England lose 2-1 to Uruguay in 2014 Fifa World Cup

Luis Suarez grabbed a magnificent double to blow away the English dream of a good 2014 Brazil Fifa World Cup. He delayed a run into the box, deceiving to go from centre to his left and then checked his run to the right to direct a Cavani delivery across the body of Joe Hart. England failed to win the ball in midfield, allowed Uruguay passage through the centre and refrained from challenging the ball before it reached Cavani on the left. With the attention of four English players, the striker had time to control, look up and pick up the run of Suarez who had three men guarding him; Cahill, Baines and Hart.  

The man who recently underwent knee surgery needed just two touches to finish off a Steven Gerrard flick on in the second half. Muslera cleared a long ball and Captain Fantastic’s jumped did not elevate him enough to make the relevant contact with the ball. Suarez lurked behind and outpaced Cahill, looked up to see the position of the goalkeeper, got his eyes on the ball, adjusted his stride and concentrated on the technique of striking the ball with his arms wide for balance.  He hit the ball hard in the middle, as if to dissect it into two hemi-spheres. Hart tried to spread his body across the goal by advancing and narrowing the angle, but he could not even see the ball whistle past him.

Looking at the body of the whole match, Uruguay had a game plan to deny England’s youthful team any space to settle on the ball and the time to think. They pressed hard high on the pitch and reduced the space by moving quickly to press when the ball moved from one player to the next. They packed the midfield, doubled up in marking, and got as many men behind the ball as possible. They were in ‘take-no-prisoners’ mood and were lighting fast in transition and were always first on both the first and second balls.

England started the match hoping for a calculative affair. They were taken unawares as they got intimidated and denied any space to play. They became ‘uncomposed’ and gave away the ball quite easily. The defence panicked and threw themselves at the ball and in flew into tackles. The wingbacks found pockets on the right and more so on the left with Baines. The frustration over failure to construct any methodical attacks caused anxiety and desperation in preparation zone as the midfielders tended not to track down their men as well as the third man running.

The marking was very bad and many crosses found their way to the penalty box as the wide men arrived late from attacking duties. However, the wide man run forward proved useful as Glen Johnson supplied Wayne Rooney with a tap-in in between Suarez’s double. Cahill robbed the Liverpool striker of the ball and quickly passed to Steven G who played with Daniel Sturridge who turned well and fed the overlapping Johnson on the right. The right back took his man on, darted in and out into the penalty box and passed to Rooney who timed his run perfectly and finished with aplomb. Rooney had a good match, forcing a fantastic save from the keeper and hitting a post with header from a foot out.

England could not string passes together and had no rhythm at all as they could not cope with the pace and intimidation of the South Americans. Their attacking moves out of the midfield and the entries into the final third lacked urgency and pace. Besides being too slow in mounting attacks, they were guilty of taking too long to deliver crosses too, allowing Uruguay to regroup and take good defensive positions and shape. As a result, Uruguay had sufficient personnel to deal with any threats posed, particularly forcing early shots that went off target, were weak or went straight to Muslera.

It must be said that Rooney finally got a Fifa World Cup goal.       

Moyes appointment would equate to nepotism

Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United's 26 year old reign comes to the gentlest gradient a coaching career can ever take. During these days when the football world was appreciating how German football is ckoke-slamming the Spanish, many had not even digested the greatness of Messi, seen by how much ordinary Barcelona are in his absence.

Many were still having another shot at the effectiveness of Jose Mourinho, given both his tightening of the screw against youthful and fluid Borussia Dortmund in the second leg and the interest of Chelsea to redeem themselves by rehiring him - to me an absolute mistake on the part of The Only One and Roman Abramovich.

All that aside, the speculation of SAF's end has always been speculated since the early part of the decade when he had effectively resigned but made a sudden U-turn. In subsequent years, we all looked for the signs and it became less interesting with time. Somehow, there were no hints even this time, and when it came, the most successful coach in sports had to call it quits.

The scheduling of his hip surgery for August 2013, when the season's preparations are supposed to be in full swing must have been kept secret but it then left all with no choice but to officially announce his retirement. Then the rumours of his possible successor emerged but it was more of speculation. David Moyes is favoured for whatever reason, but maybe, with all due respect to Moyes, Jose Mourinho is the man the manage that team.

The media wastes time narrating and detailing the success of SAF. Who does not know what he achieved? In our lifetime, you can be assured that no one will ever manage pull through for so long with one team. It may never be seen ever.

Jose Mourinho sets trends and records of a different nature and his attention span can never be close to that of SAF. Instead of the doomed grand re-entrance at Stanford Bridge, Mourinho would keep the SAF legacy alive at Old Trafford.

Moyes is able and like Fergie, Scottish. I guess I have an issue with that, because in Africa it would have been called nepotism. Maybe that was not the point but I smell a rat in a Scot replacing a Scot. Are the Scots revenging for the English ridicule at every opportunity, including the saying that copper wire was a result of two Sctos pulling a penny in a fight?  In all speculation since 2002, that name was never ever mentioned.

Ole Gunner Soljkaer, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were a few tauted names, probably we were being sold a dummy. Moyes has a comfortable job at Everton who may have to bring in a new manager to replace Moyes if the deal goes through.

Anyway, maybe Rafa Benitez will be at the Merseyside next season as he paves way for Mourinho at Stanford Bridge. Whatever happens, Manchester United will have to disintegrate and then rebuild to be a force that it was under SAF. Some big names will surely leave, those loyal to him like Wayne Rooney to Real Madrid or PSG. The new man, say Mourinho will bring his own baggage like Cristiano Ronaldo. The moulding of the team will depend on that chemistry of bonding between the old and the new.

Whoever comes in and whatever they do, they will have a rebuilding exercise whose success will determine how close to the Man U that SAF built they come. It may be good and/or close but never the same.

A look at the English Premier League.

I will not waste energy on the Paris Saint German's claimed £120 million bid for Wayne Rooney, nor the Robin van Persie's confirmed extended stay a sterile Arsenal. Rather, I will dwell on a rather bizarre deal Liverpool intend to make.

The Merseyside team were a laughing stoke a few months back. The man who took them out of that mud was sacked. Funny enough they have had a series of interviews with a chain of known and unknown coaches.

Not that I am bitter they are still to come to me, but surely, if Kenny Daglish's antics were not good enough after winning the Carling Cup and reaching the FA Cup final. What do you go to Liverpool to do?

Many thought King Kenny should have done more after spending quite a few millions on players, but frankly, the core of that team is ancient, having been assembled by Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson.

The almost certain arrival of Brendan Rodgers is an interesting one. For once,they approached the man and he refused. They had a series of meeting with some of us and it was all fruitless. They revisited their options with fat-cheque packages and surely, they cannot go wrong with money.

The thing is that, Rodgers plays flowing sleek football. Liverpool do not have the material for his brand. The modern coach may have arm-twisted the ambitions of the under-performing Anfield side to bring in the likes of Sinclair to the Kop.

If Swansea will let go their manager, they have to hold on to their assets like Dyer. Does that mean the American owners will flash a cheque book to the many fancy youngsters like Papiss Cisse of Newcastle United? Time will tell.

Ll we are saying, is that Rodgers is as good as a taxi-driver with that lot Daglish was working with. It is not that there were bad players either. They were the best under the tutelage of King Kenny. Now that the goalpost have shifted, so should be the field of play. We are heading for interesting times ahead.

Manchester United were let down by their manager

The much anticipated weekend supposedly poised to determine the destination came and went without raising much excitement, probably after the realisation of the obvious scenarios of the expected win by both Manchester City and Manchester United, albeit with identical 2-0 score-lines.

There was a measure of frustration, first from Arsenal after their ping-pong 3-3 draw with Norwich City. The Gunners looked set to cement the Champions League spot with Robin van Persie late strike but the fat lady had not yet sung.

Matching the misfortunes of their arch-rivals, Tottenham Hotspurs failed to capitalise on the situation and succumbed to a dull 1-1 draw of their own.

The Newcastle defeat by City shifted the interest from the top two Manchester sides to who will deputise their dominance. There is no shadow of doubt that many neutrals will be interested in that battle for third than the actual championship.

With Wolves and Blackburn relegated, that end also looks less attractive to worry about now. A few fans will be looking forward to the revenge of Liverpool over Chelsea over the FA Cup's controversial goal that. Given the cool stakes, it will not matter to The Blues as they prepare for the UEFA Champions League final, but The Reds will want to nail it still.

Revisiting the excitement of the City-Newcastle encounter as well as the drool of the United-Swansea affair, it was interesting how the two matches proceeded.

There was entertainment value in the first and panic in the second. The Citizens were more cautious and with good reason, given the Magpies' deadly form of late. The match revolved around a two-forked Cisse/Ba versus Lescott/ Kompany battle, the later pair being a formidable partnership, for me the best anyway in Europe.

City would always boast of the central defensive pairing even without say Joelen Lescott as Koloe Toure is as impenetrable. The presence of Nigel de Jong as well as Yaya Toure proved the difference in cutting supply to the sublime finishers of the St James Park duo. It turned out to be a Yaya show as the Alan Pardew's men had no answers to neutralise his forward forays.

It was however the mind-boggling Sir Alex Ferguson who turned up with a line-up spearheaded by the quiet Chicharito. He was ably assisted by Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia in that pyramidal order. The intentions were clear and he would have been a hero of many had it worked out the way it was supposed to

For many, Dimitri Berbetov may have started alongside Rooney as a pyramid that would have a base that included Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick. While the obvious urgency of the team could not be questioned, the methods of unlocking the comprehensively patient Swansea was very wrong.

The rhythm of play and changing of tempo was never going to bother the inexperienced visitors. That match could have easily been lost and United would be fielding a second rate team in their last match of the season. City would have been presented with the Championship even before their second last match.

The goal difference did not start to matter with two matches left and it was not any one's fault. That line-up represented the panic mode of one revered SAF. If he showed that much lack of nerves, the routine Scholes' coolness in taking the first one cannot be a judging parameter, but Young's goal is. The team was more mentally prepared that their mentor.

Newcastle now two very unlikely events to finish third; the loses of Arsenal and Spurs against West Brom and Fulham respectively. For one, Spur will blast Fulham while the Gunners will scrap a point. Their champions league spot will depend on the fate of the title. The Blues will have to lose it for them to be in  it.

Manchester United won titles because of great players and in the season they needed their manager the most, he let them down.

Manchester United will get it

No matter how you look at it, this one for Manchester United is in the bag. For the umpteenth time this season and for almost forever in their life time, the Red Devils benefited from from the middle man's decisions. Not that there is anything wrong with that, or that there is something they do outside football to benefit.

Teams make up their own luck and for those decisions to be given, United take the ball to the crucial areas at the right time. While other teams may feel under the same circumstances, they needed the benefit of the doubt from the referees, United are the chosen ones.

As they are largely the recipients of the all necessary mercies of the whistle, the biggest victims had been Tottenham Hotspur, who may have been title contenders to date. Queens Park Rangers may play in a different league for being unlucky and for having played United yesterday.

The most exciting layer for me in the league for the past three seasons has been Ashley Young. Young was clearly offside yesterday. He was off balance when that minimum contact was made. The referee was convinced the player was pushed off the ball and the penalty, dispatched by Wayne Rooney, was awarded and the offender sent off.

All comments and opinions on United are academic to the Red Devils faithfuls. To the rest, the question of the quality of United as a team, Sir Alex Ferguson as a manager and Wayne Rooney as a top striker come into play.

As any athlete aided by wind, United are unstoppably cruising. For their quality, arch-rivals, Manchester City did not do themselves any favours by losing to a determined Arsenal who played their match of the season. City should know the United luck well enough to have dug deeper.

At the moment of truth, they buckled and warped. As in any flat platform without a hierarchy, the expensively assembled team of over payed players became pre-occupied in restoring the order without paying much attention to the slipping title.

As of now, it is gone. Gone with the wind. Until another team stumble on the luck of United, the English Premier League will be predictably boring.

For now, the battle for third is far more interesting than what many think is the best league in the world. Or is it?

Big earners of football cash

On seeing a WD40 can labelled 'CFC Free', a Chinese friend of mine wanted to know whether it was necessary to have the CFC as he did not have to pay for it, or look for a cheaper brand of 'loosening spray'. WD40 is a water displacement agent that acts by removing the water that oxidises metals forming corrosive effects that locks components together. To free these, the water has to come out. The manufacturer had made 39 attempts prior to the final product, hence the name, Water Displacement agent at the 40th attempt (WD40) name.

God is for Roy Hodgson and all of us. The former Liverpool boss was given just £7.3 million pay-off after being fired by Liverpool at the beginning of 2011, grossing £8.8m in that short stinct, or earning an average of £320,840 a week. If this guy can earn this money, you and I can. Not that there is nothing special about the man, but we can be as special.

The Special One at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho is said to be rated at £228,000 a week and the same report according to Eurosprt, classifies Messi as earning £210,000 a week, Wayne Rooney on £200,000 and Cristiano Ronaldo on £191,000. The charismatic David Beckham gets £120,000 weekly.

These monies do not include endorsement deals or other incomes not classified as salaries. It goes on to show that earning big is now a small task. Keep checking my name (and yours) on the Forbes' Rich List. It's called faith, but faith without deeds is dead.

Manchester United beats Arsenal 1-0 to go top

Manchester United came into the Barclays Premier League home encounter against leaders, Arsenal, with a sole mandate to outnumber them, basically by inviting the full participation of goalkeeper van der Sar. Naturally, the Gunners front runners lost a lot of energy chasing loose ball and ran out of steam when they had solid and sound decisions in passing the final ball.

United midfield bullied the disjointed Arsenal link, winning all second balls and forcing the blunt preparation zone work of the visitors to constantly retreat. It developed to be a one way traffic as Arsene Wenger failed to have any answers to Sir Alex Ferguson's not so clever tactics. Sir Alex ensured all attacks bypassed the zone that is operated by Alex Song, eliminating him off the equation, and drawing Samir Nasri off offensive areas to the centre line.

The long ball always caught the Gunners defence wrong footed, with crosses from both wings troubling the young and inexperienced goalkeeper. Worse still, the lad had a lot of nerve-wrecking moments with numerous back-passes to deal with far too early and very often. Generally, Arsenal played not to lose and that was exactly what they were inviting.

The tirade of United attacks found Nani probing the right channel and delivering a deflected cross that almost shaved Ji Sung Park's forehead skin off before hitting the inside second post and nesting in the net for an opening goal. Arsenal failed to having any telling passes in the final third of the field. They could not get their rhythm at all and surely were outplayed.

Andrei Arshavin and Tomas Rosiscky were quite prominent in the opening stages, eventually running out of steam with time, as Michael Carrick, Rafael, Nani and Park dominated the midfield with amazing ease. As expected, Chamakh suffered a great deal of 'ball malnutrition' until after half time.

The second half saw the Gunners up the stakes early on, increasing their ball possession statistics and creating more obvious chances, but not troubling van der Sar. Arsenal were lucky not to sink further after Rooney fed Anderson who fluffed the golden chance against the run of play in the 54th minute. The match began opening up and Chamakh nearly got an equaliser a minute later, only for Fletcher to clear the ball for a corner. United started to depend on counter attacks as Arsenal pinned them in their own half.

Fabregas and Robin van Persie came in for Rosiscky and Jack Wilshire and almost changed the Gunners' fortunes. Clichy conceded an unfortunate penalty that Rooney ballooned over the bar. Theo Walcott had to replace Arshavin with 12 minutes of play remaining while Ryan Giggs came in for Anderson in the 84th minute. Rooney nearly made up for the missed penalty but found the keeper alert, but it really didn't matter.

Are Manchester United back to winning ways for good, or it was a fluke?

Wayne Rooney, The Money, Torres and Man U. Lack of Success and Liverpool.

Football trends get twistier and trickier as legal, labour and money issues get Incorporated into the field, and then when the politicians get their nose in there, FIFA shout foul. Talking of money and FIFA, a Nigerian member and another colleague are under fire for saying they will sell votes to World Cup bidding nations. While it is necessary for FIFA to do something about this, I think someone is either lying or it was a bad joke.

You will remember the European labour rules that turned one unknown player to a hero about a decade earlier in a case that brought about the now famous Bosnian rule. Not so long back, another player, Andy Webster had issues with his move to Stoke City which eventual brought about the Webster ruling. This allows players to buy out the last year of their contracts for the price of their wages plus a nominal compensation fee. Barring wage demands, this makes Wayne Rooney basically affordable to anyone in football, including South Africa. Mamelodi Sundowns can afford him.

That said, Manchester United are not that stupid to wait for that to happen, hence that officialises him in the market. It will be a case of who is bidding. Eurosport reminds us that Rooney signed his current in November 2006, meaning that he has served more than the minimum three-year 'protected period' during which United could have blocked a deal. Mr Manchester United refused a £150,000 a week contract. If you think that is cool money, you are right because you don't have that in your bank balance. Manchester City will pay him £500 000 per week if they get their way. So, Rooney is not a squirrel to thrive on nuts, or indeed peanuts from Man U.

Sir Alex Ferguson makes business sense in any case. The under productive Rooney may not be worth an extra penny. The little they were trying to entice him with may as well go to another unproductive Spanish striker called Fernando Torres. To me, it will be charity work to save Liverpool from their financial troubles, not that Man U are good themselves, but in this world we share. So, Sir Alex will sure make a £50 million bid to bring the injury-prone Spaniard to United.

Liverpool's form has been very bad and one thing they need to do is give Torres a break. He needs to shake off the bad world cup tag and get his form back. Of course he has injury worries to deal with but then, that name alone is worth the money if you ever loved the man. If anyone lost Rooney, very few would sound worthy replacements and Sir Alex is not far off the mark in marketing terms. As for pound for pound player, Man U were better off doing a deal with Real Madrid and get Karim Benzema. Sir Alex likes him and has tried him before. The deal here will be to get Rooney to Chelsea and then Didier Drogba to Jose Mourinho. Drogba is no more enjoying his Chelsea stay and The Special one has a special relationship with the Ivorian. That is far fetched, but the only way Rooney will not play for City.

As for The Reds, they expressed interest in a £6m move for Alexander Kerzhakov, a Russian striker. They will need the free scoring St Petersburg scorer to lift themselves up from the relegation zone, but first things first. Roy Hodgson must put his balls in the vise and leave his mentally fragile and tactically weary senior players for the untested rookies to pull out one result and then Liverpool will be on their way up. Otherwise, they will be fighting losing battles, week in and week out.

Would Wayne Rooney fit the Arsenal set-up if they could afford his wages because he comes so cheap? Or he could team up with Torres for the Gunners for a partnership. Tell us.  

Rooney Will Play For City. Wanna Bet? and Spurs have a surprise for Inter.

Wayne Rooney has been facing a tough moment of his life. Manchester United are not helping. He now wants out of Old Trafford after stepping on Sir Alex's toes but his potential destination is shifting location and very quickly. Real Madrid are at pains trying to explain how much they do not need Rooney. Well, it is the common language when such matters arise as Man U will tell you that Rooney is not for sale to anyone at anytime.

Rooney is trying to sort out his love life as his marital issues compound his lack of form that began just before the 2010 FIFA World Cup and his clash with the coach does not help matters. The United one man band is never the same player who won all individual accolades last season and the last thing he needed is being caught cheating on his wife with expensive whores or a sour relationship with the revered Sir Alex. At least, not when his form is rock bottom.

During his bad days in the office, Valencia broke a leg, and Berbetov blew very hot and extremely cold and Man U were like another team next door. Forget that Manchester claim they won't sell and that Real deny their interest. Frankly, Jose Mourinho was never a fan of Rooney, but watch this space. Real Madrid will be walking all over Barcelona after one Togolese striker joins Cristiano Ronaldo in January.

Nobody has to love, want or need Rooney. His time at Man U is done and someone must take him out of Old Trafford, not to play him, but to deny him getting a team where he will be more useful. The only one with enough lifting power to do that will be Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester City. Arsenal would use his razor sharp skills but City will be Rooney's team of choice. This will be just to rub in the red and powdered chillis into Sir Alex's eyes and nose. Barcelona have nothing to offer him. Real has Ronaldo. Even then, they really do not need him.

Manchester City are already lining up for the Manchester's favourable son. This is how it works out. Just because the Abu Dhabi billionaires will want to throw it at their neighbours and have the money to burn, and knowing United will hate to build the monster that will dominate them, City will pass Emmanuel Adebayour to Real Madrid even if it means them paying his salary, and romp in Rooney. Believe you me, Rooney will be playing alongside Tevez come January and United will hate it.

Before we part, the Champions League is on this week and I will spare you the blah blah blah that may discourage you enjoying your teams' woeful performances. The Game of the Week will be the champions , Inter Milan hosting the rookies, Tottenham Spur. This is the moment of truth for Spurs and so far, their biggest match id over half a century. They have been facing warm up situations and tomorrow night, they come up against the real deal. To cut the long story short, Milan will not know what hit them. If you watch football with your eyes and an open mind and not with your heart and emotion, you know what I'm talking about. I hope to hear from you after the Champions League matches.

Wayne Rooney Hits More Headlines With Fresh Rumours.

Notorious as it sounds, you cannot ignore a claimed interest of Spain's Barcelona in Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. Overseas Sunday morning tabloids reported a "highly placed Barca source" saying: "Rooney’s position is worth monitoring if things become increasingly difficult for him in England."

This is said to be made in reference to Rooney's struggle to cope with the spotlight amid allegations over his marital issues. There is even a rumour doing rounds about a Christmas party ban by Sir Alex. I think the reports are mischievous and prey  on the misfortune of the troubled star's difficult love life. He has enough on his plate to deal with external non core issues than rumours.

Rooney is trying to fix his life after scandals that are tearing him apart. John Terry and Ashley Cole have previously suffered the media and fans' wrath after their family matters were public consumption. Tiger Woods also recently divorced due to the same line of marital sins that the media seem to thrive on.

It is no secret that Wayne Rooney is a great footballer and that anyone would express the desire to have him. Reporting that teams like Barca and Real Madrid are interested is just trying to sell cheap news. It is like saying Barca want Cesc Fabregas. 

On the positive note, perhaps Rooney needs this as a better way to make headlines as he tries to put his life on track. In that case, it is a good job well done. Rooney has been off-form since the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. His private life just adds to the derailed performance that may be a result of dealing with the pressure Chelsea placed on Manchester United by winning the league last season.

As you can see now, Chelsea are not giving up and Rooney is not taking it down well. Do you think splashing footballers' scandals is good news?

Wayne Rooney Hits More Headlines With Fresh Rumours.

Notorious as it sounds, you cannot ignore a claimed interest of Spain's Barcelona in Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. Overseas Sunday morning tabloids reported a "highly placed Barca source" saying: "Rooney’s position is worth monitoring if things become increasingly difficult for him in England."

This is said to be made in reference to Rooney's struggle to cope with the spotlight amid allegations over his marital issues. There is even a rumour doing rounds about a Christmas party ban by Sir Alex. I think the reports are mischievous and prey  on the misfortune of the troubled star's difficult love life. He has enough on his plate to deal with external non core issues than rumours.

Rooney is trying to fix his life after scandals that are tearing him apart. John Terry and Ashley Cole have previously suffered the media and fans' wrath after their family matters were public consumption. Tiger Woods also recently divorced due to the same line of marital sins that the media seem to thrive on.

It is no secret that Wayne Rooney is a great footballer and that anyone would express the desire to have him. Reporting that teams like Barca and Real Madrid are interested is just trying to sell cheap news. It is like saying Barca want Cesc Fabregas. 

On the positive note, perhaps Rooney needs this as a better way to make headlines as he tries to put his life on track. In that case, it is a good job well done. Rooney has been off-form since the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. His private life just adds to the derailed performance that may be a result of dealing with the pressure Chelsea placed on Manchester United by winning the league last season.

As you can see now, Chelsea are not giving up and Rooney is not taking it down well. Do you think splashing footballers' scandals is good news?

Wayne Rooney Hits More Headlines With Fresh Rumours.

Notorious as it sounds, you cannot ignore a claimed interest of Spain's Barcelona in Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. Overseas Sunday morning tabloids reported a "highly placed Barca source" saying: "Rooney’s position is worth monitoring if things become increasingly difficult for him in England."

This is said to be made in reference to Rooney's struggle to cope with the spotlight amid allegations over his marital issues. There is even a rumour doing rounds about a Christmas party ban by Sir Alex. I think the reports are mischievous and prey  on the misfortune of the troubled star's difficult love life. He has enough on his plate to deal with external non core issues than rumours.

Rooney is trying to fix his life after scandals that are tearing him apart. John Terry and Ashley Cole have previously suffered the media and fans' wrath after their family matters were public consumption. Tiger Woods also recently divorced due to the same line of marital sins that the media seem to thrive on.

It is no secret that Wayne Rooney is a great footballer and that anyone would express the desire to have him. Reporting that teams like Barca and Real Madrid are interested is just trying to sell cheap news. It is like saying Barca want Cesc Fabregas. 

On the positive note, perhaps Rooney needs this as a better way to make headlines as he tries to put his life on track. In that case, it is a good job well done. Rooney has been off-form since the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. His private life just adds to the derailed performance that may be a result of dealing with the pressure Chelsea placed on Manchester United by winning the league last season.

As you can see now, Chelsea are not giving up and Rooney is not taking it down well. Do you think splashing footballers' scandals is good news?

Wayne Rooney Hits More Headlines With Fresh Rumours.

Notorious as it sounds, you cannot ignore a claimed interest of Spain's Barcelona in Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. Overseas Sunday morning tabloids reported a "highly placed Barca source" saying: "Rooney’s position is worth monitoring if things become increasingly difficult for him in England."

This is said to be made in reference to Rooney's struggle to cope with the spotlight amid allegations over his marital issues. There is even a rumour doing rounds about a Christmas party ban by Sir Alex. I think the reports are mischievous and prey  on the misfortune of the troubled star's difficult love life. He has enough on his plate to deal with external non core issues than rumours.

Rooney is trying to fix his life after scandals that are tearing him apart. John Terry and Ashley Cole have previously suffered the media and fans' wrath after their family matters were public consumption. Tiger Woods also recently divorced due to the same line of marital sins that the media seem to thrive on.

It is no secret that Wayne Rooney is a great footballer and that anyone would express the desire to have him. Reporting that teams like Barca and Real Madrid are interested is just trying to sell cheap news. It is like saying Barca want Cesc Fabregas. 

On the positive note, perhaps Rooney needs this as a better way to make headlines as he tries to put his life on track. In that case, it is a good job well done. Rooney has been off-form since the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. His private life just adds to the derailed performance that may be a result of dealing with the pressure Chelsea placed on Manchester United by winning the league last season.

As you can see now, Chelsea are not giving up and Rooney is not taking it down well. Do you think splashing footballers' scandals is good news?

Manchester U Beats Liverpool as Chelsea Continues Being Ruthless.

[caption id="attachment_2026" align="alignright" width="377" caption="Pic form Eurosport."][/caption]

 

Manchester United  pulled one from the bag to pocket 3 points against a better Liverpool side that was nonetheless shocking in their defending. The Reds shaky start was characterised by the static defence that seemed to be perplexed by crosses on countless occasions. Manchester won 3-2, Berbetov scoring all three for United.

Dimitri Berbetov was superb as evidenced by his excellent acrobatic goal that was donated by Pepe Reina, Liverpool goalkeeper. Berbetov proved to be a powerful and strong target man who United will need to chase the champions. The class of the Bulgarian was always a media concern when the expectations were misplaced on his goalscoring abilities. This eventually weighed on the man until he decided to stop caring and now he is proving the point.

Pepe was generally poor as he was flat-footed more than once and was deep rootedly planted when admiring the acrobats and flight of the Berbetov lob. It was the same story with the form of off-form Fernando Torres. I never had doubts about his scoring ability but I have always waited for him to prove he is not over-rated. This match did not help his cause in that regard as he toiled all day without producing much except for winning the penalty.  

The cool-headed Steven Gerrard did well to convert the penalty and free-kicks to give Liverpool hope to collect a point. The Red Devils were on over-drive as Nani crushed the crossbar in the first half. Wayne Rooney was anonymous, taking all the defenders' attention and leaving room for Berbetov to shine with a hat-trick.

Chelsea were ruthlessly rampant as usual, routing Blackpool with 4 first half goals coming from double scorer, Flourent Malouda as well as Salmon Kalou. Super Didier Drogba was in sublime form as he provided assists and unselfishly fed his wasteful teammates. He lost his touch from working in overdrive for 90 minutes as he wasted a few glorious chances he usually converts with his eyes closed.

Blackpool for their part, not conceding in the second half was a very notable achievement that they have to build on. They were a wasteful lot and had glorious chances they fluffed. At least they have something to build on.

Manchester City came to the party with Carlos Tevez turning on the music. An average dink over the goalkeeper was a superb opening goal of the class we know Tevez can be. Wigan were never going to match City who came from a good mid-week Europa win.

Arsenal were helpless yesterday huffing and puffing and finally surrendering the lead to Sunderland. Cesc Fabregas put the Gunners ahead with a very lucky goal. Ferdinand's attempted clearance hit Fabregas so hard and went over Ferdinand's head. flying over 40 yards lobbing over the goalkeeper. Darren Bent had the last word in the last-minute with an equaliser with the last kick of the match.

The match of the week, was, of course, Tottenham Hotspurs who overcame a stubborn Wolverhampton. Wolves were almost running away with the match with 15 minutes to go, when Spurs decide to put things to order. A three goal salvo was enough to silence Harry Redknapp's critics, at least for now. The doubting Thomases will find it hard to accept the ascendance of Spurs, which is very slow but very much alive. The nay-sayers already compare Spurs to the top four teams. They are not yet in that league, but they are surely on the right track.

Manchester U Beats Liverpool as Chelsea Continues Being Ruthless.

[caption id="attachment_2026" align="alignright" width="377" caption="Pic form Eurosport."][/caption]

 

Manchester United  pulled one from the bag to pocket 3 points against a better Liverpool side that was nonetheless shocking in their defending. The Reds shaky start was characterised by the static defence that seemed to be perplexed by crosses on countless occasions. Manchester won 3-2, Berbetov scoring all three for United.

Dimitri Berbetov was superb as evidenced by his excellent acrobatic goal that was donated by Pepe Reina, Liverpool goalkeeper. Berbetov proved to be a powerful and strong target man who United will need to chase the champions. The class of the Bulgarian was always a media concern when the expectations were misplaced on his goalscoring abilities. This eventually weighed on the man until he decided to stop caring and now he is proving the point.

Pepe was generally poor as he was flat-footed more than once and was deep rootedly planted when admiring the acrobats and flight of the Berbetov lob. It was the same story with the form of off-form Fernando Torres. I never had doubts about his scoring ability but I have always waited for him to prove he is not over-rated. This match did not help his cause in that regard as he toiled all day without producing much except for winning the penalty.  

The cool-headed Steven Gerrard did well to convert the penalty and free-kicks to give Liverpool hope to collect a point. The Red Devils were on over-drive as Nani crushed the crossbar in the first half. Wayne Rooney was anonymous, taking all the defenders' attention and leaving room for Berbetov to shine with a hat-trick.

Chelsea were ruthlessly rampant as usual, routing Blackpool with 4 first half goals coming from double scorer, Flourent Malouda as well as Salmon Kalou. Super Didier Drogba was in sublime form as he provided assists and unselfishly fed his wasteful teammates. He lost his touch from working in overdrive for 90 minutes as he wasted a few glorious chances he usually converts with his eyes closed.

Blackpool for their part, not conceding in the second half was a very notable achievement that they have to build on. They were a wasteful lot and had glorious chances they fluffed. At least they have something to build on.

Manchester City came to the party with Carlos Tevez turning on the music. An average dink over the goalkeeper was a superb opening goal of the class we know Tevez can be. Wigan were never going to match City who came from a good mid-week Europa win.

Arsenal were helpless yesterday huffing and puffing and finally surrendering the lead to Sunderland. Cesc Fabregas put the Gunners ahead with a very lucky goal. Ferdinand's attempted clearance hit Fabregas so hard and went over Ferdinand's head. flying over 40 yards lobbing over the goalkeeper. Darren Bent had the last word in the last-minute with an equaliser with the last kick of the match.

The match of the week, was, of course, Tottenham Hotspurs who overcame a stubborn Wolverhampton. Wolves were almost running away with the match with 15 minutes to go, when Spurs decide to put things to order. A three goal salvo was enough to silence Harry Redknapp's critics, at least for now. The doubting Thomases will find it hard to accept the ascendance of Spurs, which is very slow but very much alive. The nay-sayers already compare Spurs to the top four teams. They are not yet in that league, but they are surely on the right track.

Manchester U Beats Liverpool as Chelsea Continues Being Ruthless.

[caption id="attachment_2026" align="alignright" width="377" caption="Pic form Eurosport."][/caption]

 

Manchester United  pulled one from the bag to pocket 3 points against a better Liverpool side that was nonetheless shocking in their defending. The Reds shaky start was characterised by the static defence that seemed to be perplexed by crosses on countless occasions. Manchester won 3-2, Berbetov scoring all three for United.

Dimitri Berbetov was superb as evidenced by his excellent acrobatic goal that was donated by Pepe Reina, Liverpool goalkeeper. Berbetov proved to be a powerful and strong target man who United will need to chase the champions. The class of the Bulgarian was always a media concern when the expectations were misplaced on his goalscoring abilities. This eventually weighed on the man until he decided to stop caring and now he is proving the point.

Pepe was generally poor as he was flat-footed more than once and was deep rootedly planted when admiring the acrobats and flight of the Berbetov lob. It was the same story with the form of off-form Fernando Torres. I never had doubts about his scoring ability but I have always waited for him to prove he is not over-rated. This match did not help his cause in that regard as he toiled all day without producing much except for winning the penalty.  

The cool-headed Steven Gerrard did well to convert the penalty and free-kicks to give Liverpool hope to collect a point. The Red Devils were on over-drive as Nani crushed the crossbar in the first half. Wayne Rooney was anonymous, taking all the defenders' attention and leaving room for Berbetov to shine with a hat-trick.

Chelsea were ruthlessly rampant as usual, routing Blackpool with 4 first half goals coming from double scorer, Flourent Malouda as well as Salmon Kalou. Super Didier Drogba was in sublime form as he provided assists and unselfishly fed his wasteful teammates. He lost his touch from working in overdrive for 90 minutes as he wasted a few glorious chances he usually converts with his eyes closed.

Blackpool for their part, not conceding in the second half was a very notable achievement that they have to build on. They were a wasteful lot and had glorious chances they fluffed. At least they have something to build on.

Manchester City came to the party with Carlos Tevez turning on the music. An average dink over the goalkeeper was a superb opening goal of the class we know Tevez can be. Wigan were never going to match City who came from a good mid-week Europa win.

Arsenal were helpless yesterday huffing and puffing and finally surrendering the lead to Sunderland. Cesc Fabregas put the Gunners ahead with a very lucky goal. Ferdinand's attempted clearance hit Fabregas so hard and went over Ferdinand's head. flying over 40 yards lobbing over the goalkeeper. Darren Bent had the last word in the last-minute with an equaliser with the last kick of the match.

The match of the week, was, of course, Tottenham Hotspurs who overcame a stubborn Wolverhampton. Wolves were almost running away with the match with 15 minutes to go, when Spurs decide to put things to order. A three goal salvo was enough to silence Harry Redknapp's critics, at least for now. The doubting Thomases will find it hard to accept the ascendance of Spurs, which is very slow but very much alive. The nay-sayers already compare Spurs to the top four teams. They are not yet in that league, but they are surely on the right track.

Manchester U Beats Liverpool as Chelsea Continues Being Ruthless.

[caption id="attachment_2026" align="alignright" width="377" caption="Pic form Eurosport."][/caption]

 

Manchester United  pulled one from the bag to pocket 3 points against a better Liverpool side that was nonetheless shocking in their defending. The Reds shaky start was characterised by the static defence that seemed to be perplexed by crosses on countless occasions. Manchester won 3-2, Berbetov scoring all three for United.

Dimitri Berbetov was superb as evidenced by his excellent acrobatic goal that was donated by Pepe Reina, Liverpool goalkeeper. Berbetov proved to be a powerful and strong target man who United will need to chase the champions. The class of the Bulgarian was always a media concern when the expectations were misplaced on his goalscoring abilities. This eventually weighed on the man until he decided to stop caring and now he is proving the point.

Pepe was generally poor as he was flat-footed more than once and was deep rootedly planted when admiring the acrobats and flight of the Berbetov lob. It was the same story with the form of off-form Fernando Torres. I never had doubts about his scoring ability but I have always waited for him to prove he is not over-rated. This match did not help his cause in that regard as he toiled all day without producing much except for winning the penalty.  

The cool-headed Steven Gerrard did well to convert the penalty and free-kicks to give Liverpool hope to collect a point. The Red Devils were on over-drive as Nani crushed the crossbar in the first half. Wayne Rooney was anonymous, taking all the defenders' attention and leaving room for Berbetov to shine with a hat-trick.

Chelsea were ruthlessly rampant as usual, routing Blackpool with 4 first half goals coming from double scorer, Flourent Malouda as well as Salmon Kalou. Super Didier Drogba was in sublime form as he provided assists and unselfishly fed his wasteful teammates. He lost his touch from working in overdrive for 90 minutes as he wasted a few glorious chances he usually converts with his eyes closed.

Blackpool for their part, not conceding in the second half was a very notable achievement that they have to build on. They were a wasteful lot and had glorious chances they fluffed. At least they have something to build on.

Manchester City came to the party with Carlos Tevez turning on the music. An average dink over the goalkeeper was a superb opening goal of the class we know Tevez can be. Wigan were never going to match City who came from a good mid-week Europa win.

Arsenal were helpless yesterday huffing and puffing and finally surrendering the lead to Sunderland. Cesc Fabregas put the Gunners ahead with a very lucky goal. Ferdinand's attempted clearance hit Fabregas so hard and went over Ferdinand's head. flying over 40 yards lobbing over the goalkeeper. Darren Bent had the last word in the last-minute with an equaliser with the last kick of the match.

The match of the week, was, of course, Tottenham Hotspurs who overcame a stubborn Wolverhampton. Wolves were almost running away with the match with 15 minutes to go, when Spurs decide to put things to order. A three goal salvo was enough to silence Harry Redknapp's critics, at least for now. The doubting Thomases will find it hard to accept the ascendance of Spurs, which is very slow but very much alive. The nay-sayers already compare Spurs to the top four teams. They are not yet in that league, but they are surely on the right track.

Manchester United Drop Points As Champions, Chelsea Keep 100% Record

Manchester United were disjointed coming off a huge scare when Everton scored first after Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs drew the best from American goalkeeper Tim Howard. Van de Saar also had to make stunning saves.

South African magician, Steven Pienaar scored a simple tap in after a quick counter attack penetrated the Man U defence like a spear through thin summer air. Fletcher equalised for the Red Devils and Nemanja Vidic headed a solid ball past a sprawling Howard. The great Scholes set up Dimitri Berbetov with an incisive pass of high quality.

The old Manchester United may have been home and dry when the 4th official lifted the board to indicated the dying minutes of the injury time. Australian Tim Cahill scored with a minute into injury time ad Arteka rescued a point for the Toffees with almost the last kick of the match, giving United a taste of their medicine.

Man U had a chance to win it with a corner kick they blew and Everton were never presented with the same opportunity when the referee blew the whistle with David Moyes' boys in full flight for the kill. Manchester are a gifted side that can afford to drop points and make up for them. That excellent and perfect squad will need something special to take the title out of the jaws out of the defending champions, Chelsea who maintained a 100% record in the league.Chelsea conceded their first goal of the season when they beat West Ham United 3-1 away. Michael Essien scored twice and Salomon Kalou the other.

Arsenal beat Bolton Wanderers 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal showed Theo Walcott's gnawing gap in the early exchanges, losing their rhythm and giving away possession cheaply. Lack of speed going forward was very obvious, with a few potential cross opportunities on the right being turned into a big fuss killing the attack momentum and being played back, instead of the fast paced cutting forward that Walcott provides.

Arshavin blew a few clearcut opportunities including one-on-one chances. A scrambled goal from wasteful Chamakh set the Gunners on their way. They had to deal with a spirited come back from Bolton. Arsenal eventually stamped  their authority in the match scoring the 2nd, 3rd form Chamakh and Carlo Vela and finally a classic from Alex Song in the dying minutes of the match.

The Manchester City millionaires had to fight to come back from a first half goal to score through veteran, Patrick Vierra at the City Of Manchester Stadium. Logically, Roberto Mancini is preparing his CV as we all know what we already know about working for big investors from Abu Dhabi. Benjani Mwaruwari was on the bench for Blackburn as they enjoyed this 1-1 draw away from home.

Asamoah Gyan of Ghana's Black Stars made his debut announcing his arrival with an important away draw for Sunderland. The most expensive player for his team scored in the 66th minute to endear himself to the club supporters and paymasters. Wigan equalised with 3 minutes of play remaining.

Other results Fulham 2 Wolves 1, Tottenham 1 West Brom 1 and Newcastle 0 Blackpool 2.

Do you think Man U will make up the lost ground?

(All pictures from uk.eurosport.co.uk)

Manchester United Drop Points As Champions, Chelsea Keep 100% Record

Manchester United were disjointed coming off a huge scare when Everton scored first after Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs drew the best from American goalkeeper Tim Howard. Van de Saar also had to make stunning saves.

South African magician, Steven Pienaar scored a simple tap in after a quick counter attack penetrated the Man U defence like a spear through thin summer air. Fletcher equalised for the Red Devils and Nemanja Vidic headed a solid ball past a sprawling Howard. The great Scholes set up Dimitri Berbetov with an incisive pass of high quality.

The old Manchester United may have been home and dry when the 4th official lifted the board to indicated the dying minutes of the injury time. Australian Tim Cahill scored with a minute into injury time ad Arteka rescued a point for the Toffees with almost the last kick of the match, giving United a taste of their medicine.

Man U had a chance to win it with a corner kick they blew and Everton were never presented with the same opportunity when the referee blew the whistle with David Moyes' boys in full flight for the kill. Manchester are a gifted side that can afford to drop points and make up for them. That excellent and perfect squad will need something special to take the title out of the jaws out of the defending champions, Chelsea who maintained a 100% record in the league.Chelsea conceded their first goal of the season when they beat West Ham United 3-1 away. Michael Essien scored twice and Salomon Kalou the other.

Arsenal beat Bolton Wanderers 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal showed Theo Walcott's gnawing gap in the early exchanges, losing their rhythm and giving away possession cheaply. Lack of speed going forward was very obvious, with a few potential cross opportunities on the right being turned into a big fuss killing the attack momentum and being played back, instead of the fast paced cutting forward that Walcott provides.

Arshavin blew a few clearcut opportunities including one-on-one chances. A scrambled goal from wasteful Chamakh set the Gunners on their way. They had to deal with a spirited come back from Bolton. Arsenal eventually stamped  their authority in the match scoring the 2nd, 3rd form Chamakh and Carlo Vela and finally a classic from Alex Song in the dying minutes of the match.

The Manchester City millionaires had to fight to come back from a first half goal to score through veteran, Patrick Vierra at the City Of Manchester Stadium. Logically, Roberto Mancini is preparing his CV as we all know what we already know about working for big investors from Abu Dhabi. Benjani Mwaruwari was on the bench for Blackburn as they enjoyed this 1-1 draw away from home.

Asamoah Gyan of Ghana's Black Stars made his debut announcing his arrival with an important away draw for Sunderland. The most expensive player for his team scored in the 66th minute to endear himself to the club supporters and paymasters. Wigan equalised with 3 minutes of play remaining.

Other results Fulham 2 Wolves 1, Tottenham 1 West Brom 1 and Newcastle 0 Blackpool 2.

Do you think Man U will make up the lost ground?

(All pictures from uk.eurosport.co.uk)

Manchester United Drop Points As Champions, Chelsea Keep 100% Record

Manchester United were disjointed coming off a huge scare when Everton scored first after Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs drew the best from American goalkeeper Tim Howard. Van de Saar also had to make stunning saves.

South African magician, Steven Pienaar scored a simple tap in after a quick counter attack penetrated the Man U defence like a spear through thin summer air. Fletcher equalised for the Red Devils and Nemanja Vidic headed a solid ball past a sprawling Howard. The great Scholes set up Dimitri Berbetov with an incisive pass of high quality.

The old Manchester United may have been home and dry when the 4th official lifted the board to indicated the dying minutes of the injury time. Australian Tim Cahill scored with a minute into injury time ad Arteka rescued a point for the Toffees with almost the last kick of the match, giving United a taste of their medicine.

Man U had a chance to win it with a corner kick they blew and Everton were never presented with the same opportunity when the referee blew the whistle with David Moyes' boys in full flight for the kill. Manchester are a gifted side that can afford to drop points and make up for them. That excellent and perfect squad will need something special to take the title out of the jaws out of the defending champions, Chelsea who maintained a 100% record in the league.Chelsea conceded their first goal of the season when they beat West Ham United 3-1 away. Michael Essien scored twice and Salomon Kalou the other.

Arsenal beat Bolton Wanderers 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal showed Theo Walcott's gnawing gap in the early exchanges, losing their rhythm and giving away possession cheaply. Lack of speed going forward was very obvious, with a few potential cross opportunities on the right being turned into a big fuss killing the attack momentum and being played back, instead of the fast paced cutting forward that Walcott provides.

Arshavin blew a few clearcut opportunities including one-on-one chances. A scrambled goal from wasteful Chamakh set the Gunners on their way. They had to deal with a spirited come back from Bolton. Arsenal eventually stamped  their authority in the match scoring the 2nd, 3rd form Chamakh and Carlo Vela and finally a classic from Alex Song in the dying minutes of the match.

The Manchester City millionaires had to fight to come back from a first half goal to score through veteran, Patrick Vierra at the City Of Manchester Stadium. Logically, Roberto Mancini is preparing his CV as we all know what we already know about working for big investors from Abu Dhabi. Benjani Mwaruwari was on the bench for Blackburn as they enjoyed this 1-1 draw away from home.

Asamoah Gyan of Ghana's Black Stars made his debut announcing his arrival with an important away draw for Sunderland. The most expensive player for his team scored in the 66th minute to endear himself to the club supporters and paymasters. Wigan equalised with 3 minutes of play remaining.

Other results Fulham 2 Wolves 1, Tottenham 1 West Brom 1 and Newcastle 0 Blackpool 2.

Do you think Man U will make up the lost ground?

(All pictures from uk.eurosport.co.uk)