Exit 2011, Enter 2012

Happy New Year everyone! It's been a long time since I posted on this blog but just want to wish you all the very best for 2012.

SAD NEWS: Sven to be sacked

I just heard this from BBC Sport...

Sven-Goran Eriksson has been told he will be sacked as Manchester City manager at the end of the season, BBC Sport understands.

City owner Thaksin Shinawatra told Eriksson he was "not the right man for the job" at a meeting on Sunday, a source close to the Swede said.

Eriksson informed the players at training on Monday that he would be dismissed, provoking an angry response.

Shinawatra has been unhappy with City's results since the turn of the year.

The Thai was at the City of Manchester Stadium on Sunday to watch his team's 3-2 defeat by Fulham.

Afterwards, he held a meeting with Eriksson and told him he would be dismissed after their final two games of the season.

"Sven reacted calmly, as usual, but he was very surprised and disappointed," the source told BBC Sport.

"He doesn't want to leave the club and will not resign. He loves working with the players and his work at Manchester City has only just begun."

I am shocked by the news. Sven looked like City's great manager and I am stunned by this news. Sure he wasn't the best of England managers but, what a flying start he had at the start of the season and the summer signings he made turned City into one of the Premier League's most exciting teams. Sure City have fell into a slump into 2008, but I think the chairman should have given him time. Not the right man for the job? If he's not the right man, who is? I am stunned by the news. Simply stunned.

A list of the most horrific leg breaks in football I've seen

After seeing Arsenal striker Eduardo's horrific leg break last week, I thought I'd make a list of some of the worst broken legs I have ever seen in football.

2008 - Eduardo da Silva - Arsenal v Birmingham - The Brazilian-born Croatian international broke his leg after a shocking challenge by Martin Taylor after only three minutes' play. Gunners and Blues players were visibly horrified.
2006 - Alan Smith - Man Utd v Liverpool - The now-Newcastle midfielder/striker broke his ankle as well as his leg after blocking a John Arne Riise free-kick.
2004 - Djibril Cissé - Liverpool v Blackburn - The French striker broke his leg after a challenge by James McEveley. Amazingly, he came back at the tail-end of the season.
2006 - Djibril Cissé - France v China - The same man again. Cissé broke his leg after a challenge by a Chinese player, effectively putting him out of the World Cup. Amazingly, he is still playing, albeit now for Marseille, whom he joined later that year after his Liverpool contract ran out.
1999 - Henrik Larsson - Celtic v Lyon - The Swede broke his leg after a innocuous tackle by a Lyon player. But the then-dreadlocked striker came back in time for Euro 2000.
1996 - David Busst - Coventry v Man Utd - The grandaddy of them all. Even the toughest of people may vomit after witnessing this. Although the broken leg wasn't seen on TV, it was in a picture accompanied by the headline "Bussted!" United 'keeper Peter Schmeichel had to have counselling. Busst had to have 17 operations afterwards, but they weren't enough to avoid him calling it a day.

And how about the other leg breaks in other sports?

2001 - Wrestling - WCW star Sid Vicious, not to be confused with Sex Pistols lead singer, broke his leg after jumping off the top rope and missing Scott Steiner. Although there were fears that his career all but over, Sid did return three years later.
2007 - Rugby Union - Wales player Chris Czekaj snapped his leg against Australia, the snap and Czekaj's scream could be heard on television.
2005 - Aussie Rules - Possibly the most vicious broken leg in sport. Hawks star Nathan Brown badly broke his leg after it was crushed by a Demons player at Telstra Dome.

Ant's Rant on International Premier League

OK. Righty. I'm gonna have a real rant about the Premier League's idea about bringing matches abroad. So let me explain to you about the overview, then: The English Premier League is considering the idea of staging some matches around the rest of the world. At a meeting in London on Thursday, all 20 clubs agreed to explore a proposal to extend the season to 39 games. Those 10 extra games would be played at five different venues, with cities bidding for the right to stage them. It is understood the additional fixtures could be determined by a draw but that the top-five teams could be seeded to avoid playing each other. Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore told BBC Sport: "I think it's an idea whose time has come. It's an exciting prospect. "It's an extra game, it's is not taking anybody's game away, and it includes all 20 clubs which is very important. All 20 clubs will benefit and there is a huge element of solidarity about it. "When the league does well, other people in the football family do well in terms of redistribution. We feel it is a very positive thing. "You can't stand still and if we don't do this then somebody else is going to do it, whether it be football or another sport. Therefore it's trying to ride the crest of that wave at the same as protecting what is good and great about what we do. "Every time there is an evolutionary step, the reaction of the fans is not always great but I would ask them to take a step back and look at the positives." The Football Association has given its provisional support to the plans. "We understand the reasons for this proposals and the benefits it can bring to English football as a whole," said an FA source. A final decision on the proposals will not be made until January 2009.

The main aspects of the plans are:

An additional round of Premier League fixtures, extending the season to 39 games, from January 2011

Four clubs to travel to one of five host cities, with two games taking place in each venue over a weekend

Cities would bid for the right to become a host, not for individual matches

Points earned from the games would count towards the final Premier League table

The Premier League's proposal mirrors moves in other sports, notably American gridiron. The Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants met at Wembley in October, the first competitive NFL game outside North America. "Globalization is a challenge for all sports because the whole world seems to be interested in the very best of sport wherever it comes from," added Scudamore. "Through modern media exposure there is a globalisation and we need to do something to make sure we are at the forefront of that and making sure we turn that into positive benefits for the game at all levels in this country." Scudamore also defended the claim that taking away the principle of teams playing each other twice, home and away, removes the league's fairness. "There is a perfect symmetry to our league but that is not the same thing as saying it is fair," he said. "The clubs will know in advance what the rules are, there will be a draw and these matches will not be anyone's home or away games. "There are a lot of things that will be done to make it as fair as you can make it. This is not a challenge to the integrity of the competition." Now let me start off by saying, it's a Marmite Love or Hate situation here. And I choose Hate. Overseas matches might sound like fun, but if you're playing an extra game and traveling those thousand miles, you're in for hell. Same can be said for the fans. How can they do their jobs then have to travel the full distance to see their team? First class! But then again, the Premier League is truly a global competition with a top load of foreigners playing in the league. And 202 countries have TV coverage of it. And it's been global for quite a while now. So it's not quite a surprise that the PL are finally doing this. But as Lee Dixon said on Saturday's Football Focus, it's an absolutely ludicrous idea. Sir Alex Ferguson and UEFA president Michel Platini are notably against the idea. But Kevin Keegan and Roy Keane have backed the plans, with Arsenal gaffer Arsène Wenger broadly in favour. "I'm not against an innovative attitude if it respects the competitive side of our league, if it respects the fans and promotes the quality of our Premier League," Wenger said. And Sunderland boss Keane also said: "It's great. Change is good but that depends who you are playing in that extra game. If it's one of the top four, I might argue." "It will give everybody in the world a chance to see it in areas where they don't get a chance to see football like that," said Newcastle gaffer Keegan. Keano added: "The Premier League has been brilliant and Richard Scudamore (Premier League chief executive) spoke brilliantly. They are looking at the proposals and do everything properly. "It's three years away and I think we should all be trying to be positive about it." Platini said: "It will never be received by FIFA, by the fans or the national associations. It's a nonsense idea. I am sure they will never accept it because it's not good for football. "In England, you already have no English coach, no English players and maybe now you will have no clubs playing in England. It's a joke." And Sir Alex said: "They can't keep their mouth shut down there." "What disappoints me is Manchester United chief executive David Gill said 'keep this quiet, we're discussing it' and then it's in the papers. "These issues should be discussed internally by clubs before they come to this position we are now in but until I speak to David Gill again I have nothing more to say about it." Strictly speaking I am on Platini and Sir Alex's side. Platini makes a good point: no English manager, no English players and NO CLUBS PLAYING IN ENGLAND. Abysmal. Truly shocking. Farcical. Laughable. Ludicrous. Ridiculous. Pathetic. National joke. In your dreams. Pinch me, cuz I must be dreaming.

MON labels football 'crazy'

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill says football has gone "crazy" after Sam Allardyce became the eighth managerial casualty of this Premier League season.

Allardyce was sacked as Newcastle boss just eight months into his reign at St. James' Park and O'Neill said: "I sympathise. It's absolutely crazy.

"If you were put into a job in the city, the first thing you would ask for is time. It takes a while to gel.

"But with football, it's absolutely out of hand. It's so crazy now."

Other top flight managers to have been given the axe this term include José Mourinho, Martin Jol and Billy Davis.

And O'Neill says the days of a manager being given time to stamp his authority on a side are gone.

He said: "When I was a player, managers were getting sacked but they were getting two years in a job. Now it's two minutes.

"In Sam's few months at Newcastle he might not have even found out the correct strength of the reserve side. He might have players injured that he doesn't know much about.

"I know from my experience at Leicester, Celtic and even here. The minute you come in, you're in charge.

"You don't get time in football. I'd love to say I have a five-year plan or ideas for the youth team. Have a bit of sense - it just doesn't happen."

Flintoff could feature for Lions in India

Andrew Flintoff could make a long-awaited comeback playing for the England Lions on their tour of India, according to the chairman of selectors, David Graveney.


"They are very happy with his rehab," Graveney said after announcing England's two squads to tour New Zealand next month. "There is a possibility, if his rehab goes to plan, of him going on the Lions tour at the end of January."

Flintoff, 30, underwent keyhole ankle surgery in October and has since been recovering in America. He hasn't played a Test match since the fifth Test of the 2006-07 Ashes in Sydney, and although he wasn't considered for England's tour of New Zealand, Graveney said he could feature for the Lions when they play in India's Duleep Trophy.


"He's very keen to get back playing cricket so there is a possibility of him joining up as a batsman only as part of his rehab," Graveney said. "Everyone has their fingers crossed to get him back bowling and at this stage it is going according to plan.''

The Lions depart for India on January 24.

Mixed Cup Feelings for West Midlands Clubs in 3rd Round

Saturday was not a good for Birmingham City and Aston Villa, as the Premier League pair were both dumped out of the FA Cup by Huddersfield Town and Manchester United respectively.

League One Huddersfield won 2-1 at their Galpharm Stadium, while Premier League holders United came to Villa Park to beat the home side 2-0, with late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

But Championship Coventry made the biggest giant-killing of the day with a 4-1 thrashing at Premier League Blackburn Rovers.

And West Brom drew 1-1 at Championship rivals Charlton Athletic.

Fellow Championship side Wolves beat Conference Cambridge 2-1 at Molineux, while Walsall drew nil-all with League One rivals Millwall at the Bescot for a replay at the New Den.

And finally, Chasetown, who are in the fourth tier of non-league football, lost 3-1 to Championship Cardiff, but it was a historical day in the club's history.