Forget the Premier League, the Football League is where real football is being played in England week-in, week-out and is a great place to see English commitment, passion and footballing talent on show.
Here at FootballFanCast we have teamed up with npower to offer fans of League One and League Two teams the chance to win a Pair of Tickets for three lucky home fans to the following three matches that are taking place on Saturday 13th November:
Carlisle United v Southampton (League One) Peterborough United v Charlton (League One) Macclesfield Town v Aldershot Town (League Two)
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All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is to answer the following question correctly:
Which League One club are subject of a takeover bid from Sebastien Sainsbury?
A) Southampton
B) Charlton Athletic
C) Aldershot Town
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Email your answer along with the game you would like to watch (either the match at Brunton Park, London Road or Moss Rose) to [email protected].
The competition closes on Tuesday 9th November and as there is only one pair of tickets to give away for each match you’ll need to make sure you get your answers in now!
Andre Villas Boas has admitted that he is interested in Porto trio Hulk, Joao Moutinho and Alvaro Pereira, and may make a move for them in the summer.
The Portuguese coach was expected to raid his former club for players when he took over at Stamford Bridge in the summer, however as yet no additions from the 2010/11 Europa League winners have been made.
However this could be set to change in the summer, as Villas Boas looks to strengthen for next season.
“We have Kalou and Malouda, both of whom are nearing the end of their contracts, while Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge are the future,” he told Portuguese radio station TSF, translated to English by Sky Sports.
“As such, there will surely be a place to fill and I see room for an explosive player on the wing, someone who is strong in one-on-one situations and Hulk fits that profile.”
When asked about Moutinho and Pereira, he also was not ruling out a bid for the duo.
“They could surely play in the Premier League and at Chelsea,” he admitted.
Finally, with Villas Boas under pressure to end the season well, he has confessed that his job is not safe just yet.
“The pattern of behaviour of the owner has led to a (manager’s) downfall in similar situations or even ‘better’ situations.
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“What will be the reaction? It will be one of the two, a continuation of the project and full support or just the cultural pattern that has happened before. We don’t know,” he concluded.
Scudetto winners AC Milan will set out to ruin Udinese’s Champions League qualification bid on Sunday, according to Massimiliano Allegri.Already crowned Serie A champions for the first time since 2004, there is nothing at stake for Milan when they face Udinese away from home in the last round of the season.
The same cannot be said for the hosts at the Stadio Friuli, who come into the match in fourth place, two points clear of Lazio in fifth.
Udinese will be desperate to beat Milan and crown an impressive season by securing a berth in the Champions League qualification rounds.
But if Allegri has his way, Francesco Guidolin’s side are unlikely to find the visitors in a charitable mood, despite their comfortable situation.
“We’ve got nothing to lose, so we have to play a great game,” Allegri said.
“Udinese will be very motivated, but we are Milan and cannot afford to embarrass ourselves.”
“They have great players like Antonio Di Natale, Alexis Sanchez, Gokhan Inler and Cristian Zapata, so the Champions League is a huge achievement for them, but we aren’t going there to facilitate their party.”
The visitors will be farewelling long-serving midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who is set to move to Juventus in the close-season after 10 years at Milan.
Fellow veteran Clarence Seedorf could also depart the San Siro in the close-season, but his future is yet to be determined.
“Juventus have made a great signing by bringing in Pirlo,” Allegri said.
“It was a mutual decision from all parties, so our paths have separated, but I’m sure he’ll do wonderful things at Juve.”
“I still need to talk to Clarence Seedorf and will wait until the end of the season.”
“Considering the rapport I have with everyone, I will honestly answer every question he has for me. Once we have spoken, I’ll tell you our decision.”
Allegri also assured supporters that whoever arrives in place of Pirlo will be of the highest quality, as the team attempt to mount title challenges on multiple fronts next season.
“Our objective is to win the Champions League, the Scudetto and the Italian Super Cup next season,” he said.
Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier was pleased with his team's performance in a goalless draw with Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Both sides struck the woodwork at Villa Park, with Houllier content with a solid display against the reigning champions.
He told his club's official website:"There was only one thing missing in that game – goals. It was a good game of football with great pace and two good teams.
"Maybe we had better chances in the first half, but they pushed and we were a bit under the cosh in the second half.
"I would say it was a nice game to watch, but also full of emotion because they hit the post, we hit the post and we had chances at the beginning and chances at the end.
"I think at the end some of the players you could see were lacking a bit of match fitness. But it is getting better. I think we are getting nearer the 90 minutes – it will take time but we will get there.
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"You see the physical level of Chelsea – we had to compete with that. It is only the second time in eight games they have lost points."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
If you were lucky, or should I say brave enough to witness my article on the top 20 worst Premier League shirts in history last week; you would have not only found that the nineties was a bad era of fashion, but goalkeepers jerseys in particular incorporated designs more extravagant than most.
From Schmeichel’s bright orange triangular contours, to David James series of swiggles, dots and a few more dodgy placed swiggles all on one Liverpool goalkeeper’s jersey, the visuals have paid credence to the myth that goalkeepers are a strange breed and that they are all mad!
But just why are goalkeeper’s jerseys more bright, loud and vibrant than the outfield kits? Do goalkeepers have a secret motive or secret weapon? Let us examine.
All stoppers need that extra bit of help. I mean it is the hardest job in the game, isn’t it? Keeping the ball out of the net. Everton’s Tim Howard currently sports a jersey G.I. Joe would be proud of. Football fans would have been AWOL not to notice the American’s army-like camouflaged number this term. Whilst Howard may wear it to fade and logically disappear into the Goodison backdrop after a possible keeping howler, the jersey is extremely off-putting for the opposition.
Whilst possibly ambitious to ponder upon the prospect of goalkeepers and kit makers conducting secret meetings in an old, disused factory before the eve of a new season, the growing trend of effervescent jerseys continues; this time at Stamford Bridge.
Petr Cech has built a reputation as one of the league’s best shutout merchants since his arrival from Rennes in 2004, but the Czech has been owner to a large range of particularly bright garments from his wardrobe.
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In the 2010/11 campaign, Adidas crafted a bright yellow goalkeeper’s kit and the season before, Chelsea fans will recall a bright orange predecessor. Whilst this equipment may have made Chelsea’s number one look like a big construction worker or a large traffic cone, it would be foolish not to surmise that these illuminating designs are distracting for opposing strikers.
Of course, brightly outfitted keepers clearly distinguish the separation of the role from the outfield for the viewer, but the lively colour schemes are likely to possess diverting qualities in the eyes of a striker bearing down on goal.
Manchester City’s Joe Hart has been arguably the best stopper in the division this season, but Welsh strikers in particular have been the victim of another goalkeeping masterstroke.
Back in September of last year, Hart wore a ‘minty monstrosity’ according to TalkSport in the qualifier with Wales that seemingly sported countless white and green crosses of St George against the nearly undistinguishable crest of the Three Lions.
TalkSport too corroborated the essence of this article in surmising
‘The Three Lions are going for the old ‘distract the opposition by temporarily scrambling their brain with this crazy kit’ tactic’
Whilst this article may be a little tongue in cheek for your tastes, there is definitely something in the decisions to employ such infamous jerseys.
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Howard, Cech and Hart may represent just a few of the many examples of gruesome garments worn over the years, but serve as contemporary evidence that the secret weapon myth most certainly lives on.
Am I clutching at straws or have you too noticed this phenomenon? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
Lille moved four points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Nancy on Saturday.A goal from Eden Hazard in first-half additional time was enough to separate the two sides and put Rudi Garcia’s side in a good position to claim the title.
Second-placed Marseille face a blockbuster trip to Lyon on Sunday and need a win to keep the pressure on Lille.
Hazard, 20, struck in the second minute of first-half stoppages and Lille kept their composure for a 1-0 win.
Nancy remain in the relegation zone after the loss, still one point from safety.
Monaco continued edging further from the drop zone after playing out a 1-1 draw with third-placed Paris Saint-Germain.
Brazilian defender Adriano Pereira had given Monaco a surprise lead on 25 minutes, but they could only hold out until early in the second half to settle for their second-straight draw.
Attacker Mevlut Erdinc levelled six minutes into the second period and PSG had to settle for a point, leaving Lyon the opportunity to leapfrog them if they can take at least a point against Marseille.
Monaco moved into 14th but they are not yet safe, with Nancy only two points adrift in the relegation zone.
Sochaux scored four times in the opening half an hour in a 4-0 thrashing of Bordeaux.
Bordeaux manager Jean Tigana stepped down from his role following the loss, citing fan abuse directed at his daughter as the reason.
A brace from Ideye Brown, to go along with goals from Damien Perquis and Ryad Boudebouz, handed Sochaux a blistering lead after 30 minutes.
The win kept their hopes of claiming the Europa League spot alive, while ninth-placed Bordeaux are out of contention.
In other games, a goal from attacker Roy Contout gave Auxerre a 1-0 win over Montpellier to move into 12th and four points clear of relegation.
Saint-Etienne stayed in eighth after a 1-0 win over the relegated Arles.
A 33rd-minute penalty from Alejandro Alonso was all that was required for victory, particularly after Arles defender Dianbobo Balde was sent off two minutes later.
Nice broke a three-game losing run after recording a 0-0 draw at Brest, while Lorient and Toulouse also finished scoreless.
Lens remain eight points from safety after having to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw at Caen.
Raphael Varane’s 37th-minute goal cancelled out Mbaye Niang’s first-minute opener.
When young players are beginning to make their name in the game, or display a sublime piece of skill, they are often touted by the media, or in some cases fans or managers as ‘The New…’ (insert name of all time great here) that most can never hope to justify. In this list Football Fancast picks out ten of those most woefully mislabelled players.
1. Bruno Cheyrou (Zinedine Zidane)
Bruno Cheyrou was a very average midfielder. Unfortunately for him Liverpool supporters were expecting great things from the Frenchman when Gerard Houllier infamously labelled him the ‘new Zidane’. However, Cheyrou was not in the same stratosphere as Zidane and he endured a poor career at Anfield, where highlights such as scoring the winner against Chelsea in the 2003-04 season were all too rare. When Rafael Benitez took charge in 2004, Cheyrou was promptly shipped out.
2. Nii Lamptey (Pele)
Nii Lamptey is not a name that will be known by many followers of modern football, but in 1991 Lamptey was being compared to the greatest player of all time, Pele, who himself said “Lamptey is my natural successor”. The Ghanian had lit up the 1991 FIFA Under-17 World Cup which his country won, with some stellar performances. Sadly, his career never matched the promise he showed and he became a journeyman player in Europe, making a handful of appearances for Aston Villa and Coventry in the 90’s.
3. Pablo Aimar (Diego Maradona)
Many Argentinian players have struggled with the tag of being ‘the next Maradona’, but perhaps none more so than Pablo Aimar. The diminutive attacking midfielder had immense talent, and at the great Valencia side of the early 2000’s he looked destined to become one of the world’s best players. Instead of progressing however his career stagnated and he was sold to Real Zaragoza. Now at Benfica, Aimar is still a good player but he never fulfilled the potential he once displayed.
4. Jeremie Aliadiere (Thierry Henry)
Jeremie Aliadiere signed for Arsenal at the age of just 16, after graduating from the presitgious Clairefontaine academy. During the early part of his career for the Gunners some dubbed him the ‘new Thierry Henry’, due to his blistering pace. This unfortunately was the only similarity he had with Henry and Aliadiere only managed 8 league goals in his entire Arsenal career. The 27 year old is now without a club after being released by Middlesbrough in 2010.
5. Freddy Adu (Pele)
As a 14 year old Freddy Adu was a footballing sensation, with many proclaiming him as the next Pele and a future great. Adu had signed a professional contract with American side DC United at the age of just 14, making first team appearances and scoring a goal in his debut season. A trial at Manchester United followed, but he did not do enough to impress Sir Alex Ferguson and instead joined Real Salt Lake. Adu eventually made the move to Europe in 2007 with Benfica but he has not yet become a first team pick and has been sent out on loan to Monaco, Belenenses and now Greek side Aris. Still only 21, Adu can still make an impact in football but it does not seem likely that he will reach the lofty heights that were once predicted of him.
Head to Page 2 for the rest of the Top 10
6. Salif Diao (Patrick Vieira)
Gerard Houllier made another gaffe when he boldly named £5 million signing Salif Diao ‘the next Patrick Vieira’, Liverpool fans were probably not so sure. Diao was brought to the club after some impressive international form for Senegal, along with El-Hadji Diouf who had been the man of the tournament in the 2002 African Cup of Nations. Both turned out to be flops, and Diao failed utterly to justify Houllier’s wildly inaccurate claims. Diao now plies his trade at Stoke.
7. Eric Djemba-Djemba (Roy Keane)
Eric Djemba-Djemba was another player who had live up to the name of a Premier League midfield general, in this case, Roy Keane. Although Keane was already at the club, when Man Utd signed Djemba-Djemba he was hailed as Keane’s eventual successor, however it soon became apparent that the Cameroonian would never come close to matching Keane’s prowess. Djemba-Djemba made few appearances in his two year United career, and was shipped off to Aston Villa, where he also bombed. Djemba-Djemba now plays for Danish outfit Odense BK.
8. Javier Saviola (Diego Maradona)
Javier Saviola is another Argentinian wonderkid who suffered from comparisons to the great Maradona. When he signed for Barcelona from River Plate at the age of 19 for the eyewatering amount of £15 million, many expected him to become a world class striker. It did not materialise however, and he played two disappointing seasons for arch-rivals Real Madrid before moving to current club Benfica.
9. Anthony Le Tallec (Michel Platini)
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Anthony Le Tallec was dubbed the ‘new Michel Platini’ when Liverpool signed him from Le Havre as a teenager, along with Florent Sinama-Pongolle. It was a ridiculous comparison and appearances in a red shirt were very rare during his time at Anfield, and he was loaned out to five different clubs before eventually being sold to Le Mans in 2008. Although he is unlikely to match Platini, Le Tallec is now at Auxerre, and at 25 his career may be picking up.
10. Robinho (Pele)
Named by Pele himself as his heir at the age of just 15, Robinho had indeed shown great talent for Santos and looked like he would be a world star. It was no surprise when Spanish giants Real Madrid signed Robinho for £20 million, but while he played well he did not quite reach the levels that were expected of him when he signed for the club. Robinho had a torrid time in England at Manchester City and will now be looking to rebuild his career at AC Milan, at 26 he can still do this, but the comparisons with Pele now seem misjudged.
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Former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has insisted that he and Harry Redknapp are not guilty of cheating the public revenue.
The pair are up in front of Southwark Crown Court over claims that the executive paid the now-Tottenham boss £189,000 into a foreign bank account in illicit fashion, but Mandaric has restated that the payment was above board.
“I wanted to do something special for Harry because he means more to me than a football manager. This was something as a friend,” he told the court, as reported by Sky Sports.
“If this was something to do with employment, I would have done something entirely different.
“The payments were something special for my friend … That’s all I wanted to do.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that it was completely away from his duties, his bonuses, his salaries … It has nothing to do with it. It is an entirely different subject,” he concluded.
The jury had been previously told last week that Redknapp’s off-shore bank account had been bolstered by payments following the sale of Peter Crouch, but both the coach and Mandaric have claimed their innocence.
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UEFA president Michel Platini has admitted making a mistake by setting a high price for tickets for the Champions League final.Tickets for Wembley’s showpiece event on May 28 start at 176 pounds, and many fans feel they have been marginalised by UEFA’s decision.
Speaking at a trophy handover ceremony on Wednesday, Platini admitted the price may have been too high, but said it was tough to please everyone with such high demand.
“I already responded that it was a mistake,” Platini said.
“It was not good but take care, it is not easy to decide the price of the ticket in the final of the Champions League because now we have received 200,000 requests for this price of ticket.”
“Now, if you want to buy this ticket off the black market, it is 10 times the price that we decided.”
“So, it is not so easy. Perhaps in the future we will have a new category for families that are less expensive, but if they put that on the black market….that is not easy.”
The Champions League trophy will be on display at 13 sites across London between now and May 21, including Fulham’s Craven Cottage, Trafalgar Square and Heathrow airport.
There is still a chance the trophy could remain in England after the final, with Premier League club Manchester United one of four teams still alive in the competition.
Birmingham City have abandoned their interest in Charles N’Zogbia after failing to agree personal terms with the French winger.
The Blues were given permission to hold talks with N’Zogbia on Friday after Wigan Athletic accepted an improved offer from the St Andrew’s club.
However, manager Alex McLeish revealed the deal quickly broke down following talks with the 24-year-old recently capped France international’s advisors.
“We did everything that was asked of us and then the goalposts were moved at the last minute,” McLeish told the club’s official website.
“It was very important to us as a club to stick to our principals and look after the long-term interests of Birmingham City as we are custodians of the club.
“We remain ambitious and committed to adding extra quality to the playing squad but this deal became one that was not in the interests of the club.
“The board worked with me extremely hard to try and get this one over the line and I thank them for their support.”
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N’Zogbia, who joined Wigan from Newcastle in January 2009, has been linked with a move away from the DW Stadium throughout the summer.
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