Martin O’Neill.............. Inside a Managers Mind. - Page 2

ReoCoker_20 · 02-01-2009, 07:27 AM

Aston Villa Transfer News.
Martin O’Neill has not wasted anytime in taking advantage of the January transfer window, signing two players and selling five before the window officially opened, in hopes of securing a qualifying position for next season’s Champions League.

O’Neill has strengthened his midfield with the acquisition of Russian bomber, Denis Kolodin from Dynamo Moscow. Kolodin known for his thunderous right foot will most likely start on the bench for the rest of the season with the likes of Gareth Barry, Nigel Reo-Coker and Stiliyan Petrov all in good form. Expect O’Neill to use him as a sub in close matches with the Russian’s notoriety to score from distance a key fact in making him a very dangerous addition to the team.

Joining Kolodin is Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City, the youngster was not happy with the amount of match time he was receiving at Manchester with the likes of Jo, Robinho, Bojinov, Benjani and Vassell all vying for positions on the team. O’Neill has promised Sturridge a starting position in the teams FA cup matches which he will be able to take part in, having not taken part in Man City’s FA Cup campaign so far.

Leaving the club are Craig Gardener, Stuart Taylor, Moustapha Salifou, Marlon Harewood and Stephen O’Halloran, we wish these players the best in their futures with their chosen clubs.

Martin O’Neill’s Thoughts
The 2 signings we have made so far will add depth to the team, Kolodin is a great asset for us to have in tight situations, his ability to score from long range will be a huge benefit for us and he is an excellent defender. I am hoping he will settle in and acclimatise to English football quickly and play a role in getting the team over the line this season.

Daniel Sturridge has already proven to be a player of the future, his speed and technical skill is as good as any player and I am very pleased to have him on the team. His long term agreement with the club shows he is ready to commit to the club and that is something I admire. He has already settled into the team quite comfortably and will play a vital role in our cup campaign.

In regards to the transfers out of the club it is unfortunate to lose so many promising sportsmen. Regrettably these decisions have to be made and I wish the players much success with their future clubs.

nzgangster · 02-01-2009, 07:39 AM

wait you are already into the season???

ReoCoker_20 · 02-01-2009, 07:44 AM

yep january transfer window,,,, updates regarding the season will come shortly.

AVM_Gunners FC · 02-01-2009, 07:48 AM

good thread i'm alo doing villa so great to se u as rival...

Liverpöol · 02-01-2009, 07:50 AM

Isnt he doing Martin O'Neil who is the Manager of Aston Villa?

King-Osgood-1690 · 02-01-2009, 07:56 AM

Brilliant Start mate, nice layout in your op

nzgangster · 02-01-2009, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReoCoker_20

yep january transfer window,,,, updates regarding the season will come shortly.

cool cool.

Liverpöol · 02-01-2009, 08:01 AM

i'm proud to have given this guy a sig

ReoCoker_20 · 02-01-2009, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hales

Isnt he doing Martin O'Neil who is the Manager of Aston Villa?

My thread will be about Martin O'Neill so I'm not going to rule out a club move later on in this thread and also a possible international managers role as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hales

i'm proud to have given this guy a sig

Thanks, your sigs great, i was gonna make one for myself but it wouldn't of turned out like that so i appreciate it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by King-Osgood-NZ

Brilliant Start mate, nice layout in your op

Thanks your thread is one of the first i read before joining its immense!

nzgangster · 02-01-2009, 08:17 AM

Hopefully you can make villa win the epl.

Liverpöol · 02-01-2009, 08:36 AM

will the next update be a match?

nzgangster · 02-01-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hales

will the next update be a match?

he said he was gonna do a review of the first part of the season.

Cahill4 · 02-01-2009, 08:43 AM

This is brilliant.

Liverpöol · 02-01-2009, 08:43 AM

i have to agree

nzgangster · 02-01-2009, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hales

i have to agree

i third that??

ReoCoker_20 · 02-01-2009, 09:06 AM

O’Neill: Were Not in Good Form!
Martin O’Neill has stated that Aston Villa are far from being in good form, despite sitting 6th on the Premier League table, 8 points behind surprise leaders Middlesbrough. Aston Villa have had an up and down season, starting off with 0 wins in 5 matches. The club finally winning their first match of the season beating Lincoln City in the 1st round of the Carling Cup. Later that week securing their first win in the Premier League against Tottenham.

Unable to build up a run of wins Villa fans were stunned when the club lost to Burnley in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup. The loss left O’Neill’s future at the club in doubt, but wins against an in form Middlesbrough, West Ham and Blackburn seemed to settle any thoughts Chairman Randy Lerner had of firing O’Neill, and this was rewarded in December, when O’Neill rallied his troops to consecutive big wins, beating Arsenal 1-0 and the following week thumping a struggling Liverpool squad 3-0.

With the hopes of a top four finish resting on his shoulders, O’Neill is said to be working hard at preparing his squad for the ride home. A clash with 2nd place Chelsea next week will be key in Villa’s chances of finishing in the top four. A win will see them sit in 4th place, a loss could mean falling down to a bottom half position, with the ladder jam packed with teams ready to pounce on any mistake. Adding to this is injuries to Luke Young and Nicky Shorey both expected to be out for another couple of months, O'Neill will use the transfer window to find suitable replacements for both players.

Aston Villa Results
Wednesday 13th August << West Brom >> Draw 1-1
Saturday 16th August << Liverpool >> Loss 2-1
Saturday 23rd August << Chelsea >> Loss 1-0
Saturday 30th August << Man United >> Loss 1-0
Saturday 6th September << Newcastle United >> Draw 1-1
Tuesday 9th September << Lincoln City >> Win 2-0
Saturday 13th September << Tottenham Hotspur >> Win 3-0
Saturday 20th September << Portsmouth >> Loss 1-0
Saturday 27th September << Wigan >> Win 3-0
Saturday 4th October << Bolton >> Loss 1-0
Saturday 11th October << Fulham >> Win 1-0
Tuesday 14th October << Burnley >> Loss 1-0
Saturday 18th October << Middlesbrough >> Win 2-0
Saturday 25th October << Hull City >> Draw 1-1
Saturday 1st November << Sunderland >> Draw 0-0
Saturday 8th November << Stoke City >> Win 5-0
Saturday 15th November << Man City >> Loss 2-1
Saturday 22nd November << West Ham >> Win 1-0
Saturday 29th November << Blackburn >> Win 1-0
Saturday 6th December << Everton >> Loss 2-0
Saturday 20th December << Arsenal >> Win 1-0
Saturday 27th December << Liverpool>> Win 3-0
Wednesday 31st December << Sunderland >> Loss 2-0

League Table
1. Middlesbrough 39pts
2. Chelsea 35pts
3. Man United 34pts
4. Everton 34pts
5. Man City 33pts
6. Aston Villa 31pts
7. Tottenham 30pts
8. West Ham 30pts
9. Newcastle 30pts
10. Blackburn 29pts
11. Arsenal 29pts
12. Bolton 28pts
13. Liverpool 26pts
14. West Brom 26pts
15. Portsmouth 24pts
16. Wigan 21pts
17. Fulham 20pts
18. Sunderland 19pts
19. Stoke City 18pts
20. Hull City 17pts

Robalenko · 02-01-2009, 09:14 AM

Lovely work

Be careful though! You admited you made transactions in the window before it had opened! If for any reason Sheffield United are relegated, they will blame your illegal transfers and sue you!

ReoCoker_20 · 02-01-2009, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbie8912Play

Lovely work

Be careful though! You admited you made transactions in the window before it had opened! If for any reason Sheffield United are relegated, they will blame your illegal transfers and sue you!

hmm this could make an interesting story line......

Thanks Robbie

ReoCoker_20 · 02-01-2009, 10:04 AM

O’Neill’s Thoughts on Transfer Window
The transfer window has come at the right time for us, injuries to Luke Young and Nicky Shorey have depleted our defence and I will be looking to sign at least one defender to cover in their absence. Our new acquisition of Denis Kolodin could possibly fill in, in defence if needed and could be an option for the mean time. I am expecting a number of bids for a number of the boys and this could be a huge setback for our top four chances. A number of clubs have already approached us in regards to Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor and the loss of these two stars will mean a total switch in our attack that will take some time to adjust to.

Thankfully Gareth has committed himself to the club and I have rewarded that with the captaincy. Hopefully this will keep some of the others at the club, but with bigger clubs able to throw endless amounts of money at the players now a days, I have sent out scouts to keep their eyes on a number of players as possible replacements. Discussing our future plans with John (Robertson-assistant manager) and Steve (Walford-first team coach) we all agree that it would be a good idea to bring in a number of younger players to the squad. This will also be something we will hope to accomplish in January, allowing them time to adjust for the start of next season, possibly looking at loaning them out to the 2nd division teams if need be.

I am fearful of losing Agbonlahor and Young but know that with the funds we would receive for them, we will find suitable replacements. Randy has given us more funds for transfers than i expected so hopefully the January window will be an eventful one for Aston Villa.

Gabriel Agbonlahor could be leaving Villa Park.

Liverpöol · 02-01-2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbie8912Play

Lovely work

Be careful though! You admited you made transactions in the window before it had opened! If for any reason Sheffield United are relegated, they will blame your illegal transfers and sue you!

they are going to made you broke. just deal with it...

ReoCoker_20 · 02-01-2009, 12:48 PM

Igor Akinfeev is set to join Arsenal

Transfer Rumours
Russian and CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, looks set to join London club Arsenal, with Moscow confirming an accepted bid of £11 million for the promising keeper. Akinfeev will travel to London to discuss personal terms with the club and undergo a physical.

Another CSKA Moscow star rumoured to be leaving the club is Vagner Love who has confirmed being approached by a Spanish club, as of yet the supposed club has yet to confirm the arrangement.

It seems Euro 2008 was the stepping stone for many of Russia’s big names to finally receive recognition. Zenit St Petersburg’s keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev and defender Aleksandr Anyukov both set to join Andrei Arshavin in leaving the 2008 UEFA Cup Champions. Malafeev linked with Italian club Lazio and Anyukov rumoured to be on his way to the English Premier League.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be on his way out of Inter the giant Swede given the opportunity to find a new club by Jose Mourinho who says any takers will have to pay the club’s asking price for the striker rumoured to be £32 million.

And finally the unattached Stefano Fiore, was seen at Sampdoria headquarters today, expect an announcement from club officials within days to announce the Italian veterans return to football after being released by Mantova at the end of last season.

Californication · 02-01-2009, 12:52 PM

What a start! I suppose basing the thread on the team you support gives you that extra motivation!

Robalenko · 02-01-2009, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hales

they are going to made you broke. just deal with it...

LEt's see how you would 'deal' with it if a club was wrongfully sueing you for everything you had.

Anyway, they wont get much, if anything at all. You mark my words

SAFC_Broady · 02-01-2009, 02:05 PM

superb start mate!

ReoCoker_20 · 02-01-2009, 02:48 PM

MATCH PREVIEW

Saturday 3rd January 2009
Villa Park, Aston, Birmingham.
Kick off: 2pm

Aston Villa
-------------------------Freidel--------------------------
-----Kolodin----Cuellar----Laursen----Bouma------

---------------Reo-Coker---Sidwell--------------------
--Milner--------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------Stieber---------
-------------------Sturridge------------------------------
---------------------------------Carew-------------------

Subs
GK- Brad Guzan
LB- Nicky Shorey
CB- Curtis Davies
CB- Zat Knight
CM- Stiliyan Petrov
RM- Wayne Routledge
ST- Nathan Delfuonso

TEAM INFO
Injured left back Nicky Shorey has been named as a sub in today’s match but will play no part in proceedings. His name making the list only to fill in for an under done Villa squad who are missing 3 key members in Gabreil Agbonlahor, Gareth Barry and Ashley Young, all on International duties for England. New signings Denis Kolodin and Daniel Sturridge come into the squad, with Kolodin slotting in at right back for the injured Luke Young. While Sturridge will get a chance to impress manager Martin O’Neill coming in for Agbonlahor.

MAN TO WATCH

Nigel Reo-Coker
In the absence of Gareth Barry, Aston Villa will look to Nigel Reo-Coker to lead the squad from midfield. Partnered with former Chelsea man Steve Sidwell, Reo-Coker will be free to push forward and assist in attack with new signing Daniel Sturridge still settling into the squad. Reo-Coker will use his strength and passing skill to hopefully lead his team to victory although he will have tough opposition in Chelsea’s super defence.

O’NEILL’S THOUGHTS
A must win game for us if we hope to achieve a top for finish, a loss will be a huge setback for the team which will be hard to recover from. It will be a huge ask for the boys to hold out Chelsea’s attack, so hopefully we can put some early points on the board and put the pressure back on them. We will have to watch Deco as he has been in great form and we will only be asking for trouble if we give him the space to run into. Saying that there are another number of players on the Chelsea squad who will cause us trouble, if we are not at our best. Hopefully new signings Kolodin and Sturridge get off to good starts with the club and can add a bit of oomph to the game. Chelsea are weak on the wings so I expect them to attack down the middle, pairing Steve Sidwell with Reo Coker today, will hopefully contain their attacking runs and give the boys a chance to catch Chelsea on the counter.

Chelsea
---------------------------Cech---------------------------
---Bosingwa----Carvalho-----Alex--------A.Cole---

--------------------------Essien---------------------------
------------------Deco-----------Malouda---------------
-Belletti-----------------------------------------Sinclair-

--------------------------Drogba--------------------------

TEAM NEWS
Even with John Terry, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole missing from today’s match due to international duties, Chelsea still look like a strong side. With Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka sharing striker duties this season, Drogba is set to start ahead of the Frenchman in the match and will be handful for the Villa defenders to deal with.

MAN TO WATCH

Deco
Since joining the club in June Deco has proven to be worth every penny of the £8 million the club spent to bring him to Stamford Bridge. With the Chelsea set to miss the attacking runs of Joe Cole down the right flank in today’s match, be assured that Deco will more than make up for this with the flair he has shown over the years. A multi skilled footballer, Deco will try and link up with Drogba who will be playing his customary role as lone striker in the match, the duo set to cause some headaches for Villa defence and keeper Brad Freidel.

SCOLARI’S THOUGHTS
I am expecting a win in today’s match. Aston Villa have failed to show any consistency in their matches this season so we should come away with a convincing win. With many of their key players missing either due to injury or international duties we should have no problems in dispensing of anything they throw at us. It really should be a walk over and I’m predicting a 3-0 win.

02-01-2009, 07:27 AM	#26 (permalink)
ReoCoker_20 Rookie Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 49	Aston Villa Transfer News. Martin O’Neill has not wasted anytime in taking advantage of the January transfer window, signing two players and selling five before the window officially opened, in hopes of securing a qualifying position for next season’s Champions League. O’Neill has strengthened his midfield with the acquisition of Russian bomber, Denis Kolodin from Dynamo Moscow. Kolodin known for his thunderous right foot will most likely start on the bench for the rest of the season with the likes of Gareth Barry, Nigel Reo-Coker and Stiliyan Petrov all in good form. Expect O’Neill to use him as a sub in close matches with the Russian’s notoriety to score from distance a key fact in making him a very dangerous addition to the team. Joining Kolodin is Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City, the youngster was not happy with the amount of match time he was receiving at Manchester with the likes of Jo, Robinho, Bojinov, Benjani and Vassell all vying for positions on the team. O’Neill has promised Sturridge a starting position in the teams FA cup matches which he will be able to take part in, having not taken part in Man City’s FA Cup campaign so far. Leaving the club are Craig Gardener, Stuart Taylor, Moustapha Salifou, Marlon Harewood and Stephen O’Halloran, we wish these players the best in their futures with their chosen clubs. Martin O’Neill’s Thoughts The 2 signings we have made so far will add depth to the team, Kolodin is a great asset for us to have in tight situations, his ability to score from long range will be a huge benefit for us and he is an excellent defender. I am hoping he will settle in and acclimatise to English football quickly and play a role in getting the team over the line this season. Daniel Sturridge has already proven to be a player of the future, his speed and technical skill is as good as any player and I am very pleased to have him on the team. His long term agreement with the club shows he is ready to commit to the club and that is something I admire. He has already settled into the team quite comfortably and will play a vital role in our cup campaign. In regards to the transfers out of the club it is unfortunate to lose so many promising sportsmen. Regrettably these decisions have to be made and I wish the players much success with their future clubs. __________________ Last edited by ReoCoker_20; 02-01-2009 at 07:46 AM..

02-01-2009, 07:39 AM	#27 (permalink)
nzgangster EA Veteran Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New Zealand. Age: 17 Gender: Male Posts: 12,103 Blog Entries: 1	wait you are already into the season??? __________________ TXV was here “Sometimes football can be cruel, but you have to keep going, you have to keep belief" In Rafa We Trust RIP Debi

02-01-2009, 07:44 AM	#28 (permalink)
ReoCoker_20 Rookie Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 49	yep january transfer window,,,, updates regarding the season will come shortly. __________________

02-01-2009, 07:50 AM	#30 (permalink)
Liverpöol EA Veteran Join Date: Oct 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 19,710 Blog Entries: 1	Isnt he doing Martin O'Neil who is the Manager of Aston Villa? __________________ Sig By Me

02-01-2009, 07:56 AM	#31 (permalink)
King-Osgood-1690 EA Veteran Join Date: Oct 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 10,801 Blog Entries: 2	Brilliant Start mate, nice layout in your op __________________ Chelsea - Rangers - Linfield

02-01-2009, 07:48 AM	#29 (permalink)
AVM_Gunners FC Forum Guru Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New Delhi,India Age: 16 Posts: 1,401	good thread i'm alo doing villa so great to se u as rival...

02-01-2009, 08:01 AM	#33 (permalink)
Liverpöol EA Veteran Join Date: Oct 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 19,710 Blog Entries: 1	i'm proud to have given this guy a sig __________________ Sig By Me

02-01-2009, 08:17 AM	#35 (permalink)
nzgangster EA Veteran Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New Zealand. Age: 17 Gender: Male Posts: 12,103 Blog Entries: 1	Hopefully you can make villa win the epl. __________________ TXV was here “Sometimes football can be cruel, but you have to keep going, you have to keep belief" In Rafa We Trust RIP Debi

02-01-2009, 08:36 AM	#36 (permalink)
Liverpöol EA Veteran Join Date: Oct 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 19,710 Blog Entries: 1	will the next update be a match? __________________ Sig By Me

02-01-2009, 08:43 AM	#38 (permalink)
Cahill4 Elite Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Gender: Male Posts: 6,185	This is brilliant.

02-01-2009, 08:43 AM	#39 (permalink)
Liverpöol EA Veteran Join Date: Oct 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 19,710 Blog Entries: 1	i have to agree __________________ Sig By Me

02-01-2009, 09:06 AM	#41 (permalink)
ReoCoker_20 Rookie Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 49	O’Neill: Were Not in Good Form! Martin O’Neill has stated that Aston Villa are far from being in good form, despite sitting 6th on the Premier League table, 8 points behind surprise leaders Middlesbrough. Aston Villa have had an up and down season, starting off with 0 wins in 5 matches. The club finally winning their first match of the season beating Lincoln City in the 1st round of the Carling Cup. Later that week securing their first win in the Premier League against Tottenham. Unable to build up a run of wins Villa fans were stunned when the club lost to Burnley in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup. The loss left O’Neill’s future at the club in doubt, but wins against an in form Middlesbrough, West Ham and Blackburn seemed to settle any thoughts Chairman Randy Lerner had of firing O’Neill, and this was rewarded in December, when O’Neill rallied his troops to consecutive big wins, beating Arsenal 1-0 and the following week thumping a struggling Liverpool squad 3-0. With the hopes of a top four finish resting on his shoulders, O’Neill is said to be working hard at preparing his squad for the ride home. A clash with 2nd place Chelsea next week will be key in Villa’s chances of finishing in the top four. A win will see them sit in 4th place, a loss could mean falling down to a bottom half position, with the ladder jam packed with teams ready to pounce on any mistake. Adding to this is injuries to Luke Young and Nicky Shorey both expected to be out for another couple of months, O'Neill will use the transfer window to find suitable replacements for both players. Aston Villa Results Wednesday 13th August << West Brom >> Draw 1-1 Saturday 16th August << Liverpool >> Loss 2-1 Saturday 23rd August << Chelsea >> Loss 1-0 Saturday 30th August << Man United >> Loss 1-0 Saturday 6th September << Newcastle United >> Draw 1-1 Tuesday 9th September << Lincoln City >> Win 2-0 Saturday 13th September << Tottenham Hotspur >> Win 3-0 Saturday 20th September << Portsmouth >> Loss 1-0 Saturday 27th September << Wigan >> Win 3-0 Saturday 4th October << Bolton >> Loss 1-0 Saturday 11th October << Fulham >> Win 1-0 Tuesday 14th October << Burnley >> Loss 1-0 Saturday 18th October << Middlesbrough >> Win 2-0 Saturday 25th October << Hull City >> Draw 1-1 Saturday 1st November << Sunderland >> Draw 0-0 Saturday 8th November << Stoke City >> Win 5-0 Saturday 15th November << Man City >> Loss 2-1 Saturday 22nd November << West Ham >> Win 1-0 Saturday 29th November << Blackburn >> Win 1-0 Saturday 6th December << Everton >> Loss 2-0 Saturday 20th December << Arsenal >> Win 1-0 Saturday 27th December << Liverpool>> Win 3-0 Wednesday 31st December << Sunderland >> Loss 2-0 League Table 1. Middlesbrough 39pts 2. Chelsea 35pts 3. Man United 34pts 4. Everton 34pts 5. Man City 33pts 6. Aston Villa 31pts 7. Tottenham 30pts 8. West Ham 30pts 9. Newcastle 30pts 10. Blackburn 29pts 11. Arsenal 29pts 12. Bolton 28pts 13. Liverpool 26pts 14. West Brom 26pts 15. Portsmouth 24pts 16. Wigan 21pts 17. Fulham 20pts 18. Sunderland 19pts 19. Stoke City 18pts 20. Hull City 17pts __________________ Last edited by ReoCoker_20; 03-01-2009 at 02:39 AM..

02-01-2009, 10:04 AM	#44 (permalink)
ReoCoker_20 Rookie Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 49	O’Neill’s Thoughts on Transfer Window The transfer window has come at the right time for us, injuries to Luke Young and Nicky Shorey have depleted our defence and I will be looking to sign at least one defender to cover in their absence. Our new acquisition of Denis Kolodin could possibly fill in, in defence if needed and could be an option for the mean time. I am expecting a number of bids for a number of the boys and this could be a huge setback for our top four chances. A number of clubs have already approached us in regards to Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor and the loss of these two stars will mean a total switch in our attack that will take some time to adjust to. Thankfully Gareth has committed himself to the club and I have rewarded that with the captaincy. Hopefully this will keep some of the others at the club, but with bigger clubs able to throw endless amounts of money at the players now a days, I have sent out scouts to keep their eyes on a number of players as possible replacements. Discussing our future plans with John (Robertson-assistant manager) and Steve (Walford-first team coach) we all agree that it would be a good idea to bring in a number of younger players to the squad. This will also be something we will hope to accomplish in January, allowing them time to adjust for the start of next season, possibly looking at loaning them out to the 2nd division teams if need be. I am fearful of losing Agbonlahor and Young but know that with the funds we would receive for them, we will find suitable replacements. Randy has given us more funds for transfers than i expected so hopefully the January window will be an eventful one for Aston Villa. Gabriel Agbonlahor could be leaving Villa Park. __________________

02-01-2009, 12:48 PM	#46 (permalink)
ReoCoker_20 Rookie Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 49	Igor Akinfeev is set to join Arsenal Transfer Rumours Russian and CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, looks set to join London club Arsenal, with Moscow confirming an accepted bid of £11 million for the promising keeper. Akinfeev will travel to London to discuss personal terms with the club and undergo a physical. Another CSKA Moscow star rumoured to be leaving the club is Vagner Love who has confirmed being approached by a Spanish club, as of yet the supposed club has yet to confirm the arrangement. It seems Euro 2008 was the stepping stone for many of Russia’s big names to finally receive recognition. Zenit St Petersburg’s keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev and defender Aleksandr Anyukov both set to join Andrei Arshavin in leaving the 2008 UEFA Cup Champions. Malafeev linked with Italian club Lazio and Anyukov rumoured to be on his way to the English Premier League. Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be on his way out of Inter the giant Swede given the opportunity to find a new club by Jose Mourinho who says any takers will have to pay the club’s asking price for the striker rumoured to be £32 million. And finally the unattached Stefano Fiore, was seen at Sampdoria headquarters today, expect an announcement from club officials within days to announce the Italian veterans return to football after being released by Mantova at the end of last season. __________________ Last edited by ReoCoker_20; 03-01-2009 at 02:39 AM..

02-01-2009, 12:52 PM	#47 (permalink)
Californication Forum Guru Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: "Everybody's been there, and I don't mean on vacation"... Posts: 1,451	What a start! I suppose basing the thread on the team you support gives you that extra motivation! __________________ The Saviour. The Legend

02-01-2009, 02:05 PM	#49 (permalink)
SAFC_Broady Elite Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: County Durham Gender: Male Posts: 9,855	superb start mate! __________________

02-01-2009, 02:48 PM	#50 (permalink)
ReoCoker_20 Rookie Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 49	MATCH PREVIEW Saturday 3rd January 2009 Villa Park, Aston, Birmingham. Kick off: 2pm Aston Villa -------------------------Freidel-------------------------- -----Kolodin----Cuellar----Laursen----Bouma------ ---------------Reo-Coker---Sidwell-------------------- --Milner-------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------Stieber--------- -------------------Sturridge------------------------------ ---------------------------------Carew------------------- Subs GK- Brad Guzan LB- Nicky Shorey CB- Curtis Davies CB- Zat Knight CM- Stiliyan Petrov RM- Wayne Routledge ST- Nathan Delfuonso TEAM INFO Injured left back Nicky Shorey has been named as a sub in today’s match but will play no part in proceedings. His name making the list only to fill in for an under done Villa squad who are missing 3 key members in Gabreil Agbonlahor, Gareth Barry and Ashley Young, all on International duties for England. New signings Denis Kolodin and Daniel Sturridge come into the squad, with Kolodin slotting in at right back for the injured Luke Young. While Sturridge will get a chance to impress manager Martin O’Neill coming in for Agbonlahor. MAN TO WATCH Nigel Reo-Coker In the absence of Gareth Barry, Aston Villa will look to Nigel Reo-Coker to lead the squad from midfield. Partnered with former Chelsea man Steve Sidwell, Reo-Coker will be free to push forward and assist in attack with new signing Daniel Sturridge still settling into the squad. Reo-Coker will use his strength and passing skill to hopefully lead his team to victory although he will have tough opposition in Chelsea’s super defence. O’NEILL’S THOUGHTS A must win game for us if we hope to achieve a top for finish, a loss will be a huge setback for the team which will be hard to recover from. It will be a huge ask for the boys to hold out Chelsea’s attack, so hopefully we can put some early points on the board and put the pressure back on them. We will have to watch Deco as he has been in great form and we will only be asking for trouble if we give him the space to run into. Saying that there are another number of players on the Chelsea squad who will cause us trouble, if we are not at our best. Hopefully new signings Kolodin and Sturridge get off to good starts with the club and can add a bit of oomph to the game. Chelsea are weak on the wings so I expect them to attack down the middle, pairing Steve Sidwell with Reo Coker today, will hopefully contain their attacking runs and give the boys a chance to catch Chelsea on the counter. Chelsea ---------------------------Cech--------------------------- ---Bosingwa----Carvalho-----Alex--------A.Cole--- --------------------------Essien--------------------------- ------------------Deco-----------Malouda--------------- -Belletti-----------------------------------------Sinclair- --------------------------Drogba-------------------------- TEAM NEWS Even with John Terry, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole missing from today’s match due to international duties, Chelsea still look like a strong side. With Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka sharing striker duties this season, Drogba is set to start ahead of the Frenchman in the match and will be handful for the Villa defenders to deal with. MAN TO WATCH Deco Since joining the club in June Deco has proven to be worth every penny of the £8 million the club spent to bring him to Stamford Bridge. With the Chelsea set to miss the attacking runs of Joe Cole down the right flank in today’s match, be assured that Deco will more than make up for this with the flair he has shown over the years. A multi skilled footballer, Deco will try and link up with Drogba who will be playing his customary role as lone striker in the match, the duo set to cause some headaches for Villa defence and keeper Brad Freidel. SCOLARI’S THOUGHTS I am expecting a win in today’s match. Aston Villa have failed to show any consistency in their matches this season so we should come away with a convincing win. With many of their key players missing either due to injury or international duties we should have no problems in dispensing of anything they throw at us. It really should be a walk over and I’m predicting a 3-0 win. __________________ Last edited by ReoCoker_20; 03-01-2009 at 02:52 AM..