There Is Only One Sinnacle

Ashley Cole is a moron. I always knew this has he got caught cheating on Cheryl Cole not once but twice. On the eve of a huge match-up against Manchester United Ashley Cole goes on to shoot an Intern with an Air Gun. If your Carlo Ancelotti you pretty much have to throw your hands up at this point. It did remind of the Goodfellas scene where Spider gets shot. Couldn’t find the English scene but the dub in Italian highly amuses me.

Arsenal are planning a £20m summer move for Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who has also been linked with Manchester United. Daily Star

I wonder why this rumour has appeared today? Wonder if it has anything to do with Liverpool losing 3-1 to West Ham on Sunday or Wojciech Szczęsny gifting Birmingham the Carling Cup?

The Red Devils, meanwhile, are weighing up a swoop for Borussia Dortmund centre-back Neven Subotic as United manager Sir Alex Ferguson looks to strengthen his back line. caughtoffside.com

It was great to see Dortmund simply outclass Bayern Munich with their 3-1 victory. It would be great to see Dortmund hold on to their players as well.

Birmingham City hero Obafemi Martins claims his winning goal in Sunday’s Carling Cup final win over Arsenal was the easiest he has scored. the Sun

I feel for Arsenal and I’m sure Arsenal fans would know jerks like me would then say it’s only a minor cup if they won. On the flip side I’m thrilled for the Birmingham players, many of whom will go without another trophy.

Referee Mark Clattenburg is due to submit an account of Wayne Rooney’s clash with Wigan’s James McCarthy to the Football Association, which will determine whether the Manchester United striker faces a three-match ban. Rooney’s elbow appeared to make contact with McCarthy’s head.
Full story: Daily Express

If Joey Barton did the same thing he’d be off. English refs have no balls.

Arsenal forward Robin van Persie fears he could miss the Champions League trip to Barcelona on 8 March after limping off in the club’s Carling Cup final defeat with a knee injury.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Was only a matter of time before Robin van Persie got hurt again. Sad considering his red hot form.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle has tipped on-loan striker Daniel Sturridge to follow in Jack Wilshere’s footsteps after a strong start to his spell at the Reebok. Arsenal midfielder Wilshire had an impressive spell on loan with the Trotters in 2010. Daily Express

Don’t know why Chelsea even signed Daniel Sturridge if they never hasd any plans for him. At some point you have to throw him into the fire.

I do find the irony in Arsenal coming back to win last week and Real Madrid not being able to hold onto a lead yesterday. Even with the ref missing Gourcuff hand ball a draw could be considered a fair result.

Hoping for goals today even if in the back of my mind I know the first leg of Champions League games are usually not free flowing.

Inter Milan-Bayern Munich over 2.5 +104
Manchester United-Marseille over 2 -113

Record

Record 5-4-1 +.42

Carlos Tevez is being lined up to rejoin Brazilian club Corinthians, according to the Manchester City’s striker agent Kia Joorabchian. Despite the Argentine having over three years left on his Eastlands contract, Joorabchian said: “Carlos would be happy to return to Brazil. I would like the deal to be done swiftly but in reality it will probably take a couple of years.” Full story: Daily Express

No idea why papers wasted their ink on this. It’s one thing for Brazilian clubs to pick up players no longer wanted by elite teams in Europe like Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. It’s another to spend huges amount of money for a player like Tevez.

West Ham will sign on loan Inter Milan striker Victor Obinna in the summer, when he says he will be a free agent. talkSPORT

It’s clear Inter Milan have no use for him so it’s a wise move by West Ham to keep Obinna going forward.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp says he may make another bid for Blackpool’s Charlie Adam, having narrowly missed out on the striker on transfer deadline day. Footylatest.com

So does this mean Blackpool can beat A.C Milan? Rough day at the office yesterday for Blackpool.

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has given his strongest hint yet that he would like to return to Chelsea one day. Mourinho left Stamford Bridge in 2007 but says: “I love Chelsea. I was the happiest man when I was there. I was thinking I would be there all my life. So you never know.” Daily Mail

If Mourinho came back you know he’d clean out all the people who turned on him during his final days at Chelsea.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is lining up a lucrative pre-season tour of Japan that could net the club £15m. Daily Mirror

Highest ticket prices in the EPL, I believe the 4th or 5th highest grossing club in the world yet they refuse to sign a player over 15 million pounds.

Striker Asamoah Gyan may have to be sold to balance Sunderland’s books, says Black Cats chairman Niall Quinn. Metro

What the hell would of happened if they didn’t sell Darren Bent for 18 million? Who is in charge of the books over there?

Truely a mixed bag on the weekend going 0-2 on Saturday then going 2-0 on Sunday so in my mind I’m on a 2 game win streak thanks to Pato.

Champions League

Real Madrid -0.5 -106 vs Lyon

Of Course I’m going to pick Real Madrid. Hopefully Ronaldo can repeat his free kick goal against Marseille last year.

Record

Record 5-3-1 +1.48

French midfielder Samir Nasri has revealed he could quit Arsenal for Barcelona in the summer – if the Gunners win the title. Daily Mirror

Is Nasri jealous of all the attention Cesc Fabregas gets? I really don’t see why Nasri would rock the boat like this. Plus I don’t see why he would want to leave a sure thing playing time wise in Arsenal for Barcelona where he won’t be penciled in the starting lineup week after week.

Real Madrid have joined Manchester City and Manchester United in the race to sign highly rated Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell. Daily Mail

If this ever happened I wonder how wide eyed Rodwell would be in his first couple of training sessions with Real Madrid?

Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Barcelona’s out-of-favour defender Gabriel Milito and hope to snap him up for free in the summer. talkSPORT

Gabriel Milito is spanish for Jonathan Woodgate but on a free transfer it would be worth a shot.

Manchester United have set their sights on CSKA Moscow keeper Igor Akinfeev as a replacement for Edwin van der Sar, who is retiring at the end of the season. Footylatest

These pick a goalie and link them Manchester United rumours have started to bore me along time ago.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti wants to form a dream centre-back partnership between David Luiz, who arrived from Benfica in January, and Borussia Dortmund’s Serbian star Neven Subotic.
Full story: talkSPORT

I think Ancelotti has other things to worry about at the moment.

Former Liverpool and Sunderland star Djibril Cisse, now with Panathinaikos, says he will definitely leave Greece in the summer after alleging he was attacked by Olympiakos fans at the weekend.
Full story: Daily Mail

Sadly it doesn’t really shock me that soccer fans can be so stupid.

Former Newcastle striker Andy Carroll, the most expensive British player in history, is ahead of schedule in his attempt to return to fitness after a thigh injury and could even make his Liverpool debut this weekend against West Ham. Daily Mirror

If I was a striker I’d try to be fit for a game against West Ham myself.

Midfielder Yaya Toure believes Manchester City can be bigger and better than Barcelona within two years. Daily Mirror

Not unless they buy Messi and talk to him once you defeat Aris in the Europa League.

Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara – currently on loan at Wolves – believes his girlfriend Danielle Lloyd, who is moving up to Birmingham with their baby son, is the key to helping him settle at the Midlands club as they battle against relegation. Daily Mirror

Someone should grab Jamie O’Hara who is a victim of the numbers game at Tottenham. If I was Newcastle and someone really did want Joey Barton I’d send him on his way and make the call for Jamie O’Hara.

The Napoli and Villarreal was a borefest which cause me half my bet. So we will move on to weekend action.

On to this weekend.

Serie A

Palermo pk +102 vs Bologna

AC Milan -0.5 -113 vs Chievo

Genoa-Roma over 2 and 2.5 -108

La Liga

Valencia -1 -106 vs Sporting Gijon

Record 2-1-1 +1.54

Have a great weekend

Skipper Cesc Fabregas has given Arsenal fans fresh hope he might stay at the club despite the ongoing attentions of Barcelona, who he helped beat in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Full story: The Sun

If Fabregas really wants to go to Barcelona he is struck between a rock and a hard place. To his credit he has too much respect to force a move away and Arsenal won’t sell him unless they get a silly transfer fee.

Roma’s Italian midfielder Daniele de Rossi is being lined up as the long-term replacement for Paul Scholes at Manchester United. Daily Star

Don’t care if Roma is having an off season I just can’t see Daniele de Rossi in another jersey.

Tottenham are prepared to offer £15m to bring Ipswich’s 17-year-old striker Connor Wickham to White Hart Lane. Daily Mirror

Despite being high on Connor Wickham there is no chance Ipswich turns down that kind of money. At just 17 Wickham is built like a tank.

Newcastle’s 28-year-old midfielder Joey Barton could leave the club if five top players are not brought in this summer. Metro

You couldn’t give Barton away these last two years now Newcastle have to fight in order to hold on to him?

Turkish midfield star Arda Turan is eyeing a move to the Premier League with Chelsea among the teams interested in the Galatasaray player. Daily Star

One of the best players in Euro 2008. Should of left two years ago.

Tottenham coach Joe Jordan says accusations of him insulting Gennaro Gattuso before the AC Milan captain headbutted him during the Champions League tie on Tuesday are rubbish.
Full story: Daily Mail

Oh yeah I’m sure Joe Jordan said nothing in the least bit insulting at any point in the match.

Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra has agreed a new four-year contract to stay at the club.
Full story: Guardian

Hopefully this puts those Real Madrid rumours to bed.

Bristol City’s 40-year-old goalkeeper David James, who last played for England at the 2010 World Cup, still hopes to get an international recall from manager Fabio Capello. Daily Mirror

I’ll wish him luck with that.

Manchester City’s Europa League opponents Aris Salonika had to pulp copies of the match programme for Tuesday’s game because it featured a spoof picture of the City squad that included Wayne Rooney, Kaka, Didier Drogba and Lionel Messi (and Where’s Wally?). The Guardian

Funny

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has joked that Jack Wilshere was too scared to ask for Lionel Messi’s shirt after the Champions League tie against Barcelona on Wednesday. With the England midfielder already grabbing Xavi’s jersey, Fabregas said on Twitter: “Next time please ask yourself.”
Full story: Twitter

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