United hold off Liverpool fightback
Chris O'Keefe
Manchester United kept up their title charge with a 2-1 win against arch rivals Liverpool, but were made to fight for the victory as the visitors came close to snatching a share of the points.
The Red Devils took the lead midway through the first half as Robin Van Persie reacted quicker than Daniel Agger to Patrice Evra's low cross to turn the ball past Pepe Reina.
The goal was the least the hosts deserved for their first half performance as they controlled possession and asked questions of Liverpool who continue to frailties in defence.
Indeed, but for some scrambling defence, Shinji Kagawa would have doubled that lead. The showing from Liverpool prompted manager Brendan Rodgers to change his team and, seemingly, their formation.
However, hopes of a swift comeback were dealt a blow when Van Persie's free kick was met with an unmarked Patrice Evra whose header was diverted goalwards by Nemanja Vidic - also unchallenged.
Liverpool didn't set up a nervy finish with Daniel Sturridge reacting to a loose ball after Steven Gerrard's low shot was parried by David de Gea and slotted home.
The goal was part of a much improved final half hour as Liverpool gained more possession and attacked United but couldn't find an equaliser.
In truth, Sir Alex Ferguson's charges were better for much of the game and Liverpool struggled in midfield and, consequently in defence, for much of the first hour.
Defending of the second goal left much to be desired and Liverpool have looked weaker defensively and vulnerable to counter attacking since the season began - something that will curtail the club's ambitions for this season if not addressed.
United did enough to win this game. Granted there are similar frailties in the defensive qualities of their midfield but they are winning games despite this.
So without solving existing problems, United may be fired to a title on the back of its attacking options rather than solidity at the back.
Ibrahimovic Steals Show for Sweden as England are Underwhelming
Picture: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Sweden 4-2 England Swedbank Arena
Chris O'Keefe
Four goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, including three in the
last 13 minutes of the game, condemned England to a deserved defeat and leaving
English fans perhaps questioning their team’s long term prospects.
The Paris St Germain player was certainly the star of the
show and his fourth goal warrants a visit to YouTube, but it may divert
attention away from the poor overall performance in which the rare positives
arguably came from some of the new England internationals.
Sweden dominated the first 20 minutes with Ibrahimovic
showing why he should be considered amongst the very best attacking players in
the world - constantly occupying the English defence and bringing the Swedish
midfield into more threatening attacking positions.
He opening the scoring in the 20th minute with an
instinctual goal after the ball rebounded off Gary Cahill into his path and,
with a flick of his right foot, he slotted the ball in the top corner.
England should have equalised when Tom Cleverley failed to
make sufficient contact with a sliding effort connecting with a cross cum shot
from Glen Johnson and although England shaded possession in the first 30 minutes, they offered little else attacking product in open play beside.
Then a terrific cross field pass from 17-year-old debutant
Raheem Sterling in the 35th minute finding Ashley Young with a
strong attacking platform and the Manchester United winger duly picked out
Danny Welbeck who diverted the ball past Sweden stopper Andreas Isaksson to
equalise.
Suddenly the game appear to shift in the visitors direction
and England were in front two minutes later as Steven Gerrard curled a
free-kick into the box from the right side inviting Steven Caulker, himself
earning his first cap, to score.
However, after the break and despite the introductions of
debutants Carl Jenkinson and Leon Osman – who made a somewhat impressive cameo –
the game was more fragmented and lacked sustained pressure from both teams.
Indeed, it was Ibrahimovic who seemed shake the game into
life with some impressive attacking play, which England were unable to repel.
His finish on 77 minutes to level the game came from an
exquisite chip from Anders Svensson which dissected England defence and, with a
touch on his chest to control, the PSG forward rifled the ball past Joe Hart.
The England keeper may have been at fault for Ibrahimovic’s
hat-trick goal from a fizzing low free-kick that nestled in Hart’s bottom left
corner but he could be forgiven the speed of shot and the fact his weight was
going in the opposite direction initially.
Ibrahimovic’s fourth goal was a tenacious bicycle kick with
Hart out his goal and his back four scrambling to regroup, the flight of the
ball took it over the despairing Jenkinson.
England manager Roy Hodgson may point to that goal and his
performance as the key to defeat but his side seem to approach games against
the competitive nations willing to cede play to them and grasp at any attacking
opportunities that come their way.
This meant they largely had fewer clear opportunities to
hurt Sweden and take a stranglehold on the game – even at 2-1 ahead.
What Hodgson can glean from this night is that his debutants
offer new options and most notably Raheem Sterling at 17, who will improve
beyond his already considerable attacking talent.
Celtic’s Kelvin Wilson Gutted by Late Barcelona Win
Picture: forest.theoffside.com
Chris O'Keefe
Celtic defender Kelvin Wilson could not hide his disappointment
after his side were beaten in their Champions League group game away to
Barcelona thanks to a late Jordi Alba goal.
"Gutted is the word. We defended with our lives all
game and it looked like we'd done it,” he said in a post-match interview with
Sky Sports.
"It's never over 'til the final whistle with Barca and
they proved it."
Neil Lennon lauded his side’s display and commitment in
the face of continuous pressure from Barcelona.
He told Sky Sports: “They were brave and stuck with what I asked them to do. They
defended brilliantly and at times we looked dangerous on the counter-attack.”
“Everybody had written us
off but I knew of the quality of the character in the team. I look forward to
doing it again in a couple of weeks. Forster was quality - top class. I think
he'll go far in the game. We just needed to see it through.”
Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas
was relieved that his side won the game given how much effort was required to
make it happen.
Champions League: Barcelona Strike Late to Deny Celtic
Picture: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Barcelona 2-1 Celtic
By Chris O’Keefe
Celtic were denied a point in the Camp Nou by a goal from
Jordi Alba in the final minute of their Champions League group game against
Barcelona.
Barcelona dominated possession and had far more chances than
their Scottish opposition and nearly took the lead within two minutes when an
Alexis Sanchez effort flew inches wide of the left-hand post and, at the point,
travelling fans would have been forgiven for thinking a long night was in
prospect.
Indeed the goal that put the Neil Lennon’s in side front after
18 minutes was very much against the run of play when a fantastically delivered
free kick from Charlie Mulgrew caused confusion in the host’s box and Georgios Samaras’
header took a wicked deflection off Javier Mascherano to leave keeper Victor
Valdes helpless.
Moments before, Barcelona should have taken the lead
themselves after Pedro’s point blank effort was kept out by Fraser Forster and
the home team would have been good value for that lead having taken almost 80
per cent of possession up until that point.
Their dominance of the ball continued throughout the first
half as Lionel Messi went close with two free kicks. That stranglehold finally
bore fruit before half time when an exchange of passing between Messi, Xavi and
Andres Iniesta led to Iniesta sliding the ball into the right-hand corner.
The Catalan side continued to try and force the game into
the second half although Celtic kept them honest and continued to resist.
Lionel Messi was struggling to make an impact in open play for the first 65
minutes but as the Hoops tired, both he and his teammates start to engineer
clear chances. His effort on 75 minutes produced what may have been Fraser Forster’s best save of his career thus far.
However, the onslaught continued and David Villa nearly
grabbed the winner but saw his 90th minute effort rebound off the
post and the away team were closing in on an unlikely point.
It took a superb cross from Adriano and Alba sneaking in at
the far point to deny Celtic a point their resolve might have deserved despite
the statistical imbalance.
They now head into the return encounter at Celtic Park on
November 7 retaining second place after Spartak Moscow defeated Benfica 2-1.
Above all, they gave their fans reasons to be proud and optimistic about their chances
of reaching the knockout stages in the spring.
Will Everton Result accelerate Hodgson's Liverpool demise?
Picture: The Guardian
By Chris O'Keefe
Their loss to Everton on Sunday afternoon is their eighth league game and so far Liverpool have only one once, the club's worst start since before the days of Bill Shankly and leaves them nestling in the relegation zone, with little hope of reaching European football next season.
Goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta saw the Blues jump to 11th and earn a deserved victory over their fiercest rivals, in a game where Liverpool showed little promise or potential for a side that has a new manager and new owners after a week of drama in the High Court.
Hodgson's side put together only a couple of clear chances throughout the entire game and striker Fernando Torres was starved of meaningful service from his Liverpool teammates. However, his boss
told the BBC that he is unsure as to how his side lost the Merseyside derby.
The underfire Liverpool manager suggested that his team were unlucky to go into the half-time break, although the reaction of those Liverpool fans inside Goodison Park may have suggested otherwise.
Hodgson said: "In the second half, we did everything we could possibly do. We played well, created chances, limited them to very few and put them very much on the back foot. Unfortunately, by that time we were 2-0 down.
"I don't feel it to be a crisis because I feel the way we have played I don't think anyone would really believe that's the level of football a team in the bottom three or four would play."
Liverpool's new owners, who were in attendance at Sunday's game, will see the Reds look to put their league woes to one side as they take on Napoli in the Europa League on Thursday. While the change of ownership may have given many supporters a boost, the performance at Everton will provide a number of headaches as their side looks to discover some fluency and results.
Warner: What he didn't tell England
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Andrew Jennings gets a response from Jack Warner (Image: Transparencyinsport.org)
Chris O'Keefe
Warner, who is believed to control more than a fifth of the votes on FIFA's executive committee also talked about how Australia and Qatar's bid team even handed FIFA delegates goody bags at the airport and the England bid did not do the same. It was Warner's belief that England's bis had fallen behind other European bids from Russia and Spain/Portugal.
This is of course the same Jack Warner that failed to answer questions about his part in the selling of black market tickets during the 2006 World Cup, including tickets destined for England fans. The profit made from those tickets is said to be at least £500,000. When questioned about this by reporter Andrew Jennings as part of a BBC Panorama investigation, Warner response was: "If I could've spit on you, I would've spat on you!" When asked again Warner replied, "Go ask you mother", to which Jennings confided to Warner that his mother had passed away. Warner simply said: "Go to find her!" This is also the same Jack Warner who accused Jennings of intimidating him before a meeting in Trinidad. Before the same meeting he told the reporter, "Go fuck yourself!" He labelled Jennings' book about FIFA's dealings under the stewardship of President Sepp Blatter as trash, even though Warner has been fined for his part in the 2006 ticket scam, a fine that Warner is not yet believed to have fully paid.
Valencia will lose star players - Canizares
Chris O'Keefe
Former Valencia goalkeeper, Santi Canizares, says that his former club will have no option but to sell their best players due to their current financial turmoil.
Canizares, now a analyst on Spanish television since retiring from the game last season, told Sky Sports' Revista programme: "Right now - financially speaking - Valencia is a small club.
"The blame doesn't lie with those who currently run the club, and the people do not deserve this, but those players should be at big clubs - like Valencia once was."
Those players likely to be sold to raise valuable funds will include Spanish internationals David Villa who is forecast by a number of Spanish football writers to be moving to either Barcelona or Real Madrid despite interest from Manchester City and Chelsea.
The Liverpool Echo last week ran a back page lead suggesting Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez contemplating a bid for midfielder David Silva in the summer. Amongst also considered likely departures in the summer are former Real Betis winger Joaquin and rising star Juan Mata.
The extent of the current situation reflects in the fact that Valencia have a half built stadium in addition to the Mestalla, currently home, which it is said the club are struggling to sell in the wake of the collapse in the Spanish property market. Los Che also have two training grounds, which again is a result of failing to sell their old complex. The level of debt on the clubs' books is said to be around
Much of the blame for the problems at Valencia are levelled at the feet of Juan Bautista Soler, the former chairmen, who resigned in March, last year. His running of the club, including numerous changes of manager during his tenure at the club were seen as irresponsible. Soler spent around 30million euros on severance packages for Ronald Koeman, Quique Sanchez Flores and Claudio Ranieri. In addition, more than 50million euros were spent on supposed wonderkid Ever Banega (who has made more headlines for off-the-pitch behaviour), Manuel Fernandes and Nicola Zigic. Subsequently, the club's debt has more than tripled to over 400 million euros and, of course, the bloated portfolio of training grounds and stadia.
Sid Lowe, a Spanish-based football writer for the Guardian and World Soccer called Soler, "the Brian Potter of Spanish football." Indeed, Lowe is probably pinpoint in his assessment of Soler's ability to run a major footballing institution in Spanish and European terms. Valencia's players have not been paid for around two months. Furthermore, Los Che's summer transfer activity will politely be described as a fire sale.
Even with an "Everything Must Go" sale to make the UK High Street proud, it may not be enough to save a club that, only a few years ago, were a real force and a challenge to the grandeur of Barcelona and Real Madrid. This may make Leeds United's fall from grace look minuet by comparison. Hopefully not!
Descent argument descends into farce
Chris O'Keefe
Javier Mascherano's reaction to his sending off was perhaps undignified. However, the preceding events, the Argentine midfielder should have reason to question referee Steve Bennett's reasoning for his dismissal.
Shaun Custis highlighted Mascherano's labelling by ever knowledgeable Sun as the "dumbest man on the planet" in the wake of the Ashley Cole 'incident'. After all Mascherano should of course tread carefully as a consequence of someone else's actions (unpunished of course).
This is not a vindication of the player's actions, the attempts at restraint by his teammates openly suggest they were suspicious of the "card happy" referee in charge. However, his actions and punishment do not yield comparison with other incidents such as Ashley Cole's conflict with Mike Riley or even countless moments where the referee has been subjected to "descent" as its been called.
For the issue of descent to be truly dealt with the culture of refereeing - both their ability to control proceedings and how players react to them should be dramatically redefined. For example, if Alain Rolland or Andre Watson who have both refereed at the highest level in Rugby Union were to officiate in football, how many players would stay on the pitch? Mascherano would have been one of many to bite the bullet yesterday!
Players know in football that they push the boundaries of interrogation when it comes to officials, hence Mascherano tame by comparison questioning of Steve Bennett. Bennett's ability to control has been discussed in a public forum before, not always favourably.
Those looking after the rules of the game and how they're acted upon in a match simulation need to look at how they approach dealing with players. Then there would be no more Chelsea huddles around the referee trying to influence decisions, no next Roy Keane and lieutenants arguing about a free-kick. Mascherano isn't the dumbest man on the planet, the powers that be hold that mantle thinking the status quo is acceptable with no need to question anyone else but the players union. It would be nearly as naive as the headline that makes the scapegoat!
