The Fall and Rise of (?) Southampton Football Club Part 2

After countless renditions from fans of “Swing Lowe, Swing Rupert Lowe, Hanging from the Itchen bridge”, the chairman finally stood down from his position.  Numerous bids to buy the club failed, including the Pinnacle Group, fronted by Matt Le Tissier, who even made an exclusivity payment of £500,000, before Swiss billionaire Markus Liebherr stepped in.

Markus Liebherr, owner of the Mali Group and with an estimated personal wealth of £5billion, purchased the club on 8^th July 2009.  The club’s debt was immediately wiped off and significant investment into the team was made.  Nicola Cortese was unveiled as chairman, with Alan Pardew brought in as manager and Rickie Lambert was purchased for £1million from Bristol Rovers.  He was to make a huge contribution to the team, scoring 36 goals in his first season at the club.

Despite the difficult start to the season, Saints managed to finish 7^th place in the league and also win the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Final at Wembley.

On 11^th August 2010, the club was hit with the tragic news that Markus Liebherr had died at the age of 62 from a heart-related illness.  Following this, the mysterious dismissal of Alan Pardew as manager following a resounding away victory at Bristol Rovers looked set to continue the club’s instability.

The 12^th September 2010 saw the appointment of Nigel Adkins as manager.  The storm created by the January transfer window has been weathered with the retention of services of prized assets Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and plans to remove the current ‘Premier League standard’ training facilities in favour of a new £3million development of the club’s foundations have been approved.

15 managers in 10 years at Southampton F.C. gives an indication as to the instability the club has seen in recent times.  With the finances now seemingly secure, a strong chairman in place and a manager with the faith of all the fans behind him, it appears that the club is back on the rise.  All thanks go to Saint Markus Liebherr, a true legend and saviour of the club.

The Fall and Rise (?) of Southampton FC Part 1 by Sam Loram

As of Thursday 24^th February 2011, Southampton Football Club find themselves 5^th place in the Npower League 1 table.  Just a little under 8 years ago, they had placed 8^th in the Premier League, runners-up in the F.A. Cup and were to be competing in the UEFA Cup in a shiny new £30million stadium.  So, where did it all go wrong?

After a fairy-tale ending to 103 years of football at the Dell, with club hero Matt Le Tissier scoring a sensational volley to seal a 3-2 victory over Arsenal, the club were to move into the new 32,000 seater St. Mary’s Stadium.  Things started slowly at the new ground but picked up to see Saints finish 11^th in the 2001/02 season under the guidance of Gordan Strachan.  Things got even better the following season with an 8^th place finish and an F.A. Cup runners-up medal, but this was to be the beginning of a rapid fall from grace for the club.

The 2004/05 season saw a struggling Southampton acquire a certain Harry Redknapp from local rivals Portsmouth.  In addition to this, Rugby World Cup winner Sir Clive Woodward was employed as ‘Technical Director/Performance Director/Director of Football’ on a multi-million pound contract from which no benefit was ever seen.  Despite the big-name investment, Southampton FC were relegated from the Premier League on 15^th May 2005 after a total of 27 years in the top flight of English football.  Needless to say things didn’t get any better with Harry Redknapp returning to Portsmouth in November of the same year.

After a few seasons of Championship football, Chairman Rupert Lowe’s money-grabbing strategy of selling off the best young players rising from the clubs prestigious academy to line his own pockets caught up with him.  The sales of Wayne Bridge, James Beattie, Kevin Davies, Kenwyne Jones, Andrew Surman, David McGoldrick, Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale came to a total sum of £45million.

With £30million of debt, blamed on the new stadium, on 23^rd April 2009 Southampton FC went into administration.  The Football League gave the club the following ultimatum:

“If you stay up this season, you will be deducted 10 points this season [ensuring relegation].”

“If you are relegated this season, you will be deducted 10 points next season.”

The club were relegated that season and therefore, providing they could find a buyer to keep them running, would start the following season on minus 10.

Part 2 coming later this week... 

Sam Loram

Champions League Video Highlights

Goal highlights:

Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid (Gomis) - SEE IT HERE!

Lyon 0-1 Real Madrid (Benzema) - SEE IT HERE!

FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea (Anelka) - SEE IT HERE!

FC Copenhagen 0-1 Chelsea (Anelka) - SEE IT HERE!

_______________________________________________

As it happened:

21:52 - Full Time Blackpool 3-1 Tottenham

21:51 - Goal! Blackpool 3-1 Tottenham (Pavlyuchenko)

21:41 - Goal! Blackpool 3-0 Tottenham (Ormerod)

21:40 - Full Time FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea

21:39 - Full Time Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid

21:26 - Goal! Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid (Gomis)

21:17 - Drogba comes on for Anelka. Ancelotti desperate for Torres to get on the scoresheet.

21:15 - So, both away teams winning in the CL. Interesting.

21:09 - Goal! Lyon 0-1 Real Madrid (Benzema)

21:05 - Underway by the way at Blackpool. They lead 2-0 against Tottenham.

21:01 - Is that game, set and match? Chelsea look to be cruising as Anelka doubles their lead.

20:57 - Goal! FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea (Anelka)

20:50 - We are underway in both CL games.

20:48 - Tottenham's top 4 chances are taking a real blow tonight.

20:47 - HT Blackpool 2-0 Tottenham

20:40 - Goal! Blackpool 2-0 Tottenham (Campbell)

20:32 - HT Lyon 0-0 Real Madrid HT FC Copenhagen 0-1 Chelsea

20:30 - The chances keep coming for Chelsea, but only one goal for Carlo Ancelotti's men so far.

20:28 - Very open in Denmark, Chelsea pushing for the killer second away goal.

20:20 - Goal! Blackpool 1-0 Tottenham (Adam Pen)

20:18 - Lyon are by far the better team in France.

20:11 - Things just aren't happening for Fernando Torres at the moment.

20:08 - Chelsea dominating procedings.

20:04 - Great goal from Nicolas Anelka, who runs at goal and slides the ball into the back of the net from 18 yards. First blood Chelsea.

20:03 - Goal! FC Copenhagen 0-1 Chelsea (Anelka)

20:00 - 15 minutes played in both games, no clear cut chances as of yet.

19:53 - First chance for Chelsea, and it falls to Fernando Torres, but his first touch let him down allowing the goalkeeper to smother.

19:52 - Lyon also start lively against Real Madrid

19:50 - This is by no means an easy game for Chelsea. Bright start by their opponents.

19:46 - Both games kick off. Lyon vs Real Madrid and FC Copenhagen vs Chelsea. Come on!

19:42 - Teams in the tunnels at both CL stadiums.

19:40 - Great scenes as FC Copenhagen fans hold up banners as Chelsea fans hold up scarves. Great atmosphere.

19:38 - Don't forget, we will upload video's of any goals in the big games tonight, something you don't get anywhere else.

19:31 - "Drogba payed 2 hours on Saturday so I left him on the bench as Torres and Anelka is fresh" - Carlo Ancelotti.

19:30 - Just under 15 minutes until kick-off.

19:28 - Carlo Ancelotti is under pressure tonight. He needs the likes of Fernando Torres to perform. Carlo has recently stated that "Chelsea aren't dead". Defiant.

19:27 - Former Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer starts for Copenhagen.

19:24 - My prediction for tonight is FC Copenhagen 1-2 Chelsea. Cold cold night in Denmark.

19:19 - Copenhagen come into the game having not played a competitive game for 11 weeks. Tough, tough game for the Danish team tonight.

19:15 - For now, we will concentrate on Chelsea's game at FC Copenhagen. Updates from elsewhere as and when they are required, of course.

19:13 - Big game in the English Premier League taking place from 20:00. It's Blackpool vs Tottenham

19:11 - So, Didier Drogba dropped again. What do you think of this?

19:09 - Champions League full teams are as follows:
Copenhagen: Wiland, Pospech, Jorgensen, Antonsson, Wendt, Bolanos, Kvist, Claudemir, Gronkjaer, Santin, Ndoye. Subs: Christensen, Bengtsson, Kristensen, Zohore, Vingaard, Hooiveld, Delaney.
Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Anelka, Torres. Subs: Turnbull, Drogba, Mikel, Zhirkov, Ferreira, Kalou, McEachran.
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Oldenzaal)

Lyon: Lloris, Reveillere, Cris, Lovren, Cissokho, Michel Bastos, Gourcuff, Toulalan, Kallstrom, Delgado, Gomis. Subs: Vercoutre, Gassama, Diakhate, Briand, Pjanic, Gonalons, Pied.
Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Arbeloa, Di Maria, Alonso, Khedira, Ozil, Ronaldo, Adebayor. Subs: Adan, Kaka, Benzema, Diarra, Granero, Marcelo, Albiol.

Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany)

19:05 - Where do I begin? A packed schedule tonight. Our big game is FC Copenhagen vs Chelsea. Domestic action too, so stay with us.

19:02 - If you want to get involved tonight, you can via twitter @SideNettingBlog

19:01 - Some big games tonight. Champions League games are above, watch them live if you wish.

19:00 - Welcome to Football Live on sidenetting.blogspot.com

Champions League Preview

Uefa Champions League Last 16 First Leg


FC Copenhagen vs Chelsea (KO 19:45)
Fernando Torres is expected to make his European debut for the blues tonight, but fellow newcomer David Luiz is cup-tied.
Nicolas Anelka, Jose Bosingwa and Michael Essien all return after missing Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Everton.
Copenhagen, who have not played a game for 2 months because of the winter break, will have former Chelsea favourite Jesper Gronkjaer available to face his old club.

Lyon vs Real Madrid (KO 19:45)
Lisandro Lopez will be missing for Lyon tonight after pulling his hamstring in training.
Bafetimbi Gomis will play the lone striker role, with playmaker Yoann Gourcuff playing just behind him.
Real Madrid have a full strength squad, so manager Jose Mourinho will have the luxury of chosing between Karim Benzema and Emmanuel Adebayor to play upfront.

Evra puts pen to paper on new United contract

Machester United left-back Patrice Evra has signed a contract extension with the Premier League leaders, keeping him at the club until at least 2014.

The deal ends on-going speculation that Evra, 29, would leave Old Trafford, with Real Madrid apparently a fan of the Frenchman.

Evra signed for United for £5m in January 2006, from French side Monaco. Since then, he has developed into what Sir Alex Ferguson has recently described as "Unquestionably one of the World's best left-back".

Sir Alex will be delighted at securing the ongoing services of Evra, after Ryan Giggs also signed a one-year contract extension with the club last week.

Ancelotti to be rescued by Roma?

According to The Daily Telegraph, Italian side Roma are keen on saving Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti from his Stamford Bridge crisis.

Roma are managerless after Claudio Ranieri, ironically a former Chelsea man himself, resigned after they conceded a three-goal lead and lost 4-3 to Genoa - their fourth successive defeat.

It is now thought that Ancelotti is top of Roma's wish list, and according to reports in London, the Italian is keen on leaving Chelsea, especially after Saturday's FA Cup defeat against Everton, which leaves them with the Champions League as their only realistic chance of Silverware.

Roman Abramovich is understood to have held crisis talks with senior Chelsea officials in response to Saturday's loss. The Chelsea owner splashed over £75m in January, and is believed to be keen on investing even more into the club, but will his next signing be a new Manager?

Matt Dawe

Sunday Round-up

Goal of the Day:

Barclays Premier League:

West Brom 1-1 Wolves

FA Cup:

Fulham 0-1 Bolton
Leyton Orient 1-1 Arsenal
Man City 5-0 Notts County

Scottish Premier League:

Celtic 3-0 Rangers
St Mirren 0-1 Hibernian


<b>Football </b> 

The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON Quarter Final Draw

The draw for the Quarter Finals of the The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON is as follows:

Stoke City vs Burnley/West Ham United
Manchester City vs Reading/Everton
Birmingham City vs Fulham/Bolton Wanderers
Manchester United vs Leyton Orient/Arsenal

Ties to be played on 12th / 13th March 2011

Celtic vs Rangers Match Report & Video Highlights

Full Time: Celtic 3-0 Rangers

70 Mins: GOAL! Celtic 3-0 Rangers (Kris Commons)

Half Time: Celtic 2-0 Rangers

28 Mins: GOAL! Celtic 2-0 Rangers (Gary Hooper)

17 Mins: GOAL! Celtic 1-0 Rangers (Gary Hooper)

Betting Tips from our Tipster Matt Dawe

Todays late kick off sees Arsenal travel to face Leyton Orient in the FA Cup.

Whilst many people are predicting the Gunners will walk all over the League 1 outfit, I fancy the O's to get something from this game. They are on a good run of form which has seen them unbeaten since New Years Day, and they will be hoping to take advantage of an Arsenal side which could still be recovering from their stunning comeback against FC Barcelona last week.

Tip of the day:

Leyton Orient to DRAW against Arsenal : 5/1 (Best price @ BetFred)

Matt Dawe

Celtic vs Rangers (12:30pm Sky Sports 1)

Sunday's big game sees the Old Firm go head to head in what could be a vital game at the top of the SPL. Rangers are currently 5 points behind rivals Celtic, however they do have 2 games in hand.

Watch this space for up-to-the-minute updates, the match report and the video highlights.

Is the Magic Fading?

Manchester United vs Leeds United, Stevenage Borough vs Newcastle United, hell, even Chelsea vs Everton. Much has been made about the magic of the cup in the last few years (well, if you watch ITV's coverage at least) but with attendances dwindling and the top sides putting out weaker and weaker teams, the question must be asked, is the magic still alive or is it simply a case of holding on to past glories for the FA Cup?

There have been calls of late for a complete overhaul of the FA Cup. For it to be revamped and changed beyond recognition in an attempt to bring back some of the spark that it has been missing during the Premier League years.

Many of these proposals, be they eliminating replays, changing the times of kickoffs or even handing a Champions League place to the winners, have come under fire from fans and journalists alike however the question must be asked, if there is so much love for the cup in its current incarnate why are fans not attending? For Wednesday's replay between Bolton and Wigan a frankly embarrassing attendance of 7,515 was recorded. This is a match between 2 of the (relatively speaking) best sides in the country and only 7500 decided to go along.

There are many possible reasons for this lack of support; recession, increase in ticket price, work commitments etc etc but the point remains that attendances for league matches (which are often more expensive) are continually considerably higher than in the cup leading to lower gate receipts and generally devaluing the competition.

Obviously there are the few exceptions, Portsmouth's cup win in 2008 was a truly magical day for the club (and provided the fans with one last hurrah before seeing it crumble) and the huge upsets that are seen every now and again do bring a smile to every football fan's face. But these small moments are few far between and are not enough to justify keeping up the facade.

In this reporters opinion, the traditionalists need to realise that the FA Cup is not what it was. Gone are the days of the Royal Family attending and “Its a Cup Final Knockout” on a sunny Saturday afternoon. What the FA Cup needs is a total overhaul. Give the teams something to play for, as no football fan wants to spend 20 of their hard earned pounds watching two reserve sides go at it. When the Football Association attempt to make a change, these need to be greeted with open arms and adulation and the realisation that unless they want the FA Cup to take the same path down in the realms of mockery as the League Cup, then something has got to give.

Richard Allum

Chelsea 1 Everton 1 Video Highlights

Click here for >>Video Highlights
Chelsea's poor run of form continues as Everton equalise in the last minute of extra time to force penalties. The equaliser itself was a masterful free kick from Leighton Baines. For full video highlights click below

Video Preview : Man United vs Crawley

The ultimate David and Goliath battle. The sort of fixture usually only seen in the 3rd round has captivated the competition.

Prior to this round Manchester United defeated rivals Liverpool 1-0.

Whilst Crawley scraped a 1-0 away victory against League 2 Torquay

 Can Crawley do the impossible and continue this brilliant run, find out live on ITV at 17:30.

Video Preview : FA Cup Chelsea v Everton

First game of the day see's Chelsea take on Everton in a replay from the previous round. Its live on ESPN from 11:30.  Lets have a look at the video highlights of this fixture.



First game of the tie ended in a 1-1 draw

Previous meetings have seen some great goals

Lets not forget these were the two finalists in the 2009 final which saw Louis Saha score the quickest ever FA Cup final goal

Fernando Torres - Is The Criticism Fair?

New Chelsea front man Fernando Torres is used to being at the forefront of conversation. Be it his goals, international accomplishments, and even injuries the Spaniard is used to the attention. Yet following his £50 million move from Liverpool to Chelsea such terms as amateur, waste of money and lost have labelled El Nino. Is it really fair after two games that one of the world’s best forwards receive such flak or should a price tag and pedigree so high mean instant results for him and his new employees from the Kings Road?

The build up to his debut was intense, combine the fact he was Chelsea’s biggest ever signing, the magnitude of a club such as Liverpool selling a star player to an rival and throw in his first match being against the aforementioned Anfield outfit and its easy to see why all eyes were be on the number 9. He wasn’t involved a great deal in the first half but did fashion Chelsea’s best opportunity from a Drogba ball. The hype surrounding “will he score” summed up perfectly by Sky’s Martin Tyler who quipped “is this the moment?” as Torres pulled back his right foot. Unfortunately for Torres and Chelsea it wasn’t. This was his last telling contribution before being substituted in the second half. It was an interesting choice by Ancelotti to take him off despite him playing no worse or better for that matter than Drogba or Anelka who remained on the pitch. A decision that gave Liverpool and there travelling fans a huge lift. Moments later Raul Meireles punished Chelsea to make it 1-0, coincidence? The blues failed to recover and Liverpool left with an impressive victory, spoiling Torres debut and continuing their newfound success under Kenny Dalglish. Based on this first game, although Torres hadn’t scored, he was part of a new experimental line up which attempted to incorporate three front man. It ultimately failed and despite Torres showing small glimmers he’s first game for Chelsea was genuinely portrayed as huge disappointment.

8 days later Chelsea took on Fulham in a West London Derby, once again in front of the TV cameras for a Monday night kick off. Fernando lined up alongside Anelka, there was a sense of optimism amongst Chelsea fans, and this would be where Torres got his chance to shine. Chelsea were quick out the traps dominating early possession and creating numerous half chances. The man under immense scrutiny was most likely wishing he wasn’t, as every touch seemed an erroneous one. Loose control, and inaccurate passes were met with celebration from Fulham supporters. Chelsea’s other new boy David Luis was fairing far better showing great industry and technique, making exciting runs normally exclusively for full backs. The young defender launched a brilliant aerial through ball seconds before half time, Torres was there he had latched on to it, surely this was his moment, but amazingly he failed to make meaningful contact and the chance was gone. In the second half both teams exchanged positive spells with Chelsea once again having the more possession. Torres showed endeavour but was eventually substitued for the second game in a row. Despite Chelsea’s countless efforts they had Petr Cech to thank for keeping the scores level after saving a poorly stuck Dempsey penalty.

By his own high standards Torres has not had a great start to his Chelsea career. Radio shows, Internet sites and newspapers are already lambasting the forward. It’s worth noting he hasn’t finished a full game yet, he’s transfer value puts extra pressure to deliver instant results but this isn’t always the case. Give Torres at least two more games before we write him off, especially when you cant help but feel once he grabs that first goal he’ll be bang back on the form that earned him that hefty price tag.


Alex

Coaching 101

Football can easily be touted as the king of all sports. Almost every nation on this planet is associated with the football body, FIFA. Such a huge popularity of this sport carries with itself the intense competition at all levels.

Therefore, it becomes quite imperative that players are well trained to compete in this global arena. Thus, coach's role comes into play. It is very important that the coach devises a properly planned training program so that his players' efficiency and skills can be developed.

Coaches around the world employ various drilling exercises. Some of them are mentioned below:
Drills:

1) Ball Control: Ball control is the first and foremost important thing that a budding soccer player has to develop if he/she wants to play at professional level. First touch is an integral part of keeping the ball in your possession. You must move towards the ball, reducing the chances of ball interception. Your body weight must be on the non kicking foot while getting behind the ball. As the ball comes to you, withdraw your kicking foot slightly on impact. Never rush. Repeat this exercise over and over again to gain control over the ball.

2) Passing: Using the inside of the foot is the best way to pass the ball, as it is the flattest part of the foot. Make sure that your knees are bent. Weighing, i.e. the force with which you kick the ball determines the accuracy of the pass. A well balanced movement and eyes on the ball till the very last moment would go a long way in improving your passing.

3) Heading: Heading is an important skill that you must develop to control the ball when it's air borne. Using your forehead is the best way to head the ball as it gives you a better control over the ball. Never take your eyes of the ball while heading as it would lead to inaccuracy. The key element is your positioning. Get in line with the ball while keeping your head, neck and back in straight line. Attack the ball rather than waiting for the ball to come to you.

4) Shooting: Combination of power and accuracy determines the effectiveness of your shot. Top part of the foot is the best place to hit the ball with power. The non kicking foot plays the anchor role while shooting. It is this foot which provides balance. Try standing on your non kicking foot for several seconds to improve the skill. Keep this foot as close to the ball as possible while taking a shot. Approach side on. Timing and control should be developed first as power will follow. Make sure that you practice shooting with both feet.

5) Dribbling: Dribbling is the most sought after skill among football players as it helps them to steer pass the defense. Body swerve is one such skill. While moving with ball inside of your foot, change your foot position in such a manner that it falls on the outside of your foot. Begin this exercise with standing position and then as you gain confidence, try this while running with ball. Develop the skill and you'll find it much easier to change direction leaving the defender of the opposite team confused.

Remember, you cannot develop these skills over a day's time. Practice, practice and more practice - that's the mantra to become a great football player.

matt @ Football Coaching Drills

Football Injuries

Due to the high number of terrible injuries that have been taking place recently in football, a lot of investigation has begun about whether it is due to the football boots worn by the players which causes them. They are trying to inquire whether it is due to the blades that are fitted in football boots these days or because of the regular studs worn.
One case of severe injury was that of Antonio Valencia who plays for Manchester United, as he ended up with his foot trapped while trying to tackle the ball. While going through a challenge with Kirk Broadfoot, one could notice after watching several replays that his leg got snapped instantly, so much that the bone started protruding out of the skin.
A lot of blame is also put on the turf being used these days, as it is a lot more firm than and not as fragile as it should be. Moreover, the tough turf and studs being used together must be causing the problem.
The reason why bladed studs are preferred by most people is because of the fact that they provide more acceleration while sprints. However while on a firmer ground, a lot prefer using the traditional studs.
The only case when players are supposed to wear a particular kind of shoe is when they are being sponsored by the brand. Other than that they can wear any brand of their choice, as there will not even be any advice about which shoes would be more stable and resistant.
A lot of professionals go for custom made kinds of shoes that have a touch of the stud layout along with blades and circular studs. The more combinations that you will have, the more difficult it will become for one to monitor it.
Nike is probably the only brand around which takes this issue under consideration. Their range of boots is especially designed in such a way to have great stability, high speed and control. But they would also let the natural loss of balance and grip take place.
Another concern that is kept into mind is that of making the boots light weighted so you can move around very well. This is done by using a material that is very light and easy to maneuver in. However a lot of players still tend to have foot injuries, such as David Beckham. Therefore, it is very important that the shoe works for you.

Allie Watkins - http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allie_Watkins