AHEAD OF THE GAME
Alpha mail. The only truly useful football e-mail
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Monday, November 5, 2007. 1600 BST
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The news in 60 seconds
HUTCHINGS SACKED
Chris Hutchings still can't get past November as a Premier League manager. Seven years after he was sacked by Bradford City after only five months in charge, Hutchings has been sacked as Wigan Athletic manager after six months. His team had lost six matches in a row.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/wigan/article2809762.ece
ASSISTANT SUICIDE
James Ducker explains why Hutchings' sacking proves that promoting an assistant manager is as good as suicide for Premier League clubs. The former Wigan Athletic manager may have been an able assistant, but like Little Sam at Bolton, he's failed to prove he can take the step up.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/wigan/article2810469.ece
PAYING THE PRICE
Reading are so bad that they have to pay their fans to watch them - that's the verdict of their own captain. Graeme Murty has revealed that the players will donate £5,000 to help pay for the fans' travel after a quick whip round.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/reading/article2811639.ece
HARGREAVES DIG
Owen Hargreaves is talking harder than he tackles. After criticising Arsenal's "so-called beautiful football" the midfielder has described Dynamo Kiev as "really quite poor" and said that Manchester United should go through "easily" after the teams meet on Wednesday.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article2812031.ece
MUST TRY HARDER
Sam Allardyce has set a record for the most clichés in a row as he tries to explain Newcastle United's shocking performance against Portsmouth. "It has all gone out of the window," he said. "It's back to basics and back to square one. It's back to rolling our sleeves up and digging in." Presumably they will give 110 per cent in their next match because the form book can go out the window.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article2812127.ece
JONES A TARGET
Kenwyne Jones is a target man in more ways than one, according to Roy Keane. The Sunderland manager, whose team play Manchester City this evening, says the powerful forward is attracting interest from the top clubs.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/sunderland/
SUB STANDARD
Heady times at Manchester City where Sven-Goran Eriksson's only problem is having too many players. The manager has called for the Premier League to increase the number of substitutes to seven so he can give everyone a game.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article2811453.ece
YALLOP AT A GALLOP
Frank Yallop, the LA Galaxy manager, has resigned - although that doesn't explain why Steve McClaren went all the way to the United States to watch David Beckham play in a charity match. Terry Butcher has described the trip as farcical, although no more than a match in which Beckham went up against an actor from Without A Trace, which is apparently not a TV show about his career trajectory.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2809266.ece
DELUDED DONS
Pete Winkelman, the Milton Keynes Dons chairman says the club have a "really good chance" of being involved in the FA's bid to host the 2018 World Cup. "We had five nights of Robbie Williams at the national bowl a few years ago, which is the equivalent of hosting five FA Cup finals in six days," Winkelman said.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article2812185.ece
BERBATOV TALKS
Juande Ramos is set for talks about the future of Dimitar Berbatov this week. The Tottenham forward's agent has travelled to London in the hope of securing a transfer for the sulky Bulgaria player in January, but the club are unlikely to crack in the face of the forward's quivering bottom lip.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/tottenham/article2806771.ece
BOOTHROYD'S A LEFT-WINGER
Adrian Boothroyd tells Nick Szczepanik how the example of Citizen Smith can help Watford bridge the gap with the top. He says the club's performances are a collective effort - from employees in the ticket office to the human resources department.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article2806304.ece
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>>>>>FANTASY FOOTBALL WITH BRAINS<<<<<
* Register today for PlayTheGame, it's lasted longer than three Premier League managers
* 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
THEGAME PODCAST
The contract negotiations that took Javier Mascherano to Liverpool may appear baffling, but they are nowhere near as bewildering as the revelation that three Premier League clubs turned their noses up at Elano. On TheGame Podcast, Kia Joorabchian explains why the Brazil midfield maestro was considered too weak to cut it in the hurly-burly of the British league and also helps to unravel third-party deals (for those of us who don't have a grounding in contract law).
Gus Poyet, the new Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach, talks about his new role at White Hart Lane - and despite reports, he's more than just a translator - while Guillem Balague reveals how Jens Lehmann made fellow Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia cry. Gabriele Marcotti does his best to spark a little controversy himself as he leads the debate about the weekend's biggest talking points. And it may sound like heresy, but Bill Edgar dares to suggest that Graeme Souness is a better manager than Mark Hughes... and he's even got the stats to prove it. Online from 6pm.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/podcasts/thegame/article2792288.ece
A TAXING QUESTION - THE DEBATE
Gerry Sutcliffe picked the wrong week to have a pop at footballers, says Martin Samuel. John Terry's wages may or may not be "obscene", as the Sports Minister claims, but at least he's paying tax. About £3 million a year, at that, which is enough to buy treatment for 360 bone cancer sufferers each year. And that's more than a certain Formula One driver will be doing for the British economy after fleeing to Switzerland to avoid public attention. What do you think: was the Sports Minister right to criticise footballers' wages? Join the debate.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/the_debate/index.html
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25
Arsenal's unbeaten run in all competitions is a club record. Despite going 49 matches unbeaten in the league in 2003/4, they lost games in the League Cup, Champions League and FA Cup.
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A quickie before you go, sir?
FREE PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS
Shudder at Pamarot's exorcet, savour Belletti's beautiful finish, shake your head at Newcastle's indefensible defending and relish Manchester United and Arsenal's fierce draw. Highlights from all of the weekend's Premier League matches.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article2236741.ece
RONALDINHO
He's overweight, past his best and Barcelona should definitely sell him ... but whatever else Ronaldinho can't do, he can still take free kicks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnzG2NaitUg
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>>>>>THE TABLOID SCANDAL<<<<<
POSH NOSH - Daily Mirror
What you need to know: 1) The biggest shock since David Beckham completed 90 minutes: Posh Spice is trying to put on weight. 2) The skeletal Spice Girl is worried that she is too thin to withstand the strains of touring so will pile on the pounds (in other words, eat healthily). 3) It's not much of a scandal, but it was that or a story about how Gary Lineker has been pictured with his girlfriend. A quiet day for WAGs and partners alike.
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In TheGame
Has any club ever finished a season having had more chairman than they've scored away goals? Chris Smith, our Derby County man, asks the question in Fanzine Fanzone. Elsewhere, Gareth Harrison, our Newcastle United fan, witnesses first hand the recording of a new, gruesome club DVD: series 21 of "Newcastle United Defensive Nightmares".
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/
In Tony's Fiver , Cascarino is worried that Big Sam may not be the man to put the spark back into Michael Owen's game.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/11/tony-cascarinos.html
In QA , Simon Jordan fronts up to whether he really is orange, his penchant for natty suits and the best place to pull in London. He also explains why £30 million can't buy you friends in South London.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/11/qa-simon-jordan.html
Alan Carr explains why £150,000 a week isn't really obscene in the topical barometer. Or at least not compared to Stan Collymore.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/11/alan-carrs-topi.html
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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<
* Spurs in crisis talks over Berbatov - Daily Mail
* Owen taunts scrappy Gunners - Daily Express
* Art attack: Hargreaves slams ugly Arsenal - Daily Mirror
* Boro take big shine to Jewell - The Sun
* Ferguson's endless fire forging a new United - The Daily Telegraph
* Hargreaves pours scorn on 'beautiful' United - The Independent
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Tomorrow's news today
- Benitez feels pressure as Liverpool contemplate unthinkable
- Blackburn move to secure Hughes's future
- Why the African Cup of Nations could turn Premier League upside down
And expect...
Reading players to boo their own fans (after all, they've paid their money so they can do what they want).
Spread the word. It's like pyramid selling but without the hassle. Click on the following link if you (or your friends) want to subscribe to this newsletter:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2187217.ece
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