AHEAD OF THE GAME
Alpha mail. The only truly useful football e-mail
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Tuesday, January 8, 2008. 1600 GMT
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The news in 60 seconds
CARRAGHER 'PROVOKED'
Eye witnesses have supported Liverpool's claim that Jamie Carragher was provoked after the defender was pictured in a newspaper clambering up to confront fans after the FA Cup draw with Luton Town (see Tabloid Scandal). "What happened to him was completely out of order," one witness said. "I don't think players should have to put up with that sort of thing, especially when they have come across to kindly sign autographs and talk to the youngsters."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3153723.ece
LIVERPOOL SET FOR TRANSFER RECORD
Martin Skrtel could become the most expensive defender in Liverpool's history after passing his medical. The club have agreed a £6.5million fee with Zenit St Petersburg for the Slovakia centre back and the deal just needs to be rubber-stamped by the club's American owners. No wonder Carragher was on edge.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/
DERBY AGREE SAVAGE FEE
Robbie Savage is poised to join Derby County after the club agreed a fee for the Blackburn Rovers midfield player. The 33-year-old, who could start a fight with a temple full of Buddhist monks on sedatives, could join up with Laurent Robert, who is poised to become Paul Jewell's next signing. Odds on a scrap, anyone?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/derby/article3151997.ece
PATIENT FAUBERT
Julien Faubert will bide his time after scoring on his return for West Ham's reserves after only 39 seconds last night. The midfielder, who has yet to play for the club after succumbing to the club's injury curse in pre-season, said: "I have been waiting for five months so I can wait for a few more weeks."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/west_ham/article3153556.ece
CITY BID FOR CISSE REJECTED
Marseilles have turned down a bid from Manchester City for Djibril Cisse, the former Liverpool forward. "I want to be clear - Djibril Cisse will not leave," Pape Diouf, the Marseilles president who said something similar about Didier Drogba, said. Cisse would fit in just fine at City, alongside such non-scoring luminaries as Darius Vassell, Georgios Samaras, Emile Mpenza and Rolando Bianchi.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article3153847.ece
YORKE'S THREE-POINT HAUL
A Sunderland player has finally picked up three points. Unfortunately for Roy Keane, the points in question are on Dwight Yorke's driving licence. The forward has been punished after pleading guilty to doing 85 mph. He was represented by Nick Freeman, the celebrity barrister who is nicknamed Mr Loophole.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/sunderland/article3154201.ece
MOYES LOSES OUT OVER PIENAAR
David Moyes has failed in his (optimistic) bid to keep Steven Pienaar from joining up with the South Africa squad for the African Cup of Nations until after tonight's Carling Cup semi-final first leg. Fifa told Everton that the 14-day rule applies to the beginning of the tournament, not the first match.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/everton/article3150074.ece
FABIANSKI TO EARN SPURS
Lukasz Fabianski, the Arsenal goalkeeper, is hoping he can make a name for himself against Tottenham in their Carling Cup semi-final first leg tomorrow. "I spoke to Manuel Almunia, who saved a penalty against Spurs [in the Premier League]," Fabianski said. "He told me that if you save a penalty against Tottenham then you are the biggest man in the world."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/
CARLING CUP TEAM NEWS
Ricardo Carvalho should be available to face Everton tonight after suspension, but Andriy Shevchenko (leg), John Terry (foot), Florent Malouda (knee), Frank Lampard (thigh) and Carlo Cudicini (rib) are still missing. Tim Howard, Tim Cahill, Nuno Valente and Phil Neville all return for the Toffees after they were rested in the FA Cup.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3148312.ece
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If you've got another couple of minutes
WHY DEFOE MUST GO ON
Imagine yourself in Jermain Defoe's size 7 Nike Predators. You've started two league matches all season - less than Anthony Gardner, Ricardo Rocha and Teemu Tainio have each mustered - and you were overlooked in favour of Adel Taarabt (exactly) in the last match. You get a tap on your shoulder from a mean-looking Spaniard who smiles less than Gordon Brown, saying he wants to have a quiet word with you in private. It doesn't take Nostradamus to see what's coming, so you empty your locker, wave goodbye to the sulky Bulgarian (who barely acknowledges the gesture) and make your way towards the manager's office, expecting the worst...
Or at least that's what we would have done. But not Defoe. Instead, when he was told by a manager who doesn't pick him that he didn't rate him, he was shocked. He had been expecting to be told he was starting in tomorrow's Carling Cup semi against Arsenal. "At first I thought it was a joke," Defoe said to guffaws from everyone else. "I thought he was going to say I would be starting against Arsenal which was why he didn't give me a game against Reading at the weekend.
"But he just said, 'You can leave if you want to.'"
We're only surprised that he didn't crash his car. But perhaps we should forgive Defoe for being shortsighted. After all, his lack of vision on the pitch is probably one of the reasons the big clubs have yet to express a serious interest in such a proven goalscorer.
Defoe has presumably revealed this story because he thinks the big question is why any club would sell such a dedicated player. In reality, he's answered his own question. Why didn't he shake Ramos's hand, thank him very much for the kind offer and leave? Any footballer worth having wants to be playing, not watching (that's unless they are watching their contract run down, before moving on a free transfer). And if that's the case, Ramos probably knows everything he needs to know about his player's ambition. So by saying he wanted to stay, Defoe has proved why he must go. The only real question is who wants to sign him.
IN THRALL OF GOLDENBALLS?
Is AOTG alone in being unmoved about whether David Beckham gets his 100th cap? In terms of immediate importance, it seems to us that it's right up there with questions of national urgency such as whether Britney really is dating a Brummie snapper, if you can take two bags on to a plane from Stansted to Prestwick and whether Des O'Connor has renewed his wedding vows to a woman half his age.
It's a friendly, for Posh's sake. In the last non-competitive match - as opposed to the frequent uncompetitive games under Steve McClaren - even Jermain Defoe and Alan Smith got a run out, which makes the England set-up about as exclusive as a press conference.
Admittedly, not everyone shares our view. In today's paper, Matt Dickinson, our Chief Sports Writer, leads an emotional plea for the forward to be given his 100th cap (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/matt_dickinson/article3149205.ece)
- although even he admits he's probably had one too many sherries.
Which is why this is an opinion poll with a difference. Instead of asking what your opinion is, we just want to know if you have one. So answer yes, no or (like AOTG) couldn't care less.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/poll-should-bec.html
THEGAME PODCAST
On this week's podcast, Dietmar Hamann explains how he blagged his way to Athens to watch Liverpool in the Champions League final, his cosmic connection with Sven-Goran Eriksson and why Micah Richards will end up playing centre back in five years' time. Elsewhere, Times writer and transfer specialist Gary Jacob gives the inside line on Dimitar Berbatov's on-off transfer saga. Jacob says that the Bulgarian definitely wants to go - it's just a question of whether he leaves now or in the summer.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/podcasts/thegame/article3127447.ece
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>>>>>THE TABLOID SCANDAL<<<<<
CARRAGHER SEES RED: Kop star launches into fans - The Sun
What you need to know: 1) Jamie Carragher has been pictured climbing up a fence to challenge fans to a fight "in a moment of madness". 2) According to the supporters, who were dressed in black wigs and yellow shellsuits like extras from a Harry Enfield show, Carragher clambered up the side of a stand and shouted, "Come on - let's have it." 4) Although the report says it was all just good friendly banter that provoked the response, eye witnesses suggest it was a little more than that. 5) Maybe they accused him of being a "bottler".
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A quickie before you go, sir?
GOALKEEPER IN A SPIN
The last time AOTG saw a goal like this, it was in year 7 at the local comprehensive. More turns than a helter-skelter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pOBbiIKJ8s
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£27,397
Estimated amount Fabio Capello and his backroom team have earned since starting their new job as of 4pm today.
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In TheGame
"Is Drogba best friends with a Eurosport journalist? If not, why does he feel the need to bare his soul to them? I may walk into my office every morning and feel a familiar sense of dread, depression and misery, but it never occurs to me to tell a stranger." Our Chelsea fan is growing tired of the Ivorian's familiar lament. Elsewhere in Fanzine Fanzone, our Derby County man says Paul Jewell must be preparing for the longest pre-season in history - because their Premier League campaign is as good as over.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/
In this week's Game Debate, Martin Samuel says Alan Shearer needs to climb down off the fence and tell us whether he really wants the Newcastle United job. While he is waiting in the wings with his cards clasped to his chest, Big Sam (and any other Newcastle manager) will be looking over his shoulder. Join the debate.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/the-debate-is-s.html
It's not so much a case of buy British as bye to the British. Tom Dart looks at the big clubs' big statistics in the transfer market and is unsurprised to discover that the secret of their success is imported.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/bye-british.html
Walter Gammie, our non-League expert, takes a look at Webbsfleet ISDN . After all the hysteria - and with due diligence yet to be completed on MyFootballClub's purchase of the club - find out what's really happening.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/01/daish-keeps-ebb.html
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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<
* Ramos: you can go Defoe - The Sun
* Klin of the Kop: D-Day for Rafa as American owners think over move for Klinsmann - Daily Mirror
* You're in safe hands ... Capello: I'll live up to expectation - Daily Express
* Kop target Klinsmann - Daily Mail
* Capello feels like a winner from day one - The Daily Telegraph
* Bolton turn down £11m for Anelka as Boro chase Alves - The Independent
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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox
Wouldn't it be a jolly jape if some no-name two-bit comedian (or DJ that we've never heard of) were to do a passable impression of Sven and phone up Fabio? Speaking in Sven's Swedish / English (Swinglish?) the caller could get The Fab One to confirm that Beckham is the first name on the teamsheet against Switzerland - for a ceremonial 100th cap. Then broadcast the recording of the conversation to an adoring nation. Heck, you could try this yourselves - notoriety awaits! It's got to be worth a go: what's the worst that could happen?
Roger Walter doesn't consider it a bad thing to give our boss (another) excuse to sack us - but we'll definitely support anyone else who wants to try the prank .
Fabio should ring Graham Taylor and ask him if turnips are in season.
Tom Knott should know that they are always in season...
Sometimes you just say it better than we do, which is why we've dedicated a corner of this e-mail to your views and boos: sport@timesonline.co.uk
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Tomorrow's news today
- Matt Hughes reports from Stamford Bridge on the first Carling Cup semi-final
- Tony Cascarino on why Jamie Carragher was mad as a Hatter
- What's all the fuss about 100? Martin Samuel says it's just a number
And expect...
Alan Shearer to say he is uncertain whether he should come down off the fence because both options have merit.
Spread the word. It's like pyramid selling, but without the hassle or the money. Click on the following link if you (or your friends) want to subscribe to this newsletter.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/subscriptions/e-mail_bulletins/
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