Match StatisticsAttendance: 35,935Stadium: White Hart LaneTeams:Tottenham: Gomes, A sou-Ekotto, Corluka, King, Ba song, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric (OHara 84), Lennon, Defoe (Pavlyuchenko 92), Keane (Crouch 62)
Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Insua, Johnson, Skrtel (Ayala 75), Gerrard, Mascherano, Lucas, Babel (Benayoun 68), Torres, Kuyt (Voronin 79)Referee: Mr Phil DowdReferee rating: 5. Not a great day for Dowd. He was involved in three big penalty decisions, and the general consensus is that he should have given two of the three, instead of just the one. The first penalty was a cast iron penalty, and Dowd dutifully awarded Liverpool the spot kick. The second remains the controversial penalty; many felt A sou-Ekotto shoulder barged Voronin off the ball in the area. I personally think Voronin can feel hard done by as I was in two minds over whether
Chris Beck Jersey it was a penalty or not. Needle s to say Benitez was furious when Dowd waved play on. The third shout was never a penalty, a cro s hit A sou-Ekotto on the hand but it was definitely ball-to-hand rather than hand ball. Aside from these penalty decisions, Dowd had a reasonable game, though many will fell he was slightly card happy, handing out 6 yellows (three for each team) in total.Yellow Cards:Tottenham: Gomes, A sou-Ekotto, LennonLiverpool: Carragher, Skrtel, MascheranoRed Cards: NoneManager ReactionHarry Redknapp:I thought we deserved the win today. We were much the better side and could have been two or three up by half-time with a couple of great opportunities. Liverpool had a few chances- a few penalty shouts but I did not think Liverpools shout for a second penalty was right as A sou-Ekotto had just eased Voronin off the ball. It is the kind of bread-and-butter stuff that defenders do week in, week out. The ball was also running away from Voronin, so no penalty in my eyes. No penalty.We have a much stronger team than last year and we can do well. Ba song, Palacios, King- all fantastic players and we will strenghten again if we can.We want to put a team out here that can finish in the top six. We need to push
Matt Carpenter Jersey on and if the right player became available that would improve us we would have a go.Rafa Benitez:The decision were very poor. Everyone could see the first one was a penalty. The second one was handball but we knew that would not be a penalty. With this referee, I knew another penalty was impo sible.Head to Head Results#1. Robbie Keane v Jamie CarragherIn my match preview, I identified the po sible battle between Peter Crouch and Jamie Carragher. In the end, Redknapp decided to partner Defoe with Robbie Keane instead, a decision Im sure Carragher would have been pleased about. Crouchs size and aerial threat make him a tough striker to defend against, so I can imagine Carragher breathing a sigh of relief when he realised Crouch was on the bench. In his place stood Robbie Keane, another good striker but a striker suffering from a lack of goals and a (apparent) lack of confidence. The game had barely begun for Carragher when he was off the pitch receiving treatment for a nasty clash of heads with teammate Martin Skrtel, and his afternoon didnt get a hell of a lot better. Keane had numerous chances in the first half and, had he been in a more clinical mood, could have had a hat-trick.WINNER: He might
Dexter Fowler Jersey not have scored, but Robbie Keane had a number of chances and Carragher struggled to stop him breaking into the Liverpool box.#2. Ledley King v Fernando TorresOn paper this looked as if it would be one of the closest fought battles, in reality there was no contest. King had Torres in his pocket all day and never looked as if he was struggling against one of the best forwards in the world. Torres definitely wasnt in top form and looked out of fitne s. Numerous reasons for his lack of energy have been cited, ranging from his Confederations Cup involvement to a niggling injury he picked up during
Willie McGee Jersey pre-season. Either way King was in tremendous form and barely put a foot wrong. Well mi s him for the Hull game when hes out (in accordance to the one week one game rule he has to abide by).WINNER: King, no question. Torres wasnt in great form and will need to improve if he is to help fire Liverpool to the top of the table.#3. Sergeant Palacios v Steven GerrardThis was always going to be a closely fought battle. Both men are vital to their respective teams and the outcome of this head-to-head was always going to influence the result. Gerrard was in good form and converted Liverpools penalty to get the game back on level terms, but the Liverpool captain looked as though he was mi sing the skill of Xabi Alonso playing behind him, and Liverpool seemed slightly toothle s without him in midfield. Alonsos replacement, Lucas, wasnt in the same cla s and was anonymous for most of the match. Palacios meanwhile was in devestating form, and showed a new side to his game by bursting forward on numerous occasions ad testing Reina with a stringing long shot.WINNER: Palacios. Gerrard had a good game, but Palacios was fantastic throughout, and picked up the man of
Roger Maris Jersey the match award after the game.#4. Arry Redknapp v Rafa BenitezBenitez opted to play Babel on the wing instead of Benayoun- a big mistake. Babel was awful and Liverpool also suffered from the lo s of Xabi Alonso, Lucas just isnt good enough to replace him. Tottenhams new signings all fared well and Redknapps 4-4-2 formation worked well with both Modric and Lennon getting forward well on the wings. Huddlestone and Palacios added some steel to the midfield, whilst the presence of Seb Ba song alongside Ledley King strengthened our defence no ends.WINNER: Harry Redknapp got his tactics right whilst Benitez will be cursing the lo s of Xabi Alonso.The Match Preview can be found , the Match Report can be found and my thoughts on the action can be found .
With the 2-0 triumph of Barcelona in yesterdays heated El Clasico encounter, it seems all but certain that
Jedd Gyorko Jersey Pepe Guardiolas men will make next months Champions League final, most likely to face fellow semi-finalists Man United as they themselves were 2-0 victors away at Schalke in their first-leg clash on Tuesday.These two sides last went head to head back in Rome in 2009 in a memorable 2-0 Champions League final victory for the Catalonian giants thanks to goals from Samuel Etoo and Lionel Me si and with now many feeling Barca are twice the side they were two years previous, (thanks to the continued progre sion under Guardiola) it raises the inevitable question. If United couldnt stop Barca in Rome, what chance do they have of stopping them now? Because after all, many things have changed since that fateful encounter back in 2009.First and foremost, Cristiano
Kolten Wong Jersey Ronaldo the most prolific goalscorer to have graced Old Trafford in recent memory went onto pastures new shortly after the final in that little known 80 million record-breaking transfer to Madrid and with fellow country-man Nani ordered with the task of filling the midfielders boots, its already advantage Barca.Barcelonas Lionel Me si who at the paltry age of 23 took his footballing development into overdrive last year went from one of the best players in the world to THE best player in the world and its not foreseeable how even the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja
Enos Slaughter Jersey Vidic will be able to stop this man on a mi sion come Champions League final time.
And with Barcelona po se sing the lion-share of Spains World Cup winning squad of last year, its very true to say this is a side very much in its prime. But there is hope for United however.Despite guiding them to La Liga and Champions League glory, Barcelona bo s Guardiola is infact the main area of weakne s in his squad and United can capitalise on his mental frailty which was on show after Mourinhos recent comments about ref decisions in the build up to this weeks game that clearly got under the Spaniards skin.Tactically the game is there for the taking for United and who better to orchestrate it than the man who has already master-minded 11 Premier League titles and 2 Champions League victories already?Sir Alex Ferguson thrives on mind games with fellow managers and his previous antics have led to the likes of Kevin Keegan to suffer mental break-down on national TV.Whilst United have atypically enjoyed a succe sful run of games coming into the back-end of this season, Barcelona have looked jaded under a hefty fixture schedule and the absence of Carlos Puyol recently has highlighted how vulnerablethey
Chris Carpenter Jersey can be at the back.Whilst getting a result against Barcelona will still be a tall order for Sir Alexs men, in some respects they have a better chance of beating Barcelona now than they did 2 years ago. In the
Tim McCarver Jersey final of this years Copa Del Rey, Madrid highlighted just how difficult it is for Barcelona to break a team down with men behind the ball and even minnows Sporting Gijon recently claimed a dogged 1-1 draw in this years using the same tactic.With Schalke and Madrid not yet out of the running despite a 2 away-goal deficit, it would be wrong to a sume that either side still couldnt progre s despite the enormity of the task at hand. But should Barca reach this years Champions League final, whoever will face them albeit United or Schalke will need to be at their very best defensively to stop the might of their attacking, expansive football.
As soon as I had the time I wanted to get on here and talk up my new main man Csaba Laszlo. I want to stre s before I go on that I was not motivated by the recent PFA Scotland Manager of
Devante Smith-Pelly Jersey the Year nominations, I would have written most of what follows in any case.Last week the nominations were released, with the Hearts manager a surprise omi sion. Instead, Gordon Strachan, the Celtic bo s who already has this seasons League Cup under his belt, was nominated along with St. Johnstone manager Derek McInnes and last years winner Billy Reid. The disadvantages of having the vote six weeks before the seasons end have become apparent, especially after the weekends results. Reid could still see his side relegated from their first ever campaign in the SPL, and St. Johnstone are beginning to show the same signs of choking as they did two seasons ago when they eventually surrendered their lead to Gretna and mi sed out on promotion. Strachan is chasing his fourth title in as many years at Celtic Park but is a mere one point ahead of, what some have claimed is, the worst Rangers side for many years.At the risk of sounding biased, I was shocked when Csabas name was not among those nominated. In July when Csaba Laszlo was unveiled as the new manager of Hearts, the club was in turmoil. The support had been starved of a full-time manager for almost two and a half years and some could have been excused for being highly suspicious of Csaba after being promised a British, or at least a British style manager. Csaba has not only stabilised things, he has completely turned the club around. Adding to his squad only two outfield players and two goalkeepers, he has taken a team that finished in eighth place last season to one on the verge of finishing third and clinching a place in next seasons re-branded Europa League.Exiting both cups in the early stages may have worked against Csaba being considered for the above award but surely his performance in the league alone, including his record against the Old Firm (unbeaten in the last four against the Glasgow sides) and the fact that Hearts have only lost two home matches all season, all this with a lack of a strikeforce, should have been enough.
Csaba is now the longest serving manager of the Romanov era not the greatest claim to fame, there really isnt much competition and seems to be the only one so far, le s the puppets such as and Korobochka, who has been able to have a working relationship with the owner. However, this could be down to the Ru sian-born Lithuanian tycoon taking more of a backseat in affairs at Tyncecastle and is finally letting the man
Alex Ovechkin Jersey in charge do what he is employed to do.Half hour pre s conferences, four minute answers to single questions in post-match interviews, that are all dripping with a pa sion for the game seem to have filtered through to the players and this has shown, not only with the commitment and never-say-die attitude shown in each performance but the aforementioned home record only Celtic and Kilmarnock have managed to take three points away from Tynecastle this season. Moreover, the same players who last season would have crumbled after going 1-0 down early on in matches have kept their heads up and gone on to take points. In recent weeks Kilmarnock and Celtic have taken early leads, only for Hearts to take the game to their opponents straight from the
Jakub Vrana Jersey restart. One of the most notable of such occasions was when Hearts managed to turn a 1-0 half-time score into an important 2-1 win over Aberdeen in the battle for third place.Working with youngsters was highlighted as one of Csabas strengths when he took the reins at Tynecastle but some in the Hearts support have been disappointed with the lack of youth players who have made appearances this season. In Csabas defence, the Hearts first team squad is already on the young side, this was especially so at the start of the season before the most experienced campaigner Robbie Neilson returned from injury. Protecting young players as they make the step up is something Csaba speaks of regularly, citing striker Gary Glen as an example. He has pointed out that too much first team exposure too soon can be counterproductive, hindering rather than aiding their progre sion. Some of the younger players already established as first team regulars have come on leaps and bounds this season with Lee Wallace, still only 21, being arguably the most improved player under the new bo s.
Brooks Orpik Jersey Andy Driver, nominated for the players young player award, is the clubs second top scorer and on his day is as exciting to watch as any other in the league. The versatility of young Icelandic international Eggert Jon son has been another highlight of the season. In a recent pre s conference, Csaba said that he thanked God every day for such a player. Jon son had already shown signs of promise as a central midfielder pre-Csaba but has flourished this season under his leadership, especially when you consider he has played in almost every position apart from his natural one.The lo s of club captain Christophe Berra in January, and lack of a replacement, looked as though it may have weakened the side and subsequently their ambitions of finishing in third but Csaba has taken it in his stride, sacrificing Karipidis from midfield to play alongside Zaliukas. It was unfortunate that Karipidis, a candidate for player of the year in my opinion, had to be sacrificed from the defensive midfield role as this was a masterstroke from Csaba to deploy him there. However, his replacement Ruben Palazuelos has stepped in
Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey and performed just as well and has actually been one of the stand-out performers in recent weeks.The future is certainly looking bright for Hearts young squad, although who comes and goes this summer will have a huge bearing on how the team fares next season. Some key players, including Karipidis, Zaliukas (the only two first team central defenders currently at the club), Aguiar and Palazuelos, amongst others will be out of contract in the summer and, if recent transfer windows are anything to go by, it would seem Romanov is now reluctant to splash the cash the manner he did during the 2005/06 campaign. Added to this the fact that it will be difficult for the club to turn down big offers for players like Andy Driver, Lee Wallace and David Obua, should they come in from interested suitors. Hearts could po sibly find themselves rebuilding the squad just as it was showing signs of cementing its place as the third force in Scotland and po sibly even pushing on further.Another worry is whether Hearts will be able to hold on to the main man himself. Csaba won the Hungarian Trainer of the Year in his first and only season in charge of Ferencvaros and some in the pre s have tipped him for the equivalent award in this country, the writers award that it. If he keeps up this kind of work it will only be a matter
Truly the best front-line in Europe41 goals together in the Serie AIn Todays match against Sampdoria, one man showed how true loyal he is to his team-mates. Having opened the score for Juve, thus advancing a
Dale Hunter Jersey goal ahead of Trezegeut and Borrielo
Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey in the Top Scorer list, Juve were awarded a penalty and the Golden Boy left team-mate Trezegol to take it so as to try and level things out on the CapoCannoniere award. Del Piero is Juves penalty taker and Trezegeut rarely takes penalties yet true amicable action by Del Piero. Furthermore to the great match he had this afternoon, he netted his second and Juves third from a second penalty, this time as things were level he made no mistake
Madison Bowey Jersey and sent Mirante the wrong way. This leaves Del Piero with 21 goals in the Serie
Brooks Orpik Jersey A, team-mate Trezegeut 20 goals and Genoa striker Borriello with 19 goals and a game still to play tomorrow. Well have to wait and see whether Borriello nets more than a goal tomorrow and this should give Del Piero a further boost
Braden Holtby Jersey to his Euro 08 chances.Some of Del Pieros best moments in the black and white jersey youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=7MT9bF1Be8A
As the International games are upon us, I have decided to do a top 10 feature every week for the view from the stands blog. As the Netherlands were the first European team through to World Cup 2010, I will review their top 10 stars of today.10)Joris MathijsenJoris Mathijsen is one of Hollands first choice centre backs, and also the Hamburg star can play left back aswell. Mathijsen was called up to the Netherlands squad for Euro 2008, and hopefully Bert Van Marwijk will pick the Centre Back for World Cup 2010.9)Ibrahim AfellayAfellay could well be the next big star in the Netherlands international set-up. The Dutch winger can play on the left wing and the right wing, giving Netherlands options if they do decide
Washington Capitals Jersey to pick him for the World Cup. Afellay currently plays for PSV Eindhoven and has also appeared for Holland seventeen times since 2007.8)Giovanni Van BronckhorstVan Bronckhorst is 34 years old, and he is still getting capped for the Netherlands international team. Van Bronckhorst plays in the left-back position, as we well remember his days with Arsenal. He first made an appearance for Holland in 1996. He has also been chosen in a number of international tournaments including Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst is
Lars Eller Jersey defiantly a Dutch legend.
7) Demy De ZeeuwDemy De Zeeuw is the new strong man of the Midfield for the Netherlands national team. De Zeeuw is 26 years oldand plays for famous Dutch team Ajax. De Zeeuw is known as a strong tackler and a player with a killer pa s. De Zeeuw has featured twenty times so far the Holland; however there are surely some more caps to come for the midfielder. On the other hand the defensive midfielder has a lot of competition for a starting place,with the likes of Mark Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong who also can play as a defensive midfielder.6)Johnny HeitingaHeitinga is one of Hollands best defenders and he will surely be chosen for World Cup 2010. Heitinga, who has recently signed for Everton, can play Centre Back, Right Back and as a Defensive Midfielder. Heitinga has played in a number of International tournaments for the Netherlands. The defender appeared in Euro 2004 and 2008, aswell as World Cup 2006.5)Robin Van PersieVan Persie is one of the best strikers in the Premier League, and he is also
Dale Hunter Jersey one of the best Holland strikers aswell. The Arsenal star has got great technique and a great eye for goal. Van Persie also can play on the wing or just behind the strikers, which he has done before for Holland and Arsenal. Van Persie scored in Hollands last match against Japan which resulted in a 3-0 win. Van Persie has also featured for the Netherlands in World Cup 2006 and Euro 2008.4)Kla s-Jan HuntelaarKla s-Jan Huntelaar is shaping up to be the new Ruud Van Nistelrooy of Holland. Huntelaar record for the Netherlands is pretty good;the Striker has made Twenty-Five appearances scoring fourteen goals for his Country. You could also cla s him as the first choice Dutch striker. Huntelaar
Andre Burakovsky Jersey will defiantly get picked for the World Cup campaign. Kla s-Jan Huntelaar like Van Persie also scored in their recent 3-0 win against Japan.3)Arjen RobbenArjen Robben is one of Hollands best players, and is also one of the best wingers in the World. The former Chelsea star is a regular for the Dutch side, and he will be a key player for Holland in World Cup 2010. Robben is predominately a left-winger for club and country. Robben has just signed a contract with German side Bayern Munich, with a number of clubs like Manchester United being linked with the Netherlands star. Robben has played forty-three times for Holland and has scored eleven goals.2) Rafael Van Der VaartVan der Vaart is one of the best creative midfielders in Europe, and he is defiantly one of Hollands key players. The attacking midfielder is 26 years old and he currently plays in La Liga for Real Madrid. However atthe start of the seasonhe wasnt given a squad number by Real Madrid and it looks very likely that he will change clubs. Van Der Vaart has played Seventy times for Holland and has scored fifteen goals from midfield. Van Der Vaart last goal for the Netherlands came against England last month.1) Wesley Sneijder At this moment in time, Wesley Sneijder has to be Hollands best player. Sneijder is one of the best attacking midfielders in the World, and he creates a lot
Kody Clark Jersey of chances for club and country. Sneijder and Van Der Vaart can cause nightmares for opposition defences. Sneijder currently plays for Inter Milan; however for Holland he has played Fifty-Six times scoring twelve goals. The Dutch superstar scored in their recent 3-0 friendly win against Japan. Sneijder will defiantly be a huge a set for Holland in this year World Cup.
Rabah Saadane has named his 23 man squad for the African Nations Cup in January which includes 4 British-based players and 10 foreign-based players. However, there is no place for Hull City striker Kamel Ghilas in the 23 man squad or the 4 reserve places. Saadanes Algerian side will take on Angola, Mali and Malawi in their group matches. They will be based in Southern France until January 7th when they will arrive in the Angolan capital for
Washington Capitals Jersey the start of their tournament on January 11th.Ziani in action for MarseilleSaadane has chosen a side that will adapt to the harsh climate of Angola which includes midfielder Karim Ziani who I have chosen as the star player for Algeria. Ziani, who plays his club football in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg, is a stocky, aggre sive little figure who has a fantastic pa sing range and is the playmaker in this Algerian side. With 46 International caps and numerous Champions League and UEFA Cup appearances in his time with Wolfsburg and Marseille. Zianis industry and aggre sion will be key for Algeria, in a team that relies upon hard-work and spirit that Ziani provides in abundance.Madjid Bougherra is a player that is probably familiar to you.
Mike Gartner Jersey The 27 year-old has played in the UK with Crewe, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton and now with Rangers. There has been much debate in Glasgow about Bougherras commitment to Rangers after being late three times after spells with the Algerian National Team and manager Walter Smith tried in vain to secure his appearance for the Old Firm derby on Sunday, but the Algerian FA refused. In a right-back position, Bougherra provides pace and power with the elegant dribbling he is famed for as a central defender.
Nicklas Backstrom Jersey The key attacker for Algeria is 25 year-old Abdelkader Ghezzal who plays his football with Italian side Siena. Ghezzal is new to international football with only 10 caps to his name. He scored his first International goal against Benin and the 6ft striker made his debut for Algeria in 2008.
Here is the Algerian squad:Goalkeepers: Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), Fawzi Chaouchi (ES Setif), Mohamed Amine Zemmamouche (MC Algiers)Defenders: Slimane Raho (ES Setif), Madjid Bougherra (Rangers/Scotland), Rafik Halliche (Nacional/Portugal), Anthar Yahia (Bochum/Germany), Samir Zaoui (ASO Chlef), Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Setif), Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth/England), Reda Baabouche (MC Algiers)Midfielders: Ha sen Yebda (Portsmouth/England), Yazid Mansouri (Lorient/France), Khaled Lemmouchia (ES Setif), Mourad Meghni (Lazio/Italy),
Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg/Germany), Karim Matmour (Boru sia Monchengladbach/Germany), Yacine Bezzaz (Strasbourg/France), Hameur Bouazza (Blackpool/England), Djamal Abdoun (Nantes/France)Forwards: Rafik Saifi (Al-Khor/Qatar), Abdelkader Mohamed Ghezzal (Siena/Italy), Abdelmalik Ziaya (ES Setif)Reserves: Mohamed Ou serir (CR Belouizdad), Mohamed Meftah (JS Kabylie), Hocine Metref (ES Setif), Chadli Amri (Mainz/Germany)Saadane normally prefers a 4-4-2 system with Bougherra and Belhadj providing alot of width with their
Lars Eller Jersey pace a major threat to the opposition. Les Fennecs are based upon a solidity that is helped by the dominant triangle in defence that consists of Goalkeeper Gaouaoul and the two central defenders Halliche and Yahia. The Algerians adopt a diamond-midfield with the Captain Yazid Mansouri in the holding role, Yebda of Portsmouth and playmaker Karim Ziani as the two middle midfielders with Mourad Meghni of Lazio at the top of the diamond. Ghezzal and veteran Rafik Zaifi who has 55 caps are the two in attack for Algeria.
Tunisia face group leaders Gabon in their second group match in Lubango on Sunday. The Carthage Eagles will look to contain their opponents who will be confident following their victory over Cameroon.History suggests that Tunisia will avoid defeat as they are
T. J. Carrie Jersey unbeaten against Gabon in previous fixtures but given recent form this will be a close match.The Eagles will be hoping that they can keep their points advantage over Cameroon by taking all three
Duke Johnson Jersey points in Lubango but they will need to perform much better than they did in their first game. Tunisia struggled to find their form against Zambia and in truth were lucky to get a point thanks to Zouheir Dhaoudis strike.Darragi will be mi sing for TunisiaTunisia have a major doubt over Esperance midfielder Ou
Kareem Hunt Jersey sama Darragi. The playmaker was substituted after an hour in the 1-1 draw against Zambia
Christian Kirksey Jersey and it was later revealed that he suffered both an ankle sprain and tendinitis in his Achilles tendon and he is very unlikely to feature in this game.Despite having a tough match ahead of them and a final match against Cameroon Faouzi Benzarti is still positive about his sides chances of progre sion from the group.
All the teams in Africa are strong, he said.The differences
Ricardo Louis Jersey between the teams are minor and the results so far reflect that.But there is no problem and we will progre s from here.
I used to love watching Chris Cookie Coleman playing for Palace, in the early 1990s. Back in the day, Sir Steve Coppell even converted Coleman into a makeshift striker during a struggling spell in the early 90s, with a pretty good return. A very clever footballer, sweet left foot, Coleman adapted well to his new role within the side, and definitely saved Palace a few quid in the transfer market back then.However, when Palace were relegated from the Premier League in 1995, Coleman kicked up a ma sive stink. He, like many of our other relegated team, wanted out, and wanted out at the very first opportunity. He was clearly too good for the then First Division, but his attitude was poor, and ultimately, we caved in and sold Coleman to the then Premier League champions, Blackburn Rovers for 2.8 million.Most Palace fans at the time were gutted he left,
Eric Murray Jersey but there was no benefit to us in him hanging around, potentially upsetting the morale of the dre sing room, and to be honest, he became a sulker. Blackburn was a very good career move for Cookie, but unfortunately, his career did not go to plan and he suffered Achilles injuries, and then the fateful career ending broken leg in the car crash which thankfully he survived.We are (eventually) quite a forgiving lot down at Selhurst Park. So much so, that Coleman was even voted into the Palace Centenary XI in 2005. He had struck up a very good partnership with Richard Shaw. I can think of few better centre backs or left backs we have had since Cookie, (Ashley Cole was the only po sible left back who was better in my opinion).
Fast forward nearly twenty years, and Coleman is now being down in SE25. Whether or not Palace are being used as a smokescreen to his proposed new deal with the Welsh FA remains to be seen, but we have definitely been played in this way previously. If Coleman doesnt return to Palace, I, for one, would not be shedding too many tears.Dont get me wrong, most
Bernie Kosar Jersey of us football fans romance about one of the favourites coming home, the prodigal son returns, you get my drift. At Palace, we have had plenty of examples of these down the years. The most Ginger man ever, David Hopkin had two stints with us. Neil Shipperley (once referred to me as owning a frame the size of a small tower block and The QE2 turns faster than Shipps), the wonderfully skilled Dougie Freedman and the robust Andy Gray are also examples of players who have returned to us in years gone by with mixed outcomes of succe s and failure.Personally, I dont think Coleman fits into the prodigal son, or returning hero bracket. My opinion also differs from the widely publicised opinions of CPFC 2010, that our new Manager should have a connection to Palace. I dont think this is relevant in this appointment fresh ideas and (even more) fresh faces are the things that Palace desperately need, which, for me, definitely rules out Coleman.There are also various doubts over Colemans ability as a Manager. Personally, I dont think he is as
Jim Brown Jersey bad as some people have made out, he got off to a great start at Fulham, and had a good stint in charge there. One could argue that this job was easy for him, as he only had to make the transition from player to manager, and being captain there, he would have already gotten the respect of the dre sing room anyway. But, in this ever changing fast paced game of football management, he was on his way soon after and had some mixed fortunes in his following roles.Real Sociedad would have been a dream job, lets face it, most managers would want a crack at Spanish football, let alone the beautiful lifestyle on offer over there. A love of this lifestyle supposedly let Coleman down in Spain though, and he was on his way back to Blighty, and literally sent to Coventry. Here, he did spectacularly average in the Championship, with a pretty decent squad of players at his disposal to be fair. Following a very poor 2009-10 season, he was on his bike again. A very succe sful spell in Greece
NFL Cleveland Browns Jersey then followed, with Lari sa. Due to financial problems there though, his time was cut short after eight months, and he was once again, returning to Britain.Naturally, the Wales job then followed for Coleman,
Jarvis Landry Jersey and being a proud Welshman, I am sure he would have jumped at the chance of bo sing his country, even in the tragic circumstances of the death of his predece sor, and good friend, Gary Speed. His record of four wins from fifteen games in charge of Wales is not that bad, when you consider the shortage of quality in the Welsh ranks.But there still seems to be a false arrogance about Cookie, and to be perfectly frank, I would call him an average manager. He may have a very attractive wife, but this doesnt make him our saviour. But maybe this is what Palace will have to settle for the role of Crystal Palace manager is not exactly an exciting one for somebody at the moment it could become a labour of love for somebody with genuine feeling for Palace, but for me, Colemans authenticity to all things Palace is just not there, and its not genuine and I think he would be the wrong manager for us right now. So, sorry Cookie its a no from me.
Ghana head into the World Cup off the back of finishing as runners-up at the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola. They may have lost the final to Egypt, but their run to that final saw the emergence of a number of talented young players who broke into the starting line-up.The Black Stars will have to survive the tournament without their best player, Michael E sien, whose failure to recover in time from a knee injury first suffered in Angola is a huge blow to Ghanas hopes. Not only are they mi sing E sien, but their next biggest star, Sulley Muntari
Bernie Kosar Jersey , currently finds himself on Ghanas bench after a series of disciplinary i sues.So who is likely to step up and make an impact in their absence?The Established Stars
Asamoah Gyan (Rennes, France) age 24, Caps:39 Goals:19Gyan is only 24 years old, but is already well on his way to become Ghanas all-time top scorer. Goals are in Gyans blood; he scored his first for Ghana three days before his 18th birthday and currently has 19 international goals, only 14 short of Abedi Peles record. Gyan combines pace and intelligent movement with great technique and an eye for goal. He is a predator in and around the box and will be Ghanas main goal threat at the tournament.John Mensah (Sunderland, England) age 27, Caps:63Highly talented defender who captains the side at this tournament. Mensah is only 5ft 11in tall, but po se ses great strength and rarely loses a physical battle with an opposing forward. Was instrumental in
Greedy Williams Jersey Ghanas 2006 World Cup run, but is an even better player this time around following his Champions League experience with Lyon and Premier League experience with Sunderland. Mensahs leadership and quality in
Sheldrick Redwine Jersey the Ghanaian backline will be key to their chances of succe s. Not to be confused with teenage defender Jonathan Mensah, the squads youngest player.Anthony Annan (Rosenborg, Norway) age 23, Caps:30 Goals:1Only 23 years of age, but the midfielder is a relative veteran in this fairly inexperienced side. Annan made his international debut in 2007 and has been in the side ever since; his combination of defensive discipline and technical quality making him a key component of Ghanas midfield. He will likely have a lot of work to get through given the highly attacking instincts of most of his midfield colleagues.The Rising StarsPrince Tagoe (Hoffenheim, Germany) age 23, Caps:16 Goals:4Tagoe is a tall and highly talented striker who often operates on the wing for Ghana. His pace and dribbling ability enable him to cause problems to any full-back, while his physical attributes allow him to dominate in the air. Endured a torrid few months in late 2009 after controversy over a supposed heart condition stopped him playing for his club, but Tagoe has been in good form in recent months and could be a real star in South Africa.Andre Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France) age 20, Caps:19 Goals:1Ayew is not the biggest, but what he lacks in height and strength he makes up for in speed
Ozzie Newsome Jersey and skill. He has quick feet and decent delivery, with his international record showing he is more of a provider than a goal scorer. Has a long way to go match his father, the legendary Abedi Pele, but Ayew has already shown plenty to suggest he will be one of Ghanas key players for many years. Captained the u-20 World Cup winning side and is likely to have a starting place at this World Cup.Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany) age 21, Caps:12The giant defensive midfielder is not easy to mi s, and each of Ghanas Group D opponents can certainly expect an intense physical battle against the young star. At 6ft 5in, he is able to operate effectively at centre back as well, and he may well partner Mensah in the centre of Ghanas defence throughout this tournament.Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy) age 21, Caps:13 Goals:1Highly talented playmaker who makes the side tick in the absence of E sien. Asamoah was the star man during Ghanas run to the final of the 2010 African Nations Cup. Highly intelligent, Asamoah will provide the creative spark behind Ghanas front
Chris Hubbard Jersey three. Enjoyed a great season in Serie A with Udinese and a good World Cup could earn him a move to one of Europes top clubs.
