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Three footballers Mohammad Hasan Adela, Michael Taiwo and Wahid Adenkule were sentenced to 14 days of prison time by Alipore Court, Kolkata. The footballers were arrested based on complaints against them by their neighbours. Hasan plays for Mohammedan SC while other two play for Kalighat MS. After this sentence they are likely to miss respective clubs’ I-League Division Two final round matches.
(Anandabazar Patrika)

Naoba Singh is reported to be out for rest of the season after a knee injury.

Unconfirmed sources within Air India have revealed that the parent company of the football club do not have any plan to comply with AFC critieria. If Air India does not compy with AFC guidelines then the existence of the club will be in jeopardy from next season.
(Sangbad Pratidin)

Mohun Bagan and Churchill Brothers’ participation in this year’s IFA Shield still remains uncerain. Mohun Bagan have lost a clutch of players to senior and junior national teams while the owners of Churchill Brothers club are right now busy with local elections in Goa.

Savio Medeira had this to say about India’s 5-1 loss to Oman. “There were defensive lapses in the game and we have to correct our mistakes. The back four which played together for the first time and it is understandable they will take some to get that combination right between themselves. We conceded two goals within three minutes and that upset our rhythm. Some of the boys made their debut and it took them some time to get started. Midway into the first half, the boys settled down and started combining well. But the start spoiled it for us”.

Churchill Brothers defeated Vasco 4-2 in Goa Super Division League on Friday. All goals were scored in first half. Henri Antchouet scored a brace for Churchill while Sabino Rodrigues and Jaspreet Singh added to the tally. Sagar Bathkhande and Lalit Thapa scored Vasco’s goals. Churchill Brothers go top of the table after this win.

As the title race in the English Premier League moves ever closer to its climax, it looks increasingly likely that the race will be a two-horse one, between the two Manchester clubs. It’s also looking entirely plausible that this is a race that will go down right to the wire.

City has led the table for many months now, and currently hold a two-point lead. Fans of both the sides will have been scouring the fixture lists, trying to work out who holds the advantage, where points may be dropped, who has the easier run-in, and so on. But in a season of strange results, it’s hard to predict how all this will end.

Another thing that is increasingly being wheeled out, especially by United players keen to discuss City in the media, is that United hold one key advantage. No, not the mythical statistic that says they perform much better in the second half of the season, but the more logical advantage of experience – quite simply, they’ve been here and done it before – in fact, every season is a title challenge for United. It’s a season that’s no different to any other, unlike for City, who are entering new territory (though it’s some time since United have been in direct competition with such a hated rival, which may explain the verbal diarrhoea of certain members of their squad).

Such talk brings back memories of Newcastle’s title challenge under Kevin Keegan, ending in ignominy, and a near-breakdown for their emotional manager, as a twelve point lead was squandered to allow United in to win the title. This was seen as the ultimate example of the great pretenders bottling a title challenge whilst their experienced foes kept their nerve and flew over the finishing line.

It was 1995 and Newcastle held a 12-point lead over Manchester United with 16 games to play, winning 16 of their first 22 matches, including home wins over Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Leeds United. Then came the collapse. Five defeats in their next 11, losing 1-0 at home to United and in one of the best Premier League games in history, a 4-3 defeat at Anfield in which goals from Ginola, Ferdinand and Asprilla weren’t enough to prevent Stan Collymore’s injury-time game winner, leaving Keegan slumped on the touch-line. The Magpies drew their final two games at home to Nottingham Forest and Spurs, gifting Manchester United the title by four points.

So, how will City cope with a smaller lead as we enter the crucial last couple of months of the season? Looking at the City squad, and it is one not heavily experienced in a Premier League title race. Joe Hart is, of course, on new ground, along with many of the defence in front of him. The captain Vincent Kompany is coolness personified, but again this is new ground for him. The same goes for the likes of Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Pablo Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov and Stefan Savic. Gael Clichy has a title under his belt many years ago, but wasn’t first choice that season, deputising for Ashley Cole.

James Milner and Gareth Barry lack experience of a title race too, though new loanee David Pizarro saw a title win at Inter (not as a regular first-teamer). Samir Nasri and Adam Johnson are in new territory too – Nasri was involved in a failed title race with Marseille that earned them a 2^nd place finish. Also, Nigel De Jong has a Dutch title to his name, and a controversial World Cup final appearance to boot. David Silva has appeared in the Euros Final for Spain, and of course Yaya Toure lacks nothing in terms of experience, except in this country.

Can Roberto Mancini keep his cool, unlike Keegan and Rafa?

Likewise, Mario Balotelli has title-winning experience, not that Super Mario will be be fazed either way. Edin Dzeko won the German title with Wolfsburg, and then of course there’s Carlos Tevez. He certainly has what takes for a title run-in, but how long he’ll get on a football pitch is debatable. And finally, there’s Sergio Aguero, again without the experience of a title push, but with the mentality not to suffer under tense conditions.

Off the field, Roberto Mancini and Brian Kidd have the experience, one abroad, one at home, less so David Platt. There have many pundits keen to suggest in recent months that Mancini is showing the pressure, as despite his hugely successful career as player and manager, he will not experienced anything quite like being manager of Manchester City, with their financial strength ramping up the pressure, expectations, and media coverage.

But across the city, are United’s squad that experienced really? Like City’s counterpart, their goalkeeper, be it De Gea or Lindegaard, will be entering new territory, and De Gea does so on shaky ground/form.

Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Tom Cleverley are others who lack experience. Old heads such as Wes Brown and John O’Shea have gone, whilst Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher are sidelined for the foreseeable future. There’s still plenty of experience left naturally – titles galore have been won by Giggs and Scholes, the likes of Nani, Berbatov and Rooney to name but three have a fair collection of winners’ medals between them, though it should be pointed out that all these players have experience of losing a title race too – it works both ways.

It’s also important to separate the individual from the team. United have experience of the title chase – but many of the players do not. City do not have experience of the title chase (in this generation at least) – but plenty of the players do. Which is more important – the collective will of the club, or the individual players’ merits? Only time will tell.

And of course all players have to start somewhere – all players with title-winning experience had to do it for the first time at some point. The will of the United team however essentially means the will of their manager. Without Ferguson, this team could have trailed away many times over the years. His experience and iron will are the main advantage United have over City, not the experience of any individual player.

But big players live for times like this – for big games, thrilling races, tense matches – they should be able to handle the pressure, and the experience of the relative teams should not be that big a factor. History doesn’t define what happens in the future. City have the advantage, and the strength of their squad means in theory they should be able to see out the season in first place. The danger United hold is their experience at grinding out results when the going gets tough, and it is that experience that could see the title go down to the final day. An exciting title race beckons..

ARSENAL

V

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

LIVE from The Emirates, North London

19:00 Hrs, IST

***

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It has been 17 years since Tottenham Hotspur managed to sit above Arsenal confidently in the Premier League, a team now relishing towards the top of the table with the fortitude of destabilizing the Manchester supremacy.

Flashback - Season 1994-95′

Spurs finished that season 11 points clear of Arsenal at the end of the season. It was a lacklustre season for the Gunners with a troubled managerial situation. Not only did they lose their legendary manager George Graham in some controversial circumstances, they even managed to lose out on Paul Merson due to reasons beyond football. Graham’s assistant Stewart Houston served as caretaker-manager but failed to keep Arsenal even in the Top Ten of the league positions. Arsenal did manage to show some verve in Europe, reaching the finals of the Cup Winner’s Cup for the second time in a row, but lost to a goal from Nayim (another irony), former Spurs player, in the closing stages of the game.

Faith had it that Houston would reunite with George Graham yet again, this time at The White Hart Lane, as assistant manager till Graham was sacked from the position.

Flashback - Season 2005-06′

It was Arsenal’s last season in London’s ‘Home of Football’ – Highbury. Spurs were leading their fierce rivals till the last day, as they were to play West Ham away from home. Meanwhile, Arsenal entertained Wigan Athletic at home, setting foot on the famous Highbury green, for that one last time. ‘The Invincibles’ produced the most incredible chapter in English Football, and they were not to disappoint on this historic day. Not only did Arsenal manage to win, coming from behind, thanks to a Thierry Henry hattrick, Spurs managed to completely lose the plot. As for destiny’s sweet gesture to Arsenal’s folklore, Spurs lost their game as Arsenal finished above them in fourth spot and secured qualification on their expense.

Present Day, Spurs are all charged up with their team’s enigmatically brilliant display this season – upsetting all odds, raising a lot of once-cynical eye-brows. They have finally come of age, and Arsenal, for a change, are catching up with their ‘lesser’ neighbors. The Gunners have shown some promise this season but have again failed to win big games for the purpose of silverware. This is as big a game as they have played in the last decade or so. This is more than a North London Derby. This is the final throw of the dice for North London’s crown and pride.

Team News And Tactical Brief

Arsenal

A completely fit Arsenal team is a concept, it doesn’t exist, it never did. Arsene Wenger will have a lesser headache with shaping up his team with many players unavailable due to injuries and reasons like ‘not interested in football any more’. The player fighting to prove otherwise was given an outing with the Reserves lately, where he managed to score a brace, there is some interest in football after all. Andrei Arshavin can get a run-in ahead of the woefully out-of-form Theo Walcott, whose consistency is like Abou Diaby’s availability to Arsenal.

Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs will have to clear fitness tests to play a part in this crucial encounter. If these players are not fit to start, Arsene will have to go for make-shift arrangements like playing Thomas Vermaelen at Left Back, a position he clearly detests. Full Back Carl Jenkinson is fit, and will provide a decent back-up option to Bacary Sagna. Aaron Ramsey had hobbled off the pitch in the last game, he will certainly miss this one with Thomas Rosicky filling his gap. The Czech captain has been the only bright spark in this Arsenal midfield in the last month or so.

Arsenal are without long-term absentees Santos, Mertesacker, Diaby and Wilshere. Moroccan hitman Marouane Chamakh will also be unavailable due to a toe injury suffered during the midweek Reserves game. Meanwhile, Yossi Benayoun has shown his displeasure on being under-used this year, he scored in midweek, and will hope for some sort of an outing on Sunday. Robin van Persie and Oxlade-Chamberlain will share attacking duties at the top of the park while Mikel Arteta and Alex Song will continue to shield their defenders from Gareth Bale and company.

Possible Starting Line-Up [4-2-3-1]: Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Song, Arteta, Rosicky; Oxlade, van Persie, Gervinho

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Tottenham Hotspur

It remains to be seen if Spurs are more concerned about retaining the services of their beloved manager or fighting for top honors at the end of the season. From the looks of it, they have almost secured Champions League qualification for next season, unless calamity happens of epic proportions. Spurs travel to North London knowing quite well how much their opponents want to win this particular game. But, they, like everybody, are quite aware of the weakness of this Gunners’ side. With the talent at Redknapp’s disposal, he is well capable of exploiting every weakness of Arsenal, more so at such a crucial juncture in the season when Arsenal are at an all-time low in their confidence.

Both Adebayor and van der Vaart are understood to be passing fitness tests before making it to the starting lineup on Sunday. Assou-Ekotto and star-man Luka Modric are expected to play too, having missed the FA Cup game last weekend. While Ledley King will try his best to make it to the big game, Sandro, in midfield, is an assured casualty due to a calf injury. Gallas and Huddlestone are long-term absentees for the traveling outfit.

The recent acquisition of former Manchester United man, Luis Saha, is going to give a ‘good’ headache to Redknapp. He will have to choose between Adebayor playing all-alone at the top or pairing one of Saha and Defoe leaving only four men in the midfield. If he sticks to a 5-man midfield, then Niko Kranjcar can get a look-in. Attacking wingers Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon will continue to haunt the opposition defence with their incisive runs into the middle. Scott Parker, Modric and van der Vaart are the preferred trio in the middle of the park.

Possible Starting Line-Up [4-5-1]: Friedel; Walker, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto; van der Vaart, Parker, Modric, Bale, Lennon; Adebayor

Key Match Facts

1. Spurs are looking for that elusive double over the Gunners, a first in 19 years.
2. Mike Dean will operate, Arsenal haven’t won with him being a ref in their last 11 league games.
3. William Gallas and Adebayor are the two latest Spurs players to have changed loyalties at North London.
4. Jimmy Robertson is the only player to have scored for both teams in North London Derbies.

Recent North London Derby Stats [League]

Spurs 2 – 1 Arsenal [4th Oct, 2011]

Arsenal 3 -3 Spurs [20th April, 2011]

Spurs 3 – 2 Arsenal [20th November, 2010]

Spurs 2 – 1 Arsenal [14th April, 2010]

Arsenal 3 – 0 Spurs [31st Oct, 2009]

TheHardTackle’s Players To Watch Out For

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain [Arsenal]

Rising Star - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

The youngstar from the famous Southampton academy has already made a name for himself with his performances in recent months. He is sure to start the game which means one of Gervinho or Theo Walcott misses out. The winger has been prolific with his technique, work-rate and vision. He is sure to cause a lot of head-ache to the Spurs back-line.

Gareth Bale [Tottenham Hotspur]

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Nobody is oblivious to the talent that is Gareth Bale, belonging to the same academy as Oxlade. He is a more matured player than the Arsenal man, capable of providing more flexibility to the midfield. He is even capable of taking free-kicks if needed. The “shaky” Arsenal defence needs to bring their A-game to nullify attacking advances from Bale.

TheHardTackle’s Prediction

Arsenal 2 – 2 Tottenham Hotspur

Never short of excitement, Arsenal vs Spurs game are a treat for the neutrals as well as the fans. This one will again live to the hyper, both teams scoring goals but failing to get the upper-hand at the end of it.

TheHardTackle’s Blast From The Past

TheHardTackle’s Poll Of The Week

    ATLÉTICO MADRID  

  v

  FC BARCELONA

Vicente Calderón

Sunday, February 26, 8:00pm

***

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FC Barcelona will travel to the Vicente Caldéron to face a resurgent Atlético Madrid side on matchday 25 of La Liga. Already 10 points off the pace, all Barcelona can do at this point is to win their games and expect an unlikely collapse from their eternal rivals. With every point they drop, Barcelona get closer and closer to fully surrendering their La Liga title.

Atlético, on the other hand, have experienced a revival of sorts under new manager Diego Simeone; they haven’t yet lost a league match this year (three wins and four draws) and have only conceded one goal, climbing to sixth place in the standings, only one point off the last Champions League spot, and they will try to continue their good form against the defending champions.

Team News and Tactical Brief

Atlético Madrid

Atlético’s fortunes have truly changed ever since Diego Simeone replaced Gregorio Manzano as the club’s manager. Not only have they drastically improved their situation in the league, they have also just qualified to the last 16 of the Europa League with a 4-1 win over Lazio on aggregate. After the 3-1 win in Rome, Simeone rested some of his usual starters in the second leg on Thursday, clearly with the match against Barcelona in mind.

Atlético have always been known for causing Barcelona a lot of problems, especially in their ground. As a matter of fact, last season was the first time that Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona won at the Vicente Calderon in the league. In 2008/2009, Atlético beat the Catalans 4-3 and did the same in 2009/2010, with a 2-1 score. Sergio Aguero was mainly responsible for those great results, but while he has taken his world class talents to Manchester, he has been properly replaced by Radamel Falcao. The Colombian striker has been justifying his 40 million price tag, having already scored 19 goals this season, 14 of which in La Liga (which makes him the top scorer in the league outside of Barcelona and Real Madrid). Falcao will surely be eager to once again prove his quality against Barcelona.

But there’s more to Atlético than just their star striker; their young keeper Courtois and the defense have been in great form ever since Simeone took over. Diego has recaptured some of his best form, while young Spanish striker Adrián is finally showing why he’s so highly rated in Spain. The Madrid outfit seem to be finally living up to their potential and establishing themselves as serious contenders for a Champions League spot. A good result against Barcelona would be definite proof that things have changed at the Vicente Calderón.

Arda Turan is a doubt for the match, but whether he can make it or not, we can fully expect Simeone to field a very offensive lineup, trying to put pressure on Barcelona from the start and forcing them into making mistakes.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Filipe Luis, Godin, Miranda, Juanfran; Gabi, Suarez; Turan, Diego, Adrian; Falcao

FC Barcelona

After dropping points away from home time and again, Barcelona find themselves 10 points behind leaders Real Madrid. This means that, even if Barcelona were to win every single match until the end of the season, the title is completely off their hands; all they can is to win their games and expect Real Madrid to collapse.

But although he concedes that La Liga is almost out of reach, Pep Guardiola has vowed to keep fighting until the end. With things looking much better on the injury front at the moment, the Barcelona manager will surely believe that his team is capable to go on a winning streak and maybe at least put some pressure on Real Madrid.  The Catalans clearly showed their intentions to keep fighting last week, with a 5-1 home win over Valencia (with Lionel Messi scoring four goals) and arguably the best performance of the season.

With Pedro Rodriguez, Alexis Sanchez and Xavi Hernandez all back to full fitness and Seydou Keita back from the African Cup of Nations, Pep Guardiola has all his first team players bar David Villa and Ibrahim Afellay available and is sure to field a very strong lineup, especially considering how much Barcelona usually struggle at the Calderon.

In the Camp Nou fixture, the Catalans easily beat Atlético 5-0 back in September, but Guardiola and his players are aware that this is a very different Atlético side and a very different venue – which is especially relevant considering Barcelona’s away record in the league this season – so they will surely take this game very seriously from the very start.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Victor Valdés; Éric Abidal, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Piqué, Daniel Alves; Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez, Andrés Iniesta; Lionel Messi, Pedro Rodriguez, Alexis Sanchez

TheHardTackle’s PLAYER TO WATCH

Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)

Can the Argentina superstar keep tormenting Atlético?

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The world’s best player scored four goals in last weekend’s match against Valencia, taking his season tally to 42 in all competitions, and will now face his favorite “victims”: Messi has scored no less than 17 goals in 13 matches against Atlético Madrid, including three in this season’s match at Camp Nou and he will be looking to keep adding to this impressive tally.

TheHardTackle’s PREDICTION

Atlético Madrid 1-1 FC Barcelona

Atlético have been undefeated ever since Simeone took over, and that might very well continue, especially considering Barcelona’s very inconsistent form away from home this season. The final score will be 1-1, with Messi and Falcao scoring.

TheHardTackle’s BLAST FROM THE PAST

NORWICH CITY

v

MANCHESTER UNITED

Carrow Road, Norwich

February 26, 2012; 1330 hours GMT

***

Premier League action returns this weekend after last week’s break for the FA Cup matches as fans will once again engross themselves in one of the most wonderful title races in the recent past. United travel to Carrow Road road in a bid to keep up their title challenge against high flying Norwich City while neighbours Man City have a much easier tie as they host relegation battling Blackburn Rovers.

Norwich have exceeded all expectations this season as manager Paul Lambert – having secured back to back promotions with the Canaries- has made them a formidable outfit in the EPL as well. Not only have his team secured safety this early in the season, they find themselves in a formidable eight position and with the ability to defeat any team up and down the league. Their recent form is also excellent as they have lost just one of their last seven league games, however, their loss to Leicester City in the FA Cup did come as a shock to one and all.

United, on the other hand, have been in prime form themselves winning four out of their previous five league games with the other being a remarkable comeback draw at Stamford Bridge. However, Fergie’s men face two tough away fixtures with a trip to White Hart Lane following the game in Norwich. The manager would be eager to secure maximum points from these two fixtures as it would surely take them to pole position in the title race.

The reverse fixture between the clubs this season at Old Trafford was a strange affair to say the least as Norwich created by far the best chances but still lost 2-0 to the home side.

Team News and Tactical Brief

Norwich City

Manager Paul Lambert does not have too many injury worries to deal with going into this important fixture. Defender Daniel Ayala is out with a hamstring injury while  Marc Tierney and Jonny Howson will miss the fixture due to groin and knee injuries respectively. The good news, however, for the Scotsman is that James Vaughan is fit again as he played his first game since September against Leicester City in the FA cup loss last weekend. Zak Whitbread is also fit from his recent hamstring injury.

Lambert has not tickled around too much with his team as he has deployed a 4-4-2 formation almost throughout the campaign. Whitbread will go straight back in central defence and is likely to be partnered by Russell Martin in the absence of Ayala. Naughton and Drury will be the full-backs but neither is expected to go too far forward given United’s ability to attack from the wings.

David Fox will be anchoring the midfield with Hoolahan taking his place alongside him. While Fox is expected to sit in-front of the back four, the Irishman will be the playmaker looking to go forward on every opportunity. Pilkington and Surman will be playing as wingers, but given Norwich’s nature to play a very narrow game, they are more likely to squeeze in making it crowded in the central midfield area. Star man Holt will be playing upfront, while Vaughan is expected to get his first start since September making it two up top for the Canaries.

Probable Starting Line-up (4-4-2) : Ruddy(GK); Naughton, Whitbread, Martin, Drury; Surman, Fox, Hoolahan, Pilkington; Holt, Vaughan

Manchester United

Sir Alex, having to deal with the Thursday-Sunday fixture format owing to United’s exploits in the Europa League, must be hoping for much better luck with injuries with the business end of the season coming up. Although, the causality list is very short compared to what it was a couple of months ago, the manager still has the likes of Lindegaard, Anderson and Owen to return from injury. Also, Tom Cleverley is injured again as he suffered a knock against Ajax and will miss the trip to Carrow Road. However, the injury is not expected to be too serious while another good news for the manager is that Valencia’s hamstring problem is a not as bad as feared earlier and he could be fit for the trip to White Hart Lane next week. Fergie, however, will be sweating on Rooney’s fitness who has not yet recovered from the throat infection which kept him out of the Ajax game.

Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra should return to the starting line-up after being rested on Thursday. Jonny Evans will also return to the starting line-up having played only as a sub in midweek. The right back slot will be an interesting selection to look forward to with Rafael, Smalling and Jones all available. Although the Brazilian has been brilliant in the past few weeks, Fergie might opt for Smalling given Norwich’s less penetrative nature down the flanks and their threat from set-pieces.

In the midfield, Carrick and Giggs should return to the central roles as both had a rest in midweek. The pair has been pretty good for United this season and both will be eager to repeat their recent form. With Valencia out, the onus will be on the wingers to step-up and capitalize on Norwich’s narrow playing style which makes them vulnerable to attacks from the flanks. Nani will be starting on the right wing, while one of Young or Park is expected to take up duties on the left hand side. Up-front it will be Rooney and Welbeck but that will be owing to the ex-Evertonian’s fitness. In his absence, Hernandez is likely to play on the last man with Welbeck just behind him.

Probable Starting Line-up (4-4-1-1) : De Gea(GK); Smalling, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra; Nani, Carrick, Giggs, Park; Rooney; Welbeck

Key Match Facts

1. Norwich have kept clean sheets in their last two home games – their only clean sheets of the season.
2. Holt has committed most fouls (60) in this campaign.
3. Norwich have the most headed goals this season (14) while United are second (11) in that regard.
4. After last season’s horrendous away form, United have lost just one game on the road winning eight of them.

TheHardTackle’s PLAYER TO WATCH OUT FOR

Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)

Welsh Wizard!

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All eyes will be on the magnificent Welshman, who will be playing in his 900th game on Sunday adding yet another feather in his cap. The 38-year young Giggs has been brilliant for United again this season, causing a lot of problems for the opposition defences through his subtle trickeries. Fergie will once again be looking up to him and the veteran will be determined to justify his manager’s faith on his big day.

TheHardTackle’s PREDICTION

Norwich City 1-2 Manchester United

The game will be very exciting as most games are at Carrow Road. Norwich will ask questions from United but Fergie’s men will have enough in their tank to grind out a win and keep on the ‘coat-tails’ of their neighbours.

TheHardTackle’s BLAST FROM THE PAST

Sunday’s North London derby is perhaps one of the most pivotal in recent seasons. For too long now, Tottenham have gone into the fixture as the underdogs and, more often than not, have come away empty-handed. Arsenal have regularly overcome their rivals with relative ease and often classified as the overwhelming favourites for the fiery encounter.

Many have felt the pendulum is switching across North London for some time now and while a false dawn has often been risen above the night sky, this could well be the game to determine which side is the stronger one in the London borough. Arguments continue to persist as to which team is generally the stronger of the two. The Gunners have regularly obtained Champions League football and have a real opportunity to do so again this season but; they have not won a trophy since their FA Cup win of 2005, something the Arsenal faithful have become rather irate about.

Spurs, on the other hand, have won some silverware, albeit, the Carling Cup, in recent years but unlike their fierce rivals, have only qualified for Europe’s elite competition just the once since its inception in 1992. However, as it stands, the White half of North London currently reside ten points ahead of their Red rivals and look a dead cert to secure automatic qualification into the tournament.

But, Sunday comes before that. And the encounter at the Emirates will be another spirited affair between two teams that will be going all out for three points. The game will be the first that Arsenal hate figure Emmanuel Adebayor will play at the, what is sure to be, cauldron of fire and every fan can expect the Togolese front-man to be on the receiving end of a tirade of abuse from the home crowd.

Which team is going to come out on top?

Player for player, Spurs have the stronger of the two squads at this point in time. Prior to the sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, and before the Lilywhites bought in Scott Parker, Brad Friedel and Adebayor, it can be argued that both teams were on par. However, the respective sales of the aforementioned duo, coupled with inadequate replacements being bought in, the power has shifted to White Hart Lane, player wise.

The Gunners still have the quality to test Spurs, however, in the form of captain Robin van Persie. The Dutchman has been leading the front-line for Arsene Wenger’s side emphatically this season, notching up 22 league goals in the process. The likes of Ledley King, if he plays, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Kyle Walker will need to be on top of their game in order to keep his input to a minimum.

If anything is to go by from October’s reverse fixture at White Hart Lane, the midfield battle will be key. Arsenal had the better of their North London counterparts on the afternoon in the middle of the park, with Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta granted the freedom to pull the strings from the middle. Parker did his best to stifle the trio, but his all-action display frequently gets the better of him when the game drags into the latter stages.

However, key players Sandro and Rafael van der Vaart are expected to be passed fit for the game, which can be bad news for the home side. Sandro is again beginning to find his form after time off from injury and, after witnessing a video of him and his fighting moves on the internet, the Brazilian isn’t one to be taken lightly. Arsenal fans will surely wince at the sight of van der Vaart with the Dutch international possessing an impressive record against the top four contenders. Four goals in the last three North London derbies, and eager to add to that, will see the Gunners faithful praying he doesn’t have the same creative influence he has had over the past 18 months.

Parker and Adebayor - The New Arrivals Have Made Spurs Only Stronger

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Defensively, Arsenal have looked suspect as of late. The injury to Per Mertesacker won’t be the biggest loss to Wenger while the return to fitness of Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna will boost the back-line. Yet, conceding six goals in the past two games isn’t the best way to instill confidence into an already shaky defence. Wojciech Szczesny has the capability to gain points single-handedly, but he, like his defence in front of him, hasn’t been on top form recently. A major boost could come in the form of Laurent Koscielny, who missed the 2-0 defeat to Sunderland, with the Frenchman set to face a late fitness test on Saturday.

Compared to Spurs, however, the defensive aspect swings back in the away side’s favour. The arrival of Friedel has solidified a back four that has been shaky over the past few seasons, while the return of Walker, the return to fitness of King, the consistency of Assou-Ekotto and the emergence of Younes Kaboul during his second stint at the club and you have a defence that has conceded just 25 goals, compared to Arsenal’s 35, for the season. Bear in mind that the Lilywhites had conceded eight goals after their first two games and it is a mightily impressive back-line Redknapp has assembled.

Key men

For Arsenal it’s hard to pin-point anyone but van Persie. The Dutchman has been simply sensational this season and it is hardly surprising to see him lead the goalscoring charts in the Premiership. Gunners fans will be praying he signs a new long-term contract before the end of the season to ward off interest from England and abroad. Meanwhile, for Spurs, it is compatriot van der Vaart who will be looking to add to his impressive goalscoring tally against Arsenal. Away fans are going to be hoping he can make a successful return to the starting XI after missing the majority of February after suffering a calf problem during the 3-1 win over Wigan Athletic at the end of January.

Final thoughts

Any form leading up to this fixture goes out the window. Anyone can win derby day, it is just a case of who wants it more or which player can forge a killer ball through the defence. The game will be won in the midfield, be it Arsenal’s or Spurs’, and the encounter can hinge on a slip up or a bit of magic. Either way, this North London derby could be the one that sees the pendulum swing back into Tottenham’s favour.

As things hot up at the top and bottom of the table, Pompey face another battle to survive both on and off the pitch and The Bluebirds head for Wembley, TheHardTackle takes a look at 10 things you should be looking out for in the next 7 days of action involving Championship sides.

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1. Pompey face survival battle both on and off the pitch

After entering administration for the second time in three years, Portsmouth were last week deducted 10 points by the Football League. This, coupled with Nottingham Forest’s long overdue victory last weekend, left Pompey firmly rooted in the relegation places, third from bottom and 3 points from safety.

As explained brilliantly by TheHardTackle’s guest author and Portsmouth fanatic Tony Goodall, Pompey have been through the mill since their FA Cup win in 2008. Now, their latest penalty leaves the Fratton Park in real danger of dropping to the third tier of English football. But, the real fight is purely to keep the club alive.

Last weekend at Barnsley, manager Michael Appleton was only able to name 3 substitutes in the 2-0 defeat at Barnsley. The problems continued this week, when they were forced to make 30 employees redundant, including Chief Executive David Lampitt, whilst administrator Trevor Birch voiced his fears that they may not have enough money to make it through to the end of the season.

To help, the players, who along with staff have not been paid since December, have written off their January wages and agreed to a wage cut until May. In addition, star striker Erik Huseklepp, who has scored six goals so far this season, has joined Birmingham City on-loan, allowing Pompey to cut the wage bill further.

This weekend Leeds United travel to Fratton Park. With it being Pompey’s first home game since going into administration, the home fans will be out in force to show their support.

2. Warnock’s first game in charge at Leeds

Whilst it promises to be an emotional day for the home fans at Fratton Park, visitors Leeds United will be full of optimism following the appointment of Neil Warnock as boss.

Warnock was formally named as new manager last Saturday, though it was too late to take charge of the side in the home game against Doncaster Rovers. However, when the Whites found themselves two goals down at the break, ex-QPR boss Warnock went into the home dressing room at half-time to give his new side a pep-talk. It worked, with three second-half goals giving Leeds a much-needed victory.

Warnock has been somewhat of an expert guiding teams to promotion throughout his managerial career, with Scarborough United, Notts County, Huddersfield Town, Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield United and QPR all having gone up at least a division under Warnock’s stewardship. The 63-year old has promised Leeds fans that he has “one big challenge left in me”, so, with the Elland Road side only 5 points off the play-offs, hopes will be high that Warnock can work his magic once again.

He will take his place in the Leeds dug-out for the first time at Fratton Park, and we at TheHardTackle fully expect him to celebrate it with a victory.

3. Sky Blues look to continue home form

After losing a relegation battle against Nottingham Forest last Saturday, Coventry City will be hoping that their impressive recent home form helps get them back on track.

In their last 5 league games at the Ricoh Arena, the Sky blues have won 4, with Leeds United and Middlesbrough amongst the sides beaten.

This weekend, Barnsley are the visitors. The Tykes themselves are having an up and down season. They beat Portsmouth at Oakwell last Saturday, only to lose 3-1 at home to Birmingham City on Tuesday night.

With Barnsley languishing in mid-table, safe enough from relegation but too far from the play-offs, TheHardTackle believes Coventry’s greater need for a win will see the home side record another important victory.

4. Leaders to play without a recognised keeper?

For 30 minutes of their impressive 4-1 victory over Blackpool on Tuesday night, leaders West Ham United had to make do without the services of goalkeeper Robert Green, who was sent-off.

Without a recognised keeper on the bench, midfielder Henri Lansbury took the gloves with the Hammers 2-1 up. It mattered not though, as the visitors scored twice more to register a 4-1 win and move back above Southampton.

Since then, Green’s red card has been rescinded allowing him free to play this weekend when Crystal Palace visit Upton Park. But after impressively keeping out the previously in-form Blackpool strikeforce, will Sam Allardyce spring a surprise and keep Lansbury in the sticks?….

…. No, we don’t think so either!

5. Sixth play fourth at the Riverside

There is a top of the table clash at The Riverside as sixth-placed Middlesbrough host 4^th Reading.

A poor run since the turn of the year has seen Middlesbrough drop down the table. But, two wins from the last two games has re-ignited their promotion hopes. With striker Marvin Emnes re-discovering his goalscoring form to net 3 times in the last week, Boro could be hitting form at just the right time.

Opponents Reading are on a fine run of their own, having won their last 4 games, and 8 out of the last 10 matches. Key to the Royals run is keeper Adam Federici who has kept 4 successive clean sheets, whilst on-loan striker Jason Roberts has netted three goals in four games.

It will be a tight affair, with both sides keen not to lose ground in the fight for the play-offs. We can only see this one ending in a draw.

6. Championship boss to leave for Wolves?

Speculation has been rife this week that manager-less Wolves have been scouting around the Championship for their next boss.

Talk was of a move for Reading boss Brian McDermott, but he ruled himself out of the running when he signed a new 3-year contract with the Royals on Wednesday.

Another name linked to the Molyneux hotseat is Brighton manager Gus Poyet. The Uruguayan confirmed an approach, but insisted that he is happy at Brighton and that there was “never a decision to make”. The real reason though could be the fact that Wolves were not willing to pay the £2m compensation the Seagulls would have demanded if Poyet were to leave.

However, with moves for Alan Curbishley and Walter Smith also failing, the next seven days could see Wolves come back in for Poyet.

7. Cardiff to taste Carling Cup success?

Sunday sees Championship side Cardiff City travel to Wembley to face Liverpool in the Carling Cup final.

Kenny Dalglish’s side go into the game as red-hot favourites, but as TheHardTackle’s Cardiff-born guest author Paul Gronow wrote this week, in the likes of Peter Whittingham and Kenny Miller, Malky Mackay’s men have more than enough in their locker to cause the Merseysiders problems.

Add the fact that in head-to-head meetings, the Welsh side, with 18 wins, have twice as many victories as Liverpool (18-9), then Sunday’s result may not be as clear-cut as most are thinking.

8. Forest hoping to build on overdue win

Last weekend, Nottingham Forest finally moved out of the bottom three with a win over Coventry City. Now Steve Cotterill’s men must build on that victory if they are to stave off the threat of relegation.

However, Forest could not have asked for a harder game this weekend as they travel to St Andrews to face third placed Birmingham City. The Blues have won 7 out of 10 times in the league, as well as picking up a fine draw at Chelsea in the FA Cup last weekend. They currently sit in the first of the Play-off places, but manager Chris Hughton will still firmly believe that his side can finish inside the automatic promotion places.

Both sides will be eager for a victory on Saturday, but only one side can be victorious and TheHardTackle predicts it will be Birmingham.

9. Ipswich look to make it 5 on the bounce

Paul Jewell’s Ipswich Town are one of the form sides in The Championship at the moment, having won four successive games. Last weekend’s 3-0 win over Cardiff City was mightily impressive, with the likes of former Manchester United youngster Lee Martin and prolific goalscorer Michael Chopra both hitting form.

The Tractor Boys will be hoping their purple patch continues this weekend as they travel to Brighton. After their 6-1 FA Cup drubbing at Liverpool, the Seagulls picked up a good point at Hull City in midweek.

This promises to be a close game, with TheHardTackle predicting a draw.

10. Rejuvenated Posh face bottom club

It’s been a long time coming, but Peterborough United were finally back amongst the goals last weekend.

A double from Lee Tomlin and an expertly taken strike from David Ball gave Posh a 3-0 home win over Bristol City. More importantly for us neutrals, it was the first time since 3^rd December that the division’s “Entertainers” have scored more than one goal in a game.

With confidence high and a trip to bottom club Doncaster Rovers this weekend, TheHardTackle predicts that Darren Ferguson’s men will repeat the trick on Saturday.

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Click here for a full list of NPower Championship fixtures

]]> http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/championship-tenner-preview-pompeys-survival-battle-warnock-at-leeds-and-cardiffs-wembley-fame/feed/ 0 http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/indian-football-breaking-news-24th-february-2012-india-suffer-a-humiliating-loss-in-oman/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=indian-football-breaking-news-24th-february-2012-india-suffer-a-humiliating-loss-in-oman http://www.thehardtackle.com/2012/indian-football-breaking-news-24th-february-2012-india-suffer-a-humiliating-loss-in-oman/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:26:47 +0000 Sachin Madaan http://www.thehardtackle.com/?p=64595

Click here for archives.

The defensive woes of the Indian team continued as the Blue Tigers went down rather tamely by in a one sided affair against Omanin Muscat. Click here to read the match’s review.

With relegation threat looming large over their head, the newly appointed Technical Director of Chirag United Kerala – Biswajit Bhattacharya discusses what the team needs to do in order to stay afloat in the top division of the Indian football. With Seven games left in the league time is certainly not on his side.

Sikkim is set to hosts the Dr. Tao Football Tournament for the first time in their state history in honor of India’s first Olympic team captain- Dr. Talimeren Ao. The tournament was first organized in 2002-03 and is held between eight state teams from North East India. Dr. Talimeren Ao hailed from Nagaland and led our national team in the 1948 London Olympics. The tournament is scheduled to be held from 2^nd -9^th March,2012.

After hearing the accepting the grievances of twelve I-league clubs in ameeting held ion capital on Tuesday, IMG-Reliance have promised to come up with a blueprint to deal with the problems faced by these club within the next three days. IMG-Reliance is AIFF’s marketing partners and has been severely criticized since they came into the picture in 2010. They have been blamed time and again for showing lack of interest in the affairs of Indian football.

Don Bosco School from Matunga emerged victorious in the Mumbai leg of the All-India Tata Tea Jaago Re Inter Milan Soccer Stars. Over 66 schools participated in the Mumbai leg and. Don Bosco will join 14 other schools from different cities for the national final in Sikkim. This is the fifth edition of the U-15 tournament and is an initiative of Tata Tea. Until last year Arsenal were their partners for this tournament but from this year 2009-10 UEFA Champions League winners Inter Milan has replaced the English side as the tournament partners.

Individual Awards distributed at the Mumbai Leg

• Best Goalkeeper: Jimit Shah (St Joseph High School, Wadala)
• Most Valuable Player: Tanishq Shetty (St Lawrence, Borivali)
• Highest Goalscorer: Mohammed Kashif Ansari (Antonio D’Souza High School)
• Skills Contest: Prem Sagar (St Teresa’s, Bandra)   

The 4^th Airtel Assam State Premier League will kick off from 3^rd of March at Diphu as revealed by Assam Football Association secretary mr. Ankur Dutta in Guwahati yesterday. The tournament will consist of two groups of five teams each. The Diphu leg will start on the 3^rd of March while the Guwahati leg is scheduled to begin on 6^th of March.

Things cannot get bigger in Italy at this time. With Serie A arriving at a very decisive point, the two teams battling it out for the summit go head to head this weekend. AC Milan, the current leaders, play host to Juventus, who have arguably been the best team in the league so far. With Juventus having already beaten Milan over their clash in Turin following it up by a commanding 2-1 win at San Siro when the two-faced off in Coppa Italia semis, the bragging rights are certainly reserved for the Bianconeri fans at this stage.

However, the enormity of occasions like this seldom lets the sanity prevail over passion, acknowledging which, we are back with another episode of our ‘Rival Rendezvous’ series where Parth Pandya (PP hereafter) – our resident Milan author – locks horns with Chelston D’Souza (CD hereafter), his Juventus counterpart, in a verbal duel of great intensity and vivacity. Being the cordial host, Parth lets the Juventino shoot his questions first.

CD: Do you think Milan will miss Ibra against Juve now that his three game ban stands? He doesn’t have a good record against Juve and somehow never manages to get the better of Chiellini. The Italian always relishes his battles against Ibra and always manages to silence him. Are Milan Ibra dependent like many around Italy seem to think?

PP: Tell me one thing. How do Juventus fans manage not to be bored of the same clichéd talks of Zlatan being Giorgio’s ducky on the big games like this? Granted, he is one of the top defenders, probably one of the bests in the world at the moment and has always maintained an upper hand whenever facing Zlatan but that hasn’t stopped us from producing better results than you have, or has it? And given the credentials of the Big Swede, Juventus fans will only be deceiving themselves if they think Zlatan’s absence is a bigger loss to them than to Milan.

He is a top player and it will only be a matter of time before he delivers what he is capable of against Chiellini too. I’d like to reserve my views on the verdict but, we are confident to face Juventus even without the primary weapon in our armoury. This will be the best time to state we have enough firepower beyond Ibrahimovic to disturb the well-oiled defence of Juventus.

CD: In your opinion, are Milan realistic Champions League contenders? No doubt they decimated Arsenal but keep in mind this wasn’t a very good Arsenal side. Could Milan really match up against the likes of Madrid and Barca, who they struggled against at the San Siro this season?

PP: I agree. The Arsenal side was not in best of the shapes and was nowhere near in quality to the one that eliminated us at San Siro four years back. But the confidence is back with this side now having broken the jinx of English opponents. Although the tie is not over by any means already, we feel we have more than cemented our spot in the next round and hopefully there is no Deportivo on the cards again.

But realistically, there are so many areas in this squad that require repair work and we have failed to address all of them in the transfer window. And hence as far as this season is concerned, I strongly believe Milan need the draw to be kind to them to progress to the further stages in the competition. Of all the teams still competing, I believe we are good to go past anyone but Real Madrid or Barcelona. The moment we are drawn against either of the two, the wise bet will be against us.

CD: Is Max Allegri the right coach to lead Milan towards Champions League success? Do you fear that his constant insistence on the 4-3-1-2 might make them struggle against sides with pacey wingers? Is the side’s lack of tactical flexibility going to harm them in Europe?

PP: One reason for Milan’s poor showing in the Champions League last season was Allegri paid too much respect to a fairly average Spurs side but his critics must concede the injury ravaged squad he was working around with. His tactical grasp of the game has pretty much been the recipe for Milan’s success ever since he took over as we now seem a well-balanced, well-organized unit where none of the players is a direct point of reference. Due to the lack of creativity up front and a lack of fast players who can add width to the attack, Allegri has not been the fan of a more fancied 4-2-3-1 which many of the more successful teams of late have resorted to.

Allegri’s insistence on 4-3-1-2 sometimes leaves us exposed in the middle of the park against wingers who easily outpace and subsequently outnumber us inside our own half but like I said, our squad requires reinforcements in a number of areas before claiming back our European supremacy. Before he is provided with the right kind of players, I believe it will be unfair on the fans’ part to hold Allegri’s tactics responsible for the team’s shortcomings in Europe.

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Yes, He Is The Right Man!

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CD: What do you make of the lack of attention given to the wrongly awarded penalties Milan have been gifted with this season? The Boateng swan dive against Siena comes to mind first as does Ibra’s fall against Bologna. Milan have clearly been awarded a few dubious penalties this season and the media hasn’t scrutinized them as much as they should. Krasic’s dive against Bologna certainly was the centre of a lot of media attention, especially by Berlusconi controlled Mediaset.

PP: Let us understand one thing. That, Milan have been awarded a number of penalties this season, is not indicative of the decisions to have gone in their favour unduly. In fact the two you have mentioned are the only dubious calls among all the penalties oppositions conceded against us. Not much was said about those penalties in the post-game coverage since they were not as blatantly distasteful as the one involving Krasic last season. In fact, no matter how hard Ibrahimovic and Boateng try, that dive by Krasic is irreproducible. Controlled by Berlusconi or otherwise, that act by Krasic was shameful enough for the entire media to notice and talk about it to the extent it warranted.

CD: All right, bait worked there it seems. Anyway, coming to the game, how do you think Milan will line-up against Juve? Do you think they can come away with the three points against a side they have struggled against in recent history? Given Milan’s tendency to drop points against the bigger sides in the league and the fact that Juve have excelled against the bigger sides and are back to winning ways, can Rossoneri defeat a side that has yet to lose this season?

PP: Well, I must admit we have been woeful against the bigger teams this season but the recent heroics against Udinese and Arsenal should inject the required amount of confidence to start delivering excellence against the remaining of the big games in the league. Our lineup should remain more or less the same at least in terms of the tactical setup. The choice of personnel may differ matching to the size of the occasion. I am still not confident about Allegri risking to start with El Shaarawy up front but he should be having a big say in determining the result even during the limited playing time being offered his way.

Having said that, I have my doubts about us claiming three points against this unbeaten Juve roster primarily because I believe your midfield is superior to ours. Juventus have so far been pretty impressive against the perceived bigger sides in the league but I’m sure even the most ardent of the Bianconeri faithful will not be confident of a victory against this Milanese juggernaut.

And are we done now? I’ve had enough of the hot-seat I reckon. It’s time we changed roles.

CD: Certainly. I am all set to face the music.

PP: Great. First things first then. Do you believe this is the title decider where winner takes all? The league is at a very crucial juncture and the title may well be decided upon the result of the game. Juventus have so far grabbed the bragging rights beating Milan twice this season but do you think your team is confident enough to go for the kill at San Siro with so much at stake?

CD: No I don’t see this as a title decider. There are still plenty of games to play for, for both these sides and while it does give the winner a certain advantage it by no means will decide who wins the Scudetto. Milan and Juve have both dropped many points this season and with Serie A as competitive as it is now, I have no doubt that both sides will drop points after this game as well. The title race will go down to the wire.

PP: The fans seem to be taking immense pride in the fact that Juventus is the only team across five major leagues in Europe to have remained unbeaten till this stage but at the end of the day, the feat hardly holds any relevance if the ultimate objective of winning the league is not realized. How important do you feel is the ‘unbeaten’ tag?

CD: Oh the tag of being ‘unbeaten’ is very important. But like you said, it doesn’t matter if Juve don’t win the league. I’m sure Antonio Conte would not want his side to go down the Perugia path and not have a trophy to their name after an invincible season. Juve certainly have the quality and the depth this season and with arguably the best winter mercato in the league, Juve definitely are favourites for the title.

PP: Alessandro Del Piero may be playing one of his last games against Milan, if the rumours of his linkage to the MLS clubs are to be believed. However, there are no certainties about your manager offering the skipper any playing time, let alone starting with him. How are the fans dealing with the idea of not seeing the iconic star in the Bianconeri colours anymore? Will the celebrations of an eventful season be overshadowed by the furore that Agnelli’s decision is certain to create?

CD: I think every Juventino has accepted the fact that Del Piero isn’t the player he once was. If he was, than Juve would have wrapped up the Scudetto by now. But on a serious note, Juve’s captain is still capable of making the difference, even at his age. He may have lost the pace but he is still capable of being incisive and making that final telling pass. The fans have grown to accept the fact that Del Piero won’t see as much playing time as he used too and If Del Piero does indeed leave, I see no better way of celebrating his time at Juve than with a Scudetto.

PP: While I completely acknowledge and appreciate the flamboyant manner in which Conte has reinvented the passion in this team to win, do you concede it is the liberty to focus solely on one competition that is easing things out for Juventus? Or putting it simply, are you confident enough of this team maintaining these levels of performance next season too when a Champions League spot is absolutely likely to be reserved?

CD: This team has been made keeping in mind the fact that Juve have only two competitions to focus on this season. I have no doubt that the next mercato, new additions and quality additions at that will be made to this squad enough to maintain the high standards that are expected of a club like Juventus. Players will be brought in and even more depth will be added that should make Juve a force to reckon with in Europe.

As far as performing not participating in Europe goes, frankly, everyone at Juventus is sick and tired of people claiming Juve’s success has to do with their absence in Europe. Like Conte said, “If the other coaches think that not playing the cups is an advantage for us, I invite them to not play in them next year”

So Far So Good!

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PP: And I’m sure Conte didn’t mean what he said, but let’s move ahead. Well, this conversation cannot end without the mention of Pirlo. Let’s be honest. You lot were never confident of Pirlo rediscovering his magical touch in Turin but as things stand, he is the most important player to Conte’s plans and can create some real troubles to Milan midfield, if not properly marked out. Do you think the maestro will have any real say over the result of the game this weekend? What is your predicted outcome by the way?

CD: I agree with the fact that a few Juve fans were sceptical about Pirlo’s arrival. His record at Milan last season didn’t make for pleasant reading. But the fact remains that, he has been absolutely world-class this season and this is the Pirlo of 2006. A change of scenery did him a world of good and the motivation is back for everyone to witness. As Ancelotti recently said, Pirlo is the best midfielder in the world.

A player of his quality is too important to be ignored and I have no doubt he will be vital to Juve’s chances in Milan. The motivation of facing an old team is unrivalled. As far as influential players go, Pirlo is right up there so I definitely do think he will have a part to play should Juve come away with a victory but there are other players as well who are well capable of producing the goods. I think it will be a great spectacle and Juve will take the game to Milan. 2-1 to Juve is my prediction.

And while I say that, I can pretty much see the obsession in your eyes about Pirlo. Tell me more about it. Last I heard, you found no buyers on e-bay for that Pirlo shirt you bought from the Milan store. Any updates on that?

PP: Well, speaking of the shirts, I got one with Borriello’s name imprinted on it too. Guess, you’d be the interested one in buying that now. How about that?

CD: See you during the game!

A largely experimental Indian side was thrashed by Oman in their first friendly match before AFC Challenger Cup. India’s 5-1 loss perfectly showed the great gulf of class between the two sides. Savio Medeira was also completely outmanoeuvred tactically by former Ligue-1 winning coach Paul Le Guen.

First Half

India lost the match in the first seven minutes itself as Omani Daggers scored two quick goals to peg the Blue Tigers back. Medeira handed Gurjinder his first start in the blue shirt, while Samir Naik was handed the captain’s arm band at the right full-back position. Gurjinder’s inexperience and lack of understanding with rest of his defensive line was all too evident on the fifth minute when he was skinned by Saad Suhail. Suhail launched a perfectly weighted cross towards Al-Ghassani, who made no mistakes from close range. On the other wing, veteran Samir Naik was also taken to the cleaners as Ismail Al Ajmi put Oman 2-0 up.

Coming back into a match from being 2-0 down within first seven minutes is not something this Indian team was capable of and the Blue Tigers took some time to find their feet. Oman almost scored a third goal but were denied by Karanjit’s timely block. After the hour mark, Oman slowed down as India began to gain more ball possession. Jewel Raja created India’s best chance of first period as his long ranger fizzed past the post. First half ended 2-0 to Oman.

Second Half

The start of second half was slower than the first with both Oman and India taking a more cautious approach. Samir Naik’s forgettable performance in this match reached a new level when his miscued cross almost went into his own goal. The Daggers got the first clear-cut chance in second half as Al-Ghassani’s shot, after Karanjit had saved his initial effort, was cleared off the line by Gourmangi Singh. The inevitable finally happened two minutes before the hour mark with Al Ajmi notching up his second goal thanks to a cross from Darwish.

Oman took their foot off the gas pedal after the third goal, allowing Joachim Abranches to pepper their goal with a few long rangers. India finally broke the duck six minutes after Oman’s goal. Nabi headed the ball across Oman’s goal and Joachim Abranches had a very easy task of tapping in the goal.

India’s goal seemed to have brought Oman back to their A game as the Daggers began to attack in numbers again. With India too looking to get in the attacking moder Omani wingers found acres of space behind Indian full backs. Hasan Rabie could have put Oman further ahead but somehow managed to fluff two gilt-edged chances.

Mr Indispensable

Rabie made amends for his earlier misses by pumping in Oman’s fourth three minutes from the end of regulation time. Anwar Ali was unable to prevent Rabie from connecting to a beautifully delivered free-kick and Karanjit was beaten all ends up. Abdullah Thuwain drove the final nail into India’s coffin two minutes later with Darwish setting him up.

The match ended with a resounding victory for Oman. This was hardly the start India needed before their AFC Challenger Cup campaign began.

Observations

Rahim Nabi is indispensable for India: Gurjinder has dished out some wonderful performances in I-League but his lack of experience was all too evident in this match. India looked much better offensively and defensively with Nabi on field. The Mohun Bagan full-back also assisted the only goal India scored.

Joachim Abranches should partner Chhetri: Sushil Singh has got many, many opportunities with the national team and has failed routinely. Abranches, on the other hand, was a livewire in second half. Despite lack of supply from midfield he did create several chances and deservedly scored India’s only goal.

Central defence is extremely weak: Anwar Ali has been shaky in I-League so it was not surprising that he often looked lost against Oman. Gourmangi has also not been at his usual imperious self, leaving gaping holes in central defence. Raju Gaikwad, who is most likely to replace Anwar in starting XI, has been out of match practice for a long time. Things certainly don’t look good for Indian fans if the central defenders continue to show such under par performances.

Jewel Raja is one for the future: After being overran in first half hour, Indian midfield recovered, led by the young Jewel Raja. Jewel was the glue that held India together in center of the park. However, for all his endeavours he was often let down with his fellow midfielders losing possession easily. Indian central midfield could have had a long term solution in Mehtab-Jewel combo but Medeira’s shock exclusion of Mehtab Hussain means the Blue Tigers are still looking for a proper partner to Jewel.

Not all is lost: The scoreline doesn’t do justice to India, who did match Oman for large periods of the match. Most of goals came in quick succession and Medeira’s team did manage to hold fort against Oman for most of the 90 minutes. Indian fans must not forget the 5-0 mauling India got from a second string Zambian side, at home before SAFF Cup. India still captured the SAFF Cup, so this one result doesn’t mean all’s lost.