| Fury add to Sydney's misery Sydney FC are still looking for their first win of the A-League season after being held to a 1-1 draw by fellow strugglers North Queensland Fury at a rain-soaked Sydney Football Stadium. foxsports.com.au |
The Fiver | Triple espresso; and sub-zero blast | Sean Ingle and Paolo Bandini Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm(ish), or if your usual copy has stopped arrivingREPEAT. REPRISE. SLEEP.And so to round 972 of the competition Formerly Known as Uefa Cup (and FKUCED is pretty much what that once-prestigious trophy is these days), and the inevitable guessing games: will Matt Smith be able to resist making a heh-heh-nudge-ho gag about 21-year-old Utrecht striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel? Which teams won't rest at least half-a-dozen players? And if, at some point during proceedings, the Fiver falls off its settee and no one is around to hear it, will it actually make a sound?[Answer: yes. A clumping thump, followed by a screeching ye-aowwww, like a Dixie-born cat miaowing.]The Fiver has a two-step plan to perk up Big Vase quicker than a triple espresso: 1) make it a two-legged knockout tournament, and 2) give the winners an automatic spot in Big Cup. Then again, we're simple folk. But even someone as intelligent as Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini struggled to make a case for it yesterday, claiming - after much prompting - "It is an important trophy. [Big Cup] is more important but in February [Big Vase] becomes very important. If you win, you play another important game [the Uefa Super Cup] in Monaco." Yep, forget the glory game, and dream instead of an atmosphere-free Uefa shindig in late August.Mancini is expected to wheel in Patrick Vieira from his semi-retirement bungalow and the Frenchman is certainly full of the joys of Eastlands, claiming: "I am happy with my form but it is difficult when you play one game a month." Juventus, meanwhile, made six changes for their last Big Vase game and, with Inter waiting at the weekend, are expected - like an axe-wielding murderer who doesn't want to get caught - to chop and change again. Before then Liverpool face Utrecht, who finished seventh in the Eredivisie last season. $tevie Mbe is rested, Dirk Kuyt returns to the town where he started his career and Fernando Torres is given another chance to find his form. "I wouldn't dream of playing him if he wasn't right," insisted Roy Hodgson. Sadly for all fans of El Nino, he hasn't been right for some time.• Join Scott Murray from 6pm for live MBM coverage of Utrecht 2-1 Liverpool, and then Paul Doyle at 8pm for Manchester City 1-1 Juventus.QUOTE OF THE DAY"After snapping Antonio Valencia's leg in Manchester, former St Mirren star [Kirk] Broadfoot broke [Volken] Sen's heart in Glasgow" - Scottish Sun reporter Robert Grieve refuses to let the truth get in the way of this line from his report on Pope's O'Rangers' Big Cup win over Bursaspor.TALK IS CHEAPLord Ferg, like the Manchester weather, remains as mysterious and unfathomable as ever. This morning for instance there were blue skies and raging sunshine after last night's victory at Valencia. And this afternoon, when he met new Labour leader Bert from Sesame Street, all was good with the world: "[Ferg] and I disagree on the football, but when it comes to politics we are united," chirped Bert. "It's time to take Labour back to the top of the league." But then, without warning, came a sub-zero blast as Ferg suddenly cancelled his weekly Friday press conference - with the word being he won't grace the press interview room again for another month.The United manager is said to be livid at reporters for deliberately twisting his words. "Torres made an absolute meal of [John O'Shea's] challenge. There's no doubt he tried to get the player sent off," Ferg had merrily tootled after United's win over Liverpool, only for reporters to maliciously claim that was suggesting that Torres was trying to get O'Shea sent off by making a meal of the challenge.This is hardly the first time Ferg has had such a set-to, of course – he hasn't spoken to the BBC since 1907 and has famously demanded that staff be sacked from United's in-house station MUTV for daring to suggest the club could try 4-4-2 every once in a while. But the Fiver fears this latest step is just the tip of the iceberg. Just wait till Ferg finds out news outlets are seriously suggesting he said Javier Hernandez's goal last night was as easy "as if he was shelling peas".GET A 66 QUID HAT-TRICK OF FREE BETS WITH BLUE SQUAREClick here to find out more.FIVER LETTERS"Given the introduction of such characters as Masked Suburban Sadist Fiver and Frau Rubber-Bodysuit Fiver (yesterday's Fiver), would it be possible for the Fiver to present us loyal followers with a detailed family tree? I've suddenly become markedly interested in the Fiver's genealogy" - Eric Penner."Re: Derby hosting Brazil v Uruguay (Fiver passim). Given the farms here in Lincolnshire rely heavily on seasonal labour for the harvesting season, could I suggest the introduction of a September mini-tour featuring Poland in Peterborough, Bulgaria in Boston, and Slovakia in Spalding? If Brazil get a bit lonely for the beach, we could always move one of the games to Skegness" - Neil Bage."Re: yesterday's last line. May I ask whether you fell for the old banana in the tail-pipe trick?" - Nin Randhawa [What y'all, the second team? - Fiver 80s Movie Reference Ed].Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver now.BITS AND BOBSWest Ham plan to turn the Olympic Stadium into a 60,000-seater venue if they move into it after the Games. Fact one: West Ham have failed to sell out a game at the 35,000-capacity Upton Park this season. Fact two: two of those games were against Chelsea and Tottenham.Spain think so little of the threat posed by Scotland that they're resting Xavi for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifier.Then again, maybe they should be quaking after Championship top scorer Jamie Mackie was called up by Craig Levein. Oh. The full squad is: McGregor (O'Rangers), Gilks (Blackpool), Gordon (Sunderland); Hutton (Tottenham), Berra (Wolves), Broadfoot (O'Rangers), McManus (McMiddlesbrough), G Caldwell (Wigan), Weir (O'Rangers), Whittaker (O'Rangers); Adam (Blackpool), Brown (Queen's Celtic), Dorrans (West Brom), McCulloch (O'Rangers), Fletcher (Manchester United), Morrison (West Brom), Robson (McMiddlesbrough), McEveley (Barnsley), Maloney (Queen's Celtic); McFiver (Fiver Towers), Fletcher (Wolves), Iwelumo (Burnley), Mackie (QPR), Miller (O'Rangers), Naismith (O'Rangers).Ahead of Leo Messi being awarded the World Player of the Year award tonight, Mallorca's Kevin Garcia intends to add a golden boot of his own against Barcelona this weekend. "If we can give him a kick all the better," growled Garcia. "Football is about contact and you can give someone a kick."Man City keeper Shay Given has escaped a driving ban despite admitting driving his Bentley at 75mph in a 50mph zone. "It was 11.50pm, there was little traffic on the road," Gwyn Lewis told Manchester magistrates' court, before his client was ordered to pay £135 and given four points on his licence.And Ged Houllier says he will keep Stilian Petrov as Aston Villa's captain. As you were.STILL WANT MORE?The greatest football fakers ever, 36 of the best retro computer games and women making the beautiful game that bit more beautiful make up this week's Classic YouTube.AC Jimbo and the pod preview the weekend's action and mull over the midweek games in Football Weekly Extra.The Fiver scored a miserable 4/10 on today's quiz. How much do you know about Charlie George?And poke yourself silly by signing up to the Guardian's Facebook page.SIGN UP TO THE FIVERWant your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up.EUROPE 15-13 USA! USA!! USA!!!Sean InglePaolo Bandiniguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Vito Mannone the perfect Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone proves he has all the necessary attributes to be an Arsenal goalkeeper playing for Italy Under-21s against Belarus. telegraph.co.uk |
Liverpool Sale to Red Sox Owner Finalized The battle for ownership of Liverpool F. C. ended Friday with the sale of the club to New England Sports Ventures, the owners of the Boston Red Sox, for about $480 million. feeds.nytimes.com |
Liverpool spent their own way into trouble, says Everton's Tim Cahill The Reds have endured a torrid week in the courtrooms but injury-hit Everton have not been immune to problems off the fieldThere is no sympathy for Liverpool's plight at Everton but their Merseyside rivals are hardly in a position to gloat, as Tim Cahill will testify. Two teams in the city languish on six points from seven games, lest we forget, and one has not had the rich and powerful squabbling for control or any prospect of a new stadium in the foreseeable future. That will be the team carrying greater expectation at Goodison Park tomorrow.David Moyes's men have their own problems ahead of the 214th chapter of English football's most-played derby. This week they lost 16-year-old Ross Barkley, a midfielder of immense promise who starred in England's Under-17 European Championship victory in May, to a triple leg fracture. His personal torment alone should place Liverpool's recent trials into perspective. Marouane Fellaini, Everton's authority in midfield, will be out for six weeks with a hamstring strain, Phil Jagielka is a serious doubt, the influential Steven Pienaar and the rising Jack Rodwell are injured, and a season that opened with Champions League expectations has suffered yet another false start. Pressure to deliver is not only upon Roy Hodgson."It's definitely a game neither team can afford to lose," admits Cahill, who sealed Everton's first league victory of the season, at Birmingham City, before the international break. "We are both in a false position but there is a greater emphasis on this game because of our positions and because of that it is one of the most vital games we will have all season."The Australia international describes the prospect of defeat tomorrow as "unthinkable". Everton's performances have not been as poor as the league table indicates, unlike Liverpool's, with their main weakness being the one Moyes identified in the summer – a lack of penetration in front of goal. A lightweight midfield is now an added burden. The subsequent toil has not altered Cahill's preseason predication that this squad is on "the verge of something big" for Everton.The 30-year-old insists: "I believe in this squad, it's probably the best we have ever had. It's just been the mistakes we have made in the seven games that have cost us. Five points on top of what we have now and we'd be right up there, and that has put added pressure on ourselves. If we don't do it this season then it will definitely be next [season], because I know this team has so much potential."It's so frustrating for us because we demand so much from each other. There are only four or five left behind when there's an international break and that's people like Phil Neville and Mikel Arteta, who should be internationals."I'm not too worried, but hopefully we can kick on now. There is so much spirit in this team. We might not get the result but we will fight for it."Merseyside derbies are notoriously splenetic. They also bring out the best and worst in Cahill. Ten red cards have been issued in the past 11 meetings alone, the Australian receiving one of them, but, immersed in all things Everton and with four career goals against Liverpool, it is a fixture that evidently means as much to the man from Sydney as any scouser."What it means to us and to the fans makes this the most exciting part of my career," he says. "It's a chance to make yourself something special, to look back when you're older and say: 'I remember that derby because I helped make a change.' The feeling of beating Liverpool is up there with the best of my career. The reason is how passionate we both are. I've become wrapped up in the competition of the derby."You expect [Jamie] Carragher and Steven Gerrard to go in hard in the first three minutes. Whoever sets the tone and puts their stamp on things can have a big effect on the game. I expect to be hit early. I expect someone to try to rough me up. It's a compliment in football and it's about how you react, and I will be fine. I always have a smirk when one of them goes in hard on us or vice-versa. As long as it's done in the right manner, I am all for it."The danger is that Liverpool's off-field distractions and the desperate league positions of both Merseyside clubs will spill over. Cahill claims to have paid no attention to his rivals' courtroom dramas but he believes that, when compared to what Moyes has built on more modest resources, Liverpool cannot pin all the blame for their demise on Tom Hicks and George Gillett.Cahill explains: "They have high expectations because they've spent a lot of money. In terms of what they have spent, what we have, what they've had and now don't have, it's not rocket science to say it's affected them. For us, there is no comparison. Our manager has worked within a good budget and brought in players who love playing for the club. We don't have the chance to go and spend £40m a season, we have to be cuter and bring through great young talent. The pressure's been brought on by themselves, by what they've spent. Their fans expect results and when they don't get them, there will always be pressure." None more so than tomorrow.Tim CahillEvertonAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |