TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Mancini to offer Robinho a City reprieve • Brazilian forward likely to feature against Stoke on Boxing Day• Manchester City hope manager can persuade Robinho to stayRoberto Mancini, the new Manchester City manager, is likely to recall Robinho when he takes charge of his first game against Stoke City on Boxing Day. The Brazilian was dropped in Mark Hughes's final match, the 4-3 defeat of Sunderland last weekend, but Mancini has spoken of him "writing the history" of the club and wants to start again with the most expensive player in English football.Mancini may need all his powers of persuasion considering that Robinho and his representatives have made it an open secret that he wants to leave City, preferably in the January transfer window or, failing that, at the end of the season. The hope behind the scenes, however, is that the change in manager may invigorate the former Real Madrid player, whose relationship with Hughes was epitomised by the manner in which he walked straight down the tunnel after being substituted in the 3-0 defeat at Tottenham last week that accelerated the manager's departure.The issue for Mancini is whether to bring in Robinho on the left side of attack at the expense of Craig Bellamy. Another option, though, is that Bellamy starts in place of Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right, though it is in defence where Mancini will inevitably feel his more serious problems lie.A study of City's recent fixtures will tell the former Internazionale coach they have kept only one clean sheet in the league since August and conceded three goals in each of their last three matches. Joleon Lescott's knee injury will keep him out for another month and, with Nedum Onuoha again on the casualty list and Micah Richards suffering from a knee problem, Mancini has paired Kolo Touré alongside Vincent Kompany during his first practice sessions.Most of the training was conducted by Brian Kidd, the new assistant manager, and the players were asked to stay behind at the end to work specifically on defending corners. Mancini's suspicion is that the team is weak at set pieces and he intervened at one point to talk to the defenders specifically about how to stay with the attackers. Mancini has also made the players embark on double sessions to get a better look at them and broken them up into separate groups of defenders and attackers for specialist work.The sold-out signs are already up at the City of Manchester Stadium although neither the club's owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, nor the chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, will be there as the controversy continues over the manner in which they started plotting behind Hughes's back to look for possible replacements as long ago as last summer.The chain of events leading to Hughes's sacking has killed in an instant the claims from Abu Dhabi that they wanted to be seen acting in a different, more honourable way than others in the football world, and led to particular condemnation of Garry Cook, the chief executive. Cook, however, continued to protest his innocence and drew Liverpool into his argument by referring to the occasion two years ago when they were caught speaking to Jürgen Klinsmann behind Rafael BenÃtez's back."It is naive to think that clubs are not looking at their options," Cook said. "Of course they are. Do we think that Liverpool just talked to Klinsmann? I am sure they also spoke to others, and I have no doubt that Roberto Mancini was one of them. Of course he would have been."City, he admitted, had looked at the potential availability of Klinsmann, Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho and Guus Hiddink, though Cook stressed he had "never met any of them", with intermediaries used instead. "Any club looking at their managerial options would draw up a list, and a club like ours would look at the best in the world, so why wouldn't all the names mentioned, if they are indeed the best in the world, be on our list?"But it is totally unrealistic to think we could sign Arsène Wenger, for example. He is far too loyal [to Arsenal], and quite rightly so. We are also fully aware that Guus Hiddink has made it known that in three years' time he doesn't want to be in coaching, so it's a process of fact-finding. That is what lots of people do in football, and is part of what we do – it is what goes on within the game."Manchester CityRoberto ManciniRobinhoPremier LeagueDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Football clockwatch - as it happened | Mikey Stafford Didier Drogba and a Chris Smalling owngoal rescued Chelsea as Birmingham stretched their unbeaten run to 11 with a 1-0 win at StokePreamble Well here we are, the fourth day of Christmas and our true love has given to us four 3pm Premier League kick-offs, three points for Tottenham (barring West Ham managing some late endeavour), two London derbies and one truly uninspiring Championship fixture list.Staring at the still sustaining turkey carcass that is the festive fixture list I declare the west London derby at Stamford Bridge to be the pick of today's fare. Can Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea stave off crisis mode by securing their first win in THREE games or will Fulham claim their third big four scalp of the season, following home victories over Liverpool and Manchester United? The two met at Craven Cottage back in August, when goals from Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka were enough for Chelsea to slap down their less glamorous neighbours. But Roy Hodgson's side have gradually improved this season and now stand ninth in the table, just behind Champions League contenders Birmingham City and relegation fodder Liverpool. Elsewhere Big Sam Allardyce may or may not watch from the stands as his Blackburn Rovers side host Sunderland at Ewood Park. Just two points separate this pair in mid table, which will probably be of more concern to Steve Bruce more than his counterpart. American sugar daddy Ellis Short has pumped millions into the Mackems but this season has not quite worked out quite as planned. Since their 2-0 Merseyside defeat Everton have gone on a run of four straight Premier League draws, that is almost guaranteed to end at Goodison Park today as they welcome Owen Coyle's Burnley – officially the worst travellers since the crew of the Marie Celeste. One point from nine away fixtures would hint at relegation for the grand old Lancashire club, if their form at Turf Moor were not so impressive.The final Premier League kick off we will be keeping an eye on in this festive clockwatch is Stoke versus Birmingham. Should Alex McLeish's men escape the Britannia cauldron with something it will be an 11th Premier League game unbeaten. Read that again. Birmingham are on the verge of going 11 games unbeaten. I, for one, am delighted. I don't particularly like the way they play but I have a lot of time for their manager. One of football's genuinely nice men.Now, after that seasonal goodwill I'll hit you with the Football League highlights, of which there are few. Doncaster v Leicester gets this Fox's vote, but others may be more interested in Ipswich's visit to QPR or Bristol City hosting Watford. But, to be honest, none of the matches really jump out at you. Huddersfield versus MK Dons will be one I keep an eye on in League One. But if any of you are sitting at home, desperately seeking words about any particular fixture let me know. It is Christmas after all, and I didn't get any of you anything.And look in on Paolo Bandini's minute-by-minute report of Tottenham v West Ham United here.A promise I'll have some team news for you all very soon.2.46pm: Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Zhirkov, Mikel, Ballack, Lampard, Joe Cole, Drogba, Kalou. Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Ashley Cole, Sturridge, Alex, Belletti, Kakuta.Fulham: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Smalling, Konchesky, Duff, Murphy, Baird, Dempsey, Gera, Zamora. Subs: Zuberbuhler, Andrew Johnson, Nevland, Riise, Etuhu, Greening, Kallio.Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands)Blackburn: Robinson, Chimbonda, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Hoilett, Andrews, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Roberts, McCarthy. Subs: Brown, Jacobsen, Diouf, Olsson, Kalinic, Di Santo, Salgado.Sunderland: Fulop, Bardsley, Nosworthy, Da Silva, McCartney, Henderson, Meyler, Cana, Murphy, Campbell, Bent. Subs: Carson, Zenden, Healy, Reed, Anderson, Noble, Liddle.Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)Stoke: Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington, Beattie, Sanli. Subs: Simonsen, Cort, Fuller, Sidibe, Pugh, Amdy Faye, Collins.Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Roger Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Ferguson, Bowyer, McFadden, Jerome, Benitez. Subs: Maik Taylor, Phillips, Fahey, McSheffrey, Damien Johnson, Carsley, Vignal.Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Heitinga, Neill, Baines, Bilyaletdinov, Osman, Fellaini, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu. Subs: Nash, Vaughan, Neville, Coleman, Duffy, Agard, Baxter.Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Duff, Bikey, Jordan, Alexander, Eagles, Elliott, McDonald, Steven Fletcher, Nugent. Subs: Penny, Kalvenes, Gudjonsson, Edgar, Blake, Thompson, Guerrero.Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)2.48pm: Interesting defence picked by Ancelotti. Paolo Ferreira gets a rare start at right back and summer signing Yuri Zhirkov comes in at right back as Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic get relegated to the bench. Zoltan Gera gets the nod to partner the in-form Bobby Zamora in the Fulham attack. Does Ancelotti's decision show a lack of respect for Hodgson's side? Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey are no slouches on the flanks. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Fulham could get a result here.Unsurprisingly Birmingham field an unchanged team, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Liam Lawrence starts for Stoke, who are missing first choice central midfield pairing, Glenn Whelan and Salif Diao, through suspension.Be it too much imbibing of the happy juice or the batteries going in his shiny, flashy, noisy favourite toy, but Gary Naylor is worried. Oh wait, it might have something to do about his beloved Toffees."With Everton just two points above the relegation slots and fielding a bench rather short of experience, a loss or even a draw today would lead me to worry about doing a Middlesbrough. Yes we have players to come back, but that's been the call since August and it's nearly January. Arteta will have to hit the ground running. Damn this Europa League malarkey."2.57pm: Jose Mourinho is at Stamford Bridge, doing his homework ahead of Internazionale's Champions League clash with Chelsea. He is not trying to hide his attendance, perhaps he couldn't find a laundry basket.2.59pm: Ian Copestake has just sullied my inbox with a salacious slur of Spudgun, Danny Murphy: "Ah, Danny Murphy. If he had been nurtured properly at Liverpool he could have become the next Lucas Leiva." Harsh Ian, I think Spudgun is a quality player, with a knack for scoring against Manchester United, you gotta be happy with that.3.01pm: Here are the teams from Adams Park, in case you were curious. Wycombe: Shearer, Hunt, Westwood, Oliver, Woodman, Mousinho, Doherty, Davies, Betsy, Beavon, Pittman. Subs: Young, Duberry, Harrold, Bloomfield, Green, Phillips, Harris. Brighton: Brezovan, Hoyte, El-Abd, Elphick, McNulty, Cox, Dicker, Navarro, Bennett, Forster, Murray. Subs: Kuipers, Whing, McLeod, Hart, Virgo, Jamie Smith, Craig Davies. Referee: Steve Rushton (Stoke-on-Trent)3.02pm: At Ewood Sam Allardyce finally drops the perennially disappointing Franco di Santo in favour of Jason Roberts. Fraizier Campbell comes in for the injured Kenwyne Jones up front for Sunderland. Irish duo David Meyler and Daryl Murphy start in midfield as Steve Bruce struggles with something of an injury crisis.Fulham goal! Zoltan Gera has thrown the cat among the kitchens at Stamford Bridge. Game on Wayne.3.07pm: Ian Copestake is not adverse to a bit of spudgun, he was just griping at Lucas. Okay then: "Mikey (if I may), my ire was aimed at Lucas not Murphy, as I do not consider the former comparable to the latter in any shape or form other than the position they play."Ipswich have taken the lead at QPR through Jonathan Walters and Cardiff are heaping more misery on basement club Peterborough through the conduit of Joe Ledley.3.10pm: "In your photo, do you think Danny Murphy has spotted his lookalike Chris Martin in the crowd and is only doing what any sane person would when they see the Coldplay frontman?"Gary Naylor, perhaps I have not studied Chris Martin as closely as thee, but I don't reckon he and Spudgun are that alike. I saw Coldplay at a festival in Ireland about six years ago, they weren't that bad. Couldn't listen to an album though. Unless my girlfriend had just left me and I had no handgun to accompany the bottle of Scotch.3.12pm: Charles Ademeno has scored a SIX minute hat-trick for Crawley away at Grays Athletic. Kudos my man, kudos.Plymouth have taken the lead at home from the spot at hoem to Reading. Alan Judge is the man on the scoresheet.3.13pm: Christopher Ballard is wrecking me buzz: ""Interesting defence picked by Ancelotti. Paolo Ferreira gets a rare start at right back and summer signing Yuri Zhirkov comes in at right back….."I wonder if the goal came down the Chelsea left. Pedantry rules."Think you're clever, don't you?3.16pm: Lou Roper, I can assure you, this is the last word on a Liverpool passenger who is not featuring in any game in my clockwatch: "I wasn't aware that Lucas Leiva played a position. He seems to think football means running around a grassy field to little purpose other than to clatter into people wearing different coloured shirts and hoofing the ball into the stand behind the goal."Swindon are 1-0 up at home to Yeovil. While Shrewsbury and Accrington Stanley are ahead against Bradford and Bury respectively.3.18pm: Albert Serran has been sent off at the Liberty Stadium, reducing Swansea to 10 men against Crystal Palace.Phil Thompson and Jeff Stelling are doing some bizarre flirting on Soccer Saturday. Imagine the children...3.21pm: 3.19pm: Sorry, Christopher Ballard, I meant Soccer Monday, or is that Moccer Monday? Pedantry may rule in your world, but my fiefdom is all about the illiteration. Chelsea are mauling Fulham supposedly, but I've seen the Cottagers a fair bit this season – they have a wonderfully organised defence. Though they are missing Norwegian monster Brede Hangeland today.3.21pm: MK Dons have missed a penalty at the Galpharm Stadium in their exciting clash with Huddersfield.Damien Neva warbled this, like a wren possibly: "This is the day the wheels come off the Ancelotti train." Choo choo. He plays for Birmingham. Stoke have missed a clanger in their match with the Premier League's unbeatables. Segue city. Cardiff have got a second against poor poor Peterborough.3.24pm: Middlesbrough have taken the lead at Oakwell, Justin Hoyte scoring the opener against Barnsley.Christopher Ballard got no Christmas present from me, and he shouldn't expect one next year neither: "Sorry, Mikey, I seem to have struck a nerve. I can't help it, I'm very bored at work despite have far too much to do. Sterling work.You just made me day with 'illiteration', though..J"Sir, if I had a glove I'd cyber slap you with it.3.27pm: A result from earlier which may have slipped through your net – Leeds recorded a 4-2 win at Stockport.No more goals to report yet. Phil Thompson and Jeff Stelling are still at it – if I was a 1990s sitcom character I would shout "Get a room".3.30pm: Huddersfield are 1-0 up. Anthony Pilkington putting the Terriers ahead against MK Dons.3.31pm: I've opened a Pandora's Box and goddamn it if Niall Mullen ain't enthusiastically burrowing through the ever shrinking boxes: "Illiteration: The rhetorical technique as used by the Beastie Boyswhereby successive words not only begin with the same consonant buttheir meaning can be reasonably described as "ill", that is chimingwith a youthful audience."Word. Beastie Boys Anthology is a very funny compilation, check check check it out. As the boys might same themselves.3.33pm: Cameron Jerome and Liam Ridgewell have both gone close for Birmingham in what sounds like a torpid game at the Britannia. I won't lie to you folks, this Bank Holiday fare is doing little for me, or Peterborough. They are now 3-0 down at home to Cardiff.Gary Naylor is quite the sophisticate: "I'm going to the Ally Pally for the arrers tomorrow night - any tips to make the most of the evening (other than getting boozed up of course)?"The darts is a hoot, as long as you are fond of the riff from Planet Funk's Chase the Sun. Gary, I would recommend getting their early, getting a seat over the right shoulder of the players and on your placard write: "Mikey Stafford is a sex god and Christopher Ballard is a pedant". Cheers.3.38pm: So, what's everyone doing for New Years. I'm working a late shift, but then I'm not really a believer in the whole shebang. It's just another day and a new calendar. Maybe we'll get some goals by January. Oh wait, trusty Posh have just shipped a fourth AT HOME to Cardiff.3.40pm: Naylor, scratch that. Put Nicholas Farrell's name on that placard: "Oh all right then, since everyone else is getting in on the act. . What are the cats doing in the kitchens ? And where are the pidgeons (3:07) ??"Luton are 3-0 up at Eastbourne Borough and I am quietly weeping into my Big Book of Cliches.3.42pm: West Brom are 1-0 up at Scunthorpe and Dean Windass looks freezing. My Dad used to be a great one for mixing his metaphors, maybe it is hereditary. I do remember MS senior saying things like "Make hay while the iron is hot." I never had a chance.3.47pm: 3.44pm: Bristol City are ahead at home to Watford. Danny Haynes got that one. Brighton have equalised at Wycombe before quickly conceding a second.We've got a goal glut after the famine. Robert Earnshaw has put Nottingham Forest at home to Coventry.As I typed all that Tom Cleverley (tasty player) has equalised for Watford. Feast or a famine, huh? I got that cliche right. Nailed it.3.47pm: Half-time at Goodison, where it is 0-0. Half-time at Ewood Park: Blackburn 0-0 Sunderland. Half-time at Britannia and, yep, it is scoreless between Stoke and Birmingham. Thank god for Zoltan Gera.3.49pm: Paul Hartley has restored Bristol City's lead at Ashton Gate. That one sounds like a cracker. Half-time at Stamford Bridge. Jose Mourinho is impassive. And handsome. Hey! I can appreciate beauty, whatever the gender.3.51pm: No1 darts fan Gary Naylor has words of solace for the mixed metaphor masters of Michael Stafford and son: "I'm all for mixing metaphors and similies, but you and your Dad together could never match Soccer Saturday's very own Phil Thompson who, bubble-permed in a post-match interview, I believe was the first to claim to be as "sick as a parrot"."3.52pm: Quick score update for you all.Barnsley 0-1 M'BoroBristol C 2-1 WatfordIpswich 1-0 QPRForest 1-0 CoventryPosh 0-4 CardiffPlymouth 1-0 readingScunny 0-1 WBASheff U 0-0 PrestonSwansea 0-0 PalaceDonny v Leicester postponed. I am as sick as a parrot.Colchester 1-0 SotonH'field 1-0 MK Dons Swindon 2-1 YeovilWycombe 2-1 BrightonIf it is in League One and it ain't above then it is scoreless.3.59pm: League Two comin atchaAccrington 1-0 BuryBradford 1-2 ShrewsburyB Albion 1-2 Notts CDag & Red 0-1 CheltenhamGrimsby 0-2 Port ValeM'field 3-0 CreweRochdale 2-0 MorecambeAgain, if it isn't listed above there are no goals.So, in an underwhelming 45 minutes of football the big news is Chelsea losing at home to Fulham, thanks to the only Premier League goal of the 3pm kick-offs. Greatest league in the world. Maybe all the goals are being stockpiled for tonight's Wolves-Man City clash, for which some chancer called Mikey Stafford is doing the minute-by-minute. Check it out, it is sure to be full of clumsy cliches, mixed metaphors and acceptable alliteration.4.04pm: The teams are making their way back onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge and Phil Thompson's betrothed informs us the fans are booing the Chelsea players. Well, they won't like it if Fulham record their first ever Premier League victory at their better-heeled neighbours.4.06pm: "No pedantry from me this time around. Just wanted to say how much you've brightened my morning. This probably speaks to the excitement I generally have in my life. In my defence, though, I am an exiled Torquay United supporter so I need to find my fun wherever I can."Christopher Ballard thinks he can win me over, but he cut me deep. Okay then I forgive you. We're underway in most games again folks, but it is hard to tell.4.08pm: Scunthorpe have levelled it up at home to West Brom and Swindon are now 3-1 up against Yeovil.Birmingham goal Cameron Jerome puts the unbeatable Blues ahead at the Britannia.4.10pm: Carl Cort has scored for Brentford, who lead 1-0 at home to Charlton. I was at the return fixture earlier in the year, great game which Charlton won.Sunderland goal Followed instantly by a Blackburn goal. Morten Gamst Pedersen scored the equaliser after Darren Bent gave Steve Bruce's side the lead no more than a minute before. There seems to be a danger of a bout of football breaking out in Lancashire.4.13pm: "Can I get a quick cheer for the good players of Burnley, please?" Yes, yes you can Kimberley Taylor. "So far it's 0-0 at Goodison, and if it stays like this, it will be the first time this season Burnley haven't conceded away from home and only the second time in the league they haven't lost away. Plus, I'm trying to get on the good side of my Burnley-supporting stepdad who terrified me on Christmas day with an Owen Coyle mask."Well, you've given him a shout out on our fabulous website now. If you could get Gary Naylor to hold up an "Owen Coyle is God" sign at the arrers you'll be quids in.4.16pm: Bury have equalised at Accrington Stanley and then gone 2-1 up. Notts County are 4-1 up at Burton Albion. Happy Christmas Sven. You might not be getting your ambassadorial money but you're team are scoring some goals.4.17pm: Fulham are not getting a sniff at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea may have received a rustic Italian bollocking at half-time. Burnley have hit the post through the foot of David Nugent. It could get better for Kimberley's stepdad yet.Charlton have equalised at Brentford and Leyton Orient are 1-0 up at home to Southend. Barnsley have taken a 2-1 lead at home to Middlesbrough, having been 1-0 down. Go you Tykes!4.19pm: Plymouth are 2-0 up at home to managerless Reading. The Pilgrims couldn't buy a goal recently, now they have two. It's a Christmas miracle.4.21pm: I've just received an email from the crime correspondent of the Irish Daily Star: "Here I am, stratching my arse in work after Christmas and I get a twitter about the Wolves City Game informing me that you will be covering it for some website called the guardian. Fair play. We are all jealous," sayd Michael O'Toole. It is a glamorous life I lead Michael.Plymouth have added a third, having conceded one. Goals galore at Home Park. Burnley's Stephen Jordan has been sent off at Goodison Park for a second bookable offence.Sunderland goal! Darren Bent has got a second at Blackburn, let's see if they can keep this lead for more than a minute.4.25pm: Ipswich are now 2-0 up at home to QPR. I may have said that game was at Loftus Road earlier, but then I do say a lot of things. Jonathan Stead, goal machine, has got the second for Roy Keane's Tractor Boys, who are ploughing their way through the lower echelons of the Championship. Oh yeah, I do puns too.Chris Ballard is back and this time he wants to talk football, not stray commas: "There you go, Mikey – Torquay have gone 1-0 up at high-flying Bournemouth, bring the dual benefit of a potential 3 points as well as convincing my American co-workers that I'm a nutter as I jump up from my seat with a "Get In!!""Get in indeed.4.28pm: Peterborough have scored two goals since half-time, another two and they may record a 4-4 home draw with Cardiff. We could have some drama at London Road. We could also have four more Cardiff goals, who knows?Graham Dorrans has put WBA 2-1 ahead from the penalty spot at Scunthorpe.4.30pm: Twenty minutes left at Stamford Bridge and Ancelotti has acted. Removing Mikel for young egotist Daniel Sturridge. Roy Hodgson has put on striker Andrew Johnson for Zoltan Gera – he has guts, the Fulham manager.4.31pm: Kimberley, your stepdad may be celebrating a second away point as it remains 0-0 at Everton. Makes my whole Marie Celeste jibe from earlier look rather foolish. But a little more egg on my face won't make much of a difference.Chelsea goal! Who else but Didier Drogba, the Ivorian heads home the equaliser as a going away present before he departs for the African Cup of Nations. Maybe Andrew Johnson can bang in a second for Fulham.4.34pm: Timo Bures has joined the pedant platoon. "Not sure if Michael O'Toole has invented a method which to stretch andscratch his behind in one and calls it stratching or if it is a mistake I wonder which publication i should be worried about? The one that quotes non-existing words or the one that employs a journo that comes up with them..."Chelsea goal! It is 2-1 as poor Chris Smalling sees the ball rebound off him and into his own net. Looks like Chelsea are not in crisis then. Isn't that nice for them.Blackburn goal! El-Hadji Diouf has made it 2-2 against Sunderland, one of the friend of the Big Issue's former employers4.37pm: Nicholas Farrell, what have I done to you? "Well, if you insist. How can you go to the return game first (4.10pm) ?. Enjoying your min-by-min, honestly." I did mull that one over before typing, but I reckon everybody would understand what I was getting at. Luton are 4-0 up at Eastbourne Borough Nicholas, not that you asked or anything. Tsk.4.40pm: Eastbourne have got one back. Jonathan Stead, goal machine, has got another to put Ipswich 3-0 ahead and Forest are now 2-0, through Dexter Blackstock, in front at home to Coventry and look sure to win that Midlands derby.Everton goal! Fellaini crosses and James Vaughan, so long out of the Everton team, bangs it in to ruin Kimberley Taylor's Burnley supporting stepdad's day. Here is the terrified stepdaughter's very quick reaction: "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"Some people, like Nicholas Farrell and Christopher Ballard, would point out you misspelt no, but I won't.4.44pm: Plymouth are 4-1 ahead at home to Reading and Brighton lead Wycombe by 5-2. There are goals about today. Ireland's leading crime corresppondent has issues with my editing: "Ah come on Mikey! How did you not spot that deliberate spelling mistake?" O'Toole, if you want something done...4.46pm: Karma has caught up with you Ballard, Bournemouth have equalised at home to Torquay.4.47pm: Brad Wilson likes the S key on his Blackberry, though I don't think it likes him so much. "So, Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!! Fellaini finally looks worth £15 million, doesn't he?"He looks like something. Fulham are pressing hard against a panicked Chelsea. What fun.4.48pm: Posh have got a third and now only trail Cardiff by one goal. This would rank among the great comebacks if they can pull it off."Pedantry shmedantry. Torquay just conceded so all error correction is off. I'll even forgive misspelling my name…somehow it doesn't seem to matter any more." Chris Ballard is distraught. Hee hee hee.Southampton have got one back at Colchester.Everton goal! Stephen Pienaar profits from some strong running by Yakubu. There could be a tense atmosphere at Kimberley's dinner table tonight.Peterborough have equalised! Holy classic comeback Batman! Posh had trailed 4-0 at half-time but have rescued a point, somehow. Not that it will take them off the foot of the table, but this is no time for such thoughts. Football... it's fantastic.4.53pm: Full-time at Ewood Park and Goodison – Everton have beaten Burnley 2-0 and Blackburn and Sunderland have shred a 2-2 draw, with all six goals coming in the second half.Birmingham have won 1-0 at Stoke and their unbeaten run now stands at 11! Amazing stuff, once again: Football... it's fantastic.Chelsea have completed their comeback, winning 2-1 at home, thanks to an own goal from young centre-half, Chris Smalling. You have got to feel for Hangeland's replacement, but in time he too will agree: Football... it's fantastic.4.56pm: "Karma is a bitch," says my nemesis Chritopher Ballard, who has seen his beloved Seagulls faff a 1-0 lead at Bournemouth to lose 2-1. "Life sucks. Still, it was fun while it lasted. By all accounts the referee was generally shocking at Dean Court, (something like 10 yellows) followed by a dodgy penalty, which I missed cos Radio Devon decided to conk out on me. Feel free to be smug, sir. I'll be back."As will I Christopher, join me for the Wolves-Manchester City minute-by-minute later. It promises to be at least two hours long. But for now, why not head over to our live scores and fixtures page to see how it finished around the country.Catch you all on the flip side.Premier LeagueChampionshipLeague OneLeague TwoMikey Staffordguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Cardiff City 1 Blackpool 1: match report Cardiff had to settle for a point after a second-half fightback from Blackpool at Cardiff City Stadium. telegraph.co.uk |
Roberto Mancini uncorks the red wine to shake up Manchester City diet • Manchester City manager adds alcohol to the mix• Italian-style diet can perk up team's performanceRoberto Mancini has revealed that he is aiming to shake up his players' diets at Manchester City by adding Italian favourites such as pizza to the menu, served with a glass of wine.Hailing from a culture where alcohol is sipped at mealtimes instead of necked at speed in pubs and nightclubs, Mancini will seek to show his squad how a decent glass of red can perk up their pre-match meals and improve performance."I will calmly make corrections to what they eat before matches," City's manager told the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport. "You need more chicken, pizza, carbohydrates. As well as a glass of wine, which isn't being served."Fabio Capello has told England's players to drizzle olive oil over a Mediterranean salad instead of squeezing ketchup over a plate of chips. But Mancini's plans come as more of a surprise. Another ÂItalian, ÂGianluca Vialli, famously gave his Chelsea players a glass of champagne in the dressing room before his first match in a charge – a 3-1 victory over Arsenal – but it rare for players to be encouraged to consume alcohol.Mancini's touch has worked to perfection at City so far, though. The team, who play Everton at Goodison on Saturday evening, have won all four of their matches since he took over and he believes he has improved the side he inherited from Mark Hughes and sees a bright future."I have given City more balance and a greater sense of conviction," he said. "The potential is incredible, but you need to draw it out. And the road ahead is long." He added that he was relishing the "challenge" of playing against "immortal" sides such as Liverpool and Manchester United, City's opponents in the Carling Cup semi-final this month.Mancini, who also admitted that his long-term ambition is to move back to Italy to take over the national team, said that he had been struck, since his move to City, by "the incredible fans, very strong players and a well-organised club".After finding himself "in a completely different world", the former Internazionale coach said he had been working 24-hour days to make the switch to English football. Mancini noted that he had been given a warm welcome in England by fellow expatriate Italians Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola. However, his relationship with Capello, described yesterday by one Italian insider as "mutual, silent hatred", does not appear to have improved. "No, I haven't heard from Capello," he said of the England coach.Asked about his ambitions, Mancini did not rule out an eventual return to Serie A, where he coached Fiorentina before winning three league titles with Inter. "What seems impossible today may happen tomorrow. Inter, Milan, Juventus, Lazio, Roma, who knows?" he said. "One day I would like to coach the national side, or a national side. But right now, and for many years to come there is only City."Having moved into a hotel, Mancini plans to bring his wife to Manchester permanently next season, Corriere dello Sport reported, adding that Mancini dedicated City's 4-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers that took them to fourth place in the Premier League on Monday to his father.Mancini said he had held six or seven tactical discussions with his players since taking over three weeks ago, and singled out Carlo Tevez, scorer of a hat-trick against Blackburn, as an "extraordinary striker, serious and deadly on the field."He added that the unsettled forward Robinho "only needs tranquillity and goals. If he wants to win he has found the right team and despite the rumours he has not told me he wants to leave."Mancini said he was glad to leave behind the constant squabbling over fouls and refereeing decisions that dominate discussion in Italy, where pundits pore repeatedly over slow-motion replays."Here it is about football and gossip, and not referees, dodgy goals and suspicions," he said. "Every country has its culture and here I see respect among players, even after a bad foul. That is the fascination of English football – the spirit."Roberto ManciniManchester CityPremier LeagueTom Kingtonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Arsène Wenger: William Gallas gamble has paid off at Arsenal Stripping Frenchman of captaincy restored unity says Arsène Wenger. telegraph.co.uk |