Soccerspecs

Premier Soccer News - Barclays Premier League News

2008-03-14T14:15:00.000+08:00

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2008-01-12T17:53:00.000+08:00

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Liverpool 3 Watford 0

2007-01-13T22:45:00.000+08:00

What a way to bounce back from the horror in mid-week.

Frankly, it wasn't a particularly inspiring start to the match. It was pretty
much tennis ball playing between the 2 teams and it was made worse by the
constant throw-ins and stop starts.

I wasn't until the first goal scored by Bellamy before things started looking brighter. A simple
tap in from an excellent cross from Steve Finnan, it was weighted perfectly and had the right
amount of pace on it.

Crouchie got the other 2 goals and one wonders why Benitez took him off with 20 minutes
remaining...More then ample time for his first club hat-trick

And whats up with bringing on Fowler for the last 7 to 6 minutes? He deserve better then
that sort of treatment!

That aside, it's a great scoreline and another cleansheet. Reina still has the most cleansheets
for a keeper in the EPL and we're 5 points within Chelsea!

Dylan

Liverpool 2 PSV 0

2006-11-23T19:15:00.000+08:00

Finally a win.

Liverpool 2 PSV 0

I think the champions league has become something of a cul de sac for us. Everytime
we do badly in the premier league, we go running to our security blanket in the champions
league for some solace...

Anyway, my local paper ran an excellent article on the Stevie G and why he MUST play at the center of midfield. I found myself nodding furiously many times whilst reading it.

1. It's his preferred position. Yes he scored 20 over goals from right mid last year, yes he's the captain and yes he'll have to play where ever benitez plays him. But there's no doubting that's his preferred location and that we see a 'world class' Gerrard rather then a 'top class' Gerrard in the center of the park.

2. No one else in the team does a better job in the center then he does. No one else has the energy, the dynamisn, the vision, the drive and the influence that he has. Xabi? He's a master passer but he seldom does those rampaging runs. Sissoko? He's still very clumsy. And very temperamental. Zenden? I shall not even go there!

4. The whole team benefits. When the plays in the middle, he's basically everywhere. The left and right flank can have 'real' wingers. (not that I rate petulant pennant or gonzo gonzalez a whole lot...) but he does allow the team to have a better 'flow' either attacking or defending

Alright, I'm done with my piece. Looking towards some profit punting on the UEFA cup tonight :)

Finally, a DECENT performance, a DECENT win...

2006-10-29T14:37:00.000+08:00

(Wonder strike from Kuyt)

Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 1

This is result is signficantly important for a few reasons.

- Confidence has been shaken somewhat after THAT 2-0 loss, it's important we gain some back ahead of our champions league game.

- Aston Villa's unbeaten run ended by us. Even Chelsea and Arsenal failed to beat them

- Our strikers clicked and scored one each. Crouch 1, Kuyt 1

- This result came in the midst of that unamed director critiscism AND some fans asking for
his head already...

Hopefully this can be our turning point. What worries me though, is still out defence, Hyppia and Carragher partnership looks like a pale shadow of it's past. Althought that was a great layoff by Hyppia :)

-Dy

So we win 4-3...

2006-10-26T23:56:00.000+08:00

Yea big deal against READING AT HOME

*claps claps*

Funny thing, I'm hearing voices of discontent already, some of them , GASP, asking for Benitez's head

How impatient have people become?

Have you forgotten the cups he won for us?
The champions league?
The wins over Chelsea?

People tend to forget...

True, I seriously think we're out of the race already BUT who's to say we can't hit 2nd spot
this season? That'd be an improvement over last season and I'm sure we'll be happy (happy not estactic) with it..

Let's just be patient and see what changes (pun intended) there will be. And thank God for our
narrow win - Literally :)

A sad frustrating dour draw...

2006-10-15T13:55:00.000+08:00

*SIGH*

I really wonder, when will Rafael Benitez stop tinkering??

Just once. Please! If you are reading this Rafa, stop tinkering!

I mean I'm sure he knows whats he doing but really, what is he doing
playing Aurelio on the team again? He's only good for set pieces, doesn't
defend well enough, doesn't possess enought attacking flair, can dribble for
nuts...

I see the 2nd coming of Antionio Nunez...

Was he crying?

Well, at least Bellamy scored. With the form Crouch was on and the glimpses of
brillance we've seen from Kuyt. I think our strike force are shaping up very well

Defensively I'm not so sure... I'd loathe to criticise the back four...

So I shall not. Instead, I fear our curse of goalies have come back to
haunt us...

Others

Manure had an excellent outing besting Wigan 3-1. Good to see Kirkland in
action. Made a few saves. Stayed rooted in most.

Was really happy for Solskajer (or however the f you spell that). I mean it.

Kinda reminds me of Babel. Glad that he recovered back from his long injury
and now he's back at his best. An inspiration really...

Elsewhere Chelsea grinded out a hard fought 1-0 win over Reading.
(how come all these hard-fought 1-0s always go to them?)

Arsenal won too. Huray!

They all won expect Liverpool! Pat on the back!

BLAH

Butterfinger curse strikes once more? - Jose Reina

2006-10-09T20:18:00.000+08:00

>Where was the top notch handling?
>Where was the confidence in the air?
>Where was the organisation in the box?
>Where was safe, non-fumbling stye of play?
>Has the curse of the butterfingers struck again?

It's almost funny considering how good our keepers become after they left.

Look at: David James, Chris Kirkland, Carson, Friedel, Westerveld (for a short period of time at least)

I'm a little concerned with the next match Liverpool Vs Blackburn

I hope there just some semblance of familiarity with the team. Let's see if bellamy
starts...I'll be posting more when the match draws near..

Dy

P.S. Have you got the Fm2007 demo yet? Its awesome!

This Post's link: Reina butterfingers?

Updates..

2006-04-09T01:14:00.000+08:00

Several potential signings have been sighted. And there are also murmurs of an investment takeover.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been unable to persuade Paco Herrera into staying on with the Reds.The boss knows he has a huge void to fill and anyone with an inch of football knowledge knows that Herrera has played a massive part in the success that has already been achieved in such a short space of time.Rafa is now considering who to bring in and what changes to make for next season.

He said: "We need to use Paco as much as we can before he leaves. He's been very important for us with his scouting and coaching. He is also a fantastic person, so it is a bad loss.
But we must understand his reasons. He needs to be with his family. He has a wife and young daughter in Spain.The reasons for his leaving show the kind of person he is. I know he loves working here and is very grateful to the club, but you must always think about your family.We're thinking how we will change the structure but ensure we work in the same way. We're very happy with the work of Frank McParland, who works alongside Paco in the scouting.
I have some ideas and the main thing is not to change what we're doing now too much, because there has been a lot of progression."

All the best in your future endevours Paco!

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says new boy Mark Gonzalez will prove to be an exciting signing.Although already a Red, Gonzalez has been unable to wear the famous red shirt due to work permit problems hence his loan spell with Real Sociedad where he's playing some superb football.

Rafa said: "Mark is playing really well in Spain. He's been one of the best players for Real Sociedad, and all the reports have been impressive about him.
"He has been playing good football against all the top clubs in Spain, including those who are doing well in the Champions League and include some of the best defenders in Europe.
"He has shown he can be a player who can be a fantastic signing for us when he is given the opportunity.
"I know he will be liked by our supporters because of the qualities he has with his pace, his technical ability and his bravery.
"I'm sure he will give us a lot of very enjoyable afternoons watching him play."

Some Pool News

2006-03-04T15:07:00.000+08:00

Very sadly, the wife of former Liverpool midfielder Gary McAllister has lost her battle against breast cancer.Denise died in a Nottingham hospital with Gary at her bedside. The couple have two young children

Reports originating from Italy claim that Juventus are prepared to offer 25million Euros plus Jonathan Zebina (27) for Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.The Italian outfit have publicly stated that they want to sign the influential midfielder so the media are now just looking at possible offers.

Liverpool have been linked with a possible move for Real Sociedad midfielder Xabier Prieto.Reports today claim that the 22-year-old is attracting interest from both ourselves and our friends at Old Trafford.

Anderlecht will do all they can to retain the player but the tops clubs from all over the world are closing in on him. A move to a bigger club in the summer of 2006-07 looks likely with the player wanting to advance his career.Liverpool scouts have watched him numerous times on the instructions of both Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez

85 years of curse broken!!

2006-02-20T15:04:00.000+08:00

Peter Crouch more then answered a few critics with his goal, putting use his best asset,his height, to great use. Vidic seems like an early contender for flop of season but lets give him some time shall we?

Sissoko was his usual swashbuckling self. I was qutie annoyed with his over enthusiasm sometimes - needlessly giving the ball away, reckless tackles and some ambitous shots.Ahh, just like Viera I hear you say.

Its been three 1-0 victories in a row now, can we break some more records?The most 1-0s in the club's history? Seems like the FA cup is our most realistic chance of winning anything this season

Cheers,
D.L

Oh liverpool bought that Paletta guy, his an argentine. All the best to him in his Liverpool career. :)

Liverpool 2 - 1 Portsmouth

2006-01-30T19:52:00.000+08:00

Liverpool are through to the next round of the Fa Cup.Whew.Thoose watching the closing minutes of the match would agree that liverpool scrapped through. As much as I like Morientes,he really looked ineffective. I wonder how long will he last.

Cisse was out of sorts.Totally.I like Cisse,I really do but he have got to start banging in goals to stay here.Now it seems like Fowler's transfer was a masterstroke indeed :)

Man Utd Drew 0-0..AHAHHAHAA

2006-01-10T16:37:00.000+08:00

Goal Line Clearance..

Hahahahaa.Are you having a laugh also?Man Utd drew with burton albion(did i spell it correctly?) All credit to burton though,they played admirably and was not overawed by the occasion. Fergie has come out and said that it was a good thing for non league sides blah blah blah..

Yea right!Since when did you start caring for your lower league teams?

Liverpool,by the way, drew portsmoutm.I am mighty pleased with that draw :)

High Low High Low High 5-3!!!

2006-01-08T03:30:00.000+08:00

Yeap,thats how I felt when I was watching the Fa Cup Tie between Liverpool and Luton. Luton certainly provided a tough fight for us.At one point,it seemed we had the match lost.Cisse missed a penalty,Luton scored another goal. 3-1 to luton but it was not to be. The introduction of Sinama Pongolle reaped instant rewards,he score with a neat finish after a precise pass from alonso.

Particulary I thought Gerrard,Alonso and Sinama stood out.Gerard was fantabulous.Cisse looked out of sorts,confused,frustrated and lost.He could be on his way out,its a pity though,because I still think he has that raw power in him.Final score stands at 5-3 to liverpool,a fantastic comeback and it makes me a very happy man :)

Spurs 2 - 0 Man City Plus Some Other Transfer News..

2006-01-05T13:59:00.000+08:00

Spurs are fast catching up liverpool(though we do have games in hand) and are lying 4th in the table with more points than their arch rivals Arsenal

Mido and Robbie Keane combined to devastating effect once again as their goals sealed a 2-0 win for Tottenham at Manchester City.The pair have emerged as Martin Jol's first-choice strikeforce - and repaid that faith handsomely with goals on 31 and 83 minutes to take their collective tally to an impressive 11 in eight games.

Liverpool has sealed the signing of kromkamp and are looking at Agger next. I really do hope we clinch that transfer!

Elsewhere...
Laurent Robert has swapped the grind of a relegation dogfight for the glamour of Champions League football by signing for Benfica.

Mark Gonzalez is certain to be loaned out to a Spanish club until the end of the season, when Liverpool will again apply for a work permit.Talk about an emotional roller coster ride for this guy.

Manchester United target Patrice Evra has been omitted from Monaco's squad to travel to Auxerre for a Ligue 1 match on Thursday.

Gary Neville has taunted Chelsea's team of superstars insisting they will break up in the next few years. The Manchester United ace said Jose Mourinho and his men will quit the Blues for Europe's "super clubs." Neville said: "You can't tell me that their players and manager will not want to go to some of the European super clubs in the next few years."

The England defender,though, Neville admits Mourinho’s men are currently uncatchable.

soccerspecs@gmail.com

A Rare Update...

2006-01-02T13:26:00.000+08:00

England and Newcastle striker Michael Owen is set to have an operation on the broken bone in his right foot, according to reports.Owen picked up the injury against Tottenham in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at White Hart Lane.However he insists he will be ready for the World Cup this summer.The 26-year-old England international, who broke his fifth metatarsal, could be out for "several months", according to Magpies boss Graeme Souness.

Owen told Sky Sports News: "It's disappointing but everyone gets their fair share, if there's any consolation I've got plenty of time before the World Cup."When asked if the injury would affect his World Cup, Owen replied: "Not from what all the experts are telling me."There are no quick ways, it's two and a half months or three months, I don't know what it is but it's the same for everyone. Loads of people have had it done - (Wayne) Rooney, (David) Beckham, Gary Neville and Stevie Gerrard."

England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson will monitor Owen's recovery.He told the Football Association website: "Obviously I'm very disappointed for Michael. It's very bad luck for him and for Newcastle United."Michael is a fantastic striker and a very important player for his club and for England."I hope he returns to fitness as soon as possible and I will follow his progress very closely."Souness said: "Michael Owen has broken his fifth metatarsal in his right foot. He's had it X-rayed here [at White Hart Lane] and he will obviously be out for several months now.

Sven-Goran Eriksson has declared himself open to the idea of playing Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard alongside a holding midfielder - if he can find a player suitable for the job.Time is running out for the England manager before he finalises his World Cup squad, and few places remain available in what is a largely settled squad.

But Eriksson has admitted it is not too late to impress him, and he also recognises England could benefit from taking a no-nonsense midfield tackler with them to Germany.Ledley King was already been tried out in midfield, coping well against Argentina, but he is primarily a defender.

Eriksson is keeping his options open but is adamant Gerrard and Lampard can dovetail together in his midfield."They can do it - of course they can do it," he said.

"But if we want to have one sitting midfielder then we have to find one. It's one area which we are going to look at, that's for sure, because maybe you need it at some stage in the World Cup."

Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Denmark international defender Daniel Agger from Brondby.The European champions have already moved to bolster their rearguard in the January transfer window by agreeing a deal for Villarreal's Dutch full-back Jan Kromkamp.

And manager Rafael Benitez sees 5m pound Agger as the man to give him depth at centre-back.The 21-year-old Brondby star was in the Denmark side that crushed England 4-1 in a friendly in Copenhagen last August.

Yeappie!!Kromkamp I am not so sure but agger..sure has me getting excited!!

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2005-12-25T17:56:00.000+08:00

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As you can see,the previous post was way way long ago.I have been very busy and I have to say I would have no more time for soccerspecs.Thank you for reading my articles and news. I am now concentrating on being a part time domaineer :)

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soccerspecs@gmail.com

Premiership Aftermath..

2005-12-11T21:07:00.000+08:00

Liverpool has done it!They have equaled their club record of 10 successive clean sheets. Now lets look forward to actually breaking it..

Liverpool 2 - 0 Boro
Fernando Morientes broke the deadlock with two late goals, the first sweeping home a Luis Garcia cross and the second a clever lob over Mark Schwarzer.

Boro had battled bravely but eventually were overrun, with Chris Riggott being sent off for a second bookable offence just to rub salt into the wounds.This was Liverpool's seventh successive league win to send them off to the World Club Championships next week in high spirits.

Charlton 2 - 0 Sunderland
Charlton finally gave manager Alan Curbishley what he had asked for as they ended a run of six straight defeats with a clean sheet and victory over struggling Sunderland at The Valley.

Goals from Darren Bent - his 11th of the season - and Darren Ambrose either side of half-time proved enough to clinch a first Premiership win since the end of October for the Addicks.

Chelski 1 - 0 Wigan
Skipper John Terry scored the winner for the second successive week as they tightened their vice-like grip on the Premiership by increasing their lead at the top to 12 points.

Coach Jose Mourinho wants his side to reproduce the same kind of form which saw them destroy their opponents during December and January last season and it is difficult to see them faltering after they way they overcame a stubborn Wigan at Stamford Bridge.Terry, who scored the only goal of the game against Middlesbrough last Saturday, produced another unstoppable header in the 67th minute to earn the reigning champions three more valuable points.

Bolton 1 - 0 Aston Villa
David O'Leary is beginning to see a little bit of daylight at Aston Villa.While feelings are still raw after the Carling Cup defeat by Doncaster, they are beginning to make progress in the league.

Juan Pablo Angel equalised with three minutes to go with his first goal of the season and make it eight points out of a possible 12 for Villa.It was no more than they deserved against a high-flying Bolton side, who looked set for their ninth successive home win after El-Hadji Diouf opened the scoring in the 82nd minute.

West Brom 2 - 0 Man City
West Brom eased their relegation fears with an impressive 2-0 win over in-form Manchester City at the Hawthorns, who had Andy Cole sent off.

Given the physical nature of some of the challenges that had gone before, particularly Ben Thatcher's forearm-first challenge on Baggies goalscorer Diomansy Kamara, Cole could feel aggrieved at being the man to have his afternoon ended early.

But, after fouling Martin Albrechtsen, Cole was then judged by referee Mike Dean to have led with his elbow as he jumped with Kamara and was promptly dismissed.By then the game was over for City anyway. Kevin Campbell had followed up Kamara's first Premiership strike of the campaign by nodding Paul Robinson's cross into the top corner, extending the Baggies' unbeaten league run to four matches.

Birmingham 1 - 0 Fulham
Nicky Butt gave Birmingham a Premiership lifeline by heading a late winner to secure a first home success of the campaign for Steve Bruce's side.

The on-loan Newcastle midfielder stooped to deflect the ball past Mark Crossley from close range after Emile Heskey had turned a cross from substitute Jamie Clapham into his path.The 1-0 victory ended a miserable run of just one point from the previous seven games at St Andrews and the final whistle was greeted with wild scenes of joy from the 27,000 crow

Bburn 3 - 2 West Ham
Blackburn rekindled their goalscoring touch as they won 3-2 at home to a West Ham team they have loved taking apart in recent seasons at Ewood Park.

Manager Mark Hughes' side came into the game without a goal in their previous three Premiership matches, but they ended the drought in style with three second-half strikes.It is now seven wins and a draw in their last eight matches with the Hammers on home soil, taking their tally to 26 goals in the process.

Well thats all.Theres the Manure match against Everton later. Whoever wins(or loses) I would be happy :)

World Cup Draws Out!!!

2005-12-10T15:16:00.000+08:00

Following are the full grouping...

Group A: Germany, Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador.

Group B: England, Paraguay, Trinidad &Tobago, Sweden.

Group C: Argentina, Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro, Holland.

Group D: Mexico, Iran, Angola, Portugal.

Group E: Italy, Ghana, USA, Czech Republic.

Group F: Brazil, Croatia, Australia, Japan.

Group G: France, Switzerland, South Korea, Togo.

Group H: Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia.

I must say England got a pretty 'good' group and should have not problems going through. Personally for me I felt the toughest group has to be Group E. Most of the groups are pretty much even out with Group F a very interesting prospect. Expect a good fight for the second placing in that group. Spain and Germany also have very,seemingly, easy groups. :) Looking forward to the WORLD CUP!!!!

EPL Scores..

2005-11-27T11:04:00.000+08:00

Plenty of matches played last night.No big upsets and generally the favourites won the tie. Many were gunning on Pool to lose though.

Man City 0-1 Liverpool
Rafael Benitez said he was pleased with the performance of his team against Manchester City and felt the Reds deserved their 1-0 victory for their second half performance. The most important thing is the result and we deserved to win the game. The players worked really hard in the first half and then played really well in the second half.

"We controlled the second half and played some good football and passed the ball well. In the first half the idea was to use the pace of Cisse linking with Crouch holding up the ball for us. I changed it in the second half and Harry Kewell came on and played well between the lines.I am happy with the way we are playing and we have a good balance. We are defending much better home and away and we are attacking and creating chances." This was quite a drab affair really, pool were clearly using Crouch ala Heskey(flicking on balls with headers). Heskey wasnt really prolific but crouchs worse. Some fools among the reds fans also didnt observe the minute's silence forcing the ref to cut it down to 20 secs.Shame on you!

Portsmouth 0-2 Chelsea
Chelsea eased to a third consecutive win with a third consecutive clean sheet through goals by Hernan Crespo and a Frank Lampard penalty.Hernan Crespo opened the scoring for the champions in the 27th minute when he diverted Paulo Ferreira's shot past Jamie Ashdown in a competitive opening period at Fratton Park.However, Chelsea established more of a stranglehold after the break and doubled their advantage on 67 minutes when Joe Cole was tripped just inside the area by Dejan Stefanovic.Frank Lampard, making a Premiership record 160th successive appearance, comfortably dispatched the spot-kick.The only worry for Jose Mourinho would have been an injury to Crespo, who limped off with a back problem 10 minutes after scoring.

Arsenal 3-0 Bburn
Arsenal claimed second place with a comfortable win over Rovers at Highbury.
After an impeccably observed minute's silence in honour of George Best, the Gunners were given a good start by Cesc Fabregas.The Spaniard collected a loose ball on the edge of the Blackburn box before passing the ball into the visitors' net in the fourth minute.Rovers had their chances with Arsenal's centre-half partnership of Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell only just coping with some clever running by Mark Hughes' side.

However, the home side held out until a beautifully judged throughball by Robert Pires released Thierry Henry down the Arsenal left.The France striker surged into the Blackburn box before sliding the ball beyond Brad Friedel in the 45th minute.And Robin van Persie netted a late third in the 90th minute.

Wigan 1-2 Tottenham
Wigan fell too an eighth-minute Robbie Keane goal for Tottenham, in a 2-1 defeat at the JJB.Arjan de Zeeuw struggled to deal with Teemu Tainio's long ball out of defence and Keane pounced as the Dutchman dallied, firing past Michael Pollitt in the Wigan goal.Keane thought he should have had a penalty on the half-hour mark when his turn in the box prompted Wigan defender Stephane Henchoz to throw his arms around the Republic of Ireland striker.

However, referee Mike Riley waved away the Spurs appeals.Edgar Davids made sure of the victory with his first goal in English football in the 77th minute before Lee McCulloch pulled a goal back for the visitors two minutes before the end of normal time.

Aston Villa 1-0 Charlton
Steve Davis' second-half strike enabled Aston Villa to register back-to-back Premiership wins for the first time in 12 months and complete a miserable November for Alan Curbishley's side.The Northern Ireland international made no mistake with a rasping drive from the edge of the box to send the Addicks to a fourth successive league defeat.

No wonder Villa manager David O'Leary is urging his board of directors to offer a new contract to Davis who has been a virtual ever-present since breaking into the first XI a year ago.Charlton can have no complaints about the outcome and home keeper Thomas Sorensen did not have a worthwhile save to make in the entire 90 minutes.

Sunderland 0-1 Birmingham
Birmingham won the meeting between the Premier League's bottom two sides with substitute Julian Gray scoring the only goal of the game against Sunderland after 68 minutes at the Stadium of Light.Defeat leaves Sunderland with just five points from 14 games and a four-point deficit to Birmingham, who remain second bottom.

Steven Davis scored his fifth goal of the season from the Aston Villa midfield in the 69th minute of his side's 1-0 win over Charlton.There was a suggestion that visiting goalkeeper Stephan Andersen had been fouled by Kevin Phillips in the build-up, although all the Denmark international earned was a yellow card for his protests.

Theres manure vs westham tonight..and im wagering on Manure!
Soccerspecs@gmail.com :)

Red News..

2005-11-18T22:40:00.000+08:00

Roy Keane has sensationally brought the curtain down on his Manchester United career after more than 12 trophy-laden years at Old Trafford.A statement released by the Old Trafford outfit confirmed that their long-serving captain has departed with immediate effect after it became clear that his future at the club was untenable.The announcement comes less than three weeks after Keane's amazing outburst at his team-mates during an MUTV interview so damning that it was deemed "unbroadcastable". Now lets just wait for another autobiography and see what REALLY went on behind the scenes.

Liverpool have pinpointed Chris Riggott as the long-term successor to Sami Hyypia - but face a fight to prise him from Middlesbrough.Steve McClaren says the 25-year-old can go on to become Boro's defensive "rock" for years to come, with veteran Gareth Southgate coming to the end of his career at 35.But Reds boss Rafael Benitez is also a big fan of Riggott and could test Boro's resolve with a bid for his services in January's transfer window.The Spaniard has gone on record as saying he wants a new central defender and right-sided midfielder in his squad, and with Hyypia now 32 the boss wants a younger partner for 27-year-old Jamie Carragher. And you know what?He is reportedly said to try and prise him away for 8 million pounds.How much did we pay for crouch again?

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry believes success in the World Club Championship next month can help deliver the investment the club needs to fulfil their expansion plans.As reigning European champions, Liverpool have to travel to Japan for two matches in the Toyota Cup in mid-December.The competition to decide the leading club in the world has been derided in some quarters as an unwanted burden in an already-congested season but Parry, who has held talks in recent weeks with the Kraft family in America about possible future investment, believes it can only help Liverpool. A packaged liverpool cheese cheddar coming to a table near you!

Soccerspecs@gmail.com

International Scores

2005-11-13T10:00:00.000+08:00

Argentina 2-3 England (Friendly)
What a thrilling match! It was a throughly entertaining match for a friendly. The competitive level was high and both teams played some excellent football. The first half England were largely dominated by Argentina, who stringed together some excellent flicks and passes. Maxi and Riquilme were such a threat going forward. England were pinned back for most of the game, going down 1-0 and 2-1 before Owen sprang into life. Trust on dependable Owen to do the job!

Owen Celebrates (MichaelRegan/Empics)

England looked to be bound for a depressing defeat in Geneva with just four minutes left but upsprung Owen. With three minutes left, the Newcastle striker - who had been quiet up to that point - rose to head home Steven Gerrard's cross. And just two minutes later, England had pulled off a memorable victory, with Owen again heading past Roberto Abbondanzieri, this time from a cross by substitute Joe Cole.

Spain 5-1 Slovakia (WC Play Offs)
Spain put themselves in good stead for the World Cup with an emphatic win over Slovakia. Sanz Luis Garcia played tremendously and score a hat trick for Spain. The other Liverpool player, Morientes also got his name on the score sheet with a typical header.

Slovakia briefly got back into the match when substitute Szilard Nemeth cashed in on a defensive error to make it 2-1, but Fernando Torres restored Spain's advantage from the penalty spot after defender Roman Kratochvil was penalised for handball.Slovakia defender Marian Had received his marching orders for his protests and they were made to pay when Garcia helped himself to a third and substitute Fernando Morientes wrapped up an emphatic win with a trademark header 12 minutes from time. - Reuters

Norway 0-1 Czech Rep ( Wc Play Offs)
Wooot! My wager on Czech Paid off. An ex liverpool player Smicer scored the winner for them. Heavy rain and two cup finals the previous weekend reduced the national stadium pitch in Norway to a bog and the teams struggled to create scoring chances as the ball bobbled and players slipped and slid.

The Czechs kept Norway's player of the year and top goalscorer John Carew quiet and limited the home team to a handful of long-range shots.Only John Arne Riise forced a save from Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech in the opening half.Former European player of the year Pavel Nedved came out of international retirement to add a touch of class to the Czech midfield that no one in the Norway team could match.Norway coach Age Hareide, who said before the game that it was important for his team to win at home, criticised his players after their defeat.

Other Significant Results..
Uruguay 1-0 Australia (WC)
Switzerland 2-0 Turkey (WC)
Trinidad & Tabago 1-1 Bahrain (WC)
Portugal 2-0 Croatia (Friendly)
France 0-0 Germany (Friendly)
U.A.E. 0-8 Brazil (Friendly) Thats a rout!
Scotland 1-1 US of A (Friendly)

Thats all!
Soccerspecs@gmail.com <--- Comments?

Updates...

2005-11-12T22:34:00.000+08:00

Some Updates on the EPL..

Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe has denied reports that the club are lining up a move for out-of-favour Manchester City striker Robbie Fowler. Its hard to imagine how 'God' could be a target for So'to. Sad. So sad.

Manchester United are investigating a possible bugging incident at Old Trafford after audio tapes were offered to a national newspaper.The tapes were apparently recorded in the home dressing room last Sunday, the day of United's Premiership clash with Chelsea. What the devil!!

Wembley's chief executive said on Friday there was no guarantee England's new national stadium would be ready in time to host next year's FA Cup final as planned. Weather forecasters are predicting a cold winter in England and chief executive Michael Cunnah said that could hamper efforts by property developer Multiplex to complete the 90,000-seater stadium in time for the May 13 showpiece. Never trust a Brit to complete his job on time..

Carragher, 27, was forced to pull out of England's friendly with Argentina because of an ankle problem.The Reds boss said: "Carra has had a problem for a while and now we are trying to protect him. "He is a brave player and he never wants to come off or miss a game."He has the character you want as a manager, which makes him so important." Full agreed. I cannot see how he lacks behind Rio or Terry in the CB position.

World Cup Playoffs later..I took Czech Rep on the handicap :) Best of luck to me!
Soccerspecs@gmail.com

Some Scores From The Major Leagues..

2005-11-06T13:31:00.000+08:00

EPL

Villa 0-2 Liverpool :) Great Result
Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland
Blackburn R. 4-1 Charlton Athletic *Baulks*
Fulham 2-1 Manchester C.
Newcastle U. 1-0 Birmingham C. Emre not Owen
West Ham U. 1-0 West Bromwich A.
Portsmouth 0-2 Wigan Athletic Wig continues their great form,the next Everton Perhaps?

Arsenal were at their rampagin best yesterday. In terms of attacking flair and fluidity,there is no way any other team would come close to them. Not even Chelsea. West Ham, impressive again. They seem to be holding their own very well in the Premier League. They are the team that I would back to stay up this season. Newcastle and Wigan continued their fine run of form. Magpies now on their fourth sucessive victory. Owen was just the booster and lift they needed. How about Wigan? They are now 6 points away from Chelsea. An impossible thought? Perhaps Perhaps..LIVERPOOL RECORDED THEIR FIRST AWAY WIN OF THE SEASON!

A review I wrote :p

Elsewhere....
La Liga

Real Sociedad 1-2 Osasuna
Espanyol 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
Villarreal 1-0 Valencia

Serie A

Empoli 3-0 Reggina
Lazio 0-0 Inter Milan

soccerspecs@gmail.com

Liverpool 2 - 0 Aston Villa

2005-11-05T22:29:00.000+08:00

Well well!I am certainly in an upbeat mood!Firstly, my beloved liverpool finally won away from home and picked up 3 very very precious point. Secondly, I wagered on Liverpool. :) I am all smiles

Liverpool had tried to keep the tempo and pressure up from the start. The first half was weird. Maybe like an oscillation,an imperfect one. The possession and pressure swinging from one end to the other. Liverpool had plently of chances to convert,most notably the one chance Cisse hand.
He was handed a glorious ball to chase by Gerrard.One on one with the keeper.What does he do?Blasts the damn ball.How many times have we seen he do that?Power and pace of simplicity. He needs more composure and sublimity me thinks. Aston villa threathened sporadically too, Reina did not look too comfortable handling crosses and diagonal ball.

The second half started pretty much where the first half ended. Pretty much of a drab affair as the match went on. Angel came on, Kewell came on, Crouch came on and Zenden came on. Angel made the most of his presence and was a constant threat in the first 10 mins or so of his appearance.The first goal came when Crouch put his height into good use.Ridgewell challenged him for the ball in the box(like he stood a chance..duh!)and wrapped his hands around him.Hugging him.Caressing him.Penalty,Gerrard took it and scored. The second goal came from Xabi Alonso. Pure piece of skill, sweetly struck with his right foot from outside of the box. It just goes to ascertain his class and his quality. Final score 2-0 to Liverpool.Lets keep this run of games going!!Cheeers!

Performance of some players

Gerrard.Not exactly at his rummaging best but did the job that was required of him and played consistently well throughout the match

Sissoko.Thought he gave away the ball too many times. Passing needs to be improved on. Someone tell him not to tackle that recklessly please.

Kewell.Show flashes of brillance.Just flashes.Obviously not fully match fit yet but that will improve as he get more games. I just feel that he could be our triumph card this season.

Carragher & Hyppia.Carragher was the epitome of dedication and determination. Was there where ever the ball was in the Liverpool box.Marshalled the defence well together with Hyppia. At least sufficiently well to keep a clean sheet

Cisse. Was a menance but was frustrating to watch at the same time with his mishit passes and wayward crosses.

Spank The Bookies!

soccerspecs@gmail.com

Here Here...

2005-11-05T12:34:00.000+08:00

Epl matches coming up!

Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Arsenal vs Sunderland
Blackburn R. vs Charlton Athletic
Fulham vs Manchester C.
Newcastle U. vs Birmingham C.
West Ham U. vs West Bromwich A.
Portsmouth vs Wigan Athletic

Not really the matches that would excite you and make you jump out of your seat eh? I would be really looking forward to the liverpool match though,keeping my fingers crossed that Liverpool can carry on their european form back home. I am not too hopeful though..Just to share a little(and to side step a little), I would be placing a wager on Liverpool, Newcastle and westham :) I am also using This program and it has been helping me made a few quid. Check it out if you want :) Spank The Bookies! CHEERS!!

TEAM NEWS

-Aston Villa playmaker Patrik Berger has been ruled out for the next three weeks after undergoing a cartilage operation.It means he will miss a reunion with former team Liverpool on Saturday.

-Nicky Butt is unavailable as he is on-loan from Newcastle while David Dunn, Stephen Clemence, Julian Gray, Damien Johnson and Mehdi Nafti are injured.Muzzy Izzet (Achilles) and Stan Lazaridis (hamstring) have an outside chance of being fit.

-Richard Dunne is likely to return to Manchester City's defence for Saturday's Premiership trip to Fulham.David Sommeil (fractured cheekbone) is out for six weeks, while Nedum Onuoha (groin) and Claudio Reyna (knee and ankle) are also missing.

Will be back against Sunderland

-Thierry Henry will play against Sunderland on Saturday.Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is also available following a stiff back which kept him out of the 3-0 victory over the Czechs at Highbury. Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg (hamstring) will not feature.

-Midfielder Salif Diao (hamstring) is fit again after missing three games and striker Lomana Lualua nearing a comeback after malaria.Andy O'Brien is still out.

An All Too Common Problem

2005-11-03T15:40:00.000+08:00

Lost 2-1 to Palace,Lost 2-0 to fulham, unconvincingly won against west ham and hey its Champions league time again!Lets go out with best and win in euro! Mr jekyll and hyde could not have found a more appropriate body to manifest itself.Great(sometimes breathtaking) and efficient in europe,lacklustre and dull back at the epl.

Sometimes I wonder if the players get paid more when they turn out for a european outing.Perhaps they do but then again it should by no means affect their performance.Having said that, I shall revel at the downfall of Man Utd and the slump of Arsenal..MUahhahah..Looks like Mourihno(however you spell that) has the last laughh after all.

Champions League action came and gone.Man Utd lost to Lille,little surprise that.Except that Lille was sitting on 5.2 to win at home!! Man! Barca,expectedly won and won with style.Ajax seem to be able to muster an european win away from home, 2-4 the scoreline stands.Thun soundly beaten. AC Millan lose to PSV, losing Van Bommel and Park in the Sung does not seem like such a big deal after all. UEFA cup action! anyone fancy taking the english side?

Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool

2005-08-28T20:50:00.000+08:00

Praise for liverpool players,well by liverpool players themselves..go figure

Hyypia told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I think Pepe has been great for us. When he first came he didn't speak much English but he's learning well very quickly. He is a good goalkeeper, very commanding in his area and he communicates a lot with us which is always a very good sign.

"He hasn't had a lot to do in the games we have played so far but we have to be happy as a team that we have stopped the opposition from creating too many chances. He has been brilliant and is a very good goalkeeper."

Steve Finnan echoed the praise from the Finn Hyypia and told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I think Pepe is a quality keeper and he has impressed everyone. He has got a good presence about him and he communicates well with the back four. He has a big physical presence.

Then there the one about warnock
Hyypia told Liverpoolfc.tv "He is very aggressive, loves a tackle and can play as well. Everyone is happy that Stevie has signed a contract and it is a reward for his efforts and how he has played so far this season."

Hopefully all these praise would have a positive effect on the team.Honestly,Liverpool has been extremely lacklustre(and lucky) in the previous few matches.We need to raise the bar!!

FA CUP Man Utd Lose on Penalties

2005-05-22T03:54:00.000+08:00

ahhahahhahaha :) Wide grin on my face.Arsenal frankly did not deserve the cup,they were outplayed basically and their only realistic chance came in extra time via a Van Persie freekick.Who would have thought scholes of all people would miss that penalty.Mr cool,Mr calm,Mr model professional...whatever..

Fergie's insisted on playing RVD. Just look at the amount of chances he wasted!!Man,he really should have brought on Smith.Serves him right!And if Owen really does go to Man Utd,I think its a no brainer that RVD should be sold.No doubt about it.But then again,who can fathom what the scot is thinking.

No throphies.Bad Season.Failure.Too Bad.

Arsenal are LUCKY...Man Utd well,are just losers.LOL(I must admit I was cheering for Arsenal)

EPL News Not Rumours...

2005-05-21T15:48:00.000+08:00

Which means they are not speculation and stuff,they are taken from official sources.

A.J

WEST BROM have joined Birmingham in the battle to sign Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson.Albion have made an initial 2m pound bid plus Welsh international Robert Earnshaw as they try to lure Johnson away from Selhurst Park following the Eagles' relegation from the Premiership.Palace chairman Simon Jordan is understood to have knocked back the bid while Johnson has publicly pledged his future to Palace.

SIMON DAVIES is on the brink of a 4m pound switch to Everton after Tottenham accepted a 4m pound offer for the Wales midfielder from the Toffees.Blues manager David Moyes has been a long-term fan of the player and has repeatedly tried to lure Davies to Goodison Park.Spurs rejected a bid from Everton during the January transfer window but they have now accepted an offer from their Premiership rivals.

ASTON VILLA have signed versatile Newcastle defender Aaron Hughes on a three-year deal.The 25-year-old arrived in the Midlands earlier on Friday to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical after the two clubs agreed a fee.

Jan Koller no go..

NEWLY-PROMOTED Sunderland's hopes of making a swoop for giant Czech striker Jan Koller have been dealt a blow by his agent.The Black Cats have been linked with a move for the 32-year-old Borussia Dortmund player as manager Mick McCarthy attempts to build a strike-force capable of competing in the Barclays Premiership. Koller's agent Pavel Paska has played down reports and claimed that the 6ft 7in hitman wants to remain at Dortmund.

"These stories are a major surprise and I think someone is dreaming up stories," Paska told Sky Sports."Jan Koller is a top striker and, in all respect, I don't think he would be keen on a move.He has one year left on his contract and he is staying at Dortmund as he wants to play in the World Cup for Czech Republic in Germany.After that, he is a free agent and then he could leave Dortmund."

Deadly Weapon..

SAMI HYYPIA tips Djibril Cisse to put Milan's superstar hitman in the shade and fire Liverpool to Champions League glory.Anfield's centre-back has heard all the stories of how Andriy Shevchenko - rated by some as the world's best striker - will run the Kop ragged.But Finnish defender Hyypia 31, believes that Rafa Benitez's side have an even deadlier weapon in Cisse.And now the 14million club-record buy from Auxerre is closing in on full fitness after his broken leg, Hyypia reckons the Istanbul stage is set for the 6ft 1in Frenchman on Wednesday night.

ANTTI NIEMI is preparing to return for pre-season training at Southampton - despite the club's final-day relegation from the Premiership.The Finland goalkeeper, who has brought forward his retirement from international football with immediate effect, was linked with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United last season but he expects to be on the south coast next month.

Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool,all on Liverpool!!

2005-05-20T14:38:00.000+08:00

Cut to the chase..

Sam Allardyce believes El-Hadji Diouf will join Bolton on a long-term contract because of his relationship with the club rather than money."I would say our chances of getting him are pretty good," said the Bolton boss."The one thing in our favour is that we have built up a relationship with Diouf that is good and strong.
Hmmm what he said is true,over here at Liverpool he never really had a chance at realising his potential.All the best to Diouf if he really does leave.

Ambitious Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez aims to win the Champions League to start his own Anfield dynasty to match those from the club's illustrious past."I have 20 years of my life as a manager yet and I have four more years left on my contract here and that is a lot of time."I am very confident and I want to win things. I know there are good teams in Europe and here, but if you don't believe in yourself, it will be impossible." Let the Rafalution begin!

Liverpool have made an approach for Arsenal's contract rebel Edu according to the Brazilians agent, who was quoted in the Spanish media.Edu, who turns 27 at the weekend, is available on a free transfer after running down his existing Highbury contract. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wanted to retain the midfielder but the player claims he wants a new challenge. This is new one,interested in an arsenal player...

Portsmouth have issued Liverpool with a hands-off warning after making an enquiry about the availability of their highly-rated midfielder Gary O'Neil.The England Under 21 skipper has been attracting interest from Anfield and a gentle enquiry was made once Pompey's season had concluded. Pompey chairman Milan Mandaric has confirmed Liverpool's interest but has stressed his player is not for sale. Mandaric said: "We have had some interest in Gary. I'm not surprised because of the way Gary has been showing what he can do - and showing what he has always wanted to show."Liverpool have shown some interest but we told them there is no chance he is for sale." I wonder how true is this report..

Liverpool are concocting a bid to sign Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt wthich could see goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek go in the other direction. Never heard of this guy,anyone heard of him hands up!!I knew it,not many..

Reports linking Liverpool with star defender Gabriel Milito have been rubbished by Real Zaragoza.Zaragoza director of sport Miguel Pardeza insists they have had no contact with Liverpool regarding Milito and that they were working on a new deal for the South American. Again,never seen him play before,know little about him

If you can verify or deny any of the speculation here please email me accordingly.I would be more then happy to post it up :)

UEFA Cup Sporting Lisbon 1 - 3 CSKA Moscow

2005-05-19T14:02:00.000+08:00

CSKA did remarkably well to come back from a dismal first half performance to win the cup.This is the FIRST time EVER that a russian club has won an european cup.Kudos to CSKA! Well done!

Yuri Zhirkov celebrating after scoring against Sporting Lisbon(AP)

The first half saw CSKA lose out in every department. Bouyed by the home crowd, Sporting got to all the 50-50 and even 40-60 balls. Playing in their own Jose Alvalade Stadium, Sporting seemed set to spark a Portuguese party when Rogerio's stunning 29th-minute strike from just outside the box gave the home side the lead. It gave the 19 year old keeper no chance at all.

I swore I wanted to place a wager on CSKA before the match, the odds were somewhere around 3.40! But for some reason I didnt see it through, stupid me. Oh and Vagner Love missed a glaring chance that you and I would have easily converted. The second half saw a somewhat slighty improved performance form CSKA. I thought they were lucky to score the first goal. Alexei Berezutskiy head home in what would be the first of three goals. Yuri Zhirkov next and finally Vagner Love scoring with an open goal in front of him(and he had to blast it so hard!). Personally, I felt it as the defence of sporting rather then the attacking flair of Moscow that resulted in thoose goals. Ricardo was extremely dissapointing, it must have worried several Man Utd fans watching the match knowing that he could be a transfer target.

It was quite an enjoyable match to watch, quick attacking moves and some slick passing made it pleasing to the eye. I also have a vested interest in the game-CSKA Moscow, see you in the European Super Cup!!!! :)

Links to other reports on the match :
Haaretz ,SoctsMan ,Foxsports

My thoughts on Liverpool's Season

2005-05-18T02:30:00.000+08:00

It has been a weird season for Liverpool's supporters.Weird might even be an understatement now.We were swung from experiencing the abysmal lows of losing 4th spot to our merseyside rivals to the dizzying heights of a Champions league final.Possibly bringing a 5th European Cup in the process BUT possibly not being able to defend that.What an emotional roller coaster it has been!

I am...satisfied with the team this season.Yes satisfied.Nothing more nothing less.Being in the finals certainly negated some of the massive dissapointment of finishing 5th in the league.Having he benifit of hindsight,it is fair to say that our failings in the league can be directly attributed to our away form.Rafa didnt manage to exorcise this particular ghost left behind by Houllier.Another factor was the injuries that plighted Liverpool throughout the season.It is not an excuse,it is a blatant fact. Kudos to Rafa for not once blaming injuries,unlike his predecessor.

We learn from history,and I believe Rafa has learnt much from his first season here.He will improve next season,I am supremely confident that we will finish in the top four.One of the problems he must address is the disposal of certain players.Smicer,Vignal,Diouf- these players are certain to leave.Hamman,Kewell,Dudek,Baros,Biscan and even gerrard might be leaving.A mass exodus of the squad,I feel,could unsettle the team balance and upset the team spirit.This mass clearout,if its to become reality needs to be handled delicately.The next question to ask is which players to bring in? Several names have been thrown around,Segio Ramos,Michael Owen,David Villa to name a few.The key positions that needs to be reinforced includes centreback,a striker and a dynamic attacking midfielder.

Carragher has been exceptionally excellent this season and his partner Hyppia has rediscovered his old form.But hyppia is old and ageing,a pacy centreback would be an ideal replacement.If Baros does go,we are only left with 2 established strikers-Morientes and Cisse.Mellor and Flo Po's futures seem uncertain at this point and they are not quite the finished article yet.So bringing in an established striker would also be crucial for Liverpool if they are to compete in all competitions successfully.About the dynamic midfielder part,Liverpool's midfield are primarily flooded with options in the middle.The anchor man,the holding midfielder,the destroyer whatever you want to name them.We have gerrard,alonso,biscan,hamman,welsh even.All of them have a similar jobs in the midfield abeit the differences in flair.Actually I am just hoping that Rafa signs Aimar or some big name attacking midfielder to add more depth and balance to the squad(not to mention excite the fans!!).

Alrighty!Thats it for now.May 26th-Liverpool Vs AC Milan.May the best english team win!:P Do leave a comment behind.I enjoy receiving commments.BAH

Much has happened...

2005-05-17T15:13:00.000+08:00

Ok lets get down to what has been happening in the transfer rumour mill..

target

Newcastle are said to be interested in signing former reds striker Michael Owen. It has been reported that a bid in the region of 16-20 million pounds have been tabled.But newacastle?seriously?I doubt and I hope he does not degrade himself by going to that club.They are not even in the UEFA cup for goodness sake..

Tottenham boss Martin Jol is making a 5m pound move for Real Zaragoza's goalscoring star David Villa - to clear the way for Robbie Keane's exit.This guy,Villa, was previously a liverpool target.Heard he banged alot of goals for Real,wonder how good he really is.

A host of clubs targetting this guy

Inter Milan winger Andy van der Meyde's agent says that the Dutch star may favour a move to Everton, with Middlesbrough and Spurs also said to be interested.Hmm I would think that a player of Andy's calibre would attract clubs of higher standing

Italian reports claim that Serie A outfit Inter Milan are keen on signing Liverpool’s John Arne Riise.It is suggested that the Italians will offer the out-of-favour Alvaro Recoba in some kind of deal to try and tempt Rafa into selling. I think this piece of rumour will remain as what it is...just a rumour..

Oh by the way!Have you heard?Man Utd have sold their soul!Yeap to that American Malcom Glazer,lets hope this marks the end of an era for manure.MAUHAhahHAhHAHh

Get me at soccerspecs@gmail.com

Liverpool 3 - 1 Arsenal!!!

2005-05-09T14:15:00.000+08:00

Yeayea as if.Liverpool lost to arsenal.I am supposed to feel sad but nope,not even a hint of sadness in me.I think it has got to do with the champs league final.Seriously, Liverpool were quite crappy in defence during the first half. The second half saw a much more improved performance from Pool.Kewell and Cisse both showed flashes of brilliance.

I say look forward to european super cup and the world club cup. MARCH ON REDS!!!

Uefa Match Results + Some News and Commentaries

2005-05-06T15:53:00.000+08:00

ALKMAAR, May 5 (UEFA Cup) - Miguel Garcia powered home a header in the dying moments of extra time to seal passage through to the UEFA Cup final for Sporting Lisbon on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw with their heartbroken hosts AZ Alkmaar.

MOSCOW, May 5 (Reuters) - CSKA Moscow became only the second Russian team, and the first for 33 years, to reach the final of a major European competition as they crushed under-strength Parma in the UEFA Cup semi-final on Thursday.After a goalless first leg in Italy a week ago, CSKA struck three times at the Lokomotiv stadium to win 3-0 on aggregate and clinch a final date with Sporting Lisbon

They may win but they may not play again next seaon

Oh have you heard?The Fa and UEFA are ganging up together on Liverpool.Yes!They are going to catergorically deny them of a place in next season's champions league EVEN if they win the cup.They do not have the chance to defend it.Fa says they will continue lobbying for a 5th place but we know that is just crap.Everton would just be taking up space in the champs league.I mean Everton or Liverpool?Which is more appealing?Who will go further?Does this mean Winning a cup is less important then fighting for 4th place in the league??Isnt this not deameaning and devalueing the Champions League Throphy???? SIGH! DISSAPPOINTED!

Soccer News

Arsenal have moved a step closer to selling Jose Reyes to Real Madrid for 10m pound

Manchester United have lined up a 2m pound move for Ajax midfielder Nigel de Jong

Charlton are ready to make a club record 6m pound bid for Valencia striker Bernardo Corradi

Former Oxford number two David Moss is the favourite to replace Ramon Diaz as the new U's boss, with Diaz not set to return next season after coming under fire from fans

Bayern Munich could be set to test Celtic's resolve with an offer for defender Bobo Balde

Scottish Third Division side Albion Rovers have released their entire playing staff in a bid to ensure the club's survival

as usual find me at soccerspecs@gmail.com

Ac to face Liverpool...

2005-05-05T16:06:00.000+08:00

Ac Milan lost to PSV 3-1.Doesnt matter, they are through on away goals anyhow. I would have personally preferred the reds to meet PSV but....its ok..BRING AC MILAN ON!!!!

oh yea..

2005-05-04T19:14:00.000+08:00

Remember the two jokers?The 2 that invaded the pitch halfway through the match...

joker

Yeap,his probably one of the 2. One of them even threw a Barca towel at Mourinho.HEHE. These guys even have their own website http://www.jimmyjump.com OH! and liverpool will most likely get fined for this slight transgression.But who cares???They are through to ISTANBUL!!!

WHAT A MAGICAL NIGHT!!!!!!!!!

2005-05-04T13:49:00.000+08:00

OMG...I am still recovering from my elated state. I was blown away by the magnificent performance the reds gave. Carragher was once again,playing his heart and soul out. When the 96+ minutes was up, I was celebrating like mad.Lol, never felt such a rush of euphoric energy for a very very long time. It was a fantastic moment for liverpool fans all over the world to savour and bask in this 'miracle' moment. 'Happy' is a gross understatement for liverpudians all over!!! Its more like I AM SO FUCKING HAPPY!!!!!!!

Man oh man.Liverpool started with such high tempo and urgency that it gives supporters a lift just watching them play.Its a two way thing you know. Then came the sucker punch in the 4th minute, Baros was through and Cech very obviously manhandled him.The ball bounced to King Luis who bundled it in. In the words of the commentator,and very aptly so, whether it has really crossed the line is inconclusive. But whats for sure though, is that it was a clear penalty and Cech ought to have been sent off. 1-0 up, and the crowd went into a delirious,wild state. :)

The commentators noted that it would be IMPOSSIBLE that liverpool maintain this kind of play for 90 odd minutes."their body wouldn't allow it" as one puts it. They failed to factor in the amazing crowd which squeezed every ounce of energy the players had in them. There was a very late scare though, Gudjohnsen had a clear shot and he missed from what?5,4 yards out? I was tearing my hair out by then. Imagine my agony when there was 6 minutes of stoppage time. WTF?? I mean 6 minutes?? Where did that come from???

In the end, it was a job well done. I am very proud of the boys. Every single one of them were heroes and they would have surely etched themselves into liverpool european folklore. Well done boys!!!!!

Comments on the match?Email me --> soccerspecs@gmail.com

IM BACK

2005-05-03T13:31:00.000+08:00

YESSSS I AM BACK!!!! After a few too many months of missing in action..im back!
And I promise this time I wont go missing for too long,again.Lol.

The focus of course would be on tonight's match of Liverpool Vs Chelski.Personally I do not fancy Liverpool's chances against the blues.Everytime i do not back them, they seem to defy me.SOooo once again, i keeping my fingers crossed.Hard.

The key battles to be fought out will no doubt be once again in the midfield area.Liverpool does look abit lacking here with the injury of Alonso but we have Hamman to welcome back.How well he would be able to cope after being out for so long,though, remains to be seen. They key man here for me has to be Stevie G. That fantabulous goal he scored has definitely got to be one of the best,if not the best of the season. He would be the difference between the two sides,if his energetic and dynamic side shows up later tonight.

Chelsea would be on a high after beating bolton and getting the Championship but they would have to do more then have a high morale to beat Liverpool in the red cauldron.

Keyman

My head says a scoring draw which means chelski goes through but my heart says Liverpool to win 3-1 :)

Liverpool lost...shit

2005-02-28T21:44:00.000+08:00

liverpool lost...its really sad.They were victims of unfortunate circumstances i say...

Riise with a great goal on the first min,there was no way chelsea could get past our defence...UNTILL that own goal by gerrard.Man oh man..the cross wasnt even a good cross.There wasnt any chelsea player attacking it.It really was a freak goal.Then there was the dudek injured incident..How unlucky,using up all three subsitutes.

That was to be the turning point.Dudek didnt look as confident as he was,well for obvious reasons.Liverpool started to crumble..AND final score 3-2 to Chelski after extra time..

SAD

Full time UEFA Cup Results

2005-02-17T14:35:00.000+08:00

Partizan Belg. (S&M) 2 - 2 Dnipro D'trovsk (Ukr)

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 1 - 1 Schalke (Ger)

Panathinaikos (Gre) 1 - 0 Sevilla

Ajax Amsterd. (Hol) 1 - 0 Auxerre (Fra)

Parma (Ita) 0 - 0 Stuttgart (Ger)

Postp. Austria Vienna (Aus) ? - ? Athletic Bilbao

Valencia (Spa) 2 - 0 Steaua B'rest (Rom)

Sporting Lisbon (Por) 2 - 1 Feyenoord (Hol)

Tonights UEFA cup matches involve the 2 english sides.Keep a look out for that.I know i will. Ciao

The World and football..

2005-02-16T20:14:00.000+08:00

First of all, a very big SORRY for people that have been getting back to this site but not seeing any new post. This was partly due to some stupid browser problem I had with IE.Once again sorry for the long hiatus.

Saw the match?Ronaldinho IX 6 - 3 Shevchenko IX.Interesting game this.Gerrard played in this match,yeaaa! Watch the first half and can only say Zidane and Ronaldinho are on a different level from the rest of the footballers. Ronaldinho made Samuel E'to looked like he is top class. A very good gesture by FIFA and UEFA to raise money for the tsunami victims although I must say the fans around the stadium are quite ignorant about the sensitivites of them whistling throughout the 1-minute silence.

Then there was the ABYSMAL 2-0 defeat.Crap performance I must say.Real crappy.No excuses for that.EVERYONE was playing like they had been spent.Compare how gerrard played with liverpool and his performance for the World Select Team.Maybe he really needs to move to a bigger club.Sigh..

UEFA CUP TONIGHT!!Full time results once the games are played.

Again!!

2005-02-06T21:24:00.000+08:00

Fernando scored a spectacular headed goal to bring liverpool ahead.I was estatic,I was thinking to myself "Its gonna be a drubbing huh" but alas, Andy Cole equalised for Fulham.My heart sank,liverpool continued to rot as the time ticked towards the 2nd half.

The second half started dully as well.But Biscan finally got himself more into the game,the attackers showing nifty touches(sometimes too much) and the understanding between Baros and Fernando was good to say the least.As liverpool finally started to impose themselves on the game,they finally broke through to take the lead again.

Hyppia scored with the faintest touch on his head via a quality cross by Gerrard.The goal was long overdue.Baros brought the curtains down for Fulham when he drove home a low shot with his righty.

Well done done pool!

Nando Scores!!!

2005-02-02T19:43:00.000+08:00

Scores!
FERNANDO Morientes scored his precious first goal for liverpool against Charlton.Charlton had previously taken the lead when bartlett headed home from a Murphy(familier name this..)cross.Danny Murphy was causing all sorts of problems for liverpool BUT the fighting spirit of the Liverpool team manisfested itself in the form of a Fernando goal,he fired home with a well struck left-footed shot.

With the bit between their teeth they continued to press forward and it came as no surprise when Riise slotted the winning goal. Morientes released him and the Norwegian made no mistake with a low finish.ARE YOU NERVOUS YET EVERTON??

In other results...

Man utd beat Arsenal quite comforably with a 4-2 scoreline in their favour.Another bad tempered match and another ill tempered match.Once again Rooney shows how childish he is..and how much he looks like shrek.I dread to say this but ONLY Man Utd can stop chelsea now.If they can.

West Brom 2 - 2 C.Palace

Portsmouth 2 - 1 Boro
Yeapy!Boro lost!The result would not bear any meaning to me have it not been for the 3 point lead Pool commands over the Riverside outfit.

In the news for the right reason this time

Bolton 3 - 1 Spurs
I was not suprised by this results at all.Honest.Diouf got another goal this time from the spot kick.I think he score more goals in his half season here then his entire time with Liverpool

Soccerspecs@gmail.com Cya soon!

Transfer News

2005-02-01T22:45:00.000+08:00

Anyways, with regards to the earlier 'exciting' developments(slightly exaggerated)Soccerspecs will be teaming up with a division of alexasportsbook.com - Wagerparadise.com We will be proving news content in return for them promoting Soccerspecs. :)

Transfer Moves..

NEWCASTLE boss Graeme Souness has admitted he could have lost the dressing room if he had not taken his firm stance against striker Craig Bellamy.The 25-year-old Wales international joined Celtic on loan until the end of the season on Monday night after his astonishing bust-up with Souness, but has not given up hope of returning to St James' Park.SOoo he moves to celtic,not to liverpool(luckily) and not to Birmingham.

BIRMINGHAM have signed Uruguay striker Walter Pandiani on loan from Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna until the end of the season.Pandiani, who scored 50 goals in 128 Spanish league appearances, was signed in the final few seconds of the January transfer window.

LEICESTER manager Craig Levein has agreed to sign Rangers midfielder Stephen Hughes, subject to the 22-year-old passing a medical.Hughes has put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year contract and is expected to be unveiled at lunchtime on Tuesday.

WEST HAM have signed goalkeeper Dusan Kuciak on loan until the end of the season from Slovakian side MSK Zilina.The Hammers have an option to make the move for the 19-year-old permanent if he impresses at Upton Park

NEW Tottenham centre-half Michael Dawson hopes his move from Nottingham Forest will rekindle his England ambitions.Dawson's signature, with just minutes of the transfer window remaining, represented the second part of an $8m pound swoop on the struggling Championship side.DAMN! I was hoping pool snap him up.I really like him!His stats in FM manager are great!

ERIC Djemba-Djemba has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Aston Villa after completing his move from Manchester United.The 23-year-old has successfully completed his medical and will be available to make his debut against Fulham on Wednesday.

Lots of transfer moves being sealed.Lots of big names being linked to the pemiership,mainly with Chelski and Manure.Well lets just sit back and observe what will unfold over the next few days.

Exciting Developments + Freshy Fresh News

2005-01-28T23:28:00.000+08:00

Look out for a possible tie-up with another website coming soon. I am excited :)

Fresh News

Serves him right!

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for his "cheat, cheat, cheat" comment in a post-match interview after the Carling Cup semi-final first leg clash with Manchester United.Mourinho, who has until 14 February to respond to the charge, made his comments in a Chelsea TV interview after the Stamford Bridge encounter on 12 January.

Good job I say! Thats the only one single thing that the FA got right!

JERZY Dudek believes Liverpool have already shown they are making progress under manager Rafael Benitez, despite their recent struggles.

Before Tuesday's 1-0 Carling Cup semi-final win at Watford, the Reds were on a terrible run of three straight defeats which led to the first serious criticisms of the Benitez era. Great timing for the words of encouragement this. Ever more so important now that his ass is on the line with Scott Carson in the team and with Pool being linked with a handful of keepers.

Never will he do that again..

CRAIG Bellamy will be left to rot in Newcastle's reserves if he is not handed an escape route in the next 72 hours. Manager Graeme Souness confirmed today that Bellamy, who branded the Scot a liar following a bust-up, will never play for him again.

Souness said: "He can't play for me ever again. He can't go on television and accuse me of telling lies.I'm not going to dwell on it, but I think in most walks of life that would be the case.I've covered it in my programme notes tomorrow for the game and people can read my side of the story and maybe make their judgement on it."

The fiery scot is at it again. Anyways, I am a little concerned with Liverpool being linked with bellamy. Seriously, do we need another misfit??

BIRMINGHAM chairman David Gold is confident midfielder David Dunn will make a complete recovery from the back operation he will undergo next week. The 25-year-old broke down again in training this week after attempting another comeback from the problem which relates to damaged nerves in his back that affect his hamstrings.

Commentary

A few things happened over the course of the past few days. First of all,I would like to say SHAME ON YOU Robert Hoyzer. In case you do not know who he is already and would like to find out more go here. He admitted he fixed a match between SV Hamburg and Paderborn. He had placed a bet backing Parderborn to win.(The odds must have been sky high!)He gave away 2 dubious penalties to Paderborn and the end result was 4-2 in Pad's favour. Shame shame!!

Diego Mardonna-He made a few ripples recently in the sports paper with photographs of him looking fatter then usual. What else is new?The similarites between the beautiful(?) game and Diego are strikingly clear. It both show the decadence in these two entities. Maradonna was revered throughout the world(and still is)in his hey days but look at his sorry state today.As I am typing, he is battling drug addiction and his weight problems certainly does not help matters. I admit, there could never again be someone with the skill of Maradonna to appear again and he certainly deserve every penny he got in his playing days.But rather then retire gracefully into seclusion, he choose to waste his life away.

Much like mordern soccer. It is really that beautiful anymore?Teams are more concerned about playing and winning trophys(both the real one and the financial ones)that they seem to forget football is a game that is played because of the fun value. The rapid and burgeoning commercialisation of football has made the game more of a 'marketable product' rather than a means of PURE entertainment for fans and players. Sure,it has changed lives,of players(wages) and of fans(adulation & inspiration) and I still enjoy watching and playing the game alot. But what I am hoping for are more of the Shearers in the game and less of the Rooneys and Brambles in it...

Hey i found a nice footballing site- FootballCommentator. It has nice entries and commentaries,much like mine :) Anyways,for the past couple of days my internet connection has been down. Soo here I am, back with a vengence with a long post.As usual look for me here--> soccerspecs@gmail.com
Cya guys soon!

Transfer news updates!

2005-01-25T20:22:00.000+08:00

First of all,would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of you out there!I have reached 1000 unique visitors in less than a month!1000 of you!You are all unique and special! :)I know 1000 does not seem that much but this site was promoted online quite minimally.Special thanks to BlogExplosion for bringing in the hits.Now on to the transfer news...

Tuesday Transferday

JOSE MOURINHO has made Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka his number one target for next season.

LIVERPOOL have moved for Real Madrid's Argentinian winger (and Man Utd and Inter target) Santiago Solari.

NICHOLAS Anelka rejects $8m pound move to Newcastle but KK linked with Atletico Madrid's Dutch middfielder Kiki Musampa (agent says he could sign this week) KK also hopeful of snapping up Spanish left-back Juanfran from Besiktas.

CHARLTON will have to turn to Danny Gabbidon if they're priced out of the bidding for Michael Dawson.

LEE BOWYER is the subject of a bid from Charlton. The Addicks and Southampton chasing AIK Solna's Ghanaian star Derek Boateng.

DOUBTS surrounding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo who is stalling on a new deal amid interest from Real, Barcelona, Milan and Juventus.

TOTTENHAM are planning a shock move for David Beckham with Real Madrid likely to accept a cut-price offer for the England skipper.

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been accused of tapping up Sochaux's 17-year-old striker Jeremy Menez by offering his parents financial incentives

LEEDS boss Kevin Blackwell wants the club's new owner Ken Bates to block Liverpool's interest in Whites' midfielder Simon Walton

In case you noticed,my usual picturesque post are now filled with words words and more words.This is done to accomodate slower connection friends(56k) from around the world with a faster loading time.

Commentary

I just want to comment on the team that Liverpool has now.Most would not disagree with me when i say that the strongest area,currently, for reds is the forwards.With proven class strikers like Baros,Cisse and Morientes-we are the envy(?) of many.In Flo Po and Mellor we have a couple of gems in hand.

That being the case,I still attribute some of Liverpool's failure to win in recent matches to pool's attackers. Baros forgot he had a strike partner,Cisse was out injured,Morientes is not settled in yet and the 2 kids have seemingly lost their form.

What I think is lacking is a playmaker,a forward central attacker.That could indeed be the final jigsaw in the team.The closest anyone in the team that fits that description seems to be Luis Garcia,he is quick,is a good dribbler and packs a fine shot.BUT I do not think that he is dynamic and strong enough to be holding the playmaker role.Think more towards the line of Pablo Aimar,Paul Scholes(Hard as I like to admit),Dennis Bergkamp or Kaka.

Another thing that baffled (and troubled) me alot is the purchase of Pelligrino.In his past couple of outings,he taught the world how NOT to mark and tackle.And it will mystify me even further if he can hold down that central defensive role.

Anyways,I would just like to comment that the defence is solid,the midfield is strong and tough and the attackers are top class.What we need now is perhaps a playmaker(big name?) down the middle to boost the team and the fans.

Comments? -->soccerspecs@gmail.com

Match results and reactions...

2005-01-23T17:22:00.000+08:00

Father and son combo

Southampton earned their third win of the season and completed a miserable week for Liverpool when they deservedly beat the Merseysiders 2-0 in today's early Premiership game at St Mary's Stadium.

Liverpool, beaten at home by Manchester United in the league last Saturday and dumped out of the FA Cup by Coca-Cola Championships side Burnley on Tuesday, produced a limp display and can have no complaints about the result.

Well done liverpool!!Applause applause Bravo bravo!!Third loss in a row,could things can get any worse?If it was at least a credible performance I would try to sympathise with the reds but the performance was AWFUL,almost smelly.I hold Pellegrino responsible,old,slow,weak and playing as CB?wtf man

I thought before this match the the odds of pool wining (1.62) at my local gambling pools was an insult.Apparently I was wrong.Seriously horrid defensive display.Benitez please please take pelligrino off!Cant you see?He cant even mark. Weak performances by weak players in the team thus far : Dudek,Pelligrino,Josemi,Nunez

Elsewhere
Birmingham C. 1 - 2 Fulham

Chelsea 3 - 0 Portsmouth (Yawn)

Crystal Palace 3 - 0 Tottenham H. (Another upset,Mido set to move here)

Everton 0 - 1 Charlton Athletic (Scant consolation for me)

Manchester U. 3 - 1 Aston Villa :(

Norwich C. 4 - 4 Middlesbrough (8 goals!! Thats a rarity!)

West Bromwich A. 2 - 0 Manchester C.

Quick New Tidbits

2005-01-21T20:03:00.000+08:00

GRAEME SOUNESS has been handed a $10m Pound transfer war chest to bring Portsmouth pair Yakubu and Amdy Faye to Newcastle.

NEWCASTLE are lining up a $7m pound bid for Manchester City captain Sylvain Distin after Inter Milan moved in for Bayern Munich's Sammy Kuffour.

MIDDLESBROUGH are lining up moves for Roma midfielder Olivier Dacourt and Hibernian skipper Ian Murray.

TOTTENHAM are preparing a $17m pound move to bring Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips to White Hart Lane.

MANCHESTER City striker Nicolas Anelka says he would be happy to join Fenerbahce, if the Turkish club can match his $35,000-a-week wages.

CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho is set to bolster his attacking options with the $60m pounds purchase of Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho.

And Finally to end up the Quick News Tidbits...

LIVERPOOL will now turn their attentions to Crystal Palace striker Andrew Johnson after finally signing up Fernando Morientes

Newpy Newp News

2005-01-20T22:55:00.000+08:00

Carson to sign for Liverpool

LEEDS' young goalkeeping star Scott Carson will join Liverpool within the next 24 hours due to his desire to play being more important than pay.

The Reds are believed to have agreed a figure of around $750,000 pound for the England Under-21 international, with add-ons taking the sum up to the $1m pound mark. With Chris Kirkland likely to be out for the rest of the season with a back injury, and Jerzy Dudek attracting criticism for his inconsistent performances, there may be the chance for Carson to prove himself with the Reds sooner rather than later.

Should Carson pass the medical, and it is anticipated there will not be any problems, he will become Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's first signing from outside Spain.Not exactly the player that would excite most fans but I think this one is for the future.Kirkland and Carson,two future England keepers if you ask me

STUTTGART is interested in Lehman,otherwise known as lameman.Not going to go into details,not worth it.Lehman should be euphoric that some club is interested in him.

Jon Dahl Tomasson
AC MILAN striker Jon Dahl Tomasson is not interested in a move to Newcastle United or any other club, according to his agent.The Premiership team, and French Ligue 1 outfit Marseille, have been linked with a move for the Denmark international, who has found himself behind the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Hernan Crespo in the pecking order at the San Siro this season.

TRUCE called in Wenger-Fergie feud.Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson have promised to end their public slanging match ahead of their Premiership clash at Highbury next month.The two managers, who have clashed in a war of words over the past week, have reassured their clubs that they will restrain their comments over the next fortnight.I say bring in the pizza!

Not much happening in and around.Heard any good soccer news?Email me!Want to exchange a link?Email me!I am actively looking for good soccer sites to exchange links with. Soccerspecs@gmail.com

Pissed

2005-01-19T23:34:00.000+08:00

Pissed with Liverpool losing 2-1 to burnely at the FA cup,pissed at the loss to man utd,pissed with how things are going right now.DAMN PISSED

I wont even go add a picture to this post.I am just going to play my football manager.Heck

Newsy News
Find some yourself....

Soccer Newsss

2005-01-18T19:40:00.000+08:00

Lotsa news,hence the triple 's'.Lets start off with some spanish football first shall we?

Golden boy scores again!

REAL Madrid 3 - 1 Zaragoza
Real madrid continued their strong showing under new boss Luxemburgo with a flattering 3-1 win over Zaragoza.This was the first goal Real conceded under the new gaffer.David Villa(linked with pool many times) scored a scintillating first goal for Zara.Raul equalised just before the 'PEET PEET PEET' and from then on the galacticos had it easy when Alvaro(defender) was sent off.Ronaldo got one and Owen(YEA!) notched a goal himself towards the end.Now to the interesting part.

Thomas Gravensen.I have people landing on my page by searching yahoo and google with the words "Danish gravesen real madrid".The Real fans cheered everytime he touched the ball when he came on as a sub.WTF FOR?Perhaps the fans thought it was Rooney on the pitch rather then Gravensen himself?(They both look like shrek)I am still pinching myself thinking why in the whole universe would Real want him??I think he must be pretty shocked himself.I AM SURE man utd fans are relieved that he didn't make the move there instead.Blah!

Other Newsy News

Routledge

ROUTLEDGE, 20, has been closely monitered by Spurs ever since their 3m pound bid was rejected in August. However, since Routledge turned a five-year contract down at Palace it is believed Eagles manager Iain Dowie will listen to offers despite valuing Routledge at $4m pound.Routledge has not yet made up his mind about which club to join, although a Spurs move would allow him to remain in the capital.

ENGLAND captain David Beckham has revealed he would welcome a return to Manchester United if he ever leaves Real Madrid.The 29-year-old swapped Old Trafford for the Spanish capital in July 2003 after a very public falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.In short,he will come back after Fergies leaves or when he realises he is not good enough for Real,whichever happens first.

Diao GO GO GO!

BIRMINGHAM are confident they have won the race to sign Liverpool midfielder Salif Diao on loan for the remainder of the season despite an 11th-hour bid from Aston Villa.The Senegal international is understood to have held talks on Monday with Villa boss David O'Leary, who is looking to fill the gap left by knee injury victim Gavin McCann.I would have been elated if he were to make a permanent move away,somewhere,anywhere.

Quashie Switches

NIGEL QUASHIE completed his $2.1million pound move from Portsmouth to deadly rivals Southampton.Then the midfielder pleaded with BOTH sets of fans to forgive him. Scot Quashie, 26, saw his pay leap from $8,000 pounds a week to $14,000 pounds after making the 17-mile trip.

He said: "I hope the Pompey fans don't hold it against me. I also hope the Saints fans don't begrudge it just because I played for Portsmouth."Harry Redknapp is the best manager I've worked with and I'm not joining Saints just for the money."Saints striker Kevin Phillips is out for a month with damaged ankle ligaments.

WEST BROM chairman Jeremy Peace is thrashing out a fee with Burnley for the Championship club's whizkid midfielder Richard Chaplow, 19.

Am sad and happy at the same time,how confusing humans can be.Sad because Pool Lost,happy because Singapore Lifted the Tiger Cup for only the second time,touching scenes this.Well,time to look ahead to the soccer games to be played out over the weekend.Till then,watch some commercials,read some books and email me at soccerspecs@gmail.com

SINGAPORE WINS TIGER CUP!

2005-01-17T19:33:00.000+08:00

Indra,goal Hero(AFP)

Indra Sahdan Daud and Agu Casmir both scored on Sunday to give Singapore a 2-1 win over Indonesia and the Tiger Cup championship.Playing before 55,000 fans at a sold-out National Stadium, Singapore got on the board early and never looked back. Singapore had defeated Indonesia 3-1 in the first leg of the final on Jan. 8 in Jakarta, giving the team a two-goal lead going into Sunday's match.

The victory marks the second time tiny Singapore has won the tournament, grouping ten teams from the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Thoughts
First of all lets be clear about the Tiger Cup.It is no world cup,it is not even anywhere close to the Asian cup.But what is restored was very important-Pride.After some very ouch defeats to Malaysia and other lesser teams,the Singapore team came seriously under fire.Their commitment,motivation and hunger were in question.

This tournament showed the character we had.Sure,we had some luck(Think the Myanmar match) but we showed solidarity and a very strong belief.More importantly,it restored pride both to the team and to the fans.It made Singapore proud.It gave the fans renewed hope.So here,I salute you Team Singapore!

results..

2005-01-16T15:29:00.000+08:00

Aston Villa 3 - 0 Norwich C.
Charlton Athletic 3 - 1 Birmingham C.
Manchester C. 3 - 1 Crystal Palace
Newcastle U. 2 - 1 Southampton
Portsmouth 0 - 1 Blackburn R.
Tottenham H. 0 - 2 Chelsea
Bolton W. 1 - 0 Arsenal

Ok and liverpool 0 - 1 Man Utd

Sigh..as you noticed,there is not much life and colour in my post.Excuse me while i grieve..

Featured Match-Liverpool Vs Man Utd

2005-01-15T11:01:00.000+08:00

Well well well.Its the time of the year again,where the 2 most successful clubs clash.Rich history,tradition and rivalry between these two clubs makes this game such a special match to watch.Oh btw Gravensen moved to Real Madrid!I can't fathom why Real wants a bladie like him.

Team News
The club's latest signing has not completed a full 90-minutes since playing for Monaco in last season's Champions League but after training with his new team-mates for the first time on Friday morning he's all set to make his Reds debut."I feel fine. It's quite a while since I last played a full game but physically I am one hundred per cent and my desire to do well will carry me through," said the 28-year old striker when being unveiled at an Anfield press conference.Seems like he will be starting.

Will be hoping to recover in time

Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed at his Friday press briefing that the pair will both be put through their paces on Saturday morning prior to kick-off, with the Boss remaining hopeful that both players will be passed fit to start the match.

"Ryan trained on Thursday and we are hoping he will be OK for Saturday," revealed Fergie. "He and Rio Ferdinand will both have fitness tests on Saturday morning. Hopefully both will be alright." Gary Neville is out and unfit

Match Ups
This latest joust between the Reds of Manchester and Merseyside promises to be just as keenly fought as any of those numerous classic encounters of the past.

United, as they have for the past few months, are vitally in need of the points if they are to have any chance of catching runaway leaders Chelsea. It's imperative they keep pace with Jose Mourinho's team should they suffer any title slip-ups as the pressure starts to build in the coming weeks.

As for Liverpool, well this clash against United could represent a watershed for the current season in terms of their championship aspirations. Apparently, Liverpool already appear to be too far off the pace to harbour any serious title ambitions but the acquisition of two major stars in the last few days could well be just the boost Rafael Benitez and his side have been looking for.

Just as when Ferguson was confronted with a championship-less run of 19 years when he moved south to Old Trafford, so Benitez walked into the Liverpool job knowing the Reds had gone 14 years without a league title.

Since Kenny Dalglish guided the Merseysiders to glory in the pre-Premier League days of 1990, Liverpool have remained stuck on a record 18 titles - while at the same time Ferguson has steered United to a decade of almost complete dominance.

It seems extremely unlikely Benitez's first season in the English game will see Liverpool's drought ended. They currently trail leaders Chelsea by 18 points - and recalling his own experiences at United, Ferguson believes that until Benitez can capture the major prize the weight of history will hang heavily on his shoulders.

Soccerspecs Star Man to Watch

Nando,as he prefers to be known as, will be thrown into the fray immediately after signing on the dotted line.He will be used as the target man while Baros will be doing the running and foraging.He is the Soccerspecs Star Man to watch as I believe,after not playing for so long,he would be raring to go and impress the manager.Yes,Man utd are very strong defensively and have not lost in their last 10 games.But Liverpool are also very strong,and miserly in defence,at Anfield.

Pool will play a very open attacking style,as with liverpool,I expect Man U to come out attacking from the very start of the whistle.I will be a great match for the neutrals.Expect some beautiful football,I am certainly looking forward to it! :)I think Liverpool would nick it with 1 goal from El Moro.Or in the worst case scenario,a draw.

In other matches,Chelsea go against Spurs in what should be another exciting match.

Hoping to preserve fine run of form

Chelsea will travel to Tottenham for their Premiership clash on Saturday with a minor injury doubt over midfielder Tiago.He limped off during the goalless draw with Manchester United in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final with an ankle knock.

I will be hoping Spurs get one over Chelsea as they have simply gotten much too arrogant.

Old News,New News

2005-01-14T17:56:00.000+08:00

Chelsea 0 - 0 Man Utd.Yea,you probably heard about this one.Boring match,boring result.Jose Mourinho critised Ferguson's tactics after the match.BLAH..boring.

Moving on to newer and more exciting news!Saturday super match!Liverpool Vs Man Utd!! Match Feature coming soon..

Quick News Round Up

Introducing Fernando Morientes!

Fernando Morientes has made his move official and would probably make his debut against Man Utd.What better way to announce your arrival by getting a couple of goals past manure?

Everton midfielder Thomas Gravesen looks destined for Real Madrid after the Spanish giants made an official approach to the Goodison Park club.Seriously?Gravesen?WTF are Real thinking?Home Utd might not even let him start.

Tottenham boss Martin Jol has expressed an interest in signing countryman Mark van Bommel.PSV Eindhoven midfielder van Bommel is a free agent at the end of the season and can now sign a pre-contract agreement with a new club.

Arsenal's new signing Emmanuel Eboue has set his sights on emulating compatriot Kolo Toure as a regular for club and country.The 20-year-old from the Ivory Coast made his Arsenal debut in last weekend's FA Cup victory against Stoke just a few days after completing his 1million pound move in a five-year deal from Belgian club Beveren.

Cya in a few post's time!

Match Results Pool 1 - 0 Watford

2005-01-12T18:33:00.000+08:00

Mellor in action

"I am so sure that Liverpool will win that I promise to eat mud if pool lose!Yes,hold my word for it. " (Posted Tuesday, January 11, 2005 by me)

I am a relieved man.Not so much for not eating mud but for liverpool at least stealing away with a win.I was spot on though on my Soccerspecs Star Man to Watch.It was Gerrard who was holding the midfield and his shot that resulted in the goal.Glad though that liverpool has a 1,abeit narrow, goal advantage.Drap match,first half was mostly Watford's.Pool improved in the 2nd half and when Baros was introduced,the reds looked much livelier.

I am confident Pool will get into the finals but I am not about to make any quick promises though...

In other news,Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has confirmed he is on the brink of completing the £6m signing of Real Madrid star Fernando Morientes.Yea,with Baros,Cisse(when fit),Mellor,Flo Pongolle(when on form) and now Morientes,liverpool has an attacking line up which will be the envy of many!Cheerios!

Got a news contribution to make?Email me at soccerspecs@gmail.com Thanks!

Results + News + Featured Match!!(Pool Vs Watford)

2005-01-11T19:28:00.000+08:00

Results:

Villarreal 3-0 Barcelona
How about that for a scoreline?Guess who scored twice for Vill?Answer:Man U misfit Diego Forlan.Makes you wonder,how can he get two past barca when he can't even get a goal over Southampton?(Thanks to Umang for the idea behind this news)

Other Results From La Liga:

Espanyol 4-1 Osasuna
Racing Santander 2-1 Malaga
Real Sociedad 0-2 Albacete
Real Zaragoza 1-0 Betis Sevilla and
Atlético Madrid 0-3 Real Madrid(nope,Owen did not score in this)

Newsy News News:

Everton and Liverpool have scrapped tentative plans for the Premier League rivals to share a new stadium on Merseyside. A year of talks sponsored by Sports Minister Richard Caborn that might have led to Everton sharing Liverpool's planned new ground at Stanley Park have ended in disagreement.SOO glad to hear this piece of news!We will never approve of a ground share.Everton are not our equal,never was,never will be. :)

(BenRadford/GettyImages)Looking Sore..

Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has hit out at manager Arsene Wenger after being dropped in favour of young Spaniard Manuel Almunia. The experienced German international(I do not understand this part,Experienced?International?) said on Tuesday that he was surprised by Wenger's decision to turn to Almunia after the Premier League champions had suffered a few disappointing results in October and November. 'Of course I was surprised to be dropped,' said Lehmann. 'I'm sorry but what have I done wrong?'

Well alot!Committing blunders after blunders and coming out saying you were better then Oliver Kahn?Seems like you aren't even up to par with Almunia

Eriksson has called for a break before the finals.Eriksson has been campaigning for a four-week domestic break before the competition gets underway in Germany next year and he is still waiting to hear whether he will get his wish. I personally do not wish to see a break.I can't survive without my weekly dose of EPL action!!

Now to our Featured Match!

Hornet's Boss,Ray Lewington

Ray Lewington has come out and rallied his troops to prepare for a fight of their lives at Anfield.He wants them to seize their moment and,possibly create an upset.He admits though that they are "complete underdogs".The Hornets have been struggling at the Coca-Cola Champs but their league cup form have been nothing short of superb- disposing the likes of Sheffield United,Southampton and Porthsmouth.

Benitez has admitted that he will use his first-team players in this match,abandoning the short tradition of using young academy graduates.He stated that he viewed this cup seriously and wants to win it obviously.(I totally agree!,we have come to far to risk losing this).Baros is should be back but flu victim Hyypia is out.He said: "There is a trophy at stake here which we want to win. I don't think it is unfair on the younger lads and it is not a difficult decision for me." Bravo,well said!

Key Battles:

Baros vs Helguson

A half fit Baros will be up against the strong,power forward.Who will get the goals tonight?Helguson has managed double goals this season for Watford but has a poor disciplinary record.Up against the likes of Carragher,I can't see him getting an upper hand.Baros on the other hand,though not fully fit,is one of the most classy strikers.He is certainly one to watch and what more a better way then to annonce your comeback with a few goals?

Dudek Vs Alec Chamberlain

Dudek is back into the first team only after an injury to Chris Kirkland and Chamberlain reckons Dudek is still one of the top keepers in the game.Chamberlain though faces stiffer competition as Paul Jones,37, bids to start in the game.Both keepers certainly have experience in the ranks but who can prevent the forwards from breaching their goalines?

My Take on The Game:

My Star Man

He is the man to watch and he is the Soccerspecs Star Man to Watch.Frankly,Liverpool would not be the same without him.He embodies the Liverpool spirit,hardworking,never say die,enthusiastic and always top class.He would be the man to make the difference if he starts.I believe Liverpool will win against Watford tonight,I really believe so.Pool's home record has been nothing short of excellent and I dont believe Watford stand ANY CHANCE.

Arrogant Words?You bet.But I have full reason to do so for Liverpool are fielding their first 11.I am so sure that Liverpool will win that I promise to eat mud if pool lose!Yes,hold my word for it.

Conservative Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Watford

D.L Signing out,till we meet in the next post!

PS:I am looking for news contributors,if you are interested in providing soccer news in your region.Drop me a mail at soccerspecs@gmail.com !

WooHooo!

2005-01-10T01:04:00.000+08:00

Hooray! I am on google!LOL,its true,run a search on google with the words "soccerspecs" and you can find a few websites that has my link.Haha see here Pardon me,I get excited over little things.

Also I have a total of 1000 hits on my page thus far!Thanks to you!Hope you will continue to support and visit my site!Do tell your friends about this site :)

Super quick news updates:
Second-half goals from Lee Bowyer and Shola Ameobi shattered non-league Yeading's dream of a huge cup upset at Loftus Road.Newcastle 2-0 Yeading(Fa Cup)

Arsenal beat Stoke C 2 goals to 1 courtesy of goals from Calderon and Van Persie.(FA Cup)

Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan insists he won't quit despite Saturday's shock FA Cup reversal at Oldham.

DONE! End of super quick news updates. Btw I bought a few jerseys online here. Its the cheapest I found among men's apparel,browse here! :)

Ps:Have a blog?Increase traffic @ blogexplosion,Sign up here!

Fa Cup Round Up

2005-01-09T11:54:00.000+08:00

Ok,many games played last night so I will only be featuring the ones that matter,that is games that involved the premiership clubs.

(GaryMPrior/GettyImages) Whoohoo Cool!

1.Manchester U. 0 - 0 Exeter C.
This result is the best result for me,:) puts a smile to my face.How can Man Utd catch up with Chelsea if they can't even beat Exeter City at home??I wonder..Anyways great performance by Exeter,would be better if they beat Man Utd.

2.Sheffield U. 3 - 1 Aston Villa
Great Match,the English Championship Leaders played like that are premiership quality.Superb goal by A.Vill though,it was a screamer by Gareth Barry.

3.Birmingham C. 3 - 0 Leeds U.
Emile Heskey got one and Danny Carter got two in this relatively easy match for the Blues.Showed the gulf in class between these two clubs.

4.Cardiff C. 1 - 1 Blackburn R.
It was not the return to Wales Blackburn manager Mark Hughes had hoped for, but at least he avoided the ignominy of becoming a high-profile FA Cup scalp as his side held on for a draw.Guess Bburn was the luckier of the two sides.

5.Chelsea 3 - 1 Scunthorpe U.
The Leaders Progress to the next round,courtesy of goals from Kezman,Crosby(own goal)and Gudjohnsen.It was Scunny that took a shock lead first before chelsea settled into the game and from the first goal onwards,it was Chelsea all the way.

6.Ipswich T. 1 - 3 Bolton W.
I caught this match on TV.It was a vintage performance by Diouf-he set up two goals and have be superb throughout the match.His running and energy down the right was very useful for Bolton,this despite the repeated boos he got.The first half,Ipswich got the upper hand but could not capitalise.In the second half,goals from Giannakopoulos(thats a mouthful) and Perdersen settled it.

7.Northampton T. 1 - 3 Southampton
Battle between the two 'thamptons'.Hehe.North and South.The match was closer then what the scoreline reflected but goals from Crouch,Phillips and Redknapp(No not the father,the son!) settled things.

8.Notts County 1 - 2 Middlesbrough
Boro scrapped through to the next road after some very staunch defending by Notts.It was really a boring match not much to mention.Serious.Its not because I am lazy or something.Bah.

9.Oldham Athletic 1 - 0 Manchester C.
Another Giant killings.Love these giant killings don't you?Love how the terms 'giant killers' and 'match of David vs Goliath' are OVERUSED by commentators and pundits.CAN YOU ALL BE MORE CREATIVE?Sorry about that.A goal from Scott Vernon at the 16th minute in Boundary Park won it for Oldham.

10.Portsmouth 1 - 0 Gillingham
Portsmouth finally came alive in the second half to confirm their Premiership status to secure a 1-0 win over Championship relegation strugglers Gillingham in the FA Cup. Yakubu scores again!

Patrick Agyemang in action.(CliveBrunskill/GettyImages)

11.Preston North End 0 - 2 West Bromwich A.
Robert Earnshaw's devastating double gave struggling West Brom manager Bryan Robson victory at his 11th attempt as the Baggies progressed to the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 win over Preston at Deepdale.How relived he must,Robson.

12.Sunderland 2 - 1 Crystal Palace

13.Tottenham H. 2 - 1 Brighton & Hove A.
Tottenham striker Robbie Keane returned to haunt his former manager Mark McGhee - with a late winner to dump Brighton out of the FA Cup 2-1 in the third round.Another late late goal,another lucky win.

14.Watford 1 - 1 Fulham
Premiership Fulham were held to a 1-1 draw by Championship side Watford after failing to convert their superiority into an FA Cup third-round victory at Vicarage Road.What happened to Fulham??

Harewood Scores!(PhilCole/GettyImages)

15.West Ham U. 1 - 0 Norwich C.
Marlon Harewood's goal nine minutes from time was enough for West Ham to move into the fourth round of the FA Cup - and send Premiership side Norwich crashing to a 1-0 defeat.

16.Plymouth Argyle 1 - 3 Everton
Premiership high-flyers Everton survived an onslaught in Devon to grab a place in the FA Cup fourth round with a 3-1 win over Championship club Plymouth.Beattie played but looked out of sorts.Hope this tires Everton and they go on to lose their next match.MAuhahahah.

Ed's Note:Congrats to you if you read past all these results!Do post your comment.Look out for a webmaster interview coming up soon...

Tiger Cup Singapore 3 - 1 Indonesia

2005-01-08T23:22:00.000+08:00

Agu Casmir Scores!

What a match.Caught the action on TV.The result was really down to Indonesia's incompetence rather then Singapore's Flair.The first goal for Singapore was a long range shot(deflected) by Daniel Bennett,the ex-Wrexham player, into the Indo net.
The second goal was a relatively easy tap-in by Khairul Amri after Noh Alam Shah's initial shot was palmed away by the keeper.

The final goal for the Lions was scored by Agu Casmir(5 goals thus far).Finally the goal by Indonesia was scored late late into stoppage time.It was a direct free kick that was slighty deflected,GK Lionel Lewis was left stranded and was guilty of ball watching.

Now with that goal scored,it certainly sets up a grand finale come the 2nd leg of the game.Again,like the Myanmar match,I will be there at the stadium giving you first hand reports on the match.What a great result for Singapore!We can build on this win and go on from here.There still is hope for local football...

Ps:Soccerspecs' sister site is live.Give it a visit GoGetPaid!

Newsy News News

2005-01-08T13:30:00.000+08:00

Rain rain go away..

-The Liverpool match against burnley has been postponed!BUMMBER.I stayed up till 4:30am in this part of the world to wait for the match and they said the match has been postponed!That just suck big time doesn't it??ARGGG Damn!

Referee Mark Clattenburg called off Burnley's FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool yesterday night because he was concerned for the safety of the players.The third-round game at Turf Moor was postponed 45 minutes before kick-off following torrential rain.

Burnley had taken the covers off and then used the water rollers to try to clear the playing area but a five-yard strip on the touchline proved too difficult to sort out.
Friday's cup tie was the second match Burnley match postponed within a week after their New Year's Day home fixture was abandoned after 19 minutes because of heavy rain.

The cup tie has been rearranged for Tuesday 18 January.No Pool match for me..BOOHOO

Kuffour Bid?

-Samuel Kuffour's agent Fabio Parisi has insisted that there has been "no official approach" from Newcastle for the Bayern Munich defender.(what about any unofficial moves eh?)

The 28-year-old Ghana international has been a regular feature of Bayern's defence since joining the Bavarian club as a 17-year-old in 1993, and was a key member of the team that won the 2001 Champions League final.

Newcastle are really in need of a quality centre back.Their defence looked really shaky especially with that fat Titus Bramble at helm.

-Manchester City have rejected a $5m pounds bid from Premiership rivals Newcastle for Sylvain Distin - and insist their captain is "not for sale".The 27-year-old Frenchman has been in good form for Kevin Keegan's side this season. Distin joined City from Paris St Germain in a $4m pound deal in May 2002, after a loan spell at St James' Park.

News Updates

2005-01-07T23:01:00.000+08:00

Yakubu:offers to come in soon?

-Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric insists there have been no offers for star striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu - but expects that to change soon.
Mandaric has already slapped a prohibitive $12m pounds price-tag on the Nigerian marksman but is now believed to be in discussion with manager Velimir Zajec over a possible replacement - should Yakubu attract an offer Pompey cannot refuse.

-Crewe have accepted Norwich's bid for England Under-21 striker Dean Ashton.
The 21-year-old has scored 17 league goals for the Championship side this season and has been interesting a number of Premiership clubs.

Possible Target?

-Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka has emerged as Liverpool's most likely transfer target if they fail to capture Real Madrid's Fernando Morientes.
Reds boss Rafael Benitez is still confident Morientes will sign, saying: "The player wants to come and we have a clear idea of the price we will pay.

But he added: "Just in case, we are watching other players. We are talking with agents and we have some names."We know all about Anelka and he is a good player."

-Mikael Forsell has hinted he wants to remain a blue,with birmingham.The striker was forced to cut short his second season-long loan with Steve Bruce's side after picking up a knee injury.Forssell, 23, said: "If my future is not at Chelsea I would definitely consider going back to Birmingham.

"Last season was excellent for me and I wanted this season to be as good but because of the injury it didn't happen.But with Birmingham I know what I will get and I'm sure this is one of the best clubs in the country so there is no question that I could come back."

Some news sourced from BBC and TheSun.

My Thoughts

2005-01-06T20:16:00.000+08:00

The name Mauricio Pellegrino would hardly excite any pool fans.Heck,it hardly even rings a bell!I must admit I have my doubts about this 33 year old.Sure he has experience but are we lacking in that department with hyppia and carragher at helm?
I really wonder what sort of role he will play this season.

Do read the news below this to get a full round transfer update.I thought that the signing of James Beattie would prove to be a massive boost to Everton.He is a proven goal scorer at the highest level and is one of the most clinical finishers.The question that begs to be asked is whether he would upset the balance in the team?Remember they have already lost 2 consecutive away games and looked shaky in defence.

And finally,WTH is wrong with Chelsea,CSKA Moscow and that czech player?First,CSKA insisted he would not be sold despite Abramovich being the owner of the 2 clubs.Later,it was announced that a loan deal was struck and even Jarosik himself was delighted with the 'loan' deal.And now,Jarosik has seemingly signed on to be a permanent staff.Why does Chelsea need Jarosik anyway?Go figure.

Editor's Note: If you like what you are reading, all i ask of you is to give the ads on the right of the page a click.Yep,a single click would do(under "ads by gooogle").It wont even hurt.And it takes less then a sec.Thanks! :)

Results Plus Transfer News

2005-01-06T19:46:00.000+08:00

Redknapp Makes His Debut

Southampton 3 Fulham 3
Southampton and Fulham produced a six-goal thriller last night, but a point apiece was not enough to ease the relegation fears of managers Harry Redknapp and Chris Coleman.

The result leaves Saints without a win in nine games and 19th in the Premiership, two points clear of West Brom. The draw lifted Fulham one place to 15th, but the London club are only six points clear of the drop zone.

"I can't fault the player's effort," said St Mary's manager Redknapp."We kept going,and you have got to take what you get.It's going to be a tough struggle,but I tink we'll be okay."

Jamie Redknapp made his debut for Southampton after his dad signed him from Tottenham on Tuesday. But the home side were still adapting to life without James Beattie after the striker's $6 million pounds move to Everton.

Sourced from Scotsman.

Transfer Tidbits
-Jiri Jarosik's agent has claimed the Czech Republic international is poised to sign a two-and-a-half-year contract at Chelsea.This news follows after he was set for a loan deal.

-Henchoz is wanted by Bolton,Southampton and Rangers.He will be allowed to leave under a free transfer and as of this moment,he will be keeping all options open.

-Russia international striker Dmitri Bulykin has been given permission to speak with Crystal Palace about a potential move from Dinamo Moscow.
Dinamo left him out of their training squad for a trip to Turkey, and director Yuri Zavarzin has revealed that the Russians would accommodate Bulykin's wish to play in England.

-Another pool news!
Liverpool have completed the signing of Valencia defender Mauricio Pellegrino, the player's agent has told the Press Association. Filippo Cavadini has revealed that the 33-year-old Argentinian has signed a six-month contract with the option of another year.

-Tottenham will make a bid for Chelsea defender Glen Johnson if Noe Pamarot is sold to Southampton later this month.

Buffel-The Next Larsson?

-Rangers manager Alex McLeish insists labelling Thomas Buffel the new Henrik Larsson is placing too much pressure on his shoulders.Buffel completed a $2.3m pound move to Rangers from Feyenoord on Wednesday which is scheduled to keep him at Ibrox for the next four-and-a-half years.

-Midfielder Hanno Balitsch is to leave Bayer Leverkusen to join Bundesliga rivals FSV Mainz for an undisclosed fee. Leverkusen sporting director Michael Reschke said Balitsch, 24, who has made one full international appearance for Germany, would sign a contract running until 2008.

-Iain Dowie's $1.2 million pounds raid for West Ham's rising midfield star Nigel Reo-Coker has been snubbed. Palace boss Dowie was told none of Alan Pardew's squad are for sale as sixth-placed Hammers attempt to crank up their bid to return to the Premiership.

Bernard in Player Exchange deal

-Newcastle boss Graeme Souness has thrown Olivier Bernard into the melting pot in a bid to prise forward Luis Boa Morte from Fulham.Bernard has been unhappy with life at St James' Park for a number of months and his mood will not have been lightened by the arrival of Celestine Babayaro from Chelsea in this month's transfer window.

News sources from Teamtalk.com,Soccernet & TheSun.

Aftermath

2005-01-05T13:57:00.000+08:00

(Martin Jol)

Well,Caroll's clanger would certainly be another talking point this week.Spur's Martin Jol would be the next on the list to call for video technology to be included in the game.

I am personally against adding a non-human factor into refereing.Why?Because the beautiful game is a game played by humans,there are,sometimes, uncontrollable factors in it when decisions go against teams BUT this is what makes the EPL such a great marketing product isnt it? Players make errors everytime so isnt it expecting too much when referee's are not allowed any sort of room for error? Sure there are some less competent referees in the game(read mike riley) but this problem should not be solved by introducing video replays but should be curbed by improving the referee selection process and their training/decision making process.

Give me your 2 cents worth -->soccerspecs@gmail.com

Transfer News Round Up
-Aston Villa manager David O'Leary hopes to sign Portsmouth midfielder Amdy Faye and Newcastle defender Andy O'Brien in a £5m double swoop.

-Nigel Worthington has revealed Norwich will not be bidding for Crewe's Dean Ashton or Darren Bent of Ipswich in the transfer window.

-Birmingham have completed the signing of Burnley striker Robbie Blake, who has scored 13 goals for the Clarets this season, in a £1.5m deal.

-Everton have completed the signing of James Beattie and will be able play their new £6m record buy in the FA Cup on Saturday.

-Jiri Jarosik's agent claims his client has agreed a loan deal which will see him join Chelsea until the end of the season.

-Blackburn have confirmed the £300,000 signing of South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena after the necessary paperwork was completed.

-Jamie Redknapp has signed a six-month contract with Southampton after being released by Spurs on a free transfer.He joins his father harry at the Saint Mary's.

-Arsene Wenger has confirmed his desire to sign Shaun Wright-Phillips - but admits Arsenal may not be able to afford the Manchester City winger.

Full Time Reports and Reactions From the People That Matter

2005-01-05T13:29:00.000+08:00

(MikeEgerton/Empics)

Man Utd 0 Spurs 0
Birmingham 1 Bolton 2 (Diouf,M.Upson,K.Nolan)
Chelsea 2 Boro 0 (D.Drogba x 2)
Arsenal 1 Man City 1 (S.W Phillips,F.Ljungberg)
Everton 2 Pompey 1 (A.Stubbs,A.Yakubu,L.Osman)

Well its all pretty clear aint it?Chelsea extend their lead and further cement their position as league leaders, a 7 point gap now.While Mourinho's team brushed Boro away with two early goals by Didier Drogba, Arsenal found it hard to come from behind against Manchester City with a late equaliser by Freddie Ljungberg. United had the best luck.They were handed a remarkable let-off in injury time when, with the game goalless, replays clearly showed that Pedro Mendes' shot was dropped by R.Carroll and had crossed the line before the goalkeeper scooped it out.

Bolton claimed maximum points and moved above the Blues into 11th when Taylor fumbled Okocha's shot and Nolan pounced.Fourth-placed Everton bounced back from two straight defeats on the road with a last-minute 2-1 victory against Portsmouth at Goodison Park.Thats why the premier league is the most watched league in the world,you cant switch off for even a second!

Comments from the Managers:

(Fiery Fergie)-- Sir Alex Ferguson, with his side now 11 points behind Chelsea, admitted the title was now Mourinho's "to throw away". "That's the sum of it but in football that can happen," the United manager said. "You never know. An 11-point gap is bigger than nine, that's sure. Leads like that have disappeared before. We have thrown away leads like that."

(Cucumber Wenger)-- Wenger said his team would not give up the chase. "We will keep going," the Arsenal manager said, "to give up now would be criminal and unprofessional.. But I still feel that we want to give our best to the end of the season. Chelsea don't look like dropping seven points - but you never know. The only chance we have is to believe we can come back and give everything in every game. Of course, it's not easy, but if you want an easy job then you should stay at home. This job is for strong men.

(Chelsea Asst.Manager Steve Clark)-- "But what pressure is going to be different from the pressure we have already had this season? At the moment we are out in front and we are enjoying it. There was no pressure in our performance tonight. We were fantastic and with a bit of luck it could have been five or six.

"The only thing that matters is to be in front in May, whether it is by three, five, seven or 10 points. Pressure won't affect us because we are just focused on what we have to do."

(Editor's Note)
Some news sources derived from Soccernet.com and the Independent Online Edition

Full Time Scores and Fixtures for Matches Later Tonight

2005-01-04T21:46:00.000+08:00

Norwich C. 1 - 2 Liverpool (Garcia,Risse,Jarvis)

Blackburn R. 1 - 0 Charlton Athletic (B.Emerton)

Crystal Palace 2 - 0 Aston Villa (Andy Johnson)-He is on FIRE!!!

West Bromwich A. 0 - 0 Newcastle U.

Matches To Be Played Later

Arsenal VS Manchester C. (Arsenal is SET to extend their winning run)

Birmingham C. VS Bolton W.

Chelsea VS Middlesbrough (Either side losing would be good.For Pool fans)

Everton VS Portsmouth (Interesting to see if everton bounces back)

Manchester U. VS Tottenham H. (Should be a cracker of a match)

Terrific Tuesday!!

2005-01-03T19:36:00.000+08:00

Lots of soccer matches today!Will go through team news on the clubs that are playing tonight.

Norwich VS Pool
(Pool)The Anfield injury list is becoming an ever-growing nightmare with Djibril Cisse out for the season, Harry Kewell six weeks and now Xabi Alonso set for two months enforced absence.Bummer.Baros should be able to feature in this one.
(Norwich)Defender Marc Edworthy is suspended after being sent off only four minutes and 20 seconds into the match with Portsmouth, which leaves Worthington in a hole with six other members of the squad already sidelined by injury.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blackburn VS Charlton
(Charlton)The Addicks have a few major injury concerns(Francis Jeffers and Kevin Lisbie, as well as defenders Mark Fish and Chris Perry )Alan Curbishley must decide whether to freshen up his side for Monday's trip to Blackburn following the New Year's Day defeat by Arsenal.
(Bburn)Rovers gaffer Mark Hughes will again be without Matt Jansen, Tugay and Craig Short through injury.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crystal Palace VS Aston VIlla
(C.Palace)Finland midfielder Joonas Kolkka (ribs) is still in the treatment room while Nicola Ventola (fractured ankle) and Tommy Black (broken leg) remain long-term absentees.Gonzalo Sorondo is also missing through injury.
(A.Villa)Skipper Olof Mellberg is suspended for the trip to Selhurst Park, with Mark Delaney poised to replace him after recovering from a groin injury.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
West Brom VS Newcastle
(W.Brom)Midfielder Jason Koumas is pushing for a place in the starting line-up - as is striker Robert Earnshaw - after recovering from a virus.Thomas Gaardsoe also returns to contention for a place in the team
(Newcastle)Stephen Carr could return to the squad after a knee problem, but Nicky Butt (knee), Robbie Elliot (ankle) and Ronny Johnsen (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.Bellamy is a doubt ahead of the game with a knee problem.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whew,done with all the injuries reports. And the editing of the stuff you see here.

Full Time Report

2005-01-03T19:28:00.000+08:00

Originally uploaded by D.L.

The first half was actually quite even.Myanmar were lucky to score the first goal.It was a well hit shot though.Final score 4-2 to singapore after extra time. Go buy a paper to read the full report.

You Mym people shouldnt have rioted.
I own the rights of he photo on the left.Please ask before using.

Singapore 4 Myanmar 2

2005-01-03T01:05:00.000+08:00

This match would be remembered for its off field moments rather then the on field action.A full match report to follow...

Back to antics on the stadium.First of all,when we went up the north gate to the stadium to be seat,we were ushered away by the policeman."you all from myanmar? no? then go gate 31 onwards"
Ok, what now?we cant choose our own seats??Rather begrudginly, we moved on.
I thought the police were discriminating against the myanmarese,myanmarian,myanmans..whatever
when the I saw lots police presence in the myanmar's fans side but none on the singaporeans' side.Straight to the chase.

1.The Mym people incessantly threw debri on the ground.Throughout the whole match.The field just below the Mym fans were littered with bottles,caps,flags,shirts,rubbish and on.
2.Three to four mym fans jumped to ground,grab some metalic looking stuff and start hitting our policmen.Very smart move.Our officers retaliated and proved that the baton,though very common, is super effective.
3.The dumbass reserve keep of mym team threw a bottle smack on to sumbramani(?) head.No wonder he is still a reserve.What a dickhead.
4.Then the fans of mym fought with the fans of Singapore.How exciting.My $6 dollars was well spent.

Basically,this match would be one to be remembered for the violence not the result.Full time report to be followed up tommorow.NITEZ!.

Quick Reminder

2005-01-03T00:40:00.000+08:00

Originally uploaded by D.L.

Just for fodders who do not read the "about me" section. Direct all emails to the webmaster(me) @ soccerspecs@gmail.com Will try to answer all mails as best as possible. Attaching a picture of your naked self would help.

Yea! 65 visitors to my this website! Rejoice!The small chart on the left shows the number of visitors to the site.Cant really see?I thought so, get a new pair of eyes.For your info 47 of them visits were made by me...Doesn't seem that much after all

Can You Believe It???

2005-01-02T13:51:00.000+08:00

I spent the whole morning on aligments.Flushing everything to the left.And adding one measly picture.Yes the whole morning.A whole 3 hours.You better appreciate it.Here's the full time scores from yesterday's matches

Liverpool 0 - 1 Chelsea
Fulham 3 - 1 Crystal Palace
Aston Villa 1 - 0 Blackburn
Bolton. W 1 - 1 West. Brom
Charlton. A 1 - 3 Arsenal
Man City 2 - 1 Southampton
Newcastle 2 - 1 Birmingham City
Portsmouth 1 - 1 Norwich City
Tottenham 5 - 2 Everton
Middlesrough 0 - 2 Manure Utd

Well at least Everton and Boro lost, the 2 clubs that liverpool are trying to catch up to. Not all is bad.Blah.And wtf is wrong with bolton? I thought they played attractive attacking football? They haven won for 10 matches in a row! I also though portsmouth should have done better at home. Other then that(and the liverpool result) all the other matches went rightly(?) to the favourites..
Any comments? Guess not.

Calmed Down a Little...

2005-01-02T13:50:00.000+08:00

Just want to add that this is the very first blog i have done..yeah! Hooray!! Will blog on anything to do with soccer or even any thing that is remotely related to that.Yes.Remotely. Would be reporting on all the action happening on the match of Singapore VS Myanmar(spelled correctly?) tml provided that my flu,headache,cough and fever does not impede me doing that. Should be a cracker of a match.Hopefully.

Goodnight everyone.Go hug your teddy bear

Liverpool 0 Chelsea 1

2005-01-02T13:36:00.000+08:00

Photo taken from Teamtalk.com

Bah,humbug.This just sucks.Chelsea suck.I am down with a miserable flu.What could get worse I thought? Quite a lot apparently. The first half was the red's,they controlled the game,controlled the tempo and held most of the possesion. Heck they came so close to scoring a few times...but DAMN!The second half was a totally different sorry.Story i meant.Sorry story.Heck.It was such a stupid and lucky goal.Arg.Lucky,damn lucky,pure luck.I am still sore,bitter,affected by the loss.It was just the second loss @ home for pool.

RB choose a 4-5-1 formation,rather defensive i thought.Well my thoughts were wrong!The team played attacking football and did admirably but the thing is,luck tends to favor the cheaters.What was a clear handball was waved away rather nonchalantly by that ass of a referee.He has to retire soon,he legs can't hold his body for long. JUST SUCKS.

Liverpool DID NOT derserve to lose.u suck.What a bad first post for me.