They say in life that you can go off people really quickly and that has certainly been the case for me with Xavi Hernandez.
The Spanish player is someone I have admired from afar for some time now and is arguably the best ball player in the world at the moment in time. The problem is that you sense he probably knows it as well and the arrogant Spaniard clearly believes he has every right to speak out and enforce his views on everyone; no matter who it upsets in the process. Nobody has tried to unsettle Cesc Fabregas and Arsenal more than him and his latest outburst today has done little to repair relations. Unfortunately he doesn’t share the same class as his manager Pep Guardiola who defended Arsenal’s decision to retain Cesc and decided to leave a parting shot instead:
Xavi said: “We’ve given up on the idea of him arriving now, but maybe he’ll come in January when Arsenal are out of the Premier League title race.
“Their team is just not competitive.” (Sun)
I doubt there is a player in world football that is more hated around the Emirates than the Barcelona playmaker at present. The sheer lack of respect and regard for our football club is a disgrace and it’s such a shame that the games governing bodies continue to turn a blind eye to the antics of the Barcelona players this summer. While Xavi is obviously upset that Cesc has remained at the Emirates, at the same time he should realise that he isn’t doing his friend any favours by continuing to talk about the situation, especially as Fabregas has to face the Arsenal supporters week in, week out. Xavi clearly has no shame and he has certainly gone down in my estimation this summer and I for one would welcome Barcelona in the Champions League on again, just for the opportunity to let him know what I think of him and his loosely lipped teammates.
Written By Billy Pearson
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Over the past weeks I’ve read and heard a lot from the “holier-than-thou” London-centric media about how Liverpool have set a bad example supporting Suarez and for wearing “those t-shirts” during the warm-up prior to the Wigan game. How Dalglish and Liverpool should have simply (read meekly) accepted the decision of the FA ’s independent commission (they hadn’t got the guts to make a decision on their own), apologize and move on. That Liverpool should have taught Suarez, and all overseas players, about what and what is not acceptable to say to another player in the heat-of-the moment and so and and so forth.
What utter “let’s print this crap so we can sell more newspapers” journalism this truly is. Are we supposed to respect this kind of preaching from those who a few months ago were happily tapping some innocents mobile? I didn’t think so.
What the football media have totally underestimated is just how strong the Liverpool family really is and always will be. When injustice is served up cold, as Liverpool have had to endure again and again over the decades, it unites Liverpool supporters and the team even more strongly. When Liverpool came running onto the field wearing Suarez shirts I couldn’t have been prouder of my team and of Kenny for making a stand against the flawed justice they had been handed down to Suarez.
What the band-wagon media failed to recognize, or acknowledge, was that Liverpool and their fans are totally against racism. Always have been, always will be. Liverpool is a multi-cultural, multi-racial club and proud of it. Just ask the likes of John Barnes who has stated that the FA are guilty of crucifying Suarez.
To say I love Liverpool is an understatement, however, that doesn’t mean I blindly support or condone anything a player may do that is out-of-order i.e. if Downing did indeed hit his ex-girlfriend then he needs to get what’s coming to him, both personally and professionally.
So Liverpool have taken the high-road and decided to accept the decision of the FA’s independent commission. I’m disappointed but respect it but let’s be clear, Liverpool are not the London media’s, or the FA’s, favourite football team and never will be. The media never questioned the hypocrisy of the FA fighting UEFA to reduce Rooney’s violent conduct 3-match ban versus Liverpool’s right to question Suarez’s 8-match ban. And if Terry is found guilty of racism will we see the same level of justice meted out? Don’t hold your breath.
Article courtesy of Barry Ringstead from Live4Liverpool
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Manchester United forward Javier Hernandez will be sidelined for ‘a couple of weeks’ after spending a night in hospital due to concussion.The Mexico international was injured during training prior to United’s 4-0 win over the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Stars in their friendly clash on Wednesday.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the 23-year-old, who scored 13 goals in his debut English Premier League season last campaign, had spent the night before the game in hospital.
“He got concussion in training and we dealt with that,” he said.
“We took him to hospital, he had a scan. It was all clear. He is back in the hotel. He is in his room and will be out for a couple of weeks.”
The setback rules Hernandez out of United’s friendly against Barcelona on Saturday, but Ferguson said he would not have taken part anyway due to a heavy schedule that saw him help Mexico to the CONCACAF Gold Cup title in June.
“He would never have been available for Barcelona anyway because he has just come back from his break after the Gold Cup,” Ferguson said.
“He will travel with us though. He is okay for that.”
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Ferguson’s team hammered the MLS All-Stars 4-0 thanks to goals from Anderson, Park Ji-Sung, Dimitar Berbatov and Danny Welbeck.
United finish their tour of the US with a re-match of the UEFA Champions League final, which Barcelona won 3-1.
Standard Liege defeated Club Brugge 1-0 in their Belgian First Division championship group playoff match at Jules Ottenstadion on Saturday.The win moved Liege to within three points of Genk in the race for the Belgian title, and came courtesy of a 31st-minute goal from Axel Witsel.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Gent played out a 2-2 draw with Lokeren in a matchup between the two bottom sides in the six-team championship play-off group.
Shlomi Arbeitman opened the scoring for Gent in first-half injury time, but Benjamin De Ceulaer levelled proceedings six minutes after the break.
It looked as though Gent had done enough to secure their first win since the playoffs began when Arbeitman scored his second on the 76-minute mark, but Alfred Finnbogason snatched a point for Lokeren three minutes into stoppage time.
In Europa League play-off Group A, a brace from Julien Gorius helped KV Mechelen to a 4-3 win over Lierse, while a goal from Oleg Iachtchouk five minutes before the break was enough to hand Cercle Brugge a 1-0 win over St Truiden.
In Group B, KVC Westerlo moved top with a 7-1 thrashing of Zulte-Waregem, with Filho Paulo Henrique scoring two goals, while Germinal Beerschot and KV Kortrijk played out a 0-0 draw at the Olympisch Stadion.
Here is a list of the ten greatest footballers that God ever managed to make. He was having a fantastic day by his standards because these guys are just so good. It is a list of by far the best players who’ve ever graced the completely unworthy Premier League. The turf should be sealed off after they’ve played and turned into a pilgrimage site. Or so they think.
In reality this is a list of the biggest egos in the Premier League. The ten players who cannot handle being substituted and storm down the tunnel in a fit of rage, the players who kick out in disgust at water bottles and throw their shirts to the ground really really angrily. These are the players who scream at their teammates when they don’t get the ball but would never dream of passing if they had a chance from 40 yards.
All these players genuinely believe they are the best, they believe that taking them off is a stupid mistake and leaving them on the bench is pure lunacy. They are God’s gift to the game and to their team and to ignore God you must be a fool. In fact you’re all fools anyway, you just can’t comprehend their talent.
Managerial authority means absolutely nothing, the idea that somebody would tell them how to play when they have already mastered all there is to know is laughable. ‘Leave it to me and we will win’ they think, ‘who is this old goat who thinks Jermaine Jenas can replace ME! He must be mad!’ Cue strop.
In football, whole squads can be described as egos, particularly the most expensive ones. The Chelsea and Manchester City managerial jobs in particular require masterful ‘mass-ego management skills’ but that is a story for another day. Today we’re going to focus on the individuals, just as these players would want. It’s all about me, me, me. So here are 10 of the best.
Click on Drogba and Ronaldo below to see the Top TEN
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All eyes will be on Joey Barton who will face his former Newcastle United side on Monday, less than two weeks since joining Queens Park Rangers. Barton will be just one of the many new faces on show as Warnock spends the money provided to him by the new owner to ensure QPR remain in the Premier League.
Barton could be joined in the game by new arrivals Shaun Wright Phillips, Anton Ferdinand, Armand Traore and Luke Young although Young is a doubt due to a groin injury. Kieron Dyer remains sidelined with a foot issue and Bradley Orr and Heidar Helguson also look set to miss out.
Newcastle have made a brilliant start to the season, collecting seven points from games against Arsenal, Sunderland and Fulham and Alan Pardew will be hoping to continue this form at Premier League newcomers QPR. Two goal hero Leon Best and Peter Lovenkrands started up-front in the victory over Fulham and they look to continue on Monday with Demba Ba struggling since his move from West Ham. Newcastle new boy Davide Santon is unlikely to go straight into the starting XI for Monday’s trip to QPR after spending time on international duty since completing his move. Steve Harper, Danny Guthrie, and Shola Ameobi could all feature after they returned to training after respective injuries.
In what should be a real competitive game I think Loftus Road will be bouncing with anticipation but Warnock will need to get the new arrivals to gel which could take some time. A draw seems the most likely result for two improved teams.
Key Players
Joey Barton: It will be interesting to see what reaction he receives from the Newcastle faithful at the game and there is no doubt that he will be determined to make an impression with all the cameras firmly placed on him.
Jonas Gutierrez: The Argentinean winger performs a key function for the team, not only supporting the players upfront but also regularly helping out in defence.
Verdict: 1-1
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Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov could be out for six weeks after scans showed his ankle injury is worse than was initially feared.
The left-back damaged ankle ligaments in Saturday's goalless draw against Tottenham and could be sidelined until October.
Meanwhile, boss Roberto Mancini does not expect Thursday's Europa League clash against Romanian side FC Timisoara to be easy.
He said:"It is a difficult draw because everyone expects us to progress but we have watched Timisoara and they are a hard-working side who will see us a great possible scalp.
"You have to be patient and remember that there are two games in this tie.
"I always think that the first game in any European competition is the hardest and we are still in the very early stages of my players becoming a team. Timisoara have already played four league games and two in the Europa Cup.
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"I have plenty of options for the game but, at this stage of the season, I want to give as much chance as possible to new players to settle into the team and learn about each other so we can grow as a group. It is a balance between that and making sure that certain players do not become overused or tired.
"It is an important game because we want to progress in every competition and there is no room to play less than 100 per cent. The main thing is to ensure that the score after the second game at the City of Manchester Stadium is in our favour."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
West Ham United are expected to name the former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss Avram Grant as their new manager later this week.
The 55-year-old Israeli left crisis-club Pompey less than a fortnight ago and is believed to be at the top of joint chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold's wish-list.
The Hammers parted company with Gianfranco Zola last month after he had guided them away from the Premier League's relegation zone.
Gold was quoted as saying:"After an hour, we knew we could work with this manager. We are very optimistic.
"I think it's time for the football club to get some stability with people that have been there, done that and got the T-shirt.
"The bottom line is the relationship between the manager and the chairman is critical. In our case it's two chairmen so it's even more difficult as you need to have a relationship between three people.
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"We want to put together a team that was better than last year. We were very fortunate. Normally 35 points gets you relegated.
"What we need is a manager who has achieved, has experience. We are not in a position where we can take on young, inexperienced managers."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Wolves have confirmed that midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong will miss the remainder of the season, after suffering a knee injury.
The 20-year-old is on loan at Molineux from Arsenal, but picked up an injury against QPR on Saturday, and had to be replaced in the first half of his side’s 2-1 win.
Mick McCarthy’s men have confirmed that extent of the knock, and wished Frimpong all the best in his recovery.
“Emmanuel Frimpong has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Saturday’s Barclays Premier League game at QPR,” a statement on the club’s official website reads.
“Frimpong, on loan at Molineux until the end of the season, will now see specialists in London over the next few days before having surgery and starting a programme of rehabilitation.
“The midfielder, who suffered the same injury to his left knee in 2010, had made an impressive start to his temporary spell at Wolves, catching the eye during his five appearances in gold and black.
“Frimpong is expected to be out for a number of months and will therefore miss the remainder of this season.
“Everyone at Wolves would like to thank the midfielder for his efforts whilst at the club and join Arsenal in wishing him a swift recovery,” it concluded.
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The weekly Watchlist refresh has taken place and you can now get mid-term player recommendations via your sidebar on the frontpage.
Notable movement this week includes improved prospects for the likes of Man City, Liverpool and Blackburn assets, as Chelsea’s big names continue to slide.
There’s also some big heavyweight names returning on the fringes, with Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie, Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent back and in contention for our Fantasy thinking in the coming weeks…
Defensively times are tough for us Fantasy Managers. With Chelsea faltering and United’s rearguard proving inconsistent, there’s value at looking at second tier defences, with Man City and Liverpool worthy of attention. Fixtures also fall in their favour so it’s no surprise to see Joe Hart and Pepe Reina climbing in the Goalkeeper rankings, while Glen Johnson is a new entry in the Defenders table – a luxury item perhaps, but potentially profitable over the next six Gameweeks if you can afford to splash out. Paul Konchesky and City’s Aleksandar Kolarov are more likely to be within reach and both look strong bets for this fishing in the mid-price Defender pool. Both enjoy Watchlist climbs this week.
Blackburn were revealed as Fixture friendly material in this week’s “Frisking” article, and that’s mirrored in the Watchlist, with Paul Robinson in goal and Chris Samba in defence both enjoying significant climbs in our rankings.
Overall our current top 5 Defenders – Vidic, Johnson, Baines, Kolarov and Bolton’s Gary Cahill – look a solid outfit to take forward for the next few Gameweeks and beyond.
Our top 5 in midfield has also proved pretty solid. Cesc Fabregas has of course dropped out of that following last night’s injury, so Samir Nasri has crashed in to replace him. Arsenal’s fixtures aren’t in his favour and form is certainly in question, but we currently prefer Nasri over the budget options provided by Matt Jarvis of Wolves and Chung-Yong Lee of Bolton who are both kept just outside the top 5.
Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt is the dark horse; he experienced a climb having been handed spot-kick duties in the absence of Steven Gerrard and benefiting with a strike against West Ham. While Liverpool are far from their best right now, they do have opponents that should afford them a few goals to go with clean sheet prospects at the back.
Further down in the Midfield rankings we have climbs for both Morten Gamst-Pedersen and Bolton’s Matt Taylor. The latter suffers from the value offered by team-mate Lee, but Pedersen is a clear prospect, particularly once Rovers get this week’s trip to Old Trafford out of the way. Expect another climb for the Norwegian next week, with much more on him to come in a full blown Watchlist article.
Up front there’s another change at the top. Despite his points haul against Newcastle and his forthcoming fixture with Blackpool this Gameweek, the much-wanted Johan Elmander falls from grace to be replaced by Carlos Tevez. Bolton’s fixtures remain strong but Elmander will come up against City, Sunderland and Chelsea defences in the next six – opponents that will certainly test the Swede’s new goal-getting abilities. Tevez, in contrast, appears to have stronger prospects against kinder defences and is of course, on spot-kicks and tends to dominate City’s Bonus awards.
Fernando Torres is perhaps the main prospect here. Following the trip to White Hart Lane, Torres has home fixtures against Villa, Fulham and Wolves which will surely give the Spaniard the opportunity to boost his incredible home scoring record. He just has to stay fit to repay his Fantasy investors. If Torres comes through the Spurs game and looks sharp, he’s highly likely to threaten Tevez for the top spot next week.
Lower down there are notable new entries for the fit-again due of Darren Bent and Wayne Rooney. It’s hard to make a call on Rooney’s prospects right now; he certainly has the fixtures to help him make up ground and start justifying his Fantasy price tag but, prior to injury, he looked to be a shadow of last season’s player. Fantasy investors are likely to need more time before a move can be made with any degree of confidence. He’s another who could enjoy a climb next week if he impresses in Gameweek 15.
The same applies to Robin Van Persie who makes a welcome return to our thinking following a series of substitute appearances. With Fabregas out, you would imagine that Van Persie will take up the mantle of chief creator (along with Nasri) to help steer the Gunners through choppy waters. The Dutchman could be prominent in our thinking if he can prove a decent level of fitness and form at Villa this weekend.
As for Jermain Defoe – he gets little help from the fixture list over the coming weeks and, like Van Persie and Rooney, we will need to see evidence of his sharpness before investment can be considered. A goal-sniffer by trade, Defoe often lacks the potential of Bonus Points and assists offered by the other pair, and that may well count against him with plenty of temptations around amongst the Forwards. His price tag of 8.6, falling from an initial 9.0, will make him worthy of consideration once Tottenham’s fixtures pick up.
Click here to see more analysis at the Fantasy Football Scout below
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