What beckons for Beckham?

17 August 1996, David Robert Joseph Beckham exploded onto the footballing scene when he scored a spectacular goal from behind the half way line against Wimbledon. Before this, the young Manchester United midfielder was not considered the household name that he is today. Since then, he has progressed to become one of the most famous footballers to have ever lived, going on to star for Real Madrid and AC Milan whilst also recording over a century of caps for the English national team. Nowadays, 37-year-old Beckham is closing on his ever-nearing retirement from professional football following his MLS Cup triumph with LA Galaxy, and is now considering one last challenge before the door closes on his marvellous career. Billy Taylor looks at possible destinations for the England veteran.

Melbourne Heart

With home attendance currently a problem in Melbourne, the signing of Beckham would definitely help out the Australian outfit when it comes to the issue of crowd atmosphere. Heart play in a 4-3-3 formation, with pacey wingers Mate Dugandzic and David Williams providing the dangerous attack along with Josip Tadic as the main striker, who currently has three goals in seven games. Beckham would slot into the one of the three midfield positions and would most likely start. However, there are some possible financial difficulties with this move. It will cost the club 2 million AU$ (roughly £1.3 million) to obtain the services of Beckham on a ten game stint, which is the proposed deal to lure the ex-England captain to go Down Under. As a club in debt, this could prove to be a stumbling block in their ambitious attempts.

POSSIBILITY RATING: 1/5

Shanghai Shenhua

A move to China would be a step into the unknown for the former England captain, but then again, so was going to play Major League Soccer five years ago. Shanghai Shenhua will not host the best quality of football (they finished 9th in the Chinese Super League last campaign, which came to a close early last month) but they certainly make up for it with big wads of cash! Beckham was a pioneer of American 'soccer' and has arguably made it the success it is today, so why not try it again with Shanghai? Big stars such as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka have already made the switch and have been a relative success. If Beckham were to move, it would open the floodgates for players young and old to make the transition in search of success overseas. Being a big Hollywood name in the world of football, he'd without doubt have a place in the starting line up, feeding his trademark passes and crosses to the former Chelsea strikers. Price and lifestyle would also not be issues with the fast growing Chinese economy, so it would definitely be a serious consideration for Goldenballs to move further west.

POSSIBILITY RATING: 3/5

QPR

With no win in 15 games, times are looking distinctly bleak for the Harry Redknapp's newly inherited side as they sit stone-cold last on the Premier League ladder. Could Beckham be the player to change the fortunes of the west Londoners? Probably not would be your first thought. A massive influx of talent has clearly disrupted the core of a side who narrowly avoided relegation last season, and adding yet more players to an unsettled group would hardly steady the ship. However, this is David Beckham we're talking about. Redknapp has gone some way to changing the fortunes of QPR, losing none of the games he has taken charge of so far (but also winning none) and he may turn to experience in order to revamp his lacklustre team. Goldenballs (if he were to start) would probably slot alongside Argentinian Alejandro Faurlin in the centre of midfield, a player who is currently favoured over the high profile transfers of Granero and Stephen M'Bia, possibly to try and bring back the spirit of last season. Inevitable high wage demands wouldn't prove to much of a problem with Tony Fernandes at the helm, but whether he would stump up to pay them is a different story...

POSSIBILITY RATING: 3/5

West Ham United

The newly promoted Hammers have faired bravely in English football's top tier thus far, but injury to key player Mohamed Diame (also prone to departure speculation) has meant that Allardyce's squad have been left with a sizeable gap in their midfield, and the east London born midfielder could have the ability to fill it. Beckham may also be persuaded to join due to the recent news that negotiations are ongoing to secure the Olympic Stadium for the Hammers, a venue that would see them get more coverage and attention as a club. If chosen to start, Beckham could either fill in on the right wing or next to Mark Noble in the defensive midfield, the latter being most likely due to the pace of English league football. Finances would be provided for the move to happen by the two wealthy Davids, but with the club in debt and also shelling out big payments to move into Stratford, it probably wouldn't be seen as financially sustainable in the long run. Then again, we are talking about the club that brought in Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano a few years ago.

POSSIBILITY RATING: 2/5

PSG

"If David Beckham still wants to win more trophies then this is the right club for him to join" said head-over-heels Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and he is certainly not wrong. Paris Saint-Germain, led by former Chelsea gaffer Carlo Ancelotti, are rapidly making a name for themselves worldwide after acquiring several big money signings, including the giant Swede himself. They currently sit second in Ligue 1 and have also booked their place in the next round of the Champions' League after topping their relatively easy group. Out of all the possibilities mentioned, PSG are clearly the best competitively and offer the most to Beckham in the way of football, but because of the high quality of standard in Les Parisiens squad, getting first team action would be a struggle. Aside from the beautiful game, France offers the glamorous lifestyle that the Beckham family have been used to during their time in LA, and they won't find that in a dodgy east/west end pub. This mega rich team should be able to afford his wages comfortably, and this plus the aforementioned would see the French side as favourites to capture his signature.

POSSIBILITY RATING: 4/5

The Future of Portsmouth Football Club?

For over three years now, Portsmouth FC have been the subject of financial turmoil which has slowly ravaged the club from the inside. Since first going into administration whilst still in the Premier League, they have seen relegation twice, numerous amounts of points docked and several complaints about unpaid wages. Now in the third tier of English football, Pompey are set to be taken over yet again. But this time, they will not be under the ownership of another unreliable consortium, but by their own supporters club.

The situation is not as simple as it seems however. The South Coast based club were set to be taken over by controversial figure Balram Chainrai, who had previously had an affiliation with the side when he loaned the former owner Ali al-Faraj £17 million (a sum of money that he has reportedly not received back). He took over the club when al-Faraj couldn't repay the fee and soon led the club into a period of administration. Since then he has been linked with taking over Portsmouth on several occasions, but a petition by Pompey supporters (containing over 2000 signatures) clearly shows that he is not wanted at Fratton Park.

Aswell as this, the Hong Kong born businessman, under the fit-and-proper-person test introduced in 2004, may be prevented from becoming the owner if he plans to submit another bid. The fit-and-proper-person test aims to stop corrupt or untrustworthy owners from meddling in the events of football ownership. Since Chainrai has been involved with Portsmouth Football Club on both occasions when they entered administrations, he may not be allowed to become owner. Therefore, the supporters club may be considered as more suitable owners.

But before they can take over, Portsmouth fans must first purchase assets that are currently in Chainrai's possession, including Fratton Park stadium. With the 54-year old still being owed £17 million by the club, and the supporters club's £2 million value of the stadium, this could prove to be a stumbling block as Chainrai attempts to restore his investment that he put into the club several years ago.

For the moment though, the future of Portsmouth FC is still as questionable as ever.

Lampard spares English blushes (England 1-1 Ukraine)

In a match that saw most of the action occur in the last ten minutes, this was certainly not a comfortable game for any of the home or away fans, but it will certainly been a more pleasing display for the eastern European nation, who saw their side give England an enduring encounter.

The qualifier certainly began as a cagey affair, with neither team allowing the opposition much space. Within the first three minutes, a deflected cross from a Ukrainian winger caused Joe Hart some trouble, as he scrambled backwards to tip the ball behind for a corner.

The Euro 2012 co-hosts were without their sensational skipper Andreiy Shevchenko after it was announced he would retire following the tournament, but Oleh Blokhin's side clearly still had attacking threat, with Yarmelonko and Garmash creating problems for the English defence. A few minutes after that, Konoplianka's cross pinged around the 18-yard area before eventually falling into the grateful arms of England's number one.

But the third best international football team in the world (apparently) were not going to be bullied by their former Group D opponents. On the ninth minute mark, Jermaine Defoe picked the ball up around the left wing area, shrugged off the looming figure of Yarmolenko, ran past another defender before thumping the ball past the goalkeeper. However, in a disgraceful piece of play-acting by Dynamo Kyiv forward (who dropped to the floor clutching his face once Defoe raised his arm to shield him off) the referee was conned into disallowing the goal. Nevertheless, England were clearly showing their attacking intent.

The Three Lions defence were looking as solid as always, apart from the occasional absence of Glen Johnson as he looks to become the English answer to Dani Alves. The only brief scare that occurred during the opening minutes was when Steven Gerrard had to throw himself at the ball to block it from being guided in after a slight kerfuffle in the box. In attack, Cleverly was being restricted from being as prolific as he was during the previous match in Moldova, put Steven Gerrard was still Mr. Reliable as he fed creative passes through towards the sharp-looking Defoe. Oxlade-Chamberlin and Milner continued to be a constant threats on the wings, dribbling repeatedly past many blue shirts. Overall, a decent start for Roy Hodgson's side.

Ukrainian attacks were unfortunately still regularly. Garnash was left unmarked as he poked the ball over with the top of his foot from 6 yards out following and inviting ball from the left-back. But England came back again. Gerrard's whipped cross found the head of Defoe, who steered it poorly towards goal, only for Cleverly to latch onto the ball and hit it against the goalkeeper's shins, when nine times out of ten it would have been a simplistic finish. And then the first goal came against the run of play. Konoplynaka attacked down the left wing, quickly cutting inside of Gerrard before hitting an inch-perfect finesse shot past the helpless arms of Joe Hart. It was the first time that Ukraine has scored in three games and the first goal England had conceded in their qualifying group.

Before the half-time whistle, there were two more chances for the home team, and more specifically two more chances for Tom Cleverly. The first one was another dismal miss following a sharp ball from Lampard on the wing, which was mistimed completely by the Manchester United midfielder and squirmed yards wide. The second effort was more promising however, and he found some space on the edge of the six-yard area before thumping his shot against the outside of the post. Despite his efforts however, England went into the break a goal down to the solid Zbirna, but the performance was nothing to be ashamed of thus far.

Second half. The only possible threats upon the Pyatov's goal in the first ten minutes were Lampard's half volley from the edge of the area and Glen Johnson's unmet ground cross, none of which caused the Ukrainian number one any problems. But for every chance England had, Ukraine had a better one. Leighton Baines done well to turn a dangerous Konoplyanka cross over the bar and away from the impending Zozulya, who was waiting to pounce, and the resulting corner was caught safely by Joe Hart.

The match then descended into a mundane kick around, with Blokhin's side happy to close down England with whatever variation of attack they tried. Welbeck and Sturridge were sent on for Chamerberlin and Cleverly in an attempt to improve the attacking threat. Johnson's 68th minute solo run and shot was the only sight of goal England had during the following 20 minutes. Defoe was not the lively character that he was during the first half, and the attacking prowess from the wide midfielders had died down. England desperately needed a boost.

With 15 minutes left, England finally started to show some encouraging signs that they would get a goal, but again to no avail. Defoe and Jagielka had chances, before Welbeck toe-poked his close range effort against the post, which surely should have gone in. Minutes later, the United forward also had a penalty appeal, but was told to get up by the referee. In the midst of all of this however, Ukraine also had a very good chance, but that was thankfully saved by the Manchester City goalie.

But eventually, England's efforts finally got the response that was needed. Welbeck got the ball inside the box and attempted to flick it over his opponent, only for it to be blocked by a Ukrainian arm... penalty! Lampard stepped up to the spot, and coolly smashed it towards the left of the goal. Hope was revived. But a hectic few minutes later, the previously booked captain Steven Gerrard lunged into the back of Garmesh's legs, causing the Liverpool man to be dismissed with only a few minutes of the game remaining.

The Lions desperately searched for the a winner during injury time, but unfortunately it wasn't to be for the team in white, as they dropped crucial points at home in a brave display against a Ukraine side seeking revenge. Whether it will prove crucial in the race for the first place in this group, no-one knows, but Hodgson would certainly have been expecting three points from this game.

Ukraine: Pyatov, Gusev, Khacheridi, Rakitskiy, Selin (Shevchuk 75), Tymoschuk, Rotan (Mandzyuk 90), Yarmolenko, Garmash, Konoplyanka, Zozulya (Devic 89).

England: Hart, Johnson, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines (Bertrand 74), Lampard, Gerrard, Milner, Cleverley (Welbeck 63), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Sturridge 70), Defoe.

BeeTeeSports Man Of The Match: Yevhen Konoplyanka (8/10)

Jarvis jives down to Upton Park!

After three failed bids in an attempt to lure the winger away from Molinuex, Matt Jarvis has finally completed his transfer to West Ham for £7m, with a further £3m being paid in instalments.

There have been questions surrounding the Englishman's future ever since Wolves' relegation from the Premier League in May. But despite Ståle Solbakken's desperate attempts to keep one of their most highly rated players, he will now join up with Sam Allardyce's new boys after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms today.

 Jarvis becomes the seventh major signing to join the east London based club this summer, following the acquisitions of such players as Alou Diarra, James Collins and Modibo Maiga. He will be competing with Matt Taylor for a place on the left wing in the starting line-up.  

The former Gillingham player, who has one international cap to his name, played in the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Swansea today, but manage to show glimpses of talent throughout - hopefully a sign of what is to come!

2012/2013 - The Relegation Scrap!

Now that the Premier League is now more competitive than ever before, predicting the candidates for relegations is no easy task. The three teams promoted from the Championship have a certain unpredictability factor, and this was evident last season when Swansea and Norwich finished in very respectable mid-table positions. The teams that struggled last campaign have been dipping into the transfer market to attempt to ensure that they do not fight in the relegation battle again. Alas, three teams will certainly be resigned to the English football second tier come the end of the season.

West Ham:
Despite several new editions to Sam Allardyce's side, the Hammers have been fairly inconsistent during pre-season as they attempt to find their strongest squad. They have won only twice during the ten games in July and early August, but have been somewhat handicapped by only playing fixtures away from home. Last season, they dominated the Championship's top two for the majority of the season, until a run of five consecutive draws in March saw them drop out of the automatic promotion positions. Having won the Play-Off final in scrappy circumstances, Allardyce will be on a mission to prove that his team can cope with England's elite, and also play exciting football in the process (he has been criticised by his own fans for his tactical style)
Prediction - SURVIVAL

Reading:
Reading shocked everyone in the nPower Championship to win the league last season, winning 15 of their last 18 games which lifted them from mid-table all the way up into pole position. Since their promotion, they have managed to secure some decent signings, including Fulham's scoring sensation of last year Pavel Pogrebnyak, aswell as the versatile former Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie (both of them on a free transfer). However, football fans around the country may question what Reading will turn up in the Premier League. Will it be the one we witnessed during the first half of last season, who looked more like Championship relegation contenders than champions? Or will it be the resurgent Royals who dominated the league since March?
Prediction - RELEGATION (19th)

Southampton:
The Saints have changed drastically as a team since they last graced the Premier League during 2004/2005 season. Since then, they have hit rock bottom by slipping miserably into English football's third tier, but thanks to manager Nigel Adkins, they have changed their fortunes around dramatically. Adkins has managed to build a squad that was capable of successive promotions in 2011 and 2012, and has strengthened the core of the side along the way. With menacing forwards such as Jay Rodriguez, Adam Lallana and Billy Sharp (all of whom blitzed Championship defences last season), they will certainly put up a fight to stay in the top division. Star player Rickie Lambert will be pivotal to the Saint's season as he looks to match last seasons goal tally of 25 while also weighing in with crucial assists.
Prediction - SURVIVAL

Wigan:
It would be fair to say that the Latics had a considerably poor 2011/2012 season, and only a late burst in form saw them escape from the Premier League's trap door when they won four of their last five games. With Roberto Martinez at the helm, Wigan have a strong and experienced manager that will help guide them through the season, but the manager hasn't appeared to made any major additions to the Greater Manchester based side. With Hugo Rodallega moving to Fulham and Victor Moses looking certain to depart the club, the pressure will be on Franco Di Santo to provide the goals (unless a striker is acquired in the near future).
Prediction - RELEGATION (20th)

Norwich:
Despite finishing in 12th place last season, Norwich will be wary of the second season syndrome myth which has plagued many promoted clubs over the years. With manager Paul Lambert departing the club for Premier League rivals Aston Villa after the end of last season, the pre-season schedule would have been somewhat disrupted and major new signings have been at a minimum. Last season, the Canaries had the joint fourth worst defensive record in the league, conceding 66 goals (only the teams relegated that season conceded more). For Norwich to not be involved in the relegation scrap, they must tighten the defence and hope that Grant Holt can continue his sublime scoring form of last season. Without these factors swinging in their favour, it could be a nervy season for City fans...
Prediction - RELEGATION (18th)

Who will be the fastest man in the world?

After four years of training for these phenomenally fast athletes, their status in the Olympic history books now depends on a fiercely competed 10 second run. It is the most highly anticipated event at the Olympic Games this year. It is the 100m!

The line up for tonight's final (scheduled for around 9:50) goes as follows...

2 - Richard Thompson
3 - Asafa Powell
4 - Tyson Gay
5 - Yohan Blake
6 - Justin Gatlin
7 - Usain Bolt
8 - Ryan Bailey
9 - Churandy Martina

The surprising inclusion in this race is the flying Dutchman Churandy Martina, who had to record a personal best in order to beat Asafa Powell to have an automatic qualifying position. He is the only European to have reached the final, which is dominated by Caribbeans and Americans.

Most of the attention will be placed on Usain Bolt, for obvious reasons. The Jamaican sprinter literally jogged his way to the final, recording some fairly decent times on the way. Despite the 100m not being regarded as Bolt's strongest event, he is definitely the one to watch in this race. He starts in lane 7.

His closest competitors are Yohan Blake and Justin Gatlin, who run side by side in lanes 6 and 7 respectively. Blake is currently the fastest man in the world this year. He has recorded a season's best of 9.75, outpacing his fellow world-record holding countryman by 0.01 seconds. He has beaten Bolt consistently, over 100m and 200m, ever since the World Championships in Daegu from which Usain was disqualified from for a false start.

Despite Gatlin surpassing the peak of his career (now aged 30) he is still has a very good chance of claiming gold at London 2012. He has regularly posted times faster than the 10 second mark this year, including the 9.80 seconds recorded at the US Olympic trials last month. Moreover, he goes into the final knowning that he was the fastest sprinter throughout the semi-final heats, which will provide him with great confidence as he attempts to upset the highly-favoured Jamaicans.

There is also an outside chance for Tyson Gay, who has the second fastest personal best in this race (only  beaten by Usain Bolt). Another runner who is in the latter stages of his career at the age of 29, he faced a difficult year in 2011 that was plagued with injury, but luckily he has returned to form for these Olympics. Posting a respectable time of 9.90 seconds during the semi final, he will be wary of the threat from Yohan Blake, who won the sprint ahead of him by 0.05 seconds. Being one of three runners in this final who have defeated Bolt throughout his career in the 100m, Gay will be secretly confident that he can do well in the race.

BEETEESPORTS PREDICTS:

1st - Usain Bolt

2nd - Yohan Blake

3rd - Justin Gatlin

EURO 2012: Group C Analysis

Unlike the other groups, where there are several contenders who could possibly claim first place, there only seems to be one possible winner here. Group C contains current holders Spain, Italy, Croatia and the Republic Of Ireland. Although we all expect a certain team to progress (no clues here) we know that the Euros does like to throw up a few surprises, so watch this space!

SPAIN
Spain are the best team in the world. Full stop. The current holders of the Euro Trophy and World Cup seem unstoppable with the amount of excellence they have in their squad, so much so that only Xavi and Iniesta are guaranteed places in the starting XI (excluding defenders and goalkeeper). But can Spain really carry this momentum into the Euro 2012 to win their third title in four years? Luckily for the Spanish, most football pundits now expect the wonderkids of Germany to be victorious in the tournament come July 1st, which has perhaps taken a small amount of pressure off Del Bosque's side. In a group that contained Litchenstein, Lithuania, Scotland and Czech Republic, Spain were rarely challenged throughout the qualifying  phase (apart from a 3-2 win at Hampden Park against the Scots, where a late Fernando Llorente goal spared any blushes). It was in the friendlies against stronger teams were Spain began to struggle. They played four friendlies against sides in the top twelve (rankings correct as of June 10th) and lost every single one of them, conceding eleven goals in the process. This seems to suggest that the defence of 2008 and 2010 that frustrated many a striker is beginning to show cracks. Nevertheless, they are more than capable of controlling a game, proved during the recent friendly against China where they had no less than 79% of the possession. It would be one of the all-time greatest upsets if Spain fail to progress past the group stages, so surely they are destined to play in the quarter finals... right?

ITALY
World champions six years ago, one might have expected the Azzurri to progress to dizzying heights in international football. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case. Crashing out in the quarter finals in Euro 2008 and then being humiliated during the last World Cup has shown that 2006 was probably the peak for the ageing Italian side. Luckily for them, manager Cesare Prandelli decided to wade in to save the sinking ship, and he has done a pretty good job of doing so. A successful qualifying campaign that has seen them concede the fewest amount of goals out of any team in Europe (2) whilst the introduction of new players who don't require a zimmer frame to access the pitch has shown that the national side is moving onwards and upwards. There are some major concerns however. The latest Italy match fixing scandal has meant that a dark cloud has descended over the national side, as their reputation has yet again been tarnished by certain individuals in the Italian league. On the field, Italy have lost their last three friendlies, the most recent one being a 3-0 defeat to fellow Euro 2012 participants Russia. Whatever problems they face, at least they are now in a better position than the disastrous outfit of 2010. As long as the tight defence can be maintained, progression from this group won't seem too difficult.


REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
A team that once languished in international wilderness, the Republic Of Ireland have been rejuvenated by Giovanni Trapattoni since his arrival after Euro 2008 (which they failed to qualify for). Cruelly denied the chance to compete in the 2010 World Cup courtesy of the hand of Thierry, the Irish will no doubt be hungry to make up for opportunities missed two years ago. Unbeaten in 14 games coming into the tournament, including a shock 2-0 over group opponents Italy, it seems that the luck of the Irish is finally showing. They missed out on top spot during qualifying after too many draws, but hammered Estonia 5-1 over two legs to progress to the group stages. Their key player here is probably Robbie Keane who, despite the fact he is now in his thirties, hit seven goals during the pre-tournament campaign (only Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Miroslav Klose scored more). But apart from him, like Croatia, the Irish also lack quality of players (particularly in midfield) which allows other teams to dominate the game. Hopefully the experience of the Irish squad will help them in this group, and they might be able to pull off a cheeky second placed finish. Then again, maybe they won't...


CROATIA
Like Italy, Croatia have also managed to turn their fortunes around after a miserable 2010, where they did not even qualify for the group stages of the tournament. This was not as easy as it was supposed to be though. After being denied automatic qualification when they dropped points against Greece and lowly ranked Georgia, they secured their place through a 3-0 aggregate win against Turkey. Slaven Bilic's side are infact the highest rank team in the competition to have competed in the play offs, suggesting that preparations for the tournament were not exactly smooth, and one win in the last four friendlies against average opposition has only confirmed this. It is infact hard to see where the strengths are in the Croatian side. Apart from Luka Modric and possibly Niko Kranjcar (top scorer throughout qualifying), the team lacks a top quality match winner who can make their mark upon a game. The loss of Olic to injury was inconvenient for the national team, but the emergence of on-form Nikica Jelavic could bolster moral, despite the Everton striker not scoring an international goal since August 2010. Overall, I feel that this Croatian side lacks the quality in order to progress past this group.

PREDICTION:

1. Spain

2. Italy

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3. Republic Of Ireland

4. Croatia

EURO 2012: Group B Analysis

Most European championship seems to have an infamous 'Group of Death', and this would definitely be it! Germany, Holland, Denmark and Portugal have five Euro Championships between them and all four teams sit in the top ten of FIFA World Rankings. With that being said, Group B is one full of unpredictability and it is a four-horse race to see who tops the group. The only thing certain is that two of the tournament's heavy-hitters will be knocked out of the competition come July 17th.

GERMANY
Germany surprised the world during the 2010 World Cup when they reached the semi finals with a squad that had very little international experience. Now that players like Ozil, Muller, Khedira and Boateng have had time to mature over the last two years, one can expect them to play some devastatingly-good football during the championships. Qualifying was a breeze for the Germans - 10 wins out of 10 and 34 goals scored made the other teams in their group look like a bunch of pub outfits, but the friendlies afterwards highlighted some potential problems. Joachim Low's side cannot seem to establish the correct balance between attack and defence, evident in their 3-3 draw with Ukraine and a 5-3 loss against Switzerland (both teams sit outside the top 20 in the FIFA World Rankings). No doubting that they have attacking prowess, but the defence does need tightening. Once their defensive vulnerabilities have been amended, there is no doubt that they will be able to progress far in this competition again (just like they did in 2008, only to be stopped by the magnificent Spaniards in the final). Germany are runaway favourities with many bookies, but the question is, who can stop them?

HOLLAND
Like the Germans, Holland made mincemeat of their qualifying opposition (bar the 3-2 defeat to Sweden suffered at the end of the campaign) which included an 11-0 thrashing of lowly San Marino. Top goalscorer Klass-Jan Huntelaar has been in inspired form, averaging a goal every 57 minutes during the eight matches he featured in. Add to that players such as Van Persie, Van Der Vaart, Sneijder and the returning Arjen Robben (who did not feature at all during qualifying), then you have yourself a formidable attacking force that would be capable of penetrating any defence worldwide. Northern Ireland certainly found this out the hard way as the Flying Dutchmen hit six past them in a friendly last week. There are some defensive frailties however. In three games against Bulgaria, Hungary and Sweden, the Dutch conceded eight goals, not the sort of display you'd expect from a team ranked fourth in the world. Due to injuries to key defenders Erik Pieters and Joris Mathijsen, manager Bert Van Marwijk has been forced to play two rather inexperienced defenders; Jetro Willems and Ron Vlaar. Even though these two were largely untested in the previous friendly, they will face a bigger challenge against their fellow group opponents. Nevertheless, Holland are in a very strong position to advance with the amount of talent at their disposal.

DENMARK
The Danish haven't got many big star names amongst their ranks, but the fact that they play well together as a collective has meant that they topped their qualifying group, ahead of group opponents Portugal. Similarly to Holland, they have strength in defence exploitation (since facing England last February they have only fired blanks in one game against Russia) but their defence itself is shaky, with captain Daniel Agger the only recognisably stable centre back. On a brighter note, playmaker Christian Eriksen has emerged as one of the players to watch throughout the tournament. Aged just 18, he was named man of the match for his performance against England, a clear indication that Eriksen  has more to offer, and what better stage to boast his talent than at a major tournament. Aswell as their playmaker, the Danes have the goalscoring threat of Bendtner and the pace of Dennis Rommedhal... remember him from his Charlton days? Even though this side is expected to become the Group B whipping boys, the unity of their squad could make them a surprise contender for qualification, now that would be something!

PORTUGAL
The only country in this group that hasn't got a European title to their name, Portugal will probably be more eager than most to replicate their achievements of 2004 and reach the final. Unluckily for them, they have been drawn into the hardest group possible. The current side do lack a certain consistency needed to win the tournament though. A 5-3 win against Iceland was followed by a 2-1 defeat to Denmark in the final two games. They then went on to play Bosnia & Herzegovina in the play offs, drawing the first leg 0-0 before a spectacular 6-2 victory sent them to the championships. On the other hand, Paulo Bento's side contains two of the best wingers in world football, Ronaldo and Nani, with the dangerous looking Helder Postiga on hand to supply a portion of the goals in attack. The defence and midfield also look fairly solid, but there are some question marks over the quality of the performance the team gives, evident in their pre-tournament goalless draws with Poland and, more embarrassingly, Macedonia. If Portugal want to make it through to the next round, they will have to step up their performances considerably.

PREDICTION:

1. Germany

2. Holland

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3. Denmark

4. Portugal

EURO 2012: Group A Analysis

With Euro 2012 quickly approaching and only one day left until it all kicks off, BeeTeeSports is going to be analysing each group for you. Hopefully, this will help you win lots of money at the expense of your local Ladbrokes or assist you with your Euro Fantasy League (if you have one). We start off with Group A, which is probably the weakest group in the Championship, but this doesn't mean it won't be exciting for your average football fanatic. Group A consists of co-hosts Poland, Russia, Czech Republic and Euro 2004 winners Greece.

POLAND
I have half jokingly suggested that Poland would win the tournament come July, and even though this may seem like a ludicrous prediction, there are some reasons to suggest that Franciszek Smuda's team could do surprisingly well. Firstly, they are hosts, and will be playing each of their group games with a massive home following that could prove vital for moral. We have seen how important this advantage can be during such tournaments as the 2002 World Cup with South Korea and 2004 with Portugal, who both successfully reached the semi finals (but whether the case will be the same for Poland remains to be seen). Furthermore, they do have some high pedigree players in their ranks. Bundesliga winning duo Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski have played impeccably during the season. Lewandowski finished third highest goalscorer with 22 goals and Blaszczykowski netted six times and assisted eight strikes throughout the campaign. They also carry strength in defence aswell with Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny between the sticks, who has arguably been one of their best players this season. They have conceded not a single goal in the last five games, whilst scoring seven in the process, which is no small feat since they have played the likes of Portugal and Bosnia & Herzegovina during that period. I believe that Poland can shock Europe to top this group, and possibly go on to surprise a Group B side in the quarter finals.

RUSSIA
Being the highest rank side and the most successful team during the 2008 campaign in the group, you would think that the Russian squad would be the most likely to be Group A victors. They clearly have attacking strength with Arshavin, Pavlychenko and exciting youngster Alan Dzagoev in their ranks, and this was evident during their last match of the qualifying stage; a 6-0 demolition of Andorra. Dick Advocaat's team is one full of experience: eight of the starting XI that lost the Euro 2008 semi final to Spain are still regularly included in the team, so they'll know what it takes to reach that stage once again. However, the way they topped their qualifying group didn't show signs of brilliance. Excluding the match mentioned earlier, they have scored eleven times in nine games, in a group that contained European minnows such as Armenia, Slovakia and Macedonia. Their recent 3-0 win over Italy however shows that they are going to be a threat, and should be able to progress past the group stage.

GREECE
Greece's international team will always be remembered for their spectacular tournament win in 2004, that no doubt would have left a few bookies grumbling when their pre-tournament odds were around the 60/1 mark. Unfortunatley, that was eight years ago. Greece have never really lived up to those standards since and a first round exit in 2008 only illustrates that. On a brighter note though, new manager Fernando Santos has restored faith in the Greek public that their current team is one that can progress slightly further in the championships than they did in Austria/Switzerland. They have lost just one of the last 18 games and remained undefeated through qualifying to top their group (which consisted of high-flying Croatia, currently ranked eigth in the world). This is due to a very defensive style of play, which doesn't allow the opposition very many oppurtunities to score, but they are also very capable of attacking. With the tough opposition that are in their group, advancing this time around may prove slightly too hard for Santos's men, but they will give it a good go.


CZECH REPUBLIC
Once one of the most prolific teams in world football during the late 1970's and again during the mid-noughties, the Czechs have seen a rapid decline in the quality of players the country produces in recent years. Tomas Rosicky, Milan Baros and Petr Cech still survive from the team of 2004, but all are now past their peak, whilst they also lost their most talented midfielder of the generation, Pavel Nedved, to retirement in 2006. Qualifying wasn't a massive challenge for Michal Bilek's squad. Apart from Spain, they were easily the best team in the group, which consisted of Lithuanian, Litchenstein and Scotland. The only side in Group A who got to the final via the play-offs, they manage to overcome Montenegro 3-0 on aggregate, and then lose to Hungary in the pre-tournament friendly. Overall, the odds of the current side progressing from this group seem slim, but on the plus side, the under 21's are looking like that could be a dominant footballing force in the future with their current success

PREDICTION:

1. Poland

2. Russia

--------------------------

3. Greece

4. Czech Republic

England Destined For Failure?

So... one new manager, countless injuries and many dubious decisions later, and England seem in a worse position for Euro 2012 than they did before the departure of one Fabio Capello. Since then, Roy Hodgson has been selected as the man to lead England onwards and upwards towards continental glory. However, this is now seeming like a distant dream after the final squad was selected a few weeks ago...

Firstly, there seemed to be a real lack of depth in quality compared to other sides in the competition. For example, if players like Scott Parker, Ashley Young or Glen Johnson were to get injured, then an adequate replacement would be hard to find with the squad members at Hodgson's disposal. In contrast, Spain could easily suffer injuries to six players in their team and still play a world class starting eleven, something that England wouldn't be able to do. The Three Lions have already suffered a major blow months before the first match has even begun; the fact that Rooney won't be available for the first two matches. This means Hodgson must select an inexperienced striker to lead the attack against the French and Swedish defences, a fate that would not be envied by even the most prolific of forwards.

Moreover, there has been an obvious emission of good footballers who should've been given a chance to represent England during this tournament. No Aaron Lennon, Grant Holt, Adam Johnson, Micah Richards, Rio Ferdinand and countless other names that have been mentioned. Instead, Hodgson appears to have chosen a squad that is not very adventurous in the slightest (maybe the decision to bring Oxlade-Chamberlin was one with a certain risk element that looks likely to pay off, but apart from that, the squad looks bland compared to the one of the Capello era). It is also strange to see that there is a Liverpudlian sextet in the squad, including Gerrard, Kelly, Johnson, Henderson, Downing and Carroll, despite the side finishing mid-table in the league. Only one of those players (captain Steven Gerrard) deserves a place in the side based on seasonal form, whilst the others have had very average season at best.

England now have a new tactic which has been evident in the last five games (excluding the 3-2 loss to Holland) and that is to score a lucky goal and proceed to 'park the bus'. They have initiated this against teams such as Norway, Belgium, group opponents Sweden and most impressively,  the mighty Spanish. On this evidence, it may seem like a great tactic to use, despite the tedious football being played, but what happens if we concede? I doubt that England have the mentality that would allow us to switch from ultra defensive to a plan of attacking intent. Essentially, if the other team draw level with England, they will need a whole tactical rethink.

In conclusion, progression from the group stages is not going to be as inevitable as the bookies and press have made it seem in previous tournaments . Infact, if we do manage to win Group D and progress to play Italy/Croatia in the quarter finals, it would certainly be a great achievement. With both the French and the Swedish showing the threats they carry in the pre-tournament friendlies and Ukraine having the advantage of being a host nation, Roy Hodgson's new side face a stern test at Euro 2012.

Manchester City vs Manchester United Preview

When this fixture was announced at the start of the season, no-one could have predicted that it would hold this much significance going into the final straight of the Premier League campaign. United are just three points ahead of their neighbouring rivals, yet City have the superior goal difference. Whoever wins this match, assuming one team doesn't self implode, will surely be victorious in the race to be champions.

The advantage lies with City. Their home form going into this game is paramount to the rest of the Premier League. They have dropped just two points and conceded ten goals all season whilst playing at the Etihad (form similar to that of United when they won the title last season). In addition, they have averaged 2.5 goals every match at home this year, meaning the Red Devil's shaky defence is set to face a magnitude of pressure from the likes of Tevez and Aguero. The reverse fixture in October saw the red half of Manchester suffer arguably the most embarrassing result in the club's history, losing 6-1 in a confidence-crushing performance.

Mancini's men are unlikely to be under the same burden as United, who looked to be cruising to the title three games ago and now find themselves needing victory today to avert any anxieties about retaining the Premier League crown. However, they can rely on the form of Wayne Rooney to cause the Blues' defence some problems tonight. The England international has scored 13 goals this year, more than any other player in the league, and has netted consecutive braces in the last two games. No team also compares to United when it comes to playing on Monday night either. They have won each of the last eight games played on Monday, conceding no goals in the process (a record going back to the 2007/2008 season).

Team Selections:
City have a full squad to pick from, meaning that his selection will not differ much from the side that defeated Wolves 2-0 in their last game. The ever controversial Mario Balotelli is now back in contention following his three match ban, but he is unlikely to break into the side due to the form of his Argentinian striking team mates. Mancini does have a dilemma about who to choose to play in the centre of the park, with De Jong, Barry and Yaya Toure at his disposal, who have all featured in the last two games. It is probable that Richards will return immediately to the starting line up having being injured for the last few games in replacement of Zabaleta

United are still without long term absentees Vidic and Anderson, whilst Nani is an injury doubt and Evans hasn't trained all week. But Sir Alex will have to have a serious think about his selection after conceding four at home to Everton during the last game. Rafael may be dropped to the bench as the manager looks to tighten up the defence, and may switch to a 4-5-1 formation as a result. This would mean Welbeck, who played exceptionally against the Toffees, would find his place in jeopardy. Giggs, Smalling and Young would therefore look set to come in.

Probable Line Ups:
United (4-5-1): De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Scholes, Young, Rooney
City (4-2-3-1): Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Barry, Yaya Toure, Nasri, Tevez, Silva, Aguero

BeeTeeSports Prediction:
I've maintained that City will win this game from the previous article and rarely go back on my word (although I'm starting to regret being adamant about Newcastle getting fourth place). City will not be as rampant as they were in October, but they will certainly be able to expose United's defensive lapses that were evident in previous games. My guess is 2-1 win for City.

Final Day Of The Championship!

We wouldn't call this an anti-climax exactly, but most of the major issues (Championship winners and relegated teams) were already concluded last week. In fact, there are only two significant battles taking place today: the race for the second automatic promotion spot and the fight for 6th place and more importantly, a play-off semi final position.

The Race For Second
The most important games of the day will focus on St Mary's (where Southampton entertain an already relegated Coventry side) and Upton Park, where Hull are the visitors. The Saints have the upper hand already going into the last game of the season, since a point will virtually guarantee them the automatic promotion place that they have held throughout the entire season (unless the Hammers score four goals against Hull). The surprise package of the Championship must have wondered what all the fuss was about when they lost only  once in their first 17 games and cruised to the top of the table with ease. Unfortunately, the extraordinary form of a Reading side (who were languishing in mid-table during the start of 2012) has pushed their hopes of a Premier League return into minor doubt. The pressure will be Southampton today, but they should be able to handle it.
On the other end of the scale, West Ham, a side expected to walk the Championship with their calibre of players, find themselves staring at another play-off adventure. Having been in the automatic positions for a majority of the campaign (like Southampton) and string of costly results which saw them drop ten points during five games in March mean they have a mammoth task today when they play Nick Barmby's side, who sit comfortably in 8th position. The current situation is as follows: West Ham must win and Southampton must lose. If Southampton draw however, Fat Sam's team can still go up if they beat Hull by a four goal margin. This means that playing 4-5-1 today, Sam's preferred formation, will practically be suicide. West Ham must an attacking formation from the off that saw them win 6-0 at Brighton earlier in the month. Overall, it seems incredibly unlikely that Nigel Adkins' side will slip up, but as Allardyce said in an interview prior to today's match "...stranger things have happened"

The Race For Sixth
If you thought West Ham have it hard, spare a thought for Middlesbrough. Two points behind Cardiff and with a goal difference that is inferior by ten, their prospects of a shot at Premier League football seem very distant indeed. On a slightly happier note, Tony Mowbray's travel to Watford to face a team who haven't won this month, and having just come off the back of a win against promotion candidates Southampton, their confidence will surely be fairly high in order to grab the three points which they desperately need to stand any chance at all.
Cardiff have bad memories of the play-offs from last season, where they received a 3-0 thrashing from Premier League bound Reading in front of their own fans. But they can take comfort knowing that they're unbeaten away from home since February when they travel to Crystal Palace, a team in slightly better form than Watford however. The odds are stacked in their heavily in their favour

Being a West Ham fan myself, I decided to be as optimistic as I possibly could and created this table last week. It is set to be an exciting day for football lovers nationwide... Good luck to all your teams!

The Title Race Is On...Again!

Remember when Man City were cruising towards Premier League earlier in the season? Remember when Man United stole the lead and went eight points clear? If you do recall the former or latter, you'd be struggling to figure out how we're in the position we are in now. United lead City by just the three points after a few fatal slips and a sudden ressurgance in form by Mancini's side, in which one Carlos Tevez was the catalyst (you wouldn't have been expecting anyone to say that a few months ago). Now, the blue and red halves of Manchester certainly have an interesting few weeks on their hands, starting with a potential title decider at the Ethihad next week.

United are probably in the worse position at this point. Their confidence should have taken quite of a knock after the 4-4 thriller against Everton (in which they were 4-2 with only ten minutes left). Dropping five points in the last three games has allowed City to within touching distance on their Mancurian counterparts, and this can partially be blamed upon sub-standard defending, which was certainly evident on Sunday (there was no defender within a few miles of Fellaini when he volleyed in number three).

City on the other hand, have conceded twice in the last five games, while their goalscoring abilites have proved as impeccable as ever; the net buldging 12 times in this month alone. It seems that Mancini's tactic of saying "No... we have no chance... the title race is finished" in every post-match interview has done wonders in messing with Sir Alex's mind. With all of their attacking players in outstanding form, it seems as if the title is now destined for Eastlands. But both teams have challenging fixtures after the Manchester derby. City need to visit Newcastle (who BeeTeeSports backed to win fourth place in the last article) and United play Swansea at home, who defeated their local rivals 1-0 last month.

MAN CITY REMAINING FIXTURES
United (H) - Win
Newcastle (A) - Loss
QPR (H) - Win
PREDICTED: 86 PTS

MAN UNITED REMAINING FIXTURES
City (A) - Loss
Swansea (H) - Draw
Sunderland (A) - Win
PREDICTED: 87 PTS

Man City will completely batter the Red Devils on goal difference, but I'm agreeing with Mancini and sticking to what I said earlier in the season: Sir Alex's side will be able to win the title (and if I fail in my prediction, feel free to post as much laughter in the comment box as you want...)

The Race For 4th

With both Manchester clubs set to finish in the top two and Arsenal looking seemingly comfortable for third place, the three-way battle for the final Champions' League place is one of nerve-racking intensity. Tottenham, Chelsea and surprise package Newcastle are all in the running for fourth, with just two points separating the clubs before kick-off today (Saturday). BeeTeeSports analyses the chances of these clubs for grabbing the all important European qualification place.

Tottenham
Spurs under Harry Redknapp were challenging for the title at one stage in the season, but the North Londoners have been on a horrendous run of form, picking up just one win in the last eight Premier League games. Redknapp's side debatably have the strongest squad out of the three sides in contention (as I have mentioned in a previous article about Spurs being championship contenders, how long ago was that.?..) but there seems to be a lack of effort and drive that was evident earlier in the season. To be fair, their off-the-field problems didn't help them (I wonder how Harry's dog plans to spend his/her millions of pounds) but that shouldn't really be an excuse. They now have a run of fixtures until the end of the season with teams fighting relegation (excluding Fulham), so if they manage to find some winning consistency, then fourth place should belong to Spurs, but it could be difficult for them...

REMAINING FIXTURES:
QPR (A) - Draw
Blackburn (H) - Win
Bolton (A) - Draw
Aston Villa (H) - Win
Fulham (A) - Draw
PREDICTED: 68 PTS

Chelsea:
Like their London counterparts, a string of poor results has cost Chelsea dearly, although they now seem a rejuvenated side under the guidance of Roberto Di Matteo. One loss in the last 11 games has completely changed their destined slump to mid-table wilderness, and even better news, Fernando Torres is starting to look like him old self! (We actually mean it, unlike MOTD presenters who say "We are starting to see signs of the old Torres" whenever he makes an accurate pass). However, Chelsea's remaining games are the hardest of the three teams, and they still have an extra competition to deal with in the form of Europe, which is likely to take priority. With this in mind, it will be quite hard for the Blues to finish with a flourish

REMAINING FIXTURES:
Arsenal (A) - Loss
QPR (H) - Draw
Newcastle (H) - Draw
Liverpool (A) - Win
Blackburn (H) - Win
PREDICTED: 65 PTS

Newcastle
If you offered fifth place to a Toon fan before the season began, I'm fairly sure they would have bitten your hand off. The magnificent chemistry that the Newcastle team have with each other is something to be envied by most teams in the Premier League. Pardrew has made one of the signings of the season by bringing in Senegalese strike Papiss Cisse to St James' Park, and he has already repaid him with 10 goals in 9 appearances. With five wins on the bounce propelling them into Champions League contention, the Toon army are set to face a difficult run of fixtures. But on the plus side, they have no prior engagements to deal with (unlike Spurs and Chelsea). Acknowledging all the positives, it looks like Champions League football next season for Pardrew's side.

REMAINING FIXTURES:
Stoke (H) - Win
Wigan (A) - Win
Chelsea (A) - Draw
Man City (H) - Win
Everton  (A) - Loss
PREDICTED: 69 PTS

A Matter of Life and Death: Fabrice Muamba

The Bill Shankly quote is among one of the most renowned phrases in the sport. To be exact, the words he said were "Someone said 'football is more important than life and death to you' and I said 'Listen, it's more important than that'." But today, during the FA Cup Quarter final between Spurs and Bolton, we saw how the beautiful game almost did see life and death flash before its eyes.

It was the 40th minute; Bale had played the ball out for a goal kick with the score at 1-1. But when Ádám Bogdán received the ball, he seemed reluctant to continue proceedings, for he had noticed teammate Fabrice Muamba lying face flat on the turf. A few moments later, it was revealed that this was no ordinary injury as the medical staff of both sides flocked to the pitch to try and aid the former Arsenal midfielder. After 10 minutes of struggle to try and resuscitate the player, they managed to stretcher him off, quickly followed by the abondoning of the game by Howard Webb. Bolton later confirmed that Muamba had suffered a heart attack and was now critically ill in hospital.

This was not the first time a football stadium has witnessed such horrific scenes. In late 2007, Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell collapsed after suffering a seizure towards the end of a game against Celtic. After attempts to revive him after being transferred to an ambulance, he was pronounced dead shortly after in one of the most traumatic experiences football has ever witnessed, mirroring that of Marc Vivien-Foe's death during an international match versus France four years earlier.

It is important to remember that Muamba is in a stable condition (at the present moment of writing this article, according to Sky Sports). He has not suffered the fate of O'Donnell and Foe, but his collapse was similar to those of the sadly deceased. Steve Robinson, a season ticket holder for Spurs and heart surgeon who was at the match, revealed on his twitter account that he has strongly campaigned for the heart screenings of all professional athletes prior to today’s events, saying that this may prevent the scenes at White Hart Lane from ever reoccurring. O'Donnell and Foe are said to have a condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a condition where "the heart muscle becomes thick [and] the thickening makes it harder for blood to leave the heart, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood". Although it has yet to be confirmed if Muamba has the same condition, this issue could have been brought to light sooner if it were for Robinson's screening initiative.

Despite this being a dark day for football, it has also shown the outstanding support that the followers have for the sport. When Muamba was receiving treatment, there were times of respected silence from the crowd, before suddenly erupting into magnificent chants of 'Fabrice Muamba'. Not only were the away fans showing respect for their No. 6, but the Tottenham fans were showing equally enough admiration, proving that football fans alike can unite in times of crisis.

BeeTeeSports wishes Fabrice a speedy recovery.

The Implosion Of Chelsea...

It was only two seasons ago, believe it or not, that Chelsea triumphed in the race for the Premier League title; edging out Manchester United by just a point. While doing so, they netted over 100 times to finish with a goal difference of +71. Unfortunately for The Blues, times change, and they didn't. While Sir Alex purchased bargains such as Javier Hernandez and Chris Smalling to bolster their squad, Chelsea signed David Luiz (to replace Carvalho) and the formerly prolific Fernando Torres. These signings clearly differed in impact, the subsequent season saw them beaten into second place by The Red Devils (with by a margin of nine points).

But surely they are facing the worst of their problems at the moment. A 1-0 defeat to mid-table West Brom saw Roman Abramovich gleefully sack the relatively young Villas-Boas, leading to the seventh managerial change in five years after Di Matteo took temporary charge this month. They languish in fifth place, just two points above Newcastle, and have only won once in the last seven competitive games. So where has it all gone wrong for the West London side?

First of all, the expectations of the owner. Chelsea have had billions pumped into their club, and when foreign businessmen start splashing out on a football side, they expect immediate success. This approach has led to the regular sacking and replacing of managers. If Abramovich was owner of Manchester United during the early, stuttering reign of Sir Alex, he wouldn't have lasted very long at all, but now look at him! Managers need time to settle with their team (this means more than the 9 months that Villas-Boas has) in order to initiate a long term projects. The only man who was allowed to flourish under the Russian's scrutiny was Jose Mourinho, who spent over three years in charge, but when you look at the likes of David Moyes, Arsene Wenger and Ferguson himself, this isn't very impressive at all.

Also; the co-operation and teamwork hasn’t been up to scratch. The title winning side of the 2009-2010 played like Champions, whilst this season, they have been prone to embarrass themselves in winnable games (observe Aston Villa, Everton and QPR). You could probably blame this on the underachievements of some players, notably Torres, Boswinga, Luiz, but from my perspective, the whole team have let themselves down and ultimately contributed to the early axing of AVB. Torres himself (making his 50th appearance against Birmingham tonight) has become a liability. Constantly being played in an attempt to justify his price tag when he is clearly under-performing.

Matters off the pitch could have possibly played a distraction. Terry's racial abusing of Anton Ferdinand seemed to be a black clouding looming over Stamford Bridge ever since the incident happened back in October (their form was very good before then). His trial of course is not until the summer, meaning the uncertainty over his innocence will continue for many months to come. In my personal opinion, he shouldn't be allowed to go to the World Cup, since a decision will not be made before then. Innocent until proven guilty would apply, but there is video evidence against the Chelsea captain...

Chelsea can begin to amend their problems by hiring a manager who will be allowed to stay in the job for more than five minutes. I personally think Di Matteo would be a good candidate for the permanent manager's position having proved his worth at West Brom and MK Dons (though they may not be clubs held in highest regard). A win today at Birmingham could be the building blocks for a revival under new management, but they are still going to be fighting for fourth place for the remainder of the season, which is not a position The Blues want to be in.

Arsene, we have a problem. (Sunderland 2-0 Arsenal)

This game was one that was going to prove to be vitally important for Arsenal. It was around this time last season where their fortunes began to turn sour, and the signs were imminent for it to happen again. They received a thrashing from AC Milan in midweek, in what will surely be an inevitable exit from the Champions League, and if they fail to claim victory today, their ambitions of winning a cup this campaign will plunge into serious doubt. There is a magnitude of pressure on Arsene Wenger, and it wasn't going to help that they were facing high flying Sunderland. .. and fly high they did
Despite this, they had a fairly confident start to the game. They seemed composed when keeping possession throughout the opening five minutes, and also had a chance on goal through an Arteta free-kick, which flashed narrowly wide from 30 yards. However, this high tempo start was dampened by an injury to Francis Coquelin, who subsequently went off for Sebastian Squillaci. There were then injury scares for Djourou, Ramsey and Song, which allowed Sunderland to neutralise the threat that Arsenal displayed during the early stages. Martin O'Neill's side had appeals for a penalty when Alex Song flicked out his right hand towards the ball during a corner, but nothing was given.

Arsenal had several chances throughout the first half as they seemed to be the team in control. Gervinho was put through by Ramsey and managed to get a shot away while being hassled by Turner, which was saved from Mignolet (the resulting corner came to nothing) and then leading goalscorer Robin Van Persie made a run into the penalty box, but was tackled by John O'Shea, with half-hearted claims for a penalty. But on the 39th minute mark, it was Sunderland's turn to strike. A Larsson free kick was cleared out to Richardson on the edge of the box, who then hit a venomous half-volley towards goal, taking a deflection off of the substitute Squillaci and past the helpless Fabianski in the Arsenal net. Sunderland had taken the lead against the run of play, expanding the ever growing black cloud above Arsene Wenger's head.

The home side seized the initiative to go and try and get another goal before the break. Larsson took the ball onto the wing and whipped a delivery into the box, which was headed down by Colback towards Aaron Mclean. The Irish youngster's volley then hit the side netting after pressure from the flailing Fabianski. Arsenal failed to attempt a response before the half time whistle, and went into the dressing room slightly down heartened, knowing that their domination of the game should have really produced a more positive scoreline.

Second half began with Arsenal on the back foot, Mclean was running towards goal when he was brought down by Sagna on the edge of the box. The resulting set piece was put just over by Larsson. The away side’s defence was looking increasingly shaky. Djourou could have easily got a second yellow for a two footed challenge and made countless mishaps throughout the first half. Vermaelen was still having nightmares about his performance in Milan and Alex Song had to be brought into the centre of defence to replace the injured Squillaci (who was a substitute after an injury to the left back)

The only real chance the Gunners got in the next 20 minutes was a Robin Van Persie free kick, which was deflected away for another lacklustre corner, whilst Sunderland were now the one’s in the ascendancy to possibly get a second. The Tynside team were quick to close down any attacks that their opponents tried to initiate, and this resulted in ever more frustration for Wenger. Chances came and went, before the final nail in the coffin was driven in on the 77th minute. Sessegnon broke free (for not the first time) and shrugged off the challenge of Arteta. Larsson then picked up the through ball and struck against the inside of the post, and the rebound awkwardly fell infront of Oxlade -Chamberlin, who was powerless to do anything apart from divert into his own net. 

Looking tired and without purpose, the North Londoners nearly conceded a third, the ever present Sessegnon strolled through the defence to cross into Mclean, but a brilliant last ditch tackle from Sagna saved their blushes. The full time whistle must have held some sort of relief the travelling Gunners; the awful week being capped off by a diabolical cup exit. Arsenal will now be concentrating on getting a Champions League place for next season, and possibly overturning the deafeat they suffered in Italy, but judging by today's performance the comeback seems a million miles away...

Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, O'Shea, Turner, Richardson, Larsson, Cattermole, Gardner, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon (Campbell 89)
Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Djourou, Vermaelen, Coquelin (Squillaci 11, Walcott 53), Song, Arteta, Gervinho, Ramsey (Rosicky 53), Oxlade-Chamberlain, van Persie.

BeeTeeSports Man Of The Match: Stefan Sessegnon

England Managerial Crisis!

It was a slight shock when Postman Pat decided to pack up his bags and leave just a few months before England's Euro 2012 campaign was about to kick off. Nevertheless, it seemed as though he wanted to leave and was looking for the perfect excuse to do so... step forward John Terry. With Capello now apparently on his way to some ridiculously rich Russians called Anzhi Makhachkala, it's the FA's job to find a man to guide England to inevitable Euro success (sarcastic or just very optimistic, you decide). Everyone's obvious favourite is the local simpleton Harry Redknapp, who can mastermind a Tottenham revolution from relegation to Champions' League, but cannot read or write (I think that this was some form of sympathy story to get him off the hook for some dodgy money troubles). The 64-year old has led Spurs to within touching distance of Manchester City at the top of the table and has constructed a team who play outstanding football. With his vast managerial experience and the fact that he's English, he would seem like a perfect candidate for the job, but with his club doing so well this season, he may be tempted to continue the project that he started there four years ago. In which case, we have to consider other options.

Psycho Pearce

If the managerial vacancy is not filled by May (which is possible) It will be Stuart Peace who will probably take caretaker charge. Imagine if we pull off amazing results in the friendlies against Norway and Belgium? There may be a call for Pearce to take on the job full time for the Euro Tournament and beyond. He led the England U21's to the semi-final of the World Cup in 2007 and went a step further in 2009 (although they failed to get past the group stage in 2011). Pearce has also been put in charge of the Great Britain Olympic football team, showing that he is trusted at international level by England. Even though he has relatively little managerial experience compared to Redknapp, (a two year stint at Manchester City and caretaker job at Nottingham Forest) he will be fairly capable of handling the position should he have to.

Guus Hiddink

Unlike Redknapp and Pearce, Hiddink has a massive amount of international managerial experience. He has coached Holland, Australia, Russia, Turkey and South Korea (who he led to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup). The former Dutch midfielder also had a brief stint at Chelsea in 2009 as caretaker manager, whilst also coaching the Russian national team (a rather hard task in itself). This clearly shows that Hiddink will not be phased by the pressure that of hopeful England fans. He may not be English, but unlike Fabio, he can actually speak the language reasonably well, so there will be no lack of communication between him and the players.

Jose Mourinho

Woah... let's not go here. Mourinho is indeed a very talented manager, but also a controversial one. I fear his massive ego will collide with alot of people in English dressing room and the FA headquarters.

I personally think that we should let Stuart Pearce take charge until the end of the Euro 2012, and then lure Harry away from Tottenham to start fresh with the England side after we go out in the quarter finals. If Redknapp was to take charge now and fail horribly in the upcoming competition, there will be unnecessary pressure on him during the World Cup qualifiers.


In conclusion, HARRY FOR ENGLAND!... But not just yet...

The Return Of King Carlos?!

With deadline day rapidly approaching, transfer activity at West Ham United was hardly at fever pitch. We have loaned in George John, who joins the influx of MLS player joining the English leagues (following Tim Reem, Landon Donovan and of course, the legend that is Thierry Henry) and a future star for the academy in the form of ex-Man United trainee Joe Dixon on a two month loan basis. But these current signings are hardly going to light up the Championship anytime soon...

But then, on Saturday evening, some shocking news started to arise (the source of which is unknown to me) that would have every Hammer dancing in excitement: our Argentinian prodigal son could possibly be reappear in claret and blue on a short term loan deal. Of course, it would be foolish for the West Ham faithful to get their hopes up yet, but the timing of the rumour and the knowledge we have of Tevez has got people talking. We know that he has fallen out with virtually everyone at Eastlands, we know he is looking for a quick getaway, and we know that he would like to return to Upton Park one day.

Tevez would be an ideal player to have during the promotion push during the second half of the season. Not only would he be an instantaneous fan favourite and encourage the East End crowd to get behind their team a lot more, he also has the class ability that has seen him tear up expert defences worldwide, during his playing career on the red and blue side of Manchester. He would work well with either Carlton Cole or the incoming Nikica Jelavić from Rangers. Or if Allardyce wanted to adapt a 4-3-3 formation, Carlos and Baldock could combine on the wings. If the incredible did happen, I'm sure that the manager would find a style of play that would maximise the potential threat of the Manchester City forward.

Before West Ham fans go fantasising about a bright future with Tevez at the helm, we must first be realistic. These are only rumours, and Kia Joorabchian (his agent) has already stated that someone of the Argentinians calibre would prefer a move to a bigger club. But stranger things have happened in the crazy world of football...

(I realise this is my first article of this year, sorry, I've been very busy this month)