Tag Futebol

Tottenham’s maiden voyage in to the dizzy heights of Champions League football gave the supporters a taster of what it was like to watch their team on the biggest stage of European club football. Playing against superpowers such as, Real Madrid and the Milanese giants are adventures the Tottenham fans will be desperate to experience again. Therefore it makes the coming season a critical one for Tottenham, as failure to qualify for the Champions League this season could have implications on the progression of the club.

In order to make the Champions League next season Tottenham must ensure they keep hold of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale this summer. I think the odds of Spurs retaining their two prized assets are in their favour, however, there is quite clearly interest from top clubs in two of the Premiership’s star performers from last season. Ensuring the players don’t have their heads turned by the lure of Champions League football and bigger wages will be a tough task, but if anyone is capable of keeping them it’s Harry Redknapp. Assuming that Bale and Modric both stay with Spurs throughout next season, should the club miss out on a top four spot again, surely it would then cast real doubt over the future of their Tottenham careers.

Keeping their top players will be of vital importance for Spurs, as the competition to gain a Champions League place will be a much tougher ask next season, due to the continual improvement of other teams. Manchester City will be looking to cement themselves as a top four team and you can guarantee that huge sums of money will be spent to help them achieve this. Then there is Liverpool, a side that have been rejuvenated since the return of Kenny Dalglish and the men form Merseyside are building a side capable of attaining Champions League football. Liverpool have been flexing their financial muscles since January in a bid to strengthen their side and make up for the disappointment of missing out on the competition for the last two seasons.

By finishing in fifth place last season Tottenham of course booked a place in the poisoned chalice that is the Europa League. Although it will still bring European football to White Hart Lane, after last season’s rollercoaster ride the Europa League will seem more like the tea cups. More importantly a sustained run in the competition could prove to be a real hindrance to Tottenham’s league form, which could dent their hopes of making the Champions League. This raises the question, if the Europa League could impact on their main goal of a top four finish, how seriously should Tottenham take the competition?

Then we come to the very real possibility that Harry Redknapp could become the next England manager after Euro 2012. Although Spurs fans seem split on their feelings towards Redknapp, I feel if they were to lose him at the end of a season that fails to bring Champions League football, it would be a double blow to the club. Harry has certainly started something special at Tottenham and if he does leave where would it leave Spurs?

If Tottenham qualify for the Champions League next season the club will obviously be in a much stronger position to continue the recent growth that has been evident since Redknapp took charge of the club. They would be in a better position to retain their top players and the financial rewards will be of great importance as Tottenham work towards the development of their new stadium. I think Champions League qualification is crucial for Tottenham next season and the pitfalls of failing to qualify will become evident in the future of the football club.

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In light of the big debate as to whether Fulham’s new away kit is one of the worse the Premier League has ever seen, I have taken the time out to assess the worst Liverpool kits of our time.

There’s something unsettling about a multi-national sports manufacturer managing to botch the simple task of designing a football shirt. However, whilst Liverpool have had some decent kits over the years, some of the shirts Liverpool fans have been cursed with would have been more at home in an avant-garde fashion show for Vivienne Westwood. However, we haven’t got all day, and so here are arguably the top five worst Liverpool shirts…

5. 1981-82 3rd strip, Umbro

Perhaps this pinstriped number has a sense of wistfulness about it for some Liverpool fans. They did, after all, win Division 1 and the League Cup the season this shirt was worn. Further, the legendary Bill Shankly tragically died of a heart attack at the age of 67 at the start of the 1981/82 season.

However, nostalgia aside, this shirt looks more like a school PE kit than a professional football team’s jersey. The shimmering, shiney material looks cheap, and that shade of yellow is wrong on many levels. Shame on you Umbro.

4. 1987/88 away strip, Adidas

This was the first ever grey Liverpool away shirt, and so is responsible for all it’s equally grey ugly siblings that that came along later.

If this kit were a child at school, it would definitely have been picked on profusely, and it would only have itself to blame. When has grey been part of Liverpool colours? When has a murky grey ever been part of the Reds tradition? Historically, Liverpool played in white shirts and black shorts away from home. However, in 1987/88 all hell broke loose and Adidas went with a grey abomination.

However, Liverpool did win their penultimate championship with this as their away kit, and last season they came close to winning the league again for the first time in 19 years with another grey shirt…perhaps they’re lucky?

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3. 1991/92 home strip, Adidas

Is this a Liverpool shirt, or an Adidas t-shirt? It looks like something even a Mancunian might have mistakenly picked out to wear at an early 90s rave. Seriously Adidas, we get it, your logo is three stripes, but where’s the Liverpool in this red eyesore?

Liverpool fans might still harbour fond memories of this kit however, as they lifted the FA Cup in 1992 wearing this shirt, with Ian Rush and Michael Thomas getting the goals in a 2-0 win over Sunderland. However, with Graeme Souness at the helm, Liverpool were a club in decline, finishing sixth in the league that season.

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2. 1996/97 away strip, Reebok

All hail Reebok’s first stab at a Liverpool away kit. The result: beige.

Beige? Why beige? Did Reebok think that there was some sort of intrinsic link between Liverpool and the colour beige? They must have, because they couldn’t have looked at the shirt and thought ‘that looks nice. Yes, we’ll go with the beige’.

It looks like the neutral colour people paint their bedrooms on those annoying property daytime TV shows, of which I am unfortunately all-too familiar. Liverpool need a bold colour, something representative of their proud histroy. Liverpool, under the management of Roy Evans, couldn’t even manage a League Cup or FA Cup in this kit, and I’m not surprised.

1. 1994-1996 3rd strip, Adidas

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Here we are then, ladies and gentleman. Possibly, the worst kit Liverpool have ever had. Personally, I class this kit as orange. Maybe it is yellow, but for me, it’s at least bordering orange and so the damage is done.

It’s difficult to make out the black outline of the Liverpool badge here, to the extent that it could be just another old orange t-shirt left, on the shelf.

It’s actually such an ugly colour, it leaves you yearning for the grey number, or even one of those various green fashion disasters.

Well, those were the days, and these are the kits. Apologies to those who bought and wore these shirts, we’ve all been there. Let’s just hope that next season, Adidas don’t pull out another orange number…

Any glaring omissions?

A leading heart specialist has stated that Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba is unlikely to play football again after his recent health scare.

The former England under-21 international collapsed on the White Hart Lane pitch ten days ago, and was rushed to hospital and revived after his heart had stopped for 80 minutes.

Muamba is seemingly on the mend and improving day-by-day, however Peter Weissberg, who is the medical director of the British Heart Foundation, feels that his playing career may well be over.

“It is not possible to say, but I think it is likely he would be advised not to play again because most conditions like this are a combination of physical activity and an underlying tendency to have a cardiac arrest,” he told Mirror Football.

“With people like Fabrice, we can put in a defibrillator inside the body.

“But I repeat, I think it is unlikely he would be advised to play football again even though he may be fit and healthy to do so,” the medical professional concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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The new Euro beach soccer league has kicked off in Switzerland with the hosts impressing in their first outing.The first stage is being held in Bern with six more countries due to host the tournament, and the final to be played in Valencia.

The Swiss began their campaign by beating Turkey 6-4 in a thriller in front of their home fans.

The home side, who were runners-up at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, started strongly going 2-0 up through Dejan Stankovic.

But Turkey, who were recently promoted to this competition, turned things around and were 4-2 up going into the final period.

However Switzerland dug deep and Kaspar Jaeggy’s late strike put them 5-4 ahead.

The Swiss are now level on points with Spain at the top of Group A.

The Spaniards beat Italy 5-3 in their opening match of the tournament.

They started strongly and took the lead after 10 minutes when debutant Aceiton scored with this diving header.

The Italians fought back though, and levelled the game at 2-2 with Ramacciotti’s spectacular free-kick.

But last season’s runners-up Spain had too much for the Azzuri and Nico sealed their victory.

In Group B, Israel got off to a flying start with a 6-3 win Norway, though they were made to work for it.

The Norwegians got off to an excellent start and were 2-0 up inside 12 minutes, Tome-Rune Sorensen getting both goals.

Israel, who have never made it to the final stages of the competition before, fought back and Thazi Lloz scored a quick-fire hat-trick to put them 3-2 ahead.

From there on the Middle East outfit grew in confidence and Amer Yatim sealed the win to put Israel top of Group B.

They will look to cement top spot against the Ukraine tomorrow, while Norway must beat the same nation later to have any chance of progressing.

There’s only one piece of football news that’s been on the back pages this week and that was the story that Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney wanted to leave Old Trafford. As it turns out Rooney has actually only gone and signed a new 5 year contract with Manchester United, so he’ll be at Old Trafford for a little while yet.  But why has Rooney decided to stay? Was it something that Sir Alex Ferguson said to him in private? Did Coleen refuse to move away from Manchester? Or could Rooney just not bring himself to sign for rivals Manchester City and he didn’t fancy moving to London to join Chelsea or relocate to Spain to sign for Real Madrid or Barcelona? Here are Rooney and Ferguson having a chat in training, but what did Fegie say to convince Roo to stay?

Leave your suggestions below…

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Check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.

Last week’s winner: teamSlinky – click here to see all entries

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has stated that William Gallas has been urging the club’s players to have a winning mentality, and to go for the Premier League title rather than settling for a top four place.

The north London outfit have been one of the standout performers in the country this season, and are currently in third place in the top flight; Defoe has revealed Gallas’ motivational outlook.

“When Gallas was at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, they were unbelievable,” Defoe told Mirror Football.

“They didn’t lose a game at home because they had that rock-solid belief.

“He passes that all on to us and tells us to stop settling for fourth place and qualifying for the Champions League, like we did two years ago.

“He tells us to think, first and foremost, about finishing top. Hopefully the top two will slip up. You never know what will happen between now and the end of the season.

“The other day, I was having a conversation with him and he was saying that he doesn’t understand anyone within the squad who thinks we can finish fourth or even third.

“If you look at the players we have got, the way we play and where we are in the League now, why can’t we win it?”

“William has been there and he has done it.

“He told me about his time at Chelsea, where he and the other players had that arrogance in that, whoever they played against, they believed they could win.

“And he keeps saying that we need to really believe we can actually win it. Forget about finishing fourth,” he concluded.

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Spurs take on Arsenal in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

By Gareth McKnight

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If given enough time and purpose I could write a long and poisonous diatribe against the evils of Sky television. With it’s egregious presentation, farcical hyperbole and pre-Premier League amnesia it’s virtually short hand for all that is ill in the modern game. Why if I were a semi decent mid-table Premier League youngster I’d be big headed and self important too if I watched enough pumped up featurettes of myself running and gurning in slow motion to the music from Gladiator.

I could also write a damning and dismissive critique of good old Auntie Beeb, with its lazy, entitled approach to our national sport, uninsightfull and ill researched analysis (cough Alan Shearer cough) and the sneaking suspicion we’re paying for them all to regularly frequent tanning salons and hold lavish Eyes Wide Shut style parties

However I wouldn’t and won’t, because the crimes of these two pale into insignificance next to the behemoth of televisual football balls ups – ITV.

In a stricter, less forgiving world – and the one I’ll run when I’m eventually recognised as the rightful lord and master of the Universe – ITV would’ve been banished from presenting the FA Cup after they cut to an advertising break just before Everton’s dramatic Extra-Time winner against Liverpool in 2009. But alas, due to the namby pamby liberal nature of modern British society (Nick Clegg? Pah!) they were reprieved, and allowed to trundle on and do it again during England’s World Cup opening game against the USA, depriving ITV HD viewers the joy of watching a full third of England’s tournament net bulging.

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In my – just and righteous – new World they would’ve been stripped of their terrestrial status and made to go and play in the corner with Bravo and Granada Men and Motors, with their 3rd channel status given to BBCThree or More4, but again they were let off. Shamefully.

Even when they pulled off the coup of all coups and stole Match of the Day from under Auntie’s nose, they somehow managed to mess it up, playing only 28 minutes of football highlights in their first 70 minute show under the bizarre assumption that what viewers who tuned into a football highlights show actually wanted to see was Andy Townsend talking, something they took to surreal levels of absurdity with “Townsend’s Tactics Truck”, in which our erstwhile hero corrected tactical errors in hindsight to the actual, live Premiership players who’d made them, whilst in the back of a truck.

Even their generally competent coverage of the Champions League – their flagship footballing broadcast – was often marred by their insistence on awful punditry, which reached such dire levels Townsend and Robbie Earle were forced to stand outside on the pitch with a little wooden table and not allowed back in again until they made sense.

And now, due in part to their own lust for power and in part the BBC’s lackadaisical arrogance, they’ve gained control of the FA Cup, something we all felt the consequences of last weekend.

Continue to PAGE TWO…

Despite early worries, both Arsenal vs. Leeds and Manchester United vs. Liverpool managed to broadcast without cutting to a commercial break at any time during play, and despite a couple more cracks creeping into their already established flaws of tacky presentation and poor punditry, they mostly passed off without a hitch and to a casual observer, vaguely well.

New but minor annoyances included the “slightly smudged into the screen” effect used on the in-screen scoreboard, presumably in an attempt to make it look cool and futuristic, but which only succeeded in making me feel drunk and unsure of my focus levels, and the brazen new levels of bias co-commentary employed by former Liverpool clogger Jim Beglin, who seemed completely unwilling to admit Manchester United were even playing in their 3rd round tie, let alone deserving of any credit for it. The little whimper he let out when Gerrard was dismissed was ample make up for that though and I suppose the commercial channels have no requirement to be impartial.

No, the real crimes were left for the late night highlights show, and that’s when it all became hopelessly clear – yet again – that ITV should not be allowed access to our treasured sporting events.

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Prefixed by a sort of Grange Hill on acid title sequence, highlight coverage of their non-live games was shocking, seemingly filmed on a partial zoom ten rows down from where the BBC and Sky are allowed to film from. Whilst their rivals can manage to make a League One ground seem relatively imposing and 21st century with their flattering angles and whoosing effects, “The FA Cup Highlights Show” managed to make Sunderland’s Premier League stadium look like it was being filmed 10 years ago for an end of season VHS compilation of an uninteresting midweek Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash. The quality was infinitely inferior, and even seemed shaky at times, like it was being filmed on a camera phone – presumably because they’d run out of money after splashing it all on the smudge effect scoreboard for their live games. Consistency seemed to be another problem, with some replays just ignored and others pored over and one goal even missed altogether (Sheffield Wednesday) because the Cameraman was looking in the wrong direction.

And of course, more Andy Townsend.

I remember being angry when Sky bought the rights to Champions League and England games a few years back, believing they should be solely the preserve of terrestrial television, but I forgive them their indulgences and their single handed ruination of modern culture, because they do it well. And I forgive the BBC their snobbery  and controversial infant-swapping storylines because they are classy when they get it right. ITV even ruined F1 when they had it, and that’s just people going round in a circle for 4 hours. They need to be stopped before they get their hands on Wimbledon, or Crufts, or worse, the Premiership again. Won’t somebody please think of the children!

You can follow Oscar on Twitter here; http://twitter.com/oscarpyejeary, where you can lend him the money to re-make 80s Sci-Fi serial Quantum Leap in his garden. It’ll be good, trust me.

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Before you say anything. I have left Gary Lineker and his Walkers adverts out because you could compile an entire list based on those alone. So I’ll leave it to the others to try and compete.

10 David Beckham: Sharpie

In the Sharpie boardroom: “What about if we try Beckham?”

“He’ll never agree. He already has Adidas, Armani, Pepsi, his own clothes range, Police sunglasses… He won’t do an advert for us, uh…oh, hang on…he’s said yes.”

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9 Gareth Southgate: Pizza Hut

I assume this was just some sort of therapy for Gareth…

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8 Jose Mourinho: American Express

I think he actually tells his players to block the keeper. Maybe that’s how he’s has all that success, I mean, Terry and Carvalho took his advice.

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7 Thierry Henry: Renault Clio

Hey Bobby! What is the French for “I would never drive a Clio.”

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6 Thierry Henry: Gillette

The Gillette curse can strike at any time. Henry handed Ireland a route home, rather than to South Africa. Tiger Woods slept his way around every club, hotel and diner in America. And now we wait with baited breath for Roger Federer to get exposed as a crack-addict.

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Continued on Page TWO

5 The Redknapp Family: Nintendo Wii

Oh aren’t we all happy and fun, playing games with each other and pretending we all live together. Harry must be pushing for a bus pass soon, and we’re supposed to believe he can’t put his Wii control down. Hmmmm.

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4 Ian Wright & Shaun Wright-Phillips: Nintendo Wii

Nintendo obviously love pushing the family values of their products. Maybe they should play the Redknapps?

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3 Ian Wright: Chicken Tonight

In with a second appearance in the list with this shocker. Ian Wright pretending to be posh. Do posh people really eat Chicken Tonight?

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2 Jamie Redknapp: Thomas Cook

We book it. We play it. We live it. Actually you two, we hate it. A lot.

I’ll let this (potentially) modified version talk you through the finer points.

[youtube pahG_9jo9UQ]

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1 Kevin Keegan: Brut

It doesn’t get more homoerotic than this. Like Top Gun and Brokeback Mountain rolled into one, King Kev (in his sex symbol days) works up a sweat, and then lathers up with boxing legend Henry Cooper.

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It has been a quite a week for Sir Alex Ferguson with two impressive wins sandwiching a personal accolade from FIFA for his achievements within the game. As Sepp Blatter pointed out at the Ballon d’Or gala; 25 years at the top level at a club of Manchester United’s stature is a phenomenal achievement and is unlikely to be replicated again within football.

Sir Alex was rightly touched by the award and the personal tributes he received from various footballing personalities, but what about the man himself and who were his heroes within the game? One of them is certainly no stranger to United fans, in fact it is the ‘King of Old Trafford’ himself Denis Law, who scored 237 goals in 404 games at Old Trafford.

Ferguson told Yahoo! Eurosport, “He epitomised to me everything about a Scotsman. He could start a row in an empty house, fight his own shadow, unbelievable courage, electric pace, exciting and dynamic to watch – I always loved Dennis as a player”

Ferguson also mentioned his admiration for Willie Woodburn and Willie Waddell, who he grew up watching play for his boyhood team Glasgow Rangers.

For more insight from Sir Alex Ferguson and other leading managers plus exclusive Premier League highlights go to www.yahoo.co.uk/sport

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Sulley Muntari’s agent has announced the Ghana international will not be making a permanent move to Sunderland in the close season.Muntari, 26, is on loan at the English Premier League club from Serie A side Inter Milan.

An FA Cup winner in 2008 with Portsmouth, the midfielder has made seven appearances and scored one goal since agreeing a temporary move back to England in January.

But he is apparently unlikely to remain at the Stadium of Light beyond the end of the season, with his agent Fabien Piveteau claiming Sunderland are not prepared to finance a transfer.

“There is no chance at Sunderland for Sulley,” Piveteau said. “They have decided he is too expensive.”

According to Piveteau, Muntari’s international teammate John Mensah has better odds of earning a permanent move to Sunderland following a second successive season on loan from Ligue 1 club Lyon.

“For John, there is a good chance,” Piveteau said.

“The situation with him is that if he played 25 games, he would definitely sign for Sunderland but he has only played 18 at the moment.”

Mensah made just 14 starts last season due to injury problems, with that record only marginally better in the current campaign.

Nevertheless, Piveteau insists fitness concerns are not expected to stand in the way of a deal.

“He has not played all of the games but this season it has not been the same type of injuries for John,” he said.

“At the moment I think the results are the priority, but the coaches will talk with him soon about next season.”