Ahead of the Game: Cole Backs Boo Boys

AHEAD OF THE GAME

Alpha mail. The only truly useful football e-mail

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Wednesday, September 19, 2007. 1600 BST
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The news in 60 seconds

COLE BACKS BOO BOYS
Ashley Cole thinks the Chelsea fans were right to jeer his team's performance against Rosenborg last night. At least the supporters bothered to turn up, which is more than can be said for half the players and more than 17,000 fans.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article2490633.ece

LIVERPOOL'S UNITED FRONT
Steven Gerrard and Rafa Benitez are finally singing off the same hymn sheet, even if it's only to berate Liverpool. They have promised that the team will not repeat last night's poor performance against Porto.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article2490634.ece

PLATINI'S PLEA
Uefa president Michel Platini sent Gordon Brown a letter today, complaining about the dark side, Darth Vader and the malign influence of money. He fears sporting success is judged by financial profit and wants governments to protect the game from rampant commercialism.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2488277.ece

SHARED VISION
Arsene Wenger has said that Cesc Fabregas shares Platini's "vision", although the Arsenal manager was talking about the midfield player's passing, rather than his views on the wealth gap, commercialisation of sport and the EU Reform Treaty. Arsenal play Seville tonight in the Champions League.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article2485202.ece

UNDERDOGS ON SHORT LEASH
DaMarcus Beasley says that Rangers can emulate the achievements of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League when they face VfB Stuttgart tonight. He reached the semi-finals with the Dutch side two years ago and wants more of the same. You can tell he's new to Scottish football.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article2485727.ece

MAGNUSSON STEPS ASIDE
It's been a bad week for eggs. As if Jose Mourinho's rant wasn't enough, Eggert Magnusson has been moved sideways at West Ham. A source tells us that Egg Head has paid the price because the club's owners are unhappy about his high profile and the wages dished out to players.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/west_ham/article2484347.ece

FEEDING FRENZY
Ahead of the Game almost choked on its breakfast this morning when it read Tony Cascarino's assertion that Andriy Shevchenko didn't look like he could finish his dinner. Judging from the way he's moving, that's the one thing he's had no problem tucking away.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/article2485850.ece

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>>>>>FANTASY FOOTBALL WITH BRAINS<<<<<
* Register today for PlayTheGame, less naïve than a Jermaine Pennant lunge
* It's free and you can still enter
* Win monthly prizes and tickets to the Euro 2008 final
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/playthegame
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If you've got another couple of minutes

BRIAN GLANVILLE'S TOP 50
Brian Glanville, one of the finest football writers ever, has been to every FA Cup Final bar three since 1951, he's sat in the back of a cab in Guadalajara and nursed a dehydrated Geoff Hurst back to health and he's witnessed a potential England manager get tapped up by the FA.
But those are just a couple of the experiences that made Glanville's top 50 football moments. Doyen, legend, aficionado - whatever you want to call him - Glanville has witnessed first hand the highs and lows of 65 years of football and his experiences make for compelling reading. Check out the first 25 today.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2488421.ece

WEB OF DECEIT
Internet sites are claiming as many high-profile victims as China White. This time it's not Facebook but something called Bebo (no, we hadn't heard of it either) that's causing the headlines after Stephen Ireland was caught using the pseudonym of "Daddy Dick" to complain about his day job. He says that "football is s***" and asks "why did I get stuck doin it?" Because it pays you £10,000 a week? Sven-Goran Eriksson, quite rightly, is sending him to a psychologist. Just don't expect him to tell his grandmothers about his latest antics. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article2485354.ece

UNITED'S DEBT TO LISBON
Martin Samuel traces Manchester United's links to tonight's opponents Sporting Lisbon - going back 40 years to the day when Celtic became the first non-Latin club to win the European Cup - to explain Sir Alex Ferguson's footballing philosophy.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article2485344.ece

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17,082
Number of empty seats at Stamford Bridge last night.
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A quickie before you go, sir?

SPORTING UNION
Portugal showed where their heart really lies after they were beaten by New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup. After losing 108-13 to the All Blacks, they challenged the Kiwis to a game of football and got their revenge with a 3-1 win. Which footballers could do the same - could Wayne Rooney cut it as a prop forward and how would Peter Crouch fare in a lineout?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/rugby/2007/09/the-beautiful-g.html

INZAGHI IN THE PINK
Worth watching, and not just for Benfica's pink shirts. Pipo Inzaghi's goal for AC Milan is as good a move as any this season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DkQdv6N4CU&mode=related&search=

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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<
* Mourons - Jose says my lot need 20 chances to hit net - The Sun
* Cracking up - Mourinho dishes out a shelling - Daily Mail
* Jose left with egg on his face - Daily Express
* Rose & Crown 1 Rosenborg 1: Mourinho's millionaires like a pub team - Daily Mirror
* Shevchenko strikes at last to save Chelsea - The Guardian
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In TheGame

Guillem Balague has been getting his keyboard dirty again as he responds to your points about TheGame Podcast . Arsene Wenger has compared Fabregas with Platini, but Balague thinks Arsenal are becoming too dependent on the midfield maestro. http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/09/craig-bellamy-a.html#comments
Craig Bellamy talks to TheGame Podcast about why Sir Bobby Robson is his favourite manager - and how Rafa Benitez was very thorough. Decide for yourself if he's damning the Liverpool manager with faint praise. Guillem Balague and the team discuss the gap between the Haves and Have Nots in the Champions League.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/
In Fanzine Fanzone, Chris Smith, our Derby County man, says it's 1-0 to the Blind Faith Army after his team got their first victory of the season against Newcastle. Civil war has broken out among Rams. Half of their fans fear they are already relegated but the BFA still believes.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2007/09/1-0-to-the-blin.html
And tomorrow, our Chief Football Correspondent replies to the best and worst of your comments in Martin Samuel's postbag . Brace yourselves.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/

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>>>>>THE TABLOID SCANDAL <<<<<
Becks gets a job with Spice Girls - Daily Star
What you need to know: 1) David Beckham is set to design five outfits for his wife and her fellow Spice Girls ahead of their world tour. 2) It's the perfect chance for Becks to get his revenge on Victoria for that sarong.
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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox

I really don't understand the need for this national debate [about the England team]. Keep the same team, pick a new team... the fact that anyone is trying to select a team for our next qualifier now is utterly ridiculous, as the latest metatarsal injury to Heskey goes to show.
I stress, a team must be selected from the in-form players available at the time of the match and at no other time. The lack of recent respectable England performances has yet again led to overexcitable fans being carried away on a wave of euphoria.
If Alex Lewendon from Reading had his way we'd have nothing to write about

Celtic showed none of the crisp, confident passing we are used to. It was simply not our night, Shaktar were a bit of a revelation though, if they play like that in their other fixtures, they are capable of breaching any team. The Hoops will dust themselves down and come back from this. Celtic were not the team that I watched on Saturday, haste ye back!
James Molloy, Glasgow

Sometimes you just say it better than we do, which is why we've dedicated a small corner of this e-mail to your views and boos. Feel free to send us your opinions on anything from whether Jose deserves the sack to Leicester City's sporting gesture. sport@timesonline.co.uk

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Tomorrow's news today

- Ramos goes head to head with Wenger
- All the best reports and analysis from the Champions League

And expect...

Juande Ramos to stay over in North London to watch Tottenham Hotspur's Uefa Cup match

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