Trio poised as season hits home straight March 4, 2010 THE expression “squeaky-bum time” may not be familiar to Carlo Ancelotti, but the Chelsea manager would be advised to get used to the sensation. Sir Alex Ferguson famously coined the phrase in reference to the nervous, edge-of-the-seat fidgeting provoked by a tense title run-in. And this season’s Premier League climax is shaping up to be [...]
Chairmen show red card to Champions League play-off March 4, 2010 TOP-FLIGHT clubs have voted to shelve controversial plans to introduce a play-off for the final Champions League place. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool – the clubs who traditionally occupy the top four spots – are thought to have led objections to the proposal. Premier League chairmen decided against examining its feasibility any further at [...]
Crouch earns Capello praise March 4, 2010 ENGLAND head coach Fabio Capello has dropped his biggest hint yet that Peter Crouch could start the World Cup in attack alongside Wayne Rooney. Capello sent on Crouch for Tottenham team-mate Jermain Defoe when England came in at half-time 1-0 down in Wednesday’s friendly against Egypt. And the lofty frontman responded with two clinical finishes [...]
Twelve parties interested in buying Portsmouth, claims administrator March 4, 2010 PORTSMOUTH administrator Andrew Andronikou claims there are as many as 12 parties interested in buying the debt-ridden club. Pompey became the first Premier League club to slip into administration last Friday after amounting debts in the region of £78m. But although the club were docked nine points and lie rooted to the bottom of the [...]
Battlecry can answer Twiston’s call for another Saturday to remember March 4, 2010 WITH less than two weeks to go until the start of the Cheltenham Festival, there is a distinct lack of quality racing on offer this weekend. The Raymond Mould Supporting Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury (3.10pm) is the feature race, but it has only attracted a field of nine runners. David Pipe’s Our Vic heads [...]
the INSIDER March 4, 2010 With no all-weather tomorrow and only one poor betting race declared over the jumps, I will be backing just the one horse over the next couple of days. FREDDIE’S GIRL runs in Lingfield’s 4.10pm this afternoon and this More Than Ready (USA) filly has got plenty of pace and should have enough to hold on [...]
Mick’s Wolves lack the bite to frighten United March 4, 2010 WOLVES vs MANCHESTER UNITED TOMORROW – 5.30PM ESPN THE relationship between the red and blue sides of Manchester has been especially hostile this season thanks mainly to the Carlos Tevez saga. However, the little Argentinian did his old teammates a huge favour by inflicting Chelsea’s first home league defeat since November 2008 last Saturday. That [...]
Crouch targets a World Cup berth as two-goal salvo rescues England March 3, 2010 ENGLAND (3) vs Egypt (1) PETER CROUCH staked his claim for a World Cup starting spot after his two-goal show helped galvanise England at Wembley. The Egyptians gave Fabio Capello’s men a stern test in the first-half and deservedly led through Mohamed Zidan’s 18-yard strike. But Crouch replaced Tottenham team-mate Jermain Defoe at half-time and [...]
Peter’s just perfect but Walcott’s gone awry March 3, 2010 ON a night where teamwork and unity among the England ranks were very much under the spotlight, it was the individual performances of Fabio Capello’s squad which grabbed the headlines. With the World Cup just over three months away, Capello still has plenty of decisions to make with a number of positions still up for [...]
Glazers hit back in Knights row March 3, 2010 MANCHESTER United’s under-fire owners, the Glazer family, are said to have complained to Goldman Sachs chairman Lloyd Blankfein over the conduct of chief economist Jim O’Neill in his efforts to seize control of the club. O’Neill, a lifelong United fan, is spearheading the Red Knights group of City financiers who are plotting a crusade to [...]