Premier League title race still has a long way to go

Manchester City hammering neighbours Manchester City 6-1 at Old Trafford may have been a fantastic result for the visitors but a lot of people are overreacting saying that the title race is all but over.

The bookmakers have also installed City as new favourites for the Premier League title.

Dream

Virtually everything went for the visitors at Old Trafford. To win 6-1 at Old Trafford is a dream for any Manchester City fan and player. This was a day that is very unlikely to ever be repeated. The defeat was Manchester United’s biggest ever home defeat in the Premier League.

Superb

At the moment Manchester City are in fantastic form and playing stylish football. The real test for City will come when they are going through their tough period of the season, because every club in the Premier League seems to have a tricky time during the course of a season.

If they come through that period unscathed then they would be favourites to win the Premier League. However we are only nine games into the Premier League season and there is still a long way to go in the title race.

Awful

Yesterday’s game was a really bad day at the office for Manchester United. Its very rare that Manchester United experience a heavy home defeat and United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he expects a reaction from his players in their next game.

Manchester United players usually react well to defeats and that’s why the club have won so much silverware under the Scot. They have the ability to bounce back quickly and they will have to after their embarrassment at the hands of their neighbours.

A trip to Everton’s Goodison Park is next up for Ferguson’s men and they will have to produce a better display if they are to claim a victory on Merseyside.

Psychological

This victory will do more for the psyches of the two sets of players than anything else.  The victory will give City the belief that they have now arrived and are capable of winning the Premier League title. Manchester United in previous seasons though have been strong mentality and this season is unlikely to be different. This defeat could galvanise the Red Devils and they could back stronger than before.

Favourites

The Manchester City camp are not letting themselves get carried away though. Manager Roberto Mancini played down their status as Premier League title favourites. He told press: “I think there are four or five teams that can win the title in the end. The season is too long, it is very difficult every game, every three days we play.

“I think against Tottenham we played very well, and against Bolton, but this is different – we played against a strong team like United. But in the end there are three points – finished. We don’t take six points for this game.”

Challengers

Manchester City overcome the barrier of not having won a trophy in thirty odd years last season and now have a really good chance of adding to their trophy collection this season. However Manchester United and even Chelsea are accustomed to challenging for the big trophies.

Their players have been there and done it all before. If Manchester City are to become a major European club then City need to get to that point. If they win the title this season then they have arrived.

I think the Premier League title race will probably go down to the wire. Chelsea and Manchester United have too much quality in their squads to give up the title race easily. They have players who are experienced in these sorts of battles and won’t be far away from City.

Start

Manchester City still have a hell of a long way to go to catch up to their neighbours Manchester United but a first Premier League title this season would be a good start. And I suspect the trophy collecting won’t finish there for United’s ‘Noisy Neighbours’.

Will Manchester City now go on to win the Premier League title?

View the original article here

Leonardo proud despite title loss

Inter Milan coach Leonardo said his players can be proud of their Serie A season, after rivals AC Milan clinched the title on Saturday.

AC Milan’s 0-0 goalless draw at Roma gave them a nine-point lead over their cross-town adversaries, who have three games still to play, but because of Inter’s inferior head-to-head record their dreams of a sixth successive Scudetto have been thwarted.

But Leonardo, who has engineered a remarkable turnaround in the clubs league fortunes since taking over from Rafael Benitez in December, said his men have nothing to be ashamed of.

“We’re in second place in Serie A, we reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League,” the Brazilian said.

“The year before, we won everything, and we can still win this year’s Coppa Italia.”

“The team is producing consistent results, the players we’ve had at our disposal this season have performed well.”

“We can look at each game, but the general reading of this season can only be a positive one because that’s the reality, that’s where we are today.”

Inter’s season turned in a three-day period in early April, when they were routed 3-0 by Milan in Serie A and then suffered a 5-2 mauling at home against Schalke in the Champions League, a deficit that proved insurmountable in the second leg.

But Leonardo said he was unsure if it was he or his players who should shoulder the blame for those results.

“Games can be won or lost, mistakes can happen, it’s only natural,” he said.

“I don’t know if I can pinpoint one particular mistake, because we are talking with the benefit of hindsight. Of course, we made some errors but we also benefitted from other team’s mistakes, so it’s all subjective.”

“I don’t think the players who played in the derby or against Schalke could have done anything to radically change the results in those games. I don’t think so.”

“But those players were going through a particular moment and they didn’t manage to close the game, or maybe it was me, I don’t know, there are different reasons.”

Inter are now playing for second place with Napoli, who are just one point behind, and they received further bad news ahead of their home clash with Fiorentina on Sunday with influential Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder ruled out with injury.

Sun 8 May, 2011

Leonardo proud despite title loss

Inter Milan coach Leonardo said his players can be proud of their Serie A season, after rivals AC Milan clinched the title on Saturday.

AC Milan’s 0-0 goalless draw at Roma gave them a nine-point lead over their cross-town adversaries, who have three games still to play, but because of Inter’s inferior head-to-head record their dreams of a sixth successive Scudetto have been thwarted.

But Leonardo, who has engineered a remarkable turnaround in the clubs league fortunes since taking over from Rafael Benitez in December, said his men have nothing to be ashamed of.

“We’re in second place in Serie A, we reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League,” the Brazilian said.

“The year before, we won everything, and we can still win this year’s Coppa Italia.”

“The team is producing consistent results, the players we’ve had at our disposal this season have performed well.”

“We can look at each game, but the general reading of this season can only be a positive one because that’s the reality, that’s where we are today.”

Inter’s season turned in a three-day period in early April, when they were routed 3-0 by Milan in Serie A and then suffered a 5-2 mauling at home against Schalke in the Champions League, a deficit that proved insurmountable in the second leg.

But Leonardo said he was unsure if it was he or his players who should shoulder the blame for those results.

“Games can be won or lost, mistakes can happen, it’s only natural,” he said.

“I don’t know if I can pinpoint one particular mistake, because we are talking with the benefit of hindsight. Of course, we made some errors but we also benefitted from other team’s mistakes, so it’s all subjective.”

“I don’t think the players who played in the derby or against Schalke could have done anything to radically change the results in those games. I don’t think so.”

“But those players were going through a particular moment and they didn’t manage to close the game, or maybe it was me, I don’t know, there are different reasons.”

Inter are now playing for second place with Napoli, who are just one point behind, and they received further bad news ahead of their home clash with Fiorentina on Sunday with influential Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder ruled out with injury.

Sun 8 May, 2011

Inter hold title hope

Inter Milan boss Leonardo said his side are still alive in the Serie A title race after their dramatic 2-1 win at Cesena.

Inter trailed 1-0 after 90 minutes but an injury-time brace to Giampaolo Pazzini helped them secure a remarkable win and trim AC Milan’s lead to five points, although the league leaders have a game in hand.

Leonardo said he would be focusing on Inter’s own game as the season draws to a close, and would concentrate on securing maximum points from their three remaining fixtures.

“We are only focusing on ourselves,” Leonardo said.

“We want to maintain second place and enter the Champions League directly, without forgetting we also have the Coppa Italia semi-final (against Roma). As for the title, anything can happen and we’re still up there.”

Leonardo said he was still haunted by a three-day period in early April, when his side were humiliated by AC Milan 3-0 in the league before being routed 5-2 at home by Schalke in the Champions League, a defeat that led to them being eliminated from the tournament.

“It was tough today (against Cesena), above all psychologically, but the lads were great. I just have regrets over that cursed week, as going out of the Champions League really hurt us after a strange game with Schalke,” Leonardo said.

“This squad won the treble last season, but despite it all, we were still close to winning it all again. Unfortunately, that week ruined everything.”

The Brazilian was full of praise for Cesena, and joked that the late goals to Pazzini had been part of his plan.

“Oh that was all carefully planned out,” he said of the comeback.

“The truth is Cesena defended well and we were too slow, especially in attack. Nobody can deny we are a little fatigued after playing so many games. We conceded during a good spell of Cesena pressure, then everything changed when Pazzini came on.”

Sun 1 May, 2011

Inter hold title hope

Inter Milan boss Leonardo said his side are still alive in the Serie A title race after their dramatic 2-1 win at Cesena.

Inter trailed 1-0 after 90 minutes but an injury-time brace to Giampaolo Pazzini helped them secure a remarkable win and trim AC Milan’s lead to five points, although the league leaders have a game in hand.

Leonardo said he would be focusing on Inter’s own game as the season draws to a close, and would concentrate on securing maximum points from their three remaining fixtures.

“We are only focusing on ourselves,” Leonardo said.

“We want to maintain second place and enter the Champions League directly, without forgetting we also have the Coppa Italia semi-final (against Roma). As for the title, anything can happen and we’re still up there.”

Leonardo said he was still haunted by a three-day period in early April, when his side were humiliated by AC Milan 3-0 in the league before being routed 5-2 at home by Schalke in the Champions League, a defeat that led to them being eliminated from the tournament.

“It was tough today (against Cesena), above all psychologically, but the lads were great. I just have regrets over that cursed week, as going out of the Champions League really hurt us after a strange game with Schalke,” Leonardo said.

“This squad won the treble last season, but despite it all, we were still close to winning it all again. Unfortunately, that week ruined everything.”

The Brazilian was full of praise for Cesena, and joked that the late goals to Pazzini had been part of his plan.

“Oh that was all carefully planned out,” he said of the comeback.

“The truth is Cesena defended well and we were too slow, especially in attack. Nobody can deny we are a little fatigued after playing so many games. We conceded during a good spell of Cesena pressure, then everything changed when Pazzini came on.”

Sun 1 May, 2011

Comment on Wenger: We can still win Premier League title by eve

SoccerNews.comHomeSoccer StatsLive ScoresTransfer NewsEditorialBettingTicketsFootball ShirtsHomeArchivesAdvertiseWrite for UsAboutContactCommunityTop LeaguesEnglish Premier LeagueEnglish ChampionshipLa LigaSerie ABundesligaLigue 1EredivisieScottish Premier LeagueMLSWorld CupInternational CupsUEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Europa LeagueEuropean ChampionshipWorld Cup Select your teamArsenalAston VillaBirmingham CityBlackburn RoversBlackpoolBolton WanderersChelseaEvertonFulhamLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedStoke CitySunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Bromwich AlbionWest Ham UnitedWigan AthleticWolverhampton WanderersBarnsleyBristol CityBurnleyCardiff CityCoventry CityCrystal PalaceDerby CountyDoncaster RoversHull CityIpswich TownLeeds UnitedLeicester CityMiddlesbroughMillwallNorwich CityNottingham ForestPortsmouthPreston North EndQueens Park RangersReadingScunthorpe UnitedSheffield UnitedSwansea CityWatfordAlmeriaAthletic BilbaoAtletico MadridBarcelonaDeportivo La CorunaEspanyolGetafeHerculesLevanteMallorcaMalagaOsasunaRacing SantanderReal MadridReal SociedadReal ZaragozaSevillaSporting GijonValenciaVillarrealBariBolognaBresciaCagliariCataniaCesenaChievoFiorentinaGenoaInternazionaleJuventusLazioLecceMilanNapoliPalermoParmaRomaSampdoriaUdineseBayer LeverkusenBayern MunchenBorussia DortmundBorussia M'gladbachEintracht FrankfurtFreiburgHamburger SVHannover 96HoffenheimKaiserslauternKolnMainz 05NurnbergSchalke 04St. PauliStuttgartWerder BremenWolfsburgArlesAuxerreBordeauxBrestCaenLensLilleLorientMonacoMontpellierNancyNiceOlympique LyonOlympique MarseillePSGSaint-EtienneSochauxStade RennesToulouseValenciennesADO Den HaagAjaxAZDe GraafschapExcelsiorFeyenoordGroningenHeerenveenHeraclesNAC BredaNECPSVRoda JCTwenteUtrechtVitesseVVV VenloWillem IIAberdeenCelticDundee UnitedHamilton AcademicalsHeart of MidlothianHibernianInverness CTKilmarnockMotherwellRangersSt. JohnstoneSt. MirrenJoin usFollow usFriday 22 April, 2011

Allegri: Milan ´a step closer´ to Serie A title

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri believes his team are on track to claim the Serie A title after their 2-1 win over Fiorentina on Sunday.

Skipper Clarence Seedorf and Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato netted as the Rosseneri topped Fiorentina to maintain their three-point advantage over second-placed Napoli, who also picked up maximum points on the weekend.

“We still have the same advantage, have the advantage in the head-to-head records and there is a game less to play, so I guess we are a step closer to the Scudetto,” Allegri said.

“Now we have to take it one round at a time, then see how it all ends up.”

Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said the winning side were the best his troops had played against so far in the term.

“I could not have asked for a better attitude from my lads, but the truth is Milan are the strongest team we’ve faced this season,” the Serb said.

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was dismissed in the second half for dissent, said he regretted his actions and insisted his cursing were directed at himself, not towards the match official.

“I am sorry, but it seems as if nowadays I can’t even mutter to myself without getting into trouble. I’ll do everything I can to help Milan win the Scudetto,” he said.

Mon 11 April, 2011

Allegri: Milan ´a step closer´ to Serie A title

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri believes his team are on track to claim the Serie A title after their 2-1 win over Fiorentina on Sunday.

Skipper Clarence Seedorf and Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato netted as the Rosseneri topped Fiorentina to maintain their three-point advantage over second-placed Napoli, who also picked up maximum points on the weekend.

“We still have the same advantage, have the advantage in the head-to-head records and there is a game less to play, so I guess we are a step closer to the Scudetto,” Allegri said.

“Now we have to take it one round at a time, then see how it all ends up.”

Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said the winning side were the best his troops had played against so far in the term.

“I could not have asked for a better attitude from my lads, but the truth is Milan are the strongest team we’ve faced this season,” the Serb said.

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was dismissed in the second half for dissent, said he regretted his actions and insisted his cursing were directed at himself, not towards the match official.

“I am sorry, but it seems as if nowadays I can’t even mutter to myself without getting into trouble. I’ll do everything I can to help Milan win the Scudetto,” he said.

Mon 11 April, 2011

FC Porto Forced to Celebrate Title In Darkness as Benfica Get Petty (Video)

4 comments by Mad Dog and Glory on April 4th, 2011

This is amusing. FC Porto won the Portuguese title on the weekend, well done to them, they did so without losing a game and a win at arch rivals Benfica set the party starting however the home side decided that they would ruin their fun by turning off the floodlights and switching on the sprinklers, which is a little petty if you ask me. If anything the sprinklers just made the party even more fun, everyone knows that sprinklers make any party better! Spotted on the excellent Who Ate All The Pies.

Arsenal 0 - Blackburn 0: Arsenal Exposed as Title Pretenders with Failure to Beat 10-Man Blackburn

Arsenal 0 – Blackburn 0: Arsenal Exposed as Title Pretenders with Failure to Beat 10-Man Blackburn - The Offside - Arsenal blog
« Arsenal – Blackburn Match Thread | Home | Arsenal 0 – Blackburn 0: Arsenal Exposed as Title Pretenders with Failure to Beat 10-Man BlackburnBy: Martin | April 2nd, 2011
    Tweet

Awful. Just awful.

Not to be too dramatic, or to put too fine a point on it, but today was a tale of two teams. One team went down 2-0, on the road, to a team that’s been playing quite well lately. How did they respond? They banded together, simply decided to win, and scored 4 goals in a breathtakingly dominant 20-minute span to win 4-2. The other team was playing at home against a team that was one of the worst road teams in the league, a team that hadn’t kept a clean sheet away from home all season, and a team that went down to 10-men. That team looked out of sorts, couldn’t make the most of its chances, and suffered a punchless 0-0 draw. There’s still games left to play, but based on today’s evidence, I don’t think it’s any mystery which team is the heavy favorite, and why.

This team is as frustrating as about any as I can remember. The teams at the top of the league are as weak as any year in the last decade or so. The league was there for the taking for us this year. Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool will all be better this year than they were this year. All we had to do was band together and take advantage of a relatively tame run-in to put ourselves right in the mix. Instead, in our last three league matches, we had: a 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland, who have been woeful away from home this season, a 2-2 draw away to relegation candidate West Brom, and a 0-0 home draw against Blackburn today. If we had taken care of business in those matches, we’d be one point behind Manchester United with a game in hand and the head-to-head match at the Emirates — effectively in first-place. Instead our title hopes are on life support and slipping away with every match we play.

It’s maddening. When the chips are down, and we need to raise our games, we do the exact opposite. Blackburn played well, Robinson made saves, we were coming back from injuries, etc., but I’m honestly just sick and tired of all the excuses. Champions overcome obstacles; others use obstacles as excuses. We’ve fallen into the latter category for far too long, and now it looks much more likely than not that we’re looking at our 6th consecutive season.

I’m not sure I can really stomach the blow-by-blow for this one, so I beg your indulgence on this one. Here’s basically what happened: Blackburn kept everyone behind the box, just like we knew they would. They created some chances from long balls into the box and from set pieces, and Almunia definitely had a few shaky moments. But we had most of the possession in their end, but had no cutting edge in and around the Blackburn box, failing to create enough chances and wasting the chances we did create. How many times have we said that the last few seasons?

We’re underdogs, with 5 out of the 8 remaining fixtures away from the Emirates and 7 points to make up, even with the game in hand. It’s not impossible, but it is certainly improbable. Honestly, the big issue at this point isn’t fixtures, or points, or anything like that — it’s that we’re playing like ass at the moment, and we need to turn it around. We have another week to try to get it sorted out.

On to the ratings:

Almunia 5.5 Definitely had a few shaky moments and left the goal exposed, and was a bit lucky to escape with a clean sheet. Generally claimed the ball well, but seems prone to 2-3 bad mistakes per game, which still makes him a big liability.

Sagna 6 Thought he was a bit shaky again — didn’t really contribute much to the attack, and really struggled to deal with Blackburn attacking down his flank.

Clichy 7 Co-Man of the Match. Very assured display from Gael — didn’t get out of position and supported the attack well and had a couple of really nice clearances. Looks up for the run-in.

Koscielny 6.5 Solid display from LK6 today — battled in the air, didn’t get caught too far forward, and was doing what he could to get the team started going the other way. By far the most consistent performer of the “unholy trio.”

Squillaci 6 Although Squizz wasn’t too shabby today, either. Maybe it’s just because our defense wasn’t tested too much, but he worked hard, didn’t get caught out of position and took care of the ball.

Song 5.5 I thought he was pretty bad today — kept slipping on the turf, missing tackles, and getting caught out of position. Added basically nothing to the attack, either. Still a better option than Denilson or Diaby, and I’m sure he’ll back back into form with some more playing time, since this was his first game back from injury.

Wilshere 6 Worked hard, but couldn’t get it going today. Has got to learn to shoot when he’s got the ball in space in the box — may very well have cost us 2 points by passing when he should have shot today.

Nasri 6.5 Got to give him some credit for carrying on despite taking a nasty knock to the head going for a header early on. He worked hard, but didn’t really provide the creative spark we needed in the advanced midfield role.

Arshavin 6 A few decent shots, and one great block made by a good bit of hustle while tracking back. But gave the ball away a lot in advanced positions and killed a lot of moves, as well.

Theo 7 Co-Man of the Match. Definitely reminded us of how much we missed him — got behind the defense multiple times in dangerous positions, but couldn’t provide the final ball from there. Still could stand to use a bit of sharpness, but it’s great to have him back.

van Persie 6 Not at his best today. May not have gotten the best of service, but did get the ball in advanced positions. Today’s the kind of day when we look to our talismanic striker to create a goal to get us the win. He didn’t.

Cesc 6 A few bright moments, but couldn’t help us break through the Blackburn defense.

Chamakh 5 Anonymous.

Bendtner 5.5 Worked hard and had one really good headed chance, but didn’t quite do what he was brought on to do.

Okay, that’s it. It’s very, very disappointing, but next week is another game, and if we can manage to run the table the rest of the season, we may have a chance at this. Enjoy the rest of your weekends.

***************

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Some Related Stories:Arsenal – Blackburn PreviewArsenal – Blackburn Match ThreadArsenal 2 Everton 1: Second Half Comeback Keeps Arsenal in the Title RaceWest Ham 0 – Arsenal 3: Dominant Arsenal Coast to 3 Points (UPDATED with Player Ratings)Newcastle 4 – Arsenal 4: Braindead Arsenal Piss it Away (UPDATED with Player Ratings)
Category: Arsenal News, Blackburn, Fixtures, Match Review, Premiership Tags: Arsenal News, Blackburn, Fixtures, Match Review, Premiership
    Tweet « Arsenal – Blackburn Match Thread | Home | Darren_VYou should just start copy and pasting your post-game posts. It's always the same, just different names. blehDisappointerThis is what differentiate arsenal from champions. To be able to enjoy the lion's share of possession and yet unable to capitalize. Yet Man united play poorly and still able to win it. Arsenal will rank outside the top 4 if they were in serie A or La Liga.

Arsene's philosophy is outdated. and i rather place a scarecrow in front of the goal instead of almunia.MartinHa. Come on now. I've been very critical of Arsenal, but we would be 3rd at worst in La Liga, and we'd run away with Serie A -- the team that's running away with Serie A couldn't even beat the 5th place team in England in the Champions League.bapdumthen again we couldnt beat the 5th place team in england eitherPatoux21When was the last time Arsenal actually played well in a whole game? Against Chelsea? Sagna was awful again. When will he learn to use his brain and show some balance between offense and defense? What's the point going forward all the time running like a headless chicken close to the corner flag when his offensive threat is inexistant (a good cross is like a miracle for him) and he's leaving the team vulnerable to counter attacks. At least Wenger should tell hims j littleSomeone needs to vet Wengers signings before thay are approved, put them in a really tough practice match and see if they like it! There is more to football than being skilful ball players who pass all day and night until they see the enemy and then pass backwards, sideways or fall over! Mr Wenger must be the only man in soccer who has never noticed what makes great players great or great teams great. Skill is only a part of it, he seems to ignore expert positional play,toughness,leadership,guts,craft,resilience,inspirational leaders or captains,tactical planning and appropriate adjustments in tactics and/or substitutions at the right time. Watch Manu,do you ever see opposition players unchallenged for a loose ball! Or ending up on their backside like Walcott,Denilson,Rosicky. Then look at all the silly needless free kicks given away by Songs clumsy style. Koscielny half hearted dangling of his foot,(nearly diverted the ball pass that Dummy in goal today} Sagna and Clichy rubbish upfield sorties when their finish is what Granny could do {and on her pension too}better. What the hell do they practice? Certainly not cultivating a hard shot! Why is there no poachers up front waiting like a Tiger to pounce instead of mooching around with seemingly no plan between them. All too programmed into a formula that everybody except Wenger now knows how easy it is to stifle. Boring stuff. Its not in the nature of Arsenal fans to boo but we were used to Arsenal players in the past having some pride in their performance and some respect for their love of real football. we got that even from our poorest teams, We are frustrated enough now to be entitled to boo the present lot of pancies parading as Arsenal overpaid time servers.SKGOD DAMN IT WILSHERE. u wanna be a English star, u gotta score too.MartinHe's 19. He'll score. People had the same complaints about Cesc his first couple of years in the first-team, too.EddyIs that a April fool joke or is that Nasri's actual hair style? Good godMartinIt's a bandage because he took a nasty head-butt that swelled up bigger than a golf ball.CSDWould it kill you guys to win a match? Would you actually die? C'mon!Gigi_manat least, the very least, finally, finally...wenger said something was wrong...SeanAlso, a late season flame out again could hamper Wenger in the summer. Fabregas sure to push for a transfer. Nasri could decide against signing a long-term contract. And potential targets could decide Chelsea, Man U, Man city better destinations. Must show some strength, even if it just means keeping 2nd place.Mike StevensAgree. Difficult times for Wenger and the club. Fans starting to get restless -- and will only get worse if he decides not to spend this summer. As the Emirates raise their ticket prices -- during tough economic times -- people will begin to question spending money on ineffectual football. People continue to question Arsenal's defense, but 0-0 draws at home against Sunderland and Blackburn speak more to a lack of cutting edge. Wenger seems to lack confidence in both Bendtner and Chamakh to do the job.SairaxI think you said it all. Not much to add from me.SeanEmbarrassing. Wenger really has to question what is happening. Seems the effects of that Carling Cup loss are not washed away. Wonder if a losing mentality is starting to creep into the player's minds. If so, could be disastrous.blog comments powered by Disqus
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Allegri: Title won´t be won in derby

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri insists Saturday’s derby against Inter Milan may not prove decisive in the Serie A title race.

Milan top the table by two points from defending champions Inter heading into the showdown at the San Siro.

The match has been billed by some as a potential playoff for the Scudetto. But Allegri believes there will still be plenty of points up for grabs in the remainder of the season, regardless of who comes out on top on Saturday.

“Tomorrow’s match is a beautiful match to play in this moment of the championship,” Allegri said.

“AC Milan is leading the ranking up to the beginning of tomorrow’s match and I do also believe … that this match is more decisive for them than for us, since after tomorrow’s match there are still seven matches to be played and 21 points to be gained. Therefore, there are many chances to change the result of the championship.”

“Napoli and Udinese are also near us and near Inter Milan.”

Inter come into the game on the back of five wins and one draw in their last six league outings.

Milan have drawn one and lost one from their last two, but Allegri remains unconcerned about the part form may play.

“As far as the predictions are concerned, I’ve heard many things: somebody says the other team will be winning since we’ve gained only one point in two matches,” Allegri said.

“But we also have to say that the beauty of football is that things can change unexpectedly. We know that it’s impossible to win the championship when there is still a month to the end of the season.”

Mindful of the threat the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto’o pose for Inter, Allegri will be sending out his team charged with shutting down the opposition.

“We should be clever and compact since Inter Milan has a great potential, especially in the offensive department,” he said.

“We’re skilled as well and therefore we should play … from the technical point of view, without conceding too many spaces.”

Sat 2 April, 2011

Allegri: Title won´t be won in derby

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri insists Saturday’s derby against Inter Milan may not prove decisive in the Serie A title race.

Milan top the table by two points from defending champions Inter heading into the showdown at the San Siro.

The match has been billed by some as a potential playoff for the Scudetto. But Allegri believes there will still be plenty of points up for grabs in the remainder of the season, regardless of who comes out on top on Saturday.

“Tomorrow’s match is a beautiful match to play in this moment of the championship,” Allegri said.

“AC Milan is leading the ranking up to the beginning of tomorrow’s match and I do also believe … that this match is more decisive for them than for us, since after tomorrow’s match there are still seven matches to be played and 21 points to be gained. Therefore, there are many chances to change the result of the championship.”

“Napoli and Udinese are also near us and near Inter Milan.”

Inter come into the game on the back of five wins and one draw in their last six league outings.

Milan have drawn one and lost one from their last two, but Allegri remains unconcerned about the part form may play.

“As far as the predictions are concerned, I’ve heard many things: somebody says the other team will be winning since we’ve gained only one point in two matches,” Allegri said.

“But we also have to say that the beauty of football is that things can change unexpectedly. We know that it’s impossible to win the championship when there is still a month to the end of the season.”

Mindful of the threat the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto’o pose for Inter, Allegri will be sending out his team charged with shutting down the opposition.

“We should be clever and compact since Inter Milan has a great potential, especially in the offensive department,” he said.

“We’re skilled as well and therefore we should play … from the technical point of view, without conceding too many spaces.”

Sat 2 April, 2011

Title success awaits City, says Toure

Suspended Manchester City defender Kolo Toure believes his side have what it takes to be Premier League contenders in the future.

Toure, who is currently suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, also thinks the club are yet to see the best of troubled striker Mario Balotelli, and predicts big things for the Italian.

“I’m feeling really happy at City now, we have some new players and a new vision of football,” the Ivorian said.

“We want to win things and at the moment we’re doing well and we hope to finish in the top four and see if we can qualify for the Champions League.”

“We are improving every season, last season we finished fifth and if this season we can finish in the top four that will be great and it will show we’re progressing and I think that is the most important.”

“To win the Premier League is very difficult because there are some top teams but when you have good players (and) you all want to win, that can happen definitely.”

Toure believes the senior players at Eastlands have a responsibility to the help the younger players, such as Balotelli, adjust to life in the Premier League.

“We have some young players some more experienced players and I think the experienced players just try to help the young players,” he said.

“I think Balotelli is a young player and he needs to adapt to the Premier League and the English culture and to the English spirit. I think from next season you will see better coming from him.”

Thu 31 March, 2011

Roar win A-League title in thriller

Brisbane Roar are the A-League champions after beating Central Coast Mariners in a penalty shootout in an extraordinary grand final on Sunday.

The match was goalless at full-time but in a dramatic half hour of extra time, both sides scored twice.

The Mariners went 2-0 up in the first 15 minutes of added time but Brisbane hit back to secure a 2-2 draw with the last play of the match.

However, it still took a penalty shoot-out, won 4-2 by the Roar, to separate the teams in a match that had it all, played in front of more than 50,000 fans, the fourth-largest crowd in A-League history, in the first grand final outside of Sydney or Melbourne.

The Mariners had the title all but clinched with six minutes left after Adam Kwasnik and Oliver Bozanic scored after the scores were deadlocked after 90 minutes of end-to-end entertainment.

It looked as if Brisbane’s amazing run of 27 games undefeated was over.

But as they showed a fortnight ago in the second leg of the major semi-final, the Brisbane Roar will never, ever say die as they snagged two goals in the last three minutes to take the title to penalties.

There, Brisbane goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos was the hero, saving spot kicks from Daniel McBreen and Pedj Bojic before Henrique scored the decisive penalty.

It was an incredible climax that looked beyond all realms of possibility in the 96th minute when Bojic sent in a corner kick, with Roar star Thomas Broich jumping to clear it.

The ball went back into the danger area and Kwasnik reacted the quickest to grab the breakthrough from close range.

Seven minutes later Kwasnik was at it again on the break, unleashed by game-changing youngster Bernie Ibini-Isei and though his shot was saved by Theoklitos, he passed to Bozanic, who looked to have confirmed Central Coast’s first championship.

But in the 117th minute Brazilian Henrique pegged one back for the Roar, set up by Jean Carlos Solorzano after a break down the left.

It seemed it was all too late but up rose Erik Paartalu, meeting a perfect corner from Broich to level the scores.

Sun 13 March, 2011

Roar win A-League title in thriller

Brisbane Roar are the A-League champions after beating Central Coast Mariners in a penalty shootout in an extraordinary grand final on Sunday.

The match was goalless at full-time but in a dramatic half hour of extra time, both sides scored twice.

The Mariners went 2-0 up in the first 15 minutes of added time but Brisbane hit back to secure a 2-2 draw with the last play of the match.

However, it still took a penalty shoot-out, won 4-2 by the Roar, to separate the teams in a match that had it all, played in front of more than 50,000 fans, the fourth-largest crowd in A-League history, in the first grand final outside of Sydney or Melbourne.

The Mariners had the title all but clinched with six minutes left after Adam Kwasnik and Oliver Bozanic scored after the scores were deadlocked after 90 minutes of end-to-end entertainment.

It looked as if Brisbane’s amazing run of 27 games undefeated was over.

But as they showed a fortnight ago in the second leg of the major semi-final, the Brisbane Roar will never, ever say die as they snagged two goals in the last three minutes to take the title to penalties.

There, Brisbane goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos was the hero, saving spot kicks from Daniel McBreen and Pedj Bojic before Henrique scored the decisive penalty.

It was an incredible climax that looked beyond all realms of possibility in the 96th minute when Bojic sent in a corner kick, with Roar star Thomas Broich jumping to clear it.

The ball went back into the danger area and Kwasnik reacted the quickest to grab the breakthrough from close range.

Seven minutes later Kwasnik was at it again on the break, unleashed by game-changing youngster Bernie Ibini-Isei and though his shot was saved by Theoklitos, he passed to Bozanic, who looked to have confirmed Central Coast’s first championship.

But in the 117th minute Brazilian Henrique pegged one back for the Roar, set up by Jean Carlos Solorzano after a break down the left.

It seemed it was all too late but up rose Erik Paartalu, meeting a perfect corner from Broich to level the scores.

Sun 13 March, 2011

Cech still hopeful of winning title

Petr Cech is clinging to hope that Chelsea can erase their deficit on leaders Manchester United and win the English Premier League title.

The Blues trail their Premiership rivals by 12 points with two games in hand, even after beating Sir Alex Ferguson’s men 2-1 on Tuesday.

The Chelsea shot-stopper said it was not impossible for the champions to hold onto their title, but admitted results needed to go their way, starting with a trip to Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road on Monday.

“You can see teams dropping points so we will definitely have a go and try to retain the title. Realistically, we know it is not in our hands,” Cech said.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said their triumph over the league leaders would propel one final push from the Londoners to try and knock United from top spot.

“When you win against United, it means you’re good enough to play against stronger teams. So this result obviously improves your confidence,” the Italian boss said.

“It’s the wrong way to prepare by thinking it will be easier against Blackpool than United.”

“We have to be more in focus against them than against United. It’s easy to stay focused against United because there’s so much attention on the game, and a lot of pressure.”

Mon 7 March, 2011

Cech still hopeful of winning title

Petr Cech is clinging to hope that Chelsea can erase their deficit on leaders Manchester United and win the English Premier League title.

The Blues trail their Premiership rivals by 12 points with two games in hand, even after beating Sir Alex Ferguson’s men 2-1 on Tuesday.

The Chelsea shot-stopper said it was not impossible for the champions to hold onto their title, but admitted results needed to go their way, starting with a trip to Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road on Monday.

“You can see teams dropping points so we will definitely have a go and try to retain the title. Realistically, we know it is not in our hands,” Cech said.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said their triumph over the league leaders would propel one final push from the Londoners to try and knock United from top spot.

“When you win against United, it means you’re good enough to play against stronger teams. So this result obviously improves your confidence,” the Italian boss said.

“It’s the wrong way to prepare by thinking it will be easier against Blackpool than United.”

“We have to be more in focus against them than against United. It’s easy to stay focused against United because there’s so much attention on the game, and a lot of pressure.”

Mon 7 March, 2011

Comment on Could Liverpool dent Manchester United’s title hopes? by Brad

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Inter still alive in title race

Inter Milan assistant coach Giuseppe Baresi has predicted a thrilling battle for the Serie A title as Inter close in on rivals AC Milan.

The defending Italian champions defeated Fiorentina 2-1 on Wednesday to remain third on the table, five points behind leaders Milan.

Napoli sit a surprise second, two points ahead of Inter, with 13 games left to play in the season.

It is a remarkable turnaround for Inter, who were as many as 13 points adrift of Milan in December before beleaguered manager Rafa Benitez was sacked and replaced by Leonardo.

Speaking after the win at Fiorentina, Baresi tipped his side to keep up the pressure on their cross-city rivals as the fight for the Scudetto intensifies.

“Well, of course after the defeat in Turin (to Juventus) it was even more important to win today, to put that behind us and then we know that here if you lose a match you’re out of the games,” Baresi said.

“I think that winning in Florence now, against a Fiorentina side in good shape that have had seven or eight good results beforehand shows how well we are doing well and how we want to battle for the the top of the table.”

“Nothing changes now. We know that three points are important for us in every game from now on.”

“We are playing catch-up, so every match is very important for us. Nothing changes. We’re there or thereabouts, with five points less than Milan, so every match is like a final for us.”

Inter midfielder Esteban Cambiasso hailed his team-mates for their determination to find the lead after Fiorentina drew level 1-1 in the 32nd minute.

Giampaolo Pazzini continued his goal-scoring glut with a winner after the hour, and Cambiasso rejected suggestions Inter had been less than impressive at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

“Maybe you think it was not a great effort, it was a great effort for us,” Esteban said.

“We have played 12 matches since after the break, so don’t tell me that it wasn’t a great effort. You make me laugh.”

“We definitely started well. We scored and then, as it happens when you play so many matches in a row there was a little lapse from us.”

“At 1-1 we showed that we are a great team and wanted to score rather than just being cynical.”

“We showed that we still wanted to dominate and played most of the second half in Fiorentina’s half of the pitch, apart from a few counterattacks from them.”

Thu 17 February, 2011

Inter still alive in title race

Inter Milan assistant coach Giuseppe Baresi has predicted a thrilling battle for the Serie A title as Inter close in on rivals AC Milan.

The defending Italian champions defeated Fiorentina 2-1 on Wednesday to remain third on the table, five points behind leaders Milan.

Napoli sit a surprise second, two points ahead of Inter, with 13 games left to play in the season.

It is a remarkable turnaround for Inter, who were as many as 13 points adrift of Milan in December before beleaguered manager Rafa Benitez was sacked and replaced by Leonardo.

Speaking after the win at Fiorentina, Baresi tipped his side to keep up the pressure on their cross-city rivals as the fight for the Scudetto intensifies.

“Well, of course after the defeat in Turin (to Juventus) it was even more important to win today, to put that behind us and then we know that here if you lose a match you’re out of the games,” Baresi said.

“I think that winning in Florence now, against a Fiorentina side in good shape that have had seven or eight good results beforehand shows how well we are doing well and how we want to battle for the the top of the table.”

“Nothing changes now. We know that three points are important for us in every game from now on.”

“We are playing catch-up, so every match is very important for us. Nothing changes. We’re there or thereabouts, with five points less than Milan, so every match is like a final for us.”

Inter midfielder Esteban Cambiasso hailed his team-mates for their determination to find the lead after Fiorentina drew level 1-1 in the 32nd minute.

Giampaolo Pazzini continued his goal-scoring glut with a winner after the hour, and Cambiasso rejected suggestions Inter had been less than impressive at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

“Maybe you think it was not a great effort, it was a great effort for us,” Esteban said.

“We have played 12 matches since after the break, so don’t tell me that it wasn’t a great effort. You make me laugh.”

“We definitely started well. We scored and then, as it happens when you play so many matches in a row there was a little lapse from us.”

“At 1-1 we showed that we are a great team and wanted to score rather than just being cynical.”

“We showed that we still wanted to dominate and played most of the second half in Fiorentina’s half of the pitch, apart from a few counterattacks from them.”

Thu 17 February, 2011