke hold on the summit of the Premiership. Yet again the usual suspects will claim the Champions League slot, whilst the rest have to squabble over the far inferior UEFA Cup. Even Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan, who claims that his side have next to no chance of breaking into the top four, is starting to feel a tad bored by all this “Big Four” malarkey. Keegan said:
“This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring, but great, leagues.
“It would be mad to say we will be in the top four next season. We are a million miles away from them.
“The top four will be the same as this year but what I can say to our fans is we will try to get fifth and win the other league that is going on.”
So is KK right, is this League a predictable snooze fest?
Great news for Chelsea and Manchester United fans going to Moscow
May 5, 2008
After the debacle for many Liverpool fans in Athens last season, it appeared as though more of the same could have been on the cards for supporters of Manchester United and Chelsea who are making the trip to Russia to see their team play in the Champions League final. There had been talk of fans needing a visa in order to gain access to the country, which could have been an administrative nightmare.
However, the BBC report that the Russian authorities have backed down over their requirements and stated that, as long as fans have a match ticket, along with passport and immigration forms, they wll not have to bother with a visa after all. This could also serve the dual purpose of making sure that fans without tickets don’t bother travelling to Moscow.
“This is great news for football fans travelling to watch this year’s UEFA Champions League final in Moscow,” said Platini.
“Our job is to make sure that they are able to get to and from Moscow as easily as possible.
“I am therefore extremely pleased that at my request, all fans travelling with a valid match ticket can use this to enter Russian territory.
“For this I must thank wholeheartedly the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the Russian government, the city of Moscow and the Football Union of Russia for this exceptional and unprecedented gesture.”
In predictable fashion, each club have only received 21,000 tickets each for the encounter, with the remaining 27,500 being dished out to corporate sponsors and the like.
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Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy, Law; the top three at Manchester United - but in what order?
May 4, 2008
Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday joined Ruud van Nistelrooy and Denis Law as a member of the exclusive Forty Club; Manchester United players who have bagged 40 goals in a season - this trio are clearly excellent goalscorers but in what order would you put these players in, in terms of greatness?
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Chelsea reckon West Ham will roll over for an Old Trafford tummy tickling..
May 2, 2008
It looks like West Ham will be as effective as a chocolate teapot against Man Utd atOld Trafford after Hammers gaffer Alan Curbishley claimed that it would be ‘a great injustice’ if Sir Alex’s men didn’t win the title….Hmmm, methinks that West Ham will be crapper than an old sailor’s barnacled arse for this crunch title decider. According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea boss Avram Grant is peeved at Curbishley’s claim that:
‘It would be a great injustice if Manchester United were to lose the Premier League title. I would raise a glass if United win the title. It would be, of course, a toast to Alex Ferguson, the best there is and may ever be.’
So will West Ham drizzle the Champions elect in Champagne when they visit Old Trafford or will they actually put up some semblance of a fight.
Scratched record alert - Liverpool midfielder insists that they can challenge for title next season
May 1, 2008
I thought this was the season that Liverpool finally cast off their bridesmaid’s dress and went head-to-head with the Chelseas and Manchester United’s of this world for the Premier League title. Did I get that wrong? After all, early victories against the Premier League giants that are Aston Villa, Derby and Sunderland saw the likes of Alan Shearer declare that the Reds would go close this year and I don’t think he was talking about fourth place!
Pool fans might argue that with their team only eleven points off the Premier League, they have closed the gap between them and the other members of the ‘Big Four’. Others would argue that the Merseyside club continue to lack the consistency over the course of a season, despite lavish signings in the summer. Javier Mascherano is ever the optimist however, with the Daily Mail reporting that he’s optimistic ahead of next season.
“The last two months were very good for Liverpool in the Premier and Champions League but we need to repeat this from the beginning of next season.
“We are a young team but have experienced players as well and we showed our character against Chelsea. We played at the same level as Chelsea. We need to improve and keep playing this way. We have shown we have the quality to win titles.”
Yes yes young Javier, it’s all very well playing decent football when the pressure is off and you can express yourself out on the pitch. What will Liverpool be like once they’re actually in the heat of a title race, especially as they consistently fail to beat Chelsea and Manchester United every season? The jury is out on the scousers and fourth place looks like their customary spot for the time being.
Who are the people criticising Chelsea manager?
May 1, 2008
Read a newspaper, watch a TV channel or talk to a random in a pub and you’ll hear the same talk about whether Avram Grant will stay on as Chelsea manager by the end of the season? Where did this speculation start? When the Blues lost the Carling Cup final to Tottenham in February? Has it been fuelled by some of the Israeli’s recent substitutions during a game, despite many of them helping to change the match?
It appears that ever since Grant decided to give some ill-advised monosyllabic responses to the press pack after his team had drawn 1-1 with Wigan (imagine if they had won that match!), the talk has been of Mourinho’s replacement not being able to handle the pressure of managing a big club. Ireland Online reports that captain John Terry is baffled by the rumours.
“Avram plays a massive part along with the players, Steve Clarke, Henk ten Cate, the fans and everyone at the club. It is a credit to ourselves and the way we have dealt with things this year because at times it has not been easy.
“I think he (Grant) deserves respect and rightly so. It is the first time in the club’s history we have got to a Champions League final - it has never been done by any manager or set of players before and he does deserve it.
“To get to where we are and still question the manager’s role at the club is unbelievable. But it is not just the manager, it is the players, and Henk and Clarkie, who have a big role to play behind the scenes. They keep players motivated. We have got such a big squad of players and they manage to keep those not playing motivated and that is a credit to them.”
Tabloid journalists aren’t dumb and it’s clear that many are changing their tune to cover previous comments about Grant being out of his depth as Chelsea manager. Readers also easily forget previous criticisms made by hypocritical reporters, who are bordering on racist with some of the things that they have said about Avram Grant. Sure enough, he may not be a smooth talker, a snappy dresser or have charisma in abundance. But he’s worked damn hard to get this Blues team on the verge of Premier League and Champions League success this season.
Bore of Britain: Why The Champions League Final Is Not For Neutrals
May 1, 2008
One match points me to come to this conclusion: The 2007 FA Cup Final.
A horrendous match for the neutrals.
Both teams had played out a long, hard season and it was a chance to show who was the best team in England. For Chelsea it would be because they beat the newly-crowned Champions. Manchester United, because they had a chance to seal the double. But with that, the prestigious FA Cup and the honour of winning at the new Wembley at stake the two teams cancelled each other out. No real chances were created and fans were only saved by a slow trudge to penalites by a last-gasp Drogba goal.
This is what I fear will happen in Moscow. It could even be worse. No disrespect to the FA Cup but a much, much greater prize is at stake this time around.
Manchester United have played some great football this season and I firmly believe they deserve their chance in the Champions League final this year. Regardless of how much I dislike them and wanted United to face old rivals Liverpool in the final, Chelsea deserve their place as well. They get a lot of bad press, Avram Grant especially, yet they have managed to sustain a title challenge on two fronts despite apparently being in turmoil - and this from a season where they have not splashed their billions.
However, look at how United played over the two legs against Barcelona and we see that they close up and cannot play their cavalier style of football when they only have 40% of the ball. And we are all fully aware of the stale possession football that Chelsea can play.
So with Chelsea sitting on the ball not using it and Manchester United sitting back waiting for their 40%, is the Champions League Final 2008 going to be the explosive encounter we all wish for? Beaten Barca coach Frank Rijkaard thinks otherwise:
I think they [English teams] have a lot more to give on the pitch to the public. It is strange to see English teams defending for their lives in Europe and trying to win games on the counter-attack. They can do a lot more than that. They have their own spirit and can play football on the front foot.
In European games they all get behind the ball when they lose it, they are very organised and try to counter-attack. It is a pity. It is not the most beautiful way of football.
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What would Chelsea fans give/sell to see them beat Manchester United in SIX WORDS!
May 1, 2008
Long-winded people are boring, and writing full sentences is for chumps. So instead you have just SIX words to sum up what Chelsea fans would sell or indeed give to see them triumph over Man United in the Champions League Final! Sound easy? Good for you.
Maybe you would sell your house, your own grandmother, or even someone else’s grandmother just so Chelsea could lift that prized trophy at the expense of Man United!
You could probably write an essay about this. Well, tough, you only have SIX WORDS! Concise and creative, or just plain hilarious, it’s up to you now so leave your masterpiece in the comments.
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