jose - soccer

Barry was close to moving to Liverpool a year ago but the clubs could not agree a fee and the deal eventually fell through amid acrimonious exchanges between the player and manager Martin O'Neill. In total contrast, Tuesday's deal was done in a matter of hours following Villa's lunchtime announcement that their captain was in talks with City. "Gareth is widely acknowledged as one of the top midfielders in the Premier League and that is a recommendation in itself," City manager Mark Hughes told the website. "When players of his quality become available then you have to be in the market for them. "With Gareth we get the experience of someone who has played week-in, week-out in the hardest league in the world. He plays at a level that has an impact on the game and we are thrilled that he is joining us. "I like players that have the sort of flexibility that enables you to change your tactics if you need during a game, and Gareth has that. He also has a range of passing that I'm keen to introduce to the team, and he has got great delivery at sets plays as well. He will bring a lot to City."

Barry said: "It didn't take much persuasion from Mark Hughes, they are heading in the direction I want to go. "There is great potential here, and I'm sure there will be a few more additions to the squad this summer."

Predominantly a left-sided midfielder, Barry has also impressed in a more central role and is a favourite of England coach Fabio Capello. He is currently with Capello's squad preparing for Saturday's World Cup qualifying match in Kazakhstan and next week's home game against Andorra when he will expect to add to his tally of 29 caps.

His signing could be the first of many at City in the close-season as manager Mark Hughes looks to use the millions of the club's Arab owners to build a squad to improve upon the team's 10th-place finish.

Hughes, who last year paid a British record 32 million pounds to Real Madrid for Brazil striker Robinho, added: "I was looking to get a number of deals done as soon as possible and we have had a great start with Gareth joining us. "I hope we can conclude some more so that when we come back for pre-season training we have everybody fit and well and set for a successful campaign."

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins admits his side’s title hopes are receding after the Blues were held to a surprise 0-0 draw at home to Hull. The west Londoners were jeered off after an insipid performance against the Humbersiders on Saturday, who contained their illustrious hosts with ease and produced several clear-cut chances of their own. Chelsea could fall 11 points behind the leaders Manchester United if the reigning champions win their two games in hand and manager Luiz Felipe Scolari may even start casting anxious glances over his shoulder towards fifth-placed Arsenal unless he can arrest his side’s current slump in form.

This dismal display against a side who have not tasted victory in the English Premier League since December added to the gloom created by last weekend’s tame defeat at Liverpool, and sections of the Stamford Bridge support turned on the Brazilian World Cup winner as his side laboured in the second half.

Scolari’s decision to replace debutant Ricardo Quaresma just after the hour provoked chants of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ from the Matthew Harding Stand and the 61-year-old gave anther hint that he is struggling to cope with the pressure of fulfilling Chelsea’s grand ambitions by refusing to attend the post-match press conference. Instead, it was Wilkins who was left to explain this latest sorry display and the former England mdfielder did not attempt to disguise the size of the task that faces Chelsea in the final three months of the season.

‘At the moment, it will be very difficult to catch Manchester United, with the way they’re playing,’ he said. ‘We will try to catch them but they have games in hand on us and they’re quite a few points in front of us as well, so it will be hard. ‘There is pressure, of course, but there always is pressure when you’re at a club as big as Chelsea. Second is never good enough for Chelsea because over the last few seasons, we’ve been a power in the Premier League. We strive to be number one and we would never say that second is good enough. ‘That’s why we’re not giving up on the title - you can’t when you have the kind of talent in our squad. We’ll keep going until it’s mathematically impossible to catch United.’

Wilkins also issued a withering assessment of the supporters who turned on Scolari after their side proved unable to pierce Hull’s exceptional defence. ‘It’s never pleasant to hear that kind of thing,’ he added. ‘It’s pretty evident that Luiz does know what he’s doing: he’s been in the game a hell of a long time and won an awful lot of trophies. ‘It’s unnecessary and it shouldn’t be heard around our stadia. It’s their prerogative to boo if they want to because they pay their money. But to say that someone doesn’t know what they’re doing, when they’ve achieved so much in the game, is a tad out of order.’

The criticism heaped on Scolari might have been yet more venomous had Craig Fagan taken one of two good second-half chances or Dean Marney’s low shot across goal sneaked inside the post rather than just out. Chelsea produced precious little in response, although Wilkins was justified in claiming that the afternoon might have boasted a very different narrative had John Terry not spooned haplessly over the crossbar in just the second minute. That weakness means that most teams visiting the Londoners now do so in the belief they can score.

Phil Brown, the Hull manager, was understandably proud of his players’ efforts, which - if replicated during the remainder of the season - should see them escape relegation with something to spare. ‘If we keep showing that mentality then we will be okay,’ he said. ‘The work rate was phenomenal and, as manager of this side, I’m very proud to have come here and got a point. ‘We didn’t put men behind the ball or park the bus in front of the goal, we played a bit.’

And for Hull City - heading south on the back of a miserable run that has brought just one win in 15 league matches - belief is something that has been in short supply of late. So good was their start to the campaign that they dropped out of the top half of the table for only the first time this season last weekend after a home draw with basement club West Bromwich Albion. Manager Phil Brown hasn’t had much more luck in the transfer market after narrowly missing out on AS Roma’s Christian Panucci and seeing new five million pounds signing Jimmy Bullard quickly crocked by a knee injury. Striker Daniel Cousin has also been ruled out for ten days after undergoing surgery and the only upbeat note for Brown has been struck by the support of his chairman Paul Duffen in the face of unexpected criticism from some of the club’s supporters. Even that, though, confounded the manager who said: "I like to fight my own fights, put it that way."

(source: khaleejtimes.com, thetimes)

Tottenham Hotspur bukan termasuk klub hebat di Inggris, jika dibandingkan dengan Liverpool dan Manchester United. Tapi klub berjuluk The Spurs ini pernah memiliki kkebesarn di era 1980-an. Dan, penyihir yang membawa kebesaran itu tak lain adalah Glenn Hoddle. Gelandang yang membuat permainan Tottenham selalu efektif, berbahaya dan menarik.
Padahal ketika Hoddle masih remaja, nyaris tak ada yang memperhatikan kemampuannya. Maklum, waktu itu Hoddle belum memiliki klub karena hanya bermain dari satu klub ke klub kecil lainnya di Middlesex, kampung halamannya. Beruntung ada teman yang juga striker Tottenham, Martin Chivers. Atas sarannya, Hoddle masuk The Spurs sebagai pemain magang. Bahkan Chivers memberi rekomendasi, sehingga Hoddle diterima.
Belum lama magang di Tottenham, manajer The Spurs kala itu, Bill Nicholson dipecat. Ini justru memberi berkah buat Hoddle. Manajer baru Terry Neill, tak memandangnya sebelah mata seperti pelatih sebelumnya. Neill melihat bakat Hoddle luar biasa dan dengan berani memberi kepercayaan kepadanya saat masih berusia 18 tahun. Agustus 1975 ketika Hotspur berjumpa Norwich, Hoddle diturunkan sebagai pengganti Ian Smith. Sejak itu Hoddle sering dipasang dan menunjukan bakatnya sebagai gelandang kreatif dan punya tendangan keras. Lalu memasuki tahun 1976, dia sudah menjadi pemain inti dan mulai tampil penuh saat lawan Stoke City di bulan Februari. Bahkan berkontribusi untuk kemenangan 2-1 tim ibukota lewat gol tendangan jarak jauh yang memperdayai kiper kenamaan Peter Shilton.
Inilah awal kebintangan Hoddle, tak berapa lama dia segera jadi pahlawan White Hart Lane, markas Tottenham. Permainannya selalu mengundang kagum dan punya gocekan maut serta akurasi umpan yang berbahaya. Meski begitu, baru di era 1980-an, Hoddle membawa kebesaran bagi tim London. Bukan cuma dalam negeri tapi juga tingkat Eropa. Puncaknya dia mempersembahkan gelar Piala FA 2 tahun berturut-turut dan trophy Piala UEFA 1983-1984 kepada klub. Publik White Hart Lane ingat betul, pemain kesayangannya ini berandil besar dalam sukses tersebut. Salah satunya pada partai final FA Cup 1982, Hoddle mengukir gol untuk menaklukan Liverpool.
Terakhir, dia memperkuat Tottenham di final Piala FA tahun 1987, namun sayang The Spurs kalah dari Coventry City 2-3. Setelah itu Hoddle pindah ke Liga Perancis bersama AS Monaco dengan transfer 750.000 pounds. Torehan kenangan Hoddle selama berkostum The Whites adalah 490 laga dan mengoleksi 110 gol.
Meski tergolong uzur, 30 tahun, Hoddle ternyata masih tampil bagus berseragam Monaco yang saat itu diarsiteki calon “Professor” Arsene Wenger. Bahkan Hoddle menjadi motor serangan klub. Puncaknya dengan raihan juara Ligue 1 musim 1987-1988. Ini satu - satunya gelar kompetisi liga yang pernah diraih. Usai membantu Monaco merengkuh trophy Le Championnat, cedera lutut kanan yang dia derita sejak di Hotspur sering kambuh hingga Hoddle jarang diturunkan pelatih.
Tahun 1993 dia pindah ke Chelsea sebagai pemain nonkontrak, bertahan dua bulan kemudian hijrah ke klub Divisi I, Swindon. Hoddle merangkap menjadi pemain – manager dan menunjukan kemampuan sebagai calon manager brilian. Berkat sentuhannya pula Swindon promosi ke Premier League season 1993. Musim itu juga dia langsung kembali ke Chelsea juga sebagai pemain merangkap manager. Sekali Hoddle menjalankan tugasnya dengan baik. Chelsea seperti bangun dari tidur dan mampu bersaing di papan atas dengan para raksasa Premiership lainnya. Cedera yang terus menjerat memaksanya pensiun lalu berkonsentrasi sebagai pelatih.
Bagi public White Hart Lane, Hoddle dinobatkan menjadi pemain terbaik sepanjang masa dan rakyat Inggris menilainya sebagai pemain berbakat St. George Cross era 1980an. Memperkuat The Three Lions 53 caps dan 8 goal.

(reference: soccer classic 23th dec03)

Manchester United shirt with a big AIG, have become icons in the successful club in English persepakbolaan. However, in the last week, the company is steady cook disintegration of the disintegration of other United States companies. Will the disintegration of the sponsor of this disastrous also for the team "Red Devil"?