MATCH of the week

[Jose Mourinho]

Teeque. I may be wrong but I do get the distinctive feeling that many of the multi-millionaires are really not that concerned about playing for their countries. It is their clubs which put bread and butter (among other things) on the table.

[Teeque]

Yep Jose, and this was FIFA and the world's FAs' fears for the game, the good of the game that is. But its the World Cup, for crying out loud. A WC medal added to a player's resume could add further millions into their pay rise and/or negotiations. The clubs all over the world do not hv any games for that whole mth. The filthy rich players picked for England duty are paid abt 3mil pounds and match bonuses for games won amounting to abt a million pounds, for playing in the WC. And then an extra million pounds if they win the Cup. Heck, possibly another cool 5 mil just for a months work (if not minimum 3 mil), which may be more than what their clubs are paying them annually! The only England player who got that concept and reap many more millions frm it is David Beckham, thanks to his management ppl. Appearance in a WC in a high profile England jersey can secure him better and juicier contracts and sponsorship deals, equating to riches for him and his current club who also takes a 40% sponsorship cut and higher ROI on a player they signed for alot of money. Now, Rooney's management is the same ppl managing Beckham, and you can almost imagine how they are counting their losses now. But the bottomline is this: The FA is saying that it isnt actually a bad idea to play for the country, at prestigious tournaments such as the European Championship and the World Cup.

[Jose Mourinho]

Please read an interview with Wayne Rooney after he broke a bone in his foot in Guardian Unlimited: http://football.guardian.co.uk/comme...764725,00.html

[Jose Mourinho]

As published in some UK papers today:

STEVE McCLAREN is expected to get the nod for the England job TODAY.

[hmckl]

As published in some UK papers today:

STEVE McCLAREN is expected to get the nod for the England job TODAY.

Sad but expected ..... i think it is sad for england team.
For someone who was asked ' how did your team win?' to answer 'i don't have a clue'; and now he is the england manager

[Jose Mourinho]

Sad but expected ..... i think it is sad for england team.
For someone who was asked ' how did your team win?' to answer 'i don't have a clue'; and now he is the england manager

I suppose the FA wants continuity. I don't see McClaren making a lot of changes and David Beckham would remain as captain. Personally, I would prefer Gus Hiddinck to be the new manager.

[Teeque]

Yea, no brainer abt McLaren, for the moment. I supposed its also to deflect public attention frm England's injury crisis.

[Jose Mourinho]

Will England play this midfield engine? Beckham - Lampard - Gerrard - Cole? What do you think? In an ideal situation and all players being fit, I think this would be the formation:

Owen & Rooney
Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard & J Cole
Neville, Ferdinand, Terry & A Cole
Robinson

Any other views?

[Teeque]

That was the ideal formation IF all players are fit.

Currently, opinions coming frm England in many forums seems to harp on this current 4-1-4-1 formation for now:

Owen(if fit) or Crouch or D. Bent(either one)

J. Cole - Lampard - Gerrard - Beckham

Carrick/Nolan

Bridge - Ferdinand - Terry/Carragher - Neville


The midfield will be the key engine to the England strategy and game plan. The high number of goals scored in the Premiership by England midfielders are key indications that the goals would now come frm that dept. As usual, for Beckham, he is the dead ball specialist and a good crosser of the ball. As for Darren Bent's case, he did not impress in England's friendlies and qualifiers but he could be a great pick if he wont be awed by the occasion and perform to his potential. Here, I list below in parentheses the goals scored in league games by key England players to give you an idea. Midfielders are in bold.

Owen (7), Crouch (5), Defoe (8), Bent(18), (Rooney (16), Lampard (16), Gerrard (10), Cole (9), Beckham (1), Nolan (9), Carrick (3).

[Jose Mourinho]

Blues give injured Terry time off

John Terry will sit out the rest of Chelsea's season but manager Jose Mourinho insists the defender will be fit for England's World Cup campaign.

Terry, 25, needed stitches in a leg wound during the win over Manchester United and is carrying an ankle knock.

Mourinho said: "He's improving every day and will be ready physically to join the national team.

"I think mentally he can forget Chelsea now for a couple of months and start to concentrate on England."

Skipper Terry left Stamford Bridge on crutches after the 3-0 win against Manchester United and Chelsea club doctor Bryan English revealed the player will have a scan on a sprained ankle.

English said: "We put two stitches in at half-time, then took them out at the end and replaced them with three.

"In the second half he also twisted his ankle a little as well, so he actually had two injuries.

"He will have a scan on Tuesday, but I am not concerned about anything and expect him to be fully fit for England."

Mourinho has also offered to help England's World Cup campaign by resting Frank Lampard and Joe Cole from the last two Premiership games of the season against Blackburn on Tuesday and Newcastle on Sunday.

Mourinho said: "I'm ready to let them finish for the season now, to have one more week to rest or maybe have a holiday or go to some paradise."

Shaun Wright-Phillips is also expected to make England's 23-man squad for this summer's tournament but he needs more games not less after being in and out of the Chelsea team this season.

Terry has led the Blues to two Premiership titles and the Chelsea manager believes it is time for people to recognise him as a great player.

Mourinho said: "For me, he is the best central defender in the world, the best. It is difficult to be a better player. All he can do is keep that standard.

"The only point where he can improve is in European football, for the referees to look at him with the same eyes they look at other big players in the world.

"For example, when Benfica played Barcelona, there was a free-kick and Ronaldinho went to measure the 10 yards for the wall.

"If another player did that, yellow card, goodbye, disappear. Ronaldinho, a walk, a smile, a laugh and it's done.

"The next jump for JT is for people to look at him as the big player he really is."

[chsum]

I used to compare Heskey with John Barnes, they are great target men & provider of goals, they win the ball easily on the air & ground due to their size & height, hardworking but not prolific goalscorer. I think it's a insult to call him donkey, he has a simillar strike rate as John while John gets chosen twice as PFA footballer of the yr & a MBE what Heskey got "Donkey"?
Thats the problem with ppl, they like goldscorer but ignore the goal provider as they do not see their value & work done for the team. Sisoko & Crouch are also like them.

Err. Jose, why ah u throw ur medal into the crowd, give it to me lah if u don't want

[Jose Mourinho]

Err. Jose, why ah u throw ur medal into the crowd, give it to me lah if u don't want

Temporary insanity. I actually threw two medals into the crowd. Later when my boss Roman Abramovich asked me to show him what the medal looked like, I have to borrow from Drogba. Very embarrassing.

[Teeque]

Oooppss. I apologise if someone has taken an issue to Heskey being called a donkey. But, I would like to alert you all that it was also the affectionate name that the Reds fans and England fans had given him. No offense, just an affectionate name reference for him. And yea, I do not rate Crouch highly too. And ppl in England has also given him these affectionate reference - Crouch-ing Girrafe, Big Bird etc etc.

Apologies if ur offended.... cheers.

[Teeque]

Just a note for Jose. You can bid for the medal back frm ebay as the fan that got it has put it up there for sale.

[Teeque]

Firstly, Van Nistelrooy couldnt make good on his chances to come back into the main Utd fold with the penalty miss. It also does not bode well for his WC chances. He must be wondering what he must do to appease the football Gods for the current bad luck and spell he is in.

A Rooney-less Man Utd wasnt exciting to watch either. Even with the introduction of wide men in Ronaldo and Richardson couldnt lift Utd's gloom and further emphasised the weaknesses of a weakened Utd side. So, when Fergie sounded his title challenge for next season after the emphatic loss to Chelsea 2 days ago, it sounded really hollow. A word of caution to the old man. Next season will be a cardiac arrest inducing season for him, if not for the bosses since one of them has succumbed to it.

The English press today werent very kind to the FA and McLaren with regards to the appointment of the Boro boss as the successor to the England manager job. A couple of weeks ago, the media was questioning the FA on the need to look elsewhere but in England for the much maligned top job. This week, especially after the FA bungled on the search with a hopeful headhunt for the Portugese current manager and subsequent concession to McLaren, the media are now aiming their knives and arrows in Steve's and the FA's direction on the about turn of events. But with the positive result at Old Trafford last night, it didnt diminish McLaren's chances at all with the prospective England job. If anything, it just cemented his position as the overwhelming favorite to take over Mr. Eriksson and provided him an opportunity to dispel his critics and doubters.