Friday, March 1, 2013

Blog: West Brom are straight back on the up and up - expressandstar.com

After the Tottenham game there was talk of a crisis, ill-discipline within the squad, players wanting out and a team supposedly in free-fall.

The metaphorical storm clouds forming over the Hawthorns were beginning to look greyer than Dean Saunders' mullet, yet two games and six points later and the outlook is far brighter.

For any side outside the top six in the Premier League, the initial safety target must be around the 40-point mark, last week's victory over Sunderland ensured Albion reached that total with 11 games to spare.

Even if a handicapped 1990-91 Albion XI were to play out the remaining fixtures, I can't envisage that three out of the sides beneath us will overturn the points surplus we have over them.

We have the luxury of entering March without being party to a promotion or relegation battle, how many times since the turn of the century have we been able to say that?

I thought that some of our football against Sunderland last Saturday was exceptional, although the game was probably quite stretched we seemed to pass the ball really well.

Romelu Lukaku has taken most of the headlines and perhaps deservedly so, it was certainly as well as I've seen him play.

At times as a lone front man he's never really convinced me that his hold-up and link-up play is as good as it could be.

Having Shane Long up alongside him certainly helped in that respect and at times he was virtually unplayable. He was strong, powerful and direct- shades of Fabian DeFreitas on his debut!

In truth ,I'm struggling to think of anybody in an Albion shirt that played badly last week, Gareth McAuley continues to look composed and dependable.

The re-introduction of Youssouf Mulumbu and Claudio Yacob as a partnership has made a vast difference; so much of the success of this Albion team is down to their presence.

A word also for Chris Brunt who has been subjected to some arguably unfair criticism over the course of the season, he worked tirelessly and looks to be coming back into form.

Peter Odemwingie's re-introduction, to what I thought was more of a mixed reception than the universal damming that was reported by some, is perhaps another indication that the club can now look forwards after a turbulent few weeks.

This weekemd, we visit Stamford Bridge and the European champions Chelsea. I must confess I have never particularly enjoyed this fixture.

It costs an arm and a leg for a ticket and up until the last year or two we were invariably on a hiding to nothing such is the wealth distortion between the sides thanks to Roman's rubles.

However, Chelsea are going through something of a sticky patch and have only won seven of their last 15 games - a record that admittedly most teams wouldn't be overly-ashamed of.

There is speculation of mutiny within the camp and interim manager Rafael Benitez publicly expressed his grievances with the club's Board and supporters this week.

Questioning the club's governance is arguably a dangerous ploy for a Chelsea boss in the build-up to a game against the Baggies.

Whilst it's difficult to harbour any great expectation on a visit to the last winners of the Champions League, could this be a good time for us to go there and play them?

West Brom schoolboy Isaiah Brown could become the youngest player in Premier League history tomorrow after being handed a dream call-up for the trip to Chelsea.

Dan Ashworth today left West Brom ahead of schedule after the Baggies agreed to let him join the Football Association on Monday.

West Brom defender Jonas Olsson today warned Chelsea the Baggies are coming to Stamford Bridge looking to beat them again.

Watch West Brom boss Steve Clarke's pre-match press conference ahead of the Baggies' trip to Stamford Bridge to play his former club Chelsea in the Premier League.

Yep, good blog mate, psychologically we have Chelsea beat before a ball is kicked, for once, apparently their fans have been told bring all the banners they like, in response to Rafa's comments the other night, which has to put Rafa on a downer knowing the club value him so little, so it should be not so much a fortress as a kindergarten with a bit of luck, especially if the Baggie fans join in the 16th minute applause for RDM? question is, will their players rally to his aid, or drop him in it like he's Stale at Luton Town?

Warren... tut tut, fancy calling Rafa the interim manager, you know he doesn't like it. But seriuosly, like you I never looked forward to matches like this as we were nearly always onto a hiding for nothing, but now I see them as probably winable.

As an aside, I don't call myself a supporter as to me that term means that I put money into the club by going to games etc., but as I live in Medway (North Kent) I wasn't always able to attend games like I used to in the early seventies (rarely missed home matches). But from next year I've decided to go for a season ticket even if I can't make every game and now the kids have grown up, use the trips north as time spent with my wife on our own again. And I'm looking forward to both.

Warren, alright mate, nice to see you back in the UK, I guess a 'weekend travel break' for you is being in England, right? ( only jokin' :)

Anyway, another impressive summary of the Baggies situation.It does make me smile when I think back over the last 3 seasons-

each year, many Albion fans were smilin' in the Autumn, had looks of horror in the winter, then were smilin' agen by spring, it's just like being on the old 'big dipper' at Blackpool pleasure beach-

I hate to say 'I told you so', but whenever some people have started to panic after we lose one or two games, I've said 'wait till the end of the season before passing judgement, it's 38 games we play, not 8'......so there, yah boo........;)

As for the Chelsea game, I ain't predicting, because last week the score seemed to change every time I thought it would, it was so spooky I don't wanna end up in the Twilight Zone.....

It's interesting to think that if the Terry and Lampard management do want to push Benitez through the door, all they have to do is tell their pals not to turn up tomorrow. On the other hand let's hope I'm not tempting fate, and there is no embarrassing score against us and the Chelsea players quoting, "We done it for the boss." Prediction: 4-0 to the Baggies.

I personally think Brunt has been poor for most of this season but do agree that of late he has been very good and in the immortal words of Sir Gary Megson ' Long may it continue '.

A bit like Tropical Cyclone Rusty in Western Australia. I mean what a waste of a really good Cyclone name that turned out to be.

The Result: FC Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid CF | totalBarça

Real Madrid CF: Diego López, Coentrão, Varane, Ramos, Arbeloa, Khedira, Alonso, Di María, Özil, Ronaldo, and Higuaín

QPR winger Ephraim on verge of Toronto loan deal - Goal.com

The MLS side, now managed by the Rs' former centre-back Ryan Nelsen, have brought the 24-year-old to BMO Field as a replacement for the retiring Torsten Frings

Toronto, now managed by ex-Hoops defender Ryan Nelsen, are looking to strengthen their squad following the retirement of former Germany international Torsten Frings.

And the Reds have added Ephraim to their ranks, even though the 24-year-old has not started a league game for the Rs since they won promotion to the Premier League, with Harry Redknapp's side confirming the move on Wednesday afternoon.

Nelsen will know all about Ephraim from their time together at Loftus Road, while the Reds are also keen to take a closer look at trialists Bostock and Earnshaw. Bostock is already in Toronto, while Earnshaw is set to arrive on Wednesday.

"[Earnshaw] arrives to take a look at us and for us to take a look at him to see if that's a fit that might work," Payne added.

More Info: PAS Giannina - Asteras Tripolis [Live Football]

FC Barcelona in Crisis; End of a Cycle? - Yahoo! Sports

Probably Pep Guardiola's true master was to know when to keep. Seeing FC Barcelona today, a shadow of the team that has been on top of the world for most of the last four years while most of the workers is the sameA-or maybe just because of thatAAA-you begin to believe that former BarAa mentor knew something that the rest of us didn't, and still do not, but is able to see the effects on the area. If the Blaugrana were smashing Neymar's Santos 4-0 in the ultimate of the FIFA Club World Cup a bit more when compared to a year straight back and were called the maximum team ever nobody believed that 6 months later Pep would be gone. But Guardiola left, because he saw something he did not like, something he thought he could not resolve to extend the great function for a few more years. He prevented, remember?, so long as he might making a decision, probably hoping to ab muscles end to locate a answer. Pep liked BarAa. Still, he left, and we wondered, we still do, why? For a while everything went good under Tito Vilanova, Pep's successor. BarAa had the best begin in the history of La Liga, winning 18 of its first 19 games, with a pull, Messi continued his wonderful scoring rate, and with 13 games left the Catalans, 12 points forward of Atletico Madrid and 16 in-front of Real Madrid, can't lose the name, baring an of unprecedented, cosmic dimensions. But judging by how BarAa appeared in two key games played within the last week, the 2-0 reduction to Milan in the UEFA Champions League, and the 3-1 humiliation by Real Madrid at the Camp Nou in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, no lead is safe. BarAa is in crisis. Some thing must change. Even throughout the great category work there have been signs that the team is not really that great. The defense is suspect, it has helped at least one purpose within the last few 12 games, and undisciplined. The goalkeeper, Valdes (no Zamora, for sure) desires to leave; he needs to have been dumped in January. His replacement, Pinto, is 38 and no one can tell why he's on the roster. The proper back, Alves, "doesn't do" safety, it is below him. He is never in the body once the other team scores. PiquA walks aimlessly all over the area, thinking, or thinking he's a center forward. Leader Puyol is getting old. He has lots of nature and little else. Mascherano is not a key defense, despite his good intentions. Often he scares Valdes up to other enemies. Left back Alba has been a great addition to the staff, not necessarily to the security. But BarAa has never been about safety. They only scored a lot more than another staff. The technological wizardry and perspective of its ball controllers, Iniesta, Xavi and Messi, has been the choice of this team and has defined BarAa's play-ball control and advancement through quick, repeated passes-resulting in many scoring opportunities. While Messi's score hunger and his special skill have made him the natural head, and the natural top scorer, in the last couple of years an alteration, nearly simple, has occurred. The initial story, "BarAa is great, BarAa could be the greatest" is becoming "Messi must score, Messi must set another file, and another one." From the team, the eye has switched to Messi. Perhaps the fantastic competition BarAa versus. True Madrid has been changed right into a Messi compared to. Cristiano Ronaldo individual competition. It is not clear if Messi wanted dictatorial powers or if the role was bestowed upon him, but when Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Alba, Alves and most everybody else have "Messi must score" at heart, the team's performance is affected adversely. Yes, Messi appeared as the savior in many games, but because the team played for Messi to function as the savior that's. BarAa is not the very best staff when Messi ratings 37 targets in 25 group games and all the other players have 42 mixed. When Messi is annihilated, BarAa is paralyzed. Good opposite instructors like Allegri and Mourinho have found out how exactly to stop and irritate Messi. Stopping Messi means preventing BarAa, since people like Pedro and Fabregas have grown to be almost unnecessary, they can't dominate a game title, they can't even get past an opponent in dribbling, one-on-one. Injury has slowed Xavi, who is not the player he was 6 months before. Iniesta does not have Messi's killer instinct. Property has been ostracized, probably because he did not choose the "all-for-Messi plan," kid Tello represents less than under Pep, and Alexis has been a break. Genuinely believe that Messi can use a like IbrahimoviA now? Hopefully BarAa can get Neymar (alongside a defenders), but what the team needs right now is a instructor. Vilanova has been doing Nyc since early January getting treatment for a repeated parotid gland cancer. His associate Jordi Roura isn't really a instructor that may prepare the group for a game against Real or Milan. It'd have been enough to say: "Hey, we tied 1-1 in Madrid, we are ahead. They must report first, they must attack. Alves, PiquA, Busquets, keep straight back and keep an eye on # 7. Iniesta, only keep carefully the ball for 90 minutes at midfield. We all hope since a team have been coached by nobody to significant trophies via the web, Tito gets well quickly. You can give orders, good or bad, but you can't have the heart of the group. And at this time BarAa's heartbeat is practically a set line. Vladimir Moraru played basketball for 15 years and has seen it for 60. He's not seen a new player like Messi and a staff like Hamilton Academical Barcelona.

More Info: Sampdoria - Parma [Live Football]

Manchester United - Norwich Town Betting Preview: United established for...

Mar 1, 2013 11:00:00 AM The Red Devils have an opportunity to increase their lead towards the top of the Premier League if they experience the Canaries on Saturday and Willie Duncan is backing Sir Alex Ferguson's guys With Manchester City perhaps not doing his thing until Monday night, Sir Alex Fergusonas men are able to pile the stress on the protecting Premier League winners by checking a 15-point difference over their nearest challengers and local competitors, should they maintain three points this weekend. The Red Devils are warm favourites to do just that with Bet365 giving probability of just 1/3 (1.33) that your home part are victorious. The exact same company get 9/1 (10.0) that Chris Hughtonas Canaries can declare a victory at Old Trafford and draw backers may be convinced by the 4/1 (5.0) quote from Bet365 that the fit ends all square. Norwich City, obviously, were the final area to beat Manchester United in the Premier League when Anthony Pilkington scored the only real target of the game at Carrow Road in November. Plus, with United probably be distracted by the outlook of an emergency Champions League conflict with Spanish giants Real Madrid coming, the Canaries might think that there is a real potential for an upset here. While his pack may be well shuffled by Sir Alex Ferguson because of this match, United have range and sufficient power in the team to ensure that they keep their Premier League name aspirations firmly on the right track with victory here. It is worth noting that United have led at half-time in eight of these 13 home Premier League matches therefore far this term and, given that Norwich have trailed at the interval in eight of these 13 category matches on the highway thus far, there is no doubt that the 5/6 (1.83) estimate from Bet365 for United to direct at both half-time and full-time represents outstanding importance and ought to be snapped up here. The Red Devils have kept a clean sheet in all of their last three Premier League matches and the 11/10 (2.10) estimate from Bet365 for United to get to nil appears to be a reliable selection. For those seeking larger costs should have a opportunity on the 11/2 (6.50) quote for the hosts to enjoy a cushty 2-0 conquer the Canaries in front of Tuesdayas huge ending up in Jose Mourinhoas Real Madrid. Signal up with Bet365 for up to A200 in free bets Willie Duncan is just a freelance sports reporter. Willie, from Edinburgh, has covered Scottish football for over 10 years and he specialises in football betting markets from across Europe. You may also follow Willie on Twitter

Link: Stade Brestois - Olympique Lyon [Live Football]

Eredivisie: Janmaat focused on Feyenoord - ClubCall.com

Daryl Janmaat insists he is fully focused on life at Feyenoord despite reports that Arsenal are keen to sign him in the summer.

The defender moved to De Kuip from Heerenveen last year and has blossomed in his new surroundings with three appearances for the Dutch national side after making his debut last September.The big European clubs were bound to take note of his rapid rise, with the Gunners said to be watching him closely with a view to a summer swoop for the 23-year-old.Arsene Wenger has a history of signing quality Dutch players and Janmaat has not denied that he may move on at the end of this season, but for now his mind is on matters at Feyenoord."Arsenal's interest in me? I'm only thinking about Feyenoord now," he told Voetbal International. "Much remains to be played this season before thinking about the transfer market."

Via: Recreativo Huelva - Elche CF [Live Football]

Manchester United conduct 'feasability study' into re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo - The Independent

Manchester United have explored the financial implications of re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo, according to a report today.

The Daily Mail claims the current Premier League leaders have conducted a feasibility study into whether they could finance a move to bring the forward back to Old Trafford in what would be one of the most sensational transfers ever made.

A deal for Ronaldo appears incredibly unlikely, with Sir Alex Ferguson describing the player in the past as "unbuyable". Since moving to Real Madrid the Portugal international has developed into the only player on a par with four-time winner of the Ballon d'Or Lionel Messi. He has scored 185 goals in 183 games since joining Real Madrid in 2008.

Real Madrid would resist any attempts to buy the 28-year-old and any transfer fee could be more than the record sum that prised him away from Old Trafford.

Ferguson was in attendance for Real's 3-1 victory over Barcelona in midweek, a match in which Ronaldo scored twice. The Manchester United manager was there to scope out the opposition before next week's Champions League last 16 second leg tie, a match which will see CR7 return to Old Trafford for the first time since departing.

In the past, Ferguson made clear he would be welcome Ronaldo back to the club, saying in December: "You never know. He may want to go to another club at some point and I'd hope he would want to come here."

He added: "I'd love to see that but it's fanciful thinking really. First of all, there's how much it would take to get him from Real and, secondly, I don't think there's any chance they would want to sell him."

Ronaldo's current contract expires in 2015 and while there is no sign the player wants to leave the Bernabeu, if he did, Manchester United would have first option to buy him under the terms of his transfer to Madrid.

Via: FSV Frankfurt - 1. FC Köln [Live Football]