The premiership title is now looking to be a little more in reach of Manchester United as Chelsea failed to beat Arsenal. It was a good game and perhaps Chelsea deserved to win but at the end of the day they failed to win. Manchester United are now eight points ahead of Chelsea, although Chelsea have a game in hand. This means even if Chelsea win their game in hand they will still be 5 points behind Manchester United.
Arsenal took the lead late on in the game with a Flamini effort. However Chelsea came back six minutes later through a brilliant goal from Essien. This is possibly the sign of a great team; that is one that can come back straight away and don't drop their heads. The Essien goal is one that will remain in my memory for a long time as it was a well placed shot which Lehmann the Arsenal keeper didn't have much chance at all. Chelsea then almost won the game as they hit the woodwork on more than one occasion in stoppage time.
Is the premiership over now? Not by a long shot, I believe this because there is still many games to be played and a distance of 5 points could simply be a matter of 2 games. A team playing two games can gain a maximum of 6 points so if Manchester United were to suddenly have a dip in form, suffer multiple injuries, or another team get a little bit of luck against them then Chelsea could still overtake Manchester Utd. In the past Manchester United have come back from much further behind than Chelsea are currently such as when they caught up with Newcastle a number of years ago. This proves it is possible but I think it will be very hard for Chelsea even though they are a very efficient and consistent team.
It is possible to view an article from the game from the BBC website
Sunday, 10 December 2006
Saturday, 9 December 2006
Feeds: Access to football articles
A number of feeds have recently been put into this weblog. I suggest that these are used as they can be very helpful. I used rss feeds from the web sites shown on the left hand side of this weblog. These include the BBC website, the Guardian and the Independent. All of these provide articles on the brilliant sport that is football. So far I have found them very useful. This is because I can now be constantly up-to-date with the latest news and stories from the football world. All it takes is a simple click on the article I wish to view and the article appears.
I have read a number of interesting articles today including reviews of the premiership matches that happened such as Tottenham Hotspur Vs Charlton Athletic from the BBC feed. Tottenham won the game 5-1, so it is looking quite bad for Charlton at the moment. Whether they will get out of the relegation zone remains to be seen.
Ashley Cole in the Arsenal vs Chelsea game tomorrow (Sunday 10/12/2006) seems to be a popular topic in a number of articles, with the Guardian and Independent providing articles on this topic area. It will be interesting to see how Ashley Cole is treated tomorrow by the Arsenal fans, I personally think he will be booed for most of the match, but we will have to wait and see.
I hope any visitors to this weblog also find these feeds useful like I have. I believe having these feeds is a great idea. It saves a great deal of time as I don't have to visit those websites to see the information from typing in the URL or by searching for them using a search engine. They can simply been seen using this weblog. For other people who have weblogs on football or even other topics I suggest making use of the feed feature if possible.
I have read a number of interesting articles today including reviews of the premiership matches that happened such as Tottenham Hotspur Vs Charlton Athletic from the BBC feed. Tottenham won the game 5-1, so it is looking quite bad for Charlton at the moment. Whether they will get out of the relegation zone remains to be seen.
Ashley Cole in the Arsenal vs Chelsea game tomorrow (Sunday 10/12/2006) seems to be a popular topic in a number of articles, with the Guardian and Independent providing articles on this topic area. It will be interesting to see how Ashley Cole is treated tomorrow by the Arsenal fans, I personally think he will be booed for most of the match, but we will have to wait and see.
I hope any visitors to this weblog also find these feeds useful like I have. I believe having these feeds is a great idea. It saves a great deal of time as I don't have to visit those websites to see the information from typing in the URL or by searching for them using a search engine. They can simply been seen using this weblog. For other people who have weblogs on football or even other topics I suggest making use of the feed feature if possible.
Friday, 8 December 2006
The job of the referees in the premiership
It appears to me the referees have a hard job in the premiership. I believe this because many referees are given a hard time by a number of different people. Sometimes it appears that referees don't get the credit they deserve when they have a good game. This is probably because the game flows on and it is considered their job to make the right decisions.
When a referee makes a mistake the opposition is at the very least disappointed with with that decision, and this can result in an uproar. The referee is also likely to be in the firing line of managers, who especially when they have lost a game will make their point clear to the media. Jose Mourinho is a manager who especially likes to get his point across.
The atmosphere in a huge stadium with thousands of fans could be very intense. I believe this is true at places like Old Trafford and Celtic park. The fans can add to the intense atmosphere as their shouts bellow through the stadium.
The pressure on referees could be considered very significant due to all these reasons. I believe this is therefore a very hard job, but a referee needs to be able to take pressure. If they are unable to handle the pressure of a big game, then it could be that they shouldn't be the referee in that game.
When a referee makes a mistake the opposition is at the very least disappointed with with that decision, and this can result in an uproar. The referee is also likely to be in the firing line of managers, who especially when they have lost a game will make their point clear to the media. Jose Mourinho is a manager who especially likes to get his point across.
The atmosphere in a huge stadium with thousands of fans could be very intense. I believe this is true at places like Old Trafford and Celtic park. The fans can add to the intense atmosphere as their shouts bellow through the stadium.
The pressure on referees could be considered very significant due to all these reasons. I believe this is therefore a very hard job, but a referee needs to be able to take pressure. If they are unable to handle the pressure of a big game, then it could be that they shouldn't be the referee in that game.
Thursday, 7 December 2006
The step over: useful trick?
The step over is a trick highly used in football and can be seen often in premiership matches. A number of players seem to have mastered this skill such as Ronaldo of portugal, giggs, Robinho, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo of Brazil. It is not suprising that many Brazilian football players have mastered this skill. In the premiership the player to most frequently use this skill is probably Ronaldo. Although players must realise he is going to use this trick they still seem to fool for it. This is a great advantage of this skill as if it is mastered it will be almost impossible for the defender to know whether you will change direction from using the step over.
To do this trick you simply need to bring your foot over the ball without actually touching it. You could do this with either leg. Once done this may confuse your opponent and they may shift their balance in one direction. You could use this to your advantage and go round a player the other side.
If you practice this often you could get quicker at it, and this could make you more effective. It also seems to be the case that the more you exaggerate the step over the more you can confuse a defender and I would try not to be to predictable with the step over.
You can learn how to master the step over on the BBC website
To do this trick you simply need to bring your foot over the ball without actually touching it. You could do this with either leg. Once done this may confuse your opponent and they may shift their balance in one direction. You could use this to your advantage and go round a player the other side.
If you practice this often you could get quicker at it, and this could make you more effective. It also seems to be the case that the more you exaggerate the step over the more you can confuse a defender and I would try not to be to predictable with the step over.
You can learn how to master the step over on the BBC website
Wednesday, 6 December 2006
Qualified teams in the Champions league
Some teams played yesterday the 5/12/2006 and some of the teams played today the 6/12/2006.
In terms of the British teams Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Celtic have now all qualified for the next round. They are know in the knockout stage. The knockout stage will start around mid February so there will be a short break from the champions league for now.
In their last game Chelsea eased to victory over Levski Sofia winning 2-0. For Arsenal to qualify they simply needed a draw and this is exactly what they got as the score at Porto away was 0-0. Celtic had already qualified but lost their game 3-1 to FC Copenhagen. This meant as Manchester United won 3-1 against Benfica they topped the group as a pose to Celtic.
The one concern of the British teams qualifying had to be Manchester United as they needed a point to qualify but went a goal down to Benfica, however unlike last year where they failed to win this game and didn't qualify for the knockout stage, they came fighting back and three headers from Vidic, Giggs and Saha finished the game off. Manchester United had their revenge. Unlucky Benfica, maybe next time.
You can view more information on current Champions league news by visiting the Uefa website
In terms of the British teams Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Celtic have now all qualified for the next round. They are know in the knockout stage. The knockout stage will start around mid February so there will be a short break from the champions league for now.
In their last game Chelsea eased to victory over Levski Sofia winning 2-0. For Arsenal to qualify they simply needed a draw and this is exactly what they got as the score at Porto away was 0-0. Celtic had already qualified but lost their game 3-1 to FC Copenhagen. This meant as Manchester United won 3-1 against Benfica they topped the group as a pose to Celtic.
The one concern of the British teams qualifying had to be Manchester United as they needed a point to qualify but went a goal down to Benfica, however unlike last year where they failed to win this game and didn't qualify for the knockout stage, they came fighting back and three headers from Vidic, Giggs and Saha finished the game off. Manchester United had their revenge. Unlucky Benfica, maybe next time.
You can view more information on current Champions league news by visiting the Uefa website
Tuesday, 5 December 2006
The La liga
To be honest I don't see too much of the La liga but I occasionally see some goals on sky sports news and keep myself well informed by looking up news on La Liga on the internet. I therefore can explain a bit about the season so far.
Currently it is quite a close race with 13 matches played. The top three are only two points apart from each other with Barcelona currently first with 30 points, Real Madrid are second with 29 points and Sevilla third with 28.
Barcelona dropped points against Lavante as they drew 1-1. This allowed Real Madrid to gain two points on the leaders when they won 2-1 against Athletic Bilbao. I have seen that it was a Roberto Carlos drilled shot which won the game for them. Who could of predicted that. Similarly to the premiership this is looking like it might be a very close title race. I think that Barcelona's focus to stay in the champions league as they have a match later today against Werder Bremen may have worked against them in their last game in the La Liga which they drew.
Beckham has not played that much for Real Madrid this year. It seems as if Fabio Capello prefers other players to playing Beckham. I think that Beckham may be given more chances in the future. The situation does seem to be improving for Beckham though as he got 45 minutes in the match against Athletic Bilbao recently. It is also good to see Riquelme is still creating quality goals as he did this in Villareal's last match against Gimnàstic who are currently bottom of the table.
Overall the La Liga is shaping up to be quite good this year and I think the eventual winners will be either Real Madrid or Barcelona. If you have additional interest in the La liga then visit Soccer-Spain for more information.
Currently it is quite a close race with 13 matches played. The top three are only two points apart from each other with Barcelona currently first with 30 points, Real Madrid are second with 29 points and Sevilla third with 28.
Barcelona dropped points against Lavante as they drew 1-1. This allowed Real Madrid to gain two points on the leaders when they won 2-1 against Athletic Bilbao. I have seen that it was a Roberto Carlos drilled shot which won the game for them. Who could of predicted that. Similarly to the premiership this is looking like it might be a very close title race. I think that Barcelona's focus to stay in the champions league as they have a match later today against Werder Bremen may have worked against them in their last game in the La Liga which they drew.
Beckham has not played that much for Real Madrid this year. It seems as if Fabio Capello prefers other players to playing Beckham. I think that Beckham may be given more chances in the future. The situation does seem to be improving for Beckham though as he got 45 minutes in the match against Athletic Bilbao recently. It is also good to see Riquelme is still creating quality goals as he did this in Villareal's last match against Gimnàstic who are currently bottom of the table.
Overall the La Liga is shaping up to be quite good this year and I think the eventual winners will be either Real Madrid or Barcelona. If you have additional interest in the La liga then visit Soccer-Spain for more information.
Monday, 4 December 2006
George Best: The Best
If you are looking with for a player with pace, skill, balance, shooting ability, tackling ability, heading ability, passing ability, strength and a number of other attributes then look no further than the player George Best was. I think he was and probably always will be the best player of his type to have ever existed.
The way he simply ghosted pass players so easily was incredible to watch. In addition to this his balance was so good he could make the oppositions players end up on the floor without even touching them. His skills optimized what the perfect footballer is. Unfortunately he had weaknesses off the pitch but I only want to talk about what he did on the pitch because ultimately it is his football which counts.
I remember seeing him in a clip for Manchester United against Chelsea and he got slide tackled from the side by a Chelsea defender, however he still managed to regain his balance and went on to round the keeper and score. It was truly brilliant to watch. He has scored many other top goals and you can view some of his amazing talent on You tube. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see some of these clips as they will most definitely leave you in awe of the player.
George Best is my favourite player of all time as he probably is for many other people. In my opinion George Best is the best.
The way he simply ghosted pass players so easily was incredible to watch. In addition to this his balance was so good he could make the oppositions players end up on the floor without even touching them. His skills optimized what the perfect footballer is. Unfortunately he had weaknesses off the pitch but I only want to talk about what he did on the pitch because ultimately it is his football which counts.
I remember seeing him in a clip for Manchester United against Chelsea and he got slide tackled from the side by a Chelsea defender, however he still managed to regain his balance and went on to round the keeper and score. It was truly brilliant to watch. He has scored many other top goals and you can view some of his amazing talent on You tube. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see some of these clips as they will most definitely leave you in awe of the player.
George Best is my favourite player of all time as he probably is for many other people. In my opinion George Best is the best.
Sunday, 3 December 2006
Shin pads
It is considered very important to wear shin pads in football matches. If you don't wear them you could face getting badly injured. In the heat of a game I have found that ridiculous challenges can be made. I won't say I have never fouled a player, because there have been a few occasions I have given away free kicks. However I have never gone into a challenge hoping to injure or badly hurt a player. I think those who do are cowards and shouldn't be playing football.
My shin pads have probably saved me a couple of times because I don't like to back out of challenges so in my opinion if you play like this you need shin pads. Even if you are more of a reserved player who doesn't like to get stuck in shin pads should still be worn as some ridiculous challenges can still come flying in. As I have been on the receiving end of some challenges like this I have found shin pads to block the impact.
If shin pads were not worn if you get injured you may be out for a long time and this means no football until you have recovered. Would it be worth risking this? Surely not so I wear shin pads whenever I am playing football. Of course if you are just having a kick around then shin pads may not be essential.
My advice is that anyone who plays the game should wear shin pads, these can stop you from getting injured or badly hurt. Always Remember safety comes first.
My shin pads have probably saved me a couple of times because I don't like to back out of challenges so in my opinion if you play like this you need shin pads. Even if you are more of a reserved player who doesn't like to get stuck in shin pads should still be worn as some ridiculous challenges can still come flying in. As I have been on the receiving end of some challenges like this I have found shin pads to block the impact.
If shin pads were not worn if you get injured you may be out for a long time and this means no football until you have recovered. Would it be worth risking this? Surely not so I wear shin pads whenever I am playing football. Of course if you are just having a kick around then shin pads may not be essential.
My advice is that anyone who plays the game should wear shin pads, these can stop you from getting injured or badly hurt. Always Remember safety comes first.
Saturday, 2 December 2006
Teddy Sheringham: 40 and still going strong
It is incredible to see a 40 year old still playing at the highest level in football. That is Teddy Sheringham of West Ham who has played for a number of good teams in the past such as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Sheringham has won a number of medals in his career including the 1998/99 treble triumph with Manchester united. He was a very important player for Manchester United at this time and from coming on in the champions league final of 1999 scored the equaliser against Bayern Munich and then created the winner.
There are players half his age in the premiership such as Wayne Rooney who is 20. It is quite extraordinary to think Teddy Sheringham was playing professional football when Rooney was just born.
Teddy Sheringham has never really relied on his pace and I see this as one of the reasons he has been able to go on playing for so long. Instead he has seemed to use his football intelligence to get himself in the right positions and pass at the right time in the right place. The thing is he is still having a great impact in the premiership and scored a great header a short time ago. He has had a great career and is continuing to have one even though he is an old man in a football age perspective.
West Ham are struggling a bit at the moment but if anyone can get them out of trouble it is Teddy.
There are players half his age in the premiership such as Wayne Rooney who is 20. It is quite extraordinary to think Teddy Sheringham was playing professional football when Rooney was just born.
Teddy Sheringham has never really relied on his pace and I see this as one of the reasons he has been able to go on playing for so long. Instead he has seemed to use his football intelligence to get himself in the right positions and pass at the right time in the right place. The thing is he is still having a great impact in the premiership and scored a great header a short time ago. He has had a great career and is continuing to have one even though he is an old man in a football age perspective.
West Ham are struggling a bit at the moment but if anyone can get them out of trouble it is Teddy.
Friday, 1 December 2006
Ideas for football presents
Today is the 1st of December, meaning only 24 days to Christmas. This is only a bit more than 3 weeks! Therefore it is good to know what you want for Christmas in terms of footy gifts. There are a number of football gifts which can be bought this year. Under a broad range of gifts these could include new football boots, a new football, football shirts, football computer games, football DVDs and so on. The list is endless.
Of course the present you want will probably depend on what you've already got, for example I have already got a decent pair of football boots and so don't need any this Christmas. The pair I have are diadora, the same pair players like Roy Keane and Gary Neville have worn in the past which is good to know. They have been very reliable so far so I would recommend these as a Christmas present. Different players will want different types of boots though, I personally only like boots where the laces are at the top and not somewhere where I consider to be silly, for example on the side of the boot. We all have our preferences though.
In terms of footballs, one football I think is good is the Finale Sportivo which you can see on the Argos website This is a replica football of the one used in the champions league. It is a decent football which moves quickly along the ground, this means it may be good for fast players but no so good for the not so speed orientated players. The style of the football is also a nice touch.
A number of other football gifts can be seen on the 4football website Interestingly this site also allows you to buy a share in your supported team if this is possible. I think it would be a good feeling to know you own part of the football club, even though it might be very small. You could hang it on your wall and look at it every day!
Of course the present you want will probably depend on what you've already got, for example I have already got a decent pair of football boots and so don't need any this Christmas. The pair I have are diadora, the same pair players like Roy Keane and Gary Neville have worn in the past which is good to know. They have been very reliable so far so I would recommend these as a Christmas present. Different players will want different types of boots though, I personally only like boots where the laces are at the top and not somewhere where I consider to be silly, for example on the side of the boot. We all have our preferences though.
In terms of footballs, one football I think is good is the Finale Sportivo which you can see on the Argos website This is a replica football of the one used in the champions league. It is a decent football which moves quickly along the ground, this means it may be good for fast players but no so good for the not so speed orientated players. The style of the football is also a nice touch.
A number of other football gifts can be seen on the 4football website Interestingly this site also allows you to buy a share in your supported team if this is possible. I think it would be a good feeling to know you own part of the football club, even though it might be very small. You could hang it on your wall and look at it every day!
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