The Centre Circle

It was inevitably going to happen. After being totally humiliated 4-0 by a St Mirren side who hadn’t been able to beat a 9 man Rangers team at the weekend, Tony Mowbray was relieved of his duties this afternoon. Currently 10 points behind Rangers in the Scottish Premier league, there is virtually no chance of Celtic catching their deadly rivals and that is not good enough if you are the Bhoys’ manager.

Mowbray was widely welcomed in the summer as Celtic’s new manager and he completely dismantled the team he inherited from the previous manager Gordon Strachan. The irony is that although as a player he was a tough no nonsense defender, Mowbray’s achillies heel always has been that his teams played attractive but ineffective football, open and nice to watch, but totally unable to defend. Mowbray’s teams have always leaked goals. Have a look at his time at West Brom. He drew the plaudits for the style of play, but they still got relegated from the Premiership. Looking at his league record, played 30 games, won 17 lost 8, it was never going to be good enough to overhaul Rangers. The board had a choice wether to stick with Mowbray and see if the team he was building would develop, or react now. Only 34.000 turned up to Celtic’s last home game. The fan’s apathy was obvious and I think this was one of the things that helped the decision that the board today made. The horrendous 4-0 defeat to a team Celtic hadn’t lost to in 21 years was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Unless you are Arsene Wenger (who is a genius), the way to build a team is to be pragmatic, start at the back, have a solid base and then add the flair as you go. Mowbray has admirable convictions, but is not a top manager and the players he was dealing with are were in general not talented enough to play a open reactive game as he wished. In my view his strategy is, and always and has been flawed.

Neil Lennon I understand will take over caretaker duties, and the search for a new manager will start immediately.

The race for fourth place is bubbling along nicely and everyone assumes that the fight for the last Champions league spot will be between Spurs, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Manchester City. However, just below them and coming up on the rails like an express train is Everton. David Moyes’ team is in tremendous form right now, having gone to Eastlands last night and shocked Man City with an emphatic 2-0 victory. It is no surprise to me that they are on the charge. On paper they and when all fit, Everton have a powerful squad, and with Arteta (who I rate hugely) and Cahill (always dangerous) in excellent form and both scoring, great prospects in Rodwell and Gosling, and Jagielka now back to full fitness at the back, they rolled past Man City with ease.

Everton have also in recent weeks turned over the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea and their run in of Wolves, West Ham, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Fulham Stoke & Portsmouth, hardly looks that daunting. Compare this with Tottenham who are now only seven points ahead of Everton and have to face the current top three. Man City still have the Manchester derby, Arsenal, Spurs and Villa to play, Aston Villa have drawn seven out of their last ten games and can’t buy a win and Liverpool right now are really struggling too, plus there seems to be general unrest in the dressing room.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Everton could sneak into a Champions League spot if they have a near faultless end to the season. I think they will certainly get close. What do you think? Who do you think will get that final Champions League? Post on my poll on the right hand side or please leave a comment.

Tottenham 3-1 Fulham

FA Cup night’s at White Hart Lane are always full of atmosphere, so get a midweek London derby in the pouring rain with two sides in form vying for a place at Wembley and you have the recipe for a cracking game. Spurs and Fulham produced one.

In the first half it was Fulham who controlled things. A well hit blast from 25 yards by Simon Davis, who was given acres of room, forced Gomez into a flying save and minutes later it was the West London side who went deservedly 1-0 up. Damien Duff picked out the in form Bobby Zamora with a defence splitting pass and he finished across the keeper with aplomb. Tottenham tried to respond, Gudjohnsen forcing a low save from Schwartzer after a neat flick from Crouch. Gudjohnsen then chested down Bale’s cross for Modric to flash a volley a couple of feet wide.

Half time came and I don’t know what Harry Redknapp must have said but it certainly worked. in the 47th minute, Spurs won a free kick on the left hand side. Bentley, who was on as a substitute, swung in the ball and it missed everyone in the penalty box finding the far corner of the net. Spurs were buzzing now and things were getting heated. Bassong and Zamora both got booked for some shirt pulling, had Bassong connected with his flailing arm he may have seen worse than yellow. Then 2-1 Tottenham; Bentley’s cross to the back post found Pavlyuchenko whose sweet volley flashed past Schwartzer.  Soon it was three, Modric setting up Gudjohnson, who jinked around the Fulham keeper before rolling the ball into the net. White Hart Lane was now rocking and much as Fulham laboured there was no way back. Three huge games in a week were taking their toll.

So it is Tottenham who now progress to the FA cup semi finals and a date versus Harry Redknapp’s old team Portsmouth.

Today the Premier League has ruled that Portsmouth can sell players outside the normal transfer window. I wholeheartedly disagree with this decision. Let me say straight up I have no axe to grind against Portsmouth and their fans. I think they are a smashing club and the support the fans give then is superb. I celebrated when Pompey won the FA Cup a few years ago. However the decision today is totally wrong. It sets a precedent to all other Premier league clubs who may get into a similar financial pickle in the future saying that if you get into huge debt, the rules can be bent so that you can survive. Ok, so Portsmouth are going down this season, and this is “special permission” but it could be argued that what is good for Portsmouth this year should be implemented another troubled club in another year. Take the hypothetical case of a mid-table club or top club getting into the same strife; they could maybe survive a 9 point deduction, stay in business because of such a ruling and then get bailed out the next year when another chunk of TV money rolls in.

By the way, I have never supported the transfer window system anyway. I think clubs should be allowed to buy & sell players whenever they wish, apart from the final two months of the season. The old system was so much better and clubs would not be held in such a financial straight jacket for much of the season. However we have what we have, so the clubs know the conditions at the start of the year and they should be held to them, no matter if they are on the brink of bankruptcy. That’s life. Tell this to little Chester City supporters whose club was wound up only a couple of weeks ago.  I doubt if they’d have much sympathy either…

What a night for Mick McCarthy and his boys. Their 3-1 victory was a triumph for teamwork over a set of allegedly superior individuals &  as such they took a huge step towards securing their Premiership status for next season and condemned a poor West Ham side to a 5th straight defeat. 

Wolves started with more vim and vigour and 28 minutes in came the crucial moment of the game. Young centre-back James Tompkins made a horrendous mistake, allowing the superb Kevin Doyle to race away and strike a low drive past Robert Green. West Ham tried to respond and Scott Parker was ever so unlucky as his curling effort hit a post and rebounded along the line staying out. So near, but so far. At half time Zola rang the changes, Tompkins and Kovac being hauled off for Stanislas and Spector, but it made little difference as West Ham failed to ignite in attack. On the hour, Wolves put the game out of reach. David Jones set up Zubar who rounded Stanislas before unleashing a low shot crashing into the far corner of the net. Three minutes later it was Jones’ pass that set Matt Jarvis free and he cut inside two defenders before smashing in a third. Wolves were in dreamland and the Upton Park faithful had had enough, streaming to the exits. Franco chipped a consolation goal for West Ham just before the final whistle, at which there was a chorus of boos and chants of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt”. Dark days these for the Hammers.

Wolves are now 7 points ahead of the bottom three and in good form. On this display their Premiership status for next year should be confirmed in the next few weeks. As for sorry West Ham, worrying times lie ahead. The team seems disjointed and severely lacking in confidence and Zola’s future must now surely we called into question.

Oh dear, sounds like there is a bit of a spat going on between on-loan Spurs player Jamie O’Hara and Spurs boss Harry Redknapp. With tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter final game between Tottenham and Fulham approaching, Jamie (currently on loan from Tottenham at Portsmouth) has come out and said that he hopes Harry and his team lose, so that he will be able to play at Wembley – as you may be aware Portsmouth are due to play the winner’s of the Spurs Fulham game tomorrow so O’Hara would be ineligible if Spurs go on to win. It is reported that Harry Redknapp has told O’Hara in no uncertain terms to “shut up!!”.

It sounds like a calculated move by O’Hara to get a transfer at the end of the season, as he has made it clear all year that he wants to play regular football, and he would never be guaranteed that at Tottenham. I think he may well be granted his wish….

Concerning reports this morning coming out of Old Trafford this morning. Wayne Rooney who has been in sensational form recently has been complaining that his knee is swelling up up after games. This apparently has been getting progressively worse, and was reported to have left after the Liverpool game in a lot of discomfort and visibly limping. I understand it is a tendon problem, and although it doesn’t stop him from playing at the moment, the fear is that the condition may deteriorate if it is not rested.

The problem first surfaced after the Carling Cup final at Wembley where the game was played on a quite disgraceful pitch (the pitch was ripped up after the game). I believe this is just a manifestation of the workload that Rooney has taken on his shoulders this season and the fact that Manchester United have not got any more equivalent options up front – who on earth is going to score the goals if he isn’t in the side? With Michael Owen now out for the season and Welbeck out on loan, this could leave Sir Alex Ferguson in a difficult situation and very short up front at the sharp end of the season. Does he continue with Rooney in the quest for the Premiership and Champions League double & risk more serious damage or does he rest Rooney and risk that the remainder of the team can come up with enough goals to hold off the considerable challenge of Arsenal and Chelsea? I doubt if a front line of Berbatov and Macheda, or a returning from injury Giggs will scare United’s remaining opponents this season half as much as the sight of Rooney would.

Fabio Capello must also be concerned about the news, as the Man Utd striker is key to England’s chances in the upcoming World Cup. I sincerely hope it doesn’t hamper him in South Africa, the world deserves to see Wayne Rooney firing on all cylinders.

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Night games at Upton Park are always full of atmosphere. I know, because in my time I’ve been to a few there. They are particularly good, especially when there is a lot on the line. Tonight is going to be one of those nights as West Ham & Wolves, two clubs haunted by the threat of relegation clash in East London.

West Ham are in a worrying run of form. Four defeats in a row, although three of those four games have been against the current top three, Man Utd, Arsenal & Chelsea, so not so surprising. The other game though, a home defeat to Bolton was a concern for Hammers fans, and as I understand it, West Ham were not at the races until the last 15-20 minutes. A victory can lift them 6 points above the drop zone with a much superior goal difference, so effectively a seven point gap. Very handy at this time of year with just seven more games to go, four of which are at the Boleyn. They welcome back Scott Parker and Carlton Cole to the first team, Herita Ilunga and Mark Noble may also feature after Gianfranco Zola rested a few players for the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal. A tactic that opposing manager Mick McCarthy used to great effect and to huge criticism earlier in the season at Old Trafford before earning a vital win versus Burnley.

McCarthy’s team travel to Upton Park in good spirits after two credible away results at Turf Moor and Villa Park where they were unlucky not to come away with all three points after a 2-2 draw. All this is due to a settled side and I would not be surprised if McCarthy sticks to the same formula of late, with Kevin Doyle (who has recently been outstanding) being the lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation. I have also been impressed this season with Matt Jarvis, who can be a dangerous customer on the left hand side. He will keep the West ham defenders occupied all night.

So how do I see the game? I take West Ham to nick this one 2-1 and to draw clear of the drop zone. Wolves are not the most prolific sides in terms of goal scoring (they are the lowest scorers in the league) so watch for them to try to keep this one tight and to try to nick a goal late on. If so, it could get tricky for the Hammers, but just because of the return of Parker, who will give more bite to the midfield and vital protection in front of the back four I take West Ham to come out on top. It is a fact that the Hammers play so much better when he is in the side. Kick off at the Boleyn is at 20.00 this evening.

Has this ever been done before? Never in my memory has a team ever had 2 players sent off and then still gone on to score a winning goal against 11 men and pick up the cup. Let me know if you know of another such feat. Truly against all odds, however the Old Firm are so far ahead of the other Scottish teams, I can understand it happening.

Just for the record, Kevin Thomson was deservedly sent off for a lunging tackle on his St Mirren namesake Steven Thomson. Then teenage defender Danny Wilson was also red-carded for a last-man challenge on substitute Craig Dargo, leaving Rangers two men short for the last 20 minutes. Yet Kenny Miller scored with a late header to win the cup for Walter Smith’s team. You’ve got to feel sorry for the St Mirren supporters, as their team will never have had a better chance to pick up a major trophy.

Rangers (Miller 84mins) 1-0 St Mirren 

As Liverpool’s season continues to disintegrate in front of their eyes, a season that promised so much back in August, I think there should be some soul searching down at Anfield and some tough decisions will have to me made, and preferably soon. This is a club very much in inertia. More than often a struggling organisation’s troubles start at the very top, and the indecision filters down. Certainly true at Anfield the problems seem to be many and interlinked. Firstly, co owners – it almost never works. Tell me any company that has succeeded where two powerful independent businessmen have gone 50/50 into a deal of this type. I can’t think of one. My experience of these people are that they thrive when they themselves are in control. A partnership like this was always going to end in tears or in a stand-off. A stand-off means that big decisions are generally put off when one party blocks the other one and it leads to paralysis. In the meantime those down below in the organisation take things into their own hands, and build a powerbase so that they are difficult to shift. So it has proved.

To run a football club the owner has to make tough hard-nosed decisions and also has to be decisive. They have to realise when a manager has achieved as much as he is able to achieve and when his influence on the team is no longer having a positive effect. Not having the threat of the guillotine hang above his neck in the past few years, Rafa Benitez has completely cleared out the fabled “boot-room” and replaced them with his people. I run through this list – First team coach – Pelegrino, Fitness coach – Garcia, Miguel & Rodriguez, Goalkeeping coach  - Valero, Reserves Coach - Gomez-Perez, Chief scout - Marcia, Sports Therapists Ortega & Fernandez Ledezma. No wonder Gillett and Hicks so far have hung on to Benitez, because replacing him would cause carnage, over half the backroom staff would also go. He is also only 1 year into a long-term 5 year contract, a crazy decision considering Benitez has won virtually nothing since the European Cup triumph in 2005 and there seems to be a distinct lack of young talent rising up through the ranks. His transfer policy also must be called into question. Spending £16 million in the middle of a recession on a full-back (how many full-backs has Benitez got through in his tenure??) no madder how decent a player Glen Johnson is, seemed to me reckless wasteful business. Ultimately thought the sale of the “brains” of last year’s team Xavi Alonso and not replacing him with a ready made fit replacement, has cost Liverpool very dear. On the tactical side, Benitez always errs on the side of caution, he is ruled by fear of defeat and not by the ambition to win. I admire the loyalty shown to him by the Liverpool fans but after such a disappointing season, all this and more must be held at Benitez; his record should now be held to account.

True, the financial crisis has held back Liverpool in redeveloping the club (especially with regard to the new stadium plans), but now the chickens are really coming home to roost. I think the prospect of Champion’s League football at Anfield is now dead for next season after the 2-1 defeat at their greatest rivals Manchester United. That will cost them £30 million in income. More pressingly, will Fernando Torres and Stephen Gerrard hang around with no prospect of winning the league any time soon or even participating in Europe’s top club competition – will they even qualify for the Europa league? Even sixth place is now not guaranteed. Can Liverpool afford to hang onto Benitez, seeing that the club has gone so far backwards so quickly in the last six months? If the body language of the players is an indication, then after yesterday something drastic needs to happen to raise spirits around the club and for them to start winning again.

I really think that a fresh start at Anfield is sorely needed, and if it means a complete clearout to start building again, then so be it. English football is healthier when Liverpool is strong, and I suggest to Gillett and Hicks that they need to bite the bullet and to wield the axe, or they will suffer the consequences.

Another Messi hat-trick – the second goal is as good an individual goal you will ever see – he is on fire right now. Who’d want be a defender against him, an impossible job…

Chelsea travelled north to Ewood Park to take on Blackburn, not the most enticing fixture for Carlo Ancelotti and his side after being dumped out of the Champion’s League in midweek. Were they up for the fight? It seemed so after just 5 minutes when Nicolas Anelka cut the ball back for Drogba to clinically finish from 12 yards out. Kalou then missed a chance to make it 2-0 when his header went over the bar. Blackburn had their first chance from a Petersen freekick that Ross Turnbull in goal pushed away for a corner. Blackburn increased their tempo as they realised that to get anything from the game they would have to fight and the tackles began to fly, raising the atmosphere in the ground. After 40 minutes Blackburn lost possession in their own half and Malouda moved forward before unleashing a vicious drive that Jason Brown was unable to hold, the ball luckily flying to a Blackburn shirt.

Early into the second half and Blackburn had their best chance with Christopher Samba’s header cleared off the line by Zhirkov. Chelsea immediately replied, Frank Lampard, who had so far been quite quiet, firing narrowly wide from 20 yards. Samba was then lucky to stay on the pitch after clumsily pulling down Anelka when he appeared to be clean through, but the referee waved on play. After 70minutes, Blackburn levelled. A deep cross from Salgardo was met at the far post by El-Hadji Djouf who rose above Ferreira to head into the corner. Game on, and the first signs of concern from Ancelotti. A minute later Drogba won a free kick 30 yards out, but his effort smashed into the wall. The Blackburn players were really getting into the game, chasing and harrying Chelsea players all over the pitch. Late on in a frantic finish, Drogba fired a shot narrowly wide after a corner, and Lampard appealed in vain for a late penalty waved away correctly by referee Steve Bennett, as Blackburn held on for a 1-1 draw to dent the title ambitions of the London club.

At Fulham, it was always going to be difficult for the home side to reach the heights after their magnificent win against Juventus on Thursday. And so it proved with Man City taking the lead from a counter attack after a Zoltan Gera effort was cleared off the line. Craig Bellamy hit the post, with Roque Santa Cruz tucking away the rebound. One nil down and just before half time and it was to get worse for Fulham as Bellamy fed Carlos Tevez who cut inside central defender Chris Smalling before shooting Man City into a two goal lead. Into the second half and Adam Johnson nearly made it 3-0 when a swerving shot from Adam Johnson clipped the outside of the right hand post, however Fulham were to get a penalty when an unwitting Gareth Barry handled in the box. A touch unlucky for the England midfielder. Danny Murphy converted the spot kick to give Fulham hope and they could have had a second when the ball hit Vincent Kompany on the arm but this time referee Lee Probert failed to award a second penalty and Man City hung on to win 2-1 and to move two points behind Spurs. It is starting to look more like a straight fight between these two for the coveted 4th place.

Today’s first game saw the North West’s big two, Man Utd & Liverpool lock horns at Old Trafford. Liverpool hit the first blow after only 5 minutes. Gerrard picked up the ball after United lost possession in midfield. He passed out to Kuyt on the right who sent over a delicious cross to Torres, who unmarked in the box, sent a flying header past  a despairing Van de Sar in the United goal. United were not behind for long. Valencia made a surging run towards the box, and in an attempt to stop him, Mascherano pulled back the United winger. Valencia fell theatrically in the penalty box and Howard Webb the referee gave a penalty. The resulting spot kick taken by Wayne Rooney was saved by Pepe Reina, however unluckily for the Liverpool keeper, he could only parry it out to the United striker, who made no mistake with the rebound, burying it in the net. Replays later showed that the foul by Mascherano was committed outside the box. The sparring continued for the rest of the half, United going close on two occasions with Park headers. A warning to Liverpool which they were later not to heed.

The second half started in much the vein of the first half, both teams looking for supremacy. After 59 minutes, Rooney spread the ball out to Fletcher, he waited for Gary Neville to make the dummy run outside him, then swung a enticing cross into the box where Ji-Sung Park this time met it with a diving header giving Reina absolutely no chance. Third time lucky for the Korean. From that point on, Man United were in truth rarely troubled until just before the end when Fernando Torres miss-kicked in front of goal, the ball looping up for the substitute Benayoun, who sent a weak header into the grateful arms of Van de Sar. Manchester United’s win takes them back to the top of the league 2 points ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool’s 10th defeat of the season leaves them with a mountain to climb to achieve a Champion’s League spot for next season. It piles yet more pressure onto Rafa Benitez who only a month ago promised guaranteed a top 4 spot. He may live to very much regret such a bold prediction.