John Terry sacked as England Captain

John Terry would not hold the trophy aloft this summer in South Africa even if England is able to do the unthinkable. Fabio Capello, the England manager, today made his decision of stripping Terry of his captaincy.

Capello said: "After much thought I have made the decision that it will be best for me to take the captaincy away from John Terry. As a captain with the team, Terry has displayed extremely positive behaviour," said Capello. "However, I have to take into account other considerations and what is best for all of the England squad. What is best for all of the England team has inspired my choice and Terry was notified first."

"I love it here, I love it here, I love it here." - Mourinho

Jose Mourinho looks eager to move back to England next summer and he made no bones about it while speaking to Sun. He said, "I want to come back to England. I want to be back. I'm not the kind of guy to his feelings hidden. I love it here, I love it here, I love it here. I believe I will be back one day. I don't leave any club in mid-season to go to another, so until the end of the season, there is no chance I will leave Inter."

Meanwhile Mourinho's interest in England has sparked a slew of speculations about the club he will come to. Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are reported to have eyed Jose Mourinho as a possible replacement for Rafael Benitez. Rafa however continues to deny any news of his move away from Liverpool.

Read more:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/4861058/Liverpool-linked-with-Jose-Mourinho-as-Rafael-Benitez-replacement.html

David Villa set for Premiership. United-Chelsea likely suitors.

Valencia and Spain striker David Villa is all set to spark a bidding war between United and Chelsea. Villa, who had decided to stay at Valencia last summer due to 'family' reasons, has now expressed his desire to play in the Premiership.

So how much will he cost and who has the money? Liverpool is out of the race straight away and it would be a fight between United, City and Chelsea. All 3 clubs seem to have the pockets deep enough and it appears that United are set to offer 35 million.

Of the 3, United would be the most eager considering their lack of firepower upfront. Berbatov might be in line to be offloaded to part pay for Villa. John Terry had mentioned Villa sometime in 2008 to Abramovich and it wouldn't be a surprise if Chelsea throws in some more to take Villa away from United. City are likely to give Mancini some free hand in the summer transfer window and he will surely bid if Villa is available.

My personal view is that Villa is most suited for United and it would be a better career move considering how many more minutes he would get to play for United. At Chelsea he would risk sitting on the bench more often.

Clearly Villa is one of the premier strikers today and he would be a great asset whichever team he decides to play for. How the bidding war would turn out is going to be make headlines coming summer.

Just to add, Valencia might put few more players including David Silva and Mata up for sale considering their financial plight and that would mean more opportunities for English clubs.

http://www.clubcall.com/intl-football/villa-tempted-england-move-995728.html

Weekend confirms decline of the Premier League elite

Chelsea made a hash of the great opportunity that United had presented them on Saturday. They could have gone 6 clear of United at the top of the premiership instead they were quite lucky to salvage a point against West Ham with a fortuitous penalty. United would heave a sigh of relief with this result as the gap has not widened too much as was widely expected though they still stand 4 points adrift and that would take some catching.

It is also quite obvious now that this year’s championship is not a two team fight to the top. The challengers are looking tougher while the leaders are stuttering to make the championship race most fascinating. The way things are currently poised, the season appears to be heading towards an enthralling second half in 2010 and I am sure that it is going to be a fight till the very end this time around. Chelsea has a clear edge in the standings, they however appear to have lost a lot if it on field. The heat is on the leaders and it is how they respond that will ascertain the final standings in 2010.

You could read the match report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/20/west-ham-chelsea-match-report

Read more about the saturday games and United debacle at :
http://expresssport.blogspot.com/2009/12/united-feel-heat-at-fulham-gunners.html

Hiddink for City ?

City look set for a change with Guus Hiddink being linked for a summer move to City. Pressure on Mark Hughes to convince his bosses has rightly increased after 3-0 drubbing by fellow championship hopefuls-Spurs. Of the last 10 games, City has won one, lost one and drawn a whopping 8 games. They find themselves languishing at 8th in the league and somehow it appears that all of £170m+ spent this year has not been enough.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/18/mark-hughes-manchester-city

England's World Cup Draw: High Profile Reactions...

As last night's draw was unfolding, plenty of reactions were pouring in. Following are few from the English-men who matter:

Capello: "You have to respect all the teams and I know from my experience as a player that when you have to play here, the pressure is different and the mentality is different."
"We played against Slovenia at home and I well remember suffering in the second half. Slovenia's style is Balkan. They are technically good, a lot of passes and imagination. USA can prepare for the World Cup better than us and prepare with their training a long time before us." The manager admitted he knew "nothing" about Algeria and saw only "some moments" of their dramatic victory over Egypt. "I saw the goals they scored to qualify but not too much to understand the style or what will happen during the game."

Beckham: "It's a very interesting group. You don't get easy games at the World Cup. As a country we're very honored to be here and very honored to play a part in such a historical time in South Africa."

Gerrard: "I am really encouraged by the draw. It is all we could ask. There are no surprises and it's been really kind, even beyond the first group stage. We have to be professional and show the right attitude, because even though we'll be massive favorites you know the other teams in our group will see England as a huge scalp - almost their own World Cup final. But we have to be confident of getting maximum points, otherwise we shouldn't be going. And that can give us the confidence to progress, given that a lot of the favorites to win the trophy are in the other half.

Terry: "We've been labeled the Golden Generation and soon we'll find out if we can live up to the billing or risk being dubbed the Lost Generation," he told the Sun. He spoke of "a lot of unfulfilled ambition in the dressing room" and added: "For myself, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, David James, Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand it's now or never."

Lampard: "People want and expect us to win the tournament, which is how we feel as players. Anything other than winning it would be failure almost."

Shearer: "Fabio Capello will be sat in his seat in Cape Town, and inside he will be absolutely delighted with that draw. I can see England doing well in all of their group games. I don't think anyone can be anything other than delighted with that - if you'd offered that group to Fabio this morning, he would have bitten your hand off."

BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson on England's World Cup draw: "That couldn't have gone any better. Privately, Fabio Capello will be absolutely delighted with that."

Read more here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8391833.stm

Bookmaker makes England second favorites ahead of Brazil!!!

Immediately after the draw bookmakers William Hill made England 5-1 second favorites to win the World Cup behind Spain at 4-1.

Perhaps surprisingly, they make Brazil third favorites at 11-2 after the South Americans were drawn in a tough Group G with North Korea, Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

The list from William Hill looks like this:
Spain 4/1
England 5/1
Brazil 11/2
Argentina 9/1
Italy 11/1
France 11/1
Germany 12/1
Netherlands 14/1
Portugal 25/1
Ivory Coast 28/1

http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/EN/betting/e/839/World-Cup-2010---Outright.html

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Pot Luck favors England

I just got off ESPN and draw has been a fair boost for English World Cup aspirations. England has been drawn in Group C which looks like this:

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

England will have a tough game against USA that would possibly decide the group standings. I expect England to go through easily however they would be wary of finishing behind USA as that could mean Germany in the round of 16. The group could have been a lot tougher with either Portugal or France and England has been lucky to avoid both of them.

The Good:
In my opinion, England has been overtly lucky this time around. By being drawn in the first half of the group, England make sure they do not meet any of the following until the Semi-Finals:

Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Ivory Coast

Two top contenders - Brazil and Spain- along with the ever dangerous Italy, Portugal and Holland have been drawn in the south side of the draw- very very good for England.

England is in Group C and I would expect them to top the group ahead of USA. If that happens and Germany top their group 'D' as expected, England would avoid even the Germans until the Finals.

The Bad:
England has a possibility of facing Argentina, France or Aussies somewhere before the semis. While these are good teams they do not match up to Spain, Brazil or Italy. So really it is not too bad for England.

The Ugly:
Only one possibility- England finish behind USA in Groups.

It's already 1:30 AM in India and I am groggy now... More to follow later.

2010 FIFA World Cup Final: Draw is out

The final draw is out. Here it is:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

So what's this world cup worth ?

So you wanna know how much money is at stake in this World Cup? Read on for the details :

http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/12/so-whats-this-world-cup-worth.html

England's journey to glory rests on pot luck- Part 2

A lot is being said about how England's progress would depend on a favorable draw and how Capello's boys would want to avoid certain teams. What's lost with all such theories is that England is a darn good football team who has a damn good opportunity to reach the summit in South Africa

England does not want to be drawn with France or Portugal- well who wants to? It's a huge tournament and no team will win it without a lot of hard work and some luck. It's that slice every team is looking for at the draws and if that means praying for an easy draw - nothing wrong.

It's simple, even mighty Brazil or Spain would want to avoid bigger teams up front. No one would want to go out early from a World Cup. England has possibly as good a chance as any other top team and there is no doubt they would be a handful for even the best team in the world. Draw- good or bad- would eventually assist the teams and their managers to prepare and plan for the biggest tournament in the world.

"Eight matches, eight wins and Capello’s team swept to South Africa. Confidence is coursing through the squad although there is a realization that beyond a core of 14-15 players, England may struggle. Yet if they cannot succeed under Capello then it will never happen. Expect a semi-final - at least. The manager is on a mission and, with luck, who knows? They will certainly be prepared"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/6596762/England-team-at-World-Cup-2010.html

England's journey to glory rests on pot luck

A lot depends on how England fares in South Africa next year including their bid for 2018 and FA's debt.

A nice read below for people who follow English football:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/6720893/World-Cup-2010-draw-Englands-journey-to-glory-rests-on-pot-luck.html     

Spain: Europe's best bet!!

Spain has been the perennial underachiever at the World Cup’s but things are looking different this time around. They have displaced Brazil at the top of FIFA world rankings and have easily brushed aside any competition en-route to finals. They look by far the best European team – and alongside Brazil- are being touted as the tournament favorites.

Since the World Cup started in 1930, no European nation has won the trophy on another continent. Spain has the potential to change this forever in July 2010 provided they have some luck and they keep their top players fit. A lot would depend on Torres’ goal scoring ability and Spain would need him fit and firing. They have talent all across the pitch and for the first time in years they also appear to have the resolve to go far. This Spanish side plays fluid and sumptuous football and is the team to watch out for.

What about the other European powerhouses? Germany and Italy are big match teams and they have the knack of producing their best when it matters. They will be a threat as always and have a fair chance of going deep into the tournament. I would not be able to say the same about France though. I feel they will struggle under Domenech and an early exit for France would be justice for Ireland. The farther that France goes the more will it hurt. I hope they are drawn alongside either Brazil or Spain with USA or Ivory Coast for company. With Capello at helm, England appears formidable if they can keep the squad injury free. This is going to be my team in South Africa and I would root for them all the way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philminshull/2009/12/spain_can_finally_end_europes.html

Arsenal to go shopping for a striker

Arsene Wenger is out shopping for a striker. January transfer window would be an ideal opportunity in wake of Van Persie's injury.

Wenger's interest in the Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh is well documented, although a January deal appears unlikely. His other targets include André-Pierre Gignac of Toulouse, Milan's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Mario Balotelli of Internazionale. Sampdoria's Giampaolo Pazzini is another Serie A striker on Wenger's radar. Arsenal have bid €30million for Inter striker Mario Balotelli, but Jose Mourinho wants Cesc Fabregas as part of the deal.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/01/arsene-wenger-buy-striker-january 

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: The Pots revealed

Following are the pots for the draw coming up this friday the 4th:

Pots for Friday's draw: eight groups of four countries to be drawn, each group containing one country from each pot.

Pot 1 (seeds): South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England

Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America): Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Mexico, Honduras

Pot 3 (Africa and South America): Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay

Pot 4 (Europe): France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8390084.stm 

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Seeds are out!!

The seeds for next year's World Cup are out today. Previously FIFA had used a combination of previous 2 world cup performances alongside current rankings to determine the seeds. This year however, FIFA decided to go with the October rankings alone.

The seeds for this year’s draw are:
South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England

In one of my previous posts I had made some firsthand calculations based on previous world cup draws to arrive at the probable seeds. Check below for more details:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8390084.stm

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Part 3 - An English perspective

England has received a seed boost ahead of the final draw. They are amongst the top 8 and I believe they deserve every bit of it. If England keeps their best men fit, they would surprise a lot people including themselves.

A lot would depend however on the draw and there are umpteen possible permutations and combinations for the possible groups. The two most alluring possibilities for England lie at the opposite end of the spectrum. If England comes out really lucky they could end up with teams like - Switzerland, New Zealand and Algeria which would nearly guarantee a safe passage through at the top of their group. If the draw however is unkind, they could be pitted with the likes of Portugal/Netherlands, Ivory Coast and USA in what could arguably be the group of death. Most likely outcome would be somewhere in between the wide range of possibilities and the 3 Lions would be mighty relieved to avoid both Portugal and Netherlands upfront.

I just wish to see England go the distance this time because this could be their best chance for a lot of years to come, considering most of their top players wouldn’t be around for too long.

A friend of mine has put an interesting spin on the current England squad and what lies ahead. Check it out at:

http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/10/for-england-and-fabio-road-does-not-end.html

Ferguson picks Brazil for 2010 - writes England off

“I can’t see past Brazil, actually,” Ferguson was quoted in the Daily Mail. “They are going to be the ones in South Africa.”

Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1229939/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-insists-Fabio-Capellos-England-wont-win-World-Cup.html

World Cup playoff's are over

Finally the playoffs have ended and though I could not catch last night’s matches live on TV, from the reports it appears Ireland got a raw deal and Russia missed out much to my disappointment. I just love Andrei Arshavin and would have loved to see him play the world cup - a chance every footballer plays for. We know some of the biggest footballers who have never been to a final and there are some great names - Gigs, Cantona and Best- to name a few.

Well the good news is that we have the final 32 teams for arguably the biggest sporting event in the world and it’s going to be one hell of a ride. I just wish I could be there in the stadium cheering for England..