| Why Blackpool deserve more praise The Seasiders' vibrant and courageous performance should not play second fiddle to the dismal display by the home sideApologies to Blackpool and Ian Holloway. The finest day in their brief Premier League history passed yesterday with the Tangerines consigned by the media to a footnote in the story of Liverpool's accelerated decline under Roy Hodgson (the Blackpool Gazette excepted). They deserve wider recognition.It was no plucky smash-and-grab raid that left Liverpool mired in the relegation zone and prompted the Kop to call for Kenny Dalglish at Anfield, but an adventurous, tactically astute visiting display that deserved the ovation from all four sides of the ground that it received. Considering how rapidly and cheaply Ian Holloway assembled this team on the eve of the new season, their confidence, understanding and performance level were all magnificent. Anfield took note.Blackpool attacked with greater invention and poise from the start, just as Holloway and his players had openly admitted they would do beforehand. They wobbled at the beginning of the second half as Liverpool rallied and, for a brief spell, it appeared Hodgson's team would cover their sins against tiring legs until Holloway bolstered his central midfield with the introduction of Keith Southern. The threat was quelled, Blackpool rediscovered their own potency on the counter-attack and not until Matthew Gilks saved from Sotirios Kyrgiakos in the 93rd minute were the Seasiders seriously troubled again. The Blackpool manager claimed the entire second half was a case of "the Alamo". He was being kind to Liverpool."You could see in the second half how poor we are if we sit back," said Holloway. "We need to take the game to people and I just felt that little pocket in behind, if we could stretch their back four and take them long and hit some diagonals, there might be some space for Mr [Elliot] Grandin to float about in. Last year we were 4-3-3. Now we've changed formation and are looking pretty potent. If I had picked that team here I felt we would have been over-run, so I wanted to over-run Liverpool on their ground."Adventure was not the only admirable quality from Blackpool. There is not much of the archetypal holding midfielder about either Charlie Adam or David Vaughan but the visitors' central pairing was controlled throughout and clinical when the opportunity arose, comfortably eclipsing the Liverpool partnership of Steven Gerrard and Christian Poulsen."We are the smallest club in the history of this league," Holloway said. "We have the smallest budget, we pay the worst money and we've got a mountain to climb, but that comes with its own bonuses. My lads don't feel under pressure. They don't have expectation and they don't have that awful cross to bear, which is 'We used to be this. We are this or that'."Liverpool players have to deal with that and in the first half you could see them suffering with it. In the second half they overcame it but in the first we helped create that situation by keeping the ball and passing it and that is not supposed to happen with Blackpool. I heard some fella shout 'Come on, these are not Real Madrid. Get tighter to them!' People don't expect us to do that."The pundits on Match of the Day 2 commented on Holloway's dour demeanour after the game but one suspected he is trying to rein in over-exuberance among his players with 31 matches still to play. Anfield will count for little in his eyes if this performance level is not sustained. All the same, this was a day for Blackpool to cherish."It's one of the dreams I've had for years," admitted Holloway. "At the start the fans were singing my dad's favourite song [You'll Never Walk Alone]. He's no longer with me and I felt a bit emotional. I was singing it myself because it's not far off the home of football and that song sums up life for me. I don't feel alone. I feel very fortunate because I'm at Blackpool and I'm loving every minute of it."BlackpoolPremier LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Chairman of Croydon Athletic found dead after club caught in Pakistan match fixing scandal The chairman of a football club caught up in the Pakistan match-fixing scandal is thought to have taken his own life, it emerged today. telegraph.co.uk |
Chelsea, Aston Villa and Blackburn to play in 2011 Asia Trophy • Asia Trophy also features the Hong Kong champions• Tournament will take place on 27 and 30 July 2011Chelsea, Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers will play the Hong Kong champions in the four-team Asia Trophy next year to help prepare for the 2011-12 season.The event is the only Premier League-affiliated competition to be held outside of England and will take place over two match days on 27 and 30 July with a final to determine the winner and a play-off for third place. The Asia Trophy has been held every two years since 2003. The last event was staged in Beijing in 2009."We are fortunate to have such a fantastic following in Hong Kong and we look forward to reacquainting ourselves with old friends," the Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, said."We also hope that our on and off-field knowledge will aid Hong Kong's progress as a football nation. It is now central to the Barclays Asia Trophy that it helps the promotion of the game everywhere it goes. So there will be support in the areas of coaching, refereeing and community development."Next year will mark Chelsea's second stint at the Asian Trophy, having won the inaugural event on a penalty shootout in Kuala Lumpur, and Carlo Ancelotti believes the fixtures will slot in well with his side's pre-season plans.Ancelotti said: "We look forward to taking part in the Asia Trophy having played matches and trained in Malaysia and Thailand before the tournament begins. Games against two Premier League sides and the Hong Kong champions will provide excellent preparation for the team ahead of the start of next season."ChelseaAston VillaBlackburn Roversguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Del Piero testifies at Serie A match-fixing trial Longtime Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero told the trial into the Italian match-fixing scandal Tuesday that the Turin club won its Serie A titles deservedly. cbc.ca |
Ferguson Plans Thursday Meeting to Avoid Rooney "Saga" MANCHESTER (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will meet chief executive David Gill on Thursday as he seeks to avoid Wayne Rooney's Old Trafford exit plans becoming a "saga." feeds.nytimes.com |