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All the very latest football news across Europe!

Arsenal's Jack Wilshere is set for an England recall for the pre-World Cup friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy - skysports.com

Burnley's 25-year-old defender James Tarkowski is set to receive his first call-up to the England team - The Times

The Russian government has threatened to ban 'every single British news outlet' from attending the World Cup - Daily Mail

Real Madrid believe a bid of €300m could tempt PSG to sell Neymar to them this summer. That figure could be even less in the summer of 2019, with the Brazilian set to be available then for €222m
- Marca (Spanish national daily sport newspaper)

Chelsea have appealed for supporters to get in contact with information after claims some were allegedly hurt by police and security using batons outside the Nou Camp before their Champions League defeat to Barcelona last night - skysports.com

Businessman Saeed Al-Falasi, a member of Dubai's royal family, is interested in buying AC Milan, amid doubts of current owner Yonghong Li's finances - Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian newspaper dedicated to the coverage of sport)

New Southampton manager Mark Hughes is the 'right man' for the club, in the mind of club legend Matt Lee Tissier. The Sky Sports pundit said: "Mark has managed in this league for a long, long time, more than 400 games. I think it is a pretty good appointment from my perspective - skysports.com

Mark Hughes has been placed out of his comfort zone having been tasked with inspiring Southampton to safety, says Mark Schwarzer. Hughes has been appointed manager at St Mary's until the end of the season following Mauricio Pellegrino's sacking on Monday. Schwarzer, who played under Hughes at Fulham, has described the appointment as "strange", questioning the Welshman's ability to motivate players individually and as a squad - skysports.com

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is set to clash with the club's senior officials over his summer transfer budget and, with tensions rising, Paris St-Germain might try to tempt him to France - Daily Mirror and AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho wants £60million Chelsea star Willian this summer - The Sun

Senior figures inside Old Trafford are questioning whether Jose Mourinho is the right man to lead Manchester United. - Daily Mail

Roma goalkeeper Alisson's protracted apparent move to Liverpool may have taken a step closer,with reports that the Italian club are looking at replacements. Alisson could cost the Reds upwards of £60m, it has been reported, as Jurgen Klopp looks for a new number one - L'Equipe (a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport)

Chelsea star Alvaro Morata could be in hot water after an obscene gesture to Barcelona fans last night - Daily Express

Chelsea are keen to sign Juventus' 29-year-old Ghana full-back Kwadwo Asamoah on a free transfer when his contract runs out in the summer - The Sun

Manchester City are set to sign a £45m-a-year sponsorship deal with Puma. Their current deal with Nike is worth £18m a year - The Sun

Fifa has expanded its investigation into whether Manchester City broke rules on signing youth players. The club could be punished with a transfer ban if found guilty of wrongdoing - Daily Telegraph

Arsenal are ready to splash the cash to bring Real Madrid's Luka Modric back to the Premier League this summer but face competition from Liverpool and Spurs - Daily Express

A youth product of Real Madrid, Alvaro Morata has already re-signed for the Spanish side once, and now reports say he could be on his way back to the Bernabeu - again. The Chelsea forward started well at Stamford Bridge after a £60m move from Juventus last summer, but has struggled in more recent times.
Reports suggest he could be joined in Spain by Massimiliano Allegri, with the Juve boss, who managed Morata last season at the Old Lady, tipped to replace Zinedine Zidane in the summer - The Daily Star

Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta says he is contemplating a move to China at the end of the season. The 33-year-old has spent his entire career at Barcelona, but admitted a switch is a possibility after returning from a hamstring injury in Wednesday night's 3-0 win over Chelsea at the Nou Camp - skysports.com

Hertha Berlin right-back Mitchell Weiser is an option for Bayer Leverkusen, although there is also interest from England, Italy and other German clubs. The 23-year-old midfielder would cost €12m - Kicker (Germany's leading sports magazine)

West Ham manager David Moyes stood up in defence of his players' holiday break in Florida break this week, amid opposition from the club's board - Daily Mirror

Gremio midfielder Arthur has revealed his delight at his impending move to Barcelona. The La Liga leaders announced last weekend that they have reached an agreement on a purchase option to sign the 21-year-old midfielder - skysports.com

Liverpool will go head-to-head with Tottenham for £30m Stuttgart defender Benjamin Pavard - Daily Mirror

Bayern Munich are ready to join Juventus in the chase for Liverpool's Emre Can - Daily Mirror

Everton are eyeing £7.5million Basel defender Leo Lacroix to help solve their problems at the back - The Sun

Saido Berahino is poised for a return to the Stoke squad this weekend - Daily Telegraph

Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem want to keep Chelsea's 19-year-old English midfielder Mason Mount for another season - (VL - in Dutch)

Patrick Kluivert has harmed his chances of becoming Oxford United's new boss after refusing to fly in for a meeting - The Sun

The Best Footballers NOT going to the 2014 World Cup!

On Wednesday night the thirty-second and final remaining place for the 2014 World Cup finals in Rio was secured by Uruguay. Earlier in the day Mexico completed the formalities of defeating New Zealand and so the teams heading to Brazil were confirmed.

However some high profile teams will be missing next summer at one of the biggest sporting events in the world including the likes of Sweden, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia and Denmark. Along with these missing teams there are some tremendously talented players who will also absent from footballs greatest global stage.


GK: Petr Cech - (Czech Republic)
Chelsea’s stalwart will not be adding to his 105 caps for Czech Republic this summer as Cech misses out on his second World Cup in succession. Cech played in every minute of his nation's group stage qualifying campaign but was unable to secure their place in Brazil. The Chelsea shot-stopper conceded nine goals in ten matches as his side finished third in the group. However at 31 Cech should not give up hope of featuring in Russia 2018. The giant goalkeeper remains a vital player for club and country.

RB: Lukasz Piszczek - (Poland)
Borussia Dortmund's marauding full-back (right) misses out. The Pole loves to gallop forward and is great in doing so. It's a shame we will not see this mans bursting runs forward in Brazil. Piszczek scored twice in qualifying but could not help Poland out of England’s group.

CB: Daniel Agger - (Denmark)
Denmark's leading scorer during World Cup qualifying, Agger (extreme right) was incredibly unlucky not to make the World Cup, with his side the only country to finish second in their qualifying group and miss out on a play-off spot.

CB: Branislav Ivanovic - (Serbia)
The Chelsea defender was one of only two players to take the field in every one of Serbia's matches during qualifying but his side performed poorly, missing out on a play-off place to rivals Croatia

LB: David Alaba - (Austria)
Placed in a qualifying group alongside Germany and Sweden, the Bayern Munich full-back was unable to guide Austria to their first World Cup since 1998 - although he contributed more than most, leading the goalscoring ranks with six strikes.

DM: Nemanja Matic - (Serbia)
The Benfica midfielder only returned to the international fold in September after a lengthy absence but will be missed in Brazil. Last season's Primera Liga 'Player of the Year' has established himself as one of Europe’s most impressive combative midfielders.

LM: Gareth Bale - (Wales)
Ryan Giggs, Mark Hughes and Ian Rush never managed to play in a major international tournament and the world's most expensive footballer will not feature in Rio, but the 24 year-old has time on his side. He will be focusing on helping Wales qualify for The 2016 UEFA European Championships, which will be held in France.

RM: Arda Turan - (Turkey)
Turan is one of Atletico Madrid’s prized assets, having made his move to Spain from Galatasaray in 2011. The 26-year-old is also a very influential member of the Turkey squad, creating 29 chances for his Turkish teammates in qualifying. Turan also has 13 goals in his international career to date.

AM: Marek Hamsik - (Slovakia)
Napoli midfielder Hamsik is most definitely the name that catches the eye when scanning the Slovakia squad. Hamsik has attracted a lot of attention across Europe and is another key name that will be missing out on the World Cup in 2014, after Slovakia finished well behind Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece in qualifying.

ST: Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
Currently leading the Bundesliga goalscoring charts with nine goals in 12 games, Lewandowski (right) could only help his nation finish fourth in England's qualifying group.

ST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
The mercurial Swede, famed for his spectacular goals as well as his outrageous comments, did his bit in the play-off against Portugal, scoring twice but he could not haul a below par Swedish side to the finals.


Other noticeable absentees:

Gylfi Sigurdsson - (Iceland) Iceland's fairytale came to an end with a 2-0 play-off defeat against Croatia, which means the Tottenham midfielder will not make his debut at a World Cup finals.

Aaron Ramsey - (Wales) The Arsenal star has improved beyond recognition this season and now boast statistics to rival any midfielder in Europe. It would have been fascinating to see if Ramsey could replicate his stunning club form on the world stage in Brazil.

Christian Eriksen - (Denmark) The Denmark midfielder (right) is yet to make his mark in the Premier League this season, but he created more goalscoring chances than any other player in the Eredivisie (Dutch League) with Ajax last season.

Andriy Yarmalenko - (Ukraine) Yarmolenko can play as a winger or as a centre-forward. The 24 year-old plays his club football for Dynamo Kiev and has an excellent goal scoring record for both club and country.

Henrik Mkhitaryan - (Armenia) The Borussia Dortmund maestro has impressed in the Bundesliga this season but remains hampered at the international level by one of Europe's weaker teams. Mkhitaryan played every minute of qualifying and inspired impressive results like the 2-2 draw against Italy in Naples, but it wasn't enough.

Neven Subotić - (Serbia) Subotić has dazzled for Borussia Dortmund, but his national team didn't cut the mustard. To add to his woes it was recently confirmed he will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

Stevan Jovetic - (Montenegro)
Montenegro have risen rapidly since they gained independence in 2008 and Manchester City's £22million forward has been a key player during that time.

Matija Nastasic - (Serbia)
The third Serbian defender on this list, it is a wonder how they do not have a better defensive record, but at 20 years of age Nastasic still has plenty of time ahead of him to make it to a World Cup.

How the 'Cookie' Crumbles!

Chris Coleman - Plenty of food for thought!

Ranting on about the state of international football in Britain and trying to put together a constructive and valid argument on why all our home nations are so poor and ineffective when the players pull on their national shirts is a futile exercise.

As football fans we are all aware of the club versus country argument, the failure of players to deliver on the pitch, should they actually grace us with their presence in the first place, along with the worrying lack of passion and desire to proudly wear the national shirt by many of these men that have been blessed with a gift for a sport that rewards them handsomely in more ways than one is baffling!

Our respective nations have failed to perform over many years now and most of us have our own views and thoughts as to why we are so limp in our attempts just to qualify for major tournaments let alone win anything. It doesn't look like things are going to change dramatically in the next few years and I would be surprised if I see any nation from the British Isles come close to winning a major trophy in my lifetime.

The reason I say that is because the events of last week simply re-iterate my disillusionment with our game at international level - farcical!

'Cookie' in his Palace playing days.

Mr Chris 'Cookie' Coleman (right) was one of my favourite players when he plyed his trade at Selhurst Park between 1991 and 1995 for my beloved Crystal Palace. Manager of the Welsh national team since January 2012 'Cookie' took his seat in the dugout in Macedonia on Friday night as his Wales team took on Macedonia in a World Cup qualifying fixture.

The 2-1 defeat in Skopje was not a major surprise, it was typical old-school Wales as they ended up losing a game they should have won, but the humiliating 1-0 defeat inflicted on the Wales under-21 side by their counterparts from San Marino, (that nation’s first competitive victory at any level since their under-17 side beat Andorra in 2002) simply compounded a farcical week. At the heart of all that has been the line peddled by optimists about the supposed existence of a conveyor belt of young talent   that would, in time, emerge to make Wales a different proposition.

'Cookie' joined the squad late in Macedonia, missing the final training session because he had lost his passport and missed the flight on Thursday. It was an oversight unfortunate enough on its own without the way it was compounded by Coleman’s claims that his subsequent late arrival didn't matter, because when Wales train abroad they do "next to nothing".

‘Cookie’ knows a lot of people are going to be looking at these turn of events and thinking that’s amateurish.

Then of greater consequence were his tactics and the clutch of what appeared to be mystifying substitutions the manager made as the game slipped away from Wales.

Why bring on defensive midfielder Andrew Crofts when they had Macedonia on the rack? Why bring on full-back Adam Matthews for an attacking midfielder? Why introduce striker Sam Vokes with just five minutes left?

Coleman also left the world’s most expensive player, Gareth Bale, on the bench rather than introduce him even for five minutes. There’s no suggestion at all of anything underhand on either Coleman’s part or Bale’s.

Coleman says he spoke to the player on the day of the game and he was not ready. Fine!

Coleman argued vehemently that Bale was only put among the replacements to provide psychological ammunition. But in deciding to put him on the bench, while having no intention of using him, Coleman opened himself up to inevitable criticism if the result went against Wales, which it subsequently did. I understand the psychological game he was playing but the ‘fear factor’ was only going to work if he’d brought him on. By not doing so, it was neither here or there.

I’d like to think Bale was genuinely injured on Friday night and could not play a part in Macedonia, but there’s a lot of politics involved in players – especially ones as expensive as Gareth – in playing for their countries.

Coleman has now presided over 11 competitive international matches. He’s won three, drawn one and lost seven.

Worryingly, in the last seven competitive encounters his team have scored seven times, but only twice from open play – Bale’s wonder-strike against Scotland at Cardiff City Stadium and Hal Robson-Kanu’s header in the return match at Hampden Park.

The defeat mathematically ended Wales' remote chance of overhauling Group A's top two Belgium and Croatia but ahead of the Macedonia game, the manager spoke about the importance of chasing third spot in the group and thus securing an improved seeding for the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

But if Wales lose to Serbia on Tuesday that’s another target which will be all but gone. You have to think the quest then will simply be to avoid finishing rock bottom of Group A. If they do then there is a good chance another home nation, Scotland could fill that void.

I hope that does not happen, but if it does, Coleman, just like any of his peers in the same position, would have to think long and hard about his future.

The Physio Room - Injury Update

With the new Premier League season only days away, managers, chairman and owners are busy wheeling and dealing in the transfer market, in an effort to strengthen their squads.

So spare a thought for the English Premier League clubs' physios and medical teams and their 'healing hands.'

Here is why:

The 2009/10 Premier League season finished on the 9th May, the F.A Cup Final took place on the 15th May, and many English Premier League (EPL) players were involved in international friendlies prior to the World Cup, which itself began on the 11th June.

On the 24th May England themselves hosted Mexico at Wembley, on the 30th England played Japan in Austria, and after arriving in South Africa they had another warm-up game before their opening World Cup group fixture against the USA on the 12th June. They played Algeria on the 18th June, Slovenia on the 23rd, before going out of the competition on the 27th to Germany.

The English Premier League is littered with 'foreign players' from all over the world, who participated in the World Cup, yet ply their trade on English shores.
The World Cup lasted a full month for a few of them, culminating in the Final on the 11th July.

On their return the pre-season friendlies were immediately upon them.

Last Sunday saw the traditional season curtain raiser - the 'Community Shield' played at Wembley, which was this year unusually competitive, as Chelsea and Manchester United locked horns in an effort to get a winning and early physcological advantage over their fiercest rivals.

Tonight sees an 'England XI' play Hungary in what can only be best described as an ill advised, badly timed and meaningless international friendly, which will involve the participation of Premier League players just 72 hours before the new season kicks-off!

What remains to be seen is how well the various managers and their coaching staff along with the healing hands of their respective physios can manage their squads, rotate them effectively and nurse their injured players through the early opening season exchanges, whilst being able to juggle and prioritise their fixtures, and in doing so succeed in maximising performances and results.

Many teams will start the season without some key players, already victims of injuries picked up last season, during the World Cup or in pre-season.

Obviously some Premier League teams have the budget to sustain sufficiently large enough squads to nullify this problem as best possible. However with the transfer window still open, they still have the opportunity to shore up any problem areas, with additional players, whether they be through loan deals or permanent moves.

Meanwhile there is a full programme of English Premier League fixtures this weekend, so here is your chance to catch up on which players are definitely out injured, who is doubtful or struggling, and who will be fit to play for their clubs.

Click on the 'link' to find out the latest on your Club's injury worries, and how soon it will be before some of your teams players will be back in action.

The Worst Sporting Champions of All Time ! - Part One

The World Cup is over, Spain were victorious and they are the World Champions. At the end of the day whilst watching it from my humble abode here in the UK it is in my opinion that Spain were indeed worthy winners, although it was generally a disappointing tournament all-round in terms of the quality of the football played, and the embarrassment and humiliation the England players and management team bestowed upon our nation!

This article is part one of several to come celebrating those undeserved 'Sporting Champions' - those teams and/or individuals that were actually top of their field, yet were still pretty rubbish.

For this reason I shall call them 'Sport's Greatest Ever Pretenders,' starting with:
Blackburn Rovers - Premiership Champions 1995.

How did a team based around the workmanlike talents of Tim Sherwood and Jeff Kenna become champions of England?

Stick nine men behind the ball, hoof it up to Alan Shearer and hope he's not too busy flapping his pointy elbows into some poor old defender's eye socket, and in the interim point in time he whacks the ball into the back of the onion bag. That is how!

Ole, ole ole!.............free-flowing, aesthetically pleasing, champagne football!

That season Manchester United had been handicapped by the loss of the mercurial Eric 'the karate kid' Cantona, following a now well documented altercation with a Crystal Palace fan at Selhurst Park one January evening in 1995. Without the suspended Frenchman it immediately became advantage Rovers, but they still failed to claim their prize with any assumed authority.

They stumbled over the finishing line, losing three of their final five games, the last of which gave Manchester United the chance to snatch the title with the very last kick of the season, if they could win at West Ham. Luckily for Rovers, that final kick fell to United's Achilles heel, Andy Cole's club foot - and Kenny Dalglish's men topped the table by a single point.

They danced and they sang without a hint of ignominy, as this small Lancashire club lifted the Premier League trophy, just four years after the arrival and the aid of the late Jack Walker's dynasty and his millions.

Such end-of-season shamelessness would never be seen again............that was until Chelsea insisted that it 'wasn't all about Roman's f***ing money,' when in June 2003 Ken Bates sold Chelski to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for £140 million, completing what was then the biggest-ever sale of an English football club.

He subsequently spent over £100 million on new players, as they went onto become the fifth English team to win (buy) back-to-back league championships since the Second World War in 2004/05 and 2005/06.

Back Wayne Rooney to crush Algeria - World Cup Betting News with Betfred

VERSUS

Following England's horror show against the USA, someone needs to step up and carry the flag for the Three Lions and could that man be Wayne Rooney.
Fabio Capello's men face a crucial match against Algeria in Cape Town on Friday.

The World Cup odds make them 2/9 to win the game, while the draw is 11/2 with Betfred and, according to team-mate Matthew Upson, Rooney is the man to fire England to victory.

Upson, who hopes to replace the injured Ledley King in the heart of England's defence, has seen Rooney in training over recent weeks and is confident the goals will come for the Manchester United forward.

Rooney has scored only once in eight internationals over the past year, but remains a 12/1 shot in the World Cup 2010 betting to win the Golden Boot. However, if he wants to be top scorer he will need to start finding the back of the net, starting on Friday.

Upson claimed that despite Rooney's recent disappointing international scoring record, there is no need for the striker to panic and "start thinking" about the problem.

"It will happen. Wayne's movement is great. He is a class player and he is totally gifted," the West Ham defender said.

"He just needs to relax, play his game and the goals will come because he is top draw."

England fans could have received a great boost with the confirmation from Capello that Gareth Barry is back from injury and will start the Algeria clash.

The balance of the England side had looked a little off during the draw with the USA, but the return of Barry could give Frank Lampard more chance to push forward which means 7/4 for him to score at anytime could be a good bet.

My Tip of the Weekend:

England should rediscover their goalscoring boots against a sloppy looking Algeria side, so the 3-0 at 13/2 with Betfred is my pick. Over 2.5 goals also looks attractive at 4/5.

Remaining Group C games:

Slovenia v USA - Friday 18th June, kick-off 3pm, live on the BBC.
England v Algeria - Friday 18th June, kick-off 7.30pm, live on ITV.
England v Slovenia - Wednesday 23rd June, kick-off 3pm, live on the BBC.
USA v Algeria - Wednesday 23rd June, kick-off 3pm, live on the BBC.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

"Shoes 4 Life" - You Can Help Make a Difference!

How many pairs of shoes do you own? 5, 10, 20.............more than 20?
Do you ever stop and think that there are millions of people in our world who don't have any shoes at all !

Well SoccerPro is at it again!

Like their 'Jerseys 4 Life' campaign earlier this year, this summer during the World Cup, SoccerPro has teamed up with the international shoe charity, Soles4Souls to bring us 'Shoes 4 Life'.

They are raising awareness of the fact that millions of people every day, many of them children, do not have shoes. Without shoes, walking long distances to schools or jobs is nearly impossible, and bare feet are prone to injury. By donating money to Shoes 4 Life, you can help make a step in the direction of ending this easily fixable problem.

One dollar sends one pair of shoes to a barefoot child or adult, and can help deliver much more: Hope!

SoccerPro is thanking everybody who helps in the movement by giving away some of their inventory. Some lucky winners will receive $800 worth of soccer shoes.

Beer, Footy and Birds is just one of many sites making people aware of the campaign, and giving you an opportunity to make a difference, by providing some much needed help to people far less fortunate than ourselves.

Take a look at Shoes 4 Life - it's a positive way to celebrate how the World Cup is bringing the world together.

More Butter Fingers than Green Fingers !

Now I would like to point out that due to work commitments I had to view last night's game intermittently at work on a small screen TV with the sound muted, and as of yet I have not listened to or read any broadcasting opinions, official interviews or press reports made since the final whistle of the England v USA game.

As a result this article is brief and written without any outside influence, so here we go!

England's history of starting major tournaments poorly continued with another rather uninspiring display last night, as they 'let slip' an early lead given to them courtesy of a serene Steven Gerrard strike, to share the spoils in a rather drab 1-1 draw with the United States in their opening group C match, on day two of the 2010 World Cup.

It may sound a bit premature with only five matches completed as I write, but the word 'uninspiring' seems prevalent thus far in football's showpiece event, with adventurous attacking flair playing second fiddle to some rather apathetic tactics, seemingly deployed and installed by managers into their players.
A psychological condition I am going to call for the time being anyway, the 'lose at no costs' syndrome.

Not for the first time last night England fell foul, largely due to yet another goalkeeping 'gaffe' that would rival any other previous goalkeeping faux pas made by the men between the sticks over the years. Is their some kind of goalkeeping style Masonic Club we are unaware of on these shores!

If there is should it read something like this:

"Ultimately, we are the same Freemasons that you have known throughout your life and all of history – a fun-loving Brotherhood of Charity, that is reflected in our works. We are dedicated to promoting good will in our local communities while at the same time promoting fun, unsafe and unreliable English goalkeepers."

Current members of our club include, Mr.Bonetti, Mr.Clemence, Mr.Seamen, Mr.Robinson, Mr.Carson. Now step forward Mr.Green who has himself thrown his own hat into the ring. However, full membership can only be achieved upon that individual being raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason...........

I digress. Moving on swiftly.
Robert Green in my opinion should not bare the sole brunt of the blame for our failure to beat the USA at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium near Rustenburg last night.
There are other candidates who's influence on our national team puts them well and truly in the line of fire! Not least the Football Association's own £6 million a year employee, our very own England manager, be he of Italian descent, Mr.Fabio Capello.

England qualified for the World Cup with aplomb, but since the end of the English domestic season, and the announcement of the provisional 30 man squad, we seem to have lost our way.

Three lacklustre warm-up matches prior to the tournament seem to throw the England circus out of formation.

I find some of Capello's behaviour and decision making of late somewhat unsettling. The manner in which he whittled down his squad of 30 to a final 23, the omission of certain players and the inclusion of others, along with the reported and I feel rather bizarre decision not to tell his squad who would be starting the game against the USA, until something like two hours before kick-off. Football is as much a mental game as a physical one, and I am not sure I agree with the wisdom of his methods of thinking!

Some may argue the phrase there is 'method in the madness,' but on this occasion I am not convinced the boss got it right!

Having said that, it is still early days, but if 'Fabio' wants to live up to his name, then he has some serious thinking and soul searching to do before Friday's must win encounter with Algeria.

Who will wear the goalkeeping jersey?
What formation should he play?
Should Rooney play as a loan striker?
Is there room for a fit Gareth Barry?
Who will make up the best centre-half pairing?
Should Lennon or Wright-Phillips provide the width?

Good luck Fabio, because ' your necky may well be on the blockey ' if the team fails to deliver on Friday!

Should England Fans Really Be Dreaming of World Cup Glory? - World Cup Betting News with Betfred

The World Cup adverts are already proclaiming a possible England win, the songs, good and bad, are flooding the charts and the kick off is drawing ever nearer.

A singing Terry Venables, advertising a leading tabloid newspaper, is claiming England fans should be dreaming of a possible World Cup win this summer. This hype seems to have gone to people's heads and is probably part of the reason why the World Cup football odds make England third favourites at 6/1 to win the World Cup. England are just 3/1 to reach the Final.

Rio Ferdinand, who had been named as England skipper (following John Terry's much publicised unsavoury off-field antics) has been ruled out of the entire tournament, following a knee injury picked up in training. Steven Gerrard has been handed the captain's armband in his absence, with Frank Lampard being appointed the new vice-captain. Gerrard however still believes the side can win the World Cup this summer, despite the loss of Ferdinand and the rather abject England performances in their recent warm-up games against Mexico and Japan.

Speaking to Prince William via a video link, the Liverpool midfielder claimed the team are focused on the task in hand.

"We're very disappointed about Rio, but by the time that first game comes around I'm sure the team will be fit and ready to win," he said.

Prior to his injury, Ferdinand stated that star striker Wayne Rooney will be crucial to England's hopes this summer and the Manchester United forward is 10/1 with Betfred to be top scorer in the World Cup.

England fans will be hoping the rest of the squad remain injury free and it is Gerrard who lifts the trophy in Johannesburg on July 11th.


My England Tip for the Tournament:

I expect England to carry on their recent tradition and exit at the quarter-final stage, an eventuality which is 10/3 with Betfred and possibly a more realistic World Cup bet than them actually winning the tournament.

Group C games:
England v United States - Saturday 12th June, kick-off 7.30pm, live on the ITV.
England v Algeria - Friday 18th June, kick-off 7.30pm, live on the ITV.
England v Slovenia - Wednesday 23rd June, kick-off 3pm, live on the BBC.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

The Latest World Cup News

Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba's participation in the World Cup is in serious doubt after he broke a bone close to his elbow.
The Chelsea striker, 32, picked up the injury 16 minutes into his side's 2-0 friendly win over Japan yesterday, in Saitama.
However coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said there was still a chance the talismanic Drogba could feature in South Africa.
"He got a bad injury and may have an operation, but he is not out. The doctors can't say any more than that," he told BBC Radio 5 live - BBC Sport

Nigeria suffered a blow just under a week away from the start of the World Cup as they announced that star midfielder John Obi Mikel had been left out of the squad because he did not want to aggravate a knee injury.
The 23-year-old Chelsea star will be replaced in the Nigeria squad by uncapped Brown Ideye, who plays for Sochaux in France - Fifa.com

Brazil have two injury worries in the shape of goalkeeper Julio Cesar and left-back Michel Bastos.
Cesar, 30, missed training for the second consecutive day on Friday and had intensive physiotherapy on the back injury he suffered in Wednesday's 3-0 win against Zimbabwe.
The 26-year-old Bastos damaged his ankle in training.
However, both players are expected to be fit for Brazil's opening fixture against North Korea on the 15th June - BBC Sport

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert remains bullish about his side's chances at the World Cup despite going down 3-1 to Slovenia (Group opponents of England) in a warm-up match in Maribor on Friday.
Two excellent free-kicks from star Milivoje Novakovic, and a tap-in from Andraz Kirm was enough to see off the challenge from the All Whites, who saw Rory Fallon drive home their solitary goal - Fifa.com

Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo faces a race against time to be fit for the finals after suffering a calf injury in Thursday's 2-1 friendly defeat to Mexico.
The 31-year-old will miss the World Cup holders' opener against Paraguay on the 14th June and there are fears he could be ruled out of the whole tournament.
The AC Milan playmaker has left the Azzurri's training camp in the Italian Alps to recover at home but is scheduled to fly to South Africa with the team on the 8th June.
"It's an injury which worries me but there's time," said team doctor Enrico Castellacci - BBC Sport

France suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against China in their final warm-up match on Friday.
China, who are ranked 84th in the world, scored the only goal in the friendly on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean in the 68th minute.
France play Uruguay in their opening match on the 11th June and are hoping to avoid a repeat of their group-stage exit during Euro 2008 - BBC Sport

Chile striker Humberto Suazo may be forced to sit out the World Cup if he is deemed to have used a banned substance when trying to overcome injury, according to Chilean newspaper El Mercurio.
Having acquired a hamstring problem that threatened to rule him out of the competition in a friendly against Israel last Sunday, the powerful forward underwent a course of platelet injections, which have been proven to speed up the muscle healing process. These injections, however, may be illegal according to revised WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) rules.
The 29-year-old was in prolific form during the qualifying campaign, registering on 10 occasions to send the Chileans through as the second best team from South America.
Chile is appearing in its first World Cup since 1998, and faces Honduras in its opening Group H game on the 16th June - Goal.com

Holland coach Bert van Marwijk fears Arjen Robben may miss the World Cup after the winger suffered a hamstring injury against Hungary.
Robben appeared as a second-half substitute in today's friendly against Hungary and scored twice in the 6-1 romp before hurting his hamstring in the closing stages.
The Bayern Munich ace will undergo a scan on the problem on Sunday, meaning he will not travel with the rest of the Dutch squad to South Africa this evening.
Van Marwijk is hoping that Robben's injury will not prove serious enough to rule him out of the World Cup, but he is braced for the worst - Skysports.com

Denmark's injury problems are mounting.
Thomas Kahlenberg is set to miss Denmark's World Cup warm-up match against South Africa tomorrow.
The Wolfsburg midfielder is struggling with injury while Jon Dahl Tomasson is also doubtful for the match. The Feyenoord striker was absent from yesterday's training session and was to be assessed today.
Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, defender Simon Kjaer and striker Nicklas Bendtner are already missing as Denmark complete their preparations for their Group A matches against Holland, Cameroon and Japan - Fifa.com

Arse About Face - World Cup Hair To Die For!

A hairdresser is a universal term referring to someone whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair colouring, haircutting and hair texture techniques.
Some barbers prefer to see themselves as hairdressers or hairstylists.
In fact, barbers can cut hair, trim beards, colour, perm, provide facials, and shave. Today, barbers and stylists may be found working side by side in establishments known as male salons. Male salons have afforded the barber the opportunity to remain traditional in all aspects of the term, yet also progressively contemporary as fashion and trends evolve.

In the dock and charged with crimes against football, in this case for attempting and failing to carry off the role of a fashion icon are:

Defendant One: Ronaldo (Brazil) seen at the 2002 World Cup in Japan & South Korea sporting this cataclysmic faux pas.....

Defendant Two: Carles Puyol (Spain) a repeat offender - seen firstly at the 2002 World Cup in Japan & South Korea and again at the 2006 World Cup in Germany sporting this cataclysmic faux pas.....

Defendant Three: Alexis Lalas (USA) seen at the 1994 World Cup in the United States sporting this cataclysmic faux pas.....

Defendant Four: Carlos Valderrama (Columbia) seen at the 1990 World Cup in Italy sporting this cataclysmic faux pas.....

Defendant Five: Roberto Baggio (Italy) seen at the 1994 World Cup of in the United States sporting this cataclysmic faux pas.....

Could the USA really threaten England in South Africa? - 2010 World Cup Betting News with Betfred

V.

With England due to kick-off their 2010 World Cup campaign three weeks today, the hype about this summer's World Cup is well and truly underway, and you can't move for adverts in support of our national team. However one football expert reckons Fabio Capello's side face a tricky task early on in the competition.

England, who are third favourites in the World Cup 2010 betting, face the USA in Rustenburg in their opening game on June 12th. The Three Lions are well-fancied to win this clash at 1/2 with Betfred, while the Americans are 5/1 to cause a shock.

One man who thinks it may not be so easy for England is Sir Alex Ferguson, who thinks the USA have a "very good chance at qualifying", which could see some punters seeing the Americans to win Group C at 5/1 as a reasonable shout.

The Manchester United manager said there are a number of players in Bob Bradley's squad who are more than capable of springing a surprise on opposition defences in South Africa.

"I don't think they're going to be overwhelmed with the atmosphere of the World Cup, the importance of the World Cup, the intensity," Ferguson said.

"I think that will be easy for them. I think they'll be used to that. Those players have that, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey. Dempsey has had a great season in England this year."

He added: "They are very athletic, they apply themselves very well, and are difficult to play against."

England and the USA, the two favourites to progress from Group C, also have to play Slovenia and Algeria. The eastern European nation failed to clock up a point in their only other World Cup appearance in 2002, while the African side also have a poor record in the tournament. They are 15/8 and 10/3 respectively to make it through to the second round, something I can't see happening.

Remember, this is the same USA side that is ranked 14 in the world and made it into the final of the Confederations Cup last summer, beating Spain on the way and giving Brazil a real game in the final. So not only should they make it out of the group, but they could go even further - the online betting makes them 20/1 shots to be knocked out in the semis.


My Opening Tip of the Tournament:

England and USA to qualify from Group C at 4/5 with Betfred, while England at 3/1 to get knocked out in the quarter-finals should also be considered by those punters seeking value.

England v United States - Saturday 12th June, kick-off 7.30pm, live on the ITV.
England v Algeria - Friday 18th June, kick-off 7.30pm, live on the ITV.
England v Slovenia - Wednesday 23rd June, kick-off 3pm, live on the BBC.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

The Latest World Cup News

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has dropped Juventus defender Fabio Grosso and Udinese midfielder Antonio Candreva from his World Cup squad ahead of a training camp this weekend and two warm up matches.
Grosso, 32 was a pivotal player for Italy in their World Cup success four years ago, while Candreva who made his international debut last November also misses out, after failing to shine in a poor Juventus side - ESPN Soccernet

Marcell Jansen remains on course to shake off a foot injury in time to make Germany's World Cup squad.
The Hamburg defender has been named in Joachim Low's 27-man preliminary party and is making is making encouraging progress, despite having been sidelined with the problem since March - Skysports.com

The Ghana Football Association says German midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has been cleared to play for them.
This means the 23-year-old Portsmouth midfielder will be available to line up for the Black Stars at this summer's World Cup in South Africa.
Boateng was named in Black Stars coach Milovan Rajevac's 30-man squad for the finals despite the delay in his application to switch nationality - BBC Sport

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has trimmed his provisional World Cup squad from 30 to 27 players.
PSV Eindhoven forward Otman Bakkal and midfielders Wout Brama (FC Twente) and David Mendes Da Silva (AZ Alkmaar) were all omitted.
Earlier in the week, van Marwijk omitted former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy from his 30-man squad admitting he had doubts over his injuries - BBC Sport

Argentina coach Diego Maradona named a 23-man squad on Wednesday ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, dropping seven players from the provisional list named last week.
The seven men cut from the provisional squad are Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini, Newell's Old Boys defender Juan Manuel Insaurralde, Jose Sosa of Estudiantes, Olympiakos midfielder Jesus Datolo, Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lanus' Sebastian Blanco and Juan Mercier of Argentinos Juniors - Fifa.com

Brazil midfielder Kaka claims that he will be ready for the start of the World Cup, having struggled with form and fitness throughout the season for Real Madrid.
Kaka endured a groin problem and a thigh injury through parts of the season and he was the subject of criticism for the length of time it took him to get over the injuries, but now maintains he will be in peak condition for the World Cup - ESPN Soccernet

Gordon Banks believes David James should start in goal for England this summer, even though he has not been the most consistent performer in that position. The goalkeeper for England's World Cup-winning side of 1966 said that while Joe Hart had enjoyed the most impressive season and Robert Green had played well in a struggling side, experience would be a vital asset in South Africa - The Guardian

Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is confident about winning his fitness race for the World Cup.
The Stoke City shot-stopper thought he had blown his chances of featuring in South Africa after dislocating his elbow in the Premier League loss at Chelsea on 25th April.
But the Dane is now 'very optimistic' he will be ready for his country's opening Group E match against Holland on 14th June - Skysports.com

England's Pre-World Cup Squad of 30 Announced

Today, England boss Fabio Capello named a 30 strong Pre-World Cup squad, which he shall whittle down to a final 23 players on the 1st June.

The 30 man squad comprises of 3 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 12 midfielders and 5 strikers.

Selected in the preliminary squad are the uncapped Adam Johnson and Michael Dawson, the controversially recalled Jamie Carragher, the currently injured Gareth Barry and the somewhat surprising inclusions of Scott Parker, Tom Huddlestone, Leighton Baines and Stephen Warnock who have a total of just six England caps between them!

Paul Scholes, unlike Carragher turned down the opportunity to be a part of Capello's squad, as the England boss tried in vain to persuade the experienced Man Utd midfielder to make himself available.

The squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers:
Joe Hart (Man City) - 1 Cap, 23 Years Old
David James (Portsmouth) - 49 Caps, 39 Yrs
Robert Green (West Ham) - 9 caps, 30 Yrs

Defenders:
Leighton Baines (Everton) - 1 Cap, 25 Years Old
Jamie Carragher (Liverpool) - 34 caps, 32 Yrs
Ashley Cole (Chelsea) - 77 Caps, 29 Yrs
Michael Dawson (Spurs) - Uncapped, 26 Yrs
Rio Ferdinand Man Utd) - 76 Caps, 31 yrs
Glen Johnson (Liverpool) - 20 Caps, 25 Yrs
Ledley King (Spurs) - 19 Caps, 29 Yrs
John Terry (Chelsea) - 59 caps, 29 Yrs

Matthew Upson (West Ham) - 19 caps, 31 Yrs

Stephen Warnock (Villa) - 1 Cap, 28 Yrs

Jamie Carragher - surprise recall!

Midfielders:

Gareth Barry (Villa) - 36 Caps, 29 Yrs
Michael Carrick - (Man Utd) - 21 caps, 28 Yrs
Joe Cole (Chelsea) - 53 Caps, 28 Yrs
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) - 78 caps, 29 Yrs
Tom Huddlestone (Spurs) - 1 cap, 23 Yrs
Adam Johnson (Man City) - Uncapped, 22 Yrs
Frank Lampard (Chelsea) - 77 caps, 31 yrs
Aaron Lennon (Spurs) - 15 caps, 23 Yrs
James Milner (Villa) - 7 Caps, 24 yrs
Scott Parker (West Ham) - 3 caps, 29 Yrs
Theo Walcott (Arsenal) - 9 caps, 21 Yrs
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man City) - 30 Caps, 28 Yrs

Gareth Barry - an injury doubt!

Strikers:
Darren Bent (Sunderland) - 5 Caps, 26 Yrs
Peter Crouch (Spurs) - 37 caps, 29 Yrs
Jermain Defoe (Spurs) - 39 Caps, 27 Yrs
Emile Heskey (Villa) - 57 caps, 32 Yrs
Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) - 58 caps, 24 Yrs

Under Fifa regulations, Capello is permitted to bring players into his 23-man squad who were not included in the preliminary party.
But that would be an unusual move, meaning the final party he takes to this summer's finals in South Africa is likely to come from the one he has already named.

There are inevitably a number of players who will be disappointed at not being selected, at least in Capello's initial 30 strong squad, including the likes of:

Paul Robinson (Blackburn) - 41 England Caps, 30 Years Old. Scott Carson (West Brom) - 3 caps, 24 Yrs. Gary Neville (Man Utd) - 85 caps, 30 Yrs. Wayne Bridge (Man City) - 36 Caps, 29 Yrs. Sol Campbell (Arsenal) - 73 caps, 35 Yrs. Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City) - Uncapped, 22 Yrs. Wes Brown (Man Utd) - 23 Caps, 30 Yrs. Phil Jagielka (Everton) - 3 Caps, 27 Yrs. Joleon Lescott (Man City) - 9 Caps, 27 Yrs. Gary Cahill (Bolton) - Uncapped, 24 Yrs. Ashley Young (Aston Villa) - 7 Caps, 24 Yrs. Jermaine Jenas (Spurs) - 21 Caps, 27 Yrs. Owen Hargreaves (Man Utd) - 42 Caps, 29 Yrs. Stewart Downing (Villa) - 23 Caps, 25 Yrs. Jamie O'Hara (Spurs) - Uncapped, 23 Yrs. Kevin Davies (Bolton) - Uncapped, 33 Yrs. Carlton Cole (West Ham) - 7 caps, 26 Yrs. Bobby Zamora (Fulham) - Uncapped, 29 Yrs. Gabriel Agbonlahor (Villa) - 3 Caps, 23 Yrs.


England play Mexico at Wembley on 24th May and Japan in Austria six days later as part of a pre-tournament training camp.

In my opinion the seven players that Fabio Capello will leave out of his final World Cup squad of 23 players on the 1st June are: Warnock, Upson, Dawson, Huddlestone, Barry (only if injured - if he's fit then Adam Johnson may well make way), Wright-Phillips and Bent.

The Greatest Football Team Of All-Time

With the 2010 World Cup only 58 days away I thought it time to wet the appetite of all football fans, right across the globe, by selecting MY OWN personal 'Greatest Football Team Of All-Time.'

Now football is without doubt a game of opinions, and you may consider the players I have selected as not worthy of their place in my greatest team, or feel I have missed out players who you would deem as more laudable of selection, which I fully appreciate.

This was not as tricky an exercise as I had initially thought, as so few players are the cream in all the fundamental categories deemed in my selection process.

The criteria for which I based my miscellany on was as follows:

* No pre-war players (footballer was a cruder game back then & the competition was less fierce)
* Great technical ability
* Sustained excellence over a number of years
* An ability to inspire others
* Fervour for battle

There are 12 Europeans and 4 South Americans, and they all satisfy the criteria in abundance.

Four of them played in the 1950's, seven started in the 1960's, two in the 1970's, two in the 1980's and one in the 1990's.

No one country is represented by more than two players.

Goalkeeper:

Lev Yashin - 1954-70 (USSR)

Defenders:

Paulo Maldini - 1988-02 (Italy)
Franz Beckenbauer - 1965-77 (West Germany)
Bobby Moore - 1962-73 (England)
Carlos Alberto Torres - 1964-77 (Brazil)

Midfield:

Alfedo Di Stefano - 1947 (Argentina) , 1957-61 (Spain)
Michel Platini - 1976-87 (France)
Johan Cruyff - 1966-78 (Netherlands)
George Best - 1964-77 (Northern Ireland)

Forwards:

Pelé - 1957-71 (Brazil)
Ferenc Puskás - 1945-56 (Hungary) , 1961-62 (Spain)


Subsitutes:

Goalkeeper:
Gordon Banks - 1963-72 (England)

Defender:
Franco Baresi - 1982-94 (Italy)

Midfield:
Zinedine Zidane - 1994-06 (France)
Forwards:
Diego Maradonna - 1977-94 (Argentina)

Eusebio - 1961-73 (Portugal)

If you feel you would like to agree or disagree with any of the players I have chosen in my 'Greatest football team of all-time,' or you would like to suggest a player who you feel should be included, then please do not hesitate to post any comments below.
All feedback is received with interest and thanks.