Source: http://www.eighteensixtyfive.co.uk/2012/03/round-pegs-in-round-holes-nottingham-forest-3-1-millwall/
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Monday, 30 April 2012
Round pegs in round holes ? Nottingham Forest 3 ? 1 Millwall
So after the midweek disappointment of Doncaster, Cotterill made a few changes, as we lined up in an orthodox 4-4-2, [...]
The regression of Harry Redknapp?s Tottenham - Part II
The progression regression of Harry Redknapp's Tottenham - Part II
Momentum and Mental Strength...dressing room lost?
Our form, aside from the opening two games of the season, was sensational. Here was a Spurs side winning consistently home and away and if we came unstuck (Stoke away) we bounced back. It's all very muddled currently. It’s a combination of ineptness and a devastating disappearance of belief.
The court case will have distracted everyone at the club. It would have taken a lot out of the manager and regardless of what the players have said in the past, its birthed uncertainty. Our form began to display signs of degradation around the same time. We kept winning games but the victories were not always convincing, although it’s always good to claim a win when you’re not playing well because that’s the sign of champions. Enter another variable. The media. Everyone was appreciative of Spurs. The pundits, other managers and even opposing fans. It’s how it works. Much like Harry Redknapp, everyone is reactive to what is happening at the time, so naturally everyone rated Spurs and talked us up.
I have no idea what Harry is like in the dressing room and whether enough was done to keep us grounded. Equally so, not sure Parker is one for the rousing speeches at Spurs. Easier done at a club like West Ham where he was infinitely better than the quality of players surrounding him. We have no Roy Keane type figure. King is a leader by virtue of his football (and his football has not been great this season). Did we start to believe in the hype? If so, surely the experienced players in our squad took responsibility? From the looks of it they either they haven’t or it was beyond their influence.
The City game destroyed us. An inch away from winning it and in the blink of an eye we lost it. There’s no doubt there is a lot to be said for experience (take a look at United and Ferguson). But we reverted back to the fragile Spurs of old when as opposed to the past when we didn’t have the players to back it up, we do this time and yet somehow we’ve still managed to p*ss it all away.
To compound things further, Harry’s tactics started to have a clear detrimental effect - as witnessed at the Emirates. Our first major run of form that was underwhelming saw us play okay in some of the games, but we were powder-puff up front and lethargic at the back. We lacked that much needed leadership at the first sign of trouble. There was no team reaction. With every game we waited in anticipation of there being a battle cry, a want and desire to reclaim some pride. But it hasn’t been forthcoming. The semi-final was the concluding cluster of catastrophe which has summed up the second part of the season with the QPR game an encore of hurt.
D Wolves 1-1 - Dropped points
L Man City 3-2 - Toe to toe, could have been 3-2 to us, wasn't, footballing Gods say 'no'
W Wigan 3-1 - A response
D Liverpool 0-0 - A stutter
L Arsenal 5-2 - A capitulation aided by naivety and a distinct lack of belief
L Man Utd 3-1 - Mugged by a patient experienced side that knew just how to pick us off on the break
L Everton 1-0 - Woeful first half followed by a clueless second which entailed just 'attacking' them with no game plan
D Stoke 1-1 - Dropped points
D Chelsea 0-0 - Congested the midfield then took a stranglehold of the game. Should have won. Since then we've gone to pieces, they've got two Cup finals
W Swansea 3-1 - An anomaly that had us believing again
D Sunderland 0-0 - Could not break down a team that just sat back and defended
L Norwich 2-1 - Pathetic display
L QPR 1-0 - Equally gutless, shapeless
DLWDLLLDDWDLL
Add to it the Chelsea 5-1 for good (bad) measure.
The drop in form crept into our game prior to the City game but that match at the Eastlands felt like a boxer coming off the floor from a technical knock-out to then win the remaining rounds only to lose the fight thanks to a late flurry of punches giving them a split decision. It was demoralising. If that game robbed us of our belief and that the Gods were against us, we deserved nothing from a game that meant everything when it come to visiting Arsenal. Here we witnessed a strange selection and an absolute joke of a choke. Unlike anything we’ve seen recently in league meetings against them. It was an unequivocal surrender. Tactically shambolic. Players switched off too.
We were ‘okay’ against Utd. This found myself (and one or two of you) thinking we simply had to find a moment in a game to rejuvenate ourselves. Confidence comes from winning but if you feel hard done by and you come through it against the odds it can inspire that spirit and fight once more and with it will return momentum. Except, with each passing game it never happened. Aside from the Swansea win where Harry actually showed some astuteness and away to Chelsea in the league the rest have been near diabolical. Nothing has changed sufficiently enough to warrant that all it will take is such a moment.
We look like a side that has lost sight of the grand prize and have given up. There hasn’t been enough coaching or hands on management to aid with navigating the players through this. And the players, for them to react in this way by not reacting. It has the touch of the Ramos about it. Now that’s irony we could do without. Has the dressing room been lost? Yes. Lack of decisiveness and commitment from the manager whilst he flirted with all concerned regarding the England job has impacted team morale and has deflected Harry’s thoughts away from Spurs to the FA headquarters. He hasn’t given us his full intention, so why would his players do the same? A teacher that sits at the front of the classroom, playing guitar and singing a sonnet to himself is hardly to going to capture the attention of his students who are too busy throwing conkers out the window.
The players haven’t exactly covered themselves with glory either but as witnessed under Ramos, good players can turn to bad players because of lack discipline and focus and belief in the man in charge.
Whatever happens on the training pitch isn’t good enough either. Forget set pieces and corners. This has been a problem for years (next man in can fix it - ha!). The lack of planning and preparation for each opponent seems to be non-existent. i.e. Let them cope with us. If they cope with us, break them down. If we can’t break them down, make sure you mention it in the post-match interview that we couldn’t break them down.
Who knows what might have happened had John Terry not allegedly said what he said to Anton Ferdinand. He should have gone. Instead Fabio did and the rest (Harry for England) fell into and then out of place (Spurs).
Fact is Harry Redknapp has already left Spurs. He left the moment the England job became available. The issue is not that the job has distracted Harry, it's the fact that Harry has allowed it to. Not sure what has been said by Levy on this matter in-house, but it would have been good for the club and the manager to have released a statement immediately off the back of the rumours to draw a line under it. They didn't. Harry whored himself as Harry does. It's impacted us but it's not the only reason. It does however illustrate the undying loyalty he has to himself.
Regardless of the 'outside of Spurs distractions', they mask the real problem. Harry hasn’t got the edge and he bottled it. We’ve got a manager who can control his own destiny when it’s going well but is limp when adapting to the occasion of elevated expectation and fixing problems of his own creation. Players, teams...they need instructions. They simply can’t completely rely on running around and kicking the ball forwards. As good as we can be when it flows, we’re not exactly reinventing push and run.
continued...
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/4/27/the-regression-of-harry-redknapps-tottenham-part-ii.html
Boothroyd bursting for pre-season
Northampton Town manager Aidy Boothroyd wants a summer with his squad to shape them into promotion contenders
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/04/boothroyd-bursting-for-pre-season/
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Euro 2012 Countdown : 40 Days ? Euro 88?s Group of Death
Our Countdown to Euro 2012 continues with the story of Spain?s failure to progress further than the group stages at West Germany 1988. By�Ben Crump���� Follow @insidelaliga Following the near success of France 1984, the Spanish national side reached the quarter finals of the Mexico World Cup in 1986 but were eventually knocked out by [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/euro-2012-countdown-40-days-euro-88s-group-of-death/
Reading vs. Forest preview..
Having been unfortunate not to have managed to do the double over Blackpool at the weekend, we are handed perhaps a more challenging opportunity to do the same over promotion-chasing Reading. It’s easy to forget that 1-0 win over them at the City Ground back in November, isn’t it? A Marcus Tudgay goal enough to give us the points against the Royals before they found their groove and mounted a promotion assault [...]
Read the original post on Through the seasons before us
Source: http://www.ltlf.co.uk/forest/2012/04/reading-vs-forest-preview-2/
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Casillas buoyed by important win over Sevilla
The Real Madrid captain praised his squad?s ability to refocus after a devastating loss in penalties to Bayern Munich, last Wednesday. By Tom Conn Follow @thomasmconn Los Blancos are now just three matches away from clinching their first title in four years after beating Sevilla 3-0 on Sunday morning. “It was important to win today [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/casillas-buoyed-by-important-win-over-sevilla/
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The fan?s influence
Thanks once again to our correspondent, Steven Toplis for his thoughts on the influence we, the ordinary punters, can have [...]
Source: http://www.eighteensixtyfive.co.uk/2012/03/the-fans-influence/
Real Betis 2-2 Atletico Madrid : Falcao rescues a point for visitors
Radamel Falcao scored a late equaliser for Atletico Madrid to share the points with Real Betis on Sunday evening. By Staff Writer���� Follow @insidelaliga Atletico took a 63rd-minute lead through substitute Koke after a brilliant assist from Colombian striker Radamel Falcao. Falcao then had a chance to double his sides lead but after being put [...]
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Sunday, 29 April 2012
The new owners quiz
Following weeks of speculation and rumours about billionaires, takeovers and consortiums, Seat Pitch has discovered a foolproof way to identify the new owners of Nottingham Forest… Image: Keattikorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Source: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2012/04/11/the-new-owners-quiz/
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The regression of Harry Redknapp?s Tottenham - Part I
The progression regression of Harry Redknapp's Tottenham - Part I
I'm working towards something. It's fairly drastic but considering I've managed to contradict myself with a number of footballing beliefs I can only find redemption by first cleansing myself of this season's dramatics. This means I have to get it all out of my system.
It would be easy to give a knowing nod of approval towards hindsight and then dissect Redknapp’s tenure in relation to the 2012 season and our mental and physical collapse. Except most of the subject matter I’m about to discuss has been discussed before and many of us have/had given the manager the benefit of the doubt on numerous occasions.
He has built Spurs up to be a competitive team. There has always been fragmentation of opinion regarding his transfer dealings and his tactical prowess and in addition his working relationship with Daniel Levy. We’ve tolerated his sound-biting and the manner in which he displays loyalty to himself above all other things. Most take it for granted that anything he says publicly for the camera or mic is reactive to whatever is going on at that precise moment, suiting his own agenda to protect himself and whatever predicament we happen to find ourselves in. Except it's hardly ever 'we'. It's mostly 'them'.
The media adore him, a comforting extra shield of protection he wears like a badge of honour. Never heavily criticised, unlike some of his counterparts at other clubs. This isn’t to say that he should not take credit for what he’s done. He’s taken plenty of that already. Also, he deserved the right to give it a go at Spurs post-Champions League season. He’s failed. Even if by some miracle we suddenly start playing like a team and other results go in our favour and we qualify in 4th spot (which might not happen thanks to Chelsea), he’s still failed. I’ll explain the reasons why I feel this to be the case. I will also work my way through one or two other talking points.
I guess I should add a caveat here that I'm not setting out to knee-jerk or promote propaganda against Redknapp just because things have turned sour. There's a popular misconception that we're fickle and don't complain when things are going in our favour. That's partly true in some instances (don't change a winning formula for example, was one way of us attempting to deal with the lack of genuine consolidation in the transfer windows) but in most cases we've always admitted to weaknesses and shown concern in some of the decision making. Even when winning.
It's lengthy. So I've broken it up into four blogs. Read at your own leisure.
Transfer Windows
We are never going to know exactly what happens behind the scenes. Sorry to break the hearts of the ITK community but aside from leaked info from football agents its tricky to guess with any certainty what the dynamics are between chairman and manager when it comes to scouting and signing players. If we go by what Redknapp has said in the press (take the Scott Parker saga as an example) you could wager that the chairman wasn’t too keen on signing an ‘aging’ midfielder. With no technical director of football I imagine that Levy keeps an eye out for players that fit into the mantra of who we should be signing (ideally top class 20 - 26 year olds players for example that can provide longevity and that infamous sell-on potential to keep the accounts happy). Levy signed Rafa van der Vaart as a consequence of talking to Madrid in the past. We were given the chance when the Dutchman’s move back to Germany fell through. Opportunistic. A case of manager agreeing to it because the player is ‘top class’ and cheap and the window was about to close.
Did we need Rafa at the time? Maybe, maybe not. You can't say no to such a gift of a transfer and you therefore find a way to accommodate him. That’s what we had to do. For £8M we made it work (although his fitness has always been subject to a variety of question marks). Rafa has a winners mentality and we should have no regrets. But during that window, it was a forward we wanted more than anything. So in truth, we signed someone without having a strategy.
We’ve wanted a genuine forward to lead the line since the Berbatov/Keane partnership disintegrated. Seems to be the most difficult of tasks to accomplish, as with every passing window we shrug despondently at yet more tentative links that turn out to be nothing more than rumours and clubs using the media to leverage price tags or look strong in rejecting.
We’re stuck with a loan player, an old player and a player that’s in and out of the side.
In January we wanted/needed consolidation. Either the money isn’t there or it is but Levy doesn’t want to commit to spending masses of it because of the uncertainty of Redknapp’s future (even back in the new year this was a reason discussed). The money might well be available but chairman and manager are not on the same page if you go by consensus. Harry has turned his nose up at suggested Levy signings and vice versa.
I get the distinct feeling that most of the big name European and South American players we are linked with and supposedly interested to sign are ones that our scouting system target and report back to Levy who then presents to Harry. Harry has his own list of players he targets via expertly not tapping them up via the media.
Fact is, Redknapp thinks in the short term. Literally, from one season to the next. As witnessed by the players he has signed. Some of which have worked. The rest (the ones that arrived in Jan) appeared to be nothing more than cheap cover for the players we allowed to leave. Players that had to leave because they were simply not in the managers plans. Discarded.
To be fair he has got the 'money ball' touch about him. But we should not always be so reliant on cheap options. We've failed in the past when spending big but that doesn't mean we should not be brave enough to speculate in the present.
Our transfer strategy is lopsided.
It's a cluster of crazy if you take the words of Bill Kenwright (Everton chairman) to heart. He spoke to my brother-in-law (cab driver in London) this past week and stated the following about the Steven Pienaar transfer:
- Pienaar was desperate to join Spurs and only Spurs
- Kenwright offered him an increase in wages/new contract, the player rejected any further talks
- Signs for Spurs
- Within 6-8 weeks is back on the phone to Everton saying he hates it at Spurs, he's made a mistake and wants to rejoin Everton. Begs to be signed back asap
- Everton sign him back on loan
- Pienaar will never return to Spurs
Bill appeared to be genuine when discussing this and not that bothered with sharing Pienaar and Everton's experience. Equally interesting and damaging is the alleged comment he made concerning Levy and Redknapp. Pienaar was signed by Levy without Redknapp's knowledge or approval. Crux being that Harry didn't want him or even know he was about to be made a Spurs player.
The worst thing about all this? It's quite believable.
The Squad
This brings me onto the actual squad. We are so finely tuned a side that a single players injury can cause imbalance. We have a wealth of talent, audacious and vibrant and for most of the season hungry and determined. But there are some fundamental flaws in the squad. Again, nothing we don't know but concerns that were very easy to box up and place under the bed and ignore when we we’re jumping up and down on said bed having fun. Now the springs are broken we find ourselves on the cold hard floor without a clue what to do for entertainment.
Pound for pound we have a fantastic first team. Let’s not pretend otherwise. But our squad falters to deceive because it's not been handled with care. We’ve been unfortunate with one or two injuries but this happens to everyone and has happened to us every season for as long as I can remember. It’s no excuse. It does link in with our transfer strategy because say for example, in Lennon’s absence we had no natural cover for the right-wing. Playing Rafa or Bale there is not the answer. Playing either in that position is a solution to a problem created from within. Almost feels like we didn’t think about every position pragmatically and decide where our weakness might hurt us during the course of the season.
We've let players go out on loan which would have been better suited to rotation. Some of our first teamers play if their fit to play rather than being rested periodically to allow for a more sustained challenge across the season and avoid fatigue/burn out.
We have problems in key areas because of the risk that comes with the (successful) system we play and that lack of rotation early on has cost us. I guess you’ll argue why tinker when we’re winning games? Why should players struggle with fatigue in the latter stages of the season when we’ve shown disdain towards the League Cup, pretty much the same towards the Europa League and mis-mashed sides in the FA Cup? Well they do and they have.
You know how you've probably thought 'play the strongest line-up' a few times this season? Works when you show intelligence with selections rather than being completely reliant on certain players and combinations. Harry has rotated players but this is about rotating key players, something he's failed to do.
Parker has old legs. A brilliant signing, one that proved the Harry doubters wrong and equally the ones that did not trust Parker was up for the job (i.e. me). But when there was opportunity to perhaps rest him Harry didn’t. Sandro was injured, Livermore did came into the fold and Huddlestone won’t be back until next season. So with all the graft Parker provides if he’s out of sorts we are instantly weakened in the middle. Playing Niko there has proven to be suicidal. The same principle applies with Lennon on the right as mentioned. There is no genuine depth. And if there isn't you need a workable plan B which we don't appear to have. This in-turn affects tactics and fluidity which ends up with us constantly banging on the door and trying to kick it in rather than simply take the key out of our back pocket.
Up front we signed Adebayor (another Levy signing). A footballer in the true sense of the word that fits into our style of play. He can work the channels and link up. Sadly, he’s not a clinical finisher. If he doesn’t play we revert to two up front and all shape is lost and the midfield surrendered. We are smooth when it works, stutter when important elements are missing.
Our defence has a variety of question marks, prominently the centre-back positions. We need rebuilding here for the future. We were keen on Cahill so the Levy/Redknapp are more than aware of the issues at play here. We ended up with Nelsen. That sums it all up. King and Gallas look spent. Dawson’s injury hasn’t helped. Kaboul has shown promise but needs to play as part of a settled pairing. Caulker will no doubt be part of the squad next season having shown he can cope with the Prem at Swansea. Although we (club and fans) should not weigh him down with expectation. Which is why it's key to sign a new centre-back to give us complete strength and faith at the back.
The squad is light because of the way certain players have been dismissed and others ran into the ground. Our fringe players moved on. We've got no reserves, so our younger players are loaned out. The simple philosophy embraced by Redknapp is not a forward thinking ethos for success.
When things are going well you naturally build on the confidence and rhythm attained with each passing game. When you suffer injuries your resolve is tested. We’ve come through several tests during the first part of the season. So why has it gone so horribly wrong?
Tactics and Formation
Not really sure Redknapp believes he knows what our best line-up and formation is. He has enough about him to take a talented squad and make them play for each other. Back to basics, players in their best positions. Well, for the most part players in their best positions. He seems far removed from this particular trait currently. There is a naivety that sees him struggle with retaining shape. There are times when he has delivered (recently against Swansea). And his record at Spurs is a very strong one (in terms of win %). But he has limitations. Whether this is heavily influenced by outside story arcs or not, on the pitch we have failed when it was so easy to succeed (taking into account our pre-new year form).
The persistence with 442. Accommodating players when perhaps they are better dropped to the bench for the sake of team fluidity. Making decisions based on basic logic rather than tactical engineering (i.e. we can't break opposition down, so change to 2 up front). And so on.
Harry has no patience. He can’t wrap his head around the long game. It’s always a sprint, never a marathon. Everton away is a perfect illustration of ‘just go out and attack them, a goal will come’ team talks. No guile or intelligent game plan to break them down. Just keep on plugging away and it might just happen. The more it doesn't happen the more difficult it becomes to shake off the rust and morale will consequently drop.
There’s no doubting that we’ve played some of the best football in the league this season. When it works, it works. It’s easy to send out a confident team and just get them to keep working the way they’ve been working. Not much in this football lark he’d have you believe. Players need formation as much as formation needs players. When we don't play well, it's not because we're so miserable and calamitous in our performance (okay, maybe once or twice this season) but because we are not functioning correctly. You can almost see where it's going wrong, endlessly, without ever reaching a satisfying conclusion.
On paper and in practice we have been majestic at times. Then the same set of players look like headless chickens in a chaotic den of madness. I guess when Rafa said we never discuss tactics he was telling the truth.
One up front, three men behind the striker with Bale on the left and Rafa as the most forward midfielder. It works. It did work. Parker was a revelation protecting Modric and allowing the pixie playmaker to dictate possession. When it does work its magic. When it doesn’t nobody can find the wand.
The fundamentals are all wrong. There's no balance. There is stagnated application and misfiring effort. The midfield is isolated and without influence. The most forward players are detached from the rest of the team so we're left with few options when attacking. It always looks desperate rather than calculated. Adebayor ghosts to the already over-populated flanks where he finds our over lapping fullbacks running into space (have they actually stopped running this season?) and leaving plenty of available space behind them for the opposition to run into.
We've gone from the side asking all the questions to one struggling to answer them. It's comfortable for teams to have a go at us. We're making it easy for them. The manager is struggling to mix it up and refresh the team to bring back that lost belief. Obviously, there's always room for desire to impact the side, but even that appears to be AWOL.
continued...
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/4/27/the-regression-of-harry-redknapps-tottenham-part-i.html
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PSG reportedly in talks with Kaka and Higuain
The Ligue 1 giants are hoping that signing the South American duo from Real Madrid this summer can help bolster their attack. By Tom Conn���� Follow @thomasmconn L?Equipe reports that PSG President Nasser Al Khelaifi met with the pair last week, in an attempt to lure then to the Parc des Princes as PSG manager [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/psg-reportedly-in-talks-with-kaka-and-higuain/
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Novara 0-4 Juventus; Siena 1-4 AC Milan; Serie A Video Highlights
TweetJuventus beat Novara 4-0 to stay top of Serie A with just three games to go although AC Milan’s 4-1 win over Siena kept the pressure on Antonio Conte’s men. Still undefeated after 35 games and looking, week-by-week like potential champions, Juventus’ dream run to the Serie A title looks ever more real although reigning [...]
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Thursday, 5 April 2012
Europa League : Atletico set up all-Spanish semi-final with Valencia
Atletico Madrid beat Hannover 2-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate to set up an all-Spanish semi-final with Valencia in the Europa League. By Staff Writer����� Follow @insidelaliga Second half goals from Adrian Lopez and Radamel Falcao were enough to send Diego Simeone’s men through after they took a 2-1 lead into the game [...]
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Round pegs in round holes ? Nottingham Forest 3 ? 1 Millwall
So after the midweek disappointment of Doncaster, Cotterill made a few changes, as we lined up in an orthodox 4-4-2, [...]
Source: http://www.eighteensixtyfive.co.uk/2012/03/round-pegs-in-round-holes-nottingham-forest-3-1-millwall/
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Latest transfer rumours, Yakubu to quit Blackburn, Strootman in Man Utd link
Latest transfer rumours,
Yakubu to quit Blackburn, Strootman in Man Utd link
Yakubu to quit Blackburn, Strootman in Man Utd link
Leicester City vs. Forest preview..
Sorry, running late with the preview today! Much like against Leeds, no reminders should be needed for the Forest players about what has gone before – in this case also in the King Power Stadium against tonight’s hosts. Forest take to the road for their game in hand match against the Foxes. A 3-7 thriller [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/27/leicester-city-vs-forest-preview-4/
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Reds in seventh heaven at Elland Road..
Leeds United – 3 Nottingham Forest – 7 Well, well bloody hell.� It just goes to show what I know – doesn’t it?� Ten players who put up a limp-wristed attempt to out-hoof Derby a week ago also started today and conspired to become the first team to put seven past Leeds at Elland Road.� [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/21/reds-in-seventh-heaven-at-elland-road/
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Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Reds robbed by Brighton, again!
It was almost going to be the most undeserving double a team have ever done. Earlier in the season at the Amex Stadium the Seagulls triumphed 1-0 with a late goal, their only attempt in a game dominated by Forest, and this afternoon fortunately their goal – the only attempt in a game dominated by Forest, was a little earlier this time. It gave us time to get an injury time equaliser to rescue a point that could have been all three [...]
Read the original post on Through the seasons before us
Source: http://www.ltlf.co.uk/forest/2012/03/reds-robbed-by-brighton-again/
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Crystal Palace vs. Forest preview..
A three match unbeaten run is a pretty modest boast, all told, but it seems miraculous considering what we’ve become accustomed to.� That’s what we’re taking with us to Selhurst Park tomorrow, still five points clear of the drop zone following successive draws at home to Brighton and then away at Leicester, which of course [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/30/crystal-palace-vs-forest-preview-3/
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Nottingham Forest v Millwall: preview and LIVE Match updates
It’s been a tough week; the defeat to Doncaster was not only demoralising to players and fans, it stretched the [...]
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Reds robbed by Brighton, again!
Nottingham Forest – 1 Brighton and Hove Albion – 1 It was almost going to be the most undeserving double a team have ever done.� Earlier in the season at the Amex Stadium the Seagulls triumphed 1-0 with a late goal, their only attempt in a game dominated by Forest, and this afternoon fortunately their [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/25/reds-robbed-by-brighton-again/
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This given Sunday
Spurs 3 Swansea 1
Any given Sunday? Not for Spurs in recent weeks. We haven’t won since early February until this particular Sunday just gone, but we finally did so with focused discipline and tenacious execution. We won because we fought for every inch in what is possibly my favourite victory at the Lane this season. I’ve bestowed this particular accolade to it because of the test the opposition gave us and the astuteness of our tactics in our response. We were patient and structured, our football was slick and our players spirited.
There was no parking of the bus from the Swans. They turned up to play their possession football, to have us chase them. But Harry Redknapp set us up to combat this with Parker and Sandro in the middle. A case of containment and closing down perfectly illustrated by both players that led by example, challenging the opposition higher up the pitch with the aim to win the ball back as early as possible. Give them no time to pass and run and break up any pattern to their play. You could question why we’ve given them so much respect as to line-up with the aim to nullify their rhythm. Why not? It was intelligent play, making sure that Swansea did not get a stranglehold on the game and allowed us to display strength in body and concentration and more importantly, still be able to play ‘our game’ when in offensive positions. It proves as a unit we are functioning, as a collective we can do what’s necessary to frustrate the opposition and carve out opportunities at the other end.
It also proves we placed the nessisity of winning above all else. Chess game football. Okay, so it was Redknapp, so it's probably more Backgammon.
First twenty minutes or so Swansea dominated possession (60/40) without dominating the match in terms of sustained pressure. We defended resolutely, our midfield showing industry in chasing down every ball/player. We took the lead with a quick attack (four passes for the ball to find its self at the feet of Bale) with Luka releasing Gareth. The cross for Adebayor was intercepted, finding itself in the path of van der Vaart who finished with supreme pomp, passing the ball into the net. Our first shot on target. A proper punch, no sign of playful slapping. Once chance, one goal. Clinical.
Defend. Chase. Recycle possession with pace. Attack.
The tactic was all about tempo. Don’t let them play, win the ball back, release the ball as quickly as possible to force an attack. It was working, be it to the detriment of the player’s physical state (retaining this pace for 90 minutes is unlikely in any scenario). But then the plan was not to ‘contain’ Swansea for the entire duration of the game. The hope was to hit them on the counter/break a couple of times to put it beyond them.
Bale was in his far more traditional left-flank role, waiting for the pass, looking for the pass but still capable of moving inside if necessary. He worked himself into decent positions. Wasn’t the only one that looked hungry for it. Adebayor worked as hard as we know he’s capable of in his lone forward role, except it’s not really lone with the support he’s able to facilitate with his movement. vdV busy and sublime, Modric always seeking to play the killer ball. Something he forgot to do when he took a shot rather than slip Adebayor in for what could have been 2-0.
The pressing game was a success. Swansea, for all their endeavour could not penetrate. Gallas made you forget King. Kaboul was a rock. Walker pulsated and BAE made me LOL when he struck Parker in the back with the ball from a free kick (best moment of the game).
What followed in the second half was the true test of whether we had turned that corner and rediscovered our belief. The tempo was now at a slower pace (in terms of easing down on the closing down) which meant they would see more of the ball. But as with most games the balance would mean we would be able to express ourselves equally so rather than remain confined to the exclusively to containment instructions.
Brad saved brilliantly with fingertips from Sigurdsson. Ominous. In the 58th minute Routlege lays the ball off to Sigurdsson who this time kicks his shot into the ground which bounced up and in for the 1-1. Open space, open game. But if you believe you have better quality in attack then it’s to our advantage. Pound for pound it should be our advantage. The test was whether we buckled or remained patient and pushed for it.
The latter.
Bale to vdV, header, saved. We continued to push for it, building up sustained possession and pressure in the final third towards the 70th minute mark. Lennon made a welcomed return (on for Sandro) giving us the option to truly stretch the game with width on both flanks. An open game, further opened with the emphasis now on Swansea to do the chasing and closing down. The home team now dictating the rhythm, the opposing team dancing to our tune.
More good work from Bale saw his cross cut out by Williams with Adebayor in waiting. Corner, delivered, Bale header off Graham for another corner. This was like watching a team getting the basics right from dead ball positions. If that felt surreal what followed was akin to a twist in a David Lynch movie. vdV with a peach of cross, as simple as it gets, into the box for Adebayor to jump between Williams and Monk to head in for 2-1. A goal directly from a corner. Insanity.
We still continued to push. Bale beasting his way through defenders into the box, laying it off for Modric who had his shot blocked. Then Livermore (on for vdV) makes up for a misplaced pass by winning it back and giving it to Modric who then swapped the ball with Bale a couple of times before releasing the Welsh wonder who run full pelt through the middle before reshaping to cut in ever so slightly to shoot with his left. Ball found itself saved and landing at the feet of Lennon who took it out to the wing, then teased and turned to cross beautifully for Adebayor who once more got between two players to head in for the 3-1. Rose came on for BAE late late on, Swansea had some half chances towards the end, but in the end we claimed all three points with a top drawer professional performance spiced up with some delicious football – a testament to both manager and players for turning that corner and setting us up nicely for the final seven games.
We never lost our focus at the task at hand. We remained completely committed to claiming the three points.
Redknapp out thought Rodgers, so credit to him for drilling the players into the perfect mindset and a formation that asked a lot from the players but never neglected the style we adore to watch. Credit also to Swansea for having the balls to play the way they did. As for Rodgers as a prospective Spurs boss, I'd like to see how he handles a second season with Swansea at the Prem first. Having drawn our last two league games it was important for us to finally consolidate our momentum with a win. Work rate evident was ample proof that this team has woken up and has no desire to fall back to sleep.
More on Bale and Adebayor in a separate article.
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/4/2/this-given-sunday.html
Scandinavian players, available for cut prices and ready to move on
Scandinavian players, available for cut prices and ready to move on
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111034.htm
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Round pegs in round holes ? Nottingham Forest 3 ? 1 Millwall
So after the midweek disappointment of Doncaster, Cotterill made a few changes, as we lined up in an orthodox 4-4-2, [...]
Source: http://www.eighteensixtyfive.co.uk/2012/03/round-pegs-in-round-holes-nottingham-forest-3-1-millwall/
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Ximo Selecci�n : 27 points dropped by Los Che
Valencia have dropped an incredible 27 points from winning positions since the turn of the year, leaving their Champions League place in jeopardy, Eoin Brown explains. By Eoin Brown����� Follow @XimoVCF On the 1st of January, it looked like third place was Valencia?s.�Los Che were at a canter, while the chasing pack couldn?t string two [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/ximo-seleccion-27-points-dropped-by-los-che/
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Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Derby County 1-0 Nottingham Forest: An ugly affair
Forest lost another Tuesday game but other matters overshadowed the result. James Bolton reports from Pride Park. Forest were forced into one change from the team that won 3-1 at home against Millwall as they travelled to Pride Park to face Derby County in the rearrangement of the original league fixture that was victim of [...]
Source: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2012/03/14/derby-county-1-0-nottingham-forest-an-ugly-affair/
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Thai money not enough to establish success at Leicester City
Thai money not enough to establish success at Leicester City
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111036.htm
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WAG Of The Week: Nagore Aranburu The Wife Of Xabi Alonso
TweetThe In The Stands WAG of the Week is Nagore Aranburu, she is Spanish and Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso’s other half. The pair got married in 2007 and have two fabulously-named children called Jontxu (a boy born in 2008) and Ane (a girl), with Alonso determined to be present during the birth of his [...]
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The fizzy pop has gone flat
Spurs 1 Stoke 1: One point from twelve
I think we can start to panic. Not the screaming down the road pulling out your hair foaming incoherently panic. Just the quieter biting of the nails version. Perhaps some of you prefer the former rather than the somewhat hopeful latter. Plenty around me in block 34 opted for a third choice, which involved mostly of screaming obscenities at our best players informing them they are in fact nothing more than excrement. Oh how the fickle love to dance in the moonlight, howling with sadness. Excrement? I’d argue that’s a tad (no, I’m not going to do the obvious pun) unfair although it’s the perfect description to label our inherently poor set pieces which once more personified a night of frustration with perfect grimness.
I’m not sure where to start so I’ll just start moaning and whatever I type will have to do, so please don’t expect anything linear or in a traditional matchy reporty chronological order delivered with flair. I'm fragile at the moment.
Might as well start with the set pieces as they are fresh in mind. Expect the most obvious conclusion and you will witness it over and over and over again.
Ball fails to beat the first man.
Ball pings past everyone.
Short corner is not played because that would involve creativity.
No intelligence with free kicks, other than to have a go, might hit the target but probably won't.
Concede a goal from a free kick because that’s the expected result from a dead ball against a side that score a fair few from there.
Just after conceding I noted one or two players holding out their hands in a philosophical manner, pondering what had happened. Half expected them to reveal t-shirts proclaiming ‘Why always us?’. There is a fundamental brain fart that continues to linger in and around the heads of the players we posses regardless of how technically gifted they are. No one is capable of resolving this perplexing nightmare we never seem to wake up from. I'm still talking about the set-pieces here but also, the lack of want, the lack of stepping up and finding that relentless tempo from earlier in the season. When we dug deep on occasions, made our own luck, forced things to happen.
The Stoke goal, it did came against the run of play. And yet to be fair to them, at least they got something on target and by virtue of doing so scored and therefore deserved it. First half Luka had a couple of efforts. Bale's loop not dipping under the crossbar. There were one or two other sort of half promising moments either in the box or in the build up when attacking towards the box, but let’s be honest here. It was all ominous, that mocking apologetic football akin to knocking on a door you just need to get through hoping someone will answer when it would be far more apt to kick it down.
Sure, we had Bale on the left and Modric in the middle and one up front. I would, under normal circumstances, talk about how we are a side that is reliant on having our best players in their best positions and thus struggle if there is even one player missing. But this is a weak excuse. It’s still true in many ways as illustrated when the manager has tinkered to resolve problems with width. But in this instance it transcends selection. Adebayor has hardly been setting the world on fire recently and although his hold up play remains important this should not hold us back. And yet it did. If Adebayor isn’t setting the world on fire, Saha is attempting to do so by using a wet match.
Oh Saha, when you have the ball at feet, look up, look up. Pass it to a team mate. Alas no, the ball was persistently played to nobody or into space where an opposition player could thank and collect. There was one moment where he gave this look, with a swing of an arm, which was reminiscent of someone that couldn’t even be bothered to portray genuine care. Just wanted to look like he did. Oh golly gosh, the ball has been wasted. Darn it.
Is that harsh? Probably, but there was not enough about him. Defoe (on for Niko) gave us some direction when he was subbed on but it was hardly a tactical master-stroke. Gio came on for Saha. If that doesn’t tell you how desperate we are for something, anything to happen...
That's not to say simply having Saha up front ruined any chance of winning the game. The problem remains a collective one. No edge to our play at all. No fluency (thanks Harry for the confirmation).
King limped off. The logic here was probably, ‘Let’s play him in the must win home game because we’ll probably not win away to Chelsea’. Oops.
Scott Parker is now looking like the player I thought he was before we signed him. He’s completely out of form. Was always going to happen, him burning out like this. Hindsight will point out we should have roated more.
Much like the Everton game, we statistically battered them. In physical form the story was altogether a different one. A tale of woes and woefulness. We didn’t really carve out that many opportunities. We didn’t test their keeper enough. The football was flaccid, limp and lethargic. Now I know that a good solid side that has basked in consistency for the most part of the season and has also crowed loudly in acceptance to the plaudits given for the football played doesn’t turn rubbish over a game or four. But we might as well be because the results we’re producing are not inspiring or aspiring.
‘It’s all about the performance’, some would say, well yes okay, I get that. But the result matters more when you’re in a slump. Sure it’s not the good olde Spurs slump of old. We have not completely unequivocally surrendered. The effort is there, the execution isn’t. But we’re in danger of allowing this loss of confidence to destroy all that has been built. There’s a game, a moment that is meant to galvanise our team and allow us to once more attain momentum. But it’s not forthcoming. It’s all just a little too laborious in effort. There is no hunger, no ruthless 'win at any cost' desire. That mojo is not lost behind the sofa. It's fallen through the floorboards into the flat downstairs. And that door, we're still just knocking on it instead of knocking it the **** down.
I don’t know if it’s the England job. The court case. Redknapp or the lack of leadership on the pitch. What I do know is that nothing we’re doing at this moment in time is deserving of us retaining 3rd spot. Which is why we’ve lost it. If we want to reclaim it we’ll have stop feeling sorry for ourselves and grow that pair that appear to have gone from grapefruits to grapes to pomegranate seeds. Post-Chelsea, the fixture list is one we should seek to lap up. Should.
Around the 90th minute mark I bid my farewells to the two staunch Spurs fans to my right (one of which made the quote of the night stating how the best ever Spurs side of recent years was still miles behind the worst Man Utd side of recent years...ooh snap) telling them I needed to visit the bog and that I would watch the final minutes of injury time on the tv screens below before departing. I’ve done this once before and we scored (Keane, 4-4 v Chelsea) so off I went. I found a cubicle with the least amount of puddle to swim through and watched my fluid elegant flow hit the basin. Best move I had witnessed all night. I then walked out of the bogs looked up at the screen and within seconds saw Bale cross for Rafa for the 1-1. How nice of us to finally make a breakthrough.
I shrugged and left for the Seven Sisters.
I shrugged because had we done that 10 minutes earlier we might have found the belief for a second and thus securing that galvanised ‘performance’ to aid with reconstructing our depleted confidence.
Instead, we now go to Chelsea off the back of 3 defeats and 1 draw. At least we can recycle ‘mind the gap’ for their attention although best use up your quota of gags before the weekend before the five point buffer gets cut down. Oh come on, we never win there, do we? Although if there was a game that could galvanise our season this would...ah, never mind. Let's just wait and see.
Oh the joys of football. It’s never easy. It’s always cruel. It always makes us feel alive. Because we are. Alive. There's no shallow grave dug yet. I can see the shovel but no digging. And yet in amongst all this depressive rhetoric I still fancy us. Is that delusion? I’ve looked in the mirror and I’m not foaming so I’m pretty sure there must be some logic in my belief. We took a point in a game where we never looked like taking one. If that is our fight back its hardly one of epicness. But it's a start. It's a point. It's not a defeat.
There is now no disputing what needs to be done to get the job done. Either stand up and be counted or sit back down, put your feet up and whistle the day away whilst you throw it all away.
We are still super Tottenham, just without the super bit. Just plain old Tottenham. Do what it takes. Sellotape the flipping super onto the Tottenham if you need to. Just get the job done.
x
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/22/the-fizzy-pop-has-gone-flat.html
Michel wants form to continue
Sevilla coach Michel will keep pressing his players for more after they lept from the edge of the dropzone into the European places after beating Mallorca 2-1 on Monday night. By Staff Writer The Andalusian side endured an awful run of form over the winter period that saw them drop to 12th in La Liga, [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/michel-wants-form-to-continue/
Guillem Balague : Real Madrid prioritise Aguero signing
Sky Sports Spanish football pundit Guillem Balague has stated that Real Madrid have made signing Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero their number one priority. By Staff Writer Jose Mourinho is prepared to swap Gonzalo Higuain for his compatriot Aguero along with a transfer fee in the region of ?5 to ?10 million and has been [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/guillem-balague-real-madrid-prioritise-aguero-signing/
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Sevilla 3-1 Mallorca : Hosts move closer to Euro places
Sevilla moved up to eighth in La Liga with a 3-1 win over Mallorca on Monday evening at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. By Staff Writer The hosts started brightly, with captain Jesus Navas causing the Mallorca defence all sort of problems but they failed to break the deadlock in the first 45 minutes. However, moments [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/sevilla-3-1-mallorca-hosts-move-closer-to-euro-places/
Liverpool and Everton, a life in both camps
Liverpool and Everton, a life in both camps
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111050.htm
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Monday, 2 April 2012
Spanish Football Legends : 20 years without Juanito Maravilla
20 years ago today, Juan Gomez Juanto�or�Juanito�as he was more famously known tragically passed away, Leyla Hamed talks about his fascinating career and the sadness regarding his death. By Leyla Hamed������� Follow @leylahamed To this day, 20 years on, after Juanito�sadly passed away, we still hear the fans chanting that great song�:�?Illa illa�illa Juanito�Maravilla!? in [...]
Source: http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/spanish-football-legend-20-years-without-juanito-maravilla/
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Nottingham Forest 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion: Just rewards
Following up the 7-3 victory over Leeds United was never going to be easy but a dominating performance saw Forest unlucky not to take all three points against Brighton. James Bolton reports from the City Ground. Steve Cotterill named an unchanged team from the one that produced the special win at Elland Road, which meant [...]
Source: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2012/03/25/nottingham-forest-1-1-brighton-hove-albion-just-rewards/
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Leeds United vs. Forest preview..
A week away from the misery and we’re back on the road with a tough trip to Neil Warnock’s new squeeze.� Seven days to recharge the batteries is certainly welcome ahead of the journey to Elland Road to face Leeds United, the Reds will also be heartened by the weekend’s results which broadly went pretty [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/19/leeds-united-vs-forest-preview-3/
Player power, Chelsea rollercoaster, Roberto Di Matteo, respect and understanding
Player power, Chelsea rollercoaster, Roberto Di Matteo, respect and
understanding
understanding
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111057.htm
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Forest vs. Brighton and Hove Albion preview..
Hmm, it is of course tempting to fill this page with doom and gloom as I did for the Leeds preview.� It wouldn’t be unreasonable, Brighton are a decent side – and they’ve only lost one game in 2012 so far and find themselves firmly ensconced in contention for the play-offs.� Irrespective of the justifiable [...]
Source: http://nffcblog.com/2012/03/22/forest-vs-brighton-and-hove-albion-preview/
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Smith still upbeat in Walsall?s drop fight
Boss Dean Smith today insisted the survival race is still wide open and vowed Walsall will keep fighting ? after they blew a 2-0 lead at Rochdale.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/04/smith-still-upbeat-in-walsalls-drop-fight/
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?I Would Go To Barcelona Or Real Madrid? Says Gareth Bale
TweetGareth Bale has surprised Spurs fans by insisting that he would relish the opportunity to join either Barcelona or Real Madrid The Welsh winger has been in fine form this season and is one of Europe’s most highly-rated talents with interest from a host of clubs mounting. In light of this, Bale told The Sun [...]
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Everton 2 West Brom 0 ? analysis
There was plenty of aggression on show from Albion at Goodison Park.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/04/everton-2-west-brom-0-analysis/
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Sunday, 1 April 2012
Latest transfer rumours, Berbatov in Man Utd exit, Hazard close to Tottenam move
Latest transfer rumours, Berbatov in Man Utd exit, Hazard close to
Tottenam move
Tottenam move
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111059.htm
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Nottingham Forest v Coventry City: preview and LIVE match updates
Let’s start with the week just gone (especially as I wasn’t able to write anything before or after the Middlesbrough [...]
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tehTrunk ? Someone Like Arry
Will he stay? Will he go? Either way he’s done a triffic job…
Co-written and produced by tehTrunk and Charlotte ‘Peachy’ Hamilton 2012.
Twitter:
Source: http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2012/3/18/tehtrunk-someone-like-arry.html
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Nottingham Forest 3-1 Millwall: Reid takes centre stage
After Tuesday’s loss against Doncaster, Forest redeemed themselves with a resounding victory over Millwall. James Bolton reports from the City Ground. Steve Cotterill named a much more balanced side for the visit of Millwall in another key game at the bottom of the Championship. Danny Higginbotham and Marcus Tudgay returned from injury, Andy Reid started [...]
Source: http://seatpitch.co.uk/2012/03/11/nottingham-forest-3-1-millwall-reid-takes-centre-stage/
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Cobblers boss lauds Kitson
Boss Aidy Boothroyd praised Neal Kitson for his last-gasp penalty save to earn Northampton a 1-1 draw at Crewe in League Two on Saturday.
Source: http://www.midlandsfootball.co.uk/2012/04/cobblers-boss-lauds-kitson/
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Latest transfer rumours, Chelsea players set to leave, Ancelotti and Beckham to Paris
Latest transfer rumours,
Chelsea players set to leave, Ancelotti and Beckham to Paris
Chelsea players set to leave, Ancelotti and Beckham to Paris
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111033.htm
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Latest transfer rumours, Rooney on Man City radar, Man Utd in for Scholes and Lampard
Latest transfer rumours, Rooney on Man City radar, Man Utd in for
Scholes and Lampard
Scholes and Lampard
Source: http://soccervoice.com/n111041.htm
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