Insidefootball.net - The Premierleague Blog Insidefootball.net - The Premierleague Blog new blog for all 20 Premierleague clubs. The latest news in one place from the club fans blog sites. Articles
Arsenal injuries could ruin a great game
2008-02-15 07:58:00 In the post I left ahead of the Blackburn game I mentioned that the injury situation at Arsenal was the worst I had ever seen it since I started blogging almost a year ago. I also mentioned how much I hoped that I would never have to post another quotation paragraph that included so many players unavailable again. Now, just four days later, I have to do just that. Take it away Arsene… “Nobody is coming back from Monday night. Clichy might be out for the weekend. He has a knee problem and a tight hamstring. We have Sagna out for personal reasons unfortunately. Philippe Senderos has not practiced all week because of a thigh and a knee problem.” I’ve never once had to swear on this blog but this is about as close as I’m ever going to get: “Fudge!”. Lame, I know. But seriously, what more could go wrong? Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna have been two of the absolute stalwarts this season and their absence is certainly going to hurt us, while losi... More About: Great , Injuries , Game , Ruin
Why do the Mail keep linking Arsenal with 36 year olds + round up
2008-02-14 19:31:00 Transfer talk never stops in the papers, where journalists seem to pick a random name from one basket and a random club from another, making a headline with a fanciful price tag to boot. But over the last couple of days it has gone past amusing to just plain ridiculous. Yesterday Arsenal 'were linked' (which is paper talk for any transfer story that doesn't involve quotes, facts or any basis in reality) with Egyptian keeper Essam El Hadary. While the African Cup of Nations showed us that he's quite a talent, he is also 36 years old, roughly twice the age of Wenger's typical signings. To make matters more insane, the Mail actually claim that Arsenal 'will be offering 15m'. All this led to the quote of the day, from his club director Adil Al-Qaeyi, who said: "If such a bid is tabled, we will surely consider it." I bet you would. 15m for a 36 year old? What have these 'journalists' been smoking? I thought it was a one off. But today, the Mail (yes, them again) claimed th... More About: Round Up , Linking , Round
United daily news
2008-02-14 19:03:00 I wasn’t in mood for writing this but a few of them were required.Let me start first one with EPL. Arsenal defeated BlackBurn at Emirates and so now they are 5 points clear.Right now they are at the top with 63 points as we stand second with 58 points.Arsenal are the strongest contender for this ... More About: News , Daily , Manchester United , Daily News , United
10 reasons wenger will not be leaving arsenal
2008-02-14 14:48:00 Here we go again. The summer is not upon us for a few months, and yet the newspaper and web rumour mill is already going into overdrive regarding the future of Arséne Wenger at Arsenal . As is routine now, Wenger is being linked with a host of top clubs, especially Barcelona. What never ceases to amaze me is that people still don't seem to understand that a board that openly touts for new managers behind the back of an existing coach are exactly the type of outfit that Wenger will not touch with a barge pole - assuming he were ever to consider leaving in the first place. On the face of it, linking Wenger with Barcelona doesn't seem so far-fetched, after all Wenger is a fantastic manager, and Barcelona is a big club, most would say bigger than Arsenal. Put two-and-two together, and hey presto, it all adds up. I will openly admit that at the height of the... More About: Reasons , Leaving
What Could Sidwell Bring Us?
2008-02-14 10:44:00 My newspaper of choice (not), the Daily Mirror suggests that we will sign Steve Sidwell from Chelsea at the end of the season for £5 million. Pour qoi? I cannot see anything that he wouldbring to the team which Noble, Parker and Mullins do not. Do you? More About: West Ham
manchester utd the richest club? what a load of nonsense!
2008-02-14 10:42:00 Recent news headlines have brazenly suggested that the finances of Manchester Utd are in rude health, and that in a few seasons to come, they will become the richest club in the world. I have picked a few examples of these news stories from Sky Sports, BBC News, and The Telegraph, and in each of these, if you carefully read the articles, nowhere do they mention the word debt. All of them refer to revenues and not overall financials, and to be fair, that is the basis of the report from Deloitte and Touch entitled "Deloitte Football Money League 2008" with data from the 2006/2007 season. The problem with these types of headlines is that by omitting to take into consideration the overall financials of a club (which includes debt) this generally gives a completely wrong impression to the normal fan on the street - unless you happen to chance on these Manchester Utd fans who are more realistic about... More About: Arsenal , Nonsense , Club , Load
Gastronomic Training for The Competitive Goalkeeper
2008-02-14 09:09:00 I was listening to BBC Radio Five Live on the internet tonight, and in their coverage of the back pages, they mentioned that the Independent had done a story about how Juande Ramos has completely reshaped Tottenham's diet since taking over as manager. When I went to the Independent Online Edition website, I found not one, but two articles about footballer's cuisine in England.The nutritional aspect of a goalkeeper's training regime cannot be underestimated. All players can take comfort in the fact that even at the highest levels, diet remains one of the unsolved mysteries that can make or break a season. There is no cure-all diet, and there is no way to prescribe eating habits to an entire team. Diet is an individual aspect of football, and all players should take responsibility for their own intake.Food is one of life's little luxuries that footballers have to learn to control in order to gain maximum success on the pitch. The Independent mentions players such as Jan Molby, Mic... More About: Training , Competitive
I Love You, Tottenham
2008-02-14 08:59:00 Valentine’s Day? I ask you. Shouldn’t there have been some sort of UEFA ruling against any fixtures today? Maybe they did in on purpose? If one’s partner ever asked the dreaded question, “Who do you love more, Tottenham or me?” one could justifiably evade it by replying, “That’s not fair, Tottenham never asks me that,” ... More About: Love , Tottenham Hotspur , I Love You
I?m willing to believe it: Huge sums of cash available for Martin O?Neill
2008-02-14 02:19:00 Okay, it's in the Daily Star (http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view /29451/O-Neill -s-in-the-money/) so you've got to take it with that pinch of salt, but I'm willing to believe it, just because I can then think about what is possible. Basically, the first paragraph of the article says 'Martin O’Neill has been told to splash the cash and try to crack the Premier League’s elite top four.' More About: Aston Villa , Cash , Huge
The Wall: Matteo Sereni Of Torino FC
2008-02-13 23:30:00 With a swath of transfers under his belt since starting his goalkeeping career in Italy, Matteo Sereni may not be the first name you think of when it comes to the upper echelon of professional football. His performances for Torino FC over the past year have been sublime, and have gifted him the nickname "The Wall ". That nickname is justly deserved, after seeing the following video. Sereni utilizes his parrying and quick reflexes to get to that elusive shot, and he does it well. Something to note from the video is his great knack to utilize solid positioning and timing to align himself well off his line during attacking play. Although typically the parry should be a last resort (a goalkeeper should look to catch the ball at all times), Sereni utilizes the parry to great effect alongside his ability to recover from the initial save. More About: The wall
Mechanical win sends Arsenal five clear
2008-02-13 19:05:00 Arsenal 2 (Senderos 4, Adebayor 90) Blackburn 0 Comfortable, if not entirely convincing. Efficient, if not spectacular. Words that won't bother any Arsenal fans looking at the Premiership table and a five point lead, after a near perfect weekend. Blackburn came with a gameplan to shut up shop and force some pressure, but it fell apart after only a few minutes, when Eduardo's corner found an unmarked Senderos six yards out, the Swiss defender powering home. In all honestly, it was shocking marking, and Mark Hughes was right to look so angry on the touchline. For much of the next hour, we became more and more thankful for that goal. Freidel was saving the half chances we were getting, and while Blackburn weren't creating much, there was always a worry that a second would be needed. After the break, there was a distinct improvement, Hleb smacking the post with a shot that was an unexpected as the first scorer. Finally, Adebayor, who had again shown great workrate up front, cont... More About: Arsenal , Clear , Mechanical
Playing pointless for making money whore happy
2008-02-13 14:48:00 It hasn’t been the first that United are making their trips to different parts of country for campaigning and advertising United.This time we move to South Africa in a three way club tournament starting from July 19 to July 26. (more…) More About: Money , Happy , Whore , Pointless
Arsenal?s Omens look up as team packs bags for Old Trafford
2008-02-13 14:03:00 A very quick one today, as I have a new fan to install in this wreck of a computer, before formatting the whole thing to get rid of a stupid trojan. You just have to wonder how these people sleep at night, wiping us clean of our bank accounts - so thoughtful of them. Anyways, Arsenal ... More About: Bags , Team , Old Trafford , Packs
England, my England - WHS
2008-02-13 08:30:00 I’m not infallable, I’ve got things I’m ashamed of, for one, despite disliking you all intensely but I feel some kind of companionship. I too, have an affliction. You see, I too suffer from eternal optimism. That ‘next season’ syndrome isn’t a spud exclusive. My burden is England . She pains me so. I liked Sven, he was ... More About: Tottenham Hotspur
How to score goals, by Martin O?Neill
2008-02-13 08:11:00 Let’s just imagine for a second that we actually did sign Jermain Defoe in the transfer window. Let’s also imagine that he went straight into the team. Let’s pair him with Gabby at centre forward, with Ashley down the left and Shaun down the right. Or even Ashley down the left and new boy Wayne down the right. Villa would have had quality, no doubt about it, with pace in abundance. More About: Aston Villa , Goals , Score , Neill , Martin
Randy Lerner doesn?t like the idea of overseas matches
2008-02-13 06:09:00 The quotes doing the rounds today, if I'm not mistaken, are taken from quite a while ago and while I can't put a date on it I seem to remember it was about the time when the NFL came to Wembley stadium to play a league game. What is also important to emphasise is, it's not about the 39th game - it's about playing games overseas. More About: Aston Villa , Matches , Idea , Randy , Overseas
arsenal v blackburn, walcott goes walkies
2008-02-12 15:11:00 Just a short one this afternoon, indeed more of a poser than a posting. With all the injuries that we had, I was surprised not to see Walcott playing. And our injury list is a long one indeed (excepting Flamini and Gilberto who passed late fitness tests). Indeed, this is all the more strange as parts of the first and second half saw Fabregas playing down the right wing in Walcott territory, with the overall effect that we lost our most creative midfielder, and gained a not-so-effective winger in the Spaniard. In the second... More About: Arsenal , Blackburn
A defeat and an excuse,Thats how the day ended.
2008-02-12 14:58:00 Losing with 2 goals,againt Manchester City and that too on the week of Busby Babes Anniversary.What bad can u ask. Just poor performance.The match was against our rivals and no other clubs.It was after all Manchester City.The team for whom i would have never enjoyed playing.It was a derby day and the day that we remembered our heroes who lost their precious lifes in a disasterous Munich crash.No better day to get motivated.Even their T-shirts they wore didnt recieve what they had to.Nothing went right for us that day except for that minute silence which even City fans respected. The play by United was by far the most weakest one.City looked for stronger and pacey compared to United for every occasion.Rooney’s absence and Ronny playing is position was a bad one.This is what going wrong with United.Ronaldo’s abi... More About: Excuse
The Very Best Of Japan’s J-League Goalkeepers
2008-02-12 14:09:00 The sun sets in the West, but it continues to rise and shine in the East when it comes to the wide world of football. If you had missed last years Asian Cup, it was a tremendous tribute to just how powerfully Asian teams are performing in the international football arena. Outside of Europe, Japan 's J-League is recognized for it's high standards of play. The J-League did not even begin until 1992, and the Japanese national team did not participate in any World Cup competition until 1998.Hotter than some raw wasabi, and testament to how quickly Japanese football has exploded in the Land of The Rising Sun (and Asia in general) are the fantastic footballers the country have developed. And yes, the Japanese can also develop some very gun g-ho goalkeepers. One of my favorite golkeepers, especially during the World Cup of 2008 was Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, who is renowned for his great agility and super penalty stopping prowess. Following is a video of the very best of th...
arsenal v blackburn, 2-0 steady as she goes
2008-02-12 10:29:00 One goal at the beginning, one goal at the end, five points clear at the top of the table for the Gunners, and five bullet points to summarise the Blackburn game. 1-Blackburn came to play football, and so we pressured them relentlessly in the first 25mins, yielding a typical full-backs header and a rare goal from Senderos. 2-We dropped off for the next 40mins (astride of the break) without giving Blackburn anything like a whiff of goal. 3-Aside of an 'interesting' Lehmann save on the line to prevent a corner and a clever Bentley free kick, Blackburn huffed and puffed but could not blow the Ashburton Grove house down. 4-Blackburn went attacking in the second half but remained toothless with few shots on target if any, opening the game for us and tiring themselves out by the end of the game at which point Adebayor brilliantly attempted a repeat of that volley at White Hart Lane off a pass from Hleb... More About: Arsenal
Blackburn are more than just David Bentley
2008-02-11 19:45:00 In a battle between the media and David Bentley for the hyping of the right winger, honours are currently even. In fact, with so much focus on him ahead of tonight's game, you'd be forgiven for forgetting about the other ten players in their team. And that would be a mistake - Santa Cruz has already shown us once this season that he is a predatory finisher, and will expose an injury plagued defence, while a powerful midfield could run the game if Flamini's tigerish bite is replaced with Gilberto's languid style. And that's not even mentioning Brad Friedel, capable of miraculous clean sheets on his date. So anyone who thinks this will be easy is wrong. Last season, this fixture showcased an incredible attacking force, as Blackburn were blown away 6-2, Robbie Savage particularly humiliated by Cesc's nutmeg. Savage is now at Derby facing embarrassment on a regular basis, and I expect tonight's game to bear no resemblance to last year's. Frankly, I'd take 1-0, although I think ... More About: Arsenal
arsenal v blackburn, hughes? double bluffing is laughable
2008-02-11 16:28:00 So Mark Hughes thinks Arsenal have "toughed up", huh? That's an interesting turn of phrase for a manager who's players are probably tired of hearing the words "kick", "head", "groin" and "ground" 5 minutes before they run out at each of their home games. Might it be that he is playing a game of double-bluff? Could it be that shorn of key players due to suspensions and injury, he will revert to what his team know best, the 'kicking' game? Publicly declaring that Arsenal can match Blackburn physically, and then privately telling his team to... More About: Double , Bluffing
Arsenal win the Manchester Derby!
2008-02-11 14:49:00 The results from the two games at the weekend took me back years to my childhood, to that famous film scene in Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" when the great Lee describes his style of martial arts as "...fighting without fighting...". Both Manchester Utd and Chelsea have dropped key points (3 in one case, 2 in the other) at a crucial time in the Premier League's title race. Arsenal fought without fighting. Arsenal have gained a sum total of 5 points from these last two games involving two of their closest rivals, without even lifting a finger. You could argue that the seeds were first sown in Riyadh... More About: Derby
mystic wenger fights without fighting and arsenal win two testemonials
2008-02-11 09:55:00 Two testimonials, 3000 miles and two weeks apart, and not an Arsenal crest in sight. The results from the two games took me back years to my childhood, to that famous film scene in Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" when the great Lee describes his style of martial arts as "...fighting without fighting...". This weekend, both Manchester Utd and Chelsea dropped key points (3 in one case, 2 in the other) at a crucial time in the seasons Premier League race. Arsenal fought without fighting. Arsenal have gained a sum total of 5 points from two testimonial games, involving two of their closest rivals, without even lifting a finger. The first testimonial game for Arsenal took place in Riyadh two weeks ago... More About: Fights , Fighting , Wenger
The Doc?s late diagnosis: Villa vs Newcastle United
2008-02-11 07:50:00 This match was summed up by two very contrasting images: the first, the wearying sight of Stiliyan Petrov and Olof Mellberg bickering their way through a first half they both failed to come to terms with. The second, the heartening sight of Marlon Harewood's gleeful celebration of John Carew's second half goals. Good teams are built on the spirit shown by Harewood and Carew, and Villa in the second half were a totally different outfit. More About: Aston Villa , Newcastle United , United , Newcastle , Late
Arsenal-Blackburn preview + more on the international round
More articles from this author:2008-02-11 07:14:00 Well, well, well. It wasn’t too long ago that Arsenal were going through a little bit of a quiet patch and many football observers were predicting Manchester United to run away with the Premiership title. But after Sir Alex Ferguson’s side’s 2-1 defeat to rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford overnight - their fourth reverse of ... More About: International , Preview , Blackburn , The International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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