Sports Forever

Federer Masters Paris at last

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:38:00 -0800

Swiss star just second man to win both tournaments in French capital
Former world number one Roger Federer won his first Paris Masters title with a 6-1 7-6 victory in the final against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The 30-year-old Swiss third seed became only the second player after Andre Agassi to win titles at Roland Garros and Bercy - the two men's Paris tournaments - thanks to a suberb display over 85 breathtaking minutes.

Federer raced to a 4-0 lead and claimed the opening set in 30 minutes against the sixth seed thanks to his sharp first serve and devastating forehand.

The Frenchman at least made a contest of the second set, threatening to break on two occasions, but it eventually went to a tiebreak which Federer won 7-3 after racing into a 4-0 lead.

Federer Masters Paris

It was Federer's third ATP title of the year after tournament wins in Doha and his home town of Basel last week. It was also his 18th Masters title, second only to Rafael Nadal who has one more to his name.

Tsonga had two break points in the first game but Federer held him off with two first-serve winners.

The Swiss moved 4-0 up after a Tsonga return went wide and a double fault earned him a double break, as a frustrated Tsonga struggled for ideas in front of vociferous support from the majority of a 14,500 crowd.
Chance

Tsonga had a flicker of a chance in the second set, earning a break point in the fourth game with a sizzling crosscourt passing shot, but blew his opportunity by sending a forehand wide.

Tsonga faced a break point in the 10th game but staved it off at the net and the contest went into a tiebreak which Federer won comfortably.

Federer, who had been facing the prospect of failing to win either a grand slam or a Masters title in a season for the first time since 2001, said: "I'm very happy with my performance today. I'm amazed by how well I played.

"I don't think Jo played a bad match. It's good to complete the tournament so solidly."

Tsonga admitted: "I'm a bit disappointed that I have not been able to play better. He was better today. He was just too quick."

Federer will head to the ATP Tour Finals in London next week on a 12-match winning streak, after claiming his 69th career title from 99 finals.

Hamilton - Start of something good

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:30:00 -0800

McLaren star optimistic he has turned a corner after Abu Dhabi victory
An optimistic Lewis Hamilton is hoping his victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is "the start of something good".

Hamilton produced a faultless display at the Yas Marina Circuit to take the chequered flag more than eight seconds clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

There is no doubt he suffered a slice of good fortune when world champion Sebastian Vettel, who had just made a perfect getaway from pole position, retired when a puncture caused suspension damage on the opening lap.

Hamilton at times came under pressure from Alonso, notably at the second pit stop when Ferrari kept the Spaniard on the track after he had pitted.

But any concerns were shortlived, with Hamilton delivering a double-clenched fist pump to salute his third win of a season which has been characterised by collisions, controversy and personal problems away from the track.

Earlier in the week, Hamilton had spoken of the "happy bubble" surrounding team-mate Jenson Button this season.

On Sunday he experienced something similar by being able to dedicate his latest victory to mother Carmen, who had travelled to the Middle East to watch the race.

"It is great to be able to win while she's here," said Hamilton in the post-race aftermath.

"I feel fantastic, ecstatic, really happy to be back up here (on the top of the podium).

"That was one of my best races, in terms of my own performance, not making any mistakes. I feel I didn't make a single mistake in the race.
Pressure

"What with the things that have gone on, the pressure I've been under, with the doubt that has surrounded me.

"I'm just massively proud to have put that kind of performance together, and to have come on out on top.

"I said to myself as I slowed down, just being able to hold off one of the best drivers in the world (Alonso) throughout the race is something that is very, very tough to do, so this is great."

Asked whether he felt he was back on track, Hamilton added: "It is early days yet, but hopefully this is the start of something very good.

"We've another great race ahead of us in Brazil and I just have to keep my focus on that, try to keep the momentum.

"But you know how it goes. Anything can happen. I just have to keep my mind on the game."

It is a mind Hamilton claims has been "clearer" this weekend, that he has had "less weighing on me, less thoughts on the issues and problems I've got".

He added: "I was just able to drive clearly. Obviously in the last race I had that mistake (collision with Felipe Massa), when I wasn't thinking straight.

"But this weekend I've been thinking straight, and I don't know if that's because I've had great support here or what, but it's been a positive feeling all week."
Difficult

Button also produced a fine performance, securing a place on the podium despite struggling with the loss of his KERS power boost during the race.

"It was a difficult race for me, as I had a KERS Hybrid issue, which is admittedly very rare for us," he explained. "After about 15 laps it stopped working - and that doesn't just affect your power out of the corners, it affects engine braking too.

"Fortunately, my engineer came over the radio and told me they'd found a way to make it work again - but it meant pushing lots of buttons on the steering wheel every couple of laps because it only returned intermittently.

"I'd arrive at a corner and not know whether I had any engine braking because I had no warning. So selecting the right spot at which to brake was tough.

"Although the problem made for a tricky drive for me, it also made it even more satisfying to manage to keep it together and end up on the podium," he added.

Despite Hamilton's win, Button's result guarantees that he will finish above his team-mate this season - something Hamilton has never before experienced in the decade he has raced single-seaters.

Cesc criticises England

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:24:00 -0800

Spain attacking midfielder not pleased with Three Lions' tactics
Spain international midfielder Cesc Fabregas has taken a dig at England for adopting a negative approach to their game at Wembley on Saturday.

The European and world champions slumped to a narrow 1-0 defeat in London in the friendly international between the two teams, thanks to a 49h minute goal from Frank Lampard.

England coach Fabio Capello fielded a defensive formation against Spain, who dominated the match but failed to find the target, although David Villa hit the post in the second half.

Fabregas, who came on as a half-time substitute, was understandably frustrated with the final outcome but insisted that it had more to do with England playing with 10 men behind the ball than anything else.

"At the end of the day, you want teams to have a go at you and test you and see what happens," explained the Barcelona star.

"We knew, especially after we saw the first XI that they put in, that they were going to defend basically the whole game.

"Even when they were winning, they had (Danny) Welbeck up front alone and everyone just defending.

"But this is the way they want to play and it worked for them."
Pleased

"We dominated the game and we made England defend nearly the whole 90 minutes," continued Fabregas.

"We played two completely different styles of football.

"The more defensive one won but we know that the only way they could score was from a free-kick or a corner and we conceded a not very intelligent free-kick there.

"We paid for it but, basically, we are happy because we played very well."
Poor results

The defeat continued Spain's disappointing results in friendlies against the major footballing nations since their World Cup triumph in South Africa in 2010, as they had earlier lost to Argentina, Portugal and Italy.

However, Fabregas dismissed suggestions that this is something to worry about and pointed out that La Furia Roja qualified for next summer's Euro 2012 finals with maximum points from their group.

"Nearly every team we've played now plays like that and we qualified with maximum points," said the 24-year-old.

"In friendlies, it's true that's sometimes we don't go with the same mentality as the important games.

"We always suffer a little bit more in friendly games and we change a lot of players and it's completely different.

"But we are trying our best and hopefully we will be ready for the Euros.

"You cannot even compare the situation today and an important game like the Euros."

Saturday's Sniffy Gossip

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:51:00 -0800

ARSENAL CLEAR-OUT AHOY

Arsenal fans will shed no tears at the two names featured in the Daily Mail's story of senior players leaving the Emirates in January, with Sebastien Squillaci and Marouane Chamakh very much surplus to requirements.

Fifth-choice centre-half Squillaci is available on loan to anyone who will stump up his wages or for around £2m on a permanent deal, but the Mail offers no price tag for Chamakh, who has had a nightmare 2011 after a promising start to his Arsenal career.

Oh and Manuel Almunia is available for around £300,000 while Schalke are apparently sniffing around perma-sub Andrey Arshavin.

CITY EYE MARTINEZ

Manchester City definitely need more quality players so there's little surprising about the Daily Mail's claim that they have sounded out Athletic Bilbao over Spanish international midfielder Javi Martinez.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have all shown an interest in the really rather good Martinez, who has a £34m buy-out clause in his contract.

"When you hear of interest from United, you feel proud but I'm happy at Athletic," said Martinez before talk of the other Manchester club getting involved.

KEITA MAKES REDS WAIT

Here are some quotes from Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita in The Sun: "Liverpool are a great club and it is fantastic to hear they are interested in me but you know how I feel about Barcelona.

"But we are in football and nothing is an absolute, so let's wait until the end of the season. I want to play more games and the Premier League is very attractive and exciting for anyone."

The 31-year-old Mali midfielder has started only five league games for Barcelona this season.

AND THE REST

Liverpool are closing in on the signature of Swiss teenage striker Nicholas Hunziker from FC Basle...Fulham are lining up Swansea's former Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair as a replacement for Moussa Dembele, who is wanted by Tottenham...Sheffield rivals United and Wednesday are set to go head to head to sign in-form Rotherham striker Lewis Grabban.

Rating (Not Slating) England's Players v Spain

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:45:00 -0800

It might not have been pretty but it was certainly effective. We would have put good money on Scott Parker being man of the match, but Joleon Lescott? Who knew?

JOE HART: We never thought we'd be typing this but he wasn't called upon to make a 'proper save' until the 89th minute. And we were playing Spain. This is mental. Almost as mental as the fact that he is still unbeaten in an (awful) England shirt. Keep him safe.

GLEN JOHNSON: Usually in these ratings we copy and paste 'dangerous going forward, dangerous going backwards' but Johnson didn't get forward often enough to find himself chasing backwards. Barring the poor header that allowed David Villa to hit his woodwork-bound shot, Johnson was pretty much faultless. We asked the question this week whether he was still England's first-choice right-back. It seems so.

PHIL JAGIELKA: A less eye-catching performance than that of partner Joleon Lescott but Jagielka was still impressive - showing exemplary concentration to make vital blocks and tackles for the entirety of the 90-odd minutes.

JOLEON LESCOTT: Who knew? Quite simply phenomenal from first to last. A reader suggested this week that Lescott without Vincent Kompany was like Phil Babb without Paul McGrath, but he defied all low expectations with a masterclass in backs-to-the-wall defending. Being dropped by Fabio Capello from his Montenegro squad clearly had the desired arse-kicking effect.

ASHLEY COLE: Some players simply play better against world-class players. Cole's attention spell against poorer opposition leaves a lot to be desired (see errors v Montenegro last month) but against Spain - from the 70-second mark when he was the first England player to disposess the enemy - he was a study in concentration. Excellent.

SCOTT PARKER: If you were going to have a wager on England's Man of the Match before the game, you would have plumped for Parker. This was always going to be a game designed to showcase the talents of a holding midfielder and Parker flourished in the spotlight. 'Concentration' was the Wembley buzzword and he had it in spades. The tabloids will scream about Parker's 'passion' but he's quite simply a class act in that position.

PHIL JONES: The experiment failed. Playing the kind of role in which he looked lost against Liverpool - often the most advanced of the midfield three - we saw that 'decent distribution for a defender' is simply not enough when transferred to midfield. Found himself in more space than any other England player several times during the first half and too often played the wrong ball. Or the right ball not quite well enough. Can we all just agree that he's a defender?

THEO WALCOTT: Seemed the obvious man for an 'out ball' but only once got the chance to really run at the Spanish defence. Did his defensive job well enough and probably remains Capello's first-choice wide player.

FRANK LAMPARD: A decent shift - putting in some timely tackles and playing the odd vaguely incisive ball before getting the only goal of the game thanks to his striking instincts. Whether he will be in the team with everyone fit is questionable, but he certainly underlined his value as a squad player.

JAMES MILNER: He makes a decent left-back. And the free-kick for Lampard's goal wasn't bad either.

DARREN BENT: His first touch was a headed clearance in the 13th minute and he really didn't have many more. He might take heart from the header that made England's goal but the truth is that he never looked remotely threatening from open play. Danny Welbeck showed in his half-hour how the Spanish defence can be worried by movement but too often Bent was a spectator. Capello is clearly unconvinced and so are we.

STEWART DOWNING (on 45 for Walcott): Frankly we didn't notice him but we'll assume he worked hard.

JACK RODWELL (on 57 for Jones): Immediately looked comfortable in an England shirt and caused the Spanish midfield problems with his energy and clever use of the ball. We said this summer that this was a big season for him to move from 'potential' to 'delivery'. It will be interesting to see him from the start against Sweden.

GARETH BARRY (on 57 for Lampard): A smooth transition. He has his knockers but he is much, much better than the player we saw in South Africa.

DANNY WELBECK (on 64 for Bent): Held the ball up well, fizzed around a lot and caused the Spanish defence plenty of problems. Come on Fabio, give him a start v Sweden.

ADAM JOHNSON (on 76 for Milner): Great run in the final minutes but probably doesn't work hard enough to move from sub to starter.

KYLE WALKER (on 85 for Parker): Did he touch the ball?

Lampard: Celebrates his goal with Jagielka

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:36:00 -0800

Stand-in skipper Lampard stooped to nod home a loose ball three minutes after half-time when Darren Bent's header struck the inside of a post.

Led superbly by man-of-the-match Scott Parker, England then remained defiant in the face of concerted Spanish pressure to secure only Fabio Capello's second victory against top-rated opposition in his four years in charge.

It was also the Three Lions' first outright victory over Spain at Wembley since 1968.

And, whilst no-one - least of all Capello - will take anything for granted ahead of Euro 2012, given so many fringe players were involved, the momentum generated augurs well for a far more effective performance than their tepid effort in South Africa.

There was something distinctly unfulfilling about the opening half an hour.

A Spain side containing five members of the Barcelona team that mesmerised Manchester United on the same pitch last May did exactly the same again, only without the cutting edge provided by Lionel Messi.

The tiki-taka Spanish style left England without the ball for long periods. Bent in particular had a thankless task attempting to plug the holes Spain are so good at finding.

Entrusted with a midfield slot, Phil Jones had energy to burn, but as he implored his team-mates to follow his lead, the Manchester United man was belying his naivety.

Parker had the right idea. One of the few not scarred by past experiences against Xavi and Andres Iniesta, he refused to be drawn out of position and stepped forward to make a tackle only when Spain threatened, which as it turned out, was not very often.

Indeed, it was England who had the first effort on goal. A Lampard pot-shot from 25 yards which Iker Casillas dealt with comfortably enough.

Having assumed the captain's armband from John Terry, Lampard made a decent fist of galvanising his troops and it was all rather routine until Spain suddenly clicked into life.

It was not that they began peppering Joe Hart's goal. Aside from Hart's Manchester City team-mate David Silva squeezing out a shot from an acute angle, Hart had as little to do as Bent.

But Iniesta did play a one-two with Silva to almost get himself through and Sergio Busquets lifted Xabi Alonso's chip into the box over from 10 yards.

Wearing a corsage on his lapel in addition to a poppy, a reminder he was missing son Pierfilippo's wedding in Milan, Capello must have been fairly satisfied at the break, especially as John Terry, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere will hopefully be able to strengthen this starting line-up in Poland and Ukraine next summer.

And within three minutes of the break, England had gone in front with a goal right out of the Home Nations coaching manual after Alvaro Arbeloa had presented the hosts with a free-kick close to the touchline.

James Milner floated it into the box, where Bent climbed highest turning a header against the post with substitute Jose Reina absolutely static.

The Liverpool goalkeeper was still rooted to the spot when it bounced back across the line and Lampard was fastest to react, stooping to nod into an empty net.

It was his 23rd England goal, putting him level with Nat Lofthouse on the all-time list.

For a second, it appeared neither the players nor the crowd had considered the possibility of England being ahead.

And it took Spain a little while to react, which they did with a mixture of robust tackling, complaints to the referee and more purpose to their play.

Villa should have done better than blaze a shot into the side-netting after being brilliantly picked out by Busquets, while the Barcelona forward later fired a brilliant shot against a post after Glen Johnson had been caught in possession.

Amidst all this, Capello had given Jack Rodwell his debut and he exchanged passes with another substitute, Danny Welbeck to put Spain in trouble, the whole episode almost ending disastrously for the visitors as Reina had to turn away Alba's misdirected backpass.

As Spain began to turn the screw, so Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott rose to the challenge, each producing their best England performances in a disciplined defensive effort.

It was Parker who slid in to deny Gerard Pique though as he galloped forward, just about to connect with Fabregas' cut-back.

The former Arsenal man spurned two chances in a minute before the end. First Hart saved a deflected effort from the edge of the area, before Fabregas pushed the ball wide from 10 yards after finding himself clean through as England scored a welcome triumph.

Has taken 14 pole positions during the 2011 season

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:28:00 -0800

Sebastian Vettel equalled Nigel Mansell's record of 14 pole positions in a single Formula One season after a last-gasp effort gave him top spot in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The world champion set a lap of 1 minute 38.481 seconds to pip McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button right at the end of the session.

Hamilton had dominated both practice and the first two parts of qualifying and set the initial pace in the all-important top-10 shootout, with Vettel just behind him while Mark Webber completed the top three.

Button had only been fourth following his first flying lap but surged to the top of the standings before Hamilton toppled him by just nine-thousandths of a second.

It looked like the 2008 world champion would be starting on pole for the second time this season but Vettel, running last of all the major contenders, produced a blistering effort at the death.

Webber was fourth in the other Red Bull with the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso rounding out the top five at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Felipe Massa was next, albeit almost seven tenths slower than his team-mate Alonso.

Team-mates
Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher and Force India pair Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta will line-up together on the fourth and fifth rows respectively.

Vettel can now claim the pole record for himself if he qualifies first at the final round of the season in Brazil, while the German is still also in with a chance of equalling Michael Schumacher's record of 13 wins in one year.

Hamilton had earlier been comfortably fastest in the first part of qualifying, carrying his momentum over from practice with a time almost four tenths quicker than Webber.

Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello did not manage to turn a wheel in anger as engine problems prevented him from getting out of the pits, meaning he was eliminated along with the Lotuses, Virgins and HRTs.

Vettel stepped up his game in Q2 but his initial benchmark was just bettered by Hamilton before the session was halted to collect a bollard and kerb debris that had been blown onto the track.

As the floodlights began to illuminate the circuit, the front-runners made no further moves with their places in the top-10 shootout already secured, while both Force India cars impressed by also making it through to Q3.

That left the two Saubers, two Toro Rossos, both Renaults and the remaining Williams of Pastor Maldonado to drop out.

Times01. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m38.481
02. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.622 + 0.141
03. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.631 + 0.150
04. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m38.858 + 0.377
05. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m39.058 + 0.577
06. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m39.695 + 1.214
07. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m39.773 + 1.292
08. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m40.662 + 2.181
09. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m40.768 + 2.287
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes
11. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.874 + 2.440
12. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m40.919 + 2.485
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.009 + 2.575
14. Bruno Senna Renault 1m41.079 + 2.645
15. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.162 + 2.728
16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m41.240 + 2.806
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m41.760 + 3.326
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m42.979 + 3.197
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m43.884 + 4.102
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.515 + 4.733
21. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m44.641 + 4.859
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.699 + 4.917
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m45.159 + 5.377
24. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosoworth no time

Ten Expected Summer Transfers That Weren’t

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:19:00 -0800

For every confirmed transfer in any given summer transfer window, there’s another ten that fall short of completion or being remotely plausible. That’s the way it seems, at least.

Even with the misses in mind, a lot – and I mean a lot – of money changes hands every summer, as playersnotable and not leave for new pastures, some greener and some not. This summer, we saw some of themost expensive transfers in Premier League and world football history, with the expected (Cesc Fabregas’ return to Barcelona) to the surprising (Javier Pastore’s move to PSG).

All the same, there were quite a few deals that we expected or hoped to see that didn’t come to fruition, for one reason or another. In some of those cases, staying put was the best choice (if it was by choice, that is), but there were others who would have benefited far more from action than inaction.

Gary Cahill

With only one year left on his contract at Bolton, it was widely expected that Cahill would move this summer. Much of the speculation centered around Arsenal, who were in the market for at least one new center back, while Manchester City and Tottenham were also linked with the England international.

Arsenal did indeed come in with a bid late on, but it fell far short of what Bolton were looking for, to put it nicely. The Gunners would instead opt for Werder Bremen’s Per Mertesacker

It looked almost certain that Spurs would get their man on deadline day, but the two sides were unable to agree a fee, with Bolton reportedly having a £13m valuation for Cahill. So, he remains a Bolton player, but there’s a great chance that Spurs could get their man eventually. Contract talks between Bolton and Cahill are set to occur soon, and if a new deal hasn’t been reached by January, it would seem likely that Bolton would sell then instead of risk losing a prized asset for nothing in the summer.

Lassana Diarra
Diarra might be more remembered for one of three things – 1) bouncing from Chelsea to Arsenal toPortsmouth within the span of a few months, 2) moving from Portsmouth to Real Madrid for almost £20m, or 3) having ‘Lass’ on the back of his shirt – than his talent or accomplishments.

However, he has carved out a place for himself at Real Madrid, starting more than 70 games over the course of two and a half seasons. Still, with Real not short on midfielders, that place isn’t a certain one, and as such, he’s been regularly linked with a move.

This summer, Diarra was linked with Manchester United, Tottenham, AC Milan, and AS Roma, with a move to Spurs viewed as likely until the man himself poured cold water on the speculation. In the end, the only firm attempt might have been from AC Milan, who made a late, unsuccessful bid to land the Frenchman on loan.

When will he leave? Your guess is as good as mine. As much as it may appear sometimes that there’s no room for him at the inn, Jose Mourinho still seems to rate him highly, and he seems to be perfectly content with his role at Real.

Darron Gibson
Along with teammates John O’Shea and Wes Brown, Gibson seemed set for a summer move to that haven of former Manchester United players known as Sunderland. However, while O’Shea and Brown did depart for the Stadium of Light, Ireland midfielder Gibson’s move broke down due to a failure to agree terms.

Even after the move fell through, he was still tipped to leave United, with Stoke City, Blackburn, and Aston Villa all being mentioned as potential destinations at one point or another. However, any chance of a late move seemingly disappeared after injuring ankle ligaments in training days before the end of the window.

The 23-year-old made 20-plus appearances in each of the last two seasons, but with Ashley Young proving to be an instant hit, Tom Cleverley emerging as one to watch for the present and the future, and Anderson perhaps ready to fully live up to expectations, Gibson will find it hard to get a game at United from here on. So, like Cahill, there’s a good chance we’ll see Gibson on the move in January, whether on loan or in a permanent move.

Luka Modric
The old saying is ‘ask and you shall receive’, but that’s not always true. Just ask Luka Modric, whose desire for a summer move from Tottenham to Chelsea were far from a secret to anyone. Unfortunately, that includes Harry Redknapp and Daniel Levy, whose resistance to sell Modric matched his desire to leave.

Chelsea reportedly had bids of £22m, £27m, and £30m rejected throughout the summer, but that didn’t stop speculation. Modric didn’t take part in Spurs’ Europa League qualifiers against Hearts, which meant he wasn’t cup-tied and thus still an extremely attractive option for Chelsea, and being held out of a defeat to Manchester United for psychological reasons only served to stoke the fire of speculation.

However, Redknapp and Levy remained firm until the end of the window, even turning down a late offer of £40m, which would have allowed them to purchase a new Modric, a couple of ready-made starters, and a starlet or two.

Will that prove to be the right decision? We’ll soon find out if Modric has had his head turned back in the right direction and if a return of his best form can spark Spurs to life after a poor start, or if he’s stuck on a move to Chelsea. As much of a distraction as this situation has been already, if it’s the latter, the worst could be yet to come.

[Insert Forward] to Newcastle United
Yes, Newcastle did indeed sign Demba Ba this summer, but it’s fair to say that a front line of Ba, Shola Ameobi, Leon Best, Peter Lovenkrands, and Nile Ranger won’t inspire much fear in many Premier League defenses.

Perhaps there wasn’t time to line up a replacement after selling Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35m on the final day of the January transfer window, but there was plenty of time and money to add a real goal-getter to the squad this summer, and that wasn’t done, much to the chagrin of the likes of Joey Barton. There was a bid for Freiburg striker Papiss Cisse, who scored 22 Bundesliga goals last season, but it was too low and too late.

For what’s it worth though, Best did notch a brace in a win over Fulham before the break, so the results could be better than we all expect. But with the kind of funds that were seemingly available to spend on quality reinforcements, it’s only natural to expect more than what was done.

Nedum Onuoha
Versatile Manchester City defender Onuoha spent all of last season on loan at Sunderland, and with an eye on regular first-team football that wouldn’t be in the cards at City, it looked certain that he would be on the move again this summer.

The 24-year-old, who made his City debut at 17, had his share of summer suitors, with Blackburn, Bolton,Everton, QPR, and West Brom all linked with moves. However, none of those moves materialized, with Everton coming closest but failing in a last-minute attempt to land Onuoha on loan.

Roberto Mancini named him in his Premier League and Champions League squads, and he should get an appearance here and there, but his future does still lie away from City. Injury issues have severely hampered his career to this point, but he’s still young, and with his ability to slot in all across the back, he should once again be in demand come January.

Christopher Samba
It looked like Samba was going to dance his way out of Ewood Park this summer, but while they lost Phil Jones to Manchester United, Blackburn did well to hold on to their other prized asset.

As with Cahill, North London looked a likely destination for Samba, as Arsenal and Tottenham were heavily linked with the towering defender. However, Blackburn’s reported £16m valuation proved to be an issue, and when all was said and done, there were apparently no concrete bids for the 27-year-old.

Not only did they keep Samba, which was a big boost in itself, but his stay also helped seal an impressive £6m deadline-day deal for Birmingham defender Scott Dann, who made the move with the assurances that Samba would be staying to partner him in the center of Blackburn’s defense.

Wesley Sneijder
Was this the saga of the summer? Fabregas, Modric, Nasri, and Tevez were all up there as well, but in time, Wesley Sneijder’s non-move to Manchester United might be the stuff of failed transfer legend.

It seemed to be a given that United would make a big-money move for a midfielder as a ‘Paul Scholes replacement’, and while names like Modric, Nasri, and Mario Götze were mentioned, among others, Sneijder looked to be the man for United after having been linked with the reigning Premier League champions multiple times in the past.

In total, he must have been on the verge of completing his move to United 1,287 times this summer, no matter what statements to the contrary were made by key figures at both United and Inter Milan. But United’s impressive and entertaining early-season attacking displays, combined with Tom Cleverley taking full advantage of his chance to make a mark in the center of midfield, a late move for the Dutchman would have been a surprise.

Still, the speculation raged until the very end, but deadline day came and went without any drama. But afterwards, Sneijder did reveal that discussions had taken place and that he thought a deal was close for a while. Yep, you and just a few other people, Wesley. Just a few.

Adel Taarabt
After spearheading QPR’s run to the Championship title with his many goals and assists, Taarabt was unsurprisingly a wanted man this summer. But instead of wanting to see if he could prove himself in the Premier League and then making the big-money move he’s seemingly been angling for for a while, it looked like the former Tottenham starlet was going to take PSG’s money and run.

In July, it looked like an eight-figure move to the deep-pocketed capital club, but ultimately QPR decided against cashing in on their star midfielder. That looks like the best decision even more so now than it did then, as by keeping Taarabt and adding established and experienced Premier League talents in Joey Barton and Shaun Wright-Phillips, you have to fancy their chances of pulling off a few surprises and doing enough to consolidate a place in the top flight.

Carlos Tevez
Despite topping 20 goals for the second straight season, captaining Manchester City to their best top-flight finish in more than 30 years and a place in the Champions League, and making £250k per week to boot, last season was seemingly not a happy one for the Argentine.

But a return to former club Corinthians fell through due to the Brazilian club’s inability to start paying for Tevez immediately, and there was no one else willing or able enough to meet or come close to City’s reported £50m price tag. However, any desires for a move might now be a thing of the past, as his wife and daughter have joined him in England, which should make him much, much happier, even if he has his starts cut into.

City supporters would be wise not to hold their breath on that one though, given how quickly things can change with Tevez, but considering how important his family seems to be to him, having them around him now instead of thousands of miles away should have a profound effect.

Fabregas’s Exit out of Arsenal and Why Club Contracts Are Broken

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:09:00 -0800

Like a love affair, Arsene Wenger had stated in a pre-season interview posted by The Guardian that he would fight until the last second to keep midfielder Cesc Fabregas by his side. Why do managers continue to reject monetary offers and wage war against a courting club when their player is dejected?

The ex-Gunner isn’t the first footballer whose importunate plea to leave a club governed headlines on the sports pages (Fabregas’s contract with Arsenal would have ended in 2015.) He signed with Arsenal in 2003 at the age of 16 and had been successful as their captain. So what was the straw that broke the Spaniard’s back?

A clue could be in Wenger’s Guardian interview, as he said, “…we will fight for everything because you do not educate a player for eight years as we have done only to want him to go once he is at an age to deliver.”

Certainly this may be the problem. Wenger is celebrated for building the careers of young players, but when they hit their peak and are about to deliver they may be curious to seek bigger and better opportunities to deliver and reap rewards from. It is akin to keeping a first love tied down by saying, “I taught you everything you know, now you are indebted to me.”

While you can teach one the dynamics of a football game, passion is something one cannot learn and when it runs in your blood, as Lionel Messi claimed in Fabregas, one cannot change.

Arguably Fabregas’s “first love” was Barcelona and his Spain teammates (namely Andres Iniesta) wanted to hook up with him again as they did in the World Cup.

His longing to return to his former boyhood club is more like a love story for his roots than it is for anything else, although trophies could be tempting, as it is no coincidence that his boyhood club is a superior club housing the “best player on the planet.”

At what length or fee would a player go or pay to simply break free?

Javier Mascherano’s dire need to cop out of Liverpool and into Barcelona was blatant after he informed ex-manager Roy Hodgson that he wanted to leave the club which resulted in failure to show up for matches and dodged Hodgson’s phone calls.

Another ex-Reds player who made a last-gasp confession of dissatisfaction at Anfield sold for a record-busting 50 million pounds and had taken a beating in the press for his scoring drought while spending a significant time at Chelsea warming the bench.

It doesn’t make sense for a manager to hold a player to contract when they are miserable and then when questioned in an interview lie that they are fine.

So, what are contracts for if there are break clauses or constant breach?

The issue may not be resolved overnight and may have to sit on a shelf, but Wenger would be wise to seek players who’ve been around the block instead of players who are looking for, well, a trip to someplace else.

Liverpool Agony – The Ineffective £71 Million Talent

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:03:00 -0800

A strong finish last season under the legend Kenny Dalglish and the injection of money by the owners to add talent in Liverpool’s squad reignited hope amongst the supporters that the club is back to winning ways. Nevertheless four draws at Anfield in six games and Liverpool are struggling to beat the promoted sides when the task of getting into top 4 is harder than ever.

The agony of their inability to score goals and finish teams off is infuriating and the fresh faces on whom the club spent millions cannot avoid the share of blame. What’s more maddening is the start made by new arrivals of Liverpool’s rivals. Ashley Young has been an instant hit at United even though it was Downing who finished Villa’s player of the season and not him. Gervinho is pulling the strings at Arsenal having lost two world class players in Nasri and Fabregas. Liverpool missed out on Mata who week in week out shows his class for Chelsea and even Tottenham’s Scott Parker is now a core part of his side. That has highlighted the setbacks of Carroll, Henderson and Downing who have not lived up to expectations at all.

Charlie Adam has been performing well on and off and not much noise is heard about him as the club did not spend heavily for his services. The Spanish left back Enrique is by far Liverpool’s best signing of the summer, was bought for a bargain. The main concern is in fact the three English players for whom the club spent a massive 71 million pounds. The worst way to define their performances is:

The 36 million spent on crosses is not linking with the 35 million spent on the header

Liverpool signings were all based on stats and performances. These three performed well for their previous clubs but the challenge at Liverpool is not that simple. Fans do not want them to end up like Robbie Keane who was good at Tottenham but could not fit in Liverpool. For now things seem as if that’s exactly the case.

Last year Downing scored ten goals and provided pin point crosses for Aston Villa but for Liverpool he is yet to open his account having started every league game. Some poor finishing from LFC players means Downing have no assist yet, lately as Carroll missed a sitter but overall his crossing has been all over the place. Against Swansea, Downing made 8 crosses with only 2 of them being successful that by no means indicate value for money. Strange that he maintains his starting place when Bellamy has been impressive and deserves to start.

The case of Jordan Henderson is even worst. If his own words were not enough than his performances as a winger say it out load that he is not comfortable on the flanks. The talented boy has pace, but no dribbling skills or brilliant crossing ability to be termed or played as a winger. His natural position is center midfield that in Liverpool is too strong for him to start ahead of Gerrard, Adam and Lucas. However since Liverpool have spent a lot on him so time and time again Kenny opts to start Henderson instead of much effective Dirk Kuyt on the right. That in turn hinders their performance.

Andy Carroll is normally haunted by that price tag of 35 million. Many believe it’s not his fault that he cost that much but the fact is Liverpool has paid that amount and now he has to deliver. At the end of the day, if you buy a player and he performs well, no one will remember the cost. The big fellow is trying his best to get into scoring positions but not getting much help from the crosses. The wing service not being up to the mark is one thing but Carroll has only been able to link up well with Suarez against West Brom else he has not been mobile enough to keep up with the constant drive of the Uruguayan.

Liverpool could not buy world class talent as they were not in the Champions League. Still having spent 100 million on new arrivals; there is no excuse or sympathy if they finish out of top 4 yet again. Owner John W Henry has reiterated many times that Liverpool target champions league football so anything below top 4 is an immense failure. Kenny Dalglish claims:

“The problems that are there are problems that we can solve ourselves”

Liverpool surely need to solve them soon to turn the situation around with instant improvement from the new players as the fixtures only get harder.

Hadir di Valencia, Honda Gresini Belum Pasti Membalap

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:16:00 -0700

Honda Gresini tetap akan hadir pada seri penutup yang akan digelar di Valencia pekan depan. Menyiapkan penghormatan untuk mendiang Marco Simoncelli, tim tersebut belum memastikan apakah akan turun membalap.

Honda Gresini melalui tim principal tim Fausto Gresini sempat memberi indikasi kuat kalau mereka tidak akan tampil pada seri penutup musim di MotoGP Valencia yang akan digelar 6 November mendatang. Kematian Simoncelli pada balapan di Sepang menjadi alasan dibalik keputusan tersebut.

Namun dalam pernyataan terbarunya, tim tersebut memastikan akan tetap tampil di Valencia. Namun apakah nantinya akan menurunkan pembalap saat race, hingga kini belum diputuskan.

Kehadiran di Valencia disebut kubu Honda Gresini sebagai bentuk penghormatan pada Simoncelli. Nantinya mereka bahkan berencana untuk tetap mendirikan garasi milik pembalap Italia itu.

Dikutip dari Crash, Honda RC212V bernomor 58 yang selama ini jadi tunggangan Simonceli juga tetap akan disiapkan sepanjang akhir pekan.

Hasil Lengkap Sesi Latihan Motogp 2011 Italia

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:09:00 -0700

Sesi Free Practice atau Sesi Latihan Motogp italia 2011 yang berlangsung selama dua sesi tersebut masing-masing sesi berbeda rider yang unggul, jika pada sesi free practice 1 Simoncelli keluar sebagai rider tercepat yang di urutan kedua Casey Stoner, namun lain halnya dengan sesi Free practice 2 atau sesi latihan yang kedua menjadi miliknya Dovizioso dan di susul oleh Toni Elias. Menariknya pada sesi latihan pertama cuaca sangat cerah sekali, namun pada sesi latihan kedua cuaca tiba-tiba hujan. Nah bagi anda yang ingin mengetahui hasil dari Sesi Latihan 1 dan dua berikut ini adalah hasil lengkap sesi latihan motogp italia 2011, dan sesuai jadwal motogp 2011 Bahwa untuk livenya akan berlangsung pada tanggal 3 juli 2011 ini, so jangan sampai ketinggal untuk menyaksikan:

Hasil Free Practice I MotoGP Italia
1. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 48.987s
2. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda 1m 49.027s
3. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda 1m 49.088s
4. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 49.251s
5. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 49.364s
6. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 49.810s
7. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda 1m 50.104s
8. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro 1m 50.203s
9. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 50.629s
10. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki 1m 50.658s
11. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 50.683s
12. Randy de Puniet FRA Pramac Racing 1m 50.729s
13. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Marlboro 1m 50.780s
14. Hector Barbera ESP Mapfre Aspar 1m 51.153s
15. Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda 1m 51.868s
16. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 1m 51.876s

Hasil Free Practice II MotoGP Italia
1. Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 1m49.272 6
2. Toni Elias LCR Honda MotoGP 1m51.937s + 2.665 10
3. Valentino Rossi Ducati Team 1m52.550s + 3.278 6
4. Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m54.497s + 5.225 4
5. Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team 1m55.279s + 6.007 13
6. Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 1m58.334s + 9.062 2
7. Hector Barbera Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP 1m58.748s + 9.476 8
8. Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m59.812s + 10.540 2
9. Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 2m06.386s + 17.114 2
10. Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 2m09.337s + 20.065 3
11. Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2m10.026s + 20.754 2
12. Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2m26.938s + 37.666 2
13. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing No time
14. Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team No time
15. Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team No time
16. Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini No time

Wozniacki Menang, Sharapova Tumbang

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:03:00 -0700

Istanbul - Petenis nomor satu dunia, Caroline Wozniacki mengawali kiprahnya di WTA Tour Championship dengan kemenangan atas Agnieszka Radwanska. Sementara Maria Sharapova menderita kekalahan.

Menjalani pertandingan pertamanya di Grup Merah, Wozniacki dapat perlawanan sengit dari Radwanska. Sempat tertinggal di set pertama, petenis asal Denmark itu akhirnya bisa menang dengan 5–7, 6–2 dan 6–4.

Setelah dibuat kesulitan oleh Radwanska di set pertama, Wozniacki bangkit di set kedua. Dia berhasil membuat enam kali break sebelum menutup setk kedua dengan keungulan 6-2.

Pada set penentuan Wozniacki mampu langsung unggul 4-2, namun servisnya kemudian mampu dipatahkan Radwanska. Lewat perjuangan berat Wozniacki akhirnya menutup laga dengan keunggulan 6-4.

"Saya sangat gembira bisa memetik kemenangan. Itu pertandingan yang berat di sana. Agnieszka belakangan ini bermain dengan sangat baik. Itu membuat frustrasi karena gagal di set pertama meski sudah mendapatkan tiga kali set poin, tapi saya berhasil menenangkan diri dan melakukan perlawanan," sahut Wozniacki usai laga seperti diberitakan BBC.

Sementara itu dari Grup Putih, Maria Sharapova dipaksa mengakui keunggulan Samantha Stosur. Petenis nomor dua dunia asal Rusia itu menyerah dua set langsung dengan 1-6 dan 5-7.

Setelah tampil buruk di set pertama, Sharapova sesungguhnya punya peluang mencuri set kedua. Namun keunggulan 3-0 yang sempat dia raih gagal dituntaskan menjadi kemenangan.

"Butuh waktu untuk bisa mendapatkan permainan saya. Jelas itu sulit untuk melakukancomeback dan berkompetisi di level ini. Tapi ini sesuatu yang baik karena membuka kesempatan pada diri saya, dan saya melakukan semaksimal mungkin untuk setidaknya berada di sini," ungkap Sharapova mengomentari dirinya yang baru comeback usai mengalami cedera.

New Jersey Gelar F1 Mulai 2013

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:58:00 -0700

New Jersey - Amerika Serikat akan menjadi tuan rumah untuk dua seri F1 mulai musim 2013 mendatang. Kota terbaru yang akan menghelat balapan jet darat tersebut adalah New Jersey.

Kepastian ditunjuknya New Jersey sebagai salah satu seri F1 di musim 2013 muncul langsung dari gubernurnya, Chris Christie. Balapan tersebut akan digelar di jalan raya, yang membentang sepanjang 5.14 km melewati wilayah Port Imperial, Palisades hingga bagian selatan New York.

"Saya puas New Jersey akan menjadi tuan rumah Formula 1 mulai 2013, membawa salah satu olahraga paling populer dan menegangkan ke halaman rumah kami," sahut Christie seperti diberitakan Autosport.

"Saya bisa pastikan pada Formula 1 kalau ini akan menjadi keputusan paling bijak yang pernah mereka buat, untuk menggelar event ini di New Jersey," lanjut Christie.

Balapan di New Jersey akan menjadi seri F1 kedua yang digelar di Amerika Serikat. Mulai musim 2012 Paman Sam akan menggelar balapan F1 di Austin, Texas, yang waktu penyelanggaraannya adalah pada pertengahan November.

Balapan F1 terakhir yang digelar di Amerika Serikat adalah GP Indianapolis tahun 2007 lalu. Sebelumnya negara tersebut juga menjadi tuan rumah dalam selang 1989 sampai 1991, dan 1961 sampai 1980 yang dilangsungkan di Watkins Glen.

Premier League Numbers And Stats

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:55:00 -0700

Arsenal

Robin van Persie has scored 25 of Arsenal's 48 Premier League goals in 2011.
Arsenal have won six of their last seven games in all competitions since losing 4-3 at Blackburn last month.
Gervinho recorded a pass completion of 84% v Stoke - his only misplaced touches were four crosses across the six-yard area.

Aston Villa

Darren Bent's penalty was Aston Villa's only shot on target against West Brom.
Six of the last seven matches between Aston Villa and West Brom have ended with a 2-1 scoreline.
Villa have thrown away more points from a winning position than any other PL team - seven. Those dropped points would put them in fifth.

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn attempted a massive 20 shots at home to Tottenham on Sunday.
They also committed a massive 20 fouls with Steven Nzonzi picking up his fifth yellow card in nine games.
Blackburn have won just five of 30 Premier League games with Steve Kean as manager.

Bolton Wanderers

Bolton have lost 12 of their last 14 Premier League games.
Bolton have not been involved in a PL draw since February 26 v Newcastle.
Chris Eagles has taken 13 shots in his last two games but scored only once.

Chelsea

Chelsea have gone eight PL games without a clean sheet - their worst run since 2003.
David Luiz has given away three penalties in just 14 Premier League games.
Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge were the only Chelsea outfield starters not to pick up a card at Loftus Road on Sunday.

Everton

All ten points claimed by Everton this season have come against teams currently in the bottom half of the table.
Royston Drenthe was the most fouled player of the weekend - drawing a massive eight free-kicks at Fulham.
The win at Fulham ended a run of nine visits to London without victory for Everton.

Fulham

Fulham's record of seven points from nine games echoes their 2007/08 season when Lawrie Sanchez lost his job in December.
Clint Dempsey has had more than twice as many shots (32) as any of his Fulham teammates this season.
Captain Danny Murphy (34) has been substituted in his last five Fulham appearances.

Liverpool

Luis Suarez had 11 shots against Norwich on Saturday - more than any other player in any Premier League game this season. He has now had 39 shots this season and scored just four PL goals.
Stewart Downing had six shots v the Canaries and failed to hit the target once.
Liverpool would be in second place if they had not thrown away six points from winning positions this season.

Manchester City

City scored with six of their seven shots on target at Old Trafford.
They have already scored more goals this season (33) than in the whole of the 2006/07 season (29).
Samir Nasri, David Silva, James Milner and Micah Richards have been credited with four or more PL assists already this season.

Manchester United

The 6-1 defeat to City was the biggest loss in their Premier League history.
It was their biggest derby defeat since 1926.
The last time they conceded six at Old Trafford was in 1930 against the mighty Huddersfield Town.

Newcastle United

Newcastle have remained unbeaten for 12 PL games for the first time since 1997.
Newcastle have scored fewer goals this season than last season (12 v 14) at this stage but have picked up eight more points (19 v 11)
If games ended after 45 minutes, Newcastle would be languishing in 11th place.

Norwich City

Norwich hit the target with 57% of their shots on Saturday at Anfield. Liverpool's figure was 31%.
Keeper John Ruddy was still credited with eight saves at Liverpool.
Left-back Marc Tierney is the only player to start every PL game for Norwich. He has attempted zero shots.

QPR

Heidar Helguson is QPR's top scorer this season with a grand total of two goals.
QPR have recorded their first home win since beating Sheffield United in April.
Joey Barton conceded the same number of free-kicks v Chelsea (5) as the previous five games put together.

Stoke City

Stoke have lost all three Sunday games after Europa League clashes by an aggregate of 9-1.
They managed a grand total of five shots on target in those three defeats.
Stoke have won only ten away games in 62 attempts in the Premier League.

Sunderland

Nicklas Bendtner has scored or assisted five of Sunderland's ten goals scored with him on the pitch this season.
Sunderland have conceded the same number of goals as Liverpool and Chelsea this season.
Stephane Sessegnon finally scored his first PL goal of the season with his 23rd shot on Saturday at Bolton.

Swansea City

Michel Vorm has been credited with an impressive 38 saves in nine PL games this season.
Danny Graham has scored with his only three shots on target in his last three games.
Swansea have picked up just 11 yellow cards this season - the same total as Manchester City.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham's 16 points from eight games echoes the 2009/10 season which ended with Spurs in fourth place.
Rafael van der Vaart has averaged a goal every 153 minutes of PL football for Tottenham.
The Dutchman has scored the opening goal in Tottenham's last four league games.

West Brom

Chris Brunt has failed to score with three of his last five PL spot-kicks.
Brunt now has eight PL assists from set-pieces since the start of 2010/11 - more than any other player.
West Brom have the same away record (seven points from five games) as Chelsea this season.

Wigan

Wigan have lost six consecutive Premier League games for the first time since Sept/Oct/Nov 2007 when Chris Hutchings lost his job.
Wigan have had 30 shots in their last two games but only four have been on target.
The Latics committed a weekend-high 22 fouls on Newcastle players on Saturday.

Wolves

Wolves have more points after nine games (eight) than at the same stage last season.
If games ended after 45 minutes, Wolves would be rock bottom of the Premier League.
Jamie O'Hara scored his first PL goal of the season with his 29th shot v Swansea on Saturday.

Tennis chief upbeat on Asian swing

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:42:00 -0700

TENNIS chiefs have played down fears that the Asian swing will become the perennial victim of player pull-outs at the end of the season after high-profile absentees at the Shanghai Masters.

The question of burnout was bubbling away again in Shanghai, missing a clutch of top 20 players including Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, taking some of the shine off the high-profile tournament which finished last Sunday.

America’s Andy Roddick said the no-shows from world No1 Djokovic and 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer were stark evidence of the toll put on players by heavy playing commitments.

The Asian swing consists of five events, taking players to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Tokyo and Shanghai. Andy Murray, the winner in Shanghai, made clear last month that players’ patience was wearing thin, even floating the possibility of a strike, although he sought to play down the issue last week.

Despite the weakened field in China, ATP chief executive Brad Drewett remains unperturbed and is convinced that players are still keen to come to Asia even towards the end of a long and arduous season.

"Events in Asia are some of the most prestigious of the year and the players very much enjoy playing here. Typically the fields for the Asian swing events have been very, very strong," he told AFP.

"Top players consistently say how much they enjoy playing here and they mean it. Players are very well treated here and that’s part of what makes playing these events so attractive," he said .

Drewett said withdrawals were not unique to Asia and it was important not to draw sweeping conclusions from just one tournament. "Just last year, eight of the top 10 players played in Beijing and Tokyo (held simultaneously), and Shanghai had 19 of the top 20 competing. You can’t look at playing patterns based on one year alone," he said.

The vast majority of the top players remain based in the US and Europe but while Drewett concedes local stars would help drive the tennis boom in Asia, he said the game was nevertheless making major strides.

"The ATP World Tour has made huge advancements in this region in the last decade and has a bona fide Asian swing with five strong events over three weeks with prize money nearing $8m, and a strong roster of corporate sponsors supporting them.

"This region definitely remains a focus for us. Of course, local stars always help to drive interest and I believe it’s really just a matter of when, not if, China will have a top player on the circuit. You look at (Kei) Nishikori’s achievements ... and it’s just fantastic. He’s already a huge star in Japan and rapidly increasing his profile globally." Nishikori reached the semifinals in Shanghai.

Drewett played down the chances of Asia ever having its own Grand Slam but nevertheless sees the region as a crucial growth area for the game.

"These events in Asia can be significant events on the ATP World Tour by having fantastic facilities, strong support from their governments and commercially from their sponsors and television. The opportunities are endless in this region."

This year’s schedule started with the Brisbane International on January 2 and finishes with the Davis Cup final starting on November 28.

But despite mutterings of discussions over the heavy schedule among players in Shanghai, it was more a matter of talks about talks with no sign of definitive action.

Murray made it clear that none of the players he knew wanted to strike and he had only said it was a possibility, adding they would try to meet before the end of the year. He said it was not a matter of root and branch reform.

"It’s basically just a matter of two or three weeks in the year that really I think need to change."

World No2 Rafael Nadal said the players were generally of one mind. "There is something there but it is not the right moment to talk about it," he said.

But despite the persistent rumblings Drewett is adamant that the players’ views have been taken on board. "The calendar has long been a topic of conversation and just last year we announced that we would be lengthening our off- season by two weeks beginning in 2012, meaning players will have seven weeks in between ATP World Tour seasons."

He said players’ wellbeing was paramount and the ATP had implemented changes such as reducing draw sizes, giving byes to the top eight seeds, and eliminating five-set finals.

Italy in mourning as tragic Simoncelli's body is flown back home for funeral

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:25:00 -0700

The body of MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli has arrived back in Italy following Sunday's fatal accident in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Simoncelli's father Paolo and fellow rider Valentino Rossi were aboard the flight that arrived at Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci airport on Tuesday.

They were greeted by Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Petrucci.

Devastated: Marco Simoncelli's father Paolo (left) is embraced by Italian Olympic president Giovanni Petrucci

Home: Airport officials remove the container with the coffin of Simoncelli on the Rome runway on Tuesday

Petrucci ordered a minute's silence before all football matches Sunday and players wore black armbands as a tribute to the young rider.

'On Sunday when we held a minute's silence there was a total demonstration of how much this kid was loved,' Petrucci said. 'We're here to demonstrate the love and affection for this kid.'

Simoncelli died of chest, head and neck injuries after he lost control of his Honda and swerved across the track, straight into the path of American rider Colin Edwards and Rossi.

Rossi, the seven-time world champion, was a good friend of Simoncelli's.

A public viewing of Simoncelli's body is planned for Wednesday in the city theatre of his hometown, Coriano, with the funeral scheduled for Thursday.

Tribute: A biker pays homage as the car with the body of Simoncelli leaves the airport in Rome

Rossi led the tributes for Simoncelli after he became the second high-profile death in motorsport in a week.

Simoncelli was killed exactly a week after British star Dan Wheldon died at the IndyCar 300 in Las Vegas.

Loss: Marco's father Paolo as the hearse drives away on Tuesday morning

The Gresini Honda rider lost control of his bike on the second lap of the circuit in Sepang and was hit by Edwards and Rossi.

The 24-year-old's helmet came off in the collision and he was taken to the medical centre for treatment, but died from his injuries.

Simoncelli suffered 'serious trauma' to the head, neck and chest in the accident.

The organisers cancelled Sunday's race as soon as the extent of Simoncelli's injuries became apparent.

Gresini Racing has now withdrawn its teams from the season-ending races at Valencia.

Team boss Fausto Gresini also confirmed his riders would miss the end-of-season tests which follow on from the November 6 races.

Shattered: Marco's girlfriend Kate at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome as his body returns home

'The only certainty is that my team won't participate in the upcoming Valencia Grand Prix and in the tests programmed after the race,' Gresini told Corriere dello Sport.

'Everything happened so fast. I'm lost for words. I know our job is dangerous, that risk is part of the game, but you always hope nothing happens.

'When it does happen and you find yourself in the middle of it, everything changes, it's difficult to accept it.

'The crash was caused by a sequence of incredibly negative circumstances, the bike that moved towards the inside of the turn instead of the outside, being run over on the widest track of the season.'

Hero: Fans laid flowers in Cattolica after the death of Mario Simoncelli

Rossi said: 'Marco was a star and I'll never forget him. There are a lot of memories that I'll hold onto. We were together everyday, we trained together and racing was our passion. We already knew that this was something that can happen.'

Rossi, who is struggling with Ducati this season, dismissed speculation that he might retire in the aftermath of the crash.

'I never said that. It was probably made up just to sell newspapers,' Rossi said.

Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa had a dispute with fellow factory Honda rider Simoncelli earlier this season, but news of his rival's death left last season's championship runner-up reeling.

Repsol Honda's Pedrosa said: 'In a tragedy like this there is not much to say. I just want to give my condolences to his family and all the people who love him.

Moment of horror: Simoncelli loses control on the second lap

Fall: Edwards spins off the track along with Simoncelli's bike as the 24-year-old Italian devastatingly lies motionless

'I've been with his father and all we could do was to hug, nothing else matters. It was a fatal accident and everybody in the paddock remains in shock.

'Many times we ourselves forget how dangerous this sport can be and when you lose people on the way nothing has any meaning. It's clear that we all do what we like, what we love, but on days like this nothing matters.'

Newly-crowned MotoGP champion Casey Stoner added: 'I'm so shocked and saddened by the loss of Marco. When things like this happen it reminds you how precious life is, it makes me feel sick inside.

'All I can say is how sorry I am for Marco's whole family. I can't imagine what they are all going through and our thoughts and wishes are with them at this time. I hope they all stay close and pull through this tragedy together.'

Speaking at a press conference following the tragedy, medical director Dr Michele Macchiagodena said of Simoncelli: 'Because of the crash he had during the race, in which he was hit by other riders, he suffered a very serious trauma to the head, to the neck and the chest.

Agony: Marco Simoncelli's father is comforted as he waits outside a medical centre where the rider was taken following a crash at the Malaysian Grand Prix

Sorrow: Honda team members (above and below) react to the sad news

'When our medical staff got to him he was unconscious. In the ambulance because there was a cardiac arrest they started CPR (cardiac pulmonary resuscitation).

'Immediately in the medical centre, with the help also of the doctor of our staff at the Clinica Mobile and local doctors, he was intubated and it was possible to take off some blood from the thorax.

'The CPR was continued for 45 minutes because we tried to help him for as long as we thought it was possible. Unfortunately it was not possible to help him and at 16:56 (local time) we had to declare he was dead.'

Simoncelli's compatriot and Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso said: 'I watched the images and I'm shocked: in a race you fight and push hard and disaster is often around the corner.

'Marco was a strong rider and he always pushed hard. We raced together since we were kids, I saw him always pushing to the maximum, he crashed many times, but without major injuries, he was seemed invincible. What happened today seems impossible.'

Simoncelli, who won the 250cc world championship in 2008, clinching the crown in Sepang, stepped up to MotoGP in 2010 and he finished eighth overall last season.

Losing control: Simoncelli (No 58) crashed on the second lap of the race, riding between Edwards and Valentino Rossi

Emergency: Race marshalls quickly arrive at the scene to assist the stricken Simoncelli

His death was the first fatality in MotoGP since Japan's Daijiro Katoh died from his injuries sustained at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix.

When asked about Simoncelli's helmet coming off, race director Paul Butler said at the press conference: 'I think if I may reply, that will be for another occasion. Quite clearly the consequences and circumstances surrounding the accident will be thoroughly investigated.'

Tributes poured in for Simoncelli from both MotoGP and the wider world of motorsport.

Formula One driver Mark Webber wrote on Twitter: 'R.I.P Marco A special talent that will be missed... Thinking of your loved ones, and all the motogp paddock..mark."

Britain's Jenson Button wrote on his Twitter account: 'R.I.P Marco... Such an exciting talent lost. My thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone involved in MotoGP. Motorsport can be so cruel...'

Wheeled away: Track officials remove Simoncelli's motorcycle after the dreadful accident

British rider Cal Crutchlow added on Twitter: 'RIP Marco Simoncelli ! A great rider and all round nice guy. My thoughts are with all his family & friends.'

Cancelled: Rubbish covers the track after the race was abandoned early in Sepang

Delivering the news: MotoGp officials relay the tragic announcement

'An inconceivable death which has stunned Italian sport. For this reason we decided that all sport today should honor him with a minute's silence.'

A statement on the MotoGP official website read: 'On Sunday 23rd October, during the MotoGP race at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, San Carlo Honda Gresini's Italian rider Marco Simoncelli suffered a serious accident in which he received critical injuries.

'The race was stopped immediately with the red flag and Simoncelli was transported by ambulance to the circuit medical centre where the medical staff worked to resuscitate him.

'Despite their efforts, Marco sadly succumbed to his injuries at 4:56pm local time.

Support: Simoncelli's girlfriend Kate is consoled by a TV crew member following her partner's tragic crash

Agony: Simoncelli's mother Rossella is inconsolable

'Everybody involved in MotoGP extends its deepest condolences to Marco's family, friends and team at this tragic loss.'

Simoncelli, who won the 250cc world championship in 2008, clinching the crown in Sepang, stepped up to MotoGP in 2010.

A message on Simoncelli's Gresini Honda team website read simply 'CIAO "SUPER SIC"'.

The Rizla Suzuki team wrote: 'All at Rizla Suzuki are deeply affected by today's tragic events and send their deepest condolences to Marco's family and friends during this time of great loss.

'R.I.P Marco Simoncelli, 20 January 1987 - 23 October 2011 - A true competitor.'

Of the other riders involved, Edwards suffered a dislocated shoulder after being thrown from his bike, while Rossi managed to limp back to the pits.

Meanwhile, Rossi's mentor has denied the Italian great will be retiring from the sport in the wake of his Simoncelli's death.

Davide Brivio, Rossi's manager at former team Yamaha, responded to widespread internet rumours that the 32-year-old was too upset to carry on racing.

'Many are asking about Vale stopping races. This is absolutely not true and I'm sorry even that I have to explain it,' Brivio wrote on Twitter.

Tribute: A huge screen shows a picture of Simoncelli during a minute's silence at the Roma v Palermo at the Olympic stadium

MALAYSIA HEAT 'TAKES THE CAKE'

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:14:00 -0700

Soaring temperatures and humidity levels are causing concern for the stellar field assembled for this week's CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

The co-sanctioned $6.1million PGA Tour and Asian Tour event begins on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, where temperatures are touching highs of 32 degrees and humidity is above 90 per cent.

American Brandt Snedeker - a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year - said: "I got in Monday night and kind of walked around and got acclimatised to it.

"We try to compare the weather here to Memphis because we play Memphis in June. Memphis in June is hot, but I think this takes the cake.

"This is mild today, they said. It's all overcast, but I walked outside and I was sweating at 9:00am."

Swede Fredrik Jacobson added: "I always had a tough time playing in Malaysia and in Thailand because coming from Sweden and living there, those were the first tournaments of the year for us in the 90s.

"I was coming straight out of the wintry climate in Sweden and coming into the hot, humid weather was always difficult. Now coming from Florida, the weather feels more like what I am used to in Florida."

American Jonathan Byrd, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, said he had never known heat like it. "I grew up in South Carolina and that's hot. But it's very different here, I sweated a lot today."

But not everyone was concerned. Asian Tour regular Siddikur, who prefers to go by the one name, said: "Coming from Bangladesh, this is normal for me. I like it."

Temperatures and humidity levels are expected to remain sky-high throughout the week and are unlikely to be tempered by the heavy rains that are also forecast.

Basketball clinic for youngsters held in Clark

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:09:00 -0700

CLARK FREEPORT -- More than 100 aspiring athletes from different schools in Pampanga participated in a one-day intensive basketball training sponsored by the AirAsia Philippine Patriots last Saturday at the Philippine Air Force gymnasium here.

Maan Hontiveros, AirAsia Philippines Incorporated chief executive officer, said the airline has constantly dedicated itself to supporting sports, not only abroad but also in the Philippines.

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“We are the title sponsor of the AirAsia Philippine Patriots, the country’s representative to the AirAsia Asean Basketball League. Today, we are taking our partnership a step farther with a community project that aims to involve Filipino kids and their parents in the sport of basketball,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros even paid tribute to Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) legend Billy Ray Bates, who displayed his skills in shooting and ball handling during the clinic.

Bates has been appointed as coach of the AirAsia Philippine Patriots. He was awarded as a PBA Hall of Famer recently.

“These kids may not be familiar with Mr. Bates but I am sure their parents can very well recall how Billy made an indelible impression as one of the best players in the Philippine basketball,” Hontiveros said.

“He is an inspiration to all of us. More than mastering the skills of the game, these young athletes will bring home a unique experience that they can share with their friends,” she added.

Jacque Ruby of the AirAsia Philippine Patriots affirmed Bates’s role in the team.

“Billy is not a coach to us but an inspiration. We look forward to practicing with him and hopefully we will bring home the championship ring next year,” Ruby said.

The basketball clinic provided participants fundamentals on the game. It was also aimed at developing discipline and confidence among the aspiring athletes.

AirAsia Philippines has also slated three more trainings on November 6 in Caloocan City, November 25 at Don Bosco School in Makati, and December 5 in Angeles City.

For his part, Bates said the level of basketball in the Philippines has improved tremendously.

“If these little boys and girls start learning the skills now, the Philippines will have a good shot at winning world championship and Olympic medals,” Bates said.

Hontiveros underscored the importance of sports in nation building. She even lauded parents for encouraging their children to participate in the sports activity.

“Sports is important not only for physical and mental development of our children but for national development. It is a source of national pride and self-esteem. Like what the Philippine Patriots team has been doing in the Asean basketball league and many others who came before them, sports bring together classes, races, and communities in shared pride,” Hontiveros said.

AirAsia is key partner of other international team such as Team Lotus (Formula 1), AirAisa British Grand Prix (MotoGP), Team AirAsia-Sepang International Circuit-Ajo (MotoGP), and Oakland Raiders (NFL).

It runs its own motorsport talent development program through the AirAsia Team Lotus Driver Development Program. It has recently announced major partnership with the English football squad, the Queens Park Rangers (popularly referred to as QPR).

AirAsia keeps abreast with the social media community through Facebook and Twitter accounts. Guests are able to receive real-time updates on the latest promotions and interact with AirAsia via facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines and twitter.com/AirAsiaPh.

Keothavong: Seventh semi-final match

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:09:00 -0700

British number three Anne Keothavong breezed into the semi-finals of the Luxembourg Open with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Bibiane Schoofs.

The world number 93 backed up Thursday's defeat of Ana Ivanovic with a performance of authority against the Dutch qualifier.

Keothavong dominated behind her serve, producing three aces as well as winning 70 percent of point on her second serve, as she won in an hour and five minutes.

The 28-year-old will take on Monica Niculescu in her seventh WTA Tour semi-final after the Romanian defeated Lucie Hradecka 6-4 6-4.

Azarenka through

Niculescu, ranked 34 in the world, will be a tough opponent for Keothavong as she bids to become the first British finalist in a main tour event since Jo Durie in 1990.

Top seed Victoria Azarenka moved through with a straight-sets defeat of Iveta Benesova.

The world number three was inconsistent with her serve, her two aces overshadowed by five double-faults.

However, the Belorussian prevailed and won 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 17 minutes.

Azarenka will now meet Julia Goerges, who progressed when her opponent Anastasija Sevastova retired with the German 5-2 ahead in the first set.

Could Spain’s second XI beat England?

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 03:31:00 -0700

While watching David Silva and Spain dismantle a dogged and compact Scotland on Wednesday, it struck me: this was hardly Spain’s best outfit and they were dominating.
Silva cemented his bona fides as one of the top half-dozen players in world football and Spain, with a team featuring second-choice players like Thiago Alcantara, Jordi Alba and Santi Cazorla, passed Scotland into an uneasy submission. The Scots, bless ‘em, tried hard but the Spaniards seemed at times to be playing not just another game, but on another plane.
The players who didn’t feature on Tuesday – Torres, Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Iniesta, Mata – mean it’s now apparent that Spain’s second XI could be one of the world’s ten best international outfits. Not accounting for squads (only first teams), they are helped by a healthy youth league and a relative dearth of great opposition: realistically, only the Netherlands and Germany are able to hold a candle to the Spaniards. Brazil and Argentina today are still good, but only resemble their most terrifying best.
The FIFA world rankings (hardly the greatest indicator, but the only one we’ve got) suggest the world’s top ten sides are Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, England, Croatia and Argentina.
In living up to their position description as confusing and nonsensical, the FIFA rankings have Croatia ranked ninth and Greece sitting in eleventh position. This is in spite of both squads finding themselves in the same qualifying group for Euro 2012; a group from which Greece qualified and Croatia now face a tricky playoff tie with Turkey.
We can, however, suggest this is a fairly accurate representation of the best teams in world football.
Were Spain’s Second XI to feature in the FIFA rankings, they’d come up against three great teams (Germany, the Netherlands and Uruguay), two inconsistent ones (the other South Americans) and four eminently beatable squads, each with major weaknesses. Apart from perhaps a perceived weakness in central defence, Spain II play a similar brand of football to their first-choice brethren, have pace in abundance and, as they showed on Tuesday, discipline.
Using Spain’s favoured 4-2-3-1, the second furia roja would probably include: Valdes; Alba, Jose Enrique, Alvaro Arbeloa and Raul Albiol; Thiago, Javi Martinez, Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla and Pedro; and Fernando Llorente.
Wow.
The argument could be made that this team also features some of the best players dozen players in Spain. In this lineup Pedro plays for the twos, yet started in their World Cup triumph last year – superseded by Mata and Silva. Valdes’ recent success in head-to-head battles with Casillas now invites, rather than discourages, comparison between the two. Fabregas is shuttled out of the Spain midfield (as with club) by players comfortably in the World’s top five. Spain has played better recently when Llorente – rather than Torres – has led the line.
This club may even trouble the the vaunted Spain first team. The Spain Second XI are, on paper, a better team than Croatia, Portugal and even Italy. Place Spain v2.0 in any one of the Euro 2012 qualifying groups (and back them with suitable squad depth) and they at least make the playoffs from each. It’s probably also the case that they’d slice England to pieces also.
The simile used most with Spain (and Barcelona) is “death by one thousand cuts”. Perhaps a more appropriate metaphor may be that Spanish football is at present drowning the rest of the football world – inexorably, constrictingly and (given their outstanding Euro U-21 campaign) shows no signs of receding. All that is certain is the next wave of Spanish attacks could well overwhelm a struggling Scot, Lithuanian or even Oranje. After decades of torment, La Furia Roja is certainly making up for lost time.
While going back-to-back-to-back at major tournaments is so difficult that it’s spoke of in grail-like reverence, the smart money for next year’s Euros is on a three-peat – perhaps simply because the difficulty of staying focused for such a period is balanced by the failure of chief rivals Germany and the Netherlands to bridge a gaping talent gap.

Manchester United v Manchester City : A Statistical Preview

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 03:20:00 -0700

We look a statistical preview ahead of Manchester United v Manchester City, the key football statisticsleading into the game, comparing the forward lines of both clubs and Manchester United’s defensive weaknesses this season.

MANCHESTER’S GOAL-HUNGRY STRIKERS SETTING LEAGUE ALIGHT

Both Manchester clubs have been in superb goalscoring form in the Premier League, with City netting a league-high 27 goals so far, followed by United in second place with 25.

Both sides’ frontlines have hit the ground running this season, with eight of the top 10 places in the Minutes per Goal rankings coming from either the blue or the red half of Manchester.

Mins per goal – PL 2011/12 Top Goalscorers – PL 2011/12

Prem Lge 11/12	Team	Goals	Mins per Goal	Prem Lge 11/12	Games	Goals
Agüero	Man City	8	55	Man City	8	27
Rooney	Man Utd	9	62	Man Utd	8	25
Dzeko	Man City	6	69	Chelsea	8	20
Balotelli	Man City	3	75	Tottenham	7	13
Sturridge	Chelsea	4	78	Arsenal	8	12
Ba	Newcastle Utd	5	79	Bolton	8	12
Welbeck	Man Utd	3	106	Liverpool	8	11
Hernández	Man Utd	3	107	Newcastle Utd	8	11

*Only including players to score 3+ goals

For City, summer signing Sergio Aguero has been their top scorer, with the Argentine netting a goal every 55 minutes on average, while he has also managed to provide two assists. The Citizens two other regular strikers this season, the in-form duo of Balotelli and Dzeko have also started the season superbly, netting nine goals between them so far. Interestingly, despite his image as a physical target man, the Bosnian has also created 13 goal-scoring chances so far this season, a haul only Wayne Rooney and Kevin Doyle can better among central strikers.

The ubiquitous Rooney has already notched a league-high nine goals this season as well as providing two assists (and those 18 goal-scoring chances), while Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Danny Welbeck have also been reliable scorers, netting three a piece so far.

The forgotten men Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov have yet to set their seasons alight, for different reasons, but with their attacking team-mates scoring for fun so far, they haven’t been missed.

Premier League 2011/12 – Manchester Strikers

Prem Lge 11/12	Agüero	Balotelli	Dzeko	Tévez	Rooney	Hernández	Welbeck	Berbatov
Team	City	City	City	City	Utd	Utd	Utd	Utd
Minutes On Pitch	436	226	412	90	561	321	318	106
Goal Attempts
Goals	8	3	6	0	9	3	3	0
Mins per goal	55	75	69	-	62	107	106	-
Total Shots	21	13	17	5	31	7	10	3
Shooting Accuracy	52%	38%	65%	60%	55%	71%	50%	67%
Conversion Rate	38%	23%	35%	0%	29%	43%	30%	0%
Passing
Goal Assists	2	0	1	0	2	0	2	0
Chances Created	9	6	13	4	18	4	4	0

UNITED GIVING OPPOSITION TOO MANY CHANCES TO SHOOT

Despite their impressive start to the new Premier League season, Manchester United have allowed their opponents to fire in a total of 47 shots on target so far, a figure only Bolton Wanderers can “better”.

Luckily for the Red Devils, only six of those shots have ended as goals for the opposition. Indeed, that total of just six goals conceded is a joint-league low, along with rivals Manchester City and in-form side Newcastle United.

Premier League 2011/12 – Goals and Shots On Conceded

Prem Lge 11/12	Games	Goals Conceded	Prem Lge 11/12	Games	Shots On Conceded
Man City	8	6	Bolton Wanderers	8	51
Man Utd	8	6	Man Utd	8	47
Newcastle Utd	8	6	Swansea City	8	44
Stoke City	8	8	Tottenham	7	44
Aston Villa	8	9	Wigan Athletic	8	44

Interestingly, while United’s regular midfielders Anderson and Darren Fletcher have been impressive going forward this season, they rank quite low in terms of the frequency of their tackles when compared to the top division’s other regular midfielders.

Premier League 2011/12 – Central Midfielders – Top Tacklers

Ranking	Player	Team	Mins per Tackle
1	Lucas	Liverpool	14.3
2	Cattermole	Sunderland	17.6
3	Mulumbu	West Brom	17.7
4	Parker	Tottenham	18.5
5	Cabaye	Newcastle Utd	20.1

13	Anderson	Man Utd	28.4
42	Fletcher	Man Utd	45.0

*only including players to play 300+ minutes

However, the star of the show for Manchester United, defensively speaking, has been young goalkeeper David De Gea, who has blossomed between the posts after enduring a difficult start to his career in English football.

The Spanish shot-stopper has posted the best saves to shots rate in the division so far, while he has also made more saves. His City counterpart, Joe Hart, ranks second in terms of his save percentage, although the England man has kept twice as many clean sheets as the United No.1

Premier League 2011/12 – Top 5 saves-to-shots ratio

Prem Lge 11/12	Team	Saves	Save %	Clean Sheets	Goals Conceded
De Gea	Man Utd	36	85.7%	2	6
Hart	Man City	23	79.3%	4	6
Begovic	Stoke City	27	77.1%	4	8
Krul	Newcastle Utd	20	76.9%	3	6
Given	Aston Villa	28	75.7%	3	8

Beckham Fever To Fashion In Paris?

fiola.200108@gmail.com (I-One's) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 02:02:00 -0700

The story of David Beckham’s football career has been an extraordinary tale. And yet, even at the not-so-tender age of 36, the world’s most famous footballer appears to have another chapter. Currently, Beckham’s MLS career is dwindling towards its conclusion with his lucrative contract to expire in November. Consequently, demand for the illustrious midfielder has heightened.

Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain are one among many clubs eager to acquire David Beckham. After huge financial commitment from the Qatar Investment Authority, PSG’s manifesto prioritises the development of global presence. Summer signings, such as Kevin Gameiro and Javier Pastore, have proven auspicious, but obtaining Beckham’s signature would provide a healthy injection for PSG’s reputation.

David Beckham’s global prominence has certainly favoured his previous employers. For instance, the English midfielder was, most certainly, a large contributor to Manchester United’s popularity rise in the Far East. Even today, ‘Beckham Fever’ remains a highly contagious epidemic. From Madrid to Los Angeles, the symptoms are alike: mass hysteria among the throng of adulating fans.

There are signs already that ‘Beckham Fever’ is rapidly spreading through Paris. French newspaper, Le Parisien, bestowed three pages on Paris Saint-Germain’s potential capture of Beckham. Furthermore, the news has also intrigued the PSG camp with players, such as Sylvain Armand, Salvatore Sirigu and Christophe Jallet, expressing excitement.

David Beckham himself is flattered to be linked to Paris Saint-Germain. In PSG’s favour is Leonardo’s amicable relationship with Beckham. The PSG sporting director has worked previously with the former England captain whilst at AC Milan. Moreover, Leonardo speaks of the ‘PSG Project’ and envisions great future success for the French side. Are the incentives sufficient to persuade Beckham to relocate?

Moving to Paris may come with an exorbitant salary for David Beckham, but the ex-Manchester United winger is adamant about the happiness of his family. Obviously, this serves as a possible sticking point for any team who desire David Beckham’s multi-service, let alone Paris Saint-Germain. In addition, Beckham has made no secret of his desire to return to the Premier League. A sporting director role at his beloved Manchester United has been mooted, whereas Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers are said to be interested in adding Beckham to their respective squads.

Reports suggesting that David Beckham is poised to join Paris Saint-Germain are premature. However, the rumours continue to circulate and Beckham hasn’t exactly poured cold water over the idea. Is David Beckham’s fame to shine in the City of Lights?