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British Football Week : March 9th 2010
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02 BRITISH FOOTBALL WEEK >>> ISSUE 1243 CONTENTS: Latest News 3 FA Barclays Premiership News 4-7 Coca-Cola Football League News 8 Coca-Cola Championship 9-11 Coca-Cola League One 12-13 Coca-Cola League Two 14-15 FA Barclays Premiership 16-17 FA Cup Quarter-finals 18-21 In The Mix 22 Midweek Action 23 Internationals Friendlies 24-28 European Under-21 Championship Qualifiers 29 A-League Action 30-31 Results 32-35 European Wrap 35 Irn-Bru Leagues 36 Clydesdale Bank Premier League 37-38 Scottish News 39-40 The contents of this publication are subject to copyright and may not, in whole or part, be lent, copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without the express written permission of IPG. It is a condition of purchase that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in the publication, or from the use in any way of the information contained within its pages. The publisher bears no responsibility for unsolicited material. IPG makes no warranties, express or implied with respect to any material contained herein. Readers are advised that views expressed in these columns or Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers. BFW takes no responsibility for the bona fides of advertisers and readers should satisfy themselves of the genuineness of advertisers' claims before sending any money. All items in BFW or IPG advertisements in this issue are included in good faith on the basis that the goods as described will be made available by our suppliers. Neither BFW nor IPG will be responsible for a failure by any of our suppliers to deliver in accordance with orders placed by us which may result in one or more items advertised in this issue, being unavailable. Editor: Tim Lefort tim.lefort@ipgonline.cc Publisher: Philip Greader Letters to the editor: British Football Week, PO Box 393, Belmont WA 6984, Australia Or email: bfwletters@ipgonline.cc Website: www.britishfootballweek.net Photographs: Press Association Images, Getty Images ISSN 1445-7594. Print Post Approved PP665002/00122. © International Publishing Group Australia Pty Ltd 2002. British Football Week is an independent football publication, published weekly on Tuesday throughout Australia by International Publishing Group Australia Pty Ltd, Box 393, Belmont,WA 6984, Australia A.C.N. 078 421 628. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Phone: (08) 9362 4134 Fax: (08) 9470 3162 Freecall: 1800 809 233 Email: wa@ipgonline.cc ADVERTISING: Anita Barker anita.barker@ipgonline.cc Phone: (08) 9362 4134 Fax: (08) 9470 3162 ENGLAND midfielder Joe Cole is poised for a summer move to long-time admirers Manchester United if there is no agreement on a new contract at Chelsea. (Sunday Express) MANCHESTER City are planning to take striker Gonzalo Higuain away from Real Madrid this summer after the Argentine international turned down the La Liga club's latest improved contract offer. (News of the World) LIVERPOOL will offer Fernando Torres substantially greater rewards on his image rights to fend off bids from Manchester City and Barcelona. (NOTW) MANCHESTER United defender John O'Shea is poised to make a miraculous return to action, possibly within the next couple of weeks, after originally being ruled out for the remainder of the season with a blood clot last November. (NOTW) WAYNE Bridge will not end his self-imposed England exile, dashing manager Fabio Capello's hopes of changing the Manchester City defender's mind before the World Cup. (Sunday Mirror) TOTTENHAM midfielder Jermaine Jenas has started taking Italian lessons as he prepares for a move to Inter Milan in the close-season. (Sunday Mirror) ENGLAND striker Peter Crouch has ruled out marrying girlfriend Abbey Clancy this summer because "the World Cup is the most important thing". (NOTW) MANCHESTER City striker Robinho, now on loan at Brazilian side Santos, has taken a swipe at Eastlands manager Roberto Mancini, claiming the Italian "has a lack of ability". (Sunday Mirror) A NEW Premier League- endorsed scheme aimed at teenage football talent hopes to eradicate the 'spoilt rich kid' image of England's top footballers following the recent headline-grabbing antics of Ashley Cole and John Terry. (NOTW) THERE were the predicted smattering of early boos for John Terry, although they were neither prolonged nor committed. How ironic though that, on a night when the fans demonstrated their unity and support for the England team, it should be the man they once abused so cruelly who should be England's saviour. Peter Crouch gave England manager Fabio Capello a World Cup dilemma when he came off the bench to score two goals in England's 3-1 victory against Egypt at Wembley. You cannot ignore Crouch. You just cannot. Not just because he is 6'7" tall and has a blond mop which rises above others like a snow-packed peak in the penalty area. No, it is his tenacity. His composure. His unstinting desire to do his best for his team whatever is thrown at him. That goes for the jibes which were hurled his way as he used to disrobe his tracksuit on the touchline before he had even kicked a ball in anger under Steve McClaren's reign. Why? Because he was tall and ungainly. Well, if he comes on to score the winning goal in South Africa they will not be talking about his height. They will be saluting a man whose goal record is up there with the legends. When he slid home Gareth Barry's cross after 56 minutes and then Shaun Wright-Phillips's cross after 80 in England's victory at Wembley it brought Crouch's tally to 20 goals in 37 games for his country. Better than one goal every two matches. That is a striking output which is up there with the best. And boy did England need it, even if the perfor mance also left Capello admitting Wright-Phillips' performance was ''really important''. The truth is the victory is welcome and the momentum it might provide could be crucial. But with less than 100 days and counting to the start of the World Cup in South Africa there were also elements of this performance which were downright worrying. Wes Brown's sloppy indecision at right-back was the most glaring. But there was also a debilitating slip by Matthew Upson which led directly to Egypt's goal from Mohamed Zidan and brought Rio Ferdinand's chronic back problem into even sharper focus. There was also a hint of the old chestnut which says Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard do not perform at their best in the same midfield. So what will Capello have learned? One, that Everton's Leighton Baines is no Ashley Cole but he can do a creditable job at left-back in his absence. The friendly was worth it just for that. And also that he cannot now jettison his big striker system. All through the impressive qualifying campaign Capello had used Emile Heskey as his comfort blanket, playing up front as the target man, taking the pressure off Wayne Rooney, bringing the best out of England's brightest star. But the suspicion always was that Capello's preference was for lightning pace and fluid movement. And he proved it, starting with Theo Walcott on the right and Jermain Defoe as his second striker. Defoe's goals for Tottenham this season are difficult to ignore. But England's first-half performance only proved what a big call Capello has to make. Rooney was as industrious and as hungry for the ball as ever, but he did not have the room against Egypt that he has enjoyed when playing alongside Heskey. True, he did play Defoe in once after 12 minutes but the Spurs man uncharacteristically hesitated and the chance was lost. Likewise with Walcott. One early darting run saw him pull the ball back for Lampard, only to see the Chelsea midfielder hit the ball straight at Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary from eight yards. In the main, however, despite Wright- Phillips also getting on the scoresheet, the option of pace did not work. Much of that had to do with the fact that Egypt are a well-organised, technically-gifted set of footballers. They have won the African Nations Cup three times in a row and it is one of the game's little mysteries how they will be sitting at home watching the action from South Africa on the television, while Algeria, their victors in qualifying, will be there. They were unhinged only when Capello replaced Defoe with Crouch at half-time. A big one for a little one. And this time not a boo to be heard. England can take a giant leap forward By FRANK MALLEY Peter Crouch (left) celebrates with England team-mate Shaun Wright- Phillips during their recent 3-1 victory over Egypt
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