| Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart learns to avoid starring in the 'Joe Show' Man City keeper on how he deals with perils of high-profile mistakes. telegraph.co.uk |
NESV Get League Approval For Liverpool Takeover LONDON (Reuters) - Boston Red Sox owner John W Henry was cleared to continue his proposed takeover of Liverpool on Friday by the Premier League but the future of England's most successful club will almost certainly be settled in court. feeds.nytimes.com |
Squad sheets: Birmingham City v Blackpool Birmingham manager Alex McLeish was angry when his team were booed off after their year-long unbeaten run at home was ended by Everton three weeks ago, but concern about the team's uninspired performances this season have been growing at St Andrew's for some time. Two goals in their last five games is symptomatic of a disturbing lack of creativity on the part of the Blues, and the rumblings will grow in volume if Blackpool, who are guaranteed to attack in reckless numbers, add to their impressive total of three away wins. Richard RaeVenue St Andrew's, tomorrow 3pm Tickets £20-£40 (0844 557 1875) Last season N/A Referee A TaylorThis season's matches 2 Y7, R1, 4.00 cards per gameOdds Birmingham evens Blackpool 10-3 Draw 13-5Birmingham CitySubs from Taylor, Murphy, Derbyshire, Jiranek, Parnaby, Phillips, Valles, MÃchel, O'ConnorDoubtful Jerome (ankle)Injured Beausejour (knee, 31 Oct), McFadden (knee, Feb)Suspended Gardner (last of three)Form guide LLDLDDDisciplinary record Y14 R1Leading scorer Gardner 3BlackpoolSubs from Kingson, Keinan, Harewood, Ormerod, Southern, Carney, Basham, Euell, Sylvestre, Demontagnac, Phillips, Edwards.Doubtful NoneInjured Almond (shoulder, 1 Nov), Rachubka (knee, Nov), Clarke (knee, May), Baptiste (knee, unknown)Suspended NoneForm guide LWLLWDDisciplinary record Y10 R1Leading scorer Harewood 3Match pointers• Birmingham have lost and failed to score in their last three matches with Blackpool• No team has conceded more goals in the first 15 minutes of games than Blackpool (3)• Marlon Harewood has scored a goal every 87 minutes this season, the fastest rate in the top flight• If Birmingham fail to score it will be their worst run of consecutive home games without a goal in the Premier League (four matches)• No team has scored more long-range goals than Blackpool this season (3)Birmingham CityBlackpoolguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Rooney commits to Man United through 2015 Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney agreed Friday to a five-year contract with the storied English Premier League club. cbc.ca |
Promoted sides attack to defy doubters Managers of the promoted sides promise to keep on attacking even if results start to go against themRoberto Di Matteo bases an entire club philosophy around the adage that attack is the best form of defence, Ian Holloway remains convinced that fortune favours the brave and Chris Hughton is routinely the calmest person in the room. All three managers are breathing new life into the Premier League as their boldly attacking strategies enable newly promoted West Bromwich Albion, Blackpool and Newcastle United to climb the division's goal charts in unprecedented fashion.By way of added bonus, such positive tactics frequently camouflage key flaws. Although Holloway's Blackpool cannot win at home, off-field events dictate that Hughton's Newcastle United teeter on the brink of crisis and Di Matteo's West Brom harbour an unfortunate penchant for gifting opponents early leads, the trio's refreshing approach continues to confound pre-season gloom.Like his counterparts in the north-east and north-west – where 10th-placed Blackpool boast the Premier League's best away record – Di Matteo eschews the 4-4-2 formation which all too frequently saw Tony Mowbray's old yo-yo West Brom ripped apart on Premier League duty. Instead the Italian has lifted his reconstructed side to sixth courtesy of a 4-2-3-1 system which maximises the creative talents of Peter Odemwingie – a most inspired summer signing – Chris Brunt et al while also affording defensive stability.After winning at Arsenal and drawing at Manchester United, Di Matteo is both proud and slightly pessimistic. "Our philosophy is that attack is the best form of defence, that's how we do things at West Brom," he enthuses. "We like to play as much football as we can. We want to impose ourselves and our beliefs on to games. That's the way we want to win. We've been working on the defensive side because it was a weakness but it's not really our aim to just sit back and play on the break."Then, possibly remembering that newly promoted teams usually struggle once the clocks go back and the early season adrenaline begins wearing off, a man whose campaign began with a 6-0 thrashing at Chelsea injects a note of caution."It's like when you're a farmer," Di Matteo says. "You want to bring as much hay into your store as possible, ready for the long hard winter. That's what we're trying to do. Because it is still going to be a harsh winter. It's freezing cold at the moment already. So we have to know we have some hay there – and we have nowhere near enough yet."In a week in which Rafael BenÃtez deployed a milk metaphor and Sir Alex Ferguson a cow analogy he is certainly bang on trend. "My family went to visit a farm recently so I'm thinking that way at the moment," the former Chelsea midfielder says. "But the more difficult part of the season will come now. In the summer everybody said all three promoted teams would probably go down again and there wasn't much expected from us. But I think opponents will look a bit more closely now."They may conclude that Di Matteo's scientifically calibrated, Italianate "gym culture" underpins West Brom's knack of salvaging wins or draws by habitually scoring late goals. "Our fitness levels are so good," Brunt says. "A lot of our best results are achieved well into the second half."Only a last-gasp equaliser against Wigan Athletic last weekend spared 16th-placed Newcastle from a third successive home defeat. The geordie optimism engendered by a 6-0 demolition of Aston Villa and victory at Everton is already seriously diluted as assorted off-field distractions undermine Hughton's achievement in moulding an attractive, winger-propelled, 4-4-1-1 ensemble.As rumours swirl about the manager's long-term job security – Hughton's contract runs out next summer and extension talks have been postponed – Colin Calderwood, the club's influential, discipline-imposing, assistant manager has quietly defected to take charge of Hibernian.Moreover Andy Carroll's ability to intimidate the best defenders is being diminished by legal and personal travails. The striker moved in with Kevin Nolan and family last week after bail conditions relating to an assault charge stipulated he must live at the Newcastle captain's home. Unfortunately any new-found stability seemed swiftly threatened when Carroll's car was torched shortly after being parked outside his new address on Wednesday.Hughton is, characteristically, playing a straight bat. "It's business as usual," he says. "You don't get too carried away when things are going well and you don't get too down when they're not. The most important thing is that the players stay strong through difficult times and, so far, they have."If Hughton prefers keeping his own counsel, Holloway is not frightened to betray emotion. "I don't want to dress like other Premier League clubs, I don't want to look like them, I don't care how much their costume cost, we're going to try to go toe to toe with them," declares a manager whose courageous 4-3-3 system and sincere belief that his players should aim to emulate Spain's tiki-taka passing style secured a memorable win at Liverpool."I've fielded three attackers in every game and, at Liverpool, I started with four," Holloway says. "It might cease to surprise halfway through the season but, at the moment, some people can't deal with our approach."Extraordinarily at this level, Blackpool's squad wash their own training kit and remain subject to a £10,000-a-week wage ceiling but their manager constantly reminds his players that such comparative poverty does not mean they have to behave like star-struck paupers. "Even now, my boys are still swapping shirts with opponents and I can't stand it," Holloway says. "I don't understand it. My lads have got to learn to cope with their own minds and make sure they believe they deserve to be here. They should realise that football's an entertainment business and we're playing some great stuff."• Alex Rae and Matt Holland on how to avoid going straight back downPremier LeagueWest BromBlackpoolNewcastle UnitedChris HughtonLouise Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |