TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Sunderland's Turner banned for four games Sunderland defender Michael Turner will now serve a four-game ban for his sending-off against Manchester City after the Football Association (FA) added an extra match to the usual suspension. foxsports.com.au |
Fábregas provides the plot for Arsenal The Arsenal captain's cameo switched his team's flow from the lateral and diagonal to the direct and dynamicThere was little of the exuberance of the traditional post-Christmas fixture evident in the preliminaries to today's match in Arsenal's corner of north London. The crowd ambled in, talking quietly among themselves, and 15 minutes before the kick-off the stadium was barely a quarter full when Frank McLintock, the captain of the Double-winning side of 1970-71, came out to take a salute on the eve of his 70th birthday. A trim figure who looked as though he could still give Thomas Vermaelen a bit of serious competition for his place, the Scot attracted little curiosity from the members of the present-day squad as they strolled towards the tunnel after their warm-up.Cesc Fábregas, the current captain, had gone through his preparatory routine with the substitutes. He was starting the match on the bench after straining a hamstring against Burnley at Turf Moor a fortnight ago, an injury that forced him to miss the intervening 3-0 win at home against Hull City. Did the 22-year-old Catalan glance at McLintock and wonder whether, in five decades' time or so, he might be coming back as a figure from the distant past?McLintock was a great leader, but not even he could have exerted such a decisive influence on a single match as Fábregas wielded today after being thrust in the 57th minute into a contest that had only just woken up from a somnolent stalemate between an Arsenal too caught up in their own pretty patterns and a functional but uninspired Aston Villa.For a meeting of the clubs placed third and fourth in the Premier League at a pivotal point in the season, this was shaping up to be a serious disappointment for a holiday crowd, some of them no doubt remembering a time when Boxing Day fixtures traditionally provided feasts of excess and error. While Arsenal fluttered ineffectively against a solid Villa defence, the visitors created little that enhanced the reputations of the five England forwards included in their starting line-up, and were always ready to interrupt the home side's flow with surreptitious trips and nudges.In the 55th minute, however, the match mysteriously flared into life. It was as if the crowd had suddenly realised what they were missing: the hint of harshness and rancour without which English football is not complete. A series of minor fouls and misplaced passes roused both sets of fans, and as Ashley Young was shown a yellow card after diving over Alex Song, finally the encounter acquired an abrasive edge. Eduardo da Silva had a free-kick beaten away by Brad Friedel and an Andrey Arshavin corner ping-ponged around the panicking Villa defence before Carlos Cuéllar cleared off the goalline. When Fábregas came on to replace the toiling but largely ineffective Denílson, the change in mood was complete.Now the afternoon was ablaze with action, virtually all of it in the Villa half. When Stilian Petrov brought down Eduardo 35 yards from goal as the Croatian dribbled across the field, Fábregas smashed a range-finding free-kick narrowly over the bar. Eduardo and Arshavin raced down the left on to Armand Traoré's long clearance and, after combining with Fábregas, Eduardo saw his shot cleared by Cuéllar. Within seconds the diving Friedel had parried Arshavin's shot, Richard Dunne intervening to take the rebound off Eduardo's toe.To an Arsenal midfield that had been all description without plot, Fábregas brought narrative coherence. Suddenly their flow switched from the lateral and the diagonal to the direct and the dynamic. The captain was turning and driving towards goal when he provoked a mistimed tackle from the straining Dunne, and got up to strike a sumptuous 25-yard free-kick that curled home past Friedel's right hand.Sixteen minutes of virtually non-stop Arsenal attacking later, Fábregas was there to guide a shot calmly beyond the Villa goalkeeper after Theo Walcott had sprinted on to Traoré's crossfield ball and measured a perfect pass. While keeping pace with the speedster on the right wing, however, Fábregas had stretched his hamstring again and he was quickly withdrawn by an anxious Arsène Wenger.The memory of yet another distinguished former Arsenal captain was evoked when Abou Diaby completed the scoring in injury time with a 20-yard drive that had observers recalling the exploits of Patrick Vieira at his most imperious, but there was no escaping the crucial nature of Fábregas's contribution. In the space of 27 minutes he determined the course of the afternoon, delivering a result that Wenger described, conventionally enough, as "massive" but also reminding the manager, the players and the supporters of what they lack in his absence.These were his 11th and 12th goals in 22 appearances in all competitions this season, and his eighth and ninth in 16 league matches. A strike ratio of which any striker would be proud is a factor of particular significance to his club in the light of the departure of Emmanuel Adebayor, the absence of the injured Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner, and the slowness of Eduardo and Carlos Vela to ignite in front of goal. Beyond the consequences for Arsenal's season, however, this was a seasonal present from a remarkable player to his fans: a glittering cameo that instantly etched itself into the collective memory.Premier LeagueArsenalCesc FábregasAston VillaRichard Williamsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Championship: Cardiff City 1-1 Blackpool It took mountains of salt and shedloads of shovels to get this game on. Cardiff might wish they had not bothered. Charlie Adam's second-half equaliser gave Blackpool a deserved point, consigned the Bluebirds to a third game without a win and provided a disappointing end to a troublesome week in south Wales.This result was no fillip for Dave Jones, who used his programme notes to hit back at those "holding a microphone or a pen" who criticised him and his side after the second-half capitulation against Peterborough in their last outing. Indeed, it has not been an easy couple of weeks for Jones or the club. While praise is due for the Bluebirds' sterling efforts in ensuring this fixture went ahead, Cardiff have still managed to make news for the wrong reasons. The club were the subject of a winding-up order on Friday, their second of the season, though the chairman, Peter Ridsdale, is confident that the debt to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs will be paid by the end of the month and that three of the four players Jones has earmarked to bolster his threadbare squad will be brought in before the transfer window closes."As far as I know I cannot bring in any new players until the financial situation has been settled," said Jones. "We are in the top six, which is where we want to be, yet no-one ever writes anything good about the club despite everyone here pulling their weight."When the finances are sorted I will bring new faces into the club."Reinforcements are certainly necessary – inconsistency has blighted the Bluebirds' season. Superb away wins at Middlesbrough and West Brom have been followed by a hapless Boxing Day defeat at home to Plymouth and that surrendering of their four-goal, half-time advantage at London Road. Again here, they let initial control slip through their fingers. Jones's side took the lead from the first meaningful attack of the game. Peter Whittingham curled in a bury-me cross from the right, Blackpool's goalkeeper Paul Rachubka flapped unimpressively, leaving Mark Hudson with the simple job of heading home at the far post.That lead could have been trebled before half time. Josh Magennis, who would be carried off before the break and taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg, headed against the underside of the bar, the same player's flick-on was lobbed tantalisingly on to the roof of the net by Ross McCormack, and the substitute Warren Feeney twisted to head over from Paul Quinn's cross.The visitors, though, ended the half on the front foot, and it took a superb point-blank block from David Marshall to deny Ben Burgess an equaliser. The goalkeeper could do little about Adam's effort within a minute of the restart, however, the midfielder exchanging passes with Burgess on the edge of the area before emphatically thumping home.With the hosts struggling to rediscover their collective mojo, the home fans grew restless. Spirits were raised briefly midway through the half, with the substitute, and possible transfer window departee, Adam Matthews pinging a shot off the post and Feeney having a close-range effort ruled out for a foul on Rachubka. But the replacement of McCormack with Michael Chopra – a striker for striker switch with 17 minutes to go – brought a few chants of "You don't know what you're doing". Clearly, little of the fire of old lady Ninian has been lost in the move to more salubrious surroundings.While Jones felt the fans' ire, Holloway's status with those in tangerine could hardly be higher. The Blackpool manager was not too impressed that his side had to "risk their lives" to travel to the game. He cut a happier figure at the final whistle, however, and his side might have pinched three points at the death, with Marshall clawing away Burgess's spectacular volley."I am pleased Cardiff did so well to get the game on but it didn't look as though we had turned up in the first half," admitted Holloway. "I had a go at my players during half time, and the second half was totally different as we forced their keeper to make a number of saves. The longer it went on the more we looked like going on to win."I cannot understand the crowd jeering Cardiff off the field when they are fourth in the league. They should have a reality check."Premier LeagueCardiff CityBlackpoolJohn Ashdownguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Middlesbrough complete deals for Celtic trio • Gordon Strachan signs three players from former club• Robson joins for undisclosed fee, Killen and Flood on freesMiddlesbrough have confirmed they have signed the Celtic trio Barry Robson, Willo Flood and Chris Killen.Robson joins for an undisclosed fee, while Flood and Killen have moved on free transfers.The Scotland international midfielder Robson has signed a two and a half-year contract, while Flood's contract lasts until June 2011 and Killen's until June this year.All three players previously played for Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan at Celtic, who hopes to include them in the squad to face Sheffield United on Saturday. Boro currently lie in 11th place in the table, 14 points adrift of an automatic promotion place, and have won just two of the 11 games they have played since Strachan took over.Midfielder Robson, 31, who won his seventh senior cap for Scotland in November, has a league title to his name and played Champions League football during his two years at Parkhead.Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Flood, now 24, began his career at Manchester City and joined Celtic 12 months ago after two seasons on loan at Dundee United, while 28-year-old former City and Oldham striker Killen is a New Zealand international.Their arrivals came as Boro confirmed that Egypt midfielder Mohamed Shawky has joined Turkish club Kayserispor on a free transfer.Transfer windowMiddlesbroughCelticChampionshipScottish Premier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Said & Done | David Hills Fifa's healthy reserves; Harry's straightest moments; Ken Bates on freeloaders; plus Guti's hand-thigh co-ordinationPR News: compassion, generosity2009: Fifa accounts reveal they made a £114m single year surplus, boosted by hedge-fund trading, taking total Fifa reserves up to a new high of £559m. "Having healthy reserves," explained Fifa, "is of great importance to our ability to react to unexpected events. This is particularly vital in times of crisis."2010: Fifa back Haiti; vice-president Jack Warner praises the body's "compassion and generosity" after 30 members of Haiti's Football Federation were killed. "This gesture is a true representation of Fifa's principles," says Jack. "I explained the urgency and the gravity of the situation which has befallen our Caribbean brothers and sisters. As they face their darkest hour, we let them know Fifa is with them." Fifa donation: £150,000. Transfer window: highlights so far• Man of the week: Harry Redknapp – reassuring journalists asking him about links with Ruud van Nistelrooy that he'll be straight with them: "It could be of interest but that's as far as it goes. I don't want to say 'No, definitely not' then two weeks later go and sign him – I wouldn't do that to you." Last year's best straight Harry moments: - 23 July: "I like Crouchy but he's not a priority. I just feel that for that type of money it is an awful lot - no disrespect, but Peter's 28 years old and his salary is high. There's no return when you pay that type of money." - 27 July: Signs him. - 2 Aug: "Signing Bassong? It's not true. He's a player that I was interested in. He's a young player with a good future but the chairman has not made an offer." - 6 Aug: Signs him. - 31 Jan: Attacks Rafa Benítez for claiming he'd publicly unsettled Robbie Keane: "The comments I made, there was absolutely nothing wrong with them. I don't know why the manager of Liverpool gets upset about everything - it's strange. I just said Robbie's a terrific player and a good lad, but he belongs to Liverpool so it's not a possibility anyway. It's crazy. I never mentioned I was interested in him. It was never a goer." - 2 Feb: Signs him.• Best loyalty pledge:6 Jan: Matthew Kilgallon is "fully committed" to Sheffield United, says agent Paul Masterton: "We've spoken to Kevin Blackwell to say Matthew is fully committed to Sheffield United until the end of the season. Matthew is keen to win promotion with Sheffield United, and if that happens we'll reassess the options in the summer." 22 Jan: Joins Sunderland• Best fresh start:24: Number of hours between David Sullivan attacking West Ham's old board ("the club has enormous problems ... It was a crazy way that wages were paid by the Icelandics: they brought the club to its knees. You pay good wages, not crazy wages. I'm sure some fans will be fearful that we'll be like them and decimate the club. We won't") – and offering Van Nistelrooy £100,000 a week. Image rightsApril 2009: Sol Campbell says his image still hasn't recovered from accusations of greed and disloyalty when he joined Arsenal from Spurs: "It's nearly a decade ago now. Some of the criticism was so far over the top. It's a shame people don't want to see the real you, that you're proper, that you've got no hidden agendas." Sol says Portsmouth has restored his faith in the game. "It must be something to do with the sea air. This club has been fantastic."Jan 2010: Sues them for £1.7m.Quote of the week"When I went to Leeds they were losing £120,000 a week: there were too many freebies, too many freeloaders, too many people having a jolly good time at the club's expense. It had to change."Ken Bates, attacking freeloaders for taking money out without contributing anything in return. (90: maximum number of days Bates spends in the UK each year to maintain tax-exile status.)Number crunching £77,000: Unpaid tax bill that resulted in the closure of 130-year-old Kings Lynn FC in November despite efforts from fans.5: Number of hours it takes Manchester United to spend £77,000 on player wages (total bill in 2009: £123,000,000).Leak: foulPeruvian model Melissa García says suggestions that she leaked photos of herself with Real Madrid's Guti are "foul". "Goodness, I don't need the publicity. I didn't leak them, and it wasn't a set-up: I didn't put a gun to his head and tell him to put his hand up my thigh. It was sexy times. If I wanted publicity, I'd try harder than this."MeanwhileSpanish model Amaia Salamanca – who last week denied "sentimental links" with Guti – has an "intimate eye" on keeper Iker Casillas, say Spanish press. Soap star Salamanca says "I like footballers ... but I must be left to enjoy my private things."Premier LeagueDavid Hillsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |