In editorialul “Football Made In UK” semnat pentru <Fotbal Vest>, punand cap la cap o serie de stiri provenind in doar cateva zile din diverse tabere, ce mi-au ridicat mingea la fileu sa intreb daca nu cumva convocarile devin pe zi ce trece un deranj tot mai pagubos, am constatat cum conflictul cluburi – selectionate nationale s-a ascutit la varf ca lupta de clasa in fotbalul in varianta globalizata.  

Ambitia si visul sublim al oricarui fotbalist de a imbraca tricoul reprezentativei tarii sale n-au palit nicidecum dar, in functie de circumstante, unii jucatori isi reevalueaza tot mai atent lista prioritatilor.

Iar in lumina ghinionului lui Robin Van Persie de a se accidenta destul de serios in minutul 10 al recentului joc amical Italia – Olanda, intr-o toamna in care “tunarul zburator” fusese mai dezinvolt si prolific ca niciodata in rolul sau majorat in angrenajul lui Wenger, s-ar putea gasi fotbalisti din natiuni mai putin capabile sa sclipeasca pe scena mondiala ori din nationale redutabile in ale caror echipe n-ar fi destul de buni sa incapa, intrebandu-se daca mandria de a fi convocat nu e cumva eclipsata de “deranjul” ce implica o asemenea responsabilitate.

Asemenea dubii nici c-ar fi existat sa zicem acum un deceniu. Dar de cand recompensele au explodat in fotbalul de club, ce ofera nenumarate posibilitati de afirmare, si gandul de a sunta o convocare ce s-ar putea solda cu o accidentare punand in pericol o cariera si asa nu foarte lunga s-a infiripat in planurile unora. La putine zile distanta, doi jucatori din lotul lui Manchester City, club cumparat anul trecut de bogatasi arabi, si-au exprimat indoielile in privinta continuitatii lor pe scena fotbalului la nivelul selectionatelor nationale.

Craig Bellamy, un plimbaret in fotbalul de club, s-a intrebat in public daca mai are rost sa se chinuie la capitania Tarii Galilor intr-o increcare de accedere la un turneu final neconcretizata peste ani de compatriotul sau Ryan Giggs. Desi n-a smuls deloc aplauze, galezul a fost inteles de exemplu de Allan McInally, fost international scotian, ce a opinat ca pentru unii fotbalisti in varianta globalizata a jocului, ajunsi la o anumita varsta si cu sacii de galbeni incarcati in caruta, dorinta de a continua in paralel la echipa nationala a capatat o nuanta mai opaca.

Avantaj Ashley Williams, un fundas oarecare ce nici nu si-ar fi imaginat acum un an si jumatate, la debutul in nationala Tarii Galilor, ca va deveni capitan al “Dragonilor”, si nici atat in urma cu 6 ani, cand nu evolua la divizionara secunda Swansea City, ci la amatoarea Hednesford Town, in paralel cu slujba cu jumatate de norma ca ospatar. Foarte improbabila o asemenea ascensiune intr-o nationala de calibru si s-ar putea crede ca orice Van Persie si-ar dori mai ales un triumf global cu reprezentativa sa pe cai mari, insa o alta voce a venit sa infirme aceasta supozitie.

Poate ca Tevez, celalalt recrut al lui City punand la indoiala dorinta de a mai juca pentru tara sa,  a aruncat castana tocmai pentru a-l sensibiliza pe Maradona sa-l ia in considerare pentru FIFA 2010 World Cup, dar iesirea sa ar putea fi intr-adevar onesta. Spunand ca s-a saturat de fotbal, inclusiv de cel de club, si ca si-ar dori sa-si intoarca fata spre viata de familie, Carlos a subliniat ca argentinienii de lot nu s-au menajat nici pe departe cand a fost vorba sa “dea totul” pentru echipa nationala.  

Cei doi i s-ar putea asadar alatura in exil septarului lui City, Stephen Ireland, ale carui minciuni legate de decesul bunicilor sale, strecurate managerului Steve Staunton in speranta de a-si scurta sederea la lot si a-si vizita prietena dar dezvaluite ca atare de mass-media, au dus la ruptura mijlocasului de lotul national al Irlandei. Ireland, pe urmele altui mijlocas ajuns la cutite cu reprezentativa verde, candva al ei capitan Roy Keane. Ulterior, in campania abia incheiata, Trapattoni si Liam Brady au incercat sa-l scoata pe Ireland din cochilia ce si-o armase in urma excluderii sale din lot dar, cu toate ca pe alocuri septarul cochetase cu ideea revenirii, antrenorul n-a fost convins ca mijlocasul ar dori cu ardoare sa imbrace din nou tricoul verde. De fapt, in cazul lui Ireland, totul s-a rostogolit spre un deznodamant previzibil, odata ce a intrat in conflict cu selectionerul Brian Kerr, la nationala sub 18 ani, si a trebuit sa dea din nou ochii cu acesta la preluarea reprezentativei de seniori. Ireland a trebuit sa astepte instalarea lui Staunton pentru a fi din nou convocat… 

Iar cam pe cand Van Persie gemea in Pescara, un rival in fotbalul de club era déjà inapoi in Londra, cu o potentiala sedere pe tusa de cateva saptamani. Frank Lampard doar a facut deplasarea la Doha, pentru remarcabilul amical Anglia – Brazilia organizat insa in inedita gazduire din lumea araba, dar nici nu s-a mai pregatit pentru alinierea in fata sud-americanilor, lasata pe umerii a doar doi potentiali titulari, Barry si Rooney, ingrosand in schimb infirmeria lui Ancelotti. Sir Alex Ferguson si-o freca pe de-o parte mainile pentru necazul italianului si-al lui Wenger, dar va atrage probabil pe de alta parte atentia la vorbele sale, mereu in disonanta cu “nevoile” selectionerilor de lot. Frecusurile lui Fergie cu Sven sunt binecunoscute si n-au mirat pe nimeni deciziile unor Scholes ori Neville de a spune pas pentru Albion. Miza era prea mare in Premier League si Champions League.

Iar pe cand Van Persie calatorea spre “Cizma”, nebanuind ce-l asteapta, din sanul lui West Ham United razbatea vestea ca Dean Ashton, cumparat de club la inceputul anului 2006 pe o suma record de peste 7 milioane lire sterline, e in prag sa-si agate ghetele in cui. La 25 de ani. Masivul varf chiar marcase pentru “Ciocanari” in memorabilul 3-3 al finalei de Cupa Angliei cu Liverpool, din 2006, dar trei luni mai tarziu, la chiar primul antrenament al convocarii sale in premiera la lotul national, isi rupea glezna. Un an pe tusa si o recidiva, coincidenta stranie, la prima sedinta a visiniu-albastrilor sub bagheta lui Gianfranco Zola. A trecut un an si Ashton, un potential varf pentru Albion, tot nu vede luminita de la capatul tunelului. Totul i se trage insa de la acea convocare in premiera, o onoare cu doua taisuri.

De la alt club, in acelasi timp, un comunicat de presa raspandea vestea retragerii din fotbal a unui jucator lovit de accidentari. La 26 ani, John Kennedy a aruncat prosopul dupa un deceniu petrecut la Celtic Park, drama sa conturandu-se in minutul 18 al meciului sau de debut pentru Scotia, in 31 martie 2004, cand era faultat de Vio Ganea intr-un amical castigat de Romania cu 2-1. Fundasul era monitorizat la vremea respectiva chiar de AC Milan, o postura onoranta tinand cont de numele de calibru ce au consolidat peste ani defensiva rosso-nerilor, insa John n-a mai vazut luminile rampei internationale pana in februarie 2007, la un joc de Champions League tocmai cu… milanezii, la care a luat loc pe banca de rezerve, revenind dupa ani pierduti prin sali de recuperare. Paguba era insa produsa si genunchiul i-a dat ulterior din nou in primire. Federatia a despagubit-o pe Celtic dar un alt club si-a vazut un potential lider irosit sub flamura steagului national.

Asa cum corporatiile preiau tot mai mult rolul statelor, estompand granitele, si fotbalul de club castiga teren pe zi ce trece, in detrimentul nationalelor, ghinion ca al vedetei Van Persie ori al “sperantei” Ashton dand apa la moara carcotasilor.

Iar scurtcircuitele lui Van Persie, Lampard, Bellamy, Tevez, Ashton ori Kennedy au venit in cascada intr-o saptamana fotbalistica indoliata de tragedia lui Robert Enke. Un om ce a intors spatele vietii cu 4 zile inaintea jocului Germania – Chile, la care nu fusese convocat. 

Pengobatan alternatif yang dilakukan oleh dokter Marijana Kovacevic terbukti ampuh menyembuhkan cedera pemain lebih cepat daripada umumnya.

Pengobatan yang dilakukan di Serbia ini terhitung sangat mahal untuk perawatan tiga hari biayanya sebesar 3.000 euro (Rp 42 juta) dan sehari menjalani terapi sampai enam jam.

Tetapi metode yang digunakan masih belum jelas dan dokter ternama asal Serbia, Sead Malicevic. Melarang para pemain berobat di sana karena masih belum memiliki izin resmi.

Apapun metode yang digunakan hasil pengobatan ini sangat memuaskan dan berhasil menarik sejumlah pemain ternama acap Albert Riera, Yossi Benayoun, Fabio Aurelio,Glen Johnson, Robin Van Persie, dan sekarang Frank Lampard yang merupakan keponakan pelatih Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Redknapp ini juga ikut bergabung untuk memulihkan cederanya. Cedera Lampard diterima pada tanggal 12 November lalu.

Lampard

Ada yang mengatakan metode penyembuhan ini menggunakan plasenta kuda dan ada juga yang berkata menggunakan ilmu hitam.

Apakah pengobatan yang tidak memliki izin resmi ini pantas dilakukan ? Kirimkan tanggapan anda melalui komentar.

Frank James Lampard, Jr., mejor conocido como Frank Lampard (Londres, Inglaterra, 20 de junio de 1978), es un futbolista inglés. Se desempeña como centrocampista y actualmente milita en el Chelsea FC de la Premier League de Inglaterra. Ha disputado 444 partidos con el Chelsea y ha convertido 136 goles, siendo el centrocampista con mayor cantidad de goles anotados en la historia del club, y el segundo en anotar más de 100 goles en la historia de la Premier League, sólo por detrás de Matthew Le Tissier.

Frank Lampard

Comenzó a jugar en el West Ham United, club en donde jugó su padre, Frank Lampard, Sr. Junto al también futbolista del Chelsea Joe Cole, ayudó al West Ham United a finalizar en la quinta posición en la temporada 1998-99 de la liga inglesa.[1] En la siguiente temporada Lampard anotó 14 goles en todas las competiciones que disputó su club. Con un futuro estancado en el West Ham United, Lampard fue fichado por el Chelsea en el 2001 por 11 millones de libras esterlinas.[2]

Desde su debut ha estado siempre presente con el Chelsea, estableciendo un récord de 164 encuentros consecutivos en la Premier League. Se convirtió en un goleador prolífico en el Chelsea y obtuvo sus primeros títulos nacionales en el 2005: la Premier League y la Football League Cup. Lampard consiguió más títulos bajo las órdenes de José Mourinho: la Premier League y un doblete en el 2007 (Football League Cup y Community Shield). Lampard renovó su contrato con el Chelsea en el 2008, y se convirtió en el futbolista mejor pagado de la Premier League.[3] Lampard alcanzó por primera vez una final de Liga de Campeones ese mismo año, donde anotó el gol que le dio el empate al Chelsea contra el Manchester United. Sin embargo, no logró consagrarse en dicha final al ser derrotado en la tanda de penales.

En el plano internacional, Lampard fue llamado por primera vez a la Selección de Inglaterra en 1999, con la que ha disputado la Eurocopa 2004 (en donde anotó 3 goles en 4 encuentros), la Copa Mundial de Fútbol de 2006 y encuentros clasificatorios a la Eurocopa 2008, en la cual no clasificó.

Brutto l’ infortunio che Frank Lampard, centrocampista del Chelsea e della Nazionale inglese ha subìto durante la prima seduta di allenamento, quindi non particolarmente faticosa

I’m not underplaying the provocative international matches tomorrow. France v. Ireland promises to be an intriguing fixture, with Raymond Domenech’s head on the line. Portugal v. Bosnia-Herzegovina is a matchup ripe for an upset.

That being said, my head has been turned by the Chelsea players who will miss the match against us in two weeks time.

The players are Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa, and Ashley Cole. John Terry has a slight knock.

This is excellent news for two reasons.

The first, I don’t need to mention. We must not allow Chelsea to extend their lead over us, and they will be primed to be pounced on, especially without Drogba who nearly always scores against us.

The second reason is less important. Because Chelsea will be missing key personnel, I’m sure people will underestimate the importance of the win. That will allow us to fly under the radar, something I’d prefer.

So I send out thanks to the English FA for using a plane to small to accommodate English players and Jonny Evans for his kung-fu tackle on Didier.

That being said, fingers crossed that our own players make it back from their own intense matches.

So Chelsea are to sue the FA for £900,000 after Frank Lampard picked up an injury during a cramped seven-hour flight to Doha.

Lampard has been forced to return home and will now miss Saturday’s friendly against Brazil in the Middle East.

And the Blues are blaming the erstwhile FA for skimping on an economy flight, forcing the England team to spend the long-haul journey on a charter plane designed for short-haul flights only.

Fabio Capello’s pampered Premier League footballers are more used to flat beds for long journeys and were shocked to find they had to put up with seats that barely reclined.

But poor Lampard, who strained his thigh after bursting into a sprint in training, was not the only one to suffer and other players complained of cramps and muscle pains on their arrival in Doha.

I feel so sorry for these guys being forced to travel like mere mortals and I make no apologies for using a photo of him shirtless. It’s my blog afterall!

What you missed while this guy was tempting fate:

• Frank Lampard is out of England’s friendly against Brazil after suffering an injury in camp; he’ll be replaced with Jermaine Defoe.
• Bad news: Albert Rieira and Yossi Benayoun will be missing from the Liverpool squad for the next month after suffering hamstring injuries. Good news: Jay Spearing isn’t hu-…umm…there is no good news.
• In spite of Peterborough chairman Barry Fry’s assertions to the contrary, former manager Darren Ferguson doesn’t have another job lined up now that he’s left.
• France might pull a Mexico and not sell the television rights for the return leg of their World Cup playoff to Ireland.
• Nani claims that Sir Alex Ferguson is undermining his career; Sir Alex Ferguson likely to reply that Nani is undermining the team.
• Park Ji-Sung, who hasn’t played for Manchester United in two months, was declared fit for South Korea’s friendlies against Denmark and Serbia.
• Yuri Zhirkov is staying positive in spite of the fact that he’s been continuously injured since his arrival at Chelsea.
• Former Manchester City and England striker Darius Vassell was evicted from his hotel after his new club, Turkish side Ankaragücü, declined to pay the bill.

As we come closer and closer to the end of the year, we also find the end of the decade. A decade that has treated Chelsea invariably well. We’ve witnessed our first Premier League titles in 60 years, our first appearance in the Champions League Final. Arguably some of the greatest players to wear a Chelsea shirt have played in this decade; the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Frank Lampard, and John Terry.

 I’m sure everyone can remember Jose Mourinho’s short but storied tenure as Chelsea manager during this decade. One of the most controversial club takeovers in recent memory also took place during this decade with Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich taking over the club. We’ve also had our fair share of headline grabbing scenarios. Who can forget the “ghost goal” vs Liverpool, or the antics of the man paid by Michel Platini to screw us over, err excuse me, the referee from Norway Tom Henning Ovrebo, as well as the ongoing saga that is the Transfer Embargo .

Controversial signings have been made (Andriy Shevchenko, Ashley Cole). Players have also left us in controversial ways (William Gallas, Arjen Robben). Players have managed to not even joined us in a controversial way (Robinho). We’ve gone through every type of manager you could possibly have with the fiery and opinionated Jose Mourinho to the quiet and brooding figure of Avram Grant.

We’ve had rumours of the club leaving Stamford Bridge for a new stadium, and more recently rumours of the name Stamford Bridge itself changing! As we look back at this decade, we can see the club hasn’t changed in some respects from the way we entered the decade to the way we leave it. We entered the decade with the high scoring partnership of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen and leave it with the high scoring partnership of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

The Italian Claudio Ranieri was our manager, and now the Italian Carlo Ancelotti graces the sidelines. Older players like Gus Poyet and Dennis Wise left the club, ushering a new era of younger players, a step we are trying to take as well presently. Notably, we’ve entered the decade how we are ending it in another crucial manner. We are quite hopeful and optimistic. The years that will come promise to be some of the most exciting we’ve ever had at Chelsea, a decade full of hope to return to our domestic glory and gain that elusive European Cup.

Over the coming weeks I will answer the following questions.

1. What starting XI would you choose if you could pick only from players from this past decade?

2. Realistically, what do you think the next 10 years holds for the club?

3. In what ways have we regressed as a club, if any?

4. What was your favorite match?

 5. What was your favorite goal?

6. Who was your favorite player?

7. Does Chelsea need to win the European Cup to establish itself as a footballing giant or has it done enough already these past 10 years?

8. What was your reaction to the sacking of Jose Mourinho?

 9. What was your reaction to the hiring and later sacking of Avram Grant?

10. In one word, describe the past 10 years as a fan

Article by Mark Galinsky

1…

What you missed while taking giant jellyfish, grinding them up, and turning them into candy for astronauts…

• Chelsea’s transfer ban was lifted pending appeal, meaning that they’re going to buy <insert every name you can think of> in the January transfer window.
• Sir Alex Ferguson claims that Tomasz Kuszczak’s comments on his relationship with Edwin van der Sar were just his “Polish humor”.
• Fulham were reduced to nine men and beaten in Rome; Jamie Carragher and Philip Degen feel their pain. Meanwhile, in Merseyside: Everton 0 – 2 Benfica…meaning Everton was outscored 7-0 over two legs.
• In spite of the fact that he’s facing surgery if he doesn’t get a three week rest, Fernando Torres still wants to play in Spain’s friendly with Argentina next Saturday. This possibly proves that Fernando Torres is an idiot.
• Portsmouth captain Aaron Mokoena ignores the lessons of Newcastle’s 2008-09 season and says that Portsmouth is “too good to go down”.
• Columbus centerback Chad Marshall was named MLS Defender of the Year right before Columbus crapped out of the playoffs to Real Salt Lake by losing 4-2 on aggregate.
• Cristiano Ronaldo will miss at least two more weeks with an ankle injury, which is really bad news for Portugal.
• Frank Lampard says he’s his own worst critic. Translation: Frank Lampard doesn’t read many blogs.

No matter how many underwear ads he steals off of him david Becham has proved Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t know nothing about promotion yet.  A painting of Becks’ footprint has sold for half a million dollars! The 21st Century Leadership Awards were held in Doha, Qatar, last Friday. The event included an auction of unique art pieces, one of which was a painting by renowned contemporary artist Sacha Jafri: ‘David Beckham – A Celebration’ . Originally valued at $1.4mn, the painting raked in the lion’s share of the total 1.26 mn raised by the event, the proceeds of which will go to various charitable programmes chosen by the celebrities involved. The painting which is a celebration of the achievements of David Beckham on and off the field is the only painting in the world featuring both his footprint and signature!

Strangely this isn’t the first time Beckham’s footprint has graced Sacha Jafri’s canvas. About three years back  Sacha made ‘Celebration’ – a 6ft by 7ft painting which represented different aspects of Beck’s life featuring 12 of his many goals and 4 of his several hairstyles. The Mohican, the hairband , the swept to the side and  the slick look all made it in to this incredible painting however his wifeVictoria Beckham didn’t!  The painting was bought by a mystery buyer at an auction for £125,000

Besides Beckham’s footprint ‘Celebration’ also included the handprints of Rio Ferdinand, Paul Gascoigne, Paul Merson, Cesc Fabregas, (get ready for this Chelsea fans)… John Terry, Frank Lampard, Rudd Gullit and Gianfranco Zola!

Now thats what I call a peice of art!

Can you guess which ones are the Chelsea lads handprints?

Well, there there was certainly no doubting the star of this week’s Actim Index, was there? After weeks of replacing a number of conservatory and house windows, the double glazing firms of Portsmouth can take it easy. Aruna Dindane has finally found his shooting boots. It would not be unkind to say that the Ivory Coast striker has struggled to adapt since moving to England but, as Wigan found out to their cost on Saturday, the boy is a little handy. Three goals and a week–high score of 64 earned him the performance of the week and a place in the Team of the Week. His sketchy performances of earlier in the season means he is still down in 141st place overall, though, but hey, who’s complaining?

Well, Hull manager Phil Brown was actually. If the Geordie Jose Mourinho didn’t have enough on his plate before Saturday’s clash with Burnley, then ‘beachball ref’ Mike Jones ensured that he was full up by the time he left Turf Moor. The Tigers were beaten 2–0 at Turf Moor, with evergreen Burnley star Graham Alexander scoring twice earning his 48 points – the third best of the week. Alexander is as grizzly and as seasoned as they come and was maybe the sort of player new Hull chairman Adam Pearson was referring to on Monday when he said City’s squad had “too much champagne and not enough ale.” Brown will need some of his home brews, namely Jan Venegoor of Hesselink (262nd), Nick Barmby (272nd) and King Tweeter Jozy Altidore (349th) to show their worth if he is to save his job against Stoke on Sunday.

Tottenham certainly made a lot of noise about being able to match Arsenal stride for stride, didn’t they? And what better way to put it to the test than a good old ding–dong of a north London derby. And, for a while, it looked like game on. Then, as quickly as you can say ‘Cesc Fabregas has got the ball and made a mug out of Tottenham’s midfield’ the game was over. Robin van Persie led the way for the Gunners, with his brace bringing him 52 points. He occupies fourth place in the overall Index, with Fabregas second and Thomas Vermaelen in fifth. Robbie Keane is Tottenham’s highest-ranked player in eighth. As they say on the London underground, mind the gap.

It was also another bad week for Liverpool. Down to nine men and beaten 3–1 at Fulham, questions are being raised, yet again, over Rafael Benitez’s future. The media made a big fuss of footage of him sweating on the touchline at Craven Cottage, trying to make out the pressure was getting to him. And, if it was, who can blame him? With Fernando Torres (3), Glen Johnson (15) and Steven Gerrard (52) all injured, the Spaniard’s squad is bound to feel the pinch. But, is Benitez partly to blame? His much–maligned back-up strikers come in as follows: David Ngog (256), Ryan Babel (273) and Andriy Voronin (313). His castaways, namely Keane (8) and Craig Bellamy (17) suggest that Rafa shouldn’t be having to sweat quite so much.

There’s been a lot of brouhaha about Graham Taylor’s comments that Rio Ferdinand’s best days are behind him. The original Rolls Royce of English defending, if there was one thing that wasn’t going to let Rio down then it was surely his legs? But, Sir Alex Ferguson insists Ferdinand will be back and, who is to argue with the great knight? But, maybe Fabio Capello is looking at possible alternatives for South Africa 2010? And if he is, here’s who might be fancying their chances. Sunderland’s cut–price bargain Michael Turner (formerly part of the Phil Brown Ale already mentioned) is 21st in the overall Index, with long–term England squaddy Gary Cahill in 22nd. You’d probably be happy to take either to the tournament, as you would Joleon Lescott (85) and Matthew Upson (105). All are charting higher than Rio (196), but brother Anton Ferdinand (58) and Titus Bramble (33)? A return first–class ticket for Mr R Ferdinand, please.

And finally, it wouldn’t be fair to go through the week without mentioning Chelsea. A supreme performance at Bolton, capped off by the arguable the goal of the season from Didier Drogba. Those that said Drogba and Nicolas Anelka couldn’t play together have not been heard for a while either. Drogba leads the way in the Index, holding a 37–point lead over Fabregas, while Anelka is tucked away in sixth. The envy of many, Ashley Cole, is in 23rd while Frank Lampard is surprisingly in 34th. But, with the England midfielder now back in the scoring groove, he can expect to climb the Index quicker than the Bolton fans are to boo manager Gary Megson.

View the latest Actim Index >

Cesc Fabregas Was Player of the Month for October

There were plenty of goals around in the Barclays Premier League this weekend, but it was the record number of red cards that everyone was talking about. After their win last weekend over Man United, Liverpool lost at Fulham and had two players sent off to make it a very unhappy week for Rafa Benitez. Chelsea and Man United both won, Portsmouth picked up a very good win over Wigan, and Arsenal took the spoils in the North London derby.

Did you have a good weekend?

Aruna Dindane (32 pts) was the man to have this week as he scored a hat trick and had a hand in the fourth in Portsmouth’s 4-0 win over Wigan on Saturday. It was a good week for you if you had Graham Alexander (29 pts) too as his two goals fired Burnley on their way to another home win. It wasn’t such a good time to have Liverpool defenders however, especially Jamie Carragher (Evieton’s Gingerbread Men -6 pts) and Philipp Degen (-6 pts) who were both shown red cards in the 3-1 defeat at Fulham.
Elsewhere, two goals from Robin van Persie (Flash in the Pan 17 pts) helped Arsenal seal a 3-0 win over rivals Spurs, a goal and a key contribution from Frank Lampard (Flash in the Pan 16 pts) and Deco (FC Jazz 16 pts) put Chelsea in control at Bolton, and two goals from Wolves defender Joey Craddock (21 pts) earned a draw at Stoke.

Hah, kolejna reklama o najnowszej grze od EA Sports. Taki okres, im bliżej świąt, tym bardziej świat piłki przeniesie się z realnych meczów do konsol i na komputery. Ale cały czas będą grały najsilniejsze ligi, odpoczynek zrobią sobie zespoły grające w pucharach i polscy ligowcy, którzy w pucharach nie grają (nie mogłem się powstrzymać).

Najnowsza kampania adidasa i EA jest kontynuacją opowieści o Zinedine Zidanie, jako mędrca w benedyktyńskim wdzianku. Jakby co, fryzurę już ma . Mędrca szukającego chłopców do kopania, a zostają nimi Leo Messi i Steven Gerrard. Tyle, jeżeli chodzi o fabułę.

W kanadyjsko-niemieckiej produkcji mamy natomiast dalsze poszukiwania. Po znalezieniu dwóch elementów pora na kolejnych liderów.

Generalnie bardzo fajny pomysł z takimi etykietkami przypisanymi do koni pociągowych Adidasa. Ok, nie ma tu rozmachu i powielania pomysłu z kultowej reklamy z trzyosobowymi zespołami walczącymi na statku.

Myślę, że w tych spotach droga do celu, jaką jest zbieranie graczy do jednej idealnej ekipy będzie jednocześnie puentą całej kampanii. Wolałbym jednak więcej żywych instrumentów niż grafiki komputerowej, czy komiksu.

Congratulations to all True Blues out there. Aren’t we having a great year so far?  8 goals in total against Bolton this week, top of the Premier League table and now we have the 5 players on the FIFA World Player Award shortlist. The 23 men (in a completely biased Chelsea first, order) who are in contention for the title of the FIFA World Player2009 are:

Chelsea

John Terry (England),  Frank Lampard (England),  Michael Ballack (German)

Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire) Michael Essien (Ghana)

Barcelona

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden),  Andrés Iniesta (Spain),

Thierry Henry (France),  Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain),

Xavi Hernandez (Spain)

Real Madrid

Iker Casillas (Spain),  Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal),  Kaká (Brazil)

Liverpool

Fernando Torres (Spain),  Steven Gerrard (England)

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Diego (Brazil)

Inter Milan

Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

Sevilla

Luis Fabiano (Brazil)

Bayern Munich

Franck Ribéry (France)

Valencia

David Villa (Spain)

Manchester United

Wayne Rooney (England)

According to me, the FIFA World Player should go to  Michael Kojo Essien and its not because he is a Chelsea player but because he is an incredible player. A player whose contribution to Chelsea’s success is often overlooked because of the presence of such superstars in the Chelsea line-up. Essien is a very talented midfielder who creates great chances for the team and is  also very strong in defence. The stunner he scored in the Chelsea-Blackburn game is yet another reminder of what a powerful footballer he is, something which is somtimes  overlooked by the starry-eyed fans mesmerised by the glamour of Michael Ballack,  Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, John Terry and Nicholas Anelka.  An all-rounder and a handful for any team, Essien is the quintessential talented, hard-working, focused player who is an asset to any team that he plays for. While he might not have won the title of Chelsea’s top pin-up boy, which is proudly held by Michael Ballack, Michael Essien has definitely  won the respect of all as Mr. Dependable. He is admired by opposition players and absolutely adored by his Chelsea and Ghana teammates who recognise just how important a part he plays in the team’s success. I know he probably isn’t going to win and  everyone senses that this year is finally going to be  Lionel Messi’s  turn to win it but I think one of these year’s someone is going to have to give Essien this award. Messi is marvelous and it will be great to see him crowned the Best Player in the World but then who knows maybe FIFA will surprise us all.

Well, it’s the morning after Halloween and I will assume that many of you, like myself, are nursing wicked hangovers. Therefore I’ll try to keep it simple – bright lights and big words are the enemies right now.

Football:

If this sight makes you drool, you might be a Scouser.

Fulham 3-1 Liverpool – Well, it seems that the scousers are back in the soup (see lobscouse), having been roundly trounced at Craven Cottage by ultra-defensive enemies of everyone, Fulham. Diomansy ‘Yes that is his name’ Kamara gave the home side an early lead on 24′, which Fernando Torres would cancel out (by virtue of a terrific volley) just before the half. The second half would begin inauspiciously, but in the final 20 minutes it all began to unravel for the visiting Reds. Substitute Erik Nevland restored the Cottagers’ lead on 73′, and Liverpool’s efforts to first back to level terms took a couple of swift successive blows when Jamie Carragher and Phillip Degen were sent off within two minutes of eachother. If that wasn’t enough, the killing blow would come on 87′, when Clint Dempsey netted again to put Fulham two up and send Scousers everywhere into fits of despair. Is it time to begin a Rafa Benitez unemployment countdown?

Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur – Well, the Spurs have made a positive enough start to this season under Harry Redknapp, but they weren’t good enough to beat an in-form Arsenal side at the Emirates Stadium in the North London derby this weekend. Robin van Persie bagged a brace, one on either side of the half (42′, 60′), while captain Cesc Fàbregas added his own goal just after the Dutchman’s first on 43′. Tottenham simply had no answer for the Gunner’s swift, fluid football – especially since they were missing the important trio of Aaron Lennon, Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe. Not a result that will much please ‘Arry, but at least Arsene Wenger had a banner evening; besides putting Arsenal right at the heels of United in the table, it was also the Frenchman’s 1000th point as a Premiership manager.

Chelsea 4-0 Bolton – Déjà vu, much? Yesterday’s victory was the second time in one week that the high-flying Blues have absolutely dismantled Bolton by a score of 4-0. Carlo Ancelotti’s side haven’t been scored upon since they dropped points against Aston Villa several weeks hence, but their opponents’ nets have been absolutely overflowing. Chelsea have established something of a rhythm of starting late, and stayed true to that form: Frank Lampard opened the scoring two minutes into first-half added time, and even then only on a spot kick after Jlloyd Samuel hauled down Didier Drogba in the penalty area. However, Chelsea would come to life in the second half, and the Wanderers were helpless to watch as Deco, then their own man Zat Knight and the finally Didier Drogba all found the back of the home side’s net. What utter destruction – next weekend’s fixture against Manchester United should be one to watch.

Manchester Utd 2-0 Blackburn – The Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov were on target for United as Ferguson’s men blew past the Rovers this weekend. It’s nice to see the oft-invisible Bulgarian show up for a match every once in a while, and he made his presence known early in the second half with a strike that put the Red Devils ahead on 55′. That lead would be enough to see them through to the dying moments of the game, when Wayne Rooney would add his name to the scoresheet and simply put the game out of the Rovers’ grasp.

Futbol:

Barcelona 1-1 Osasuna – If the last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Giants of Spanish football, are anything but invincible. Barcelona faltered yesterday in their quest for La Liga dominance, drawing away at Osasuna. The match was a fairly sparse affair with Seydou Keita only opening the scoring in the 72nd minute after some extended and very Barca-esque build-up. However, the night was not to be Barcelona’s, as deep into injury time Javier Camunas raced up the left flank and launched a low, hard cross across the mouth of the net. Gerard Piqué, rushing back to defend his goal, inadvertently collided with the end of the cross, deflecting the ball past a scrambling Victor Valdés and into the back of his own net. A hugely disappointing result for Barcelona, who seemed well on their way to 3 points until the unfortunate, and costly, error. Piqué’s couldn’t do much about it, and shouldn’t really be held responsible – but lord knows he will.

Higuain would make the difference for Madrid at the Bernabéu.

Real Madrid 2-0 Getafe – It is remarkable that despite every match being (at least) 90 minutes, and every match (starting, at least) with 22 players on the pitch, often it only takes one player and a very short spanse of time to completely change the course of a match. Such was the case in Real Madrid’s victory over Getafe at the Bernabéu, in which Gonzalo Higuaín scored twice in the span of 3 minutes to give his side a commanding lead over their visitors. Los Blancos were forced to play for the majority of the match with only 10 men after defender Raúl Albiol brought down Getafe striker Soldado on the edge of the penalty area. However, Higuaín’s efforts ensured that the 10-man Galacticos would nevertheless come away with 3 points – with Barcelona’s misfortune, Manuel Pellegrini’s men now trail by only 1 point.

Calcio:

Mazzarri's comeback kids celebrate their namesake.

Napoli 3-2 Juventus – Forget Partenopei. Forget Vesuviani. Forget Azzurri. Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli are the comeback kids. Behind Juventus 2-0 in Torino, with 30 minutes left in the game, most teams would simply lose hope – give up, close up shop and try not to concede any more goals. Not Napoli – or at least, not this reincarnated Napoli. A pair of goals from David Trezeguet and Sebastian Giovinco had seen Juventus get ahead of their visitors in the first hour of the encounter. Defensive errors had proven costly for the Southerners, as it was Matteo Contini’s mistake that provided Juventus with their second goal. However, the substitution of Jesús Alberto Dátolo for Hugo Campagnaro would revitalize Mazzarri’s side, and in the span of 6 minutes, the deadly combination of Marek Hamsik and Dátolo were able to draw their side level with La Vecchia Signora with 25 minutes left to play. This sudden leveling of scores seemed to have Ciro Ferrara’s men reeling, and they were very much on their back heels as they wondered what had happened to their comfortable lead – the tactician’s solution was to bring on Amauri, who did so well in i Bianconeri’s dismantling of Sampdoria in midweek. Unbelievably, it would be Napoli who would break the deadlock with just 9 minutes left in the match – it would be Hamsik who would grab his second of the evening, crashing a poorly cleared ball into the roof of the net and all but securing victory for his side. Juventus would come back to life in stoppage time, and seemed on the verge of undermining Napoli’s glorious comeback, but ultimately the only thing they would come away with would be a red card for their Caveman Brazilian striker Amauri, who went crashing headlong into Napoli keeper Morgan De Sanctis in hopes of equalizing, only to boot the netminder in the face and be sent off. A result which should have Napoli fans absolutely rapturous and should shut up Juventini quite nicely for the time being. Che bella partita!

Nice to have you back!

AS Roma 2-1 Bologna – He’s back, and we’re back. For now. It seems that Mirko Vučinić has finally found his lost form – the Montenegrin put in a man of the match performance this afternoon to ensure that Roma snapped their losing streak and grabbed all 3 points against lowly Bologna. It seemed like a familiar story – Roma had the lion’s share of the early chances and dominated the game from the outset, but it was Bologna who took the first lead in the match when Marco Di Vaio got behind the Giallorosso defense and set up Adailton for an easy tap-in on 32′. We’ve got no Francesco Totti, no Daniele De Rossi (suspended) and, it seems, no hope. Here’s where the story changes though; Roma didn’t roll over and die, but rather equalized not 3 minutes later when Mirko Vučinić found himself, the ball and a golden opportunity, and (this time) duly buried it. It was the first time in recent memory that Vuči has been what he should always be (except in the presence of Er Pupone): the best player on the pitch. Boy, did it make a difference. Jérémy Menez also had a good match, though he was anonymous at times; it would be his shot that would rebound out of the arms of Emiliano Viviano and straight into the path of Simone Perrotta, who buried the sitter. That’s right, Perrotta, King of doing the exact opposite of that, buried a sitter. I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in. Anyways, we won the match, and should take heart from it – Vuči had a good one, Menez had a good one, Mexes had a good one, heck even Motta had a good one. Let’s just hope the next few can be good ones too.

AC Milan 2-0 Parma – Another man who found this form this weekend was Milan’s Ronaldinho, who ran Parma ragged and provided Marco Borriello with both of the goals that would separate their squad from what has been an impressive Parma side this season. The first game in only the 12th minute, as ‘Dinho executed a masterful zigzagging run before slotting the ball through to Borriello, who coolly finished. That lead would last most of the match, but the pair weren’t finished yet, and deep into second-half injury time, Ronaldinho would send an arcing cross through the penalty area; Borriello, having acres of space, met the end of the pass with a perfectly timed bicycle kick, completing his brace and a solid afternoon for i Rossoneri. AC Milan now moves up to 4th place and it seems that Leonardo, whose job looked so imperiled just a few short weeks ago, has finally gotten into the swing of things. Good for Milanisti, I suppose.

Inter 2-0 Livorno – Inter was able to do this weekend what Roma couldn’t on Wednesday – beat a team that is seemingly destined for relegation, and do it comfortably at that. Diego Milito and Maicon found the back of the net for i Nerazzurri, the former scoring his second goal in 2 games since returning from injury. Gotta make up for lost time, right? With this victory, Jose’s men sit 7 points clear atop the Serie A table – same old, same old.

Fußball:

Bayern München 0-0 VfB Stuttgart – Mario Gomez’s return to his old Bundesliga stomping ground was a quiet affair, a goalless draw marked by very even play, despite the home side firing on all cylinders early at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Neither side created any clear-cut chances, and so neither side was able to best the other.

2008 FIFA Men's World Footballer of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo.

WOMEN: Nadine Angerer (Germany), Sonia Bompastor (France), Cristiane (Brazil), Inka Grings (Germany), Mana Iwabuchi (Japan), Simone Laudehr (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Kelly Smith (England) and Abby Wambach (USA).

MEN: Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Kaká (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribéry (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

Chelsea bounced back from their away day blues with a delightful performance to saunter past Blackburn 5-0 and several of their players have been rewarded accordingly in this week’s Actim Index. Frank Lampard’s haul of 36 points earns him a place in the Team of the Week alongside team-mates Michael Essien and Didier Drogba after all three got on the scoresheet at Stamford Bridge.

One thing you could never accuse Lampard of is underperforming in a Chelsea shirt. After a slow start to the campaign in a new formation under Carlo Ancelotti, the midfielder is finally beginning to hit form and his double against Rovers – including a first from open play this term – earned him a season-best points haul and moved him up to 32nd in the overall Index.

Think of Colombia and you invariably think of coffee, Shakira and the monumental Oasis song off Definitely Maybe. But this season there is a new boy from the South American country that is causing a stir and he is called Hugo Rodallega. The Wigan striker is having a fine time of it at the DW Stadium under Roberto Martinez and his two goals in the 3-1 win at Burnley made him the highest points earner of the week with an impressive 51 points. That performance sees him break into the top 10 of the overall index, shifting up 12 places into eighth.

When you think of the plethora of football talent that is plying their trade in the Barclays Premier League, there is a slightly odd look to Actim Team of the Week. Take away the household names of Lampard, Essien, Drogba and William Gallas and the select XI this week is definitely not a Who’s Who of footballing icons, rather a Who’s you? Stoke goalkeeper Steve Simonsen, Birmingham’s Liam Ridgewell, Bolton’s Gary Cahill and Chung-Yong Lee, Wigan’s Emmerson Boyce and Rodallega and Fulham’s Clint Dempsey make up the best 11 players of the week.

Given the amount of talent on show, there is no surprise we are subject to some of the best football in the world, with superb pieces of skill, fine goals and great all-round play. But there is the other end of the pitch to consider and every team needs a defender who doesn’t mind getting their big ugly head in the way of crosses and shots in aid of their team. Leading the way with the most number of clearances are Burnley’s Clark Carlisle and Birmingham’s Roger Johnson, both with 31, while Aston Villa’s James Collins has the most blocks with 14. Rory Delap has proven he has more to his game than just the long throw, amassing a mammoth 65 tackles (not all of them successful mind) and Delap’s team-mate Abdoulaye Faye has performed the most interceptions with 31.

What a week it was for Fabio Aurelio. Handed a start in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Manchester United, the Spaniard put in an impressive performance at Anfield, earning him 27 points which saw him rise a mammoth 195 places in the Index. However, he still sits fairly near the bottom of the overall ladder in 286th place. On the other side of the scale, it was a week to forget for Sunderland veteran Boudewijn Zenden, who managed to record an embarrassing score of -7. That poor showing sees him become the biggest slider in the Index this week dropping 142 places.

View the latest Actim Index >

That was the weekend that was…

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1. Liverpool deserved to beat Man Utd yesterday but I think Fergie was right to have another moan at the ref. For me Carragher should definitely have been sent off for the tug on Owen in the second half. It can be argued that it wasn’t a clear opportunity but I think he would have got a shot away before the other defenders closed him down, they were quite far away.

His hatchet job on Carrick in the first half was a penalty – Carrick just got to the ball before Carragher and you just can’t go lunging in like that in that area of the pitch. He somehow got away with both but once more looked like the weak link in the Liverpool defence. The Vidic and Mascherano reds were both justified I reckon – I can’t believe the Serb has been sent off in three straight games against Liverpool!

It was clear that both managers had gambled with their unfit strikers and from what we saw it was clear that Torres had recovered more than Rooney. The Spaniard took his goal magnificently, both out-pacing and out-muscling Rio Ferdinand. He didn’t do much else during the game but it was enough. It’s a tough call between him and Drogba for title of best striker in the league but I’d possibly veer on the side of Torres right now. A good result for Liverpool but lets see if they can do the same away at Fulham next week.

Eats Vidic and Rio for breakfast.

Man Utd meanwhile have a few areas of concern. Both centre backs seem currently susceptible to pace (not something you’d previously say for Rio) so what chance Jonny Evans coming in for a bit? In midfield Fletcher was once more missed – the one bright note being that he and the soon to return Hargreaves will be a fearsome partnership. Up front, Rooney can be forgiven for being unfit but he has been out of form regardless. Berbatov on the other hand did his usual thing of nice flicks and passes but no real cutting edge. He doesn’t really do it in the big games does he?

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2. For the third time in a week Arsenal completely switched off in a game where they went ahead and for the second time in a week it proved costly. After getting away with against Birmingham, they conceded a last minute equaliser against AZ Alkmaar in midweek Champions League action. They’ve learnt their lesson said the players. So what should happen yesterday against West Ham? A comfortable 2-0 lead with 16 minute left and one poorly dealt with free kick and one silly challenge in the box later and they find themselves going back to north London with one point instead of three.

The free kick for West Ham’s first was soft but Mannone made the cardinal sin of palming the ball back into the danger area instead of out wide. Cole pokes it home, game on. Then with ten minutes to go Alex Song decides to clip the back of Cole’s heels in the box with no real danger. Cole went down, penalty given, penalty scored. Wenger was rightly furious with his team after the game and it is these kind of games which results in Arsenal not properly challenging for titles. For 75 minutes Arsenal dominated but once again couldn’t close it out. They won’t win anything until they learn how to.

They just never learn...

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3. Man City ensured Arsenal weren’t the only title pretenders to blow a two goal lead. Mark Hughes will be concerned at how his £24m centre back Joleon Lescott is a bit rubbish at the moment – Man City have a definite vulnerability in the air. Their form isn’t particularly good either with three successive draws and one win in five.

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4. Spurs surprisingly lost to Stoke at home and it was particularly annoying for me as I had Abdoulaye Faye’s nine fantasy football points marooned on the bench (I didn’t think Stoke would do anything). My point is that given Spurs have lost just twice at home since Redknapp took over and Stoke were winless away in their first four games, it shows just how good (and unexpected and fortuitous) a result it was for Pulis’ team. I certainly wasn’t expecting it and it confirms Stoke should be pushing for a top half finish this season.

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5. Congrats to Bobby Zamora, who I don’t think anyone will beat for miss of the season award. Wow. I know there are strikers who are lauded for their hard work rather than goals (see Heskey, Emile Ivanhoe) but that was ridiculous. To be fair he has already equalled his goal tally for last season but I reckon it’s a long time since the chant “When the balls hits the goal, it’s not Shearer or Cole it’s Zamora” was heard (not least because Shearer and Cole are retired but you know what I mean). Isn’t it now “When the ball hits your head and you’re sat in row Z, that’s Zamora”?

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6. Chelsea gave Blackburn a spanking and from a fantasy perspective it was good to see Frank Lampard return to goalscoring form with a double. I picked him as captain so was pleased with the 28 points he scored. It’s a little early to say for sure but based on that game it appeared that the return of Joe Cole helped as it allowed Lampard to play deeper and make his undetected runs.

Cole himself was excellent too and should stay in the hole behind Drogba and Anelka rather than on the left. He’s not quite at full fitness yet but I reckon Deco should be fearing for his place. I agree with what the Football Guy says – Paul Robinson is just shocking on long shots. I know he’s fat but it be that hard to shift all that body mass. On second thoughts…

Try as he might, Paul 'the beached whale' Robinson just couldn't shift himself to save the shot...

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T.

Ugh… A good weekend for some, perhaps. As always, only the big games – ’cause no one gives a hoot how Sheffield Wednesday did (sorry, Sheffielders).

Football:

Vidic looks how United feels.

Liverpool 2-0 Manchester Utd – On friday night I sat in a pub with a friend of mine, who nursed his pint as he mourned his team’s downward spiral. He is, of course, a Liverpool fan. I told him not to worry – that they’d beat MUFC this weekend and they’d bounce back. I’m not sure exactly how much either of us believed what I was saying, but sure enough, the game rolled around and Liverpool came out on top at Anfield. The Scousers would survive a second minute scare when Wayne Rooney found the back of the net (only to be disallowed for offside) and would go ahead in the 65th minute thanks to a classy finish from Fernando Torres. Nemanja Vidic and Javier Mascherano would both be sent off in the dying minutes of the match and it would be the Frenchman David Ngog who would seal United’s fate in stopagge time, finding the net on 96′. So all you sad-eyed Scousers, rejoice! You’re back to winning – for now. And Rafa, Gillette and Hicks – you can breathe again too.

Chelsea 5-0 Blackburn – Rovers fans will not be rejoicing this weekend. Gaël Givet opened the scoring in Saturday’s match by deflecting Nicolas Anelka’s shot into the back of his own net on 20′. That would hold the Blues until the half, but on 48′ Didier Drogba won a spot kick for his side and Frank Lampard (despite a returning Joe Cole wanting it oh so badly) converted to double Chelsea’s lead. From that point on, the floodgates were opened: within the next 15 minutes Michael Essien buried another of his rare but famed long range efforts, Lampard bagged his brace, and Didier Drogba brought Chelsea’s tally to 5. Blackburn were completely overrun by the home side, who obviously wanted to show that last week’s defeat to Aston Villa was not a sign of futher weakness. Joe Cole also made a fantastic appearance, his first in the Premiership this year, running the visitors ragged and creating all sorts of chances for his side. In their last two fixtures the Blues have 9 goals for and 0 against. Not bad Carletto, not bad.

Arsenal 2-2 West Ham – Despite Arsene Wenger’s claim that the Gunners will pick up at least one trophy this year, his side were unable to pick up full points against cross-town rivals West Ham this weekend. First half goals from Robin van Persie and William Gallas looked like they might be enough to see the Gooners take full points, but late strikes from Carlton Cole and Italian substitute Alessandro Diamanti saw Gianfranco Zola’s side make a marvelous comeback – despite the sending off of Hammer midfielder Scott Parker. Seems like the trophies are still a long way away, Wenger.

Futbol:

Real's hopes rest upon this man's delicate ankles.

Real Madrid 0-0 Sporting de Gijon - Sans-CR9 Madrid were unable to bounce back from their midweek loss to AC Milan and gain a positive result domestically this weekend. Los Merengues were held to a draw at El Molinón by the midtable side, who were kept afloat largely through the heroic efforts of their netminder, Juan Pablo. Kaká once again failed to impress in the white shirt, and Manuel Pellegrini’s side dropped points in La Liga for only the second time this season to fall three points short of Barcelona. Not the result Los Blancos were looking for – one can only imagine that just about everyone involved in that club is virtually counting down the days until their most expensive signing is fit again. But not I!

Villareal 2-1 Malaga – Unlike his current side, Manuel Pellegrini’s former squad were able to bounce back after a midweek European defeat to Rome’s other team and grab their first domestic win of the season. El Submarino Amarillo took the lead on 27′ thanks to the Brazilian Nilmar, only for Malaga’s Luque to equalize in the dying seconds of the first half. However, it wouldn’t take long after the break to restore that lead, as defender Capdevila found the back of the net on 54′ – his goal would be enough to see the home side grab all 3 points and that much-needed first victory. Finally, something (however little) to celebrate at El Madrigal.

Barcelona 6-1 Real Zaragoza – Unlike their arch-rivals, Barcelona showed that they weren’t too worried about their midweek loss to Rubin Kazan with a 6-goal thrashing of Real Zaragoza. Bullies. Seydou Keita bagged a treble, Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged a brace and Lionel Messi bagged one of his own in a comfortable victory for the Catalan side. Jorge López pulled one back for his side on 77′, but it was little more than consolation as the Blaugrana ran rampant in the Camp Nou. I suppose the rest of us have now been warned…

Calcio:

Pictured: Milan's best player.

AC Milan 2-1 Chievo Verona - In keeping with the theme of last-gasp comebacks and goal-scoring defenders, AC Milan were able to grab their second straight Serie A win after Alessandro Nesta, of all people, scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the match to earn his club all 3 points against the Flying Donkeys. Nesta’s heroic efforts cancelled out the 7th minute lead which Giampiero Pinzi had afforded his side and which had stood for the better part of the match. It seems that Leonardo’s men are finally finding their legs to stand on after a more-than-shaky start to the season this year – it’s about time, Rossoneri; it’s about time.

Inter 2-1 Catania - i Nerazzurri were able to reassert their position atop Serie A with a comfortable win over a struggling Sicilian side at the San Siro on Saturday (ooh, alliterative!). Catania fell behind early in the game as first-half goals from Sulley Muntari and Wesley Sneijder seemed to put the match well out of reach. However, their lead would be halved when keeper Julio Cesar erred and was forced to give up a penalty on 83′; which Giuseppe Mascara duly converted. Though Catania would pour forward after that in hopes of finding their equalizer, Inter afforded no clear-cut chances to their visitors and were able to secure victory, reasserting themselves atop the Serie A table after being usurped earlier that day. Speaking of which…

Sampdoria 4-1 Bologna – Call it the Antonio Cassano show. Call it the Daniele Mannini show. Call it whatever you want, but know that Sampdoria mean business. Sure, Bologna are relegation fodder and aren’t exactly the stiffest test Serie A have to offer, but then, neither are Catania. The visitors wasted no time, with Giampaolo Pazzini scoring on 7′, Daniele Mannini adding two of his own, and Reto Ziegler rounding it out to 4-0 within the next 30 minutes. Marco Di Vaio, easily Bologna’s best player, picked up a red card early on – however Pablo Osvaldo would find a late consolation goal for the home side. Though Fanantonio didn’t get his name on the scoresheet, he had a hand in two of his side’s goals and his creativity was, as ever, the driving force behind Sampdoria’s potent attack. After Saturday’s blowout, i Blucerchiati enjoyed a short time at the summit of Italian calcio, before Inter reasserted themselves later that afternoon. Another seriously impressive performance from the upstart side from Genova – the only question that remains is just how long they can keep this up.

That about sums it up.

Livorno 1-0 AS Roma - I have only one thing to say: this team needs to learn how to play without Totti. After last weekend’s loss to Milan and the midweek draw at Fulham, it appears that Claudio Ranieri’s honeymoon with AS Roma has come to an abrupt end. The team is now forced to face a harsh reality: Totti is out and they are expected to win anyways. Livorno are absolute bottom of the table and they just sacked their coach – today was Serse Cosmi’s debut as manager of the struggling side. For i Giallorossi to lose to this side at the Olimpico is nothing short of disastrous and the 1-goal lead afforded to the visitors by Francesco Tavano should have been easily overcome. Jérémy Menez and Mirko Vucinic proved ineffectual up front and while Daniele De Rossi looked solid while defending, perhaps it should be he who steps up to provide an offensive threat in the absence of Er Pupone. Of course, I’m being ridiculous – one of DDR’s problems is that he already tries to do too much at once. Stefano Guberti once again looked strong, bringing immediate life to the side after he replaced Menez at the half, and even Julio Baptista was thrown into the match in a last-ditch effort to quiet the boos resounding throughout the Olimpico. In the end, nothing worked and i Lupi are left to ponder another defeat to another weaker side. We need to snap out of this and fast.

Bari 2-0 Lazio – Misery loves company. Luckily for Romanisti, Laziali know little else. We weren’t the only team (not even the only team in Rome) to face defeat against a newly-promoted side this weekend – Lazio’s winless streak extends to 7 games as they were defeated handily by i Galletti, who put in a mighty performance at the Stadio San Nicola this evening. Bari went ahead on only 11′ thanks to Paulo Barreto, though they wouldn’t improve upon that lead until the second half, when Riccardo Meggiorini ran onto a ball from Vitaly Kutuzov and shot top corner on 69′. Lazio struggled throughout the manage and did not look capable of bringing themselves back into it – their fate was sealed with just 7 minutes to go when substitute Ousmane Dabo was sent off. Hey Romanisti, at least we’re not Lazio!

Juventus 1-0 Siena – Today Juve once again failed to live up to their billing of Scudetto contenders. With Livorno’s victory over you-know-who, Siena sit absolute rock-bottom in Serie A – yet it took La Vecchia Signora 72 minutes to break down the home side. It would be Brazilian hitman Amauri who finally found the back of the net for a side that doesn’t look nearly good enough to mount a proper Scudetto challenge. All in all, not impressive fare from Ciro Ferrara’s men, but I’m sure they’ll happily take home the 3 points.

Fußball:

Bayern München 2-1 Eintracht – Die Roten were spared embarrassment after a pair of late goals made up for the concession of a surprise lead. Though Louis van Gaal’s side were the more dangerous looking out of the gate, neither side were able to capitalize upon their first-half chances (ever-reliable Luca Toni struck woodwork yet again) and it would be the visiting side who would take the lead on 60′ at the Allianz-Arena when Alexander Meier cut behind Phillip Lahm and finished coolly. It would be substitutions that made the difference for Bayern, with the not-quite-fit Arjen Robben coming on to tap home the equalizer on 70′ and defenseman Daniel Van Buyten sealing victory on 88′ after being subbed on for the struggling Toni. The last-gasp victory should go a ways towards erasing midweek memories of Bordeaux and sees Bayern take 5th place in the Bundesliga.

Permainan sempurna yang ditunjukkan Lampard cs menjadi bencana buat Blacburn. Kemenangan telak 5-0 atas Blacburn mengantarkan Chelsea sebagai pemuncak klasemen sementara.

Pencetak gol:

• Gael Givet (og 20)
• Frank Lampard (48)
• Michael Essien (52)
• Frank Lampard (pen 59)
• Didier Drogba (64)