Week 21

Tezza · Cult Status

Week 21

bigwave1927 · Cult Status

SSNews. In our spanish report tonight Georgie Thomson has gone out of her way to travel to Spain to interview the Handsome Villerreal manager Dave Davies-Evans.

GT" well Dave you have delivered the title for Villerreal, you must be elated"

DDE. Elated is not the word. This has been an amazing season and life could not be better at the moment round here. This is for the fans and everyone behind the scenes.

GT" you are miles behind in the manager of the season awards, any coments??"

DDE. Im not worried about awards and accolaides, we have achieved over our goal this season and that is the most satisfying thing for all here. The fans and players deserve the awards not me. I have set the training and tacticts for the season, but the players have achived this accolaide as CHAMPIONS.

GT" Covic has been a revalation this season??.

DDE. We could not have done it without him, he has been amazing and i would like to thank Johnny for loaning him to me. However all my players desreve there champions medals"

GT. What now then Dave?

DDE. A big fat cuban cigar and a nice bottle of Chablis. Im going to enjoy the play off's this year and just kick back and relax.

GT You mention the play offs which games are you looking forward to the most?

DDE. The Italian second division is the one im looking forward to. This really appeals to me. I used to Manage Reggina, i am great friends with Dale Pricey Price and i have a lot of respect to Terry at Siena. May the best team win the play offs and good luck to all involved.

GT. you have a fully fit squad for your final game of the season.

DDE. Im so chuffed everyone is fit. How do i pick the first 11 as everyone of my squad deserves a start. Whoever starts does not matter as the whole squad will have there hands on that trophey after the 90 mins.

GT. Thanks dave, we are meeting up later for dinner.

DDE. Dont flatter yourself Gerogie!!!!

pricey · Cult Status

Lazio have top 3 in their sights

Lazio could finish off a very impressive first season back in Seria A next week by getting themselves into the top 3. They will need to beat the already relegated Catania and hope that AC Milan lose to Fiorentina, the team that Lazio beat this week by 2 goals to 1. I hope that Lazio can do it as it will be a massive achievement for the club who were in Seria B last season

Palermo down

This week saw Palermos run in Seria A come to an end as they were beaten by Brescia who picked up their first win of the season. I think they will be a very hard side to beat next season and that should see them go straight back up. Brescia on the other hand will find it very hard to go back up next season.

Play-off rehearsal goes Sienas way

Siena and Atalanta met this week in a game that is to be repeated in 2 weeks time as the two teams meet in the semi final of the Play-offs. This game saw Atalanta manager Dale Price rest a few of his players ready for the end of season Play-offs. I think this was the reason that Terry and his side were able to take all 3 points from the game. I am looking forward to the game in two weeks because I feel that the winner of that game will win the play-offs.

Luke_C · Cult Status

Coakleys corner

The relagation battle

Arsenal 2 Manchester City 2

Man City went for it and were very unlucky not to win, they dominated for long periods with all the big guns impressing. However they had to come from behind twice and equalising just before half time. The second half was a dull affair and the game finished with no further goals

Coakleys Corner

It feels like its a little to late for Manchester City, bringing in the likes of Kaka and Torres should maybe have been done earlier in the season but its not over yet. One more game and they then need to hope other results go for them. They played very well today though against a good team.

Leicester 0 Middlesboro 0

A stubborn Middlesboro again kept a clean sheet and continue to impress. The game certainly wasnt an advert for premiership football but both teams will be pleased with a point.

Coakleys Corner

Leicester will feel its a game they could have won but as so many teams before them they have found it impossible to break down boro. It make not be entertaining but you have to praise Gareth Gardener for the way he has set them up and in turn got a 7^th place finish. If you had asked me would a club stay up and be pushing for Europe having scored just 13 goals I would have laughed and said no chance. But to concede only 16 is remarkable, only Liverpool have concede fewer goals.

My predictions on upcoming games

Spurs V Newcastle

Newcastle have lost the last two games and wont want to finish the season with a loss. Spurs are in freefall however they have some top quality players should they wish to use them. If they had been more proactive in getting in a manager they would have been in a much stronger position to stay up. - Prediction Newcastle WIN

Man City V Cardiff

Its going to be tough for Manchester City losing players like Vidic, Mexes and Kaka but they will be hoping we (Cardiff) have one eye on the UEFA Cup final. We (Cardiff) have our position secured in the league so as reported a couple of players will be rested but its still a game we will be looking to win. I suppose its a twist of fate that if Manchester City had beaten us in the UEFA Cup semi final that we would have gone full strength in this game and I would feel very confident in a victory then. Score Draw

Leicester v Arsenal

Both Arsenal and Leicester have two players out and despite the difference in league position I expect this to be a very tight game. Its the way of football that a game as big as this will have a conspiracy theory. Arsenal leagues position is confirmed and Leicester could stay up with a win, throw into that Leicester and Arsenal are owned by Steve Jenkins and Simon Jenkins respectively and you have internet message boards going into melt down. In reality im not sure that this will have a baring on the game. Prediction Leicester WIN

Summary

I think we are in for a hell of a final day, all the teams have quality in certain areas and they will all be tight games. I believe Leicester will just about do it.

Coakleys Cardiff Corner

Cardiff 3 Portsmouth 5

Despite Cardiff taking a two goal lead it was Portsmouth who ran away comfortable winners with some stylish finishing. The result means Pompey will continue to chase down second place in the league going into the last game of the season.

Coakleys Cardiff Corner

We rested a few key players but I was still delighted with the way we played. On another day its a game we would have come away with all the points, we had more chances, more shots on target, better pass completion and better cross completion just lacking in the finishing so thats something we need to address. Portsmouth though are a surprise package though and deserve all the plaudits for this season, they have come from no where. On a final note we would link to thank Gilardino for his contribution this season. We picked him up for a small fee and he has played 9 games and been excellent in them all. He has a slight knock today so will be out for the rest of the season

-- Edited by Luke_C on Monday 5th of March 2012 06:05:36 PM

Cult Status

Arsenal deny rumours.
Arsenal have denied accusations they are set to field a weakened team in the final game of the season to aid Leicester and their hopes of survival. Despite this denial manager Jamie Walker has confirmed their new goalkeeper is likely to get a debut but insists the decision has nothing to do with those accusations.

-- Edited by 10 on Monday 5th of March 2012 10:07:03 PM

Tezza · Cult Status

The ITALIAN DOMESTIC CUP.

THE FINAL

Sampdoria v Genoa

The Italian Cup was played out yesterday in what was one of the best games the competition has ever seen. The match involved the two Italian League leaders and on paper it looked a forgone conclusion.

From the kick off you wouldn't have wanted to speculate on the outcome. Sampdoria set off as though they wanted to sort the result out well before half time. Carl Robson's Sampdoria took the lead in the 20^th minute with a wonderful effort from their veteran midfielder Ricardinho. The score remained at 1-0 until Sampdoria scored their second in the 55^th minute with 28 yr old Rafael Moura getting on the score sheet. A betting man would have thought the result was assured but they hadn't bargained for Genoa.

Callum Wards Genoa left it till the 70^th minute before getting into the action. As Sampdoria eased into a general realisation that the Cup looked like being theirs, Genoa struck. Vagner Love, in a moment of pure genius, thundered home a goal that gave Genoa new vigour. Within a minute Briand had made it two all and the fight was on.

On 74 minutes Vagner Love struck again to put Genoa ahead for the first time in the match. Sampdoria just couldnt pick up the reins again and were starting to panic, giving the ball away all over the field. On 80 minutes Parejo put the pressure on further and had hardly finished celebrating when Vagner Love smahed in the fifth for Genoa. You cant keep this side down and from a very shaky start, they had won the Cup.

This years competition has been a showpiece for Italian football and the quality of play on the field will encourage managers to look at this league when considering future job offers. Well done Genoa. This year has really been a very special year for you.

-- Edited by Tezza on Wednesday 7th of March 2012 11:02:46 PM

-- Edited by Tezza on Wednesday 7th of March 2012 11:03:37 PM

-- Edited by Tezza on Wednesday 7th of March 2012 11:06:49 PM

Jozz · Cult Status

Crunch Time

The Wolves manager spoke before his side face Reading this week in what the manager sees as his side's Cup Final.

"We have to win and hope that Sheffield United lose this week. If that happens we stay up. If not we are down."

"The season has boiled down to one game that we have to win. Just like a Cup Final. Reading are a good side and it will not be an easy game. They are pretty much at full strength, so we will have to be at our best to get the result. But I am confident that our players have the ability to play well. We have done well in recent games, even though we lost against Blackburn last week we scored 2 which shows we have overcome the problems we faced at the beginning of the season."

"We also will have our fans right behind us at Molyneaux and I would like to thank them for supporting both the players and me during what has been a difficult season for the club."

"If the result does not go our way, then I would like to stay on at Wolves, but I do not know whether that will be likely."

-- Edited by Jozz on Thursday 8th of March 2012 01:45:14 PM