Sports Then and Now

Cardiff boss Dave Jones is one candidate for the Fulham manager position.

After an unsuccessful bid to bring Martin Jol from Ajax to Craven Cottage, Fulham continue to look for a new manager. The latest name being banded about is that of Cardiff boss Dave Jones.

Sven Goran Eriksson and USA coach Bob Bradley are still thought to be in the mix though. Eriksson has made it clear he would welcome a move back to the Premier League. The Swede feels he has unfinished business in England after being acrimoniously sacked by Manchester City two years ago.

Those who bet on premier league managerial appointments believe that Fulham are a tempting prospect for any manager. The London club finished the season mid-table in the league but reached the Europa League Final. Owner Mohammed Al Fayed usually backs his manager’s in the transfer market.

The only issue they face when hiring someone is that Jol was clearly the board’s first choice. With the amount of ego’s football, not many managers want to be thought of as a second choice. If Cardiff manager Jones would be keen to move to Craven Cottage. Those who bet on championship football will know that the Welsh club are riddled with debt and are constantly forced to sell their best players.

Jones has performed relative miracles at Cardiff, turning them from a lower mid-table team into a top Championship side. Last season’s play-off final will have hit him hard however and he may feel the time is right to move.

It remains to be seen who Fulham go for, the club aren’t letting on who is on their shortlist.

Emile Heskey has called it quits as an international player.

So after 62 caps and just seven goals, Emile Heskey has decided to retire from international football (soccer).

The Aston Villa man has never been a fan favourite and many Three Lions supporters suggested his poor goal scoring record meant he did not deserve his place in the side.

However, manager after manager kept faith with him and he went to the last World Cup as one of the side’s most experienced players.

For his part, Heskey has no qualms about his England career but, at the age of 32, he has finally decided to call it a day.

He said: “I have enjoyed every moment of my England career and worn the shirt with pride when selected.”

“I would like to thank every manager I have played under, everyone at the FA and the fans for all their support over the years.”

If he’d taken the decision a couple of years ago, he would have saved his Fabio Capello a tough choice. Heskey is very much a footballers’ footballer and Wayne Rooney loved playing with him.

However, the Villa man was never the complete package and although his work as a target man was often first rate, his finishing let him down. Read the rest of this entry →

Maradona and his squad will be looking for goals in their quarterfinal match with Germany.

Both Argentina and Germany will be going into their quarter final clash full of confidence. Germany completely demolished England, in their second round match. Argentina came through last 16 match against Mexico, in a match they dominated, they won 3-1.

After previously not scoring in the tournament, Carlos Tevez scored two goals, his first was clearly offside but given none the less. His second was a touch of genius, from the Manchester City striker, a stunning effort from the edge of the area. Read the rest of this entry →

Lionel Messi has solidified his position as the best player in the world.

Before this World Cup, the three players fighting for the title of the ‘world’s best player’ were Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Lionel Messi.

As we enter the quarter-final stage in South Africa, it looks as though Argentina’s Messi is winning the race. Although he is yet to score at these finals, he has been instrumental in Argentina’s success so far and if you are to bet world cup 2010  money on Argentina to win the trophy, you just know he will be at the centre of things.

Rooney and England flopped massively at the second hurdle. Ronaldo never really got going as his Portugal team went out also at the last 16 stage. Argentina and Messi march on. Read the rest of this entry →

French faithful cannot be happy with the performance of their team so far in the 2010 World Cup.

France is staring World Cup elimination in the face and it feels like they are “a small football nation”, according to captain Patrice Evra.

Two years ago Les Blues crashed out of Euro 2008 with just one point from their three group games and that feat will be repeated unless they are able to get a result against South Africa next week.

However, even a victory may not be enough to secure a second round spot for France. The other remaining Group A game sees Mexico play Paraguay and a draw will see both sides through to the knockout stages. The World Cup odds suggest Les Blues are going home.

It’s a far cry from the lofty expectations held by France fans before the tournament kicked off. Most expected the side to top the group comfortably, but a turgid 0-0 with Paraguay and a desperate 2-0 defeat at the hands of Mexico means they are highly likely to fall at the first hurdle. Read the rest of this entry →

Didier Dogba is hopeful that his fractured elbow will be not keep him out of the World cup.

When Ivory Coast qualified for their first World Cup in 2006, they were given the shortest of straws by being put in a group with Argentina, Holland and Serbia. They finished with two losses and a win over Serbia, but gained much needed top-class experience.

They are going to need that experience they gained playing in that group this year. In what has been given the token ’group of death’ tag, Group G contains Brazil, Portugal and North Korea. With North Korea looking as though they will be the group whipping boys, World Cup Group G Betting suggests that  Brazil and Portugal will be battling Ivory Coast for the top two places in the group.

Many view the Ivory Coast as a team who has underachieved in the past decade. A squad rich with talent have failed to win the African Cup of Nation since 1992, making the final only once since, in which they lost on penalties to Egypt in the 2006. On paper, few teams at this summers World Cup have better squads. Read the rest of this entry →