The Magic of the Cup

Teams

Fri, January 18th 2008

Minnows prove that game is not all about money

Conference South side Havant and Waterlooville show the FA Cup is still alive

Thu, October 25th 2007

The Times are reporting that Spurs’ UEFA cup game tonight (Thursday) is likely to be Martin Jol’s last in charge:

Martin Jol’s reign as Tottenham Hotspur manager looked to have ended last night after he accepted a £4 million compensation package to leave the club. An announcement is expected this morning. Juande Ramos, the Seville coach, has accepted the job but may not be in place until the start of next season.

The Times Online

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Thu, August 23rd 2007

In support of Paul Robinson

After a number of blunders Paul Robinson’s England place is rightly under threat.

Rightly, because no player should be guaranteed the position in the team. But, the quality of his potential replacements still cause concern.

Has everyone forgotten about Defoe?

With England 2-1 down to Germany at Wembley, McLaren chose to substitute both strikers, Smith and Owen. Without Rooney, Bent and Johnson through injuries, who did he turn to? Not Jermain Defoe.

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Wed, August 22nd 2007

With a treacherous board behind them, and a notoriously fickle set of supporters, who in there right minds would want to be manager of Spurs?

Spurs were reported to have met the Ramos camp over the weekend before telling Jol his job was safe providing he delivered Champions League football.

From: BBC - Ramos ‘snubbed huge Spurs offer’

Martin Jol has turned the club from an average mid table club into the most likely challenger to the almost impenetrable ‘big four’ of Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

All the Spurs’ board have achieved is to undermine their manager.

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Mon, August 20th 2007

Referees’ chief Keith Hackett says Rob Styles will not take charge of a match next weekend following his performance during the game between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday.

You can have sympathy for officials who fail to see a offence, but when they see the incident and get it wrong it is probably time for them to have a rest. Maybe we need substitutions for referees…

From: The Telegraph

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Wed, August 8th 2007

The best close-season transfers

5 to watch for the new season

Some large transfer fees were paid out over the summer. Which new signings will make the biggest difference…

Fri, August 3rd 2007

Tevez set to join Manchester Utd

Sorry saga close to an end

The inevitable has finally happened, leaving Tevez free to leave West Ham. The Hammers seem happy with the deal, hoping that the Premier League will now draw a line under the whole shady situation.

Thu, August 2nd 2007

When asked if he [Van Persie] would be prepared to revert from attractive football to play for a side who won 1-0 every week and earned more trophies, Van Persie replied: “Small chance. The way I see it, I would never give that up. There are only a few teams in Europe who play the way Arsenal play. I will always play for a team where I earn less money but play fantastic football rather than a team where you can earn lots of money and win every week…

“I don’t like to run after people all game long; I like that they run after me.”

Without meaning to slander a whole nation, there’s something very Dutch about that statement. Style counting more than substance.

It’s one thing to say he is prepared to be paid less money to play in the style he wants, but when the amount of money he is earning is so much greater than the fans that are paying his wages who are wanting to win trophies, it sticks in the throat a bit.

From: The Guardian

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Fri, July 27th 2007

[Alex Ferguson] admitted that he has no intention of ending his interest in a player he believes will be a crucial addition to his squad.

Ferguson said: “I would imagine that we can all get things done before the deadline, but we would wait for Tevez anyway if we have to. We’ve gone so far now, there’s no point stepping back.

Perhaps, if Ferguson had not fielded a weakened team against West Ham on the final day of last season, he could have relegated the Hammers rather than Sheffield Utd, presumably invoking a release clause in Tevez’s contract.

The Fan

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