by David Wilson on September 1, 2010
For the first time Premier League teams had to name a 25-man squad for the first half of the EPL season and there was a couple of surprises.
All 20 clubs had to submit a squad of up to 25 players containing no more than 17 players who do not qualify as homegrown. Homegrown players are classed as players who “irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday”. Read more... (1279 words, 1 image, estimated 5:07 mins reading time)
by Damian Cooper on August 31, 2010
Today is transfer deadline day in the EPL meaning that Premier League clubs have until 6pm London time to sign players before the window closes. The day is always rife with Speculation and the advent of 24 hour rolling sports news has fuelled that speculation further in recent years.
Avram Grant is on his phone down at the Boleyn Ground with rumours abound of Jamie O’Hara and Robbie Keane coming in. Scott Parker is sought after once again, and Hammers fans will be hoping that the Board do what they say and keep hold of Parker. Chairman David Sullivan issued a hands off warning a few weeks ago and said Parker was categorically going nowhere. That hasn’t stopped the rumours though. Read more... (374 words, 1 image, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)
by John Brandon on August 30, 2010
Manchester United eased past a troubled and feeble West Ham United thanks to two of the greatest players this country have ever seen.
Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs single handedly won the game for Manchester United and in the process started their campaign to knock the mighty Chelsea off of their perch. Oh and how they did it.
Pass after pass was arrowed across the pitch by Paul Scholes, skill after skill was displayed by Ryan Giggs and it was this combination that led to all 3 of the goals in their 3 – 0 win.
American full back Jonathon Spector had a torrid time against Ryan Giggs (his old team mate) and after being nutmegged by the Welsh wizard, Spector brought him down to give Manchester United a penalty. A penalty which ended 1,114 minutes without a goal for Wayne Rooney. Read more... (332 words, 1 image, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)
by Damian Cooper on August 22, 2010
Avid followers of the English game will know that Arsenal used to have a reputation for winning games 1-0. Their fans even had a chant that celebrated this fact. This state of affairs pre-dated Wenger though, and yesterday the Arsenal thrashed new boys Blackpool 6-0. And that scoreline has become very popular in the first two weeks of the Premier League season. Today, whilst reading about Chelsea’s second 6-0 win in two games, I witnessed Newcastle United put six goals past Aston Villa. In the Magpies first home game back in the top flight, Andy Carroll netted a hat-trick with his third goal rounding things off in the final minute. Read more... (445 words, 1 image, estimated 1:47 mins reading time)
by David Wilson on August 14, 2010
What a day it was for Blackpool fans. After waiting all summer, the team that everyone has tipped to get relegated, went to Wigan and thrashed Wigan 4-0 to move top of the Premier League for a couple of hours.
This was a great performance by Blackpool who were dominant from the start with Gary Taylor-Fletcher on his own at the far post where he tucked home Marlon Harewood’s 16th-minute cross. A terrible mistake from Latics skipper Chris Kirkland gifted Harewood Blackpool’s second before the burly striker added another two minutes before the break. The fourth arrived when an attempted cross from Alex Baptiste deceived the blundering Kirkland to creep in at the near post, completing a remarkable result. Read more... (676 words, 2 images, estimated 2:42 mins reading time)
by David Wilson on August 10, 2010
Real Madrid have signed defender Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea, the English Premier League champions announced on their web site.
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm it has agreed terms with Real Madrid for the transfer of Ricardo Carvalho. The transfer is subject to a medical and the player agreeing personal terms. Chelsea would like to thank Riccy for his six years of service, and we wish him well in his future career.”
The transfer is not a surprise after the 32-year-old Carvalho told Spanish sports daily last month that it would be “a dream” for him to be reunited with Mourinho at the Bernabeu. Read more... (226 words, 2 images, estimated 54 secs reading time)
by Brian Hall on August 5, 2010
Now I must admit that the headline is a bit misleading. Carlo Ancelotti is not upset with potential transfer target Ashley Cole and desperately wants the Englishman to return to the Blues this season and not join La Liga side Real Madrid.
But former Blues man Joe Cole is another story with the former AC Milan manager.
Ancelotti certainly didn’t offer many positive parting words when he recently suggested that the new Liverpool man was unteachable. When comparing newly acquired Yossi Benayoun to Cole, the Italian praised his transfer while completely disrespecting the departed player by suggesting that he does not listen to coaching instructions.
Carlo Ancelotti told the Sun this revealing statement: Read more... (290 words, 2 images, estimated 1:10 mins reading time)
by David Wilson on July 24, 2010
![[champions] Chelsea x Juventus : 1](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3310828336_3c491e78b7.jpg)
Just days after we wrote how Petr Cech is set to to miss the start of Premier League season Alex has been injured in training and he will also miss the start of the season. It appears that the Brazilian injured his thigh in training and will be out for a month.
As if that was not bad enough news for Chelsea fans, we heard today that Didier Drogba has undergone groin surgery and he will be out for three weeks. That means Drogba will also miss next month’s Community Shield and Chelsea’s Premier League opener. Read more... (135 words, 2 images, estimated 32 secs reading time)
by David Wilson on July 21, 2010
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is set to miss the start of the 2010-11 Premier League season after tearing his right calf muscle in training on Tuesday.
Cech is expected to be out for a month, during which Chelsea play three pre-season games and the Community Shield against Manchester United on 8 August. Chelsea open their Premier League title defence against West Brom on 14 August and face Wigan a week later.
This is the third time that Cech has suffered this same injury. Last season he was out for a month after injuring himself against Inter Milan in the Champions League. Cech also tore his the same calf muscle against Schalke in 2007 in another Champions League match. Read more... (133 words, 1 image, estimated 32 secs reading time)
by David Wilson on July 6, 2010
He has not impressed at all during the World Cup, but that has not discouraged Chelsea from submitting a formal £40million offer to Liverpool for Fernando Torres.
It seems that Torres is Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti’s top target and Roman Abramovich is ready to bankroll the deal.
The bid puts new Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson in a tough situation. He has already admitted he can offer no guarantee that either Torres or skipper Steven Gerrard will be at Anfield next season.
Liverpool’s financial problems are well known and if Chelsea up their bid to between £60-70 million then I cannot see Liverpool’s owners being able to turn that deal down. Read more... (235 words, 1 image, estimated 56 secs reading time)
