Jim White

Emboldened by a prediction I made for a Manchester local television station ahead of the Champions League final ("It'll go to penalties, after being 1-1 after extra time," I said. "And you know Edwin Van der Sar has saved penalties against Chelsea before") I am going to make one for...More

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Just imagine for a moment that England had not lost their Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia last November and were, in fact, in a training camp, readying themselves for an assault on the finals. Imagine what the levels of expectation would be like in the English press and public alike....More

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And so the merry-go-round continues. According to the latest reports, this week Jose Mourinho - who departed last summer from Chelsea after winning back-to-back Premier League championships - will be unveiled as the new manager of Internazionale. Meanwhile Roberto Mancini, the Inter boss who steered them to two successive Serie...More

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Unlike Manchester United's last appearance in the Champions League final, this time round there was to be no last minute intervention by the substitutes, no wholly unexpected conclusion of business in normal time. Instead, at the end of a sinew-sapping season, as the two super powers of the Premier League...More

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For a season or two after Manchester United won the treble in 1999, as the teams ran out on the pitch at Old Trafford, the stadium DJ played the Stone Roses song "This Is The One". It was the tune the United fans had adopted as their anthem for the...More

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In England this weekend, all eyes will be on two of the league's less elevated teams. Indeed one of them isn't even based in England. Cardiff City meet Portsmouth in the FA Cup final. The encounter is a throwback to another era altogether. Portsmouth have not won the oldest competition...More

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At the conclusion of Manchester United's victory over Wigan that sealed the club's 17th English title, Alex Ferguson said the following:"This will give us a tremendous lift [for the Champions League final]. I remember when we lost the title on the last day in 1995 and had a FA Cup...More

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Even from a distance of several thousand miles, the Champions League holds sway. In California, Ruud Gullit, manager of the LA Galaxy and Feel Football Champion has been watching the tournament pan out with fascination. Last week, he watched the semi-finals, convinced that there is a pattern to them, which...More

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Two teams, three games, two trophies. The mathematics has come down to this. Chelsea and Manchester United are about to embark on an epic mini-series to decide the destiny of two of the most coveted trophies in world sport: the Champions League and the English Premier League. Next Sunday, United...More

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After that there is only one question: do you have any nails left? Manchester United and Chelsea emerged this week from the most gut-wrenchingly tense Champions League semi finals to meet each other in Moscow on 21 May. And if anyone does have anything remaining at the end of their...More

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