Hamilton kept their slim hopes of avoiding relegation alive with a 1-0 win over St Mirren in the Scottish Premier League.Billy Reid’s team moved within six points of safety thanks to a 75th-minute header from Frenchman Mickael Antoine-Curier on Monday.
St Mirren were on the back foot early on when full-back Jure Travner picked up two yellow cards in the opening 24 minutes.
Visiting Hamilton should have had the lead on the stroke of half time, but goalkeeper Paul Gallacher produced a superb save to deny forward Nigel Hasselbaink.
But they did go ahead 16 minutes from time when a Dougie Imrie cross was met by the head of Antoine-Curier.
Hamilton midfielder Alex Neil picked up his second yellow card 10 minutes from the end to make for a nervous finish, but they held on to their narrow advantage.
It was a vital three points for bottom-side Hamilton, with St Mirren only six points clear in second-last spot with three matches remaining.
There are certain fads among the celebrity elite that seem to come and go quicker than a Manchester City title challenge. Taking up yoga, vegetarianism adopting babies from Africa have all been popular among the special famous people that don’t have to wait inline at the bar like the rest of us. The latest in vogue activity for the rich and famous is supporting a football team.
When I say ‘supporting’ I mean it in the prawn sandwich eating loosest term of the word, not attending matches or actually giving a toss, just affiliating themselves with the most popular team they can think of or the one that’s going to get them more followers on twitter. The past few years have seen an increase in so-called celebs letting everyone who’ll listen, and even those who won’t, which team they ‘love’ and cannot bear to see lose, well at least feel a trifle tad disappointed when those beastly other teams beat them, so much so they have to have another glass of Moet to ease the pain.
I’m sure I can’t be the only fan sick of hearing part-time celebrity tosspots getting involved in the game we all love just because it seems like the ‘cool’ thing to do. Don’t get me wrong there are exceptions – Alastair Campbell is arguably as big a Burnley fan as anyone and certainly hasn’t started following them to tap into any zeitgeist. The problem is for many celebrity fans hating United also becomes a populist trait they quickly adopt, regardless of which team it is they’re supposed to be following.
Here’s my top ten list of celebrity fans who should stick to following the cricket, and remember, this was compiled by a Man United fan, so leave your suggestions for annoying celebrity United supporters below…
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Click on Lord Sugar below to see the Top TEN
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List compiled by Justin at the excellent Red Flag Flying High
There are many factors that affect a clubs performance in the English Premier League. Fitness, fortune, referees, management and chemistry are a few. Regardless, almost every season, the true class of the league rise to the top and those that can’t get it together are “hammered” into their rightful location. Sorry for the unnecessary pun, but generally speaking, a club’s position at the end of the league is indicative of the level of football your club played through the year. But is this the case with Arsenal?
With the growing popularity of Twitter and in general the online community, Arsenal supporters are often blanketed with details on the club…some they want…and some they don’t. Though the Arsenal are likely to finish 4th and be subject to a qualifier for entry into the Champion’s League, many Arsenal supporters believe a string of bad-luck has left them in this situation. The recent draw with Liverpool is at the top of many fans minds, dropping two points on a questionable penalty called on Eboue. Supporters no doubt have been unable to wipe their minds clean of the disaster at St. James’s Park where after a straight red was issued to Abou Diaby and the flood walls came tumbling down. That is just 2 examples of the many injustices supporters could be pointing to. The players see it, the fans see it, and the coach sees it.
To be clear, however, that is not the reason we aren’t going to be win the Premier League this season. However many and whichever excuses we want to use to justify another trophy-less season for the Gunners, the reason we’re not celebrating glory is a lack of mental strength. Gunners on both sides argue whether Fabregas “really” wanted to be here this season or if his head is already in Barcelona. Fans have discuss our goalkeeping woes, inability to score goals, a weak back-line, injury problems across the board, match tactics, etc. All of these things have played a role in this season’s frustration, but some choose to look at the team and point to the man in charge.
There is no bigger supporter of what Arsene Wenger has done for the Arsenal…not just as a squad…but as an organization. There is a positive financial future on the Red & White side of North London; that cannot be said for many if not most clubs in world football. I believe in Arsene Wenger and I believe in Arsenal Football Club.
That being said, sometimes you need a shakeup in style to find out how the individuals on your team prefer to be managed. This 2011/2012 season will be the indicator of if that shake up is necessary.
There’s a large group within the online community calling for Wenger’s head. They cite his unwillingness to purchase quality players and a general inability to motivate the team that, to be fair, collapsed after the loss in the final to Birmingham. Is that on the player or the coach? Scoreless draws on the road can be acceptable in some instances, but never at home in front of the fans who pay more to see their team than anywhere else in the world…(+6%). Are fans entitled to see trophies won? Probably not. Are they entitled to see quality performances AND quality effort? Very much so. But do all those trips to the Champions League mean nothing?
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I found it interesting that Pat Rice has decided to stay “one more” season at the Emirates after the majority thought he would make his exit this summer. I also found it interesting that Arsene Wenger was quoted as saying he was “very excited Pat would be staying for one more year.” Since 1996 these two have worked closely to put a product on the field that would win the Premier League. They have done this while also adding an array of trophies to the case along the way. They have managed some of England’s best players of all-time and built the “Invincibles,” who everyone in Europe remembers. But is the decision for Pat Rice to stay “one more year” an indication of Arsene’s mindset? Is it possible that these two men have decided “it’s either now or never”?
Though many fans believe he would never believe Wenger would leave the Emirates, he has noticeably changed personas on the sideline. He looks like a man who doesn’t enjoy football anymore. Weekly, we see him slamming water bottles to the ground with a scowl on his face. The players have to have the guts to stand up for themselves if we want something other than dust in the trophy case. Yesterday’s performance at home to the Villains was far from that. Argue bad luck all you please, but at some point, excuses become irrelevant and Arsenal have reached that moment. Ideally, Arsenal wins the quadruple next season and this article will be moot. But for most Arsenal supporters, we are ready to see what/who the summer brings to the Emirates and personally, I hope it doesn’t bring the final episode of Arsene Wenger.
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Retired Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes says the time was right for him to call a halt to his career at the end of last season.The 66-cap England international, who spent 17 seasons in the United first team, called an end to his time as a professional footballer after helping his side to a record-breaking 19th English league title last month.
Scholes, 36, said manager Sir Alex Ferguson had told him he could still contribute at Old Trafford, but he felt the time was right to finish up.
“I was struggling a little bit in my legs even with training and playing games. They didn’t feel great and I just felt the time was right,” Scholes told Sky Sports on Monday.
“I’m someone who likes to think that they can contribute every week and I think as a midfield player for this club you need to be doing everything – you need to be scoring goals, you need to be making goals and you need to be giving everything in defence as well.”
“So I just felt it was the right time and I wasn’t contributing as much as I think a midfield player for this club should be.”
Asked whether Ferguson had tried to convince him to play on, Scholes said: “Not really, no. He did say that he felt I had 10, 15, maybe 20 games in me next season and he’d like me to stay.”
“But I just told him I wasn’t feeling great and I’ll think about it again and I’ll get back to him towards the end of the season which I did do.”
Scholes, who is set to take up a coaching role at Old Trafford next season, was again forced to defend accusations he was a dirty player.
A red card for a crude challenge on Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta in the FA Cup semi-final loss in April was his last dismissal.
The midfielder collected 90 yellow cards in the English Premier League, the third most in history, but he said he was unlucky, rather than dirty.
“I have just been unlucky. I never had red mist against anybody,” Scholes said.
“The one against Zabaleta, I didn’t do on purpose. It was just bad timing. The ball was up there and the way your leg goes it has to come down and unfortunately it came down on his leg.”
“I would never intentionally try to hurt somebody. Nobody has ever had to go off following one of my tackles and nobody has broken their leg.”
“I have never been nasty.”
Scholes will play his testimonial against the New York Cosmos at Old Trafford on August 5, with Manchester United legend Eric Cantona set to make a return appearance.
have kickstart their spending this summer with a double deal for Phil Jones and Ashley Young. It is a real signal intent from Sir Alex Ferguson who is looking to build what will arguably be a strong youthful legacy at Old Trafford.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Manchester United blogs that includes 7 into 2 doesn’t work at Old Trafford; the solution to Nani problem, while Park Ji Sung is the consummate pro who needs to remain a United player.
We also look at the best Manchester United articles around the web this week.
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‘Suits you sir!’ – The Premier League club’s Kit collection for 2011/12 season
WAG Weekly – Man United new boy scores a beauty!
VIDEO: The GREATEST Premier League goal ever…you decide!
A credit to Manchester United and who must retained at Old Trafford
United Fans Could Be Given The Chance To Prove their Real Worth
Caption Competition: Fergie signs on the dotted line
7 into 2 doesn’t add up at Old Trafford
The ideal solution to the Nani problem?
Is Manchester United’s latest signing a victim of the hype machine?
Does Fergie’s transfer policy signify intentions?
Am I the only United fan happy with this signing?
1-0 to Sir Alex Ferguson in the transfer stakes
*Best of WEB*
Fergie’s ‘keepers: good, bad and ugly – United Rant
United Youth – How will they fare next season? – The Busby Way
Exactly Why Berbatov Has Not Fulfilled His United Promise – The United Religion
Squad Players: Moved On and Kept on for Squad – Expertise on United
Kiko Macheda Entering Last Chance Saloon – Red Flag Flying High
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Click below to see the latest addition to the WAG Arena
Mohamed Bin Hammam has vowed to fight the life ban for corruption handed down to him by the FIFA ethics committee.Qatari Bin Hammam, formerly president of the Asian Football Confederation, was a challenger to Sepp Blatter in the FIFA Presidential elections before his withdrawal in May following corruption allegations.
He was suspended from FIFA activities after being accused of attempting to bribe Caribbean Football Union officials to secure their support in his bid to oust Blatter.
On Saturday the ethics committee handed him a life ban, precluding him from all FIFA activites.
But the 62-year-old is unlikely to go quietly, threatening to take the matter to an independent court to force FIFA to publicise the details of their case against him.
“This is just the battle, not the war,” Bin Hammam said via twitter and his website.
“I reject the findings and maintain my innocence and will continue to fight through the legal routes available.”
“We are confident of the strength of our case and invite FIFA to make available now to the media a full transcript of these proceedings.”
Lawyers representing Bin Hammam also released a statement questioning FIFA’s findings.
“The FIFA ethics committee have apparently based their decision upon so called ‘circumstantial’ evidence, which our case has clearly demonstrated was bogus and founded on lies told by a senior FIFA official,” lawyer Eugene Gulland said.
“FIFA, either directly or through third parties, with selective and continual leaking of documentation that have been part of these proceedings to the media (has sought) to influence public opinion and create bias.”
Acting AFC President Zhang Jilong, the favourite to succeed Bin Hammam as head of the confederation, was disappointed by the findings, but accepted FIFA’s decision.
“This is a sad day for (the) AFC and Asian football,” Zhang said.
“AFC respects world football governing body FIFA’s decision and we also acknowledge former AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam’s inalienable right to lodge an appeal against the decision.”
Fulham recorded a 3-1 win against Northern Irish side Crusaders on Thursday in the first leg of the second qualifying round for the Europa League. Goals from Matthew Briggs, Bobby Zamora and Danny Murphy give the Premier League side a real advantage going into the second leg at Craven Cottage next Thursday.
Fulham were without new signing John Arne Riise, but still fielded a strong line-up. The semi-professional IFA Premiership outfit went toe-to-toe with their English opponents however, and it was only a long range Briggs strike that separated the sides at half-time. However the Seaview club equalised on 54 minutes, with Timmy Adamson controlling well in the Fulham box and cooly dispatching the finish past Mark Schwarzer.
Despite this and a good performance by the underdogs, the London outfit’s class showed in the last 15 minutes as a Zamora header and Murphy’s penalty put paid to any potential giant killing feat.
“We knew it could be tough,” Martin Jol stated after the game.
“They [Crusaders] play a very direct style, with two good, big strikers, and that’s always difficult. But we came through it well. The only disappointing thing for me was the way we conceded the goal.
“Other than that, though, we did well in the first half and recovered nicely after their goal to win. It was nice to see the youngsters like Briggs and Kerim Frei come in and do well as well,” he concluded.
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When asked about out of favour Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, who the Dutchman coached during his time at White Hart Lane, the former Ajax manager was full of praise.
“Robbie’s a great player, but we’ve got great strikers here. I’m a big fan of Robbie.”
The North East will come to a standstill on Saturday lunchtime as Sunderland host arch rivals Newcastle.
Both teams picked up credible draws on the opening day of the season although they were overshadowed by one incident. Joey Barton’s tangle with Arsenal new boy Gervinho saw the Toon hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons yet again. Apart from that skirmish the Geordies put on a fantastic defensive performance as they constantly took the sting out of the Gunners tails on the way to a 0-0 draw.
Sunderland also produced a sterling performance against a Liverpool side boasting over £100 million worth of new signings in the ranks. New boy Sebastian Larsson put in a superb shift down the right and also popped to volley home a smashing equaliser to ear his side a 1-1 draw.
Both teams have problems at left back with Ryan Taylor filling the hole left by Jose Enrique. Kieran Richardson also plugged the gap in Sunderland’s problem area although his unconvincing display could force Steve Bruce into a change. It will also be interesting to see if Barton can hold his temper with both sides of the Stadium of Light roaring his name for different reasons.
Steve Bruce is still searching for his first win over Newcastle as Black Cats boss whilst the same applies to Alan Pardew in the Magpies dugout. Sunderland have the better team at the moment but like their rivals are a bit flat up front at the minute.
Lee Cattermole: The Sunderland skipper will be vital to shutting down Newcastle’s midfield combo of Yohan Cabaye and Cheik Tiote.
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Shola Ameobi: Comes alive in derby games and the Toon will be looking at him to lead the line and bully the Sunderland centre backs.
It seems that whenever a young player performs well in during a match in today’s game there follows a worrying trend amongst football journalists – a trend that becomes a price the young player must endure the very next time he steps onto a pitch and beyond, for the foreseeable future – hype.
In the beginning, hype could be seen as a good thing – particularly by the player himself. It signals his ‘arrival’ in the world of football. The moment he’s been dreaming of his whole young life. When all his sacrifices and dedication to ‘making it’ finally pay off. But what follows quite often – and often it is immediate, is a trend to build up the player as the next ‘great’. Instant comparisons will be made with established stars, and the inevitable ‘new’ version of tag will follow. Praise will be heaped upon the player with superlatives being attached that, in the past, had only been reserved for only the truly established and world class stars. No longer. Instantly lauded, there seems to be no such thing these days as simply a ‘quite promising performance’ from a youngster – particularly if he’s attached to, or linked with one of the bigger clubs.
Of course, hype of a new or young player isn’t a new thing in the world of football. It’s been around every player, manager and club for years following every good performance, result or success. But in today’s world the media magnification is so strong and vast, and the thirst for the latest scoop by the press is so intense, that there is nowhere to hide for anybody who shows even the slightest bit of promise, particularly in England, with the many scrutinising tabloid journalists working for the press. They are responsible for the over-hyped stories and un-needed added pressure placed on young shoulders with the sudden weight of great expectations, then even more responsible in deriding the player if they fail to live up to the impossible build-up they had been given. Build them up, to knock them down, as they say. No country does this better than England.
It may not all be down to ‘evil’ football journalists, far from it. But they play an integral role in the hype-machine of today. The hyperbole of football journalism in this country has played its part in the massive premium that’s been put on today’s young English players. Just look at the value being placed on our young ‘stars’ now. I say ‘stars’ in inverted commas as, in the eyes of the media, that is what they are – quite often even before they have fully established themselves into the first team. It is an example of the extreme superlatives given and what the hype-machine can do, which has led to unrealistic values in the transfer market. Look at the recent examples of Jordan Henderson and Phil Jones. Far from established, experienced players, a promising 18-months led to transfers at over-valued prices. Now they both have the weight of hefty price-tags on their shoulders too with journalists closely monitoring if they are worth it, with every kick of the ball. As this hype transfers to the watching fans – the pressure to perform is even more immense. Another example is Andy Carroll. His huge fee was in part down to the over-hyping of a player who had less than 6-months experience of top-flight football. The subsequent attacks on his abilities are not solely down to the player who is in the near-impossible position of having to live up to his ridiculous price tag, and the hype given by the press, who are now eager to mock the youngster every time he fails to meet their unreasonable hype.
Danny Welbeck could well be the latest target for the press. His match-winning performance against Tottenham on Monday launched him into the spotlight and the press are instantly lauding him and claiming United have ‘unearthed a gem’ – even though he has been around their first team for a number of seasons. But, as a youngster, any great performance will bring this type of hype.
Of course, this rule doesn’t just apply to the UK. One famous occurrence took place in Italy back in 1992, when after only a few promising seasons, Gianluigi Lentini become the most expensive player in the world, when AC Milan signed him for an astonishing £13 million. Whether he really ever had the potential to become a world ‘great’ was debateable from the off, but under the intense pressure of the transfer fee and playing for a giant club, Lentini couldn’t live up to the expectations and faded – his name becoming synonymous with failure in Italy. With great hype comes great, but often false expectations – and players pay the price for unfulfilling them.
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Frank Lampard scored a hat-trick for Chelsea in their 5-1 win over Bolton on Sunday, and has stated that he is happy to let his football do the talking after being criticised in the press recently.
The veteran midfielder has been the subject of squad rotation since Andre Villa Boas joined the Stamford Bridge club as coach, with some figures in the press asking whether his time at the top was over.
Despite this, the England international scored in midweek against Valencia, and answered his critics with a fine display against the lowly Trotters.
“I have been around a long time now and it is never plain sailing and you just have to stay strong and let your football do the talking,” he told Sky Sports after the victory.
“If you do that and keep working hard then things come to you, and I think today things came to me.
“It is always satisfying. I am just pleased to be playing and pleased to be contributing. The team has played very well this season most of the time and I just want to contribute when I am playing.
“It is great to play with good players. Stubbs (Daniel Sturridge) puts the first one on a plate for me. I feel like I’ve got a lot left in me and I just want to be part of a successful team and have a good season.
“I don’t think we could have asked for any more. That first-half performance was as good as we have played for a long time, the passing and movement and the goals that came,” he concluded.
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Chelsea are three points behind the Manchester clubs at the top of the table, and square up against Everton at home in the their next game on October 15th.