Ahead of the Game: Lampard likes Capello

AHEAD OF THE GAME

Alpha mail. The only truly useful football e-mail

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007. 1600 BST
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The news in 60 seconds

LAMPARD LIKES CAPELLO
Frank Lampard reckons that Fabio Capello would make an excellent head coach of the England team. So does the unemployed Gianfranco Zola. There's a surprise.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3039736.ece

BLUES BEHAVING BADLY
Chelsea have admitted a charge of failing to control their players against Derby County. John Terry and his men confronted the referee after he sent off Michael Essien for a shove. "He does that every day in training," Ashley Cole says.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article3041177.ece

REINA'S RALLYING CALL
Jose Reina has called on his Liverpool team-mates to relieve the boardroom tension at the club by continuing their recent good form. He also has complete faith in Rafael Benitez. "The manager has a cold mind - he knows what to do," the keeper warned.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3041375.ece

GERRARD BURGLED
Burglars broke into Steven Gerrard's home while he was on Champions League duty, confronted his wife and stole jewellery. He's the sixth Liverpool player to have been burgled in the past 18 months. Police cleared Bolo Zenden of the crime even though nobody could account for the Marseille winger's whereabouts last night.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3040441.ece

HATTERS PAY DAY
Luton Town's players could be paid for the first time in seven weeks now that the cash-strapped club have set up a lucrative FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool. "We've put a big feast on the table and hopefully now people will be fed at this football club," said Kevin "Bob Cratchit" Blackwell, their manager.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article3040296.ece

GIANT-KILLERS REQUEST
Chasetown hope that the FA does not move their FA Cup third-round tie at home to Cardiff City to a neutral venue. Their Church Street stadium holds only 2,000 fans and the non-leaguers are unsure if it meets safety requirements.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article3041096.ece

ANCELOTTI UNMOVED
Carlos Ancelotti, the AC Milan manager, insists he is not worried about rumours linking Jose Mourinho with his job. Presumably he's more concerned that the Italian giants are tenth in the league and are yet to win a match at home this season.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3040115.ece


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If you've got another couple of minutes

FA GET IT RIGHT!
Here's a shock. The FA, it seems, is close to making a correct decision. As AOTG was about to hit the send button today, our readers' poll showed that 78 per cent of you think Fabio Capello is the right man for the England job. The poll isn't closed, though, and you can cast your vote by clicking on the link below. We'd like to hear your thoughts, too. So far, your only serious caveat is the Italian's limited command of English. Does he really have no other weaknesses?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/12/is-fabio-capell.html

BORO'S VIDEO STAR
David Wheater, the Middlesbrough defender, has sent a video message to 25,000 supporters pleading with them to return to the Riverside Stadium. The club have struggled to fill their ground recently but hope a win over Arsenal will change that. "You, sitting here in the ground week after week, can make all the difference, the noise, the passion and the atmosphere," Wheater says, channelling the spirit of Lord Kitchener. "I've even saved you a seat."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/middlesbrough/article3041457.ece

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17
Number of managers AS Roma have had during Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure at Manchester United.
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A quickie before you go, sir?

PUTTING THE BOOT IN
Occasionally a physio can be too enthusiastic. Watch this clip of one adding insult to a player's injury and you'll never mock your club's sponge-carrier again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETz8yuqNMVs&feature=related

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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<
Capello to dump sexy for ugly - Daily Express
Zola: Fabio puts Jose in shade - The Sun
Aidy fury over Bangura ruling - Daily Mail

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In TheGame
In the Game Podcast, Guillem Balague has bravely predicted Fabio Capello's preferred starting XI as England manager. It reads James, Richards, Ferdinand, Terry, Bentley, Young, Gerrard, Hargreaves, Barry, Rooney, Ashton and will line up in a 3-5-2 formation. Would that solve the side's problems?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/podcasts/thegame/article3005727.ece
Martin Samuel has responded to your contributions to his Game Debate . Our Chief Football Correspondent said the Scottish Premier League had made a grave mistake in postponing Rangers' match with Gretna. Some of you had the temerity to disagree.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/12/the-debate-ma-1.html#more
In your responses to the Game Podcast , one reader wonders if it is only in England that the appointment of a new national team manager turns into a soap opera while another suggests Avram Grant is playing mind games with rivals. What do you think?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/podcasts/thegame/article3005727.ece
Tony Cascarino, our resident agony uncle, will answer your football-related problems online tomorrow. Chief among them is a query from Edward Cowan, who apparently lacks awareness, confidence and, um, ability. Over to you, Tony.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/tony_cascarino/index.html
The Game's other on-going poll has found that 82 per cent of you think that Rafael Benitez deserved to keep his job regardless of the result in Marseilles. Voting isn't finished here either, so, go on, make a contribution to our booming community:
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/12/should-rafael-b.html

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>>>>>THE TABLOID SCANDAL <<<<<
The Right Winger - Daily Mirror
What you need to know: 1) Fabio Capello is a fascist sympathiser. 2) The England manager-in-waiting admires General Franco and has voted for far-right political parties. 3) He distanced himself from the Franco compliments, claiming, "I wanted to say Spain are better than Italy in some fields." 4) He also once said Britons treat Italian immigrants like waiters. 5) Here's a tip: he should keep such thoughts quiet when he meets Brian Barwick this week.

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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox

"Capello will be great and I'm sure his English is good enough or will be by the time England play. If not, Zola will be an adequate interpreter . . . I mean coach. Is this an ex-Chelsea forté? First Poyet, now Zola."
Amar Purohit has spotted a trend.

"Now, if you can just convince the Italian team to play for England you may have a chance."
Stephen McAlpine , from Perth, has a fair point, alas.

"Who on earth made this decision [that Watford's Alhassan Banugra must return to Sierra Leone]? This young man arrived in the UK as a genuine political refugee and has found a good job and started a family. He may not be a top-flight footballer, but must still be making a substantial contribution to the economy through income tax payments. Maybe this is the policy of Gordon Brown's Government. Do nothing except scrounge off the state and you can stay. Make something of your life and you have to leave. Madness."
Andrew West , from Pattaya in Thailand. Couldn't agree more, Andrew. Let's hope Alhassan's appeal finds favour with the Home Office.

"What have you guys been up to? Has Shrek not only been given the Manchester United captaincy this week, but also a role in producing today's AOTG? My work has quarantined today's edition due to "the presence of a profanity, either in the subject or text body". And don't try and tell me you were just previewing the Arsenal game!"
Simon Suter. Apologies, Simon, AOTG can only assume your company's firewall objected to the use of the biological term for a certain part of the male anatomy. Yours, Wayne

"In the years since Liverpool last won the league we have had big-money signings like [Stan] Collymore and [El Hadji] Diouf where, regardless of talent, there was just something missing in their character that meant that they could not cope with being a Liverpool player. With Torres, it seems Rafa did his homework and knew exactly what the kid was like before agreeing to stump up most of his transfer budge. He's got a long way to go, but he has the basics to be, if not a Dalglish, then certainly a player who could rank alongside Ian Rush - and that would do for me."
Paul F , from Liverpool. Fair point, Paul, though AOTG suspects Collymore lacked the character to cope at any club.

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 the next England manager to Rafa's latest whinge: sport@timesonline.co.uk

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Tomorrow's news today

- Raul speaks exclusively to The Times about Fabio Capello and David Beckham
- Simon Barnes on Capello
- The Chasetown hero who's ready to take on his idol

And expect . . .

Steven Gerrard to say Capello would make an excellent England coach.

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Anonymous tips, suggestions, funnies, fan mail and complaints: sport@timesonline.co.uk
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ROBERT DINEEN

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