All posts by h79snht.top

So the football season is coming to an end. All we have to look forward to is the Champions League final and a couple of Playoff finals, but then there’s two months when there’s no domestic football action to watch. Yes there’s the European U21 Championships, but Stuart Pearce’s eleven will not feature Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere or Liverpool’s Andy Carroll after a long, gruelling season. So, how are you going to fight off the boredom and keep yourself occupied until the new season starts in August?

Undoubtedly, many of you will turn to FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer. If you can’t watch footy on the TV, why not play it instead? However, the latest versions of these football games came out last year and with new iterations not due out until the autumn, you might have played them to death already. You could even take to the parks and have a kick about with your mates, but that might be a little bit too energetic for your tastes. However, there is another option available to you.

If you’ve had enough of footy and would like a break, just like the stars of the Premier League, then why not try out a brand new Motorcycling game. The brand new FIM Superbike World Championship game will keep you occupied long into the summer so that the football season will come around just that little bit quicker. After the revolutionary and acclaimed SBK®X, Milestone is ready to bring another masterpiece in the racing genre to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, with the upcoming release of SBK®2011, the ultimate motorbike racing game.

So, instead of moping around and counting down the days on your calendar until the new football season starts, use your spare time to master the track in this stunning superbike game. If you thought the action in the Premier League was fast and frantic, prepare for a real dose of speed on two wheels. If your team had a dreadful season, this is also a chance to forget all about it and win something for a change. So, like SWP, why don’t you get on your bike?

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Check out the video for SBK 2011 below…

Without a shadow of a doubt the famous Champions League music will be ringing out at White Hart Lane next season. The bright lights of Europe’s premier club competition grow ever closer for Tottenham Hotspur as their domestic season draws nearer to its conclusion. Sitting comfortably in the Premier League’s top three with only the FA Cup to concern themselves with their time should be utilized effectively to ensure they can compete in a competition that has changed drastically during their year long absence.

Spurs’ enthralling debut campaign in the Champions League was cruelly terminated at the quarter-final stage by Real Madrid last year. A humbling defeat at the hands of the La Liga giants left supporters realising the squad would need to be strengthened if they were to compete with the best Europe has to offer. Whilst reaching the last eight was an achievement beyond the North Londoners’ wildest dreams its worth noting that emulating their feats of 2010/11 will be incredibly difficult. Big spending Manchester City and neighbours United were both knocked out of this seasons competition at the group stage whilst Arsenal and Chelsea are close to being nudged off the edge without so much as a whimper. With four of English footballs superpowers struggling to survive on the continent what hope to Tottenham have of surviving?

Arguably Spurs are a stronger side than they did 12 months ago. The addition of Emmanuel Adebayor, Brad Friedel and Scott Parker has transformed them into Premier League title contenders this season. The latter pair have been the unsung heroes at White Hart Lane this season with Friedel offering an experienced head behind a sometimes erratic back four. Younes Kaboul has been a shining light at centre half with Kyle Walker and Benoit Assou Ekotto also made of sturdier stuff. Parker has also received plaudits for his commanding displays in the engine room providing a license for Luka Modric to scheme and construct in the final third. Adebayor, should he stay, has provided the muscle they’ve lacked for so long and seems to have found a team capable of playing to his strengths. Along with the new additions a majority of the squad played together in their first Champions League adventure that took them on a wild ride to the quarter-finals.

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Back then they were an unknown quantity with teams unable to fathom how to quell the threats posed by Gareth Bale and Modric. The Croatian is Spurs’ deadliest weapon when in possession and if given time to create he can split a defence in the blink of an eye. Bale is of a similar ilk. Inter Milan didn’t have the first clue how to address his speed and direct running on the night of his unforgettable San Siro hat trick. This time around they won’t have the element of surprise on their side making their task of progressing from the group stages a lot harder. Whilst they still play with the same fluid attacking style teams will have done their homework and will set out their stalls to try and neutralise their attacking threats taking out Tottenham’s principal route to goal and leaving them in need of fresh ideas. Getting the ball out to Bale or Aaron Lennon and asking them to run at the full backs just won’t cut it anymore. Modric will be man marked and choked of space and the lone striker will be nullified.

This is where manager Harry Redknapp is required to impart some tactical wisdom upon his side along with a lashing of his famed man management. Looking at it the 64-year-old will be the Lillywhites’ most potent weapon as they prepare for another assault on Europe. The job he has done at White Hart Lane in just over three years is nothing short of remarkable taking the club from the relegation zone to the brink of a title challenge in such a short space of time.

Redknapp has crafted arguably the best Tottenham squad in 60-years and it’s little wonder he is the front runner to take over the vacant England job. And therein lies the biggest problem that could dash the clubs dream of competing at the highest stage in Europe. Should he be tempted to take the national reigns where would that leave Spurs? Who else could possibly fill his shoes? Quite frankly it’s not even worth thinking about. When he took over  the dressing room was filled with individuals. There was no cohesion, no togetherness and a lack of unity. Redknapp soon sought to that and the turnaround during his time in the dugout has transformed the club in a manner no one thought possible. His fabled ability to get the very best out of his players has ignited Bale’s career turning from an expensive flop into one of the best left sided players in the world. It’s not just the Welshman that has benefitted from the 64-year-0ld’s approach. Assou-Ekotto, Kaboul, Lennon, Modric and Kyle Walker to name a few have all undergone a metamorphoses under Redknapp’s leadership.

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To say Tottenham are well equipped to compete in the Champions League next season would be jumping the gun. Yes, they have a squad capable of standing toe-to-toe with the very best but Redknapp is the cement that holds the structure together. His future at the club will determine how well they do when battle commences with Europe’s finest.

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Swansea and Reading will contest the Championship play-off final on bank holiday Monday for a place in the Premier League. But neither side would look out of place in the top flight and after the season each club has had their place would be fully deserved.

Swansea have had a fairly consistent season and featured in the top 6 for the majority of it. Their success has been built on their very impressive home form that produced 15 wins and only 3 defeats. However, if there was anything that let them down this season it was the number of games they lost away. Although they won 9 games on the road the tally of 11 defeats is the worst in the top 9. However, despite missing out on automatic promotion they now have another chance in the play-off final after beating Nottingham Forest in the semi-final.

Reading in many ways have had a very different season to Swansea even though the final league table shows them separated by only 3 points. However, in many ways they gate crashed the play-off party as one team usual does. For much of the season it looked like a finish in the top half of the table was as good as it was going to get. But Reading have a fantastic spirit about them and a run of games that included 8 consecutive wins put them right in contention and for a second it looked like automatic promotion might be on the cards.

It promises to be an exciting final between two sides that enjoy playing good football and both have one or two players to watch and worth keeping an eye on. Swansea play a very patient game of possession football and like to control games and that should put them in good stead in the Premier League should they get there. However, they also have some very good attacking players that can get in behind teams. Players worth keeping an eye on include former Chelsea man Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer and on-loan Chelsea striker Fabio Borini – who has made a real impact in a short space of time.

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Reading like Swansea has some real talent and pace in their side that would cause problems for any defence. Players worth keeping an eye on include Jobi McAnuff, Jimmy Kebe and their top scorer Shane Long. Good luck to both teams in the final and whoever is successful can look forward to the challenge of the Premier League.

There are certainly plenty of good things going for each club. They both play in modern stadiums, like to play football in the right way, have players that would not look out of place in the Premier League and both have up and coming managers; no reason to think that one of these teams cannot become a permanent fixture in the Premier League.

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Arsenal fans have warned to be careful for what they wish for in light of the criticism directed towards Arsene Wenger. Sir Alex believes that the Frenchman deserves a huge amount of respect, given the giant strides he has made at the football club during his tenure. Wenger has done his level best to redress the balance with a deadline day splurge, which has gone some way in pacifying some of his critics.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Gunners blogs that include the penny finally drops for Arsenal; Sol worth a gamble? Time for Wenger to utilise his £15m Plan B.

We also look at the best Arsenal articles around the web this week

Caption Competition: And the award for the biggest ego at Arsenal goes to…

Sol worth the gamble at Arsenal?

Can Wenger recreate the Bergkamp and Henry axis within?

Arsenal and Chelsea looking to activate £3m clause

Arsene Wenger should consider his exit strategy

The penny finally drops for Arsene Wenger

How do you ever follow a footballing legend?

A shrewd £10m move by Arsene Wenger?

Time for Wenger to utilise his £15m Plan B?

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Best of WEB

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Wenger being lined up by the FA? Leave Our Man Alone!…… – Highbury House

Some pretty amazing Arsenal Data on injuries… – Le Grove

Arsenal’s Forgotten Man? – Online Gooner

One Of Us Speaks: This Time It’s For Real – A Cultured Left Foot

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Can Arsenal’s new centre-back emulate club legend Tony Adams? – Gunnersphere

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Andre Villas Boas has stated that he feels Chelsea can still win the Premier League, and wants his side to return to winning ways against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night.

The Stamford Bridge outfit have had an autumn blip, with a 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool on Sunday making it three league defeats on the bounce for the London side.

The Blues face a tricky trip to the BayArena in midweek in the Champions League, but despite a drop in form the Portuguese coach is keeping upbeat.

“We have to believe in the work we are doing to get back to winning ways,” he told The Guardian.

“The players have immense talent and I have faith in them, and you can’t forget we are still in all four competitions. But now we have to focus just on what we are doing.

“The Premier League has got more difficult but it’s not impossible [still to win it]. We have to trust the December fixtures and, above all, we have to find the belief again to fight for the title.

“But the most important thing is finding winning ways straightaway, if possible, against Leverkusen which is a massive game.

“Then we have three games in the Premier League where we must try to get nine points. The challenge is to have the belief and strength to fight for those nine points. But if we get nine points, it would put us in a different perspective,” he concluded.

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Chelsea are now 12 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City and sit in fifth place currently.

By Gareth McKnight

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David Villa knows that Barcelona must take advantage of playing the first leg at home in their Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.The La Liga title holders have an opportunity to take an aggregate lead in the quarter-final tie when they play host to Shakhtar at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

But if they fail to gain a positive result at home, Barca may need to become the first team to win away to Shakhtar in Europe since the Ukrainian champions moved to the Donbass Arena in 2009.

“We’ve had a good weekend in the league (beating Sevilla on Sunday) and are very happy about it, but now we are in another competition against a tough opponent,” Spain striker Villa said.

“We’re playing at home in front of our own fans, but we still need to play well and not make hard work for ourselves in the second leg.”

“At this stage of the competition it’s very difficult to take a clear advantage going into the second leg (which is) at a ground at which Shakhtar haven’t lost yet.”

“They also play much better football in front of their own fans. We need to play well there.”

Javier Hernandez scored twice to send Manchester United into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Marseille.The Mexican striker, chosen ahead of top scorer Dimitar Berbatov, rewarded his manager’s faith with a smartly-taken, close-range finish in each half before Marseille replied through a Wes Brown own goal late on.That was enough to clinch a 2-1 aggregate victory for United who had drawn the first leg 0-0 in France.United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had promised his team would go all out for victory in this tie and he was true to his word as the home side took the lead after only five minutes.Wayne Rooney volleyed a wonderful pass out to the wing, received the return ball from Ryan Giggs and crossed low for Hernandez to score from close range.It was a classic United goal and they had plenty more chances in an entertaining first half, including a penalty claim when Hernandez appeared to be sent tumbling following a break-away move. But Marseille were by no means bystanders and created a string of opportunities themselves. Andre-Pierre Gignac wasted one wonderful chance when clean through, while Souleymane Diawara should have scored when he headed narrowly wide from a well-worked short-corner.United had winger Nani back in action ahead of schedule after recovering from a cut in his shin but were without Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand in defence because of calf injuries.Their defensive worries worsened, too, when substitute Rafael Da Silva was carried off in the second half and John O’Shea departed after only 37 minutes with a hamstring injury.But fortunately United could still rely on goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who saved smartly from Cheyrou after 75 minutes to deny the French side an equaliser.It proved crucial because seconds later United clinched the tie, Hernandez grabbing his second of the night after substitute Antonio Valencia set up Giggs to cross low into the box.Hernandez’s calmly side-footed finish was typical of the striker who has now scored 16 goals this season. Marseille gave the home team a nervy finale after Wes Brown headed a Gonzalez corner into his own net after 83 minutes, despite Paul Scholes’ attempts to clear it off the line. But United eventually made it safely through and await Friday’s quarter-final draw with interest.

Manchester City and Arsenal have all but agreed a fee regarding the sale of Samir Nasri – an even this is not too far away.

This news will not be welcomed by Adam Johnson who will now seek a move away from Eastlands.

This year is a big one for the former Middlesborough man. If Johnson can perform to his ability, he can establish himself amongst Ashley Young, Stewart Downing, Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott as one of the starters for England on the flanks.

Despite a promising start to both his Manchester City and England career, Johnson has struggled to get into City’s starting line-up, and will certainly play second-fiddle to fellow left-sided midfielder Samir Nasri.

This will have a whole host of Premiership clubs fighting for Johnson’s signature. Reports last month suggested that Johnson was in line for a move on loan to Everton or Sunderland, and the interest from both these sides remains.

However, having sold two wide men this summer, Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish is also observing with interest.

Newcastle would also be keen on a move for Johnson to bulk up their depleted and yet more depleting squad. Though it would be tough at first for fans to welcome the signing of a Sunderland-born, former Middlesborough player.

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Every manager brings something different out of every player. Some managers like Wenger and Ferguson pride themselves on getting the best out of their players whilst others such as Redknapp expect their squad to prove themselves or face being dropped. Players are signed for their clubs in a frenzy of praise from manager and fans with press releases, blog posts and YouTube compilations spreading at an exponential rate the moment a player signing is announced, but it doesn’t always work out. Look at Diego Forlan. A laughing stock in the Premier League but then he gets shipped of to Villarreal and starts banging in the goals like nobody’s business. I remember one year he scored a hat trick on the last day of the season to win the golden boot for Europe joint with Thierry Henry. Not bad for a striker who supposedly didn’t know where the goal was. And he’s not the only one. Every season there is wasted talent in the league, players not being played or not benefiting from their manager’s tactics. So who are the top ten wasted talents in the premier league this season?

Click on Stephen Ireland to unveil the top 10

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Manchester United defender Jonny Evans is relishing the prospect of additional competition for a first-team spot.The arrival of Phil Jones from Blackburn and last season’s form of Chris Smalling means the 23-year-old Northern Ireland international faces increased pressure to prove he can replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

However, Evans is not fazed by the challenge.

“I have always thought that being at a club like Manchester United, if you can’t accept a challenge of someone wanting your spot, you don’t deserve to be here,” Evans told the Manchester Evening News ahead of United’s US tour opener against the New England Revolution in Boston.

“That is what Manchester United is all about. You are constantly being tested.”

“It is down to you, whether you are good enough, or whether you are putting the effort in to play for the first team.”

Evans was speaking at a Special Olympics event in Boston, the first in a series of initiatives during the course of United’s three-week tour aimed at offering sporting activities to those suffering from learning disabilities.

But his thoughts never strayed too far from the new season, and the opportunity to wipe out memories of the 3-1 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona.

“That defeat will stick in the lads’ heads,” Evans said.

“These lads have been so successful throughout their careers but they still remember defeats.”

“I am sure they will have that at the back of their minds coming into the new season.”

“Barcelona have set the standard. They have gone to another level.”

“Maybe 10 years ago, when Manchester United went into Europe, there was a gap to bridge and we managed to do it.”

“The challenge is there for us again. Hopefully we can get closer to them.”

Defensive team-mate Ferdinand has, meanwhile, hailed Sir Alex Ferguson’s dip into the transfer market.

Jones, England forward Ashley Young and Spain Under-21 keeper David de Gea have all completed their moves to Old Trafford.

“It is just what the club needs,” Ferdinand said.

“Three of our most experienced players have retired, so the manager has reinforced certain positions on the field.”

“This club is always evolving. That is what has happened since I have been here. I was part of it.”

“That is what you aim to do. It is not about your personal feelings.”

“It is about the club becoming better and more stable and continuing the success we have had over the years.”

“We have some very young players coming through the youth team already, so when the manager adds players of quality like Phil Jones, Ashley Young and David de Gea, it can only improve the squad, increase our longevity and continue our success.”