SONO ANCORA DISPONIBILI LE ULTIMISSIME COPIE DI “LADS 2011” (ESAURITO SU EBAY ): ACQUISTALO DAL SITO www.lulu.com COLLEGAMENTO DIRETTO USANDO L’ICONA IN ALTO A SINISTRA oppure, utilizzando le coordinate riportate qui sotto,mediante POSTE PAY, PAYPAL O BONIFICO BANCARIO( euro 25,00 + 7,35 raccomandata traccabile ).ALTRI LIBRI DISPONIBILI: Leoni fuori gabbia euro 22,00,This is Ulster euro 23,00, The Final euro 15,00, Lads 2009 euro 25,00. MODALITA’ DI PAGAMENTO: bonifico a favore di Luca Tomaselli IBAN: IT31 R0306901 0061 0000 0090 634 BIC TI TMM, poste pay numero 4023600577836960 Luca Tomaselli oppure PayPal all’ indirizzo: idlcasualsutd@interfree.it CONTRIBUTO FISSO SPESE POSTALI: Euro 10,00 complessivi per spezioni tracciabili ed euro 5,00 per spedizioni non tracciabili indipendentemente dal numero dei titoli acquistati fino a cinque.Tutti i volumi sono anche disponibili per l’acquisto dal sito www.lulu.com con varie modalità di spedizione a costi differenti.Per i dettagli sui singoli libri guarda in calce. A maggio disponibile anche “Diario di oltre Manica”, con tutti gli articoli commentati relativi ai fatti di cronaca che hanno coinvolto le tifoserie britanniche durante i campionati in corso.
Chi siederà sulla panchina del Chelsea la prossima stagione? Dopo il fallimento dell’esperienza alla guida tecnica di V. Boas, sono molti i candidati, quasi tutti dal nome roboante, a dirigere i “Blues” in quella che dovrà essere la stagione della ricostruzione. Sebbene Guardiola, Capello e Benitez siano solo alcuni dei managers di successo sui quali potrebbe puntare Abramovich, per i tifosi la soluzione preferibile rimane il ritorno di Josè Mourinho, invocato anche dai ripetuti cori levatisi dagli spalti nelle ultime settimane. Non va meglio in casa Arsenal, altra londinese vicina ad una stagione fallimentare. Non è bastata la roboante vittoria per 3-0 contro il Milan per ribaltare il poker subito dai rossoneri all’andata e Wenger ha perso le staffe accusando il direttore di gara per il mancato “miracolo”. Il francese , per la verità, ha puntato il dito anche contro la giacchetta nera che fischiò a San Siro, parlando lungamente di decisioni dubbie sfavorevoli alla propria squadra. In Scozia sarebbero sei le proposte di acquisto per i Rangers, attualmente in amministrazione. Che il club riparta dalla SPL o dall’ Inghilterra, al riguardo le voci si infittiscono soprattutto se si dovesse realizzare l’ipotesi di una “newCo”, il nome del multimilionario Mc Coll sembra essere il più affascinante, sebbene la cordata legata all’ ex presidente Murray dai 9 titoli consecutivi appaia, forse, come l’ipotesi più accreditata. La SPL, in caso di migrazione in Inghilterra della propria formazione più titolata e seguita, perderebbe, a causa di una clausola contrattuale che vincola il pagamento per i diritti televisivi alla presenza delle squadre dell’ Old Firm, i vigenti contratti con le televisioni e sarebbe destinata ad un drastico ridimensionamento del già modesto standard. Ecco perchè gli scozzesi faranno di tutto per cercare di avere ancora i Rangers nel proprio campionato. A proposito di squadre in amministrazione si sta cercando, in Inghilterra, di salvare il Portsmouth, anch’esso in grave crisi economica. Con la locale Agenzie dell’ Entrate pronta a colpire, a breve, diversi clubs britannici, alcuni dei più gettonati e seguiti in testa alla lista, con conti previsti di diverse decine di milioni di sterline, il pallone sta rischiando di sgonfiarsi velocemente. La proposta di una nuova Lega unica britannica, da più parti ventilata, potrebbe essere la base su cui ricostruire uno sport sempre più vittima di quel business che ha cercato insistentemente e che ora sta iniziando a presentare lo sgradevole conto.
Chelsea fans make their voices heard
The public vote was cast within seconds and the winner – vociferously announced by 3,000 voices at one end of St Andrew’s – was Jose Mourinho.
And the loser, declared equally emphatically but with a liberal sprinkling of venom from the same quarter, was Mourinho’s old adversary Rafael Benitez.
Chelsea fans have not had the opportunity to deliver their verdict on the fall-out from Sunday’s sacking of Andre Villas-Boas which leaves owner Roman Abramovich looking for the latest manager to fill what increasingly takes on the appearance of the impossible job.
Roberto di Matteo, sharp-suited and stylish in the dug-out at Birmingham City and watching a 2-0 win which put Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final, was taking charge for the first time since being handed control until the end of the season – but there was another guest at his party.
Chelsea fans hold up a sign during their FA Cup replay match against Birmingham declaring their support for the return of former manager Jose Mourinho. PHOTO: Getty
Barely had the banks of cameramen moved away from Di Matteo and this fifth-round replay began before the travelling Chelsea supporters made their wishes clear on a variety of matters currently exercising Abramovich’s mind.
The demand for Mourinho’s return, a dream which has a great distance to travel before it becomes anything remotely resembling reality, was made almost instantly.
It was a plea for the old order to be restored but it remains to be seen whether “The Special One” and his former Russian paymaster can get even beyond first base before the potentially rocky ground of lines of demarcation can be discussed.
Of equal intrigue, providing the backdrop to a first half which came perilously close to flouting its billing as entertainment, was the vehemence attached to the name of the man it would appear many Chelsea fans do not want.
Benitez did everything but openly declare his hand, and consequently his interest, in a live interview with BBC Sport from the Emirates.
He had just watched Arsenal come within one goal of threatening a comeback against AC Milan to stand alongside his own greatest moment against those same opponents on the balmy night in Istanbul in May 2005 when Liverpool came from three goals back to win the Champions League on penalties.
And yet if the open revolt against his potential candidacy at St Andrew’s is any accurate measure, there is no appetite for Benitez among Chelsea’s following.
I believe Chelsea’s hierarchy were aware of the anti-Benitez feeling among the fan base even before he took a verbal coating on Tuesday and that his chances of being appointed as Villas-Boas’ successor cannot be rated much above nil.
It seems that Benitez, out of work since being sacked at Inter Milan last season, is paying the price for his notoriously spiky relationship with Chelsea and Mourinho in the matches that provided pivotal moments in their Premier League careers.
Benitez may have lost a League Cup final to Chelsea in 2005 but he twice overcame Mourinho in Champions League semi-finals and also had an FA Cup semi-final win to savour in 2006.
He slipped against Chelsea on other occasions but this was when Avram Grant and Guus Hiddink were at the helm.
This appears to have fatally damaged his standing among Chelsea supporters, to the extent where they are willing to make public their disapproval despite Benitez having shown he can devise the sort of strategy that wins the trophy Abramovich craves above all others.
Nothing was heard of Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola’s name while it appears the Chelsea oligarch’s own approval rating may not have taken too much of a hit despite the latest managerial change as he was serenaded with: “Roman Abramovich – He Sacks Who He Wants.”
As indeed he does.
In the middle of this stood Di Matteo, declaring that Chelsea were now “a happy family” while sparing a thought for the departed Villas-Boas, which is more than the supporters did as they hurriedly moved the agenda along to his replacement.
The Italian was cagey on most matters, even whether he had spoken to Villas-Boas, although it is clear the main mission he has been handed is not to win the FA Cup but to make sure Chelsea finish in the Premier League’s top four.
This will be the position from where Abramovich can attract his prime target.
He will not have departed Birmingham a much wiser man for a Chelsea performance that eventually deserved to set up a home tie with Leicester City in the last eight.
More pressing tests will come when Stoke City visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday before the second leg of the Champions League tie against Napoli, where they will try to chase down a 3-1 deficit.
Chelsea sealed the win with two goals in swift succession from Juan Mata and Raul Meireles early in the second half, but the first half was desperately unconvincing and Fernando Torres still looks like a striker incapable of scoring.
Di Matteo had the luxury of being able to bring captain John Terry back into the fold as an unused substitute, way ahead of schedule after knee surgery.
He was joined on the bench by Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, with the next week likely to reveal more about the part they will play in the rest of Chelsea’s season.
The rest was a matter of getting a job done, getting the win that lifts the turbulent air around Chelsea and bringing Wembley into sharper focus. These are the little victories Di Matteo must achieve.
As ever under Abramovich, the big goal is the Champions League. Di Matteo must make qualification a reality for there to be any chance of realising the dreams of the supporters who want a Mourinho homecoming.
Mourinho does not do Europa League, which means the hard work for the Di Matteo holding operation starts now.
(BBC Football )
Chelsea: Who’s in line for Roman Abramovich’s hot-seat?
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich gambled on potential with Andre Villas-Boas but he is unlikely to do the same again when appointing the Portuguese’s successor.
This time the Russian billionaire is odds-on to go for experience with some well-known names in the frame for the Stamford Bridge hot-seat.
BBC Sport looks at some of the main candidates:
JOSE MOURINHO
Age: 49
Current club: Real Madrid
Shortest odds: 2/1
“The Special One” has never hidden his keenness to return to the Premier League. Speculation of a comeback has risen significantly in recent months, following leaks of strained relations between Mourinho and Real Madrid’s Spain stars.
The former Chelsea boss has communicated through trusted sources that he is ready to return to England at the end of the season, and last week allowed himself to be spotted house-hunting close to Stamford Bridge. How much of this very public flirtation is a power grab, as opposed to a genuine desire to leave swiftly, remains to be seen.
Certainly the obstacles to his return are negligible. Mourinho’s relationship with Abramovich was quickly repaired after his sudden departure. The Manchester United and Manchester City posts do not seem likely to open up. The real question is if Mourinho fancies the task of replacing a Cech-Terry-Lampard spine that was in its prime when he inherited it in 2004.
PEP GUARDIOLA
Age: 41
Current club: Barcelona
Shortest odds: 4/1
It is hard to imagine many head coaches in Guardiola’s position being potentially so available. He has enjoyed relentless success in constructing arguably one of the greatest teams in footballing history, but has always kept his options open. Guardiola has always preferred to sign for only one season at a time.
Widespread reports in Spain had the Barcelona coach verbally agreeing a deal for next season back in December. Still, nothing is signed and the question remains: how much more can he do at the Nou Camp? Clinching a third Champions League trophy in four seasons might be an ideal way to sign off.
The challenge of Chelsea would represent almost a polar opposite to Guardiola’s Barcelona brief. He knows Barca inside-out, and has perfectly exploited his knowledge of the club’s stellar youth system. The Blues, meanwhile, have been heavily criticised for their relatively unproductive academy. Success at the Bridge would put to an end any doubt over Guardiola’s status as an all-time great coach.
RAFAEL BENITEZ
Age: 51
Current club: None
Shortest odds: 4/1
The difficulties of Benitez’s final months at Liverpool should not overshadow his qualities. He is one of the game’s sharpest tactical minds, with painstaking attention to detail. He also produced Liverpool’s most attractive side in a generation, the 2008/09 side which ran Manchester United close for the Premier League.
He does know how to succeed in the Champions League. In 2005 he won the trophy with a borderline dysfunctional squad, so could offer Abramovich short-term gratification as well as good prospects. European know-how is surely an attractive feature for the owner.
The greatest problems with a potential Benítez appointment are image-based. Chelsea fans associate him both with his latter-day failure at Liverpool, and the attritional football of the 2005 and 2007 Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea.
Abramovich may be put off by Benitez’s difficult relationships with the boards of Valencia and Liverpool. In both cases, the coach campaigned diligently for greater transfer autonomy.
FABIO CAPELLO
Age: 65
Current club: None
Shortest odds: 6/1
England’s loss could be Chelsea’s gain. Capello has plenty of critics for his stewardship of England but his club track record is peerless, with title wins in Italy and Spain.
Respected rather than liked in his native Italy, he is ostensibly the perfect fit for Chelsea in many ways. He is unemotional and business-like. Dealing with international-class stars is second nature. In short, he has the experience, hard-headedness and status to successfully complete the needed squad transplant.
Capello is a pragmatist. His masterminding of Milan’s stunning 1994 Champions League final win over Barcelona does, however, show that he cannot be totally typecast.
Importantly, he never lets pride inform his decisions. A good example is his reincorporation of David Beckham into Real Madrid’s side in 2007 to great effect – he had previously said he would never pick the England captain again.
ROBERTO DI MATTEO
Age: 41
Current club: Chelsea (caretaker boss)
Shortest odds: 5/1
Di Matteo retains a sizeable portion of goodwill among Blues fans. As a player, he was part of what made Chelsea fashionable pre-Abramovich. Cosmopolitan, good-looking and stylish, he was one of the key figures of the Matthew Harding era. His two FA Cup final-winning goals live on in Chelsea legend.
His initial coaching career cut a similar dash, with impressive work at Milton Keynes Dons and West Bromwich Albion. Yet a good Premier League start with West Brom morphed into struggle, and he was ruthlessly cut from his post in February last year.
It is therefore hard to see how Di Matteo has the authority to oversee a major rebuild at the Bridge. This is a job for an experienced authority figure. He is also tainted by association with the Villas-Boas era; a similar situation to the background which tainted Steve McClaren’s tenure as England coach.
DAVID MOYES
Age: 48
Current club: Everton
Shortest odds: 12/1
Moyes’s principal qualities are clear. He has extensive Premier League experience, authority and durability. He has also consistently overachieved at Everton over a tenure spanning a decade. Given his limited budget on Merseyside, Moyes could aid Chelsea in adapting to Uefa’s new Financial Fair Play model.
The Scot has also rebuilt his Everton side on a number of occasions, following departures as varied as David Unsworth, Wayne Rooney and Mikel Arteta. Securing a Champions League place in 2005 was, meanwhile, little short of a miracle. He has probably taken Everton about as far as he can.
Chelsea would, however, represent a huge step. That 2005 qualifying round defeat to Villarreal is the closest Moyes has come to Europe’s biggest competition. It represents a huge hole in his CV. Grappling with the egos of an established squad packed with big names would be a leap into the unknown.
DIDIER DESCHAMPS
Age: 43
Current club: Marseille
Shortest odds: 16/1
Another former Chelsea player, Deschamps convinced far fewer fans than Di Matteo in his time at the Bridge. He has proved himself as a top coach, however.
He guided Monaco to the 2004 Champions League final at Chelsea’s expense before taking Juventus to an impressive promotion in 2007, after the Calciopoli scandal. In his current post, Deschamps guided Marseille to their first silverware in 17 years, winning the Ligue 1 title and the French League Cup in his first season in charge, in 2010.
His position has come under strain this season, with open warfare between the coach and sporting director Jose Anigo. Deschamps left Monaco and Juventus after similar disputes with the board, so he would not be a “yes” man.
His defensive style could also be a turn-off for Abramovich. Criticised for his circumspect tactics, the stubborn Deschamps went on to buy three defensive players among his four major signings last summer.
LAURENT BLANC
Age: 46
Current job: France
Shortest odds: 20/1
Blanc has much less club experience – limited to only three seasons at Bordeaux – but has undeniably made waves in his short coaching career. He took his time before choosing his first managerial post, joining the club in 2007.
In the meantime Blanc had studied extensively. He made a huge impact at Bordeaux. The club won their first league championship in 10 years, and he inspired Yoann Gourcuff and Alou Diarra to heights they have not touched since.
A disastrous last six months at Bordeaux led many to question if Blanc had the experience to turn around a stricken France national side, but he has done superbly. France are unbeaten in 18 matches ahead of Euro 2012, and Blanc has integrated some excellent young players, including Arsenal target Yann M’Vila.
His coaching career does, however, lack the continental breadth of his playing career. Blanc has heavily favoured home-based players for France – questioning whether he has the skills to manage a multi-national squad.
(BBC Football )
Arsenal-Milan 3-0: Rossoneri ai quarti, ma quanta paura dopo il primo tempo da incubo…
La squadra di Allegri ha terminato il primo tempo in svantaggio di due reti: i rossoneri non stanno riuscendo ad imbastire delle importanti azioni d’attacco.
Arsenal – Milan, per Wenger l’eliminazione è colpa dell’arbitro
Secondo l’allenatore francese la causa dell’eliminazione è da attribuire all’arbitro. In parte all’andata, ma molto nel ritorno, i direttori di gara hanno preso molte decisioni che andavano contro la sua squadra (in riferimento al fatto che ogni volta che i giocatori del Milan venivano toccati andavano a terra, e l’arbitro concedeva sempre punizioni), ma soprattutto, nel momento di massima tensione, e cioè il finale di gara, sono stati concessi appena 3 minuti di recupero, troppo pochi per i suoi gusti.
Finita qui? Pare proprio di no perché probabilmente Wenger aveva lasciato il fair play a casa in quanto, secondo ciò che riferisce il Sun, pare che nel tunnel che portava agli spogliatoi si racconta che abbia inseguito il direttore di gara, Damir Skomina, e gli abbia urlato contro che il suo arbitraggio è stato una “C***o di vergogna”.
(calciopro.com)
Scottish multimillionaire mulling over Rangers takeover
On a day that will go down as one of the darkest in Rangers’ history to date, Hitthebyline can reveal what could prove to be a shining light at the end of a tunnel of turmoil for the club.
A Hitthebyline insider has had advanced discussions with Jim McColl OBE, who has expressed a desire to end the disastrous reign of Craig Whyte.
Jim McColl – The saviour of Rangers?
Last month, McColl was mentioned by former Rangers director Paul Murray as being a key figure in a potential consortium to mount a takeover bid. However, it would seem since then that McColl has had a change of heart, and would now like to champion the takeover on his own, (as our insider learned at the weekend while speaking to him at a local golf outing).
McColl is understood to be watching intently and mulling over his options as he looks to become the successor to Craig Whyte, and ultimately end the suffering of the Ibrox faithful.
The Carmunnock born businessman has a reported fortune of over £800m, with a far more transparent and upstanding reputation than the clandestine Mr Whyte. The Daily Record reported in November of 2008 that McColl had overtaken Tom Hunter as Scotland’s richest man, and with recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list of 2001, Rangers would be inclined to put to put their faith in the seemingly upstanding businessman, should any takeover bid emerge.
As a lifelong Rangers fan, McColl has long been rumoured to enter into financial involvement with his boyhood heroes. In 2010, the Sunday Herald also reported that he was to be the bankroller of a Rangers Supporters Trust takeover bid, which was to make the club wholly owned by the supporters (in a similar setup to how Barcelona currently operate). This has since proved to be not entirely true, but the multimillionaire conceded to the fact he was providing financial advice to the supporters trust.
In this age of uncertainty for the Glasgow giants, it remains to be seen whether the successful entrepreneur will firm up his interest in the club. With his interest in the club now declared, all eyes will now be on him to see when and if he takes the next step.
(hitthebyline)
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