The Final Countdown, Part 2

So, I'm left with the unenviable task of previewing United in tonight's match. It is unenviable because it really tough to predict what sort of team Ferguson will send out.

In the Premier League, we all know what Fergie thinks is his best XI, but in Europe it is a different matter, as Fergie likes to be more tactical and vary his selection to 'bamboozle' the opposition. As we all know by now, this hasn't worked with any regularity. Some odd ones are Keane in defense, Smith & O'Shea in midfield, Rooney on right or left, Evra on left wing and many, many more.

So, I think Fergie may naturally go contrary to all accepted wisdom in pursuit of the trophy tonight. Goalkeeper and defense pick themselves, but it is midfield and forward that are interesting.
There are 3 scenarios:
1. What will happen: Carrick, Scholes, Hargreaves. Up front Park, Rooney & Ronaldo - Tevez and Nani to come from bench
2. What could happen: Carrick, Scholes, Park. Up front Rooney, Ronaldo & Tevez
3. What should happen: Carrick, Scholes, Nani/Anderson, Ronaldo. Up front Rooney & Tevez

However, sitting on the bench is the Chelsea slayer (looped header in 2005), fully fit, Scottish dynamo Darren Fletcher, and I reckon Fergie could throw him in.

Away from the lineups, tactically, I think both teams will keep it tight in midfield, leaving little space for any consistent passing, which will initially suit Chelsea. However, I can't see them sustaining this over the 90 mins, with old man Makelele, Ballack & Lampard.

Carrick & Scholes will eventually get a grip with good passing. Ronaldo will be man-marked out of the game (oh, and also because he's a bottler) by Cole (or Bridge) so expect some furious reshuffling during the match to try to release Ronaldo from his shackles.
This will include a heroic Kuyt-like performance from Rooney - all energy and no threat up front. Barring comedy mistakes or set-pieces, the only way I can see United scoring is if the game opens up in the second half and United really go for it.
Similarly for Chelsea, providing Vidic contains Drogba, and Carrick tracks Lamps & Ballack, Chelsea's best bet would be to let the game open up. Mourinho would never let that happen, but I feel Grant could have a few tactical tricks up his sleeve.

So, my money is on United, 1-0 in normal time in a game better than last season's FA Cup final - but only just so.

And now, to drink...

The Winners Write History

So, now for an unbiased account of last night's Liverpool Arsenal match (I hate them both equally).
If you read the traditional media outlets this morning, they would have you believe that Liverpool are some sort of super team of men (RTE), driven on by history (5 times) and the '12th man' ("so terrified at the prospect of lasting just six minutes at this remarkable arena" - The Times), whereas in reality they could have been knocked out had Arsenal held their nerve for the final 10 minutes.
The penalty decision was a bit harsh but Toure's clumsiness gave the referee a chance to blow his whistle. Gerrard took his penalty with conviction and Arsenal were out.

The Guardian says: 'Another chapter in Anfield's rich European history owed much to another hand expertly played in the Champions League by Rafael Benítez.' Was it really? Why did Gerrard play 3/4 of the match on the left wing? Was Babel not good enough from the start?

And how crucial was Flamini's loss? He may not be a great footballer but his industry and range of passing are now much superior to his replacement, Gilberto.

Arsenal ultimately failed because Senderos does not have the ability at this level, with 2 goals coming as a direct result of his ineptitude. After been given a chasing in the second half, against the odds they pulled themselves back into the game with Walcott's blistering run and Adebayor's goal. That they failed to hold on tells as much about Arsenal's weaknesses as it does about Liverpool's strengths.

All in all, it was an absorbing game, a classic European tie that will live long in the memory. Hyppia, Torres and Babel scored excellent goals while Diaby (putting in a strange shift as a decent footballer) and Adebayor were clinical.

Liverpool go on to face Chelsea now, with, one assumes, an amazing confidence that they can reach the final again. Grant seems to be on the ropes at Chelsea, and I wouldn't bet on him making the correct decisions over the 2 legs. The individual brilliance of one of their players, such as Drogba or Cole could make the difference but Liverpool's defensive strength, combined with the excellence of Torres and Mascherano, and Benitez luckiness should see them through.

***************
There is not much point in analysing tonight's games too much. Roma need a massive performance against United, which I feel is beyond them. And in the other game, Barca may be poor but it would be a major shock if Schalke were to qualify.

Mark,
ODF

By Mutual Agreement

Hi All,

We all knew it was going to happen, but the Football Association of Ireland wait until past our bedtimes to tell us that Stan had parted by mutual consent. We were deprived of sleeping soundly and dreaming of Jose because those buffoons thought it would lessen the media attention by not sacking him until after the deadline for the morning papers. What do they take us for?

In a way it's sad to see a player with more than 100 caps have the mickey taken out of him in the media, and have torrent of abuse reign down on him at matches, but his hapless, distrustful & shambolic management style has brought it about. Ireland had a bad manager, but some very good players (Given, Finnan, Dunne), good players (Ireland, O'Shea, Doyle, Keane) and they failed miserably,. most importantly, in terms of performance, and in terms of points. Stan wouldn't have been sacked if we achieved plucky moral victories while showing team spirit and resilience, he was sacked because of the players attitude, his attitude and the inability of anyone to change things effectively.

I'm sure there will be more about in the coming weeks, but the managerial position now up for grabs should not go to any of - Souness, Venables, any Irish ex-pro with no experience, or mercenary types like Philippe Troussier. Please FAI, pick up a youngish manager from Europe with some experience of success and pay him what he wants, performance related, on a contract until the World Cup.
****************************

The Champions League last night threw up plenty of great goals. Arsenal's 7-0 victory was superb, as was United's attacking play in Kiev, while Rangers did well to get a draw with Barca. All 3 British teams should be in the last 16.
To tonight's matches - Liverpool are away to Besiktas in a kinda-have-to-win-but-must-not-lose encounter, but they are lucky in that Turkish football is absolute crap these days and Besiktas have lost their first two matches in Group A without scoring a goal.
They do have a couple of decent player to trouble old man Hyppia though - Edouard Cisse (ex-West Ham), Ricardinho (21 caps for Brazil, World Cup winner & ex-Boro!), Rustu Recber, Matias Delgado and Marcio Nobre.
So, not all plain sailing for the 'Pool, who have a few injury problems, but they should be strong enough.

Benfica play Celtic, and they really should look to break their Champions League away form hoodoo, and Benfica are not up to much really. However, it is more than likely that Celtic will remember their 3-0 thrashing in Portugal last year, and cave in again.

Finally, Chelsea play Schalke, and I fancy them to scutter through it, primarily for the reason that German teams have been poor in the CL for a few years now and also that John Terry is injured, so they should be more solid at the back. Peter Lovenkrands and Kevin Kuranyi could cause trouble however but it is hard to see anything other than a home win.

Mark,
http://www.okeydokefootball.com/

Here's Sissoko, Oh No, Now Marseille Have It....

These Champions League reflections are much easier than predictions, so with ease of mind, I'll get started.
Liverpool - Benitez is assuming the look of a desperate man (and no, I'm not talking about his 'goatee deflecting attention away from fatness' look) and he has started blaming his players outright. The players he bought.

"Everything was wrong" he blubbed, "it is the whole team who played badly". The team you picked, Rafa.

"Today the team was not good enough". "We were not controlling the middle".

It is hard to control the middle when you have the position-insensitive Gerrard buzzing around the place, and Momo Sissoko, the professional footballer for whom the old quote applies - he can control it further than I can kick it. His misery of attempting to control a football was shown last season against Man Utd, when he attempted to solo the ball, but instead kicked it 20 yards up in the sky. Last night he gave another reminder of his ineptiude.

So, tough times for the 'Pool, but they plays Spurs at home next, which should be the perfect chance to get their season back on track, and take the heat off Rafa. And if they can't, what fresh excuse will he dream up?

Man Utd - another lack lustre (like an empty can of pear halves) performance, but another 1-0 win. Roma had good chances to at least draw the game. Nani showed glimpses of his talent in his best game so far, but his play-acting and poor decisions are reminiscent of the old, bad Ronaldo. Anderson's cameo was lively enough, but he looks a bit lightweight yet. United have Wigan at home to continue their run of wins but the absence of Fletcher, Carrick & Hargreaves will probably mean the horror of O'Shea in midfield.

Arsenal - another game, another win, how long will it be before everyone is tipping them for trophies? Doubts remain, but they are cruising so far.

Chelsea - is the old spirit back? No, it's Carvalho. A fantastic player who made vital interceptions and organised the back line well. That John Terry fella looks like a good player with him in tow. Terry and Ferdinand must get together and pray that their co-defenders never get injured again. Sheva must wish he invested in an English teacher rather than make the move to London to learn the language. Nobody missed his witless presence last night.

Celtic - they are short on quality but they held their own against a Milan team who didn't look too bothered about the whole thing until they fell behind. Gave away a ludicrous penalty but fought back well and received their just rewards. They are handicapped by having an extremely annoying, jumped up runt of a manager and idiot supporters who think it's a good thing to run onto the pitch and caress Dida's breast.

Rangers - I thought they'd head to France and get a draw but they surpassed themselves against Lyon. Poor oul Alain Perrin must be feeling the heat over this one. 6 points from 6 for Rangers mean even a spectacular collapse should see them into the UEFA Cup.

So, it's all action this season, it's UEFA Cup time tonight but that won't get interesting until next March, join us from tomorrow morning for the podcast, where, among other things, we hate Jamie Redknapp. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

Mark,
http://www.okeydokefootball.com

Who's Da Man For Chelsea?

Avram Grant is rumoured to be a caretaker manager at Chelsea, and his qualifications & experience suggest he won't be there long. So, short of a thrilling fightback for the League or CL, he's doomed, but who will replace him?

Unfortunately, Steve Wigley has ruled himself out, so we'll have to content ourselves with the following:

Marco Van Basten - the legendary striker turned gay-icon manager of the Netherlands in 2004. He achieved a second-round knock out to Portugal in that ill-tempered game, and attracted a lot of stick for playing Kuyt instead of van Nistelrooy. Is sure to fancy Kalou at Chelsea, the Ivorian having tried to gain Dutch citizenship for the last World Cup. Despite his attacking roots, he has shown more pragmatism in his tactics so far, but was seen at the United Chelsea match last Sunday which makes him a favourite.

Jurgen Klinsmann - the ex-Germany manager has declared himself available to work again after his successful semi-final appearance last year. Rumours that his success was more down to the current manager (then assistant) Joachim Low have not been confirmed. Tactics place emphasis on high-tempo attack, seems suited to the English game. Joe & Ashley Cole will benefit from Kilinsi's knowledge of diving.

Didier Deschamps - the ex-Chelsea and France Water-Carrier has enjoyed successful spells with Monaco (CL Final appearance) and Juventus, before leaving citing interference from the board. Hard to see it working out at Chelsea then....

Graeme Souness - the ex-Liverpool, Blackburn & Newcastle manager is not the man to turn things around at Chelsea, or indeed, any other club. The likelihood of a Bellamy move to the Bridge would also decrease significantly, although a future Ali Dia move may be on the cards. The current Ali Dia, Shevchenko, is worried. Guaranteed to make Lampard cry in training with a trademark tackle.

George Graham - like the others, currently unemployed, but his brand of football would certainly be a step up from Mourinho. He negotiation skills in transfers should keep Zahavi (and stationary shops) in business for a while.

Ruud Gullit - a return to the Bridge for the man harshly sacked by Ken Bates? The 'sexy football' would suit Roman and the man has won a trophy there already - the FA Cup in 97

Gianluca Vialla - another ex-Chelsea man who won the League Cup and Cup Winner's Cup in 1998, the FA Cup in 2000. When not writing football books with journalists from the Times, he enjoyed doing a mediocre job with Watford and polishing his head.

John Terry - the man who wanted a nine year contract, with guarantees of him being the highest paid player at the club, and the chance to manage the club on retirement is the outside bet. Rumours of a bust up with Mourinho make him the Brutus to Jose's Caesar, but it will end badly for all....

Mark,
http://www.okeydokefootball.com

Weekend Reaction

Hi All,

It was unfortunate (not least for Chelsea) that yesterday's Man Utd match was overshadowed by referring errors, 4 major ones in total (sending off of Mikel, penalty given, penalty not given and Cole's snide tackle). Looking past this however and we can see that Chelsea have some big problems. United were far superior, even before the sending off, but this was exacerbated by the non-performance of some of their old reliables. Essien was practically non-existent, Sheva still looks disinterested and off-pace, despite many expecting him to have a new lease of life after being freed from Jose's tyranny. Roman clapped him off the pitch as he was substituted - perhaps he was hoping Kalou would be better, but there wasn't much chance of that!

Ben Haim was ordinary at the back, Ashley Cole was more interested in diving & winding up Rooney than in attacking, and Malouda has lost his form after a good start.

Inevitably there will be rumours of unrest in the camp in the coming weeks, but this will settle down as the players will realise that there is no point pouting over Jose's loss (or crying, as in Frank & Didier's case) and get their act together. I agree with JJ last week, no mass exodus, and a high profile manager to come at some stage in the coming year. Hell, if they bring Jamie Redknapp into the backroom staff, maybe they'll groom him to take over?

Liverpool's game against Birmingham offered more evidence of Rafa's madness, after the folly of leaving Gerrard, Torres and Babel on the bench versus Portsmouth. Leaving Torres on the bench was a masterstroke of insanity and the excuses began after the match that it was for tactical reasons, that he has four strikers and has to play them. This is rubbish and it looks like Rafa will rotate his way out of the title race, and possibly a job, before the end of the season. Benitez has done a lot for Liverpool, but a lot of fans I've been talking to are coming around to the opinion that maybe, despite his success, he won't deliver the league title.

Arsenal continue to play well, Adebayor has been revelation so far, and Fabregas would be a decent bet now for player of the season. After all the doom and gloom of the summer, there is now a lot of optimism and their first major test is 28th October vs Liverpool, followed the next weekend by United, so they have plenty of time to rack up points (West Ham, Sunderland and Bolton up next). If they can get to Christmas in a good position, add a centre back and goalie to the squad, they'll be in the battle for the title

Later,

Mark

New Wembley Charm

Hi,
Mark here.

Well, what a terrible FA Cup final! After sitting through the tedious drone of BBC, switching to Sky, then quickly switching back again, now watching a bunch of former captains coming out on the pitch to a chorus of boos, in what seemed like a procession of ex- and current- BBC pundits. The game started at 1 mile per hour, on a pitch that made Stamford Bridge look like a bowling green just before a match versus Barca. Too dry, they said. Well, I was hoping John Terry's and/or Frank Lampard's tears would moisten the ground before the end of the match - alas, twas not to be, Drogba won the game superbly with a few minutes to go. Even the neutral (on the off chance they were still watching) didn't get the penalty excitement they deserved, or any of the blissful ruck that 'marred' the end of the Carling Cup final.

So, Chelsea have taken the bare look off their season, but United still have the bragging rights in England. Liverpool will be up for the chance to walk around with 6 fingers perpetually aloft, ready to sing a devilishly funny song to any United supporter in range (in some cases, only one hand is necessary).

So my preparation for Wednesday's match is to not listen at all to what Stevie Gerrard has to say, because it's all bollox. He's not the only one to have a opinion of course but his continual bleating about something has really worn me down. There's a nice sense of freedom now, I encourage everyone to try it....

Myself or JJ will be back soon with a post,

Chin up,
Mark,
http://www.okeydokefootball.com

Champions

Hiya Lads,
Mark here.

So, an eventful weekend saw United champions, Charlton relegated and West Ham take a huge step towards survival.

United are expected to field a relatively fringe team tomorrow vs Chelsea, so I think it will be quite amusing to see Terry, Lampard et al forming a guard of honour for the likes of Richardson, Dong and O'Shea. I think we could all guess their thoughts. To the weekend - United deservedly beat a terrible Man City side, though they had VDS to thank for his lucky peno save. City are now the worst home scorers ever - since the leagues began over 120 years ago. On Sunday, Chelsea had the hapless Boulharouz to thank for providing an impression of Traore. Khalid was out of position, making poorly timed challenges and finally gave away a penalty and was sent off. To those slagging off Mourinho for playing Essien at centre back, they got their riposte that afternoon. Overall, Chelsea did well to come back into the game with ten men, though they were helped by the profligacy of Adebayor - a skillful player who needs to step up his scoring to be 1st choice at the Arse next season. Ultimately, Chelsea's endeavour wasn't enough and United took the title.
At the start of the season, there was much talk about United's squad weaknesses, but this was overcome by the 19 different players who scored in the league, and a ruthlessness at putting teams away, while their contenders stumbled (example: United scored 4 home and 4 away to Bolton, Chelsea 1-0 away and 2-2 at home). I'll expand more in the podcast this week.

Charlton are down, and I can't say I'm disappointed. I'm a fan of Pardew and I do not believe another manager could have done much better in keeping them up. Their squad is paper thin, and plainly not good enough. I would like to see Wigan relegated, as they add nothing to the Premiership - atmosphere, fans, history, players (Heskey). However, it will be a disgrace if West Ham stay up. The Premier league think they are on safe ground because the precedent of points deductions to other clubs occurred because of incorrect registrations - Tevez and Masch's registrations were fine - other rules were broken. This is, obviously, complete bollox, a way to deflect attention. Also, the wording of the outcome was strange to say the least - they didn't want the West Ham fans to suffer, etc.

I haven't enough time to go into all the other news from the weekend, but briefly:

• Roeder had to go
• Interesting to see how Big Sam gets on at Newcastle
• Will Paul Allen buy Southampton?
• Congrats to Sunderland & Keane for winning the Championship
• I agree with Jorge Valdano (http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_2113453,00.html)
• The intrigue at Chelsea

As usual, we'll take the pick of the stories from football for our pub talk section on the podcast. Feel free to leave comments below or email comments@okeydokefootball.com

Cheers,

Mark

Mourinho Vs Benitez

Well, thank God that's all over.
I never want to see 2 teams managed by Mourinho and Benitez ever again play each other. Of course, we all knew in advance it was going to be like this, and yet subjected ourselves to the misery.
Jose, apart from boring the life out of us, got his tactics wrong last night. The long diagonal balls to Drogba, bypassing midfield, didn't work at all, with Carragher and Agger looking comfortable. But, crucially, there was no change for the entire game.
It was typical Mourinho - that one of the most highly sought after young attacking players in the world, Mikel, has been turned into a defensive midfielder. That Chelsea didn't try to finish the job in the first leg.
That his purchases - Kalou, Mikel, Wright-Phillips are not good enough. That his team cannot create opportunities from good play and skill (Lampard in particular being terrible). For the amount of money spent, it is a very poor return.
On the other side we have Liverpool - Benitez has his own problems, despite his team coping effectively last night. The Pool had the better chances and, arguably, deserved to go through. Some of his decisions were amazing though - keeping (even starting) Zenden on was a bad enough decision to be sacked on the spot. Overall, they made up for their lack of quality with energy and enthusiasm and will be tough opposition in the final.

Who will they meet there? We shall see tonight, I think United can get a draw, hell maybe even win it! Optimism worked for JJ last night, so I'll do the same, and hopefully I won't regret it!

Mark,
http://www.okeydokefootball.com

Mourinho concedes title

Jose Mourinho effectively conceded the title last Saturday when he rested Drogba, Lampard, Ashley and Joe Cole, in anticipation of tomorrow's Champions league match at Anfield.
It was a strange decision, at once outlining Mourinho's uncharacteristic (almost) surrender of the league and also emphasising his overwhelming need to win the Champions League. Chelsea stuttered to a 2-2 draw, the previously ineffective Kalou vital in the game , covering up for Sheva was never going to score.
Drogba, J Cole and Lampard all appeared, in an attempt to win the game but Bolton suffered no real pressure after equalising.

Over in Liverpool, Man Utd were using up vast reserves of luck to produce a rip roaring comeback after being 2 behind to Everton. It is likely their luck will run out in the Champions League, whether on Wednesday or May 23rd, but United fans will be happy at re-establishing their status at the top of the table. Of course it is not over yet, but the bookies odds don't lie - 50/1 on.
At the other end, Wigan were surely furious as West Ham not only avoided a points deduction but also beat them 0-3 at home, with villian in chief Tevez providing the quality. The much maligned (by me) Tevez is becoming better by the week and seemed a class above everyone on the pitch.
Charlton will surely be relegated now, along with Watford who already are, leaving a shootout between Fulham, Wigan and the Hammers to go down. Sheffield Utd may be dragged back in, but I doubt it.

Fulham play Liverpool and Middlesbrough
Wigan play Middlesbrough and Sheff Utd
West Ham play Bolton and Man Utd

Fulham will fancy a CL distracted Pool and Boro with nothing to play for
Wigan, ditto for Boro, may be wary of Sheff U who could need a result on the last day
West Ham could take advantage of Big Sam leaving Bolton and could face the already crowned champions at Old Trafford - if United play a reserve team and are in party mode, their task will be easier. Also, the Hammers won the previous fixture, and have experience of denying United the title (1995), even if United need points.
I think Wigan and Fulham are terrible and I hope one them goes down. As for West Ham - they do have a chance....

Mark,
http://www.okeydokefootball.com

ODF 27 Apr 07

Howdy folks,
The weekly Okey Doke Foootball podcast is available online, please join us as we curse and drink our way through the show. Download it here http://libsyn.com/media/okeydokefootball/odf27Apr07.mp3

As promised on the show, here are 2 YouTube links:

Chelsea TV - the players discuss who is the best looking. Ashley Cole nominates himself. Twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1NLIAJGLkk

And Shane-o Mac challenges Jose at a recent WWE event in London

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rdsFqGjbJo

Thank for listening to the show,
Mark
http://www.okeydokefootball.com/

What we learned last night

Hi there,
Mark here.

What last night reinforced, looking back at the season as a whole...

• Kuyt is not a top class striker, despite being hard working
• Bellamy offers little to the team
• Zenden is a disgrace to left wingers everywhere
• Alonso, whilst still quality, is having a poor season
• Gerrard is frequently ineffective, but mostly saves his reputation with goals and energy
• Agger has a lot to learn at centre back
• Benitez sometimes makes very strange decisions
• Shevchenko is the worst big money signing ever in England - makes Veron look class
• Chelsea's season may have been better with J Cole fit.
• Drogba is the best striker in the world but a pathetic diver and feigns injury
• Reina is a good shot stopper but a liability coming for the ball
• Ferreira is getting worse by the month
• Mourinho is a spiteful, disrespectful, horrible liar but a great tactician and motivator

I was going to review last nights match in full but let me just sum it up in a few words, so I don't have to relive that game:

Liverpool were poor, though Chelsea gave them little space. Chelsea should have won 2 or 3 nil, but Reina made some fine saves. Man of the match: Drogba

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

On a lighter note, myself and JJ are doing our weekly podcast tonight, available to download tomorrow at 10am GMT.

We discuss:

Premiership and Champions League Results. Upcoming fixtures. The state of the major European leagues. Pub Talk featuring the issues of the week: Gallas, Mourinho, Sibierski and loads more.

Subcribe to the RSS here http://feeds.feedburner.com/OkeyDokeFootball

Cheers,

Mark

http://www.okeydokefootball.com/

United Open a Can of Whoop-Ass on Roma

Howdy Folks,
Mark here.
A great night of football from Man Utd, scintilating play from almost everybody (I'm looking at you, Rooney). C. Ronaldo was excellent in a big European match for the first time, well, ever. Smith showed a fantastic attitude up front and now gives Fergie a good choice while Saha is (again) injured. Carrick was excellent, not only did he score 2 class goals, but his distribution and movement were first class, and (not just last night) he looks a much improved player in the few months since his debut.
I never thought I'd say this, but I'm a bit worried that John O'Pies and Rio Fuckface Ferdinand went off injured, although Evra returned last night. Perhaps we can get Chelsea's 50 year old fitness coach to play centre back, as Mourniho was reportedly close to doing already this season.

Still a tough semi-final ahead against Bayern or Milan, I'll cover that closer to the match.

Last night also saw the Chelsea boys win their tie, Essien (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ok0y_valencia-1-2-chelsea-essien-goal) scoring the decisive goal -like last week, Canizares let his team down in a vital game, despite making a wonderful save a few minutes before.
Chelsea vs Liverpool to look forward to in the semi's... hopefully there will be as many incidents as there was the last time they met in the semi finals - "Gudjohnsen, how did you miss that!" etc.

We'll cover all this and more on the podcast, subscribe to the RSS here (http://feeds.feedburner.com/okeydokefootball ) to get this week's episode from tomorrow night at 2200 GMT,

Thanks and enjoy the football,
Mark,
http://www.okeydokefootball.com

Champions League Reaction

Sickening scenes in Rome last can be seen here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1motq_roma-v-manu-bbc-news-report-police

It is a worrying time for UEFA, crowd trouble seems to be on the rise in Europe. The Man Utd fans are no angels, but it is clear to me that the Italian fans were the instigators of the trouble. The police, naturally enough, were heavy handed, trying to control the situation.

As for the match, I thought it was a highly enjoyable affair, United will be glad to have the away goal after Scholes let the whole team down with a stupid sending off. Rooney's goal was excellent with Ronaldo beating 2 men on the right and laying a precise pass for Solksjaer, who clipped a beautiful cross to Rooney, who controlled wonderfully on his chest, and smacked the ball into the net. United tactics were on the fine line of very brave/very stupid as they left 3 attackers on the pitch, hoping to score the away goal. The trick worked, but they still lost the game. Still, a vital away goal means a 1-0 win is enough at home next week. I think they will do it, as Roma showed no penetration before the sending off, and only really threatened as the game opened up in the second half. Totti was average enough last night, Mancini anonymous, Taddei was in the right place to take his (deflected) goal but did little else. Roma will look to hit on the counter next week and flood the midfield, but if United keep their heads and play to their ability, they will go through.

I watched extended highlights of the Chelsea game and it looked like a rip-roaring affair. A wonderful goal from David Silva (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1mn6q_chelsea-01-valence) put the pressure on Chelsea, and only bad goalkeeping from Canizares let Drogba score, albeit well taken. Chelsea have it all to do next week and must score in Spain. There are some frailities in the Chelsea team - Diarra, a midfielder, at right back, Mikel Obi or an out of form Makelele as defensive midfielder, and the quite ordinary Kalou in whatever position he is played. Joe Cole is back though which is big boost, and any team with Drogba in it is a danger. A great second leg in store then

Tune into the podcast tonight to hear myself and JJ's thoughts on the above and more:
http://www.okeydokefootball.com/
Premiership & Champions League results. We love Paulo Maldini in the Legend section. Pub Talk featuring the issues of the week: Niall Quinn's disco pants, Big Ron vs Totti and loads more from the first and only independent Irish football podcast on the internet, online since October 2006.

Cheers,
Mark

Champions league

The Pool had a very good win last night, not the most entertaining game, as was feared by everybody, but there is a horrible look of inevitability in Liverpool's CL Challenge.

Bayern were lucky to draw against Milan, and are clear favourites for the 2nd leg with the 2 away goals. Now we'll see what Milan are made of...

As for tonight's games:

Roma vs United should be a really good game of football, United should be positive enough tonight, as they could really use an away goal. Once again though, a lot depends on Rooney and Ronaldo to do the business. They haven't so far in The CL this season so it is a big game for them. Is Ronaldo the best player in the world, as some hysterical media outlets (and Ferguson!) dub him - he goes MIA against good teams in Europe, so tonight and next is the time to prove it.Looking at Roma's team, they look very strong, with players of the quality of Totti, Mancini and De Rossi, and they will cause United a lot of problems, especially with United missing 3 first choice defenders. it must not be forgotten however, that this Roma team only finished 5th last season in Serie A, and are currently way off Inter's pace at the head of the table this season.
Overall, an intriguing game, and one I will not bet on...

Chelsea vs Valencia should be a tough, close encounter. I think the key to this game is how Chelsea will contain Valencia on the break, especially Villa, Joaquin and Vicente. Vicente may relish Chelsea's right back (whoever they are going to play there) and Villa has the quality to trouble Terry and Carvalho. As for Chelsea attacking, Lampard or Ballack must break forward to create space for Sheva and Drogba, and I think they have the quality to score tonight....

We will be discussing all the Champions League results tomorrow night on the podcast - subscribe at http://feeds.feedburner.com/okeydokefootball or visit our website below.
Cheers,
Mark,
http://www.okeydokefootball.com