England have been given a generous group stage draw, with their first game against the USA, a team who – despite recently beating Spain – are relatively weak, especially defensively. England will also face Slovenia, who they comprehensively beat recently, and should therefore have no problem repeating the feat, and Algeria, who are newcomers to the World Cup, and bring little firepower to the table. It must be said, if England fail to qualify from the said group, then it would probably be remembered as the biggest World Cup upset in history.

The squad this time around is by far the strongest for many years – yes Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have played in previous World Cups, but as the latter two especially are now at their peak footballing age, the team now have added experience and ability. The defence is another key area for England – in previous campaigns, the likes of Danny Mills, Wes Brown, and Phil Neville have played roles in this half of the pitch, but this year, a seasoned back four of Glen Johnson, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, and Ashley Cole (although his recent injury could prove a problem), should deal with even the most dangerous of attacking forces. Domestic bookmakers seem to be relatively optimistic about England’s chances this year, with many having the team down as second favourites to Spain.

Top free bets UK based company Freebets.com will be putting on a whole host of offers and bonuses leading up to the competition. You can take advantage of these bookie bonuses and try maximising your profit with a bet on England to win the World Cup 2010!

Since the sacking of George Burley only a few months ago, speculation has been intense as to who will take on such a challenging role, and the following pages will provide informative guides to the current situation, and who the potential candidates are. Firstly, we assess the downfall of Burley, and how the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup 2010. Next, we pick some of the highlight candidates for the vacant role, and assess the odds currently being offered by bookmakers – there’s money to be made. You can find all the best betting odds and bonus offers at Gaming Supermarket.

We analyse the credentials of Dundee United manger Craig Levein, and consider whether is relative youth could work for, or indeed against him, in his reported desire to take the national job. We then pose the question as to whether a successful Scottish footballer would be better suited to the taking the helm during such a difficult time – John Collins is the bookmakers 2nd favourite for the role, and we offer a profile of the said ex International, before highlighting the pick of the outsiders, Graeme Souness. The ex Liverpool defender has been out of work for some time now, since leaving Newcastle in fact, and has never shied away from a challenge.

In just over 6 months… 32 teams from around the globe will compete in the greatest sporting tournament in the world. In the summer of 2010, South Africa will come to life as it hosts the World Cup.

On December 4th the draw was made for the group stages of the tournament and it gave us a little bit of a clearer idea as to who might progress and lift the Jules Rimet trophy. Many of you will no doubt be have a bet on who will win the World Cup, so we have looked at the key teams and players to help you decide where you should be putting your money (all betting odds supplied by bwin.com – the online betting specialists).

Argentina – 10/1

With the world’s great footballer, Lionel Messi, at their disposal Argentina can not be overlooked as contenders for the World Cup. However there are so many factors against them this time around. A poor perform during qualifying for the FIFA World Cup saw them rely on winning their last fixture to qualify. Add to that the fact that they have not figured beyond the quarter-final stage of the tournament since 1986, when Maradonna’s infamous hand-ball against England, and you can just about safely rule out Argentina as a major threat.

Germany – 10/1

Germany were unbeaten in qualifying as group winners and stumbled to draws only twice. This along with their World Cup record has to keep them in mind when betting on the World Cup. Germany have won the World Cup three times and finished runner’s up on four occasions making them one of the most successful international footballing sides. While their side of today may not have the greatest strength in depth, it still possess some of the world’s greatest players in Michael Ballack and Lukas Podolski, with the latter having one of the best goal scoring records in all of international football (a strike rate of 0.7 per game).

England – 7/1

On paper England have one of the strongest 11 line-ups in the world. With world-class players gracing every part of the pitch there is nothing to suggest England can’t go all the way in 2010. With a group that includes Algeria and Slovenia you would certainly expect England to go on to win their group but beyond that is where the trouble lies. Since 1966 England has always played the supporting role and in all likely-hood will find themselves stumbling at the final hurdle once more. With a second round fixture against either Germany or Australia on the cards, England will be stretched as soon as they hit in the knock-out stages and at odds of 7/1 should be avoided.

Brazil – 6/1

As the 2nd highest ranked side in the world according to FIFA, it should come as no surprise that Brazil are 2nd favourites to lift the World Cup in 2010. Indeed, until the draw was made for the group stages Brazil were in fact joint favourites along with Spain. However, a tough group phase against Portugal and Ivory Coast lies ahead… in addition to a tricky tie against North Korea. But with the likes of Robinho and Kaka Brazil should certainly have sufficient flair to cruise through to the knock-out stages.

Spain – Favourites – 5/1

Spain aim to follow up their Euro 2008 victory with a World Cup success in South Africa. When it comes to the World Cup, however, Spain are always stumbling… and it’s usually at the first hurdle. Spain haven’t gone past the Quarter Finals since 1950 (the only year they ever reached the Semi-Finals) and failed to get past the 2nd knock-out phase in 2006. But their squad still boasts almost all of  the stars from the side which won the Euro’s the summer before last which makes them not only favourites with the betting sites, but also favourites with us.

Open an account with bet365 today and qualify for up to £200 in free bets on the World Cup.

1. City WILL target: Samuel Eto

There is already talk that City are lining up a £20m for the Cameroon hitman, small change when compared with what was bandied about during the Kaka circus. Eto is quick, physically strong and a clinical finisher. He is one of the best strikers in the world which is why City want him and why they won’t get him. Interest by other clubs (Liverpool are said to be in the mix) will only serve to escalate valuations into the £100m+ levels, with City more likely to experience a dent in their reputation than their chequebook. If Eto wanted to trade sun, beaches and women for wind, rain and hooligans he’d rather do it with a club competing for domestic and European honours on a consistent basis. The notion of players relishing the challenge of being part of a club’s journey from mediocre to world beating is a bit like the character played by Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society; romantic but unrealistic.

City SHOULD target: Jo

It seems like such a long time ago that Jo was the Brazilian misfit in a City shirt that couldn’t find the back of the net if he slept in it. Rejuvenated under David Moyes at Everton, he now looks every bit like an accomplished center forward. And, in what will be music to Moyes and American Idol to Hughes, Jo has stated a desire to stay on Merseyside beyond his loan to the end of the season. Forget multi-million pound deals and headline grabbing pay packets. City have an existing rough diamond on their books that could slip through their fingers. Wheels need to be put in motion to ensure the loan arrangement with Everton remains just that. How ironic that City’s most important transfer dealing of the summer could be the one that involves no fee at all.

2. City WILL target: David Villa

The Spanish dynamo is one of the hottest properties in La Liga at the moment. The fact that he outshone Premier League golden boy Fernando Torres at the European Championships is a bit like having Warren Buffet say you’re a good money manager; as ringing an endorsement as you could hope to have. Problem is Villa has been cutting his teeth at Valencia, a previously successful club wracked by turmoil at both the boardroom and managerial level. Manchester City hardly presents a model of stability for a player seeking the less volatile pastures that his ability merits. If Villa walked into a meeting with City executives and demanded an iron-clad guarantee that City would have the same manager by the end of next season and would be fighting for a Champions League position, he would be left disappointed. City would claim their latest shake-up is a sign of big things to come but after what he’s been going through at Valencia, its unlikely Villa will be willing to move to another club in the middle of a risky transition.

City SHOULD target: Michael Owen

It is perhaps more a sign of how Owen’s star has fallen than anything else that he could be touted as a value for money steal for a mid-table club. Unfortunately, injuries and an England snub have put the source of Roberto Ayala’s nightmares into this position. One thing Owen has proven in his ever diminishing appearances is he can score goals with the consistency that Gordon Ramsay hands out reprimands. With Newcastle on the brink of relegation, it is certain he will be available in the summer for a nominal fee. None of the big clubs have voiced any interest and if fit, his instinctive poaching capabilities would be ideal to satisfy City’s need for a proven goalscorer. City has the type of squad that requires simply an injection of class in a few areas and Owen represents the kind of shrewd business that a club with genuine lofty ambitions would gravitate towards.

3. City WILL target: John Terry

Where does one start in explaining why a marquee player from a top club would resist the advances from Eastlands? With that very statement perhaps. Terry is the heart and soul of Chelsea. The adulation he receives from fans sees him destined for immortality at Stamford Bridge. He’s surrounded by quality players, is at the peak of his game and was a coat of varnish away from adding a Champions League winners medal to his domestic trophy laden cabinet. Chelsea may not be the first suburb you’d think of moving to during an economic crisis but I’m sure Terry’s Russian bankrolled wage packet takes care of any mortgage related worries he may have. Before I choke on my praise, let me just spit it out: City have as much chance of snaring John Terry as Shane Warne has of being a one woman man.

City SHOULD target: Johan Djourou

Djourou is a talented defender who, through bad luck with injuries, hasn’t really been able to cement a place in the Arsenal backline. Mind you, displacing players of the calibre of Gallas and Toure is no easy feat. The fact that Djourou hasn’t been able to do so should not be seen as a reflection of limited ability. Rather it is an opportunity for a club like Manchester City to acquire a young, quality center back with experience at the top level of domestic and European football. Djourou possesses pace, the steely physical presence common to many African players and won’t command an inflated price. Yes he may not generate the headlines that City seem to crave but his performances on the park will be enough to see them in the news for all the right reasons.

4. City WILL target: Lionel Messi

What Messi lacks in looks he just about makes up for with his peerless footballing ability. In my opinion he is the best player in the world and the only reason Ronaldo can get more plaudits at times is due to the global popularity of the Premier League. Messi is also one of the few players who seems to be as effective and influential for his country as he is for his club. That City would declare their intentions to go after him is inevitable given their brash, in your face attitude towards player transfers. Unfortunately, I see the outcome of this to be the mirror image of the Kaka saga we all had to endure only a few months ago. First of all the player has no intention to leave and has reiterated time and again his passion and loyalty to Barcelona. Admittedly footballers are a fickle bunch and a kiss of the badge normally holds as much weight as a pledge by Djibril Cisse to keep the same haircut for more than two weeks. But Messi does appear to be genuinely in his comfort zone at the Nou Camp and well on his way to being a marquee player like Terry, Steven Gerrard or Kaka. There are no financial or sporting reasons for him to take a step into the unknown with City, particularly with him being in a far better position to accomplish his immediate targets with Barcelona. Blood, sweat and tears will be shed in this pursuit but there will be no celebratory cigar at the end of it for the board at Eastlands.

City SHOULD target: Diego

A gifted attacking midfielder, Diego’s talents appear to be wasted at Werder Bremen who currently languish in mid-table in the Bundesliga with little chance of Champions League football next season. He brings creativity, class and some of that Brazilian flair without any of the hang-ups or attitude that can accompany some of his peers. An innocuous season like this one will increase his desire to further his career in a more competitive league. For Diego, Manchester City would represent a fresh start at an ambitious club in the best league in the world and an opportunity to reignite his career. For City, Diego could be the engine room on the pitch or the player around whom the team is built. Acquiring playmakers of his quality on the cheap is not often possible. City need to recognise this and pounce with the predatory poaching abilities that have long been prevalent at their more illustrious rivals down the road.

5. City WILL target: Jose Mourinho

No concrete news of this but if their track record is anything to go by, who’s to say they won’t? Mourinho for his part has been busy telling anyone who cares to listen that he’s focused on blooding youth at the San Siro and being a part of the creation of the next dynasty of Inter Milan superstars. Of course, that’s when he’s not speculating about Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement and his desire to fill the gaping void it will leave at Old Trafford. The special one probably realises that day is still a couple of years off and he best sound as sincere as he can about Inter in the meantime to avoid a tumultuous relationship with the Nerrazurri. In fact, talk about putting faith in the youth system could be a strategic ploy to align himself with the ethos of Ferguson, thereby further strengthening his credentials for the United top job. The fact of the matter is that Mourinho has his heart set on a return to England and United appears to be his first option. What Jose wants, Jose usually gets. For this reason, taking up a post at Manchester City would be like asking Avram Grant to become a model; career suicide of the highest order. Joining city with a view to getting the top job at United; now that’s a bridge too far even for the special one.

City SHOULD target: Harry Redknapp

In my opinion, Mark Hughes deserves another year at the helm to truly mould City into the team he envisions. Unfortunately, given the rumblings of discontent over their consistency this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was shown the door. In that event, who better to answer the port of call than football’s journeyman, Harry Redknapp. The man loves a challenge and appears to have an uncanny ability to deal with conflicting personalities and cultures in a side in a way that extracts the best out of everyone involved. City and its ambitious owners present an evident challenge and the problems between Hughes and Robinho, the only global star currently on their books, show that people skills are likely to be the biggest performance driver, particularly if the international cocktail is going to be incremented in the summer. The only criticism would be that Redknapp has never managed a side with the genuine goal of breaking into the top 4 of the EPL and his experience at meeting those expectations can be questioned. The counter to this of course is that he’s never had the opportunity to do so before and until he does, how can judgement ever be passed?

]]> http://www.dailysoccerblog.net/man-city-to-buy-or-not-to-buy/feed/ 2 http://www.dailysoccerblog.net/10-superhero-soccer-players/ http://www.dailysoccerblog.net/10-superhero-soccer-players/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:18:53 +0000 Chris Smillie http://www.dailysoccerblog.net/?p=1498 Portugal and the Champions League’s newest footballing sensation is Porto’s Givanildo Vieira de Souza.  Never heard of him?  Perhaps you may know him better as his footballing nickname of Hulk.  Naturally, he’s not the only super-hero to have played professional football.  Let’s take a look at some other super-powered soccer stars:

10. Black Panther – Dida

One of Brazil’s most successful goalkeepers, Dida gained his name for his amazing reflexes.  Unfortunately, Dida is best known in Britain due to his theatrical dive whilst being, well, stroked by an invading Celtic fan.  Still, that cannot detract from an illustrious career that has included winning the Champions League, Serie A and European Super Cups with AC Milan.  The best known Black Panther is the King of Wakanda, T’Challa.  Most famous for his time in the Avengers, plus a classic Jack Kirby title, the Black Panther represented a real change in racial attitudes when he first appeared in the Fantastic Four comics in the 1960s.

9. Invincible – Danny Invincible

Danny Invincible is a striker/winger who first came to attention in the UK whilst playing for Swindon Town.  Following his release, he was then signed by Jim Jefferies at Kilmarnock.  His injuries have blighted his career in Scotland, although there have been some recent impressive performances.  Oh, and he’s got a great name!  Invincible, on the other hand, is a top selling comic from the Image line.  A teen super-hero and son of Omni-Man, Invincible is an attempt to revive the fun of superhero comics, as opposed to the grim’n'gritty period exemplified by the modern Batman.

8. The Cat – Peter Bonetti

Famed for his agility and lightning fast reflexes, Peter Bonetti earned the nickname of the Cat.  Most famous for his career at Chelsea, where he played for almost 19 years, Bonetti was unlucky in only gaining 7 England caps due to playing in an era famed for it’s English goalkeepers.  The Cat was a minor villain in Spider-Man comics but, best known to British readers is probably Billy the Cat (and Katie) from DC Thomson’s Beano comic.

7. Captain Fantastic – Barry Ferguson

This was the nickname that the fans of Glasgow Rangers came up with for their erstwhile captain, Barry Ferguson.  Fergie, however, these days, isn’t having the greatest of times.  Banned from the Scotland team for life, stripped of the Rangers’ captaincy and on his last legs at the club.  Now more Major Disaster than Captain Fantastic!  So who was the good Cap F?  Unfortunately, not the greatest of meta-warriors.  He was, in fact, a comic turn on Do Not Adjust Your Set TV series, where a bowler-hatted David Jason would use his ‘high tech’ umbrella against the devious Mrs Black and her nefarious handbag.

6. Mighty Mouse – Kevin Keegan

Given to him whilst playing for FC Hamburg, two-time winner of European Player of the Year, Kevin Keegan gained the nickname of Mighty Mouse for his energetic style of play.  After being rejected by Jimmy Hill’s Coventry City for reportedly being too small, Keegan proved the Brian Clough adage that only the size of your heart matters.  Mighty Mouse was, of course, most famous as an animated feature for 20th Century Fox as a cartoon version of Superman.  Indeed, the character was first named Supermouse! Mighty Mouse has also achieved fame in the comic books, being published by the likes of Marvel, Dell and Gold Key.

5. The Incredible Hulk – Err.. Hulk

Famed for his likeness to Lou Ferringo in the television series of the Incredible Hulk, Givanildo Vieira de Souza gained his nickname whilst playing in Japan for Tokyo Verdi – a team that played in, you guessed it, green shirts!  Don’t make him angry.  You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry!  Luckily enough, not only is de Souza a big fan of the green skinned behemoth but is actually flattered by the nickname so much that he wears it on the back of his Porto shirt.

4. Captain America – Claudio Reyna

Claudio Reyna was the son of an Argentinian football professional, who moved to the United States in the late 1960s.  Whilst playing for Wolfsburg on loan from Bayern Leverkusen, Reyna became the first American to captain a major European club.  After joining Glasgow Rangers and gaining his superhero nickname of Captain America, Reyna moved to Sunderland, where he suffered a major injury.  Despite some impressive performances for Manchester City and New York Red Bulls, Reyna never really recovered from the injury.  Still, he’s doing better than his superhero namesake.  Despite first appearing in 1941, Captain America was killed off in Marvel’s Civil War in 2007.  His identity has since been assumed by the re-appearance of his World War II sidekick, Bucky Barnes.

3. Spider-Man – Carlton Palmer

Although a bit of a footballing gypsy, Carlton Palmer was mostly famed for his midfield performances for Sheffield Wednesday.  Palmer continued to impress at Leeds United and Southampton, before joining Nottingham Forest then Coventry City.  Palmer gained his unusual nickname due to his long-limbs and awkward style.  Spider-Man is of course the secret identity of Peter Parker – your friendly neighbourhood wall-crawler and all-round web-slinger.

2. Captain Marvel – Bryan Robson

At one time, the most expensive footballer in Britain, Bryan Robson was a stalwart of the Manchester United and England set-up.  Signed by Ron Atkinson after his move from West Bromwich Albion to Manchester United, Robson captained the team throughout Atkinson’s tenure and in to Alex Ferguson’s.  Captain Marvel, perhaps surprisingly, is the most popular superhero ever published.  Following his appearance in Whiz Comics along with Marvel Family members, Captain Marvel jr. and Mary Marvel, Fawcett Comics were continually litigated against by Superman publishers’, DC Comics until, eventually, DC bought out Fawcett.  All little Billy Batson needed was to shout SHAZAM! to turn in to the mighty Captain Marvel and be blessed with speed, courage and invulnerability.  The latter quality something the injury-prone Robson could have used!

1. Roy of the Rovers

Well, there is only one “real” football superhero in Britain and that’s got to be Melchester Rovers‘ Roy Race – best known to all unsundry as Roy of the Rovers.  Roy played for his beloved Melchester from 1955 to 1993, winning 8 European titles, before losing his foot in a helicopter crash.  Roy was then succeeded in the team by his son Rocky -  a product of his marriage to his deceased wife, Penny.  Roy also played for England a number of times during his career and even took over as caretaker manager for a while.  But nothing got in the way of his Rovers, even if did leave them for a brief time for Italian team AC Monza.

And here’s some even better news!  Roy of the Rovers is being rereleased for the first time since 1995!

Glasgow Celtic

Gordon Strachan Soccer News Topics has had an amazing run of victories over the last few years, including three Championships in a row, plus getting beyond the Champions League group stages. All with a far reduced budget than his predecessor, the celebrated Martin O’Neill Soccer News Topics.  This year, Wee Gordon has already taken the first piece of silverware in the CIS Cup from deadly rivals, Rangers.

Still, the Green’n'White faithful has never taken to WGS. Failure to strengthen, particualrly up front, in the New Year has put what seemed an unassailable lead in to question. The board are unlikely to sack Strachan but will Gordon decide he’s had enough?

Sack or Back: Back but I expect Gordon to call time and move back to England at the end of the season.

Glasgow Rangers

What a topsy-turvy world Walter Smith Walter SmithSoccer News Topics lives in. At the end of last season, Smitty was living the glory of the UEFA Cup Final and putting in a decent title challenge on Celtic. Earlier this season, an astonishing loss in the preliminary stages of the Champions League and falling way behind Celtic in the title race led to calls from the dubious ‘We Deserve Better’ brigade. Now? Rangers are once again in the title race, battling all the way. There are still questions over finances and just where the goals will come from besides Kris Boyd.  But just as it looks as though Walter Smith has turned the corner, along comes an embarrassing home defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle followed by a loss to Celtic in the CIS Cup.

Sack or Back: Smith won’t be sacked but will move upstairs soon, with Ally McCoist taking over. The Rangers/Smith dynasty is just starting…unless chairman Murray manages to sell his share in the club and then all bets are off.

Heart of Midlothian

Csaba Laszlo must have the most difficult job in Scottish football. After a multitude of sackings with successful and non-successful coaches it seemed impossible that Mad Vlad could butt out. However, it seems that Vladimir Romanov has tired of day-to-day Hearts allowing Laszlo the opportunity to create his own team. Hearts are now battling it out for third place despite lacking a decent striker.

Sack or Back: It should be back but who knows with this regime.

Dundee United

Craig Levein recently declared his desire, not to just push for the UEFA Cup third place, but to split the Old Firm and take that all-important second.  Fine words at the time but now United are around 20 points behind second-place Rangers and are struggling for third place.  Levein has also a history of ’speaking his mind’, which is newspaper talk for criticising referees, clubs and his fellow managers.  Craig has also revealed a desire to return to England, where he failed so badly with Leicester.

Sack or Back:The late Eddie Thompson did everything he could to make sure Levein had all he needed to finish the job at taking United back to a respectable position.  Nevertheless, it would appear that Levein has got itchy feet, despite being only at the beginning of his mission.  The Board will back but I fear Levein will be offski soon enough.

Aberdeen

The knives are certainly out for Aberdeen boss, Jimmy Calderwood.  After having to sell or release some of his most important players in the summer, resulting in a settling-in period for the new boys, Calderwood has taken the Dons to a battle for third place and a further chance of Euro-glory.  Still, that’s not good enough for the Red Army.  They point to cup disasters, notably last season against Queen of the South and this against Dunfermline.  JC can quite rightly point out that, before he took over, the Dons had been in relegation trouble for years and only the big spenders of the Old Firm and Hearts have won trophies in recent times.

Sack or Back: To sack Calderwood would be a risk.  He’s taken a poor team to beyond the UEFA Cup group stages with no real money but failed badly in the cups.  Willie Miller wants to support the chairman but I expect Jimmy to decide enough is enough as soon as a Dutch or English team offers a contract.

Hibernian

It’s difficult not to feel a little sorry for Hibernian managers in recent times.  Despite bringing in fortunes selling the likes of Scott Brown, Kevin Thomson, Steven Whittaker etc etc, the managers have had very little to spend.  Mixu Paatelainen has managed to assemble (and partially inherit) a team that looks promising on paper, with talent to burn.  Unfortunately, on grass, the team has often failed to deliver.  Hibs have neither entertained not gotten result when asked.  Calls for Mixu’s head have grown louder as the season has progressed, with the team appearing to lack the fight to save Paatelainen’s head.

Sack or Back: Mixu must make the top six if he is to save his job.  If he does, I expect him to be given another season to turn it around.  A bottom six finish may result in the big Finn looking for another position in football.

Motherwell

Last year, Mark McGhee was hailed as a sensation, being touted for both the Scotland and Celtic jobs.  The first half of 2008/09 saw the ‘Well flirt with relegation before finally turning in some decent perfomances and results – all this on possibly the worst pitch in British football.  Now, McGhee is again flirting with the top six but will his castigating of fans be the undoing of him?

Sack or Back: There’s no way McGhee will be sacked but if there’s a better opportunity, I doubt Mark will even pause for breath.  If Strachan does indeed leave Celtic at the end of the season, expect McGhee to submit an application quicker than is decent.

Hamilton Academicals

After being promoted surprisingly to the SPL, it was no surprise to see the Accies at the bottom of the table, destined for a quick First Division return.  Billy Reid decided a change was required and instituted a form of anti-football.  This produced incredible results, with the talents of James McCarthy and McArthur, along with Richard Offiong providing some attacking nouse.

Sack or Back: Done absolute wonders.  Expect Reid to be offered a contract as long as he would like.

Kilmarnock

Killie have had a terrible run of form that has seen them drop into the relegation mire.  Jim Jefferies has long had to cope with large debts and plummeting wages, yet has achieved multiple top six finishes.  Since losing the likes of Nish, Boyd and Naismith, Killie have struggled with a goalscorer.  Kyle has looked a decent prospect but can he get the goals to save Killie?

Sack or Back: With a team good enough to finish top six, I doubt Killie will be in the relegation mire much longer.  Keeping Jefferies is the only sensible option.  A sacking is extremely doubtful.

St. Mirren

Since selling their ground at Love Street and moving in to a purpose-built stadium, the Saints have cleared all their debt and look well-placed for the future.  Under no way are they safe from relegation but with enough attacking players to make up the difference, they will fight all the way.

Sack or Back: Gus MacPherson is appreciated by both the supporters and the board.  Only relegation could threaten his position, so he will be backed until at least the end of the season, and probably further.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

ICT are the only team in the SPL to have already sacked their manager.  Under Brewster, an awful away record, plus an even worse home form, seemed to suggest that Inverness were dead and buried.  Since arriving though, Terry Butcher has produced decent performances, including a draw at home with Celtic and a wonderful away win at Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium!  And then…a 4-0 loss to bottom team Falkirk brings ICT back down to Earth.  With little time to experiment, Butcher must get it right.

Sack or Back: He’s only just arrived so Butcher will be backed.  Should relegation actually result, expect Butcher to ship out and John Robertson to come back.  Having said that, Butcher and Malpas have every chance of turning it around.

Falkirk

Last season, John ‘Yogi’ Hughes was a contender for manager of the year.  And now?  Bottom of the table with a support largely turned against him.  Yogi has brought in a number of experienced players but it just hasn’t worked out.  An astonishing 4-0 victory against Inverness gives the Bairns’ fans some hope of survival but they need to get some more results soon.

Sack or Back: The board has come out in support for Hughes.  Expect him to be backed but multiple rumours abound that John Hughes has already agreed a deal with Blackpool at the end of the season.

Conclusion

Not surprisingly, the team that gets relegated will be the most under-pressure to sack the manager.  Strangely, there’s not a bad manager amongst them.  Jefferies and Hughes have proven themselves in the past (although it would appear that Yogi wants to move on), whilst Butcher worked wonders at Motherwell and appears to be doing much the same thing at Inverness.  Gus MacPherson is another solid manager who has kept a rather journeyman team in the top echelon of Scottish football.  I don’t see any teams benefitting long-term from a change, so it will really be a fall-on-one’s-sword moment for the relegated club.

In the top half, Mixu Paateleinen needs a good run to save his job.  Hibs, with that talented team, won’t be content to merely wait around.  Jimmy Calderwood took the first bus out of previous club Dunfermline as they didn’t appreciate him enough for a Euro-adventure plus keeping the club out of the relegation mire.  The same thing is happening at Aberdeen with English and Dutch clubs sniffing around.  I don’t expect Calderwood to last into next season, one way or another.  What is strange is that for a less-than-glorious first half of the season (although with a second half UEFA Cup place rally), plus early cup exit, Dons fans want Calderwood out and Mark McGhee called up.  McGhee who led Motherwell to a less-than-glorious first half of the season (although with a second half UEFA Cup place rally), plus early cup exit.

Strachan probably cannot do any more for Celtic and to win over the Celtic fans if he takes the league title, so expect a Premiership club to come calling, whilst Rangers are in such a financial mess that only a takeover will stop business as usual next season at Ibrox.

7. In the Red Corner: Rafael Benitez

Rafa is the latest manager to go head-to-head with Alex.  Liverpool, had begun 2008/09 with a serious challenge to the Premiership title for the first time in years.  Fergie ‘just happened’ to comment that he felt the fixtures were favouring the Merseysiders.  Cue a full-bloodied attack from Benitez.  Rafa first disputed the fixture claim, announcing that Liverpool had been discriminated in the past stating “two years ago we were playing a lot of early kick-offs away on Saturdays when United were playing on Sundays. And we didn’t say anything.”

Benitez then accused the FA of letting Sir Alex walk all over them.  In particular, he claimed that Sir Alex was not being prosecuted for improper conduct against referees, when every other manager would and this in the midst of a Respect campaign.  The referees were also supposedly also in cahoots with the Red Devils, ignoring controversial incidents where Man U may have been negatively impacted.  The following game saw Liverpool held to a no-scoring draw against Stoke with claims that Rafa’s comments had distracted the team from the job.  Sir Alex patronisingly responded that he felt pleased Liverpool had made a good start but that he does not expect them to be challenging for the title in the last month.  “Chelsea have experience and have been our main rivals for the past five years.“, Alex said.  Since the rant, there has been a 17 point swing between Liverpool and Man United.

Result: A good opening bout from the Spanish boy but he’s gone too soon and is fading fast.  Fergie the odds on favourite to win.

6. The Defensive Rock: Jaap Stam

If you believe the hype, nothing happened here.  Sir Alex just thought Staam had lost a little bit of pace after an injury.  A good offer came in and the Red Devils were duty bound to accept it.  Only…

Staam was a key player in the three seasons under Sir Alex.  If a decline in his playing level was the main factor, then how come the ageing and, quite frankly, past it mid-30s defender of Laurent Blanc was his replacement?  And how come after Manchester, this supposedly finished player then went on to play for Lazio, AC Milan and Ajax?  And crucially, how come all this happened in the immediate aftermath of Jaap publishing an autobiography claiming he had been tapped up by Manchester United, whilst at PSV Eindhoven?

Result: Alex Ferguson leaves the big defender reeling after a series of punches to the solar plexus with lightning fast speed.  A hands down win that Jaap, despite success elsewhere, has still expressed regret about.

5. The Right-Hand Man: Brian Kidd

Alex Ferguson and Brian Kidd were an awesome duo.  Having replaced his former assistant, Archie Knox, Kidd joined Fergie for an astonishing run of success, including four titles.  Sir Alex deemed Brian so crucial to the club, that he persuaded Kidd not to take over as boss at his beloved Everton but to remain at Old Trafford.  So it was surprising that Sir Alex made some derogatory comments about his management ability when Kidd left to take over at Blackburn, in his autobiography ‘Managing My Life’.  Kidd responded that Walt Disney wanted the book for his sequel to Fantasia.  Manchester United went on to win the game that relegated Kidd’s team from England’s top division.  When asked how he felt, Sir Alex merely shrugged and said “Oh well“.

Result: A hammer blow early on left the young manager reeling with no clue how to mount a defence.  No contest!

4. The Living Fusebox: Gordon Strachan

On the face of it WGS (Wee Gordon Strachan) and Big Alex Ferguson couldn’t be more different.  One a decent, but not great, forward with a dour manner, who turned down a move to England to stay with a lower league team in his homeland.  The other a fiery but mischevious world-class attacking midfielder, who has represented his country at the highest level and played for some of England’s greatest clubs as a more than integral part.  And that’s where the differences end!  Both will hate this, but as managers they are astoundingly similar.  Ferocious tempers, disciplinarians but also highly supportive of their players and desperate for youth to succeed.

Fergie fell out with his progeny when, as Aberdeen manager, Strachan had gone behind his back to negotiate a contract with Cologne.  Sir Alex wrote in his autobiography that he “decided this man could not be trusted an inch“.  As it was, Strachan had had enough of Fergie’s bile and decided to move to Manchester United…and was less than pleased to be followed only months later by Sir Alex!  After confronting Ferguson over his constant criticism, Gordon was transferred to Leeds United and a glittering career.  But it didn’t end there.   So great, Strachan felt, was Ferguson’s hatred that he accused the Manchester United manager of fielding a weakened team to get Strachan’s Coventry City relegated.  Both now claim the feud is over.

Result: Without guiding him, would Strachan be the young player he was?  By transferring him from Manchester United, did this not actually revitalise Gordon’s career?  Would Strachan have won so many titles with Celtic without the experience of relegation with Coventry?  Ferguson has landed some huge blows but the plucky ginger-nut is a master of deflection.  A draw!

3. The Prodigy: David Beckham

England’s biggest star in a generation versus the Scottish general.  If there’s one thing Ferguson wants, it’s to win.  And that becomes even more important when it’s against Wenger’s Arsenal!  When Sir Alex blamed Becks for losing a goal against Arsenal in a cup final, Fergie lost his temper and kicked a boot into Beckham’s face, making a cut.  Already wound up by the criticism, David saw red and tried to physically attack his manager, only being restrained by Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Ruud van Nistelrooy.  The following season saw Ole Gunnar Solskjær keep Becks wide right position, apparently as a display to those above that Man Utd could progress without Beckham.  A few months later, Becks joined Real Madrid in a multi-million pound deal.

Result: Becks successfully stood up to Fergie and has had a glittering career.  Alex however also proved his point that no player was bigger than the team.  No losers there.  A draw!

2. The Young Pretender: Kevin Keegan

Now here’s a battle of unlike minds.  Kevin Keegan, an overly-enthusiastic England hero with a penchant for wearing his heart on his sleeve versus the wily old fox that makes sure his comments are heard only when to his advantage.  After a tough battle with Leeds United, Sir Alex suggested that Leeds didn’t try so hard against teams other than Manchester United.  As the challengers at the time, Newcastle United, were still to face Leeds, this infuriated manager Keegan leading to the now famous rant that ended with “I will love it if we beat them – LOVE IT!”

Needless to say, Manchester United won the title after a very erratic end for Newcastle.

Result: A plucky challenge from the high-energy fighter but never recovered from that well-timed knockout punch.  Fergie hands down!

1. The Old Rival: Arsene Wenger

Here’s about with some history!  Unusually, ‘gentleman’ Wenger started it all!  In his first season with Arsenal, Wenger claimed the FA and the other clubs were letting Man U win the title by extending the season.  Rather dismissively, Ferguson replied that Arsene should “keep his opinions to Japanese football“.  However, Wenger was laughing at the end of the season when Arsenal collected the title, even though Sir Alex maintained his were “the better team“.

The following season a spat with Ruud van Nisteltrooy saw a number of Arsenal players suspended and Ruud described as a cheat, plus “Pizzagate“, when a piece of pizza was supposedly thrown by a Gunners player at Ferguson.  Sir Alex claimed that “what the Arsenal players did was the worst I have witnessed in sport“.  Recently, both Fergie and Wenger have found a new respect for each other, however, it only takes one little word for it all to explode again.

Result: Two great fighters and a hugely entertaining bout.  Fergie just takes it on points but the fat lady is still warming up.

Of course, these are far from the only confrontations with Sir Alex Ferguson.  People like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Graeme Souness spring to mind.  Over to you to decide which is the greatest battle Fergie has ever faced.

Coventry  City v Chelsea

Chelsea travel to the Ricoh Arena this Saturday to take on the lively ‘Sky Blues’ who have defied all odds and booked themselves a high profile encounter with the Londoners. Coventry will have a lot of work laid out in front of them if they are to make a dent in Chelsea’s chances of silverware this season adding more woes to the list at Staford Bridge. The club’s own anthem claims that they will never lose to Chelsea so the players will have the club’s pride and glory rested firmly on their shoulders. I wonder will the anthem be echoing around the Ricoh Arena should Chelsea win.

Coventry lost a midweek encounter against Sheffield United at home which resulted in booing from the home fans. The players would have felt the heat from manager Chris Coleman after the whistle in a match which was seen as a warm up for this weeks high profile encounter. “We are better then what we showed of ourselves against Sheffield” said Coleman.

He then went on to hint that the Chelsea game isn’t as important to him as it is to the fans and that the league is their main priority.  The question has to be raised, has Coleman given up before the game has even started? Surely the players will have the want to put in a good performance against Chelsea after all how often do they get this kind of opportunity? Not very often is the answer to that question.

Striker Clinton Morrison will be eager to have his name pencilled in on the score sheet. The striker who missed a lot of last season through injury has proved to be one of Coventry’s most energetic players this year. Either setting up opportunities or scoring himself I’m positive the Irish man will cause a lot of headaches for the Chelsea defence. Morrisson has sent shivers down the spines of defenders since his youth days at Crystal Palace and has proven himself on the internation scene. He’s definitley the one to watch this week.

Didier Drogba will be eager to secure his place in the first team especially after his late winner at Portsmouth last week. The Ivory Coast man has been side lined for much of the season much to his own frustration and of course to the delight of Anelka who is one of the favorites at ’ The Bridge’. Perhaps the recognised target man will see Saturday’s trip to Coventry as a means of lacing up his shooting boots for next weeks match with Italian giants Juventus.

With such a important game coming up and with the title race all but over in the mind of temporary manager Guss Hiddink, perhaps he may decide to leave some of the big guns on the bench to avoid the ever present risk of injuries and fatigue. Although that is a recipie for disaster as Chelsea learned last year against Burnley.

Overall, I think Chelsea will just outclass the Coventry boys. Fitness will definitely have a huge part to play in this one, Coventry are of a much lower standered to Chelsea and could find them selves ‘huffing and puffing’ but not being able to knock the Chelsea defence down. I predict a narrow Chelsea win perhaps coming in the later stages of the game.

Fulham v Manchester United

Fulham play host to the Premier League leaders at Craven Cottage this Saturday. Fulham who are in a comfortable position in the league will surely feel confident that they will pull a little something out of the hat to shock Alex Ferguson’s men.

Late last month Fulham showed how they can compete with the big dogs when they played Arsenal out for 90 minutes managing to secure a much need point at the Emirates Stadium. In that match they showed how they can frustrate a team of quality and play the old fashioned way.

However, on Wednesday the London men had the wind beaten out of their sails when they where halted by defeat on their home patch against a vibrant Hull city. Although the Fulham attacking force did show signs of promise, Bobby Zamora found himself often isolated and with little options. Perhaps a change in tactics may be in the spotlight behind the scenes at Fulham. Although that would go against Fulham policies who like to keep things pretty conservative in all walks of life.

In the end Fulham’s complacency over powered their concentration in that game with the winning goal being conceded in injury time. The Craven Cottage faithful will have worries planted firmly in the backs of their minds following last weeks defeat. With no recent injuries to worry about the management team at Fulham will have a virtually unharmed side from the midweek clash with Hull to choose from. Although they have an important league fixture with Blackburn fast approaching Fulham will give 110% as always.

Manchester United will be on a high following their recent win over Newcastle where they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win and their recent investment with the Carling Cup title. However, there have been speculation circulating the tabloids concerning a bust up between world player of the year Ronaldo and team mate Taylor. Perhaps Taylor wore the same clothes as Ronaldo, we’ll never know. Ferguson was delighted with the performance his team put in at St. James Park and had this to say : “It’s down to trusting your players and having the ability to win matches and we had to do that against Newcastle. Being 1-0 down away from home isn’t easy, but we came back to win thanks to a very gritty performance.”

With such important fixtures in the coming week against Inter Milan and Liverpool, United will want no hope of a replay to add to that list and will want to write Fulham of as quickly as possible.

This match is bound to be a fast, free flowing game but in my opinion United will come out on top. Of course Fulham will put in a decent performance as they always do but I think the class and speed of United will prove too much for Fulham.

Arsenal v Burnley

Burnley travel to the Emirates Stadium for the first time to take on cup hopefuls Arsenal. Burnley who have come up trumps against Premier League clubs such as Chelsea and Liverpool in the cup over recent years have an a slice of confidence on their side with their track record in mind. Although they have added no silverware to their trophy cabinet in quite some time they always prove energetic to watch and are sure to put up a good fight against the Gunners on Sunday.

Most recently Burnley travelled to Blackpool where they put in a winning performance by securing a one nil victory over the men in orange. Burnley do have a few niggles going into Sundays game having picked up a few bruises in that sluggish match but nothing too serious. Striker Martin Patterson is all set up for Sundays clash. The energetic front man has proved time and time again just what he is capable of and is sure to cause a problem of two for the rigid Arsenal defence who can just as easily get caught flat footed as they can sleeping.

Sundays game is obviously their biggest game of the season and it is no doubt that all the players will be upbeat and ready for their task. I took the time to snoop around some of the Burnley FC forums and websites and their fans look all set to travel to the Emirates in full voice. Surely the players will be needing their ‘twelfth man’. The Burnley squad is liable to injuries with so few players in the squad, with one of their three strikes on loan, a single injury or red card could mean life or death in the F.A Cup.

Arsenal will be confident of victory as well, as there strike force seem to have their goal senses about them. Securing a 3-1 victory over West Bromwich Last Tuesday the Gunners will have a pep in their step as they cross the white line this Sunday. Arséne Wenger, like other managers involved in the cup this weekend, has some Champions League worries to cope with as they face Roma in mid-week. One thing Arsenal have been lacking this season is consistency and it is for that reason I think there could be a fly in the ointment at the Emirates Stadium.

With Burnley’s history in the cup in their favour and Arsenal’s unpredictability taken into account I think we could be in for a shock this weekend. I have to say, although the odds are stacked against them perhaps Burnley may take a draw from the Emirates and bring the tie back to their home patch where they have proven to be quite a force.

Everton v Middlesbrough

Everton are all set to entertain Middlesbrough at Goodison Park this Sunday in what is one of two all Premier League games in the F.A Cup this weekend. Having already beaten arch rivals Liverpool in the competition at a replay at Goodison, Everton will have their wits about them as they prepare for what is going to be one of their most important encounters of the season.

The first ten minutes of this game really will be a sink or swim situation. This game could so easily be decided upon an early goal. A goal which could go either way. It has to be said that this game really will be a close call. Will Joleon Lescott once again act as Everton’s arm bands?

With the announcement that key man Victor Anichibe will be out for the rest of the season, worries will be floating around Goodison park. However, they have proven that they are one of the few creative teams in premier league football today. That was amplified in the last round when they cruised to a 3-1 victory over Premier league force Aston Villa. Last week however they did not manage to get on the score board and played out a boring 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers. The last time these sides met was boxing day of last year when Everton escaped from the Riverside with a 1-0 victory.

Middlesbrough will be out for revenge and of course a place in the next round this Sunday. Having been crushed in their last encounter away too Spurs at White Heart Lane, Boro will be on uneven ground as they arrive at Goodison Park. Once again away from home, will we see a repeat of last weeks performance or more specifically defending? Only time will tell. After that embarrassing defeat Gareth Southgate actually had to apologise to the Boro fans who were clearly less that pleased at their teams dreadful performance.

With so much too prove I think Boro might lay it on a little to thick this weekend and perhaps get caught on the counter. Everton have proved time and time again to us what they can do, and that is score goals. With all this in mind I can only see Everton progressing through to the next round leaving a sorry Middlesbrough to pick up the pieces and wipe their tears away.

Sunderland v Tottenham

Tottenham will travel to the Stadium of Light this Saturday to take on a youthful Sunderland side in the only Premier League game of this weekend. This game will of course be a sell out as Sunderland fans are expected to come from far and wide to see the spectacle. This match is bound to unravel the mysteries behind this years relegation battle with both sides level on points and a mere four points above the drop zone.

Sunderland will have prepared vigorously for the visitors who showed their style last week in a 4-0 win over Middlesbrough. However, midfielder Teemu Tainio is set to miss the encounter as he is struggling with a slight knee injury. Manager Ricky Sbragia had this to say as regards the injury : “Teemu has a little problem with his knee but he seems happier with it and he’s done a bit of running”.

The injury kept Teemu out of last week’s loss to Liverpool but he is expected to be back in action soon. Last week’s loss will have left Sunderland asking serious questions ahead of their clash with Spurs. Personally, I think the only chance Sunderland will have of goals is to catch Tottenham on the break and test their keeper as best they can. However, Andy Reid is confident that Sunderland will come back fighting following their defeat to Liverpool last time out.

Tottenham on the other hand will be overjoyed and ready for more following their impressive win last week. With Robbie Keane back on form in his rightful home he is bound to have a run or two at the Sunderland defence. Having left Liverpool in January he seems happier and more confident about the ball and I’m sure he’ll have a taste for goals on Saturday. The bookies seem to favour Tottenham to send Sunderland packing this Saturday given their recent form, alhough they would like us to predict it wrong!

The only league game this weekend will definitely be of the highest level and I expect to see lots of goals from both sides, or at least I hope so. However, I think Tottenham have shown what they are capable of in the goals department last week. Confidence will be running high and I expect a win for the visitors.

Hopefully this weekend will be a memorable one in English football and prove to be enjoyable for all to watch as it is expected to be. With the season coming to a close and the race for the F.A Cup heating up I’m sure we won’t be disappointed and if we are we can always watch the bobsledding.

Match Preview

It’s the one both fans and pundits the world over have been waiting for. Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson are set to lock horns again over two legs in possibly the greatest Cup competition of them all. Mourinho has the early bragging rights, his Porto side knocked out United en route to winning the Champions League in 2004. In fact, he has lost just once in 12 matches in charge of teams against Ferguson’s United.

Despite these impressive credentials, Inter have somewhat limped into the knockout stages, having lost their last two Champions League matches and are without a win in three. Serie A is a different matter thought. They are nine points clear at the top of the table and have recorded three successive victories, beating Bologna on the weekend and arch rivals AC Milan the week before.

United themselves are in fantastic form domestically, having opened up a seven point gap ahead of second placed Liverpool in the Premiership but have been beset by defensive injuries ahead of their visit to Italy. With Vidic suspended and Evans injured, Ferguson may opt for Fletcher at right back and O’Shea partnering Ferdinand at the heart of the United defence.

Inter have defender Marco Matterazzi struggling to recover in time for the match, but have plenty of cover in the likes of Cordoba, Chivu and Burdisso to call upon.

Line Ups

Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Rivas, Chivu, Santon, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Stankovic, Ibrahimovic, Adriano.
Subs: Toldo, Cordoba, Maxwell, Figo, Cruz, Burdisso, Balotelli.

Man United: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Berbatov, Ronaldo.
Subs: Foster, Rooney, Nani, Scholes, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson, Tevez.

Live Blog

90+4′ Cordoba is booked for a rash challenge on Ronaldo. He takes the free kick 25 yards from goal but it rebounds off the chest of Julio Cesar, who didn’t appear to know too much about it. Thre referee blows for full time, leaving it wonderfully poised for the second leg.

90′ Three minutes will be added on, can anyone produce a late winner?

89′ A great pass from Berbatov, who has been criminally ineffective this evening, almost sends Rooney through on goal. Julio Cesar, so impressive in the first half, races outside the box to clear the ball before Rooney can get a shot on.

88′ Rooney is booked, harshly in my opinion for a sliding foul on Cambiasso despite winning the ball cleanly.

85′ United are clinging on now. Ibrahimovic fires in a free kick which takes a deflection and goes behind. The replay suggests it last came off Evans for a corner, but a goal kick was awarded.

83′ Rooney finally makes an appearance and replaces Park. The labouring Berbatov remains on the pitch for now.

82′ How on earth did this not go in? A corner swung in from the left misses a crowd of players before hitting Cambiasso at the far post but it loops back across goal for Van Der Saar who catches it rather calmly under the circumstances.

77′ Ballotelli comes on for Adriano while Muntari is replaced by another striker in Cruz. Still no action from the United bench, perhaps Ferguson is happy with a draw.

76′ Giggs is allowed to advance down the left and then cut inside unchallenged. He ghosts past the anonymous Chivu and lines up a shot in the centre of the box. Just as the trigger is pulled, Cordoba throws himself to the ground to block the shot and prevent what was going to be a certain goal.

73′ Surely it’s time for Ferguson to make some changes. The guile and cunning of Scholes in midfield and Rooney, who would put in infinitely more effort than Berbatov has, could do with being introduced to the game.

71′ Fletcher gets booked for a sliding foul on Muntari on the edge of the Inter box.

68′ O’Shea gives away a free kick for a foul on Ibrahimovic but Maicon curls a useless ball straight out for a goal kick. What a waste.

67′ Ronaldo beats Chivu for pace and tries to set his team mates up on a plate with an incisive ball across the face of goal. It’s a shame none of them are interested – Park misses the ball completely, Berbatov is nowhere in sight and Giggs is too slow to meet it at the far post, allowing Inter to clear the ball behind for a corner.

65′ Ibrahimovic heads at goal from inside the box, but Evra does enough to put him off and the ball rolls harmlessly wide.

63′ Inter are looking far more impressive now and have completely nullified United. Alex Ferguson will be rueing those missed chances in the first half. As it stands, Inter look the more likely to open the scoring.

59′ Chivu is booked for a foul on Berbatov and Maicon is perhaps harshly booked for an innocuous challenge on Carrick in the United box.

56′ Maicon whips a corner towards the far post and it’s close to the goal line. Van Der Saar looks like he’s struggling to deal with it but he gets a free kick after being impeded by Adriano.

55′ Ibrahimovic is getting more into the game and looking more like the player he claims to be. He ignores the challenge of O’Shea and attempts to cross into the box, but Ferdinand puts a stop to it.

51′ Inter have started this half a lot brighter than the first. Stankovic breaks free of his marker in front of the D and rifles a low shot towards the bottom corner but it goes wide.

49′ Appeals for an Inter penalty, if not a little optimistic. Zanetti fizzes a cross into the six yard box for the awaiting Adriano, but the Brazilian feels a light hand from Ferdinand on his shoulder and goes down as though his life depended on it.

48′ An unbelievable chance for Inter. Cambiasso crosses the ball into the box, Ibrahimovic leaves it for Adriano who swings at it first time on the penalty spot. Van Der Saar is rooted to his spot but the ball goes wide.

47′ A bit of quality from Ibrahimovic down the left. He jinks the ball from one foot to the other, outfoxing Ferdinand and scoops the ball into the area for Cambiasso but it comes to nothing.

46′ Unsurprisingly, Colombian defender Rivas is hauled off before the second half begins and is replaced by fellow countryman, the vastly experienced Cordoba.

Half Time. This has been what you call a “0-0 stuffing”. United have had a ridiculous amount of shots on goal for an away team against hosts of Inter’s calibre. Better finishing would have seen Alex Ferguson’s side cruising into the second leg but as it stands, the second half will start the same as the first, all equal. Inter have not looked great at the back, compared to the solid, if patched up, United back line and Rivas in particular looks well out of his comfort zone.

45′ Inter attempt a late flurry. The lively Santon advances down the left and then infield before being tackled on the edge of the United box. The ball bobbles to Cambiasso who pelts it first time but a deflection takes the sting off the shot and it bounces through to Van Der Saar.

44′ Referee Luis Medina Cantalejo shows a yellow card to Inter’s substitute goalkeeper, the ancient Francesco Toldo, after he and Luis Figo protest on the touchlines at the sheer number of decisions going United’s way. Well, if Inter were not such a bunch of cloggers then maybe so many free kicks would be given.

41′ Park scampers down the left and with the dreadful Rivas nowhere near him, pings a cross towards the far post. Berbatov gets his head to it but it goes wide at the far post.

37′ The home side are getting into the game a bit more now after riding their luck for long periods of the first half. Adriano digs a cross out from the left but it’s headed clear by Ferdinand. The ball works itself out to Ibrahimovic who sends a cross towards the near post but Van Der Saar gathers before the big-boned Adriano can get near it.

33′ Inter may be playing abysmally, but they are still dangerous on the break. Full back Maicon puts in a sweet cross towards the far post but O’Shea is alert enough to head the ball clear.

31′ United get yet another free kick, 25 yards out, on the left hand side. Ronaldo takes it but this time only manages to hammer it into the wall.

28′ This is getting ridiculous. Some more non-existant defending by Inter in the box, Rivas again the cluprit, allows Ronaldo a free header at goal from a Giggs cross 10 yards out. Julio Cesar just stands and watches as the ball fizzes wide of goal. Of all his chances this evening, this is the one he should have scored.

27′ Inter continue to hack United down around the edge of the box. This time from the right hand side, Ronaldo smashes a free kick towards the near post which Julio Cesar touches around the post at full stretch. The replay suggested it may have been going wide, but how many chances are Inter going to afford their opponents?

26′ Giggs rides a poor sliding tackle from Rivas and charges into the penalty area. He’s on an angle and his strike on goal is beaten away by Julio Cesar who was quick to come off his line.

23′ Evra curls a peach of a cross from the left to the far post which Berbatov leaps up to head towards goal. He’s not that far into the penalty box so Julio Cesar is not that worried by it and his effort goes well wide of the post in the end.

19′ Giggs plays Berbatov, who beats the offside trap, into the box. The labouring Inter defence are all at sea and all the Bulgarian has to do is to square it for Park who would have an easy scoring chance. However, he takes too long and his eventual pass is cut out by a clutch of Inter players who finally get back into position.

13′ United win yet another free kick in range of the Inter goal, this time after Carrick goes down from a Zanetti challenge. This time it isn’t Ronaldo who takes it, but Giggs, who can only blast the ball into the wall which Inter have bothered to form this time.

11′ Inter finally muster their first attack, with Stankovic and Muntari exchanging passes who then blazes over the crossbar from 20 yards.

10′ All of the attacking play has come through United during the opening stages, Ronaldo in particular. Ronaldo beats youngster Santon on the right of the penalty box but his effort from a tight angle goes well over the bar.

8′ Ronaldo goes close again for United with a free kick from 30 yards. Inter’s wall is non existant and at first it looks as though the ball is heading for the bottom corner but it curls wide of the post.

5′ United go close to breaking the deadlock. A superb corner by Giggs from the left is met by a thumping header from Ronaldo in the centre. It’s too close to Julio Cesar who reaches out to his right and parries away instinctively.

4′ It looks like United are playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Giggs playing just off loan-striker Berbatov. Inter have Stankovic playing in the hole behind Ibrahimovic and Adriano.

3′ Ronaldo looked to over run a ball but dived for all he was worth over the trailing leg of Chivu on the right hand side of the penalty box. He takes the free kick himself from about 25 yards out but it’s easily caught by Julio Cesar.

1′ United kick things off but Park’s advancement down the left comes to nothing and Inter win an early throw in.

0′ Fergie surprises us with his team selection – picking Evans to partner Ferdinand in central defence and leaving Rooney on the bench. The striker has scored on his last two runouts and is just the sort of hard working player needed for tonight. I cannot fathom why he isn’t on from the start, but what do I know about managing a team in the Champions League?

0′ Good evening. This is where the Champions League starts to get interesting and I cannot wait for this match to kick off. Who is going to take an advantage into the second leg? It may not be as easy to predict as you may think because Inter are yet to beat an English club in Italy in four Champions League attempts while United have lost 10 out of their 15 visits to Italy.

Reaction

On reflection, a draw was a fair result as United were by far the superior side in the first half and Inter the second. United squandered a hatful of chances and half chances in the first period but also had two fantastic opportunities in the second half. If  a United player had gambled when Ronaldo slid the ball across the face of the Inter goal or if Cordoba hadn’t so heroically blocked Giggs’ effort from the edge of the box, United could have got that precious away goal. The home side could also have snatched a goal themselves, with a penalty decision not going their way and a corner which could have gone anywhere but ended up in Van Der Saar’s grasp. Inter are not the world beaters manager Jose Mourinho claims them to be, but they gave United plenty to think about in the second half. On this performance, you would think United will progress to the quarter finals with home advantage in the second leg, but Rooney starting the game is a must.

Man of the Match

Ronaldo had enough opportunities in the first half to win this accolade hands down, but his set pieces were not quite up to scratch and he missed a headed chance which he should have buried. With that in mind, I am going to award the MoM to the man who thwarted him all night, Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar. The Brazilian stopper was equal to two free kicks from Ronaldo within the first 10 minutes of the match and again on 27 when he tipped one around the post. Julio Cesar was also on hand late on in the game to keep the score at nil nil, when he rushed out of his area to deny Rooney and then deny Ronaldo yet again from a set-piece in stoppage time.

Match Preview

Tonight sees two teams who endured contrasting starts to the season, but are now separated by just four points and are almost as bad as eachother. Tonight’s hosts, Hull City, had a storming start to the season, while Tottenham were propping up the division under Juande Ramos. Now, the Tigers are in freefall, while some slight improvement has been made by Spurs under new manager Harry Redknapp.

Both sides are in poor form. Hull have the worst home record in the Premiership and are desperate for a first victory in 10 attempts. They may just get it against a Spurs side which has lost eight out of 12 against fellow clubs in the bottom half of the table. While we are discussing miserable statistics, Spurs have also lost eight out of 12 on the road and if they go behind they are almost guaranteed to lose – they have done on 12 out of 16 occasions this season.

Hull will definitely be without Craig Fagan, who has had knee surgery, but Ian Ashbee, Daniel Cousin, Caleb Folan and former Spur Anthony Gardner are all available. Harry Redknapp can call upon Robbie Keane, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Vedran Corluka, who were all cup-tied for last week’s UEFA Cup defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk and there may also be recalls for Carlo Cudicini, Jon Woodgate, Aaron Lennon, Wilson Palacios and Luka Modric.

Line Ups

Hull: Duke, Ricketts, Turner, Gardner, Dawson, Marney, Ashbee, Zayatte, Kilbane, Garcia, Cousin.
Subs: Myhill, Doyle, Barmby, Geovanni, Halmosi, Manucho, Mendy.

Tottenham: Cudicini, Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Jenas, Palacios, Modric, Keane, Bent.
Subs: Gomes, Zokora, Bentley, Huddlestone, Pavlyuchenko, Dawson, Chimbonda.

Goals

Hull: Turner (27′)

Tottenham: Lennon (17′), Woodgate (86′)

Live Blog

90′ Four minutes of added time as Hull search for an equaliser. They may just get one if Cudicini continues to play up in goal. Yet again he opts to beat away a corner when under no pressure, rather than taking the easy option of catching it.

88′ Two substitutions for Spurs sees Zokora replace Lennon and Dawson comes on in place of the the goal scorer Woodgate, who collided with Corluka and has blood streaming from above his left eye.

87′ Phil Brown shuts the stable door after the horse has bolted by bringing on the talismanic Geovanni in place of Zayatte.

86′ Goal! Hull 1 Spurs 2. A poor ball by Jenas sends Assou-Ekotto wide out left but the full back beats Gardner and clips a delightful cross into the six yard box. Centre back Jonathan Woodgate meets it with a towering header which gives Duke no chance.

85′ Spurs have a sniff at goal through Jenas, who cuts into the box and unleashes at goal. Gardner is there to block it behind for a corner.

82′ The Spurs defence seemed content to back off and back off some more of Marney as he advanced towards the edge of the box. How he would love to score against his former club but his effort is well blocked by King.

79′ The hard working Garcia is replaced by Manucho. The home supporters do not appear overly thrilled at the prospect.

76′ This is a better corner from Hull. Dawson crosses in to the near post and Turner busts a gut to reach it. Zayatte, however, gets there first and his glancing header beats the keeper but comes back off the far post.

74′ The game has become scrappy and the crowd subdued. Hull appear determined to get a corner at every opportunity – Cudicini’s inability to deal with them hasn’t gone unnoticed.

72′ The unproductive Bent is replaced by Pavlyuchenko as manager Redknapp searches for a winning goal.

69′ Zayatte gets away with a warning after deliberately barging Jenas to the ground.

67′ Bernard Mendy comes on for Daniel Cousin. Hull manager Phil Brown must be happy to settle for a point as Spurs have been a lot more purposeful this half.

66′ Modric drifts in a fantastic free kick from the right which Corluka heads towards the top corner but is unlucky to see it come back off the crossbar.

64′ Palacios wins the ball in midfield and plays it to Keane down the right. His cross is thumped clear by Hull who opt to defend in numbers. The Tigers break quickly and Marney whips in another trademark cross to the far post for Kilbane, who can only manage a feeble header which is scooped up easily by Cudicini. At least he caught it this time.

60′ Cudicini opts to slap away a corner, but at least gets some distance on it this time. The ball comes back towards him but he is fouled in the air by Gardner who also challenged for it.

58′ Spurs appear to be getting more of a foothold in this game. They should do too. On paper they are a class above this Hull side but do they have either the belief or desire to win this match?

54′ Keane appears to have woken up. A poor clearance from Duke lands right at his feet and he attempts a lob from 25 yards. He gets it all wrong and it goes harmlessly wide.

51′ Chances are coming thick and fast at both ends. This time it’s the visitors turn. Keane, with possibly his first contribution of the game, plays a great pass to Palacios on the edge of the box who thunders a volley straight into the ample frame of Gardner, who knew nothing about it. Goalkeeper Duke was well beaten there I think.

50′ Some more dire defending by Spurs at the other end. A corner is completely missed by everyone present in the six yard box and Cudicini, who obviously hadn’t learned from his mistake in the first half, again fists the ball aimlessly into the ground. Kilbane rattles in a shot which is desperatly blocked by Assou-Ekotto.

49′ Spurs play a patient, passing game around the Hull box, occasionally putting in a poor cross which is easily dealt with. The ball drops to Bent with his back to goal, he spins and fires in a volley which is well saved by Matt Duke.

46′ Spurs kick off and for their sakes, I hope they put in a better performance in this half than they did the first.

Half Time. Spurs have performed like a side struggling against the drop and Phil Brown will be the happier manager of the two going into the break. The Tigers have enjoyed the majority of the possession and have created more chances, but they simply haven’t been good enough to make them count. Their best chance of scoring seems to be from a set-piece, where they can bully a weak Spurs defence into submission. Harry Redknapp’s side, frankly, need to buck their ideas up.

45+1′ Some razor sharp wit from the Hull fans who direct chants of “What a waste of money” towards Robbie Keane, much to the amusement of the commentator. They instantly follow up with “There’s only one Jimmy Bullard”. The irony is undoubtedly lost on them.

45′ Modric goes into the book himself for clipping Kilbane just outside the D. It’s Dawson who takes the free kick from a run up but curls it high and wide at the near post.

42′ Ashbee gets a yellow card for tackling Modric so high he almost leaves a studmark on the Croatian’s forehead. It may be acceptable in League Two, but not in the Premiership, son.

40′ Another sweeping Hull move almost produces a goal, but they lack that final bit of quality. Ricketts touches the ball out to the right for Marney who curls in a superb cross towards the far post. Ricketts has a free header but it’s poor and trickles out for a goal kick.

37′ Spurs have been awful this half and I can count the number of times Robbie Keane has touched the ball on one hand. It’s dismal stuff from a team everyone still believes is “too good to go down”. Two words. Manchester. City.

34′ It’s all Hull at the moment. Marney curls a long ball towards the far post to Garcia who’s chasing, but the former West Ham midfielder can only half-heartedly volley it wide of the goal.

29′ Cousin goes agonisingly close to putting the Tigers into the lead when he pelts the ball first time towards goal following a poor knockdown by Ledley King on the edge of the box. At first it looks like it’s way off target but curls spectacularly towards the top corner and goes just wide.

27′ Goal! Hull 1 Spurs 1. The equalising goal comes from more dreadful defending, this time from Spurs. Cudicini flaps at a corner and smashes it straight into the ground. The ball riccochets off Palacios back towards an unguarded net and Michael Turner gleefully hammers it in from close range. Who needs channels like Dave when you have comedy gold like this to watch?

23′ Some atrocious refereeing by Lee Probert who signals for a throw in after Dawson clearly bundles the ball behind for a corner when tackling Darren Bent on the touchline.

18′ Hull have a great opportunity to equalise mere moments from the kick off. Zayatte races past Corluka and bears down on goal but goalkeeper Cudicini is on hand to slide-tackle him and put him off his stride.

17′ Goal! Hull 0 Spurs 1. A short corner is played to Modric, who passes to Aaron Lennon on the edge of the box. Nobody in a striped shirt bothers to close him down and he has all the time in the world to pick his spot – top corner, near post. A neat finish but shocking defending from Phil Brown’s side.

16′ Bent huffs and puffs for all he’s worth and gets in the box but is tackled superbly by Gardner who sticks out a long leg and pokes the ball behind for a corner.

14′ A moment of comic confusion between Woodgate and his keeper Cudicini with the defender doing his best to head a harmless ball into his own net. Cudicini, rushing out off his line like a madman, does his best to assist, but manages to get back in time and prevent the ball from crossing the line.

13′ Hull cause Spurs problems with long crosses to the far post. Ricketts manages to get one in twice in a matter of moments. His second effort is cleared behind by the stooping Corluka.

10′ Both Zayatte and Palacios are sprawled out on the floor after an ugly clash of heads. The Hull man is up first, proving the notion of “southern softies” a factual one under the circumstances.

7′ Dawson gets away with a ticking off after a two footer on Lennon. The older brother of Tottenham player Michael gets booked seconds later for wrestling Lennon to the ground. Can anyone say “out of his depth?” I think he’ll be off before the game is out if Lennon keeps running rings around him.

3′ Garcia gets the home supporters mildly interested for a moment with an effort from the edge of the box. It’s quickly charged down and goes out for a corner. Garcia wins it in the air and Gardner hooks back across the face of goal when it looked like it was going behind. The ball reaches Dawson, who draws upon all his years in the lower leagues and slices a cross with the outside of his boot for a throw in. Danger over.

1′ It’s Hull who get us started this evening. This is what Monday evenings are all about – hardcore mediocrity. I bet the schedulers were literally wetting themselves with underwhelment when this fixture was announced for broadcast. Ah well, suppose I’d better watch seeing as I am paying for it.

0′ We haven’t even mentioned Nick Barmby yet, probably because the veteran midfielder is hidden away on the Hull bench. For those of you old enough to remember, he made 108 appearances in all competitions for Spurs and scored 27 goals before he departed for Middlesbrough in 1995. Have I missed anyone out?

0′ That’s not all, former Spurs player Dean Marney makes his 100th appearance for Hull, as does Sam Ricketts, while Jon Woodgate makes his 50th appearance in a Spurs shirt. Anthony Gardner also faces his former club – he made 144 appearances for Spurs between January 2000 and last August’s £2.5 million move to the KC Stadium.

0′ Several players are hitting significant career milestones this evening. Robbie Keane makes the 400th English league start of his career, taking in Wolves, Coventry, Leeds, Tottenham and Liverpool. Hull’s Andy Dawson also makes his 400th career start, admittedly via a less glamorous route at Nottingham Forest, Scunthorpe and of course the Tigers.

Reaction

Harry Redknapp used his “Get of Jail Free” card at the KC Stadium with a later winner. Woodgate’s deciding header was his first away goal in the Premiership for 10 years and the result condemned Hull to their seventh defeat in their last nine games at the KC Stadium. Hull certainly had the better of the first half, but could not make their dominance count which allowed Spurs to creep back into the game. They were by far the better side after the break but they too did not look like they would force a winner until Woodgate showed real desire to head home the cross by Assou-Ekotto. It’s three precious points for Spurs, who clamber up to 14th in the table and five points clear of the drop zone.

Man of the Match

Not many players stood out tonight as the match was void of any real quality for long periods of the match. I will award this evening’s accolade to Aaron Lennon, who proved a constant threat in the first half. He ran Dawson ragged down the left and it looked as though his superior play would force the defender into clumsy challenges and ultimately an early bath. He was also the player who opened the scoring for Spurs, with a strike of real quality after 17 minutes. He may not have produced as much in the second half but he definitely helped to swing the balance in favour of Spurs before being substituted late on.