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Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 1 Inter Milan: Gareth Barry Inspired Win For Spurs

Posted on 02. Nov, 2010 by Matt.

Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a Gareth Bale fuelled win against Champions League holders Inter Milan, although the Londoners enjoyed stellar performances from players all over the pitch. The withdrawal of new boy and scorer of the opening goal Rafael Van Der Vaart through injury at half time will be considered a troubling occurrence during the game but manager Harry Redknapp should be incredibly proud of his team’s performance against one of the more ably equipped and experienced teams in the European competition.

Under Harry Redknapp Spurs don’t seem able to sit back, which is certainly not proving to be a bad thing at the moment, and so it proved again tonight with Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, and the rest of the team flying forward at just about every opportunity.

While there were excellent performances all over the park for Spurs, you need look no further than Gareth Bale for the man of the match. He taunted and tore to shreds the experienced Inter defence and was fortunate that Lucio’s desperate two footed lunge missed him.

The first goal came from an attack right down the middle and the goal came courtesy of Van der Vaart before his hamstring played up and he was forced to watch the second half.

Bale was the provider for the second goal crossing directly into the path of Peter Crouch who put the ball away to make it 2-0. Eto’o managed to scramble one back for Inter Milan before Bale once again did all the hard work and set up Pavlyuchenko to end the game 3-1 to Spurs.

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Bursaspor 0 – 3 Manchester United: Obertan Shines

Posted on 02. Nov, 2010 by Matt.

Manchester United took a while to get going but eventually their class shone through and despite a number of key personnel missing from their line up beat Turkish side Bursaspor three nil. The result puts united on the brink of guaranteed qualification for the last 16, topping their group.

The game wasn’t as easy as it perhaps should have been and the injuries to goal scorer Darren Fletcher and Nani will be a cause for concern especially as the latter of the two could arguably be considered United’s best player so far this season.

Fletcher scored the opening goal while Obertan, whose signature caused quite a stir at the time with many including Laurent Blanc his previous coach saying he wasn’t up to the Manchester United grade, scored the second with a brilliant finish. The third goal, which effectively put the tie well beyond any doubt was credited to Bebe who had another reasonable cameo appearance but in all reality the goal should belong to defender Ali Tandogan after his wicked deflection carried it into the net.

As expected from any Turkish stadium the Ataturk stadium was incredibly noisy and would have been a formidable and quite imposing place to play for the United squad and this atmosphere ensured that Bursaspor put in a moderately more convincing display than they did at Old Trafford.

The result puts Manchester United top of their group with 10 points while Bursaspor who look unlikely to even manage a point sit cemented to the bottom.

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Wayne Rooney Wants To Leave Manchester United

Posted on 19. Oct, 2010 by Matt.

It’s hardly a breaking headline in all honesty, as the rumours have been circulating on this one for some time but it has been confirmed by Sir Alex Ferguson that striker Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United for another club. However, Sir Alex played down the allegations of a rift between the pair saying that the door was still open for Rooney should he change his mind.

Rooney has been in poor form ever since it was alleged that he slept with two escorts while wife Coleen was expecting their baby and this poor form has come for both club and country. Rooney was “rested” for one crucial match which is when the rumours first started flying, however, they hit fever pitch when he and his manager gave entirely contradictory reports on why he was left on the bench for the last United game.

Fergie has never liked his stars featuring on the front pages more than the back. Some put Beckham’s departure down to his celebrity lifestyle while attributing the success of the likes of Scholes down to the fact that he has managed to keep his nose clean for virtually his entire career.

It looks most likely that Rooney will favour a move to Real Madrid but it is quite possible that he could move to big spending neighbours Manchester City who are believed to be ready to table a GBP100m offer along with an offer of GBP200,000 a week wages to Rooney.

Hello Magazine

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Rio Back As England Captain

Posted on 11. Oct, 2010 by Matt.

According to Match Magazine, Rio Ferdinand has been named captain of the injury stretched England team that will face Montenegro on Tuesday. Ferdinand himself is said to be surprised at walking back into the captain’s armband but many believe he is the born leader in the England set up.

However, while Rio may be fit England are certainly not without their major injury concerns with the likes of John Terry, Darren Bent and several others all sidelined with various problems.

While Ferdinand had been named as Capello’s long term preference as captain, many thought that Gerrard would keep the armband once Rio returned from injury but that hasn’t proven to be the case as the Manchester United and England defender has reclaimed it.

Capello’s decision seems to be based on the fact that Rio isn’t afraid of berating players and encouraging them when needed. Gerrard may well have let his football do the talking but the England team definitely needs more than that on occasion. Capello has also said that he has closely monitored Ferdinand’s fitness and he is 100% fit to play.

Wayne Rooney has also been confirmed fit and fans will be hoping he returns to form in Tuesday night’s clash.

However, England will be without Darren Bent who picked up a groin injury in training. John Terry also pulled out of the match, but with a back injury which he picked up while playing on Sunday. Phil Jagielka is another absentee and this means that Ferdinand is most likely to partner Joelon Lescott of Manchester City in defence.

Match Magazine

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Home Nation Hopes For The Commonwealth Games

Posted on 03. Oct, 2010 by Matt.

It’s some kind of triumph for resilience over planning that the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony took place at all. The event has been marred by news that the venues have only just been completed (we imagine the paint isn’t yet dry in half of the arenas) and that conditions were not deemed fit by many teams with last minute emergency clean up operations the only thing that saw a lot of teams make an about turn and even travel to the games.

Ceilings and bridges have collapsed and big name after big name has withdrawn from the competition. However, there’s still plenty for the home nations to get excited about according to Athletics Weekly Magazine. They’ve provided readers with a list of ten to watch from the home nations.

400m hurdler Dai Greene should be a banker for Gold as the Welshman has romped to victory in recent events. The magazine also intimates that the current UK record of 47.82 held by Kriss Akabusi could be under threat in Delhi as Greene has improved his personal best to 47.88 only marginally behind.

The 110m hurdles also offers us excellent opportunity for a medal with not one but two names vying for the front. Andy Turner and Will Sharman look to be the most likely candidates for the win here especially as world champion Ryan Braithwaite has withdrawn from the event.

The build up to the Commonwealth Games certainly hasn’t been the one hoped for by officials in Delhi or attached to the game but now it’s here, the sporting spectacle should prove to be exactly that and hopefully for all the right reasons.

Athletics Weekly Magazine

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Blackpool Shock Liverpool

Posted on 03. Oct, 2010 by Matt.

Blackpool have had a dream reintroduction into the top flight of football. Despite being the smallest team with the tightest budget put together for the smallest amount of money, they are performing well above and beyond everybody’s expectations. Their results are definitely a mixed bag so far, having been hammered by Chelsea and Arsenal conceding a total of 10 goals in those two games alone. However, they site ninth in the league table having picked up 9 points from a possible 15 away from home.

Contrast this to Liverpool’s results and position, and you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d got the team names the wrong way around. Liverpool are now third from bottom having won only one game. Roy Hodgson’s three months in charge of the club have been woeful at best and it’s difficult to imagine him holding on to one of the biggest managerial jobs in the game.

Ian Holloway has attempted to promote attacking football during his time in the Premiership with Blackpool and he continues to adopt this same style even in the big matches. It paid dividends today as Blackpool attacked from the off and ensured that Liverpool did not enjoy any of the posession. Torres may have gone off injured after 10 minutes but that’s no excuse for the home side.

As reported by FourFourTwo Magazine, Blackpool managed a 2-1 victory having taken a 2-0 lead in the first half. Where they will end the season nobody is really sure of yet, but things do not look good for Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool at the moment.

Fourfourtwo Magazine

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Carrick Back For Tonight’s Valencia Tie

Posted on 29. Sep, 2010 by Matt.

Manchester United haven’t had the greatest start to the season. They are behind leaders Chelsea in the Premiership and could only muster a 0-0 against Rangers at home in the first group stage game of the Champions League. Perhaps even more worryingly, talismanic striker Wayne Rooney has endured a very difficult start to the season while also picking up an injury.

Few of United’s mroe experienced Champions League stars will be available for the tie with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Gary Neville being left at home. Wayne Rooney, too, has not made the trip but it is not all doom and gloom for the Red Devils as they face a potentially very difficult test tonight.

However, FourFourTwo reports that Michael Carrick has been declared fit and could well feature while Rio Ferdinand also looks likely to feature in the game. Bebe could make his first Champions League appearance for the Old Trafford outfit and in form striker Dimitar Berbatov will almost certainly be the first name on the team sheet.

United arguably took a big gamble in the first game against Rangers playing a very young side and while the same may turn out to be true tonight it will not be through Sir Alex’s choice this time around as he will be forced to chop and change his team around the increasing list of injuries.

Valencia are certainly in fine fettle at the moment, unbeaten in their domestic league and sitting top of their league and Group C of the Champions League.

Fourfourtwo Magazine

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A Guide To The Commonwealth Games

Posted on 29. Sep, 2010 by Suzanne.

For some time it looked as though the Commonwealth Games in India would not proceed as nations from all around the world expressed fears over safety, security, health, and living conditions in the athlete’s village. However, as the teams now arrive and declare that everything seems to be in order, it would appear that the organisers have managed to pull off some kind of minor miracle by turning the venue into a modern and top class sporting arena and athlete’s complex.

Runner’s Weekly Magazine offers a comprehensive guide to the Commonwealth Games for anybody that is interested in what the event is, what will happen, and what all the fuss has been about.

71 teams from 54 Commonwealth nations meet every four years in order to compete for the Commonwealth crown. 17 sports including some of the more unusual choices like squash and lawn bowls that are not popular enough to feature in the Olympics are played in the major event which is viewed as being a great introduction to some of the rising stars of British and Commonwealth athletes.

Dengue fever has proven a genuine fear for competitors as the Delhi stadiums and the village are located close to a Dengue fever blackspot. What’s more, venues have gone well beyond the expected completion date and a collapse of the weightlifting roof and a foot bridge have highlighted major construction problems.

With all of that said, the organisers do appear to have turned a corner and have somehow just about managed to get everything ready in time for the October 3 opening ceremony.

Runners World Magazine

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Rooney And Giggs To Miss Valencia Match

Posted on 28. Sep, 2010 by Kate.

After their drab 0-0 draw against Rangers in the first match of the Champions League group stages, Manchester United and in particular Sir Alex Ferguson could have done without the headache of losing key players to injury but the football season rarely pans out precisely how you plan it and both evergreen winger Ryan Giggs and striker in turmoil Wayne Rooney have been ruled out of the 2nd match, against Valencia on Wednesday night.

Ryan Giggs was injured during Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Bolton and although the winger is one of the oldest players in the Premiership he will be desperately missed as his experience and footballing brain have proven time and time again to be exactly what the Old trafford outfit need most in matches like these.

While Giggs is expected to be out for for around 2 weeks with the hamstring injury, Sir Alex had expected to be able to call on England striker Wayne Rooney despite picking up an ankle injury in the same game. At the time, Fergie believed Rooney would be fit again by Wednesday night, but it transpires that the injury which the striker has apparently been carrying for a couple of weeks now will rule him out of the match.

Valencia currently top Group C after hammering Bursaspor 4-0 while United and Rangers could only draw their first match 0-0, considered the greater blow for United as they were the home team.

You can keep up to date with all the Champions League news with a subscription to FourFourTwo Magazine.

Fourfourtwo Magazine

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