Tag Futebol

Over the last couple of weeks the title race has opened up significantly. A few weeks ago it seemed Chelsea would retain the Premier League without getting out of second gear. However, it has all changed and after the weekends results, do Manchester United have the spark to go on and win the Premier League this season. The answer is yes. The return of Wayne Rooney.

The return of Wayne Rooney could not come at a more poignant time in the season. Chelsea are in shocking form and Arsenal don’t look like they can defend well enough to sustain a true challenge. Manchester United are level on points with Chelsea and have remained undefeated. The return of Wayne Rooney will inspire United to jump out of second gear and take advantage of the mistakes Chelsea and Arsenal are making.

If Wayne Rooney can return to his best form then Manchester United look a great bet for the Premier League title. Without playing well this season, they have managed to remain undefeated and they have a determination about them. Their comeback against Aston Villa was sensational, although the defending before hand was terrible. They have shown real character this season and the return of Wayne Rooney will lift the club. The worry was that by the time Wayne Rooney returned, Manchester United could have been out of the race altogether. However, they are not. They are well and truly in the hunt for the title.

What Wayne Rooney will now give Manchester United is a presence upfront. Over the past few weeks, teams have been able to come onto Manchester United with relative ease. Dimitar Berbatov does not offer the same pace and energy upfront as Rooney and teams have exploited this. Much like Jermain Defoe’s return against Arsenal. He scares defenders, so much that they start to play within themselves, and mistakes occur. Rooney is exactly the same. With all the skill the England man has, it is his energy and work rate that is so impressive. Manchester United have missed this, and his return will give them a real presence, as well as a goal threat again.

Along with the returning Wayne Rooney, it has been reported that Antonio Valencia could return as easily as February. Again this will give Old Trafford an enormous lift going into the business end of the season. Wayne Rooney scored so many goals last season because of the service of Valencia. Manchester United have returning players – something that has to spark them into life. Manchester United can only get better this season, a reality that has to worry the Premier League.

Manchester United are getting better this season, where Arsenal and Chelsea are falling into a bad slump. If we accept that Manchester United have had their early slump in form –  Arsenal and Chelsea fans must be worried. The worry – United didn’t loose in this period. They may have thrown winning positions away but importantly have remained undefeated. There is a steel at Manchester United that the other two do not seem to have at the moment. Both Arsenal and Chelsea look vulnerable, whilst Manchester United have one of the world best returning. Sir Alex Ferguson must be delighted the position United are in, going into Christmas.

Without a doubt the retuning Wayne Rooney will boost Manchester United. Of course, we are assuming that Wayne Rooney will return to the form of last season. There is nothing to say he wont, and that has to work in Manchester United’s advantage. Wayne Rooney has dealt with his personal problems and his contract saga this season and is now the time he rediscovers his form on the pitch. If he does and Arsenal and Chelsea continue to stumble, Manchester United could easily pull away in the race for the Premier League.

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As the referee blew his whistle for the final time that afternoon, the Fratton Enders stood up defiantly. They burst into song, repeating the famous Pompey chimes despite their beloved club suffering relegation to England’s third tier.

There was no booing or abuse aimed at the Portsmouth players, only relentless applause and chanting. Such loyalty cannot be criticised in the slightest, and despite the fact they had to watch on as their south coast empire continued to collapse with the club’s second relegation in three seasons, surely these glorious fans deserve sympathy?

Most fans who have been to Fratton Park will acknowledge that the atmosphere is incredible. With the cow bell repeatedly clanked by the eccentric John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood and the chants of ‘Play up Pompey’ echoing around the stadium, these fans are a credit to English football.

But give them sympathy? Never. There can be absolutely no doubt that the Portsmouth faithful have endured serious turmoil of late. Their rags-to-riches tale has unraveled at such pace that it rivals the story of Leeds United. Similar to Leeds, memories of European adventures are a distant memory and the only thoughts racing through the supporters’ minds is whether or not they can ever return to the glories of recent years, or perhaps even the Premier League. For them, their latest long, arduous journey is about to begin.

Their tale is consigned the football history books titled ‘How Not To Run A Football Club’. Within its pages are some useful tips forwarded by the aforementioned Leeds, as well as Luton and Plymouth Argyle, not to mention some horrific contributions from Chester City and Rushden & Diamonds. Sadly, the list of clubs ravaged by financial troubles is a rapidly growing one.

However, unlike some clubs which have overspent and raced to the dizzy heights of which have never been seen, Portsmouth fans know of the risks and consequences of spending beyond their limits. As soon as Alexandre Gaydamak ventured to the south coast the fans should have been wary.

In 1998 the club entered administration until Milan Mandaric, who sold the club to Gaydamak at the start of 2006, rescued it. From that emotional point in the club’s history the supporters and its official staff would have been wise to treat a large and sudden influx of money with caution. Alas, they failed to do so.

Unfortunately, whilst fans should be regarded as the most important group connected with this beautiful game, they are also their own worst enemy. The lure of such riches and its ability to sign excellent players, make Wembley trips a reality, and secure European qualification, tempts some fans.

The thousands that flocked to the brilliant stage of Wembley where they saw their heroes lift the FA Cup were gripped, unaware of the looming disaster about to break this fine club. Even the strictest of traditionalists – and I would count myself in that mould – would not begrudge a little bit of money in the game. Afterall, it has been ever-present for decades. However, since the English Premier League was founded twenty seasons ago greed has slowly percolated into all four professional divisions.

And for what? It is possible to count on one hand the clubs that have gained genuine success at the very top of the football pyramid. Some sides have escaped financial oblivion and some have the tainted television money to thank, such as Wigan and Fulham, whose rise were both heavily funded.

Sadly – or perhaps that should be thankfully, we’ll see – football is going through its own banking crisis. After years of financial mishandlings and sheer greed, clubs are running for cover. A vast amount of lower league sides are quickly restructuring their financial outputs. Most are refusing to spend a penny. Those who are not established in the Championship and cannot challenge for the Premier League jackpot have little choice but to cast a cover of austerity over their clubs in a bid to stave off a financial breakdown.

But for Portsmouth fans, they had a choice when everything appeared splendid ride the out-of-control Gaydamak train or to demand a halt. Let the club, with its financially secure owner, gradually develop, they should have said. At times fans fail to see their huge importance, their power to enforce change. Even in the Premier League a sudden decline in attendances can cripple a club.

It appears fans only realise and react when it is too late and the wheels are off. Take Coventry City who, like Portsmouth, are financially ravaged and have followed them into League One. Their fans are demanding a total restructure. They are protesting for a change in board and owners.

All is well, all is so fantastically well when the team is winning, but clubs built on quicksand are bound to sink. Maybe it is a Godsend that clubs are collapsing. Not just ordinary clubs like Port Vale or Plymouth, but clubs that were hosting AC Milan just a few years ago, such as Portsmouth

UEFA have flexed its muscles with the introduction of their ‘Financial Fair Play’ rules, and the British MPs stood in the Houses of Parliament and asked for some light to be shed along football’s financial corridors.

As yet, the large untouchables have made a bit of a mockery out of UEFA (who are not without fault). Manchester City, realising the finances would not be approved of by Michel Platini, sanctioned a stadium sponsor, namely Etihad, owned by a relative of City’s foreign, passionless owners. How much the club stands to draw is anyone’s guess.

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These foreign owners do not care about the state of the English game (which has spread north of the border to strike and hinder Rangers). They do not care that clubs, who struggle to attract two thousand plus gates, have been caught up in this financial tornado.

But I was under the impression that English fans adored the English game. But when you see Portsmouth fans crying with joy at the sight of Sol Campbell lifting the FA Cup and then seeing their sorry faces when it all blows up in their face… well it invokes a little sense of gratification. Hopefully, they will learn at the third attempt, and hopefully the majority of fans will eventually refuse the easy route and welcome progression by its correct, hard-working means. Who knows?

You can follow me on Twitter: @CraigOAFC for even more football discussion.

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Ligue 1 club Valenciennes have prised Daniel Sanchez from French second-tier side Tours, to replace Philippe Montanier as head coach.Montanier took over Valenciennes in 2009, guiding the team to 12th place in the table last season before agreeing to join La Liga club Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Sanchez, 57, takes over after spending four seasons in charge of Tours, who finished 12th in the 2010-11 Ligue 2 season.

“I’m happy to be back (in the top flight) as a coach,” Sanchez said.

”Valenciennes is the place to come in Ligue 1. It is a thriving club.”

“We will stick to the spirit of the game and what has been done by my predecessors.”

“By playing well, we will get more chances to win and I want to see attacking football.”

Sanchez was reportedly in consideration for the Valenciennes job two years ago, when the club opted for Montanier to succeed Antoine Kombouare.

A striker with Nice, Paris Saint-Germain and St Etienne in his playing days, Sanchez previously coached Nagoya Grampus Eight in the Japan’s J-League.

He also worked as an assistant manager at Bordeaux, St Etienne and Nice.

The Football Association have decided to take no action against Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone for his stamp on Johan Elmander during the 4-2 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

The 23-year-old England international could have been facing a three-match ban if found guilty of violent conduct, but the FA have ruled out further action after match referee Chris Foy confirmed that he saw the incident as it happened.

An FA spokesman commented: "We can confirm there will be no action taken against Tom Huddlestone."

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had earlier stated that he felt Huddlestone was not the sort of player to stamp on another deliberately.

He told the Daily Mirror:"I'm going to say something that you probably don't even believe – I never even saw it and I still haven't seen it.

"I know there are a few managers that say they didn't see what happened and I'm not becoming one of them, but I never saw what happened.

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"But Tom's tame. He's a good footballer, isn't he? He's not aggressive.

"I spoke to their players afterwards and they said they felt it was an accident."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Vedran Corluka is arguably one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and if it wasn’t for the young talent that is Kyle Walker, the Croatian would find himself as a first team regular in the Tottenham team. The right back was growing frustrated at his lack of action in the starting line-up and has moved on loan to Bayer Leverkusen, in order to boost his international chances ahead of the Euros.

While things haven’t been good on the pitch for Vedran in North London, off the pitch it has been decidedly better as he has hooked up with the gorgeous model Vedrana Linardic. Their romance is certainly blossoming and judging by the pictures it is clear that Corluka is well and truly punching above his weight.

Click on Vedrana Linardic below to see her in all her glory

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Football fans are the heartbeat of professional football, without the hordes of supporters piling into stadiums all across the world where would the beautiful game be? The fans keep their clubs ticking over, whether it be buying the merchandise or stumping up the cash for match day and season tickets. Most are fanatical enough to pay whatever their clubs demand, however, this doesn’t mean they are happy about it. This month has seen the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all increase ticket prices by around 6%, with 2.5% of the increase a result in the VAT increase. So I want to explore two sides of the argument; firstly, was this inevitable, due to the current financial climate and just a reality we have to accept? Or is it a case of clubs holding the genuine football supporters to ransom with hiked up prices?

Prices are going up all the time in all areas of life, whether it be the price of petrol, alcohol or food and it would seem that football tickets are just another one to add to the list. There was a wide expectancy from supporters of Premier League and Championship clubs that there was going to be an increase in ticket prices for next season, but it’s not until it’s announced that it really hits home with the fans. This is an area where football clubs have complete power over fans, for if they want to watch their team, most fans will still hand the money over. At the end of the day a football club is a business and it needs to make a profit to survive, so increasing ticket prices is just one of the ways to do it.

From what I have read about the situation the three clubs I have mentioned above have genuinely increased their prices to cope with the VAT rise and have tried to be as reasonable as possible. In this extract from the BBC website Keith Jelley, of the Liverpool Supporters Club, said: It’ll be a disappointed reaction from fans but I think it is fair.” The match day tickets at Anfield have only increased by a pound for seats in the Kop and £2 everywhere else, which doesn’t seem a lot, but when added to a season ticket becomes a bigger deal. However, it’s not quite as reasonable at newly promoted QPR, they have increased season tickets at Loftus Road by 40%, a rise which has incensed many Rangers fans who think they are being exploited by their wealthy owners. In this instance I feel QPR are taking advantage of the nationwide ticket increase and are benefiting from their promotion financially at the fan’s expense.

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The rise in ticket prices is a bitter pill for football fans to swallow but I can’t but help but lean towards the fact it’s something clubs have to do. This is something that was always going to happen, and it will happen again in the future. The increases vary from one club to another and can be scrutinised in different ways, I think QPR have taken it too far with their increase, but the bigger clubs have tried to be as fair as possible. Then again I suppose you could question why the big clubs, who have just qualified for the Champions League and all its entailed riches, need to make the price increases for the forthcoming season?

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I wouldn’t put the increase in ticket prices solely down to the current financial climate but I do feel it has played a part. Most clubs do value their supporters and try to find a happy medium between prices that are fair for them and the club. It just shows that as much as football supporters wouldn’t be able to live without their beloved teams, the clubs need the fans and their money just as much.

Imogen Thomas Joins Paddy Power For a Champion Offer! They will refund losing Champions League Final bets if Man United lose the match Make your bets now!

Internazionale's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder has ended speculation about his future by putting pen to paper on a contract extension to keep him at the San Siro until the summer of 2015.

The 26-year-old enjoyed an astonishing first season with the Nerazzurri, helping Inter to a treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia success, before playing a major role in the Netherlands' progress to the World Cup final.

However, the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked with moves to try and prise Sneijder away from Milan, which have now seemingly been dashed.

Inter president Massimo Moratti told the club's official website:"The fans will be happy above all else because we have reached an agreement with Wesley Sneijder for a contract extension until 2015.

"Sneijder became a key player for Inter last season and will be this year and for many years to come.

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"The negotiations started despite the fact he had a long time to go on his old deal, but with mutual satisfaction they were completed this morning."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Torino’s attacking midfielder Alen Stevanovic is being watched by a number of Premier League teams, according to the Daily Mail.

The £6m rated 21 year old has recently been linked with a move to Manchester United and with Alex Ferguson in need of a creative midfielder, Stevanovic could well prove to be the answer.

During his development period at Serie A team Inter Milan, Premier League scouts had already likened him to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Loan spells to FC Toronto have nurtured the Switzerland born midfielder into an outstanding player, which has raised eyebrows in and around Europe. His ever impressive form has inevitably moved him a step closer to an international call up for Serbia, which can only be good for his confidence.

The Serie A team are reportedly willing to sell the young Serbian for £6million and with Manchester United and other top Premier League teams interested, a move away from Italy looks ever more likely.

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Brazil club Santos and Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield both advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday.Santos advanced to the last four 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw against Colombia’s Once Caldas, while Maximiliano Moralez was on target twice as Velez beat Paraguay’s Libertad 4-2 for a 7-2 aggregate victory.

Just three days after helping Santos clinch the Campeonato Paulista, Brazilian rising star Neymar was at it again against Once Caldas with a 12th-minute goal to give his side a 2-0 advantage over the two legs.

Once Caldas gave Santos a few anxious moments when Wason Renteria scored on the half-hour mark but the Brazilian club held on to advance.

Velez went into the other quarter-final with a 3-0 lead and they were never threatened as Moralez netted twice and Guillermo Franco and Augusto Fernandez both added goals in the last 30 minutes to secure the victory.

Rodrigo Rojas and Manuel Maciel scored for Libertad.

Santos will face either Mexico’s Chiapas or Paraguay’s Cerro Porteno in the semis, while Velez will take on the winner of Uruguay’s Penarol and Chile’s Universidad Catolica.

Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric has admitted to being below-par during the opening weeks of the season.

The Croatia international has scored one goal in six appearances this season but is unhappy with his form in Spurs' first ever campaign in the Champions League.

"For me, I'm a little out of rhythm," he told the club's official website.

"I've had a couple of injuries this season and I'm not yet back into my rhythm but in a couple of games I'll settle down and play better.

"I just need to be fitter. It's been hard for me because I've had a couple of injures but in a couple of matches I'll be back into full shape."

Meanwhile, Modric has welcomed the arrival of Rafael van der Vaart at White Hart Lane.

The Netherlands international has taken the plaudits after bagging four goals in his six appearances since joining from Real Madrid in August.

"Rafa is an exceptional player and he's showed that since he came to the club," continued Modric.

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"He's a great signing. He's played at great clubs, Ajax, Hamburg, Real Madrid and I think he can give more quality to the team."

"It's not hard to play well with that kind of player and I'm happy he's here with us."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email