football news round up
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini trusts Pep Guardiola not to let him down during Champions League crunch time
Although Bayern have a heavy injury list and crowded fixture programme, Pellegrini says he is not worried the Germans may see the value in fielding a weakened team that could knock City out of the competition early.
'I am not thinking about that. I think strong teams and big teams always try to win their games because it is important for the trust, important for the club,' said Pellegrini.
'Apart from winning in Rome, we must also now wait what happens about CSKA because if they win against Bayern, they will continue in the Champions League.
'So it doesn't depend on what we can do, but the only thing that we must do is to win. We must try to focus in our game.'
To add to the intrigue, Bayern have been enthusiastic backers of Uefa's financial fair play regulations. City were heavily fined and forced to pick a reduced 21-man Champions League squad for this season for breaking FPP regulations in the past. not The Disgrace of Gijón, surely? Just because they're a German team doesn't mean...or does it?
Arsene Wenger boo'd by fans, Joel Campbell advised to find other employment
Click to viewShort video, description in headline. These are scoundrel days
on-Trent, Saturday, December 6.
‘Fist fights between Arsenal fans after the game, absolute joke. Disgusting to see our own fans punching each other.’ Mr Savage, via Twitter
‘Fans fighting outside of the Britannia - grown men who support the same team knocking hell out of each other. All started with someone saying if you support Wenger you need a punch. In the car and getting out of here. That will be the last away game I attend.’ India, via Twitter
‘We were 3-0 down to a pub team. Wake up and smell the f****** coffee mate. We were rubbish today. Absolute rubbish. He’s been a fantastic manager in the past, but I’m afraid the milk has finally gone stale. The trouble with Ty is he’s deluded.’ Claude, on Arsenal Fan TV
‘Who’s deluded? You’re deluded. You’re brainwashed by Talksport. I don’t listen to Talksport, my friend. Who listens to Talksport 24 hours a day when they slag off all our players? You. Wenger’s been a fantastic manager and he still is.’ TY, on Arsenal Fan TV
read more here
Ronald Koeman: It's not me against Louis van Gaal... it is all about Southampton vs Manchester United come Monday night
For 15 years, Ronald Koeman had dreamed of building his dream house in the Algarve. He knew exactly where he wanted to build it, too: a resort called Vale do Lobo, where the beaches stretch as far as the eye can see and where he was already a member of the local golf club. “Like paradise,” is how he described the place.
Construction was finally completed in February 2006. Koeman and his wife Bartina could finally move in. Then, a few months later, there was a terrific commotion just up the street. Mechanical diggers and men in hard hats began to descend on the area.
Somebody was also building their dream home in Vale do Lobo. And that someone was Louis van Gaal. On the face of things, this was a fairly surprising development. Just a few years earlier, the pair had monumentally fallen out at Ajax, where Koeman had helped to oust his former manager.
“I had my fill of him a long time ago,” an exasperated Koeman said of Van Gaal.
“I will never have dinner with Ronald Koeman again,” a betrayed Van Gaal said of Koeman.drama
La Liga: Lionel Messi scores another hat-trick as Barcelona thrash Espanyol
First player to score 40(1) goals in La Liga for single club
Messi scored yet another hat-trick and surpassed 400 club goals as Barcelona came from behind to win the Catalan derby 5-1 against Espanyol in La Liga on Sunday.
The Argentinian, who holds the La Liga and Champions League scoring records, produced a now familiar devastating performance to take his record to 402 goals for Barça in all competitions, including 28 in friendlies.
He produced his tour de force, predictably, just a day after Cristiano Ronaldo, his rival for title of world’s best player, scored a La Liga record 23rd hat-trick against Celta Vigo for Real Madrid.
The former Barça player Sergio Garcia put Espanyol ahead at the Nou Camp but Messi, who had earlier hit the crossbar with a free-kick, equalised before half-time, his landmark 400th goal coming with a clinical strike from the edge of the area.
Shortly after the break Luis Suárez found the Argentinian and he again hit the corner of the net from a similar distance.more match report here
Chatter From The Sidelines
- Landon Donovan goes out a champion in final game as L.A. Galaxy win record fifth MLS title bye, Landycakes
- Tim Howard's autobiography another excerpt: Klinsmann and Donovan
- The Bitter End To Langdon Donavon's USMNT career might interest some of you
- Schweinsteiger wants MOAR trophies here
- Andre Villas-Boas Reportedly Targeted as Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool Replacement FML if its true.
- Sergio Aguero fears he is out for a month with knee ligament injury as Manchester City striker awaits scans NOOOO
Social Media
Ronaldo gave a shirt to Poldolski's foundation/charidee thingy
Pics
I wish this lining eyes all around with BLACK EYELINER would stop. This Kate Middleton look isn't it at all. Gah, the Spanish
Sun damage and liquor caught up with Alonso's looks in the end. Pity. Some Bayern Munich dinner, idek
Neymar and Messi- OTP.
Messi was too hype
Throwback picture of Howard and Langdon at Everton
Turn down for what?
OP: the UEFA Champions League is this week, but I'll do the news and posts for that going through until Thursday (match news, reviews, et al) yes? This post will have to do for today. Thanks for your patience!