Step back in time
Tue Apr 29 08:57AM
The City of Manchester Stadium has sprung more leaks than the poop deck on the Poseidon, with no fewer than three club "sources" spilling the beans on Sven-Goran Eriksson's falling-out with Frank Shinawatra and imminent exit from Manchester City.
The Express and the Sun spent the day chatting with various shadowy insiders, while the Mirror, Mail, Guardian, Telegraph and even the Star carried the same story but obviously couldn't be bothered to get a quote from any of Sven's associates.
Only the Times goes for the official line - the indication from Eriksson's agent and City themselves that he is staying put.
INSIDER ONE: "Sven pulled out of a big-money transfer today and has explained that everything is on hold at the club, and he meant everything. The owner's money is frozen, and he doesn't know if he will be around next season."
INSIDER TWO: "Sven does not think he will stay. He's resigned to going. The owner is unhappy with results, and Sven knows he is on his way."
INSIDER THREE: "Shinawatra expects the manager to do what he says, no questions asked, and if he decides a player should be in the team the boss should just accept it. But Sven won't agree with that. How many top managers would?"
Despite the club's protestations, Sven is clearly a rich man walking and will be on his merry way to another top European destination before you can say "smorgasbord".
It is well known that Thaksin wants Big Phil Scolari to take over, but Early Doors suspects history might be about to repeat itself in agonising fashion for City fans.
England, led by blundering Brian Barwick, pursued Scolari as Sven's replacement in 2006.
Unhappy at the media attention (Barwick may have been unaware Portugal had a World Cup to play before Scolari could leave them), Big Phil told the FA to stuff off.
Scolari is his own man, and Early Doors can't see him putting up with Thaksin's more control-freak tendencies, or the possibility he could get clapped in jail - or worse - at any time.
So with the Brazilian set to turn City down, they need to find an unattached manager with international experience, knowledge of English football and a grasp of the language, yet someone spineless enough to do whatever the man in charge tells him to.
Step forward Steve McClaren.
Like England and quarter-final exits from major tournaments, City fans may soon be looking back at slightly underwhelming ninth-place finishes in an altogether more positive light.
- - -
BOING BOING OF THE DAY: Barring the 'mathematical miracle' of cliche, West Bromwich Albion will be playing top-flight football next season. Early Doors likes the look of Tony Mowbray's side, particularly 70s prog rock escapee Jonathan Greening. Here's hoping they're better than Derby.
FLAT-TRACK BULLY OF THE DAY: Emmanuel Adebayor, who helped himself to a second-half hat-trick at Derby and proved classless enough to taunt the Rams after his first goal.
Yet despite his 24 league goals, many Gooners reckon he should be sold as he cannot cut it against top teams.
(Bear in mind this is a club whose fans demand artistic perfection, as ED regular barny1158 demonstrates: "Not wishing to disrespect Derby, but the scoreline should have been about 8-0 ... in a way I am happy for Derby that it wasn't a cricket score.")
Adebayor went on to complete a thoroughly obnoxious display by performing the "only good enough for third" jig with Emmanuel Eboue after rounding off his hat-trick.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "We are sitting here now with two games left. A semi-final tomorrow, a home game on Saturday and a game against Wigan away. Disaster!" Fergie puts on his 'relaxed' face and makes light of United's recent slump.
TALKING POINT SPECIAL (or, Early Doors has run out of things to say):
The fallout from Mowergate continues to rumble on (can fallout rumble?), but Early Doors has nothing more to add after yesterday's marathon blog entry. So here is a selection of views from the punters:
eliotot: "Footballers are a well behaved lot really. What with Ronaldo's arrogant smirk stitched across his face...and he hasn't seen a knuckle or a knee joint close up yet. Try that dumb smirk in Australia mate!"
chrisnewman950: "Let's face facts, the 'Battle of Stamford Bridge' was absolutely hilarious. Even funnier has been the outrage of the pundits. Both 606 & TalkSport went to town on the so called disgraceful scenes and the consensus seemed to be that Evra et al should all be banned for life/locked up in the tower/forced to walk the streets in sackcloth and ashes. Surely being forced to watch the endless replays of their playground fighting is punishment enough"
'Raging' samuelbanks: "How pathetic was the handbags between Drogba and B*ll*ck. It seems the Ivorian striker is a thoroughly repulsive human being. He thinks he is a God at chelsea. If you're listening Drogs - you have been utter s*** this season - so get over yourself."
andywalker269: "Made my day to see Fergie going ballistic about the penalty...yeh, you have a perfect right to complain as you get penalties awarded against you every week don't you! Er, no actually, it was your first of the season. If you listen to Fergie Man U have never given away a legitimate penalty in their whole history, yet are disgracefully denied at least 3 every match. Get a life Ferguson. And send Evra to some self-defence classes..."
bkm265: "Someone enlighten me, if it's so important which way the grass is mowed, why not mark direction lanes on the pitch so that the bloody players don't run willy nilly during games like they have over past century or so."
mattlyell: "It seems that ED doesn't mind the occasional swipe at the working class 'Frenchmen', first Patrice [Evra] then ZZ. I wonder would they be so swift to make such remarks in their presence?"
Well, obviously not, because Early Doors is a coward. But it takes exception to accusations of being anti-French on the same day it references Albert Camus in one of its 'jokes'.
Today - Predictions for Manchester United v Barcelona and Chelsea v Liverpool? Oh, and if you want to cuss ED for suggesting Arsenal fans don't like Adebayor, knock yourselves out.
COMING UP: United v Barça gets the full live treatment from 7.45pm, plus all the usual preview guff throughout the day.
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IM this storycommon Barca! Leo Messi to tear old Trafford!
From vitali_oiltrade on Tue Apr 29 09:01AMI suspect ED hasn't run out of things to say but rather cobbled together this "article" in 2 minutes, knowing it had a gleaming copy of GTA IV just waiting to be played. You've been rumbled. I'll give odds of 2-1 that tomorrow's article is exceptionally late and just as cobbled together. Any takers?
From kevmun82 on Tue Apr 29 09:11AM3-2 to Barca and 2-1 to Chelsea. SAF will go ballistic about the ref yet again and yes yes Messi will be a master-performer!!!!!!
From kudachisepo2000 on Tue Apr 29 09:12AMI'm looking ahead at possible final combinations for the european final. It seems to be like rock-paper-scissors because no one team has complete dominance. Liverpool can somehow consistently take down Chelsea in semis, yet if they win they will get their world rocked by Man U in the final. No matter, because Man U has little chance of making it to the final (history is against them, Fergie doesn't do well in European squeaky bum time as well as the lack of possesion). I expect a Liverpool v. Barca final, though I have to root for the Chelsea v. Barca final (probably would be the most entertaining to watch) which Chelsea will win. 4-2.
From mrsims150 on Tue Apr 29 09:13AMand OHHHHHH, Looserpool will just be out-muscled by the Blues. what a week its turning out to be,Benitez to go
From kudachisepo2000 on Tue Apr 29 09:14AMkudachisepo2000: exactly. Fergie post-match line: we deserved the victory and the place in the Final but the referee just robbed us in front of the home fans.
From vitali_oiltrade on Tue Apr 29 09:18AMI'm a gooner and i love Adebayor. Piss off!!
From tone.gunner on Tue Apr 29 09:25AMI really think Man City are punching above their weight with Sven as manager - they should accept that they are lucky to have someone like that. Though City always think they are bigger than their achievements prove or everyone else thinks. I can remember when I used to go and watch Blackburn play away at Maine Road every season and getting abuse for being a part time supporter etc - abusing away fans? Please! My Dad still recalls one incident when I was about 14, a City fan asked "Where were you when you were shit?" and I said "Nutall street stand, 27J, watching Tony Finegan try to play football." I'd never managed to shut a City fan up before and haven't managed since. I laughed so much when the team who would bounce right back up got relegated again.
I can see Chelsea winning on penalties after defending for 60 minutes, conceding one, then equalizing in the 92nd minute, defending throughout extra time, then celebrating for being such a great football team.
Man U Barca? I see the reds winning 2 or 3 to nil, though I hate to say it, they are a great side.
From dantomprez on Tue Apr 29 09:27AMRE post 6: That's you told ED!
From kevmun82 on Tue Apr 29 09:31AMCan anyone guess, what the scores of tonite's match will be? No! not the match scores, the DIVING scores between christiano 'dibaisi' ronaldo and lionel 'louganis' messi. If the ref is gullible, we might be in for loads of penalty, OH I cant wait...
From toksonice on Tue Apr 29 09:33AMthis is officially the shortest article in ED history, i think kevmun82 is spot on abt GTAIV
From umar2050 on Tue Apr 29 09:37AMhey eurosport_publishing_supervisor go easy on ED, the only interesting thing to happen yesterday was the snooker match between swail and liang, which i don't think is in their remit
From lee_rome on Tue Apr 29 09:41AMI'm quite sure Fergie/Grant/Benitex would come out of the semi-finals whining about one thing or another.
Fergie; He'll complain about how the refs don't protect Ronaldo. Imagine! Someone as skilled and fast as Ronaldo getting tackled often! My god how sinful!
Grant; Well...He'll just keep his mouth shut and say nothing 'bout the Chelsea fans who keep on chanting 'You don't know what your doing'.
Benitez; He'll defiantly complain about how Drogba gets away with his dives and how on the other side Torres is getting kicked and gets no fouls.
I think Barca-Man U will end with 1-1 or 2-1 for Man
Chelsea and 'Pool will end 1-1 or 1-0 for either team.
From yehia18 on Tue Apr 29 09:42AMThierry Henry to show Ronaldo how to play REAL football. Neverhteless, Man U should win this, although none of us Gooners will shed a tear if they don't. Ronaldo to see yellow for having his feet ripped from under him just outside the penalty area (I didn't say which one).
As gooner, hater of all four clubs in the semis, but an admirer of Grant. Divine judgment on the Mersey gentiles. Grant to do that wierd Israeli dance when Chelsea get their winner.
From eliotot on Tue Apr 29 09:42AMwhat in the world is post no. 6 all about?
From toksonice on Tue Apr 29 09:51AMFolks as much as u hate United, u should be objective enough to know that sqeaky bum time or not, we are yet to be beaten at home in the CL in 11 games. Add that to the fact that we always score at home (well almost always).
I like Barcelona. They're my most fav team in Spain. However it's obvious that people are letting names and emotions cloud their judgement. THIS BARCA TEAM won only ONE league game out of NINE. In my opinion they were not very convincing in their CL games. Yes they lost none and scored as many goals as United. Yes every team puts in more effort against United than other teams (someone tell me why Derby lost their game with us only by a goal but let Chelsea and Arsenal score 6?). Still I don't see this team beating United at Old Trafford. Worst case scenario - Barca score early and start defending (they don't know how to) and United get to equalise in the 90th minute...United 2 - 0 Barca
From tosinsbox on Tue Apr 29 09:54AMI said in a recent post that the new breed of owners in the prem league,(since Abramovitch) deem it their right to intervene with the managers team selection, and not let the manager or coach do what he is there for. Not gonna be many managers that will put up with that, and considering the owners of various clubs are foreign and are no experts regarding football, where will it all end.?Football now a business, owned by the filthy rich, who have nothing better to do. Sven will probably go, and Shinawatra will be coach, and add a martial arts teacher to the coaching staff, so that at the next Manchester derby, City will be more than a match for Fergies boys....in the handbags stakes anyway. And ED, my expectations were that Arsenal should have won by more, if chances were taken, but having a soft spot for lesser teams, makes me glad it wasn't. Contradiction in terms yes, I suppose so...
From barny1158 on Tue Apr 29 09:55AM@ 15: I'll never understand why Arsenal fans like Chelsea (players, coaches, stadium, something). I know u guys hate the Spurs for real...but aren't Chelsea also ur city rivals??
From tosinsbox on Tue Apr 29 09:58AMhi, toksonice, i like the diving score idea; will chat with my bookie to see if he will offer odds for a round robin on christi, messi and drogbie winning 0, 1 or even 2 penalties (with ballack first reserve if one or other of the three don't play - he has a class record for big game successful dives)
the other aspect i find increases my beverage consumption is how many times during the telvising does the producer/director, whatever, miss something interesting because he has gone brain dead with boredom and so has filled in with the sickly unedifying shots of gum-chewing managers; my guess for the manubarca is 5 times (they seem mesmerised when they once focus on siralex) and twice in the chelpool game - once each as they cannot resist showing in full the intense emotional reactions of raffa and avril to the inevitable violent challenges, sorry, sadly mistimed tackles by the non-defenders (and hence unfair to punish with red cards) such as gerrard (otherwise perhaps the best player in the land) essien (his real challenger, sadly not english)
From c.hawcroft on Tue Apr 29 10:01AMAh! What short memories we all seem to have - last week the reports were all snore o vision! More of the same tonight until the penalty shoot outs which will, at least, move away from the binary score lines I suspect we will get!
From geelte on Tue Apr 29 10:10AMED thanks for your comments on City and what the so-called insiders have to say, its a pity that these un-named had not read Thaksin's comments in last saturdays programme. Point 1 - 1st year target top 10 position - already guaranteed - as West Ham in 10th can't catch us. 2nd year target - Europe - UEFA , followed in Year 3 - Champions League. Point 2 - on purchases he agrees the squad is weak and need to buy defender, midfielder and striker - but won't be splashing vast sums out this summer, that will come in the 3rd year. Finally all this speculation has started by Joe Lovejoy of the Times who appears to be running a smear campaign against Sven. Its a pity, that hacks like Lovejoy can hound someone out of their position by running rumours etc, especially when you look at Sven's record for England - 2nd to only Alf Ramsey, plus his achievements with other European clubs. Could it be that Lovejoy is a closet Red - and with City turning them over twice this season - could those lost points be the nail in United's premiership title - especially as they face West Ham, who they haven't beated in a number of seasons. So please rather than speculate on inuendo stick to the facts and the achievement Sven has done for City following last seasons disaster.
From jagman562004 on Tue Apr 29 10:15AMI hate all four of 'em. The system punishes risk-takers, so everyone defends and dives when they get forward. The refs will decide this one. Since ARSENAL isn't here one be sure who they'll victimise. I suspect UEFA is out to give it to chelsea or man.u and they'll advise the ref accordingly.1-0 to both home teams.
P.S All "real" Arsenal fans love Adebayor. Henry and Anelka where much worse when they arrived. Adebayor will outscore them both...eventually.
From adeshomoye on Tue Apr 29 10:15AMman u ?to win , as the best will come out now with the players , and i think liverpool on penalties man u , liv final 2 o to man u , all seems to be writing man u off after the chelsea game a 1,1 draw opps for got they got a very dogey pen to win the game , only a fool will say man u will not win
From pompey80uk on Tue Apr 29 10:16AMc.hawcroft: thats a good idea. i am off to the bookies too.
From toksonice on Tue Apr 29 10:17AMBarny has stolen my thunder because I was going to say pretty much the same thing, although no doubt less eloquently. As for the CL semis, I won't be able to watch the 2nd leg games, but I hope for those who do that they are not the same snoozefest as the 1st leg. I am going to steal and butcher a well-known quote and say "I will love it, absolutely love it, if Man U and Liverpool lose." Some believe that it is some sort of obligation to cheer on the English/British team in a competition, but bollix to that, if it isn't my team, I want them to lose if it is MUFC or LFC. Why? I am old enough to remember the days when MUFC were relegated and became a 2nd division team, before all the glory boys came along to ride their wave of success. It's the result of over 30 years of well-honed hate and disdain for their obnoxious fans. I would want them to lose no matter who they play. So, come on Barca and Chelsea. I would especially love it if MUFC and Liverpool lost due to a penalty awarded in the 5th minute of added time. It would be like the fireworks advert with Fergie...light the blue touchpaper and retire to a safe distance! It would be so sweet considering the amount of times both clubs have benefitted over the years from dodgy decisions and referees whose watches have stopped. As you can see, I am in a particularly uncharitable mood today
From andywalker269 on Tue Apr 29 10:25AMIMO it will be Barca - Man U 1-1 and Chelsea - Liverpool 2-2.
How do these Pool always get in the final?
An entertaining Final in sight.
From andreipaul_mihai on Tue Apr 29 10:35AMcome begining of next season. sven is axed and after scolari has rejected city. thaksin would have taken his badges and will manage city himself. good on you mr sinawatra
From toksonice on Tue Apr 29 10:39AMtoksonice,hawcroft,eliotot. PLEASE watch this space tomorrow.
eliotot, the reason y CR has a grin on his face most of the season's coz he knows he's the s**t, the reason noone does it in Aussie is becoz there's noone good enough!
From bkm265 on Tue Apr 29 10:44AMNo predictions as to the outcome of tonights game, in an ideal world the team playing the best footie would always go on to win in my view. Hope it is the footie that does the talking,cos the handbags is detracting from the game. Hopefully they will both go for it,each team hellbent on winning the tie.
From barny1158 on Tue Apr 29 10:51AMI hope Man Utd and Liverpool both win - what a great final that would make for English fans! As for Chelsea, they'll probably sneak through, but I can't stand 'em - bunch of pompous and disdainful prima donnas!
From northern_hamster on Tue Apr 29 10:51AM
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