Giovanni Trapattoni announced his 23-man squad for Ireland’s game against Poland on November 19th (a friendly) but has left Sunderland’s Andy Reid out of the squad.

Reid, who has been criticised in the recent past for his weight and fitness had been selected by Trapattoni for three of Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers earlier this year but never made it off the bench. Now, he doesn’t make it to the panel and the media continue to question why Reid doesn’t feature for the Irish team.

Personally, I think it’s a pity. I like Andy Reid, he’s committed, plays the ball well, works well in the team but obviously Trapattoni (who I’m not going to question) sees something in him he doesn’t like. Every manager has their favourites and for the moment it’s just not Reid.

Ireland’s game against Poland kicks off at 8pm next Wednesday night, November 19th in Croke Park. The panel is as follows -

Goalkeepers: Shay Given, Dean Kiely, Joe Murphy

Defenders: Paul McShane, John O’Shea, Richard Dunne, Kevin Kilbane, Alex Bruce, Damien Delaney, Kevin Foley.

Midfielders: Aiden McGeady, Keith Andrews, Darron Gibson, Glen Whelan, Damien Duff, Stephen Hunt, Liam Miller, Andy Keogh.

Forwards: Robbie Keane, Anthony Stokes, Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, Caleb Folan.

Gone are the days when I used to be able to name an Irish starting eleven…

“A consortium of South African business men” are reported to have met with club officials at the weekend with the view to a potential takeover deal.

The club aren’t saying a thing about their present financial situation other than the fact they are “fine” and the current owner is still putting money into the club.

We haven’t seen or heard anything concrete either that would give an idea as to how much the club is set to go for, should it change hands, but the talks themselves are reportedly going well and are an at advanced stage. Is this the first case of potential South African owners of a Premier League club?

With ex-Reds Cisse and Diouf along with Kenwyne Jones standing above him in the pecking order, Chopra will head back to his old haunt at Cardiff until Christmas. With David Connolly having undergone more surgery a week ago and showing no sign of returning any time soon I would imagine Sunderland wouldn’t want to be without Chopra for too long.

While he scored a goal every other game for Cardiff (in just one season), he’s currently got six goals to his name out of 33 games, a record that could do with improving.

Chopra aside, it will be interesting to see what Keane can push out of Cisse and Diouf at Sunderland before the season is out. I wasn’t the keenest on Diouf’s presence at Liverpool though I’ll admit I was disappointed to see nothing more being made of Cisse in his time at the club.

Petrov was undergoing strengthening work on a damaged meniscus, an injury collected on international duty for Bulgaria. Mark Hughes has announced that Petrov is to head to Spain to see if surgery is required and as a result could looking at a possible four month absence.

This will no likely relight the fires under the ongoing argument of players getting injured while on international duty. Liverpool are in the same situation with Fernando Torres who missed both games against his (and Petrov’s) former club, Atletico Madrid.

Ahead of tomorrow night’s clash with FC Twente, Man City are also waiting on the fitness of Richard Dunne, the captain rated doubtful to tomorrow’s game with fluid on his knee.

The Dubious Goals Panel, those wise owls who review those questionable goals in the Premier League (i.e. who gets credit for the goal) have made their first publication of the season and have culled a few goals, including Jamie Carragher’s goal against Middlesbrough and Kevin Kilbane’s goal for Wigan against Hull.

Here’s the list in full…

1. Liverpool’s first goal against Middlesbrough on 23rd August was in fact an own goal (Emanuel Pogatetz) and has therefore not been credited to Jamie Carragher.
2. Manchester United’s goal against Portsmouth on 25th August has been confirmed as a Darren Fletcher goal.
3. Arsenal’s third goal against Newcastle United on 30th August has been confirmed as a Denilson goal.
4. Wigan Athletic’s first goal against Hull City on 30th August has been confirmed as an own goal (Sam Ricketts).
5. West Ham United’s second goal against Blackburn Rovers on 30th August has been confirmed as an own goal (Christopher Samba).
6. Arsenal’s first goal against Blackburn Rovers on 13th September 2008 has been confirmed as a Robin van Persie goal.
7. Manchester City’s goal against Chelsea on 13th September 2008 has been confirmed as a Robinho goal.
8. West Ham United’s second goal against West Bromwich Albion on 13th September 2008 has been confirmed as a Lucas Neill goal.
9. West Ham United’s first goal against Newcastle United on 20th September has been confirmed as a David Di Michele goal.
10. Arsenal’s goal against Hull City on 27th September was in fact an own goal (Paul McShane) and has therefore not been credited to Cesc Fabregas.
11. Arsenal’s first goal against Everton on 18th October has been confirmed as a Samir Nasri goal.
12. Chelsea’s third goal against Middlesbrough on 18th October was in fact an own goal (David Wheater) and has therefore not been credited to Salomon Kalou.

Via PremierLeague.com

We’re covering the Champions League again tonight with the team keeping an eye on Celtic vs Man United at Celtic Park. With that game just getting underway we’re also bringing you all the goal action in the Champions League tonight.

Keep an eye on FootballAccess.com/live or join us on Twitter.

Dennis Bergkamp retired from the game two years ago after a prolific Arsenal career. Now back in Holland, Bergkamp is part of the backroom team at Ajax

Jokingly he was quoted as saying “you don’t have to be an Arsenal player” to join the Portsmouth coaching staff though he is keen to bring in his own people and put his own stamp on things sooner rather than later.

Bergkamp was to begin a fast-track coaching program this summer, studying under Arsene Wenger and has since joined Ajax in a trainee capacity involved with youth affairs. Having spent eleven years playing for Arsenal, I would imagine he would have no hesitations in returning to the Premier League, though if Arsenal were to offer him the same position you know where he’d up.

Still, it would be interesting to see him in the stands or shouting the odds from the sideline if it came down to it. No doubt it would be a great benefit to the likes of Crouch and Defoe as well having someone of Bergkamp’s stature involved in training.

I’d watched an interview with him recently where he claimed he would be happy to help out, given he is a season ticket holder and holds a special place for Spurs, if Harry Redknapp chose to call on him. Almost as soon as Redknapp was connected with the job both Ferdinand and Tim Sherwood were being lined up in the media as potential coaches and Ferdinand has now agreed a deal as a ’strikers consultant’ for the club.

Ferdinand clocked up 18 seasons of football in his career and can be regarded (we feel) as one of the greatest names to feature in the Premier League since its inception. Spells at Newcastle (pictured), Spurs, QPR, West Ham, Leicester, Bolton and Reading saw Ferdinand contribute goals that still make the highlight reels for the league.

Ferdinand now 41 joins Tim Sherwood as part of Spurs backroom staff. He had moved to Spurs originally in 1997 for six million pounds after two years at Newcastle. In 149 games for Spurs he managed to knock in a total of 39 goals.

More Champions League action for you tonight and we’ll be bringing you all the goal action from across the groups here via Football Access Live. If you want to get the latest updates tonight, click the live link above or follow us on Twitter.

Here’s tonight’s fixtures…

• AaB vs Villarreal
• Arsenal vs Fenerbahce
• BATE vs Zenit St Petersburg
• Celtic vs Man Utd
• Dynamo Kiev vs FC Porto
• Fiorentina vs Bayern Munich
• Lyon vs Steaua Bucuresti
• Real Madrid vs Juventus

All games have a 7:45pm kick off and we’ll be following the action right here on FootballAccess.com.

The news comes hot on the heels of Arsene Wenger’s criticism of Stoke’s physical play on Saturday, slammer the new boys as “cowards”.

The injury means that Adebayor will play no part in Arsenal’s clash tonight with Fenerbache in the Champions League. A three week lay off would also rule Adebayor out of a string of games including Man United this weekend, Wigan Athletic (Carling Cup), Aston Villa next weekend and possibly Man City on the 22nd, returning match fit for Chelsea at the end of the month.

Sagna should return for Arsenal tonight but the Gunners are still looking at the absence of both William Gallas and Theo Walcott tonight.

Arsenal kick off against Fenerbache tonight at the Emirates Stadium at 7:45pm.

Here’s how all the other games finished.

Group A

Cluj 1 - 2 Bordeaux

Bordeaux were up against Cluj in Group A and managed to come away with a 2-1 win. The French side opened the scoring on with Yoann Gourcuff firing a right footed shot into the back of the net from close range. Dani leveled things for Cluj with a good header four minutes later before Bordeaux wrapped up the scoring for the game before half time, Wendel sending in a free kick into the top right corner.

Roma 3 - 1 Chelsea

Roma ran out deserving winners against a lacklustre Chelsea in Rome in a game which saw Deco get sent off, somewhat unluckily in the second half. Booked in the first half, Deco picked up a second for trying to play a free kick in the second half, the referee with no option but to send him off.

It took Roma 34 minutes to find the net and when they did it was Cristian Panucci, picking up the ball from a light Cicinho cross into the Chelsea box. Three minutes into the second half it was all Roma, Brighi setting up Vucinic to lash home. Vucinic took his second and Roma’s third with a 50-odd yard run on the 58th minute before the Italians conceded an easy goal from John Terry with 15 minutes to play.

Group B

Anorthosis Famagusta 3 - 3 Inter Milan

Anor who? That’s what I was asking myself before the game and when you see the final score - coming from behind twice, then going in front, you’d be forgiven for doing a double take yourself. Inter Milan opened the scoring through Balotelli on 14 minutes before being pegged back by Bardon on the half hour mark. Hitting stoppage time in the first half, Marco Materazzi popped up for Inter to make it 2-1, only to have his effort immediately canceled out by Anorthosis’ second through Giorgos Panagi with a close range header.

The home side moved in front five minutes into the second half with a Nicolaos Frousos strike before Julio Cruz saved Inter’s blushed on 80 minutes with a header to wrap the game up at 3-3.

Werder Bremen 0 - 3 Panathinaikos

The the Weserstadion, hosts Werder Bremen were thoroughly undone in the second half with goals from Mantzios (58 min), Karagounis (70 min) and Tziolis, striking from outside the box on 83 minutes.

Group C

Barcelona 1 - 1 Basle

It took Barcelona just over an hour to find the back of the net, and when they did it came through Lionel Messi on 62 minutes, the Argentinian combining well with Thierry Henry to fire from outside the box to put the Spaniards in the lead. Barcelona would let two points slip away with under ten minutes to go in the second half when Eren Derdiyok popped up to fire home a late equaliser for Basle.

Sporting 1 - 0 Shakhtar Donetsk

Marat Ismailov set up Sporting’s Derlei on the 73rd minute to score the Portuguese side’s only goal of the game in a so-so encounter between Sporting and Shakhtar Donetsk at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Group D

Liverpool 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid

Liverpool vs Atletico was our featured game of the evening, with live commentary available on Twitter and via Football Access Live.

Liverpool started well with some good chances in the early stages but took the foot off the gas for most of the first half - sloppy passing, no real pace or closing down, balls going nowhere. Madrid capitalized and made it 1-0 before the end of the first half.

The second half started much the same way but Liverpool’s never-say-die attitude shone through, the home side rewarded with a penalty deep into extra time. Steven Gerrard had no problem stepping up to the plate to fire home for The Reds and nick a point right at the death.

Marseille 3 - 0 PSV

Marseille managed to end a six game winless streak in the Champions League, and stuff PSV for three goals with Kone (30) and Niang (63, 71) making light work of a poor PSV side. Lucky enough too the game went ahead given the weather conditions in Marseille, the Stade Velodrome passing a pitch inspecetion at 6:15 to get the game started on time at 7:45.

The win would have put either Liverpool or Atletico through to the last sixteen had one side claimed all three points but for the moment, it’s still all to play for.

Liverpool have had limited chances from both set-pieces and open play, hindered by passes that are going nowhere in the first half.

Robbie Keane did come close in the opening stages of the first half and, credit to them, when they put the pressure on they can put the pressure on but tonight they just seem to be off the boil altogether. They’re shining in spots but spots is all.

As a result, they trail 1-0 at the break, Atletico going ahead with ten minutes to spare through Maxi Rodriguez, Simao having earlier missed an absolute sitter of a goal.

As things stand now, Marseille are currently 1-0 up against PSV, a win for Marseille and Atletico cements Atletico’s passage into the second round, leaving Liverpool with all the work to do in their next European outing.

Missing Torres is a pain, but it’s no excuse. They really do need to turn it around for the second half.

The ban comes after Keane challenged the referee’s decision to allow Chelsea’s second goal, one of Nicolas Anelka’s three for the day, the Frenchman scoring from offside. Keane had warned his side that he’d haul anyone under performing off after just five minutes but it wouldn’t make a difference - the Black Cats were absolutely hammered, ending up on the wrong side of a 5-0 mauling.

When Keane approached referee Martin Atkinson in the tunnel at half time, we can’t imagine that he minced his words and as such was sent to the stands for the remainder of the game.

While Keane has until the 19th of the month to respond, given the referee’s report and action during the game we’re expecting to see either a handy fine for Sunderland or indeed a further match ban for his conduct.

You can follow all the Champions League action tonight in our first full night of Champions League coverage on Football Access.

While we’ll be keeping our eyes and offering thoughts on the Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid match, we’ll also get you all the goal updates from across groups A through D as and when they happen.

Follow us on Twitter or bookmark footballaccess.com/live.

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid will be our live focus tonight. Follow the updates on Twitter by visiting Twitter.com/FootballAccess or bookmark FootballAccess.com/live

In the Premier League, 40 points is deemed safety. If you can get 40 points out of a possible 114 on offer across the season, you should be safe from relegation - knowing that the top tier teams score upwards of 70 and those in the dregs of relegation often far below 40.

In the Champions League group stage, 10 points seems to be the magic number. Make it to ten and you’re virtually assured that you’ll make it into the knockout stages of the competition.

If that’s the case, then both Liverpool and Atletico Madrid should be out for blood tonight knowing that whoever takes victory pretty much seal their passage into the next round, helped greatly if Marseille can topple PSV.

As it stands, both Liverpool and Atletico have seven points a-piece, PSV three and Marseille still to put something on the board. Anything less than a win for Marseille tonight would write them out of the competition. A draw game at Anfield and a win for Marseille over PSV might make things a little more interesting but in the grand scheme of things I would be surprised if both Liverpool and Atletico fail to progress.

Liverpool, at this stage of the competition could have gone out to play for the draw if they had managed to beat Atletico in October, instead giving away the points late in the game after starting well. One difference in their favour tonight is the possible return of Fernando Torres to face his old club. He couldn’t make the trip to the Vincente Calderon back in October but should at least make it as far as the bench in tonight’s featured game.

Injury-wise there isn’t too much to report for both side. Tomas Ujfalusi is ruled out for Atletico and other than the state of Torres’ fitness, Liverpool shouldn’t have any concerns, both sides expected to field max-strength teams.

It will be interesting to see what kind of a reception Liverpool old-boys Pongolle and Luis Garcia garner. While I wasn’t much of a Pongolle fan in fairness, I did like Luis Garcia at Liverpool, particularly in his Champions League contributions (Juventus, anyone?).

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid goes out live on Sky Sports tonight and on RTE 2 (Ireland). You can listen to the game online via LiverpoolFC.tv if you’ve got an eSeason ticket or you can follow the game here live on FootballAcess.com. Kick off 7:45pm (GMT)

I’d settle for a sore throat if it meant the shouting and encouragement turned the team around for the second half to lift us from bottom of the table up to fourteenth in the league.

With a short term contract in his hands, Kinnear seems to be steering Newcastle in the right direction. A 2-2 draw against Man City, which should have been a Newcastle win; a win last week against West Brom with Joey Barton’s return and now two goals from Martins last night to add to the points haul - will we still see Joe Kinnear in the hotseat come Christmas?

Or will the Magpies get their gift of having Alan Shearer step in as manager?

I say leave him in the job. You’ve brought him in at this point, for the love of God go create some stability at Newcastle and let him do something with the club, even if it’s only until the end of the season.

In the last three games against Aston Villa (including last night), Newcastle have had three different managers - Allardyce, Keegan and now Kinnear. Laughing stock is the only phrase I can think of that would fit Newcastle should the corresponding fixture in the New Year yield a fourth manager.

He lost his voice, it worked wonders. Now get it back again and go get yourself another three points.

I’m on the fence about Dirk Kuyt, he’s great in bursts but seems to be finding himself again this season, forming a nice partnership with both Robbie Keane and Fernando Torres.

Agger, while having last season effectively ruined on him by injury is gradually making his way back into the first team and is the replacement for Sami Hyypia that Liverpool always longed for.

While Kuyt and Agger have 18 months left to run on their current deal, so too does Benitez. The way his relationship has gone with the powers that be in the last two seasons, maybe only a title win this season or some kind of silverware would be enough to secure his own contract, never mind those of Kuyt and Agger.

Big Football Manager fans that we are (and Championship Manager in a lifetime before that) there will be some additional FM coverage on Football Access following the release as we document are progress from the dizzying heights of the conference with our own Football Access team up to the dizzying heights of… well, the Football League possibly.

Vanilla Demo

The vanilla version of the demo is English language only, and features the English and Scottish leagues, with no player photos or logos in order to reduce the size of the download.

Strawberry Demo

The strawberry version of the demo includes all player pictures and logos, with quickstarts for the world’s biggest leagues, giving players a chance to try out their skills in leagues from multiple countries. With the strawberry version (we’re currently downloading) you get

• Full Assets
• In-game languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
• Quickstarts: England, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia

Visit FootballManager.com for the download links and once you’ve downloaded, let us know what you think!

It’s always fun at this point of the season. You’re in relegation, but with so few games played you can’t stay there for long. This is exactly what’s happened with Newcastle tonight with Obafemi Martins bagging a brace to take Newcastle from bottom of the Premier League up to 14th, ahead of rivals Sunderland on goal difference.

The first half of the match was a little stagnant but whatever Joe Kinnear managed to say in the dressing room at half time seemed to turn things around.

The breakthrough for the Magpies came with about a half hour to play in the second half. Joey Barton, who’d been having trouble linking up with Martins in the first half found the Nigerian striker on the edge of the box, Martins turning to fire low beyond Brad Friedel.

Nicky Butt came close to adding a second a few minutes later before Martins popped up again to sink Aston Villa with a second. Jonas Gutierrez was a man on a mission down the left flank, crossing to Martins in space for him to fire home his and Newcastle’s second.

The table will make a nice change of reading for Newcastle fans tomorrow, the win lifting them out of relegation and off the bottom of the table up to the dizzying heights of 14th. Of course, it will give Roy Keane something to gun for, Sunderland having enjoyed the better of the North East rankings over the past few weeks.

Michael Owen too managed to make a come back, stepping onto the field at the tail end of extra time, the move a likely indicator that we’ll see Owen in action against Fulham this coming Sunday.

With the launch of the main Football Access blog we’ve decided to bring back the live match updates but to go a different route - Twitter.

If you’re not a Twitter user, not to worry. You don’t need to be a member to view our Twitter updates, available at twitter.com/footballaccess. You might have also noticed that underneath the menu at the top of the site we’ve got a ‘Live on Twitter’ feed.

Of course, you can sign up for free on Twitter and make friends with or follow the Football Access Twitter feed.