will be back up in two weeks
posted 26/2/13
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Friday 8 February 2013
Uefa reduce 2013 Champions League final ticket prices
Uefa has responded to growing concerns over the high cost of watching football in England by reducing the cheapest ticket for this year's Champions League final at Wembley to £68.
European football's governing body was accused of exploiting supporters when the match was last staged in London two years ago - Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 - by charging £176 for the cheapest ticket.
Uefa will announce later on Friday that it has listened to that criticism and lowered prices for the showpiece match, which takes place on 25 May, after consulting football fans across Europe.
"It is correct we should give the opportunity to everyone to go to the match irrespective of their financial conditions," a spokesman said.
But many supporters may still view the entry level price of almost £70 as too high - even for what is arguably the biggest game of the season.
Only 13,000 of the 59,000 tickets on general sale will be priced in this new low category. The rest will be sold at much higher prices ranging from £140 to £330.
This year's competition resumes next week with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Celtic, Arsenal, AC Milan and Bayern Munich all involved in the last 16 ties.
And some fans may still question why 20,000 seats are not being put on sale to the general public. Uefa hold back these tickets for sponsors, commercial partners and officials and administrators from European and world football.
Uefa's response is nevertheless a sign that football's authorities may be aware of the increased sensitivity around the cost of watching football - particularly in England where some Premier League clubs have been accused of ripping off away supporters.
In January, Manchester City fans returned nearly a third of the ticket allocation for their game at Arsenal, saying the £62 price was too high.
Supporters groups have warned the Premier League it risks alienating a generation of fans by charging too much to watch games.
The Premier League says it cannot tell clubs to reduce prices but argues many have become more sophisticated over the past decade, introducing stretched ticketing policies where higher-priced tickets help subsidise more cheaper tickets for fans on lower incomes.
Despite that, some campaigners want to see a greater commitment to reduce prices especially at a time when Premier League clubs are poised to see a huge increase in income thanks to the competition's new improved TV rights deals, which take effect from this August.
European football's governing body was accused of exploiting supporters when the match was last staged in London two years ago - Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 - by charging £176 for the cheapest ticket.
Uefa will announce later on Friday that it has listened to that criticism and lowered prices for the showpiece match, which takes place on 25 May, after consulting football fans across Europe.
"It is correct we should give the opportunity to everyone to go to the match irrespective of their financial conditions," a spokesman said.
But many supporters may still view the entry level price of almost £70 as too high - even for what is arguably the biggest game of the season.
Only 13,000 of the 59,000 tickets on general sale will be priced in this new low category. The rest will be sold at much higher prices ranging from £140 to £330.
This year's competition resumes next week with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Celtic, Arsenal, AC Milan and Bayern Munich all involved in the last 16 ties.
And some fans may still question why 20,000 seats are not being put on sale to the general public. Uefa hold back these tickets for sponsors, commercial partners and officials and administrators from European and world football.
Uefa's response is nevertheless a sign that football's authorities may be aware of the increased sensitivity around the cost of watching football - particularly in England where some Premier League clubs have been accused of ripping off away supporters.
In January, Manchester City fans returned nearly a third of the ticket allocation for their game at Arsenal, saying the £62 price was too high.
Supporters groups have warned the Premier League it risks alienating a generation of fans by charging too much to watch games.
The Premier League says it cannot tell clubs to reduce prices but argues many have become more sophisticated over the past decade, introducing stretched ticketing policies where higher-priced tickets help subsidise more cheaper tickets for fans on lower incomes.
Despite that, some campaigners want to see a greater commitment to reduce prices especially at a time when Premier League clubs are poised to see a huge increase in income thanks to the competition's new improved TV rights deals, which take effect from this August.
Wednesday 6 February 2013
Four arrested as police attempt to curb football disorder during Leyton Orient match
At least four people were arrested inside and outside of a football stadium last night.
Two were detained on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and two more on suspicion of public order offences as police attempted to prevent trouble during Leyton Orient’s home match against Southend United at Brisbane Road Stadium.
Police have not yet provided the ages and sexes of the four but confirmed three were arrested outside the stadium and one inside.
The news comes after nine pubs in Leyton and Leytonstone agreed with the Met’s request to close at 9pm yesterday in an attempt to prevent public disorder related to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first leg tie, which the Os lost 1-0.
The Red Lion in High Road, Leytonstone, shut its doors at 4pm.
Police took the measures after two drinkers at the Walnut Tree in Leytonstone High Road were attacked by a group of 10 to 15 men on January 26 at 10pm, following an O's match with Notts County.
A 44-year-old man and a 26-year-old man suffered head injuries.
No-one has been arrested.
The football club would only accept tickets booked online or in person from the ticket office prior to the game.
Two were detained on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and two more on suspicion of public order offences as police attempted to prevent trouble during Leyton Orient’s home match against Southend United at Brisbane Road Stadium.
Police have not yet provided the ages and sexes of the four but confirmed three were arrested outside the stadium and one inside.
The news comes after nine pubs in Leyton and Leytonstone agreed with the Met’s request to close at 9pm yesterday in an attempt to prevent public disorder related to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first leg tie, which the Os lost 1-0.
The Red Lion in High Road, Leytonstone, shut its doors at 4pm.
Police took the measures after two drinkers at the Walnut Tree in Leytonstone High Road were attacked by a group of 10 to 15 men on January 26 at 10pm, following an O's match with Notts County.
A 44-year-old man and a 26-year-old man suffered head injuries.
No-one has been arrested.
The football club would only accept tickets booked online or in person from the ticket office prior to the game.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY AND BRIGHTON BOSSES CHARGED WITH IMPROPER CONDUCT
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY manager Dave Jones and Brighton’s first-team coach Charlie Oatway have been charged with improper conduct by the FA following a fiery Championship fixture on Saturday.
The incident occurred following Wednesday midfielder Danny Pugh’s heavy challenge on Albion’s Inigo Calderon in the second half of the game at Hillsborough.
Pugh’s booking sparked a furious reaction from the visiting bench and the ensuing bust-up, which involved players and staff from both benches, saw Jones and Oatway sent to the stands as stewards and police tried to restore order.
The incident occurred following Wednesday midfielder Danny Pugh’s heavy challenge on Albion’s Inigo Calderon in the second half of the game at Hillsborough.
Pugh’s booking sparked a furious reaction from the visiting bench and the ensuing bust-up, which involved players and staff from both benches, saw Jones and Oatway sent to the stands as stewards and police tried to restore order.
Tuesday 5 February 2013
FA unaware of match-fixing probe following Europol investigation
How can they say they are unaware of match-fixing probe it's been in the news and all over the web
Neither the FA nor UEFA was made aware of a police match-fixing investigation into a Champions League game in England.
The mystery surrounding a European police match-fixing investigation into a Champions League game in England has deepened after it emerged neither the Football Association nor UEFA were aware of any such probe.
Rob Wainwright, director of Europol - the European Union's law enforcement agency, told a news conference on Monday that the match which took place "in the last three to four years" was one of 380 under investigation.
Europol said a total of 425 match officials, club officials, players, and serious criminals, from more than 15 countries, are suspected of being involved in attempts to fix matches.
Wainwright refused to name which English Champions League match in particular due to "ongoing judicial proceedings" - and the FA, which as the governing body in the country should be alerted, is also at a loss to know which one.
A spokesman for The Football Association said: "The FA are not aware of any credible reports into suspicious Champions League fixtures in England, nor has any information been shared with us.
"While the Champions League comes under UEFA jurisdiction, The FA, alongside the Premier League, Football League and Conference, monitor markets for the top seven leagues and three major cup competitions in England and take matters of integrity in football extremely seriously."
Link
Hundreds of soccer matches have been fixed in a global betting scam run from Singapore, police said on Monday, in a blow to the image of the world's most popular sport and a multi-billion dollar industry.
Neither the FA nor UEFA was made aware of a police match-fixing investigation into a Champions League game in England.
The mystery surrounding a European police match-fixing investigation into a Champions League game in England has deepened after it emerged neither the Football Association nor UEFA were aware of any such probe.
Rob Wainwright, director of Europol - the European Union's law enforcement agency, told a news conference on Monday that the match which took place "in the last three to four years" was one of 380 under investigation.
Europol said a total of 425 match officials, club officials, players, and serious criminals, from more than 15 countries, are suspected of being involved in attempts to fix matches.
Wainwright refused to name which English Champions League match in particular due to "ongoing judicial proceedings" - and the FA, which as the governing body in the country should be alerted, is also at a loss to know which one.
A spokesman for The Football Association said: "The FA are not aware of any credible reports into suspicious Champions League fixtures in England, nor has any information been shared with us.
"While the Champions League comes under UEFA jurisdiction, The FA, alongside the Premier League, Football League and Conference, monitor markets for the top seven leagues and three major cup competitions in England and take matters of integrity in football extremely seriously."
Link
Match-fixing probe: 680 suspicious games worldwide
Link
Investigators expose global soccer fixing scam
Hundreds of soccer matches have been fixed in a global betting scam run from Singapore, police said on Monday, in a blow to the image of the world's most popular sport and a multi-billion dollar industry.
About 680 suspicious matches including qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championships, and the Champions League for top European club sides, have been identified in an inquiry by European police forces, the European anti-crime agency Europol, and national prosecutors.
Link
Saturday 2 February 2013
Expert calls for arrest of well-known "fixer"
ROME (Reuters) - Assertions by authorities that tackling match-fixing in football will be a long and complex process have been rejected by a leading expert on corruption in the game, who says the arrest of one person will make a difference.
Declan Hill, an author and investigative journalist who believes gangs avoid detection by fixing the betting exchanges as well as matches, has called on authorities to arrest Dan Tan, who he says is an alleged major "fixer" in Singapore.
"There's an effort to say that taking on match-fixing is a complicated, sophisticated activity that involves taking on dark, mysterious figures," Hill, the author of The Fix: Soccer and Organised Crime, told Reuters in an interview.
"We know the fixer. There's one guy who helped fix games in over 50 countries in the world. This is Finnish police, the Hungarian police, the German police, the Italian police saying this.
"This is over 800 pages of the Cremona public prosecutor's report (from the most recent Italian match-fixing scandal) that not only names the man and gives his birth date, it has his phone records, it talks about where he was, it talks about everything."
Singapore police said in a statement: "The authorities in Singapore are assisting the Italian authorities through Interpol in their investigations into an international match-fixing syndicate that purportedly involves a Singaporean, Dan Tan Seet Eng, and have provided information requested by the National Central Bureau (NCB) Rome.
"So far, Dan Tan Seet Eng has not been arrested or charged with any offence in Singapore.
"We wish to reiterate that Singapore takes a strong stance against match-fixing and is committed to working with international enforcement agencies to bring down transnational criminal syndicates, including those that involve the acts of Singaporeans overseas, and protect the integrity of the sport."
Dan Tan could not be reached for comment.
Hill appeared this month at a match-fixing conference in Rome attended by international football and police representatives as well as gambling experts.
"You have the biggest sporting organisations in the world and some of the biggest police agencies across Europe saying this is the man who has fixed games in dozens of different countries, including Singapore. You'd think that would be enough," Hill said.
"Next year FIFA is opening up a $20 million anti-match-fixing education centre (in Interpol's new Global Complex) in Singapore. I'm boggled that anyone would think about doing that in a jurisdiction...(with possibly the) central international match fixer of our time."
"NOBODY NOTICES"
European football's governing body UEFA says its early warning system to combat match-fixing shows only 0.7 percent of the 32,000 matches monitored per year are fixed and they are almost exclusively lower-division matches.
However, Hill argues the systems used by FIFA and UEFA to track suspicious activity on the betting markets would not detect scams by Asian gangs that operate across Europe.
UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino said at the Rome conference that his organisation was "not geared up to fight criminality" but FIFA counterpart Jerome Valcke said no Champions League or World Cup matches were fixed.
Hill said: "Early warning systems are based on the premise that the fixers are stupid. They're not. The fixers spend as much time working out how to fix the gambling markets - so that nobody notices what they're doing - as they do fixing the actual games.
"The bigger the game, the easier it is to fix the gambling market.
"Ninety to 95 percent of the money laid on a fix by any professional fixer is on the Asian market and it's with a series of agents who are essentially local and regional bookies that go all the way to a couple of really big companies. And they're not providing information to the warning system.
"Everyone inside football knows there's a massive problem in June, July and August in the Champions League (qualifying rounds).
"July is a peak season for fixers because you have a market that is betting 365 (days of the year), 24 hours a day, but from June to early August there's very little European football."
The big tournaments could also be affected.
"They don't know based on their early warning system whether there's fixing in the World Cup or the Champions League, because there's too much liquidity - too much money being placed on a game," Hill said.
"Betfair (an internet betting exchange based in London) for last year's Champions League final had a liquidity of one billion pounds ($1.58 billion). Multiply Betfair by 60 or 80 and you've got tens of billions on one game.
"The only thing they (UEFA) have is a system that doesn't collect information effectively for the big games and doesn't take any information if the fixers are intelligent.
"So to suggest that there's only less than one percent of European matches across UEFA being fixed is a total fantasy."
Declan Hill, an author and investigative journalist who believes gangs avoid detection by fixing the betting exchanges as well as matches, has called on authorities to arrest Dan Tan, who he says is an alleged major "fixer" in Singapore.
"There's an effort to say that taking on match-fixing is a complicated, sophisticated activity that involves taking on dark, mysterious figures," Hill, the author of The Fix: Soccer and Organised Crime, told Reuters in an interview.
"We know the fixer. There's one guy who helped fix games in over 50 countries in the world. This is Finnish police, the Hungarian police, the German police, the Italian police saying this.
"This is over 800 pages of the Cremona public prosecutor's report (from the most recent Italian match-fixing scandal) that not only names the man and gives his birth date, it has his phone records, it talks about where he was, it talks about everything."
Singapore police said in a statement: "The authorities in Singapore are assisting the Italian authorities through Interpol in their investigations into an international match-fixing syndicate that purportedly involves a Singaporean, Dan Tan Seet Eng, and have provided information requested by the National Central Bureau (NCB) Rome.
"So far, Dan Tan Seet Eng has not been arrested or charged with any offence in Singapore.
"We wish to reiterate that Singapore takes a strong stance against match-fixing and is committed to working with international enforcement agencies to bring down transnational criminal syndicates, including those that involve the acts of Singaporeans overseas, and protect the integrity of the sport."
Dan Tan could not be reached for comment.
Hill appeared this month at a match-fixing conference in Rome attended by international football and police representatives as well as gambling experts.
"You have the biggest sporting organisations in the world and some of the biggest police agencies across Europe saying this is the man who has fixed games in dozens of different countries, including Singapore. You'd think that would be enough," Hill said.
"Next year FIFA is opening up a $20 million anti-match-fixing education centre (in Interpol's new Global Complex) in Singapore. I'm boggled that anyone would think about doing that in a jurisdiction...(with possibly the) central international match fixer of our time."
"NOBODY NOTICES"
European football's governing body UEFA says its early warning system to combat match-fixing shows only 0.7 percent of the 32,000 matches monitored per year are fixed and they are almost exclusively lower-division matches.
However, Hill argues the systems used by FIFA and UEFA to track suspicious activity on the betting markets would not detect scams by Asian gangs that operate across Europe.
UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino said at the Rome conference that his organisation was "not geared up to fight criminality" but FIFA counterpart Jerome Valcke said no Champions League or World Cup matches were fixed.
Hill said: "Early warning systems are based on the premise that the fixers are stupid. They're not. The fixers spend as much time working out how to fix the gambling markets - so that nobody notices what they're doing - as they do fixing the actual games.
"The bigger the game, the easier it is to fix the gambling market.
"Ninety to 95 percent of the money laid on a fix by any professional fixer is on the Asian market and it's with a series of agents who are essentially local and regional bookies that go all the way to a couple of really big companies. And they're not providing information to the warning system.
"Everyone inside football knows there's a massive problem in June, July and August in the Champions League (qualifying rounds).
"July is a peak season for fixers because you have a market that is betting 365 (days of the year), 24 hours a day, but from June to early August there's very little European football."
The big tournaments could also be affected.
"They don't know based on their early warning system whether there's fixing in the World Cup or the Champions League, because there's too much liquidity - too much money being placed on a game," Hill said.
"Betfair (an internet betting exchange based in London) for last year's Champions League final had a liquidity of one billion pounds ($1.58 billion). Multiply Betfair by 60 or 80 and you've got tens of billions on one game.
"The only thing they (UEFA) have is a system that doesn't collect information effectively for the big games and doesn't take any information if the fixers are intelligent.
"So to suggest that there's only less than one percent of European matches across UEFA being fixed is a total fantasy."
Shoot underway on Jason Maza spoof Hooligan Factory
Nick Nevern directs and has co-written the football hooliganism spoof shooting in London.
Shooting has commenced in London on football hooligan spoof The Hooligan Factory.Nick Nevern directs and has co-written the film with Michael Lindley, with Jason Maza starring
Maza produces with Will Clarke’s Altitude Film Sales, which also handles sales. The film charts the encounter between a young man and a notorious football hooligan.
Tom Burke and Josef Altin star alongside Maza, with cameos from Leo Gregory, Tony Denham, Dexter Fletcher, and former football hooligan Cass Pennant
The Fyzz Facility is co-financing the project; Think Big Productions and Marshall Leviten are co-producing partners. Shooting will take place at 3 Mills and Elstree.
link
http://screenbase.screendaily.com/films/3605-the-hooligan-factory
Sunderland-shot film to shine light on female football hooliganism
A FILM is throwing the spotlight upon the secret world of female football hooliganism.
Director Garry Moore, from Red House, hopes to tackle the subject in his first feature film which will be shot in Sunderland, though based in London.
First he is trying to attract investors who will fund the £200,000 needed for the movie, which will be called Hard.
{>>CLICK HERE to view a trailer for the film|>>CLICK HERE to view a trailer for the film|http://www.indiegogo.com/hard-themovie?c=home}
Garry, who has won a number of awards in the past for his short films, says it would be a great opportunity to tell an unusual story in a compelling way.
“I’ve been trying to get a feature film off the ground for a number of years,” he said.
“I’ve made 39 short films, but these are often a calling card and stepping stone into making a feature film and I’m at the stage where I need to step up and progress my career.”
Hard focuses on 16-year-old Beki Knight, who joins a female gang after her sister is left brain-damaged in a fight.
A trailer for the film has already been shot on the banks of the River Wear and at other settings around the city.
“I’ve done some research into football hooliganism and come across a few female hooligans,” said Garry. “But they are mostly part of male-dominated firms.
“In London, however, there is a big problem with girl gangs and I thought it would be interesting to combine the two.
“When you look at films such as Green Street and Football Factory they are quite generic streets that could be in any city. There are lots of places in Sunderland that would be perfect for the film.
“It also keeps costs down to shoot here.”
Many of the actors cast in the film hail from the North East, such as Gauri Vedhara who was in Byker Grove for seven years and more recently appeared in the CBBC series Wolf Blood.
A crew is also in place which has worked on a number of high-profile films such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Dark Knight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Interview with a Hitman.
Garry has set up a fund-raising page on crowd-funding website Indiegogo which allows people to make donations to fund the film from as little as £1.
He is also planning to approach investors who can plough in more substantial funds.
He said: “It is notoriously difficult to find anyone to back you when you don’t have a track record in feature film making.
“So I made a concept trailer for the film with backing from two small investors who saw the potential in the film, to be able to show other investors, sales agents and distributors what the film would look like in terms of style, content and quality.
“I’m in talks with a number of investors to raise the £200,000 needed, but it was always the intention to run a funding campaign on Indiegogo, to allow ordinary people who can’t afford to make large investments the opportunity to get involved in the glamorous world of film making.”
People who donate to the making of the film can receive a perk or reward in exchange.
These can vary, from a personal thank-you message from the director to signed scripts to days on set shadowing the director or as an extra or attending a cast read through.
l To learn more about the film and to link through to the Indiegogo page, visit www.shamfilms.co.uk.
Director Garry Moore, from Red House, hopes to tackle the subject in his first feature film which will be shot in Sunderland, though based in London.
First he is trying to attract investors who will fund the £200,000 needed for the movie, which will be called Hard.
{>>CLICK HERE to view a trailer for the film|>>CLICK HERE to view a trailer for the film|http://www.indiegogo.com/hard-themovie?c=home}
Garry, who has won a number of awards in the past for his short films, says it would be a great opportunity to tell an unusual story in a compelling way.
“I’ve been trying to get a feature film off the ground for a number of years,” he said.
“I’ve made 39 short films, but these are often a calling card and stepping stone into making a feature film and I’m at the stage where I need to step up and progress my career.”
Hard focuses on 16-year-old Beki Knight, who joins a female gang after her sister is left brain-damaged in a fight.
A trailer for the film has already been shot on the banks of the River Wear and at other settings around the city.
“I’ve done some research into football hooliganism and come across a few female hooligans,” said Garry. “But they are mostly part of male-dominated firms.
“In London, however, there is a big problem with girl gangs and I thought it would be interesting to combine the two.
“When you look at films such as Green Street and Football Factory they are quite generic streets that could be in any city. There are lots of places in Sunderland that would be perfect for the film.
“It also keeps costs down to shoot here.”
Many of the actors cast in the film hail from the North East, such as Gauri Vedhara who was in Byker Grove for seven years and more recently appeared in the CBBC series Wolf Blood.
A crew is also in place which has worked on a number of high-profile films such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Dark Knight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Interview with a Hitman.
Garry has set up a fund-raising page on crowd-funding website Indiegogo which allows people to make donations to fund the film from as little as £1.
He is also planning to approach investors who can plough in more substantial funds.
He said: “It is notoriously difficult to find anyone to back you when you don’t have a track record in feature film making.
“So I made a concept trailer for the film with backing from two small investors who saw the potential in the film, to be able to show other investors, sales agents and distributors what the film would look like in terms of style, content and quality.
“I’m in talks with a number of investors to raise the £200,000 needed, but it was always the intention to run a funding campaign on Indiegogo, to allow ordinary people who can’t afford to make large investments the opportunity to get involved in the glamorous world of film making.”
People who donate to the making of the film can receive a perk or reward in exchange.
These can vary, from a personal thank-you message from the director to signed scripts to days on set shadowing the director or as an extra or attending a cast read through.
l To learn more about the film and to link through to the Indiegogo page, visit www.shamfilms.co.uk.
Moyes to put Lambert to the sword? Everton v Aston Villa
Two teams in contrasting form clash at Goodison Park this weekend, with valuable points at stake. Everton are looking to maintain their push for a European position, while Aston Villa are desperately seeking to end a dismal run of form.
Both sides had tough midweek fixtures, which ultimately epitomised their seasons so far. The Toffees continued their excellent home form with a fine victory over West Brom, while Villa’s shocking first half display against Newcastle contributed to their downfall as they lost yet another home game.
Everton’s three points were all the more valuable as all the sides around them dropped points – leaving them in 5th, and just one point behind Spurs in the lucrative Champions League qualifying spot. With tough visits to Old Trafford and Carrow Road next up, Everton will be looking to secure another 3 points at fortress Goodison.
The Toffees have proved very hard to beat this season, and had they turned a few more draws into wins, they could easily be challenging Chelsea for 3rd. The undoubted stars of the season are Baines, Fellaini, and the rejuvenated Steven Pienaar. If their key players stay fit, a Champions League place is not beyond them.
Everton will be hoping that Nikica Jelavic can rediscover his scoring boots to help boost these chances.
There have been countless column inches written about Aston Villa in recent weeks. Paul Lambert’s side have been dragged into a relegation dogfight, as well as having their Wembley dream dashed by lowly Bradford. Their inept first half display against Newcastle must have worried the most optimistic of Villa supporters, but some heart must be taken from a positive second half display.
Lambert will seek inspiration from those 45 minutes, and his tactics will be under close scrutiny at Goodison Park. The flat back 5 employed against the Magpies invited pressure and stifled their attack. In stark contrast, the second half saw them use the width and pace that could be the key to their survival.
Christian Benteke has shouldered immense responsibility this year, and it is time for some of the more experienced players to help their young squad. Charles N’Zogbia and Gabriel Agbonlahor must start to lead by example – in work rate and quality. They are international-quality players on their day, but their form has been mediocre in the last year. Villa need them at their best more than ever in the coming months.
On paper, there is only one outcome this weekend: a resounding Everton victory. However, the Premier League is full of surprises, and this would ruin many accumulators if Villa can snatch something out of this game. Lambert’s side may benefit from playing away from the pressure-cooker environment that is Villa Park at present, but one would think Everton just have too many match-winners on this occasion.
Both sides had tough midweek fixtures, which ultimately epitomised their seasons so far. The Toffees continued their excellent home form with a fine victory over West Brom, while Villa’s shocking first half display against Newcastle contributed to their downfall as they lost yet another home game.
Everton’s three points were all the more valuable as all the sides around them dropped points – leaving them in 5th, and just one point behind Spurs in the lucrative Champions League qualifying spot. With tough visits to Old Trafford and Carrow Road next up, Everton will be looking to secure another 3 points at fortress Goodison.
The Toffees have proved very hard to beat this season, and had they turned a few more draws into wins, they could easily be challenging Chelsea for 3rd. The undoubted stars of the season are Baines, Fellaini, and the rejuvenated Steven Pienaar. If their key players stay fit, a Champions League place is not beyond them.
Everton will be hoping that Nikica Jelavic can rediscover his scoring boots to help boost these chances.
There have been countless column inches written about Aston Villa in recent weeks. Paul Lambert’s side have been dragged into a relegation dogfight, as well as having their Wembley dream dashed by lowly Bradford. Their inept first half display against Newcastle must have worried the most optimistic of Villa supporters, but some heart must be taken from a positive second half display.
Lambert will seek inspiration from those 45 minutes, and his tactics will be under close scrutiny at Goodison Park. The flat back 5 employed against the Magpies invited pressure and stifled their attack. In stark contrast, the second half saw them use the width and pace that could be the key to their survival.
Christian Benteke has shouldered immense responsibility this year, and it is time for some of the more experienced players to help their young squad. Charles N’Zogbia and Gabriel Agbonlahor must start to lead by example – in work rate and quality. They are international-quality players on their day, but their form has been mediocre in the last year. Villa need them at their best more than ever in the coming months.
On paper, there is only one outcome this weekend: a resounding Everton victory. However, the Premier League is full of surprises, and this would ruin many accumulators if Villa can snatch something out of this game. Lambert’s side may benefit from playing away from the pressure-cooker environment that is Villa Park at present, but one would think Everton just have too many match-winners on this occasion.
Do me a favour: Wayne Rooney ASKED Fergie to stop him taking Man United's penalties
Striker insists he held his hands up after ninth miss from the spot in
28 tries for the club and stepped aside rather being stripped of the
role
Wayne Rooney has revealed he ASKED to be taken off penalty-taking duty for Manchester United.
After England striker Rooney missed from the spot in the Reds' FA Cup win over West Ham, he told manager Alex Ferguson to hand the responsibility on to Robin van Persie.
In his meeting with Ferguson, Rooney, who has missed nine of the 28 penalties he has taken for United, acknowledged his record from 12 yards left plenty to be desired.
Seven of Rooney's penalty misses have come since the start of 2010, including two - against West Ham and Arsenal - this season.
"To be honest, it was my choice," said Rooney. "It wasn't good enough. I went in to speak with the manager and said I'd spoken with Robin [van Persie] and told him he could take them.
"At a club like this, to miss two penalties like I did and not hit the target, it wasn't good enough."
United were awarded a penalty against Fulham in the FA Cup's fourth round, but Van Persie was on the subs' bench, so Ryan Giggs stepped in and scored the opening goal in a 4-1 win.
Wayne Rooney has revealed he ASKED to be taken off penalty-taking duty for Manchester United.
After England striker Rooney missed from the spot in the Reds' FA Cup win over West Ham, he told manager Alex Ferguson to hand the responsibility on to Robin van Persie.
In his meeting with Ferguson, Rooney, who has missed nine of the 28 penalties he has taken for United, acknowledged his record from 12 yards left plenty to be desired.
Seven of Rooney's penalty misses have come since the start of 2010, including two - against West Ham and Arsenal - this season.
"To be honest, it was my choice," said Rooney. "It wasn't good enough. I went in to speak with the manager and said I'd spoken with Robin [van Persie] and told him he could take them.
"At a club like this, to miss two penalties like I did and not hit the target, it wasn't good enough."
United were awarded a penalty against Fulham in the FA Cup's fourth round, but Van Persie was on the subs' bench, so Ryan Giggs stepped in and scored the opening goal in a 4-1 win.
Balotelli blasts English life
Mario Balotelli has slammed England's press, weather, food and drivers at his official unveiling as an AC Milan player.
The 22-year-old striker has joined AC Milan from Manchester City after a frustrating period in the English Premier League and claims he wants to 'be centre stage' for the Italian giants.
Having been regularly consigned to the bench with both Manchester City and Inter Milan, in his previous stint in Serie A, Balotelli hopes to 'play a leading role' in any AC Milan success.
"Four years have passed (since I played with Inter), I've grown," Balotelli said on Friday.
"I'm here to win and be centre stage.
"When I played for Inter I won but not always played, while here at Milan I hope I can win and play a leading role, that's the difference."
The tempestuous Italian added he has no regrets about leaving England and when asked what he disliked about the country, he answered: "The press first, the weather, the food, the way they drive and that's it," Balotelli said.
Balotelli claimed the move to AC Milan was 'a dream come true' but despite that, he did not rule out a return to England.
"To be honest the Premier League is an amazing league and I think it's the best," Balotelli said.
"The crowd and the pitches make it a really amazing league.
"I don't know in the future if I could go back or not but for the moment I'm happy to be here (in Milan) and I want to play here."
Balotelli could play his first game for AC Milan on Sunday when they host Udinese at the San Siro.
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