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The FA’s banned Patrice Evra for 4 games and fined him $30,000 for that groundskeeper scuffle at Stamford Bridge back in April. Burning question here: why on earth did it take this long?
Written by Darkvader on December 5th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Chelsea and Lingering Bursitis and The FA and UF Quick Throws and bans and fighting and manchester united.
Anelka pondering a transfer to the soon-to-be MLS Miami club and Drogba begging Big PhilIn our second hip-hop related story of the day, Premiership stars Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Djibril Cisse and El-Hadji Diouf have been banned by their managers from attending Lil’ Wayne and Akon’s Christmas celebration in Miami. Ryan Babel wants to know where his invite is, he could make some good hip hop contacts and lord knows he’s got plenty of time on his hands thanks to Rafa (please Rafa, play Babel up top).
I don’t know what’s more dumbfounding that Lil’ Wayne and Akon know who these guys are or that they see the need to fly snow in from Greenland for the party? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just rent a snowmaking machine? But what do I know? There’s a reason I’m a blogger and not a millionaire.
Written by Darkvader on December 2nd, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Big Phil and Chelsea and Didier Drogba and Lil' Wayne and Nicolas Anelka and The Fan's Attic.
Okay, so we’re already 30 minutes into the Manchester derby, but nobody has scored (yet) so we’ll just pretend we got the jump on the day before there was any action (outside of Swansea v. Cardiff). Chelsea v. Arsenal is the marquee match-up of the day. I’ll be watching it here with my sister the Tottenham fan. They’ve arranged 16 HD screen into one massive display they call the Cuatrotron. Plus it’s where both the Arsenal and Chelsea contingents in Austin have taken to watching the game. Yeah, I know, like you give a fuck about my morning.
And of couse in the three minutes it takes me to write these four sentences fucking United scores. Easy tap in for Rooney. Which as we know from his granny fucking tendencies is what he prefers.
Play along after the jump if you want to say meaningful shit like “Adebayooooooooor!” or “Fuck off Anelka.” Or if you want to tell us what you made for breakfast after dealing with crazy people.
Enjoy the games.
Written by Darkvader on November 30th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Arsenal and Chelsea and EPL and Open Thread.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already 3 beers in at this early hour. It’s soon to be 4, and that’s the beauty of this wonderful American holiday. Well, that and all the family stuff.
But on this day, I thought I’d nip out a quick post of things I’m happy about as we take a giant tryptophan rest this afternoon. Or rather, follow this flimsy conceit as a way to cover a few of the morning’s headlines to its logical conclusion.
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I’m thankful that Steven Gerrard didn’t rearrange some French faces yesterday, after it was revealed that a Marseille fan threw a cigarette lighter at him while he waited to take a corner. You see how it’s done, Didier? Instead of flipping the bird and throwing projectiles back into the crowd (and receiving a ban for your efforts), he simply took the corner and kept on playing. UEFA is investigating, and hopefully they’ll find a way to punish the club, or even that entire country, for not having more respect for the mighty $tevie Mbe.
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I’m thankful that Scolari has some humility. He reckons that if Spartak London don’t beat CFR Cluj and make it to the knockout stages, he doesn’t deserve his job. A bit of an overreaction, sure, but wouldn’t it be nice if some of these self-inflicted threats actually came true somewhere down the line?
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I am thankful that Arsenal is in such turmoil at the moment. Even though I’m sick of the word by this point, schadenfreude really is a wonderful feeling. Gael Clichy’s come out and hosed Gallas much like Gallas hosed the entire team last weekend, and despite their shaky 1-0 win against Dynamo on Tuesday, they’re coming unstuck.
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I’m thankful that Fergie is such a prick, because it gives me a reason to pay attention on those slow media days. It seems like whenever the headline mill is running low, SAF is there to spark it back up with a soundbite or two. The rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is nowhere near what it used to be, but Fergie does his best to keep it going, and I appreciate that. Sometimes, I forget why I hate the Devils so much, until that soused Scot gives me a reminder.
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I’m thankful for David James. Really, you are going to give AC Milan a massive shock tonight. You’re also right in just what the shock will be; a visit to your quaint, underwhelming south coast port town. The result on the pitch certainly won’t be shocking to anyone.
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I’m thankful for Kaka and Man City stirring up the nerves of every team in the EPL just when things appeared to be settling down. While I’m not the biggest fan of the sudden financial windfall at Eastlands, as well as their burning desire to spend $50 million on any superstar available, I like that every now and then, we get a media-aided reminder of their new-found influence.
It’s also nice that the Brazilian midfielder would honestly love to play in England some day. But really, Kaka at Manchester City? Are you shitting me? I thought that’d only be possible in FIFA ‘09.
(Speaking of FIFA ‘09, I felt like running a quick season with Arsenal. I sold Adebayor to Celtic for $28 million, Van Persie to Newcastle for $42 million, Bendtner to Fulham and Gallas to Bordeaux, and used that money to buy Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan. We played some good football but finished 3rd in the league. Go figure.)
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I’m thankful for the Football League and their efforts to preserve the development of English players, as they’re voting next month on a “home-grown players quota” that would require them to include at least four players “registered domestically for a minimum of three seasons prior to their 21st birthday” in their matchday squads. It’s a noble effort, but really, when all the big clubs poach the young stars to dwindle in their reserves, it won’t matter much.
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I’m thankful for Leeds United. Mighty Leeds! They used to be the bosses of England, in the days of Woodgate, Rio Ferdinand, Mark Viduka, and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink. That five-year period saw them reach the UEFA Cup semi-final, the Champions League semi-final, and then fall foul of crippling loans taken out in expectation of future success that never quite materialized.
You know the deal from there: they fell into administration, were docked 25 points, relegated down to League One and never looked like turning it around.
Well, Christmas has come early at Elland Road, as they announced a $8.5 million profit (4.5 million pounds) for the 14-month period ending June 30 this year and their future looks bright. Brilliant! They are the ultimate cautionary tale in how not to run a soccer club in the modern era, and it looks like they’re turning things around. I couldn’t be happier for them.
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And finally, predictably, I’m thankful for the growth and quality of Unprofessional Foul over the last 11 months. Our daily email threads are a constant source of entertainment, and I look forward to our next big meeting. I’m also eternally thankful for all our readers and commenters, who keep the place going when we’re clearly not. May the good times roll and continue!
(Oh, and yes, please keep voting on the US Best Soccer Blog of 2008. In case you hadn’t heard, we’re in the running for that one.)
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Alright, it’s time for beer #5 (yes, it took me so long to write this that I’m through another full one). Bigus might be dropping by with a UEFA Cup liveblog this afternoon, so keep posted for that as well.
What are you guys thankful for?
Written by Darkvader on November 27th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Arsenal and Chelsea and FIFA 09 and I Am Trying To Break Liverpool's Fall Down the Table and Leeds United and Lingering Bursitis and Thank You and UF tells you how to vote and praise and voting.
Chelsea FC has written on Gallas’ Wall - 12.56am
Chelsea FC wrote:
Well done, Agent Gallas. Your job is done. You’ll be…handsomely rewarded as we have discussed. xx
3 members of ‘I’m 6 years younger than Gallas’ has left the group.
Gallas wrote on Chelsea FC wall:
lol excellen jobz me tbf lol.xoxo
Arsene Wenger wrote on Gallas wall:
I take itz that I see nothing about the comment, no? Zis is disgusting me, you not playing zis Saturday! Dropped!
Gallas wrote on Wenger’s wall:
no problem boss lol. xx
This might or might not be true.
Written by DROGBALLS on November 21st, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Arsenal and Chelsea and Facebook and Humour and The Red Cauldron and William Gallas and arsene wenger and funny.
Chelsea forward and coin throwing expert Didier Drogba has been handed a 3 match suspension by the FA for his coin tossing exploits last week, during the Carling cup defeat to Burnley. Droga’s ban will start immediately and he will be absent for two games at Stamford bridge against Newcastle United and Arsenal and at the Reebok when Chelsea take on Bolton. Drogba also shared a single finger salute with the Burnley fans but the FA confirmed that the yellow card he received at the time is sufficient punishment for that!
-Bigus
Written by Darkvader on November 18th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Bigus Dickus and Chelsea and Didier Drogba and The FA and banned.
Chelsea 0 -1 Liverpool
4 years 8 months. 86 matches without a loss at Stamford Bridge. A fantastic record for a team that is playing in one of the, if not, the most challenging domestic league in the world.
But as Nelly Furtado and many others before her suggested that ‘all good things come to an end’, we know someday, somehow, the record will be broken. It was just a matter of when and how.
The answer lies with Rafa Benitez and his rampant Reds. In Chelsea’s 87th home game, they were pitted against a team that they’ve been so familiar with. Other than Premiership games, the Blues and Reds have met in various top level competitions.
Nobody will forget that memorable 1-0 win at Anfield where Luis Garcia scored a controversial winner that sent Liverpool into the most exciting Champions League final in it’s history.
But this win at Stamford Bridge was remarkable. It was a classic Premiership titans showdown but the performance from the Reds, as an away side, was a sight to behold. It is a display of a team brimming with confidence and fearlessness. Indeed, they went, they saw and they conquered the mighty beast of London.
An early goal and honestly, a lucky one through a deflection. A lapse of concentration from Bosingwa, who’ve been exceptional so far this season, gifted Alonso a chance to take a pot shot at goal. It went in off John Terry’s leg and even Petr Cech was hapless.
From then on, everyone watching would’ve thought that Liverpool will revert to their familiar back-against-the-wall tactic against the inevitable onslaught from Chelsea. But Liverpool surprisingly, showed enterprise throughout the game thereafter and came closer to doubling their lead than Chelsea finding their equaliser.
Despite missing Fernando Torres through injury, it gives Rafa Benitez less ‘options’ but more certainty in his selection. Robbie Keane upfront with Steven Gerrard hovering just behind him. It was a tactic that paid off ultimately as we saw how Gerrard and Alonso bossed the central areas of the field.
Gerrard’s lunging tackle on Bosingwa in the 39th minute was inch perfect. And its very ingredient was his drive, passion and desire, to see the Reds triumph at Chelsea’s own backyard. Unfortunately, Howard Webb booked him instead.
The 3 pronged attack of Chelsea was largely ineffective in the face of Carragher and his well marshaled defence. Nicolas Anelka was never going to have the physical presence of Didier Drogba. The Ivorian striker’s absence meant Chelsea’s attack was never going to strike much fear into the opponent’s defence.
Florent Malouda have been absolutely disappointing since joining the Blues while Kalou didn’t know what to do when he had the ball.
Looking at the squad in depth, Liverpool definitely had the upperhand. While Chelsea struggled to call on players to replace the disappointing front three players, Liverpool had the luxury to bring on Ryan Babel, who gave John Terry an afternoon to forget. He nearly doubled the lead with a vicious strike on his right peg.
Another key of note was that Benitez nullified the strength of Chelsea and amazingly turned it into their weakness.
Chelsea’s formation doesn’t permit out and out wingers and therefore, Ashley Cole and Bosingwa had to bomb on to provide support. This leaves large gaps behind for Obi Mikel to cover.
With a revived Dirk Kuyt and an impressive Albert Riera on the Reds flank, they not only provided outlet for Liverpool’s attack but also kept the Chelsea fullbacks real busy. Riera looked a totally different player from the one we saw a couple of seasons ago at Man City. He was confident and had a field day against Bosingwa with his burst of pace, wonderful first touches and ball control.
Chelsea’s midfield, too, was ineffectual. They were suffocated and didn’t have space to weave their magic. Alonso was controlling, Mascherano was harrying and Gerrard was ready to provide roaming support, moving into spaces which he sees the need to cover.
Ultimately, Chelsea lost their record with a whimper. Pepe Reina in Liverpool’s goal was rarely tested. Ashley Cole was in his usual petulant self and the fouls he committed in the game showed how much frustrations and problems the visitors gave to them.
It was a tactical masterclass from Rafa Benitez and his team really worked their socks off, just like any other game. They are starting to look menacingly similar to the Valencia team that triumphed over the mights of Barcelona and Real Madrid. It was not through a team of technically gifted players but a group of hungry, driven and hardworking players.
As Gerrard said that no medals are given out this early in the season, Liverpool fans shouldn’t jump on the bandwagon of ‘this is our year’ because the season is still early with 9 games in.
But on the plus side, the Reds have now wins against Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City. They’re definitely in a shout for this season’s title race.
Written by DROGBALLS on October 28th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Chelsea and English Premiership and Liverpool and The Red Cauldron.
It’s 6:49 in the morning for me, I am not going to say much other than it is already 0-1 Liverpool. I’m tired but this is a nice way to wake up so far. Most of the UF New York City contingent is at a bar right now, bastards.
Enjoy the remainder of the match.
Chelsea: Cech, Carvalho, Bosingwa, Terry, A. Cole, Deco, Lampard, Malouda, Mikel Obi, Kalou, Anelka
Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio, Arbeloa, Alonso, Riera, Masherano, Kuyt, Gerrard, Keane,
Written by Darkvader on October 26th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Chelsea and Liverpool and Open Thread and The Fan's Attic.
Manchester City 2-3 Liverpool
Oh, that was just gorgeous. Ok, not Liverpool going behind 2-0 by halftime, or Xabi Alonso practically having his ankle taken off by Zabaleta. (And seriously, what is it about him that encourages people into dangerous tackles?) But everything after that was great. And even before City were reduced to 10 men, Liverpool’s second-half performance was light-years removed from the way they’d played before the break. It wasn’t quite an Istanbul-style comeback, but a win like this is a hyge psychological boost. If they keep pulling off stuff like this, they just might have a chance at the title — assuming, that is, that being considered favourites doesn’t make them immediately collapse.
Blackburn 0-2 Manchester United
I said when United were trying to sign Dimitar Berbatov that I didn’t think it was a good idea, because he’s a lazy player. And he may indeed be lazy, but I don’t care anymore, because he’s turned out to be a fantastic addition to the team, not only scoring goals but creating opportunities for his teammates. The score was only 2-0 but it could’ve been more, even if Wes Brown hadn’t scored the opening goal with the help of a foul on the keeper by Nemanja Vidic.
Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal
Sunderland held Arsenal off for 85 minutes before Grant Leadbitter gave them the lead, coming on as a substitute and scoring a beautiful goal with practically his first touch of the game. It wasn’t enough to give them the victory, though, as Cesc Fabregas equalized in added time — with a header, of all things. This is especially noteworthy since (a) Cesc is roughly as tall as I am, which is to say, not very, and (b) he doesn’t even have poofy hair giving him a couple of extra inches anymore.
Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa
With Drogba injured and Anelka not 100%, apparently Chelsea are copying the “who needs strikers” strategy that Man United pioneered last season. That’s nice for them. I was attempting to study for an economics quiz, so I wasn’t paying much attention, apart from noting that John Terry doesn’t really need to hike his shorts up that much. I’m just saying.
Other results
West Brom 1-0 Fulham
Wigan 0-1 Middlesbrough
West Ham 1-3 Bolton
Tottenham 0-1 Hull
Portsmouth 2-1 Stoke
Everton 2-2 Newcastle
Holy crap, I just realized that Hull are in third place. Hull.
Written by Jen on October 6th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Arsenal and Chelsea and Liverpool and Manchester City and Sunderland and aston villa and blackburn and manchester united.
RYAN Giggs has warned United’s title rivals that Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to terrorise Premier League defences once again.
Portuguese winger, Ronaldo, made his first start of the season against Middlesbrough on Wednesday – scoring in the 3-1 win.
Now Giggs is convinced last year’s 42-goal star is set for another glorious campaign after committing his future to Old Trafford.
“No-one wants to lose Cristiano,” he said. “He is such a special player, as he proved again. He scores all sorts of goals, which is why he is such a danger.
“He looks really sharp and it is great to have him back.”
With Ronaldo back to full fitness, following an ankle operation in the summer, Giggs is confident United will soon find top gear.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have stuttered so far this campaign, but following last week’s draw with Chelsea and Wednesday’s Carling Cup victory against Middlesbrough, the Welshman is sure the Premier League and European champions will start chasing down the sides at the top of the table.
“We have had a tough start,” he said. “We didn’t play well at the beginning of the season, but over the last week or so we have played some really good stuff.
“This team is capable of going on a run and winning 10 games on the trot. Hopefully that run has started now and we can carry it on against Bolton.”
United have collected just five points from a possible 12 in a fractious start to their defence of their Premier League and Champions League crowns.
But Giggs can sense the familiar momentum starting to build at Manchester United - which is bad news for Saturday’s opponents Bolton.
After taking encouragement from successive draws against Villarreal and Chelsea in the Champions League and Barclays Premier League respectively, United finally got the win they craved by beating Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
It might only have been the Carling Cup and they might only have been facing 10 men for the last 20 minutes following Emanuel Pogatetz’s disgraceful challenge on Rodrigo Possebon but for United, the win could take on far more significance than merely booking a place in the fourth round.
“We have had a tough start,” acknowledged Giggs. “We didn’t play well at the beginning of the season but over the last week or so we have played some really good stuff.
“This team is capable of going on a run and winning ten games on the trot. Hopefully that run has started now and we can carry it on against Bolton.”
Unlike 12 months ago, when, much to Sir Alex Ferguson’s frustration, the Red Devils folded on home soil against Coventry, there were plenty of positives.
Five younger members of the Scot’s squad showed promise, a few older ones, including Giggs, got some valuable match practice under their belts, while Cristiano Ronaldo got his name on the scoresheet for the first time since last May’s Champions League final.
Unfortunately, it was all overshadowed by the horror tackle on Possebon.
The young Brazilian had been patrolling central midfield in outstanding fashion and was starting to trigger thoughts of just how long Ferguson could keep him out of his starting line-up when Pogatetz made his crass lunge.
Thankfully, the Middlesbrough skipper did not break the 19-year-old’s leg as originally feared. However, Possebon may have suffered ligament damage and is facing the prospect of a spell on the sidelines.
“It was very high,” said Giggs of Pogatetz’s tackle. “The ball wasn’t up there. The ball was on the floor and he went over it.
“Rodrigo suffered a really bad, deep cut but hopefully he will be okay because he did really well.”
Ferguson must now decide whether, with another hour under his belt, Ronaldo is ready to be let loose on Bolton, the team he made his United debut against in 2003.
The same is also true of Anderson, who has looked out of sorts since returning from Olympic duty with Brazil, although Ferguson detects the South American is nearly back to his best again.
“There is no doubt Anderson felt the effects of being in China,” said the United boss. “When he played his first game at Portsmouth the adrenalin kept him going but since then he has been pretty low.
“Now it seems he is back to his usual self, which is great to see.”
Giggs too is eager to make a contribution. At 34, the Welshman has virtually come full circle, using the League Cup as valuable match practice whereas at the start of his illustrious career it was to show his ability, which has never seriously been in question.
With 764 appearances to his name, Giggs is edging his club record way beyond Sir Bobby Charlton to a level it is impossible to imagine anyone ever reaching.
And his 145th goal - a delightful chip 11 minutes from time after Chris Riggott had stood on the ball - means he is just five short of becoming the ninth United player to reach the magic 150.
“It was a nice goal,” Giggs said of his latest effort. “I made my mind up quite early. I knew what I was going to do as soon as I went through so all I had to do was stick to it.”
Written by ruzzel on October 5th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Bolton and Chelsea and cristiano ronaldo and manchester news.
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