Saturday, April 30, 2011

Fergie: We’ve got the title on a plate


Wenger and Ferguson


ALEX FERGUSON reckons his team could be crowned champs next weekend - after beating Arsenal and Chelsea.

Manchester United will claim a 19th title with wins over their two nearest rivals.
They go to the Emirates tomorrow and Fergie said: "The form we are in we have a chance of doing that. We want to win these games.
"People have been inferring for some time that this is Arsenal's chance to beat us at their ground and win the league.
"Then it was Chelsea's chance to beat us at Old Trafford and win the league. I took a different view. My view was why can we not win these games?
"They are not easy but they're not for Arsenal or Chelsea either."
United have yet to beat a top-half team away this season but Fergie believes they can finish with a flourish.
He said: "Two months ago everybody was looking at these two games as league deciders.
"And they probably are now. We are going into the game in good form."
But Fergie added: "I think there's still drama ahead. The teams at the top will drop points.
"Chelsea are the dark horses in the sense that people seemed to think they were out of it.
"But I thought they had the easier run-in and are now on our coat-tails."


Friday, April 29, 2011

All’s not Well for Woods


Tiger Woods-PGS-001315.jpg
Woods was forced to withdraw from the Wells Fargo Championship, and his status for the Players Championship is in jeopardy. Woods stated that he suffered the injury during the 2011 Masters. Woods has not hit any golf balls since the Masters, leading to the decision to skip the Wells Fargo Championship.
Woods had a strong history at the Wells Fargo until last year, when he missed the cut with one of this worst performances ever. He was hoping for some redemption that could have given him a boost before the Players Championship. Woods won the Players 10 years ago, but has struggled there since. Last year, he left the tournament early due to a neck injury. With the odds of Woods missing the Players pretty high, it means there is one less chance for him to silence critics.
A lot has happened with Woods since winning the U.S. Open in 2008, his last major championship. Everyone knows about his personal issues, but injuries have been serious, as well. Woods has missed time before with knee issues, and it was widely known that he was hurting while he was winning that US Open. Given his health and personal issues, the chances of him catching Jack Nicklaus seem to be waning with each passing day. I'm not ruling out Woods getting there, but it won't be easy. If Woods misses the Players, he won't have any momentum heading to the U.S. Open. He is in need of a victory badly, and his chances seem to getting worse for one reason or another.

FERGIE IN £24M MANUEL NEUER BATTLE

Manuel Neuer


SIR ALEX FERGUSON will make a £24m bid to blow Bayern Munich out of the water and clinch the signing of Manuel Neuer.

Manchester United have been tracking the German No.1 for the past 18 months yet believed the Schalke star had already sealed a move to Bayern. 

But Alex Ferguson has learned no deal between Schalke and Munich is in place, and with the German giants unwilling to pay more than £20m he wants to launch one last bid to get his man. 

And an offer of £24m could be too much for Bayern to match, leaving Ferguson in pole position to sign the man regarded as one of the world’s best goalkeepers. 

Ferguson has courted the 25-year-old for some time, but had resigned himself to going for Atletico Madrid’s David De Gea as a replacement for Edwin van der Sar, thinking Neuer was out of his reach. 

But Neuer’s stunning display in United’s 2-0 Champions League win on Tuesday has convinced Ferguson he should make one last attempt to get his top target. 

Spanish star De Gea is also highly-rated by United, but there are fears that, at 20-years- old, he lacks the experience to be able to perform consistently at the highest level at present. 

There are no such fears over Neuer, who has proven himself at last year’s World Cup and in the Champions League with Schalke this season. Until now it had been thought he was destined for Munich, but with Bayern struggling to make it into the Champions League next season there is now a slight chance he could move elsewhere. 

And United were happy to learn yesterday that Schalke have not even held talks with their German rivals over a possible transfer – and Bayern already fear his price may be about to increase. 

Ron: I don’t like it any Mour

Cristiano Ronaldo


JOSE MOURINHO faced a chorus of criticism over his negative Real Madrid tactics - led by his key man Cristiano Ronaldo.

The £80million maestro stunned his outspoken boss after their shameful 2-0 Champions League defeat to Barcelona by admitting: "I don't like to play like that."
Barcelona had a staggering 72 per cent of possession as the game nicknamed El Clasico was reduced to El Farcico.
Ronaldo, whose side went down to two late Lionel Messi goals after Pepe was sent off, said: "I don't like to play like that at all but I have to adapt to what the team asks of me.
"In absolute honesty, it's true that with 11 against 11 we didn't have chances and we didn't have a shot on target but football is like that.
"This is a knockout with a home and return leg. At 0-0 it was not a bad result at home. You can score over there."
Even Madrid-supporting Marca newspaper savaged Mourinho in its match report, calling the Special One's tactics "boring and vulgar".
It read: "Messi dazzles a mediocre Madrid: Disappointing plan of Mourinho in front of his public".
Ronaldo slammed ref Wolfgang Stark for sending off close pal Pepe and risked the wrath of UEFA by echoing Mourinho's claims about Barca's sinister influence in the corridors of power.
He added: "In the last 20 minutes, Kaka was warming up and we could have brought him on. But they send Pepe off and...
"Every year it's the same. What do you want me to say?
"With 0-0 everything was under control. We didn't play well but the game was under control with 11 against 11.
"To play with 10, two goals. It's always the same, every year. I don't understand it.
"Barcelona is a great team. But those lads have a lot of power on the pitch and off it.
"Just look at their games with Chelsea, Inter, Arsenal...
"I can't speak with anyone. If I try to speak to the ref he will flash a yellow card.
"The dressing room is sad because every year it's the same thing, and with the coach, too, as they always do the same to him too."
Ronaldo had to grit his teeth when asked about his big rival, World Player of the Year Messi and his spectacular brace.
He added: "Messi was very good but against 10 it's easier.
"I hope one day to have the chance as well to play against 10 myself.
"It's now very difficult for us but anything can happen in football."
Ex-Liverpool ace Xabi Alonso also fumed at ref Stark. He said: "Under no circumstances was it a red card.
"It's a shame. In this type of games, where everything is at stake, one decision like this decides everything."

We’d never see that in England - Harry Redknapp

PATHETIC ... ex-Real star Chendo and Barca keeper Valdes clash
PATHETIC ... ex-Real star Chendo and Barca keeper Valdes clash



THE ENGLISH gave the world football - but while other countries play as well as us they don't do it the same way.

It seems the Beautiful Game suddenly turned ugly this week with that horrible, disgraceful rubbish we witnessed in Madrid.
I'd been excited all day in anticipation of the Real Madrid v Barcelona Champions League semi-final. It was going to be a real treat.
But afterwards the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth.
Play-acting, fouling, baiting the referee - cheating, basically. The players lost the plot.
And it wasn't the best of nights for the managers, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, either.
People I know who absolutely love football turned off their TVs in disgust at what was going on. I honestly believe you would never see a game like that in England. English crowds wouldn't tolerate that sort of behaviour from players of the opposition, or indeed their own team.
And, as a manager, I certainly would not want to be involved in any of that rubbish.
Real and Barca are two fantastic football teams with two great coaches. But everyone went into meltdown on Wednesday night. It was horrible.
We saw similar events in Scotland not so long ago when Rangers played Celtic. I think there were around a dozen bookings and a sending off.
It's as if the players felt the need to get booked, sent off or attack the referee to either show off to the fans or to prove they were committed and involved in the game.
But that was nothing to do with football.
When we played at Madrid in the Champions League this season, we had Peter Crouch sent off early in the game for two bookable offences.
Even then, when the Madrid players were fouled they were rolling all over the place - and then straight up and getting in the ref's face.
It wasn't football, it was more like that WWE wrestling you see from America with all the stunted injuries and theatrics.
I'd be extremely disappointed if my lads got involved in stuff like that in a match. I wouldn't stand for it and I'd tell the players in no uncertain terms to cool down and play the game, win or lose.
But then I think there is an inherent sense of restraint over here.
English football fans are admired the world over for the atmospheres they create at grounds.
Sure, it's hostile and it's not always nice. But I don't believe even the most ardent supporter of any team would enjoy paying good money to see the sort of stuff put before us in Spain this week.
We had a big derby game against Arsenal last week.
There was a great atmosphere, hostile and intense.
But, thankfully, it never degenerated into the farcical scenes at one of the best stadiums in the world which was supposed to be a Champions League semi-final. It was madness.
The only highlight was Lionel Messi's second goal. A terrific strike from the best player in the world. Can't we see more of that?
The tie is dead, by the way. Madrid won't come back from that and neither will Schalke against Manchester United.
So it's Man Utd v Barcelona in the Champions League final and I bet you don't see the Spaniards play anything like they did on Wednesday when they go to Wembley on May 28.
You can be assured that 99 times out of 100 they play football in the most breathtaking way - the way I like to see it played and the way it should be played.
Wednesday's match must have been the one per center.
When Real Madrid's Pepe was sent off, Daniel Alves was rolling around as if he'd been poleaxed, like he was dying.
Then he suddenly jumped up and was absolutely fine. I felt a certain sadness watching it all unfold.
Even in my living room watching on TV, some of the diving was making me cringe with embarrassment.
We had players needing stretchers to get them off the pitch as if their careers were finished - only for them to hop off and back into the game as soon as they could.
Players gesticulating at the referee to try to get the opposition booked. Particularly distasteful behaviour in my mind.
Maybe I'm expecting too much to hope that all games of football can be played in the best atmosphere with teams doing things the right way. Maybe I'm too romantic.
England is not a nice, cosy place where gentlemen pass the ball around with smiles on their faces, of course not.
We gave the world football and the richest club game of all is coming to the home of football at Wembley next month.
However, you wouldn't see those scenes we witnessed this week even among the most amateur pub players on Hackney Marshes.
Maybe England can still teach the world a thing or two about football after all.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

KELANTAN FC vs Selangor FC



             
The Red Warriors” defeated Selangor 1 – 0. The goal came from the header of Nor Shahrul Idlan Talaha.

Messi magic gives Barca upper hand



Argentina's two-time world player of the year Lionel Messi scored a superb late brace as Barcelona gained the upper hand in their Champions League semifinal with a 2-0 first leg win over archrivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Real were down to ten men after Pepe had been sent off on the hour mark and Barca made the extra man count with Messi converting an Ibrahim Afellay cross on 76 minutes and then scored a mesmerising goal on 86 minutes for his 11th Champions League goal of the season.
"We are one step away from the final but we are not at Wembley yet," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. "We respect Real Madrid a lot and we know they are capable of anything so we won't underestimate them."
Messi has now scored on each of his last four visits to the Bernabeu and the late goals are a huge setback for Real coach Jose Mourinho, who was sent to the stands for protesting the dismissal of Pepe.

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