Top 10 Trophies decided by penalty shootout

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Tom Mordey

So Chelsea have done it. Roman Abramovich’s millions finally bought him the trophy he so desired, the Champions League. The Blues did it the hard way though, scrapping through extra time before Didier Drogba sealed the victory in the shootout with his calm and collected effort. Many people believe a shootout is a cruel way to decide a game of football, but nothing beats it in terms of drama and excitement. In recognition of Chelsea adding their names to the list of masters from twelve yards, here are the Top 10 Trophies decided by penalty shootout:

 

10. Arsenal – FA Cup 2005 (Beat Manchester United 5-4)

This FA Cup Final will live long in the memory for Gunners fans, mainly because it’s the last piece of silverware they picked up. After both teams failed to find the net in normal time, extra time couldn’t separate them either and down to penalties it went. Decisively, Paul Scholes missed the second spot kick and it left Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira needing to score to send the trophy back to North London. With what turned out to be his last kick in a red and white shirt, the Frenchman slotted past Roy Carroll to win the cup.

9. Manchester United – League Cup 2009 (Beat Tottenham 4-1)

Another scoreless game in a Cup Final resulted in United and Spurs facing off in a shootout at Wembley in 2009. Sir Alex Ferguson had chosen to rest regular Number One Edwin Van der Sar, picking Ben Foster in his place. Foster turned in an impressive shift in normal time before he saved from Jamie O’Hara in the shootout. After David Bentley missed his, Anderson stepped up and completed the task. However, this shootout was memorable for Foster’s use of an I-Phone to research the spot kick takers moments before the penalties began. Modern technology eh!

8. Manchester United – Champions League 2008 (Beat Chelsea 6-5)

The two rivals went head-to-head in the first all English clash and 120 minutes of football couldn’t separate them after first half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard cancelled each other out. Interestingly for two English sides competing in a shootout, the spot kick quality was high until Ronaldo missed his effort, leaving John Terry the chance to win the game. His unfortunate slip saw him hit the post and after a round of sudden death, Van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka to ensure United were Champions of Europe.

7. Czechoslovakia – European Championship 1976 (Beat West Germany 5-3)

The 1976 Final went down to spot kicks after Czechoslovakia squandered a 2-0 lead against the Germans. The first seven penalties were all successful before West Germany’s Uli Hoeness blazed his effort over the crossbar. Midfielder Antonin Panenka then wrote himself into shootout folklore, cheekily chipping his effort straight down the middle to win the tournament. It was also the first and only time the Germans have lost on penalties, a remarkable record that now stretches back 36 years.

6. Liverpool – European Cup 1984 (Beat Roma 4-2)

English team winning the European Cup at the home ground of their opposition on penalties? Sound familiar? Well,Liverpool did it first, seeing off Italian opposition Roma on their home patch at the Stadio Olimpico. The game finished 1-1 and headed to the dreaded shootout and the Reds started badly after Steve Nicol skied his effort. However, Bruce Grobbelaar immortalised himself in shootout history after his wobbly legs tactics put off the Italian takers. Two of them subsequently missed and Alan Kennedy bagged the winning effort, sending the European Cup back to Anfield for the fourth time.

5. Italy – World Cup 2006 (Beat France 5-3)

Despite this clash finishing 1-1, the 2006 World Cup Final is remembered for one thing and one thing only. Zinedine Zidane’s astonishing behaviour that saw him sent off for head butting Marco Materazzi in the chest was one of the most reckless acts ever seen in the field of play. Unlike Zidane, Italy kept their nerve in the shootout, scoring all their penalties after David Trezeguet missed the second for France. Left back Fabio Grosso had the honour of delivering the match-winning strike and sending the nation into meltdown.

4. Zambia – African Cup of Nations 2012 (Beat Ivory Coast 8-7)

No one had expected Zambia to get beyond the group stage, never mind the final, but they defied all the odds to set up a clash with a strong-looking Ivory Coast side. The game was a disappointment, as the Zambians held on for a 0-0 draw, but they certainly showed everyone how to take penalty when the shootout came around. Both sides notched their first five and then the next two in sudden death before Kalaba missed to hand Manchester City’s Kolo Toure the chance to win the game. He missed though and Sunzu slotted home for Zambia, before Arsenal’s Gervinho also missed, ensuring Zambia defied all the odds to return home with the trophy.

3. Liverpool – Champions League 2005 (Beat AC Milan 3-2)

Liverpool’s truly astonishing comeback in normal time saw them recover from a three goal deficit at half time to snatch a draw and a shot at penalties. Jerzy Dudek decided he’d make up his own version of Grobbelaar’s wobbly legs and pranced around on his goal line distracting the opposition. It obviously worked. Serginho sent the ball into Heskey territory in row Z, before Dudek saved from Pirlo and Shevchenko, completing the most unlikely of victories.

2. Olympiacos – Greek Cup 2009 (Beat AEK Athens 15-14)

The Greeks certainly know how to do crazy and the 2009 Cup Final was certainly no different. The game itself was an absolute cracker as the sides drew 4-4, with Englishman Matt Derbyshire bagging twice for Olympiacos. The shootout was on another level though and after both sides scored their first five, they also both missed the decider. They both missed the ninth spot kick each as well and with the score locked at 14-14, Agustín Pelletieri stepped up for AEK. He failed though, leaving Olympiacos goalkeeper and Captain Antonios Nikopolidis the opportunity to win the cup. The Greek legend tucked home his second of the shootout and ended one of the all-time great penalty marathons.

1. Brazil – World Cup 1994 (Beat Italy 3-2)

A drab 0-0 affair in the final in Los Angeles saw Brazil and Italy face the first penalty shootout in the history of the World Cup Final. Defenders Marcio Santos and Franco Baresi traded misses first up, before both sides scored their next two each. However, Daniele Massaro missed his effort and after Brazilian skipper Dunga converted his, it left Roberto Baggio needing to score to keep the Italians in the game. The ‘Divine Ponytail’ had been the tournament’s star player, but he fired his penalty so far into space, NASA are still looking for it today.

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Two World Wars and One World Cup…Oh and a Number of Champions League Finals

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Tom Mordey

David Cameron appeared to be enjoying the Champions League Final at the G8 Summit yesterday. His German counterpart Angela Merkel? Not so much. Barack Obama is seen here acting as referee as Cameron produces diplomacy of the highest order….

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Top 10 European Cup Finals

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Tom Mordey

The moment Fernando Torres rounded the goalkeeper and completed Chelsea’s unlikely path to Munich, all eyes in West London were firmly fixed on the big day. Forget the issues over home advantage, forget the suspensions and injury concerns and forget the fact Chelsea only came sixth in the table, this will be the biggest night of Roberto Di Matteo and his side’s lives. Hopefully the game can live up to the billing and just to remind you what a treat you’re in for, here are 10 of the best Champions League Finals:

10. Barcelona 3 Manchester United 1, 2011

Think back to last year, when Manchester United dreamt of winning the trophy on home soil against a side widely regarded as one of the greatest ever. The odds were stacked firmly against them and the first half showed why, as Pep Guardiola’s men enjoyed 67% of the possession. Pedro gave them a 27th minute lead, but Wayne Rooney’s equaliser gave United a glimmer of hope. It wasn’t to be though, as second half goals from Lionel Messi and David Villa secured Barcelona’s fourth Champions League title.

9. Borussia Dortmund 3 Juventus 1, 1997

Little fancied Dortmund had the opportunity to prevent Juventus sealing a second successive title in a row on home territory in Munich and after their semi-final win over Manchester United, nobody could rule it out. Sure enough, Karl-Heinz Riedle scored twice in the first half to give the Bundesliga boys the lead and despite Alessandro Del Piero pulling one back in the second half, local Dortmund lad Lars Ricken fired home in the 71st minute, just 16 seconds after coming on a substitute. The result was a surprise as Juve were a side packed with talent, including French superstar Zinedine Zidane. However, Zidane barely featured in the final thanks to the close attentions of a certain Paul Lambert, now in the dugout at Norwich City.

8. AC Milan 4 Barcelona 0, 1994

With Milan missing some key players through injury and suspension including Dutch legend Marco Van Basten, Barcelona went into the final in Athens as firm favourites. However, the Italian outfit produced one of the greatest ever displays by a side in a final, destroying their Spanish opponents on the night. Two goals from Daniele Massaro set them on their way, before Dejan Savicevic and Marcel Desailly sealed the triumph with second half goals. The Milan coach that night? None other than Fabio Capello.

7. Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 (United won 6-5 on penalties), 2008

United and Chelsea met in the first all-English final in Moscow having battled each other all year for the Premier League title, a battle that the Reds came out on top. Inevitably, Cristiano Ronaldo was the man to open the scoring, nodding past Petr Cech after 26 minutes. However, on the stroke of half-time, Frank Lampard snatched an equaliser and that’s the way it remained for the rest of the game. Didier Drogba got himself sent off for slapping Nemanja Vidic though and the Blues went into the shootout minus their best striker. However Ronaldo’s miss left Chelsea captain John Terry needing to score to give his side their first European Cup win. The rest, as they say, is history. Terry slipped, sending the ball cannoning into the post and after a couple of successful penalties, Edwin Van der Sar dived right to keep out Nicolas Anelka’s spot kick, sealing another victory for United.

6. Celtic 2 Inter Milan 1, 1967

Celtic became the first British side to pick up the trophy after a pulsating 2-1 victory over Italian giants Internazionale in Lisbon. Jock Stein’s side outplayed their Italian counterparts with a brand of attacking football that set the tournament alight. Despite going down to an early penalty, Celtic fought back and Tommy Gemmell levelled things up on 63 minutes. The greatest moment in the club’s history was completed when striker Stevie Chalmers pounced with seven minutes remaining to send the European Cup back to Scotland for the first and only time.

5. Liverpool 3 Borussia Monchengladbach 1, 1977

Liverpool became the second English side to pick up the trophy after seeing off their German rivals in Rome. Terry McDermott opened the scoring after 28 minutes and although Danish midfield Allan Simonsen’s equaliser threatened to spoil the party, nothing could stop the Reds lifting the cup. Tommy Smith headed his side into the lead, before Bertie Vogts brought down Kevin Keegan in the area. Phil Neal tucked away the resulting penalty and Liverpool began the run of six consecutive victories in a row for English sides.

4. Manchester United 4 Benfica 1, 1968

A year after Celtic became the first British side to win the competition, United subsequently picked up the honour for the English teams. Ten years on from the Munich air disaster and Sir Matt Busby led his side out at Wembley looking for European glory. Bobby Charlton gave them the lead, but they were pegged back by Jaime Graca’s strike for the Portuguese side. Extra time then followed and United ran out comfortable winners followed goals from George Best and Brian Kidd, before the skipper Charlton put the icing on the cake, slotting home to seal a famous victory.

3. Real Madrid 7 Eintracht Frankfurt 3, 1960

In terms of quality, this game is considering one of the greatest ever played as Real Madrid dismantled Frankfurt at Hampden Park in front a massive 127,000 crowd. The Germans took an early lead, but the rest of the game became a showpiece for two of the greatest players to have walked this planet. Alfredo Di Stefano bagged a hat-trick and Hungarian Ferenc Puskas scored four as the Spaniards went onto to lift the trophy for the fifth successive time since the competition begun.

2. Manchester United 2 Bayern Munich 1, 1999

Fergie’s side headed to Barcelona looking to complete a fabled treble having secured the Premiership and the FA Cup already. Without suspended talisman Roy Keane and midfield maestro Paul Scholes, United had to shuffle their pack and this looked evident early on as Mario Basler’s sixth minute goal gave Bayern the perfect start. The Germans then dominated throughout, hitting the woodwork twice and they looked certain to pick up the trophy as the game headed into stoppage time. As Peter Schmeichel headed into the opposition’s penalty area, United were clutching at straws, but Ryan Giggs’s mishit shot was turned in by Teddy Sheringham to the amazement of everyone inside the Nou Camp. 30 seconds later, United won another corner which Sheringham headed downwards, leaving Clive Tyldesley to scream the immortal words ‘AND SOLSKJAER HAS WON IT.’ The Champions League couldn’t get anymore dramatic until…

1. Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3 (Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties), 2005

For a club enriched with European history, Liverpool had endured a pretty baron spell since the 1980’s. However, they travelled to Istanbul looking to rectify that against a strong AC Milan side. Milan showed just how strong they were though, scoring with the game just a minute old after veteran skipper Paolo Maldini volleyed in a free kick. Two further goals, both from Hernan Crespo, left Liverpool staring down the barrel at half-time. Instead of capitulating altogether, they put together one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Skipper Steven Gerrard grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, nodding home the first, before Vladimir Smicer’s ambitious effort from range somehow beat Dida in the Milan goal. After Gattuso brought down Gerrard in the box, Xabi Alonso stepped up to level the game. His penalty was saved, but he smashed home the rebound, completing an astonishing recovery. Neither side could find a way through for the rest of the game, though Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek pulled off an astonishing double save from Andriy Shevchenko. And Dudek proved to be the hero of the hour again, saving from first Andrea Pirlo and then Shevchenko to hand Liverpool their greastest victory of all.

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All Rhodes lead to promotion

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Tom Mordey

When Huddersfield took the lead against MK Dons in the 32nd minute of their playoff clash, there was no need to check the name of the scorer. Jordan Rhodes guided his header from a Lee Novak cross past Dons’ keeper David Martin into the far corner to bag his 39th goal of the season.

That’s right. 39. It’s been an incredible season for Rhodes who has shot from near obscurity to hot property in the space of a season. He was named the League One Player of the Year after finishing with 35 goals in the regular year. This figure surpassed Hudderfield’s all-time goalscoring record in a season, while he also bagged six hat-tricks throughout the year, including becoming the first Terriers players to score back-to-back trebles during games against Exeter and Preston in October. After just two and a half years at the club, he is already eight highest on the scoring charts, while he is the joint top scorer for the Scottish U21 team despite making just six appearances. Any more for any more? Well, he made his full international debut against Cyprus in November.

These feats are astonishing, especially considering he achieved them all in one season, but the 22-year-old needs to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground. His goal against MK Dons may have given Huddersfield a significant advantage in the playoffs, but there is still plenty of work to be done. Rhodes himself knows what defeat tastes like at this stage, indeed he featured in the sides that lost to Millwall in the semi-finals in 2010 and more agonisingly, to Peterboroughin the final in 2011. Rhodes only came off the bench during that defeat in the 81st minute, so he will hope to have the chance to make up for his limited contribution last time around.

It’s no coincidence that Huddersfield have been challenging for League One promotion since Rhodes’s arrival. It came as a surprise to plenty of Ipswich fans that the club let Rhodes go, indeed he had shown plenty of potential since they plucked him from Barnsley back in 2005 for a mere £5,000. Loan spells at Rochdale and Brentford highlighted the forward’s ability to find the back of the net and this prompted Lee Clark to take a punt and bring Rhodes up north for an undisclosed fee. His first season yielded a return of 23 goals in all competitions, though the highlight was undoubtedly the hat-trick of headers he bagged in eight minutes against Exeter that beat Dixie Dean’s eight decade old record. Unlucky to lose out to Millwall that season, Huddersfield were desperate to emulate local rivals Leeds United who had gained promotion from League One and under Clark, they looked to be a decent bet for promotion, especially given the strength of the squad assembled at the Galpharm Stadium.

Consistent form saw the Terriers march into the playoffs again, but they suffered that heartbreaking 3-0 defeat at the hands of Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough. For Rhodes himself, the season didn’t go quite according to plan despite finishing the year as the club’s top scorer again with 22 goals. He ended the season out of the side and with Huddersfield still stuck in League One, Rhodes needed to improve in 2011/12.

Boy, how he has managed that. Rhodes sent Twitter into overdrive by netting four times in a 4-4 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in December, though after his five goal salvo in the 6-0 win over Wycombe, you’d have thought the striker had solved world poverty given the adulation coming his way. Rhodes hasn’t been quite as prolific since Simon Grayson took charge following Lee Clark’s surprising sacking, but all players need time to adapt to new tactics and new ideas.

Despite Huddersfield 43-game unbeaten run under Clark, the Huddersfield board decided to end his tenure in charge with the Terriers only occupying a playoff position. Although the decision to appoint Grayson instead hasn’t exactly backfired, the side still only occupy a playoff position, failing to achieve what the board wanted in kicking on for automatic promotion. However, their aggregate victory over MK Dons now leaves them facing Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United for a place in the Championship.

Victory in the playoffs could be crucial in deciding Rhodes’s own personal future. He is tasked with the mission of firing Huddersfield into the Championship, but many pundits expect the striker to be at pastures new anyway next year. Chief executive Nigel Clibbens told BBC Radio Leeds: “We are in a great position financially. We can sell players when we want to and it’s best for the club.” This may be the case if Huddersfield get promoted, but any failure would surely see Rhodes ask for the opportunity to try his hand at a higher level. He may only be 22, but he has attracted significant interest not just from the Championship, but the Premiership as well. A figure of £5 million seems rather steep for one so unproven in the higher divisions, but goals are an expensive commodity in football these days. And goals are something Rhodes specialises in.

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Premiership Season Review: 2011/12 Part Two

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Tom Mordey

SWANSEA

Position: 11th

BBC’s August Prediction: 19th

Top Scorer: Danny Graham (12)

Hero: Brendan Rodgers

Zero: Leroy Lita

South Wales has witnessed something remarkable this season. In footballing terms, Brendan Rodgers deserves a knighthood. The job he has done transforming a group of Championship players into a mid-table Premier League outfit with minimal funds should be the benchmark for any aspiring promoted team. It’s not just the survival that’s been impressive, but the way this has been achieved. The Swans have won plaudits from all quarters for their Barcelona-esque performances, indeed their passing game is a joy to watch. They lost more games than they won, but Swansea never looked in danger of relegation at any stage of the season. So many players enhanced their reputations, Danny Graham and Scott Sinclair proved they could score goals in the Premier League, Leon Brittan and Joe Allen provided the impetus for the Swans’ free-flowing football, Michel Vorm proved to be one of the bargain signings of the season in goal, while loanee Gylfi Sigurdsson added a new dimension in attack. Bringing him in permanently would be a good start, though manager Rodgers has attracted more than a few admiring glances from elsewhere. Swansea need him to stay and lead the side to greater things next year.

Season Rating: 9.5/10

 

NORWICH

Position: 12th

BBC’s August Prediction: 17th

Top Scorer: Grant Holt (15)

Hero: Grant Holt/John Ruddy

Zero: James Vaughan

For Swansea, also read Norwich. The Canaries were many pundits’ tips for relegation at the start of the season since everyone believed they hadn’t strengthened well enough for the rigours of Premiership football. However, they too never looked in danger of relegation and at one stage, looked as if they could mount a challenge for Europa League football. With this threat looming large, Norwich’s form dropped off, though they still managed a respectable twelfth placed finished. Paul Lambert has done such a good job Aston Villa now want him to do something similar in Birmingham, but Norwich fans will pray the Scot chooses to stay. Grant Holt continued his remarkable rise through English football, scoring 15 goals to ensure he has now scored in all four divisions. John Ruddy’s form saw him win a place in England’s Euro 2012 squad and players like Steve Morison, Wes Hoolahan and Andrew Surman advanced their reputations. Something similar next year would be desirable and who would bet against it. Especially if Lambert stays.

Season Rating: 9.5/10

 

SUNDERLAND

Position: 13th

BBC’s August Prediction: 10th

Top Scorer: Nicklas Bendtner (8)

Hero: Stephane Sessegnon

Zero: Asamoah Gyan

Sunderland looked a good bet last summer to challenge for a European place, Steve Bruce added wisely to his squad with the signings of John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Seb Larsson. However, the Black Cats’ new signings just never gelled and they made a disastrous start to the season, leaving them hovering above the drop zone in seventeenth. The board took drastic action, axing Bruce and delighting everyone at the Stadium of Light by bringing in Martin O’Neill. Sunderland’s form improved dramatically and they surged into the top half of the table, with Sessegnon and Nicklas Bendtner providing the spark up front. However, no wins in the last eight games saw Sunderland slide down the table and end in thirteenth. It was a disappointing year for the side, they missed Asamoah Gyan (after he walked out on them) and never replaced Darren Bent in the summer. O’Neill will have the change to rebuild his squad in the summer to properly stamp his mark on the side and with the Northern Irishman in charge, expect Sunderland to be much more of a threat next time around.

Season Rating: 5/10

 

STOKE

Position: 14th

BBC’s August Prediction: 9th

Top Scorer: Peter Crouch (10)

Hero: Jonathan Walters/Peter Crouch

Zero: Jermaine Pennant

13th in the Premiership and an FA Cup Final appearance the previous year had raised expectations at the Britannia Stadium and Tony Pulis pulled off his usual trick of signing a random collection of players. However, there was some quality among their summer transfers, with the likes of Peter Crouch, Matthew Upson and Jonathan Woodgate looking like useful additions. Stoke started well, but a run of four consecutive defeats coincided with the height of their European campaign (no surprises there!) However, as the ‘rugby team’ taught the rest of Europe how a throw-in can still be useful in football, their Premiership form suffered. They pieced together wins here and there, but one win in eleven at the end of the campaign saw Stoke digress from last year’s finish. Pulis still remains a quality manager at what he does and the Britannia is a nasty place for teams to visit, but considering what Stoke spent last summer, they took their off the ball this year. Europe obviously hindered the campaign but also gave the fans the opportunity to visit Valencia, something they could only have dreamed of previously. You can never predict Pulis’s summer activity, it really does make the mind boggle sometimes, but expect Stoke to be knocking the proverbial ten bells out of every Premiership team again next year.

Season Rating: 6/10

 

WIGAN

Position: 15th

BBC’s August Prediction: 20th

Top Scorer: Franco Di Santo (7)

Hero: Roberto Martinez/ Ali Al-Habsi

Zero: Hugo Rodallega

It’s a shame the Harry Potter films have drawn to a conclusion because given the miracles Roberto Martinez continues to work at the DW Stadium, he’d give the boy wonder a close run for best magician. As per usual, Wigan occupied the bottom three in most pundits’ prediction lists and once again, they proved them wrong. However, for three quarters of the season, the Latics did appear doomed this time round. They lost eight successive games at the start of the season and were bottom of the League as late as March. However, Wigan seem to come alive in March and this was the case again, as they beat Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United before destroying high-flying Newcastle 4-0 with one of the performances of the season. Victory over Blackburn relegated their Lancashire rivals and kept Wigan up and they can celebrate their eighth successive season in the top flight. It will be tough once again with a number of their best players looking to leave, though holding onto Martinez himself will be the toughest task. He’s been so good Liverpool have been linked with a move for him and surely, if he was to leave, everyone could justifiably predict them to go down next year. Oh, and please, please, please buy a striker that can score.

Season Rating: 7.5/10

 

ASTON VILLA

Position: 16th

BBC’s August Prediction: 8th

Top Scorer: Darren Bent (9)

Hero: Shay Given

Zero: Alex McLeish

Last summer held ominous signs for Villa fans after they sold Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, before appointing Alex McLeish, poaching him from local rivals Birmingham. The fans weren’t overly enthusiastic with this appointment it’s fair to say, but they went the first seven games unbeaten after adding Charles N’Zogbia and Shay Given to a fairly strong squad that included £24 million man Darren Bent. It all went downhill from there though, N’Zogbia proved a dreadful signing and Bent’s injury after Christmas meant Villa fell faster than Tulisa’s dignity. Two wins in nineteen games saw Villa come perilously close to an unexpected relegation, with the fans fearful of that old idiom ‘You’re never too good to go down.’ The atmosphere roundVilla Park turned positively violent as McLeish failed to win over the supporters and this must have affected the mood on the pitch, as their young starlets failed to find the form needed to stay up. 17 draws eventually proved to be their saviour and the only positive thing that can be taken from this year is the fact Randy Lerner sacked McLeish immediately. However, Villa have a bunch of talented youngsters with some Premiership stalwarts like Richard Dunne, Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Collins that forms the nucleus of a good side. The new manager needs Darren Bent fully fit and scoring, as well as some significant additions. Lerner has an interesting choice ahead and it needs to be better than the one he made last summer. They have released Emile Heskey though…

Season Rating: 0/10

 

QPR

Position: 17th

BBC’s August Prediction: 16th

Top Scorer: Heidar Helguson (8)

Hero: Jamie Mackie

Zero: Joey Barton

Of the three promoted sides, QPR were expected to go well under Neil Warnock’s guidance. They had a decent bunch of players left from promotion, especially talisman Adel Taarabt and signings like Joey Barton, Jay Bothroyd and DJ Campbell looked like sensible additions. They started ok, but Anton Ferdinand’s clash with John Terry ensured the club were never out of the headlights in the build up to the Christmas period and their form suffered as a result. No wins in nine games proved the end for Warnock and new owner Tony Fernandez turned to Mark Hughes with a fistful of cash to keep the R’s in the Premier League. He brought in some quality additions like Djibril Cisse and Taye Taiwo, but this didn’t seem to help as QPR remained in the relegation dogfight up until the end of the season. In the end, they only stayed up courtesy of Bolton’s draw with Stoke and Joey Barton’s disgraceful behaviour at Manchester City showed Hughes there is a lot of work to be done. Their discipline was awful this year as the side accumulated nine red cards over the course of the season. However, Fernandez’s money should mean that the Loftus Road faithful will never stare relegation in the face so closely again and Cisse’s goals should help fire them up the league next year. Expect them to be a force in the summer transfer market.

Season Rating: 4/10

 

BOLTON

Position: 18th

BBC’s August Prediction: 12th

Top Scorer: Ivan Klasnic (8)

Hero: Kevin Davies

Zero: Darren Pratley

A season of promise the year before turned into a season of woe for Bolton Wanderers. After an opening day 4-0 win over QPR, everything looked rosy at the Reebok Stadium, but they then lost their next six games. Owen Coyle struggled to get his men out of the relegation zone and after losing key defender Gary Cahill to Chelsea, Bolton never looked like having enough quality to stay up. In the end, the events at White Hart Lane overshadowed everything and football was put into perspective. Fabrice Muamba’s remarkable recovery means things aren’t as gloomy at Bolton as they could have been, though the blow of relegation will still hurt. After Muamba’s collapse, three straight wins seemed to catapult Coyle’s side out of trouble, but they only won one game of their final eight, dooming them to Championship football next year. Of the three sides relegated, Bolton are in the best shape, they shouldn’t lose too many players and despite evidence to the contrary this year, Owen Coyle is a talented young manager. Expect them to bounce back at the first attempt.

Season Rating: 2/10

 

BLACKBURN 

Position: 19th

BBC’s August Prediction: 18th

Top Scorer: Yakubu (17)

Hero: Yakubu/Junior Hoilett

Zero: Steve Kean/The Venkys

It didn’t look good for Blackburn from the outset, they lost Phil Jones to Manchester United and Steve Kean proved none too popular after he replaced Sam Allardyce when the Venkys bought the club. This set the tone for the whole season and Kean suffered some of the worst abuse ever aimed at an individual in football. Whether such abuse was valid is debatable, but it certainly made Kean’s job ten times harder. Two wins in their first eighteen games, one of which was the thrilling 4-3 victory over Arsenal ensured Blackburn occupied the dreaded ‘bottom by Christmas’ slot. It never really got better from there, despite a brief glimmer of hope after wins over Manchester United and Fulham lifted them out of the drop zone. Their misery was sealed after a defeat to Wigan and Blackburn fans will look at this season only with despair. They were strong up front thanks to the presence of Yakubu and Junior Hoilett but their defence was woeful. If Kean stays, many of the supporters might not bother returning to Ewood Park at all next year. Tough times lie ahead.

Season Rating: 0/10

 

WOLVES

Position: 20th

BBC’s August Prediction: 14th

Top Scorer: Steven Fletcher (12)

Hero: Steven Fletcher

Zero: Roger Johnson

After avoiding the drop thanks to a last minute Stephen Hunt goal last year, Wolves hoped their side would kick on and the signing of Roger Johnson looked a decent buy to strengthen a leaky defence. However, Wolves struggled early on and a run of one win in eleven saw them slip into the drop zone. The final defeat of this run was a 5-1 humiliation to local rivals West Brom and this cost Mick McCarthy his job. Wolves then suffered the embarrassment of being turned down by several managers, including Alan Curbishley and Brian McDermott so they turned to assistant Terry Connor. This decision probably ranks as one of the worst decisions in Premiership history as Connor looked all at sea as Wolves failed to win any of their last fourteen games of the season. The fact remains they had a strong enough squad to stay up. Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher are a strong front two, Matt Jarvis won an England cap last year and Roger Johnson was highly sought after last summer. God knows why. His performances were so bad, the Wolves fans aimed the brunt of their frustrations at the man made captain in the summer. It just never clicked for the men from the Midlands, though they have already appointed Norwegian Stale Solbakken to mastermind an immediate promotion. If they hang onto their key players, this looks likely.

Season Rating: 0/10

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Top 10 England vs Germany Club Clashes

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Tom Mordey

The chaps at Unibet are excited about the Champions League final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich this weekend, so have dug up ten of the best Anglo-German games in preparation.

West Ham 2 1860 Munich 0, Cup Winners’ Cup final 1965

Bobby Moore liked lifting trophies, and a year before hoisting aloft the World Cup, he lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup after his Hammers side beat 1860 Munich 2-0. Both goals came from Alan Sealey.

Everton 3 Bayern Munich 1, Cup Winner’s Cup semi-final 1985

Bayern were left Blue after goals from Andy Gray, Trevor Steven and Kevin Sheedy sent the Toffees through to the Cup Winners’ Cup final where they beat Rapid Vienna in the final.

Borussia Dortmund 2 Liverpool 1, European Cup final 1966

England got their own back on Germany in the World Cup final, but not before Dortmund became the first German team to ever lift a European trophy when they beat the Reds in extra-time at Hampden Park.

Bayern Munich 2 Manchester City 0, Champions League group stage 2011

Carlos Tevez became the most hated man in Manchester when he refused to get off the bench and play for Mancini’s men. To be fair, his side were well beaten by the Germans

Bayern Munich 2 Leeds 0, European Cup final 1975

Leeds fans rioted after French referee Michel Kitabdjian denied their side two penalties and a seemingly perfectly good goal as the Germans went on to win. Leeds were subsequently banned from Europe for four years.

Aston Villa 1 Bayern Munich 0, European Cup final 1982

A Peter Withe goal made it six consecutive times an English team had lifted the European Cup in a profitable period for home based clubs.

Chelsea 1 Stuttgart 0, Cup Winner’s Cup final 1998

Little Gianfranco Zola further enhanced his legendary status at Stamford Bridge by coming off the bench to make an immediate impact, drilling in the winner against Stuttgart.

Liverpool 3 Borussia Monchengladbach 1, European Cup final 1977

Goals from Terry McDermott, Tommy Smith and Phil Neal helped the Reds repeat history against the Germans (they beat Monchengladbach three years earlier in the UEFA Cup final).

Nottingham Forest 1 Hamburg 0, European Cup final 1980

And then Keegan switched to Germany, as his Hamburg side lost to Nottingham Forest. It meant Forest were the first team to win the European Cup more times (2) than their domestic top division (1). And they still are!

Manchester United 2 Bayern Munich 1, Champions League final 1999

‘Can Manchester United score. They always score.’ Remember Clive Tyldesley’s famous words. Well, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer goals in the dying seconds secured a dramatic Champions League win for United over Bayern in a game no-one will forget. Except the Germans maybe.

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The Premiership Review: 2011/12

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Tom Mordey

The dust has settled on yesterday’s remarkable end of season finish that significantly reduced the life expectancy of everyone watching. Manchester City are the Champions, ending 44 years of hurt, while Bolton joined Blackburn in sliding through the trapdoor into the Championship. Here is the Coin Toss’s definitive review of the best ever Premier League season, starting with the Top 10:

MANCHESTER CITY

Position: 1st

BBC’s August Predictions: 2nd

Top Scorer: Sergio Aguero (23)

Hero: Vincent Kompany

Zero: Carlos Tevez

What can you say about Manchester City. Champions for the first time in 44 years, but boy did they leave it late! 2-1 down with five minutes of stoppage time on the clock at the Etihad Stadium when first Edin Dzeko, and then Sergio Aguero found the net to send the blue half of Manchester into delirium. It was the fitting end to a season that has been so topsy-turvy for Roberto Mancini’s men. They went unbeaten until Chelsea beat them 2-1 in December, a run of 14 matches that included the 5-1 win over Spurs and of course that infamous 6-1 drubbing of United at Old Trafford. The wheels then came off the City bandwagon as they seem to implode under the pressure, winning just one game in five in a miserable run in March and April, a spell that saw them slip eight points behind United. However, Vincent Kompany’s header saw off their bitter rivals at home and they were ahead until the end of the season before the last ditch heroics sealed the title. Off the field, it’s been a tumultuous year as well. The Carlos Tevez affair soured the first half of the season and Mario Balotelli went from lovable rogue to deplorable idiot with some petulant behaviour against Arsenal and Sunderland. However, none of that matters now as City finally achieved the dream set out for them by their Arab owners three years ago. Accusations that they bought the title may helped the bitter and twisted deal with City’s victory, but nobody at the Etihad will care one jot. Mancini still has some tough egos to handle and the dressing room balance isn’t quite right yet, but he has some star quality in that squad that can enable him to build a legacy at City for years to come.

Season Rating: 10/10

 

MANCHESTER UNITED

 Position: 2nd

BBC’s August Prediction: 1st

Top Scorer: Wayne Rooney (27)

Hero: Wayne Rooney

Zero: Dimitar Berbatov

Although both halves of Manchester will wake up horribly hungover this morning, those with Red leanings will feel a whole lot worse than their counterparts in Blue. United were so close to spoiling City’s party and did everything they needed to do on the final day. The defending Champions were keen not to relinquish their crown without a fight and set off in August in sparkling form, spanking Bolton, Spurs and Chelsea and of course, the memorable 8-2 win over Arsenal. However, United were playing catch-up to City after the shock of that 6-1 defeat and miserable performances against Newcastle and Blackburn at the turn of the New Year seemed to rule United out of contention. However, Sir Alex brought Paul Scholes out of retirement and United’s season swung into action as they notched up 34 points out a possible 36 to overhaul City going into the final part of the season. However, remarkably for Sir Alex and his boys, they blew it. A shock defeat to Wigan was followed by them throwing away a two goal lead against Everton and losing at the Etihad sealed their fate. United need to strengthen significantly in the summer as they can be sure those around them will.

Season Rating: 7/10

ARSENAL

Position: 3rd

BBC’s August Prediction: 5th

Top Scorer: Robin Van Persie (30)

Hero: Robin Van Persie

Zero: Per Mertesacker

Oh to be an Arsenal fan. The final day perhaps reflected their season as a whole, dreadful start against West Brom before gradually clawing their way back to find a winner and therefore a third place finish that guarantees them Champions League football next year. Quite frankly, Arsenal were appalling at the beginning of the year, losing 8-2 to United and suffering the embarrassment of a 4-3 reversal against Blackburn. The loss of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy in the summer left the squad threadbare and Wenger’s refusal to spend any money seemed to have finally hit them hard. By the time Spurs took home the North London derby spoils in October, Arsenal’s title hopes were already in tatters, much earlier than their usual March collapse. Although the fans just about refrained from calling for Arsene Wenger’s head, unrest was obvious at the Emirates. However, an eight match winning streak saw them roar into contention for a Champions League spot. In true Arsenal style, they promptly ruined this by losing three in a row. Just two more defeats all season followed though, against QPR and Wigan, and Arsenal gradually overhauled Spurs in the race for third spot that became all-important after Chelsea’s run to the Champions League final. Arsenal fans should feel happy at the way the season has gone, especially considering how it started. Spending money is imperative this summer to try and challenge for trophies again, while it’s fair to say, without Robin Van Persie, Arsenal would be nowhere the Champions League. Their hopes all rest on keeping the Dutchman at the Emirates.

Season Rating: 8/10

 

TOTTENHAM

Position: 4th

BBC’s August Prediction: 6th

Top Scorer: Emmanuel Adebayor (17)

Hero: Emmanuel Adebayor

Zero: The FA

Think back to February. Tottenham had just smashed Newcastle 5-0 at home and were nicely positioned in third, with a shot at the Premier League title not out of the question. Everyone, including Sir Alex Ferguson were commending the quality of football that the side were piecing together. The fans could barely believe nothing had gone wrong before a huge Fabio Capello-shaped hole appeared in their season. His sacking as England manager left Harry Redknapp the overwhelming favourite for the job. For whatever reason, Spurs capitulated, picking up just six points from a possible 27. As the England saga dragged on, Spurs just couldn’t seem to win a game, undoubtedly affected by the speculation surrounding their manager. They just about recovered, winning three of the four last games to hang on to fourth spot, but they now rely on Chelsea losing the Champions League Final to Bayern Munich. It’s an unfortunate situation for a side that at times this season, looked unplayable, with the skills of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Emmanuel Adebayor giving the White Hart Lane faithful some of the best displays they’ve seen in years. A Chelsea victory would leave the future of the club uncertain though, Bale and Modric are yet to commit if Spurs don’t reach the Champions League, while Daniel Levy is struggling to find the money to pay Adebayor’s wages permanently. Redknapp has assembled a good squad and Champions League football would enable him to add further quality to that. The 19th of May is therefore a very important date for Tottenham fans.

Season Rating: 8/10

 

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Position: 5th

BBC’s August Prediction: 15th

Top Scorer: Demba Ba (16)

Hero: Demba Ba/Papiss Cisse

Zero: Gabriel Obertan

The Toon Army fans are still in dreamland having seen their side produce a remarkable season of football. When Alan Pardew replaced Chris Hughton as manager last year, the fans were outraged at yet another supposedly awful decision from Mike Ashley. How wrong they were. Pardew made a collection of signings that can only be described as brilliant. Yohan Cabaye joined from Lille, Davide Santon signed from Inter Milan and more importantly Demba Ba was acquired on a free transfer from West Ham. Subsequently, the Magpies went unbeaten until the 19th of Novemeber when they lost to Manchester City. Many expected the bubble to burst, but they just carried on in a similar vein of form with Demba Ba scoring left, right and centre. A 3-0 win over Manchester United showed this Newcastle side was made of tough stuff and the signing of Papiss Cisse proved to be the decision of the season. Six straight wins left the fans dreaming of the Champions League again and although they missed out by the slimmest of margins, the club can be proud of what they achieved. There were so many magical moments, none more so than Cisse’s stupendous volley against Chelsea and just imagine if Ba and Cisse could score at the same time. Hanging onto their best players is now the next task for the PFA’s Manager of the Season Pardew and if he can make another couple of signings like last season, Newcastle are onto a winner.

Season Rating: 9/10

 

CHELSEA

Position: 6th

BBC’s August Prediction: 3rd

Top Scorer: Frank Lampard/Daniel Sturridge (11)

Hero: Roberto Di Matteo

Zero: Andre Villas Boas

Last summer proved rather eventful for the Blues, with Roman Abramovich choosing to replace Carlo Ancelotti with Andre Villas Boas after he failed to win a trophy in 2010/11. However, only Juan Mata was purchased that added any real quality to Chelsea’s squad and the Blues struggled from the outset with their patchy form leaving them fighting for Champions League contention. This wasn’t the plan for Abramovich at all, who expected another title at Stamford Bridge. However, it wasn’t just the poor form that hindered Villas Boas, but also his decision to alienate the senior players, creating dressing room unrest. With Chelsea’s Champions League campaign hanging by a thread after a 3-1 defeat away at Napoli, the most expensive manager in history was discarded and assistant Roberto Di Matteo placed in charge. Things soon changed as Di Matteo harnessed the senior players, inspiring the club to an FA Cup victory and the Champions League final, after a stunning semi-final win over Barcelona. He unfortunately failed to secure fourth position though, leaving the Blues needing a win in Munich to remain in Europe’s premier competition. Chelsea’s summer hinges on this game and Di Matteo could be given the job permanently if he pulls off what looked previously impossible. Oh, and he even got Fernando Torres to score!

Season Rating: 6.5/10

 

EVERTON

Position: 7th

BBC’s August Prediction: 7th

Top Scorer: Nikica Jelavic (9)

Hero: David Moyes

Zero: The Everton Coffers

Another season, another top half finish for David Moyes. Once again, the Scot worked wonders with the limited resources at his disposal, but those resources looked to have cost the Blues dearly in the first half of the season. A draw with Blackburn ensured they only occupied 14th position in January and without a striker that could ever find the net, never mind on regular occasions, it looked as if Everton were heading for a poor finish. However, Moyes was allowed a little leeway in January and he used it wisely, bringing in Nikica Jelavic from Rangers for £5.5 million, while Steven Pienaar returned on loan from Spurs. This did the trick for Everton and Jelavic made the transition to English football look easy as he finally provided the Blues with a threat upfront to go with their excellent midfield. They went on a nine game unbeaten run to end the year in their traditional seventh position and they will hope to add one or two quality players in the summer. However, Liverpool seem to have a hoodoo on them at the moment, winning all three games against them this season, including the FA Cup semi-final. Moyes will want to end that next year.

Season Rating: 8.5/10

 

LIVERPOOL

Position: 8th

BBC’s August Prediction: 4th

Top Scorer: Luis Suarez (11)

Hero: Daniel Agger/Martin Skrtel

Zero: Take your pick – Kenny Dalglish, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll or Luis Suarez for other matters.

Kenny Dalglish revitalised a Liverpool team that lost its way under Roy Hodgson last year and after spending £100 million combined from January and the summer on a host of talent, many pundits predicted a return to the Champions League for the Reds. The season turned out to be an absolute catastrophe though, with Liverpool missing talisman Steven Gerrard for the first half of the year. Big signings Carroll, Henderson and Adam didn’t pay off while £20 million man Stewart Downing contributed a remarkable zero goals and zero assists to the Liverpool effort this year. Luis Suarez shone in patches but his eight game ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra brought the club into disrepute, especially after the players ran out wearing T-Shirts supporting the Uruguayan. After Christmas, their form only got worse and a run of six defeats in seven games ended all hopes of a Champions League finish. Just to compound their misery, they lost the FA Cup final and a final day defeat to Swansea left everyone questioning Kenny Dalglish’s future. Absolutely wretched year at Anfield.

Season Rating: 2/10

 

FULHAM

Position: 9th    

BBC’s August Prediction: 11th

Top Scorer: Clint Dempsey (17)

Hero: Clint Dempsey

Zero: Bobby Zamora

Mark Hughes’s sudden departure caught Fulham unawares in the summer and although they picked a good replacement in Martin Jol, they made a dreadful start to the season that saw them languishing just above the drop zone in November. However, the team began to gel together under Jol and they patched together more consistent form right up until the end of the season that saw them sneak into the top half of the table. The fans can be pleased with a ninth placed finish, a position that further underlines the Cottagers’ consolidation of their Premier League place. They are indebted to Clint Dempsey though for his impressive tally of goals and everyone involved with Fulham will be praying the club hangs onto the American next season. Pavel Pogrebnyak came in January and notched a decent tally of six goals, proving himself to be an impressive replacement for Bobby Zamora who quit for QPR in the search for more money. However, fans will want to see more of Bryan Ruiz who has disappointed since his big money move from FC Twente. They will expect Jol to make some solid additions and once again be competitive in mid-table without ever really threatening any of the big boys.

Season Rating: 7/10

 

WEST BROM

Position: 10th

BBC’s August Prediction: 13th

Top Scorer: Peter Odemwingie (10)

Hero: James Morrison

Zero: Once again, the FA

West Brom were impressive last time around, finishing in 11th position and they expected something similar under Roy Hodgson again. The Baggies made a terrible start though, winning just one of their first seven games that saw them battling the drop. Hodgson however, turned his side’s fortunes around and relatively consistent form, including victories over Liverpool and Chelsea, saw them finish in a promising tenth position. The FA may have poached Hodgson from his dugout at the Hawthorns, but there is a promising squad for the new man to work with. They have a pair of decent strikers in Odemwingie and Shane Long and in midfield, there is some unsung quality, with the likes of Chris Brunt, James Morrison, Graham Dorrans and Youssouf Mulumbu pulling the strings. If Roberto Di Matteo doesn’t get the job permanently at Stamford Bridge, what odds on a return to the Midlands…

Season Rating: 7/10

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