FA CUP FINAL....CHELSEA Vs LIVERPOOL 2012

FA CUP FINAL

 

•  Teams;                              Chelsea Vs Liverpool     
  

• Venue;                               Wembly Stadium
  

• Date;                               Saturday 05/05/2012 

• Kick off;                                     17:15

Match Officials; Referee Philip Dowd (Staffordshire FA)

Assistant Referee Stuart Burt (Northamptonshire FA)

Assistant Referee Andrew Garratt (Staffordshire FA)

Fourth Official Michael Jones (Cheshire FA)

Reserve Assistant Referee Simon Long (Cornwall FA)

Team Kits;

 
Chelsea
Blue Shirts, Blue Shorts, White Socks; GK White, White, Purple

Liverpool
Red Shirts, Red Shorts, Red Socks; GK Black, Black, Black








 OK so now all of the above is out of the way lets get on with the footy talk.


Its FA Cup final day and we at footballcrazybaby.blogspot.com can not wait for this big battle to commence.


In the Blue corner we have 6 times FA Cup winners Chelsea, who have beaten the likes of Barcelona and have booked their place in the top european cup, 'the Champions League'.


In the Red corner we have 7 times FA Cup winners Liverpool, who have already payed a visit to wembly this year and going on to lift the Carling cup against Cardiff.


We have a fight on our hands today ladies and gentlemen. Chelsea last won the FA Cup in 2010 and with the new care taker manager looking to secure a full time contract, lifting the famous trophy will definatly do Di Matteo no harm.


Liverpool last won the FA Cup in 2006 and with such a turbulant season, Kenny Dalglish must guide his red army to victory today or the Liverpool faithful could see this season as a failure.


Liverpool beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge 2-1 on 20/11/2011 and the teams meet up again in the next premiership fixture at Anfield.

We think Chelsea will play Drogba instead of Torres, going on previous team selections by the Chelsea boss.


Ivanovic will get the nod infront of David Luiz, as Ivanovic is a huge threat at set pieces and David Luiz, you are never sure if he is going to do something rash.








For Liverpool we are 100% sure Riena will reclaim his possition between the sticks.


And with Skrtel and Agger fit, we will see Jamie Carragher drop to the bench.
Both CB's can score, and they have formed a formidable partnership, which sees normally first on the team sheet Carragher dropped for this game.


Above picture courtesy of football-talk


OUR PREDICTION;


It will be tight, hard and entertaining with chances for both teams.
90mins 1-1    Liverpool to win 2-1 in extra time.


CHEERS PPS FOR READING AND WE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL KICK OFF!!! BRING IT ON!!!


PS; Chelsea's defensive duo David Luiz and Gary Cahill failed to train with the squad ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup final and it is therefore expected that neither will start the match against Liverpool.

Blackpool Vs. Birmingham: Tangerines Take Lead To St. Andrews - SBNation.com

Blackpool Vs. Birmingham: Tangerines Take Lead To St. Andrews - SBNation.com

Westham draw first blood in play offs

Jack Collison scores twice to put West Ham in control against Cardiff

Championship 2011-12

Cardiff City 0   West Ham United 2 Collison 9, Collison 41

Jack Collison, centre, celebrates after scoring West Ham's second goal against Cardiff in the first leg of the play-off semi-final. Photograph: Henry Browne/Action Images
West Ham United's erratic home form will ensure they approach the second leg on Monday with a degree of caution but Sam Allardyce and his players are within touching distance of a place in the play-off final after this convincing victory. Two first-half goals from Jack Collison, the second of which took a huge deflection off Liam Lawrence, enhanced West Ham's reputation as a team never more comfortable than when on their travels.

Having finished the Championship season with a club-record 13 away wins, including a victory here by the same scoreline in March, West Ham delivered another impressive performance on the road to leave Cardiff facing the prospect of yet more play-off misery. It is 50 years since Cardiff were in the top-flight and any hopes they had of ending that absence and joining Swansea in the Premier League were left hanging by a thread come the final whistle.

Malky Mackay's side improved after the interval but they badly lacked a cutting edge in front of goal on a night when West Ham looked much more threatening going forward and could easily have scored a third. Carlton Cole must have thought that he had killed the tie on the stroke of half-time, when he headed towards the bottom corner only to be denied by a magnificent save by David Marshall, and Kevin Nolan nodded wide when it looked easier to score in the second half.

Not that West Ham had any reason to leave here feeling disappointed. This was an accomplished performance from a team that could have been forgiven for feeling a little sorry for themselves after missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season. They played with confidence and conviction and never looked back from the moment Collison scored the first of his two goals in the ninth minute.

"We played very well, we got it right tactically," said Allardyce, the West Ham manager. "We created chances, scored a couple and could have had more.
"But we're only 90 minutes into a two-legged affair and anything could still happen. The onus is on us to see it through. There is no pressure on Cardiff. They can come and chase what they can. Mentally, we have to be right for that."

Upton Park has been more of a hindrance than a help to West Ham at times this season but Allardyce is confident that his players can handle the occasion. "It's draws that have cost us but we have only lost four matches at home," he said. "And we're in a position now where if we don't lose, we're through."

Cardiff can take comfort from the fact that they won at Upton Park on the opening day of the season, when Kenny Miller scored the only goal, but there was little else for them to cling to at the end of a hugely disappointing evening for the home supporters. This felt all too familiar for a club that has endured play-off heartache in the previous two years, having lost to Blackpool in the final in 2010 and suffered elimination at the hands of Reading at the semi-final stage 12 months ago.

Although Cardiff started brightly and came close to scoring twice in the opening three minutes, when Peter Whittingham's 25-yard shot skimmed the crossbar and Miller drew a decent save from Robert Green with another long-range effort, the home side soon fell behind. Matthew Taylor's lofted pass picked out the run of Ricardo Vaz Tê, and the Portuguese winger delivered a superb cross that Collison headed in at the second attempt, after Marshall had pushed the midfielder's first-time volley up in the air.

The Wales international collected his second goal in the 41st minute, when he took the ball down on his chest 25 yards from goal before firing a volley that Lawrence diverted past Marshall with his head.
Cardiff badly need a breakthrough early in the second half and Ben Turner nearly provided it with a far-post header that Cole nodded off the line. Miller, who has been going through a lean spell, later flashed a volley over and Joe Mason had a goal disallowed for offside as the game slipped away from Cardiff.

Mackay, however, refused to concede the tie was dead. "I think 2-0 is a dangerous score for the team that is 2-0 up," the Cardiff manager said. "If we go there and get that first goal it makes a big, big difference."

Above article is from the guardian. You can click here to visit page.

Play-offs The Bluebirds take on The Hammers

CARDIFF CITY

 

            VS

WESTHAM UTD

• VENUE; Cardiff City Stadium

• Date; Thursday 3rd May 2012

• Kick Off; 19:45 BST

   

  So it has been a long season for all concerned in the Championship, and now it's crunch time!
  
  Big ego's, big money, big reputations, big jobs at stake, and most importantly the biggest prize of all. Promotion to join the elite in the Premiership.
  
  So its the first leg between City and Utd in the semi finals.
  
  Lets take a look at previous results between these two sides.
  
   
  
  Head-to-head
  • This is their 50th meeting, spanning 92 years. West Ham have won 25 of the last 49, and Cardiff nine.
  
  • The Championship clashes this season were both away wins; 1-0 for Cardiff at Upton Park in August, and 2-0 for the Hammers at the Cardiff City Stadium in March.
  
  • This is their first meeting in the play-offs.
  
  
  
  Cardiff City 
   
  • The Bluebirds ended the season on a 10-match undefeated sequence (W4, D6), with the four wins in their last six, to end the campaign in sixth spot, five points ahead of seventh-placed Middlesbrough.
  
  • The club finishing sixth in this division has won promotion through the play-offs five times in 20 years.
  
  • Cardiff are participating in their sixth play-off campaign, and third in successive seasons. They gained promotion to the second tier through them in 2003, lost to Blackpool in the Wembley final in 2010, and were knocked out at this stage by Reading last year.
  
  • The Welsh club have spent the last nine seasons in the second tier, and last played top-flight football in 1962.
  
  • Manager Malky Mackay was part of the Watford team that beat Leeds 3-0 in the 2006 Championship play-off final, at the Millennium Stadium.
  
  
  
  West Ham United 
   
  • The Hammers missed out on automatic promotion by two points, but also ended the regular season with four wins in six games. They lost one of the last 18 to wind up third.
  
  • The club finishing third has been the most successful in the play-offs over the last 20 years, gaining promotion seven times - the most recent being Swansea last season.
  
  • West Ham are aiming to make an immediate return to the Premier League. They qualified for the final in both previous experiences of the play-offs, and were successful in 2005, beating Preston in the final at the Millennium Stadium, when Malky Mackay was at the club, but did not play.
  
  • These will be the fourth play-offs in which Sam Allardyce has managed a club. He took Bolton up to the Premier League via this route in 2001.
  
  TEAM NEWS; (team news from bbc)
  
  
  Cardiff boss Malky Mackay will select his starting line-up for the first leg of their play-off semi-final against West Ham from a full-strength squad. 
  
  
  Four unspecified players sustained knocks in the win at Crystal Palace, but are all expected to be back.
  
  West Ham also have a fully fit squad available with midfielder Gary O'Neil (ankle) passed fit.
  Kevin Nolan is also fine despite suffering a dead leg and James Tomkins has shaken off a knock to the head.
  
  Mackay is determined that his team will not be unnerved by recent disappointment in the play-offs.
  The Bluebirds lost out to Blackpool in a thrilling Wembley final two seasons ago, before being beaten by Reading at the last-four stage last term.
  
  
  "That's in the past, you have to take the individual games on their own merit," the Bluebirds boss said. "Each of us have been better away from home so it will be interesting. But it's a 180-minute game of football. Nothing will be decided until 6.15pm on Monday.
  "When you get to this stage it is about who is the calmest on the day, who gets that bit of luck, but also who tactically gets it right over the 180 minutes."
  
  Meanwhile, West Ham assistant boss Neil McDonald insisted the Hammers would not be affected by their favourites tag.
  
  The Londoners finished 11 points ahead of sixth-placed Cardiff and have won a club-record 13 matches away from home this term.
  
  "There's no reason why we shouldn't handle the pressure," McDonald said. "There were doubts about our home form but we've put that to bed with our last two games and our away form is fantastic. I don't think we have anything to be afraid of.
  "It will be a unique atmosphere but our experienced players will calm everyone down and the ones who haven't done it before should be positive. It will be a close game but hopefully we can take advantage of our away form and then bring them back to Upton Park on Monday and show what we did in the last two matches, which is play positive football, create chances and score goals."
  
   Footballcrazybaby predicts;
  
  Cardiff City 2-1 win 1st leg, 1-1 2nd leg. Cardiff to reach final 3-1 agg
  
  
  
  

Roy Hodgson & England: Reaction to FA move for West Brom boss

Former England manager Graham Taylor believes the Football Association has turned to Roy Hodgson because he will create a "club-like atmosphere" at its new National Football Centre.

The FA has been given permission by West Brom to speak to Hodgson about becoming the next England boss.

Analysis

Dan Roan BBC sports news correspondent

"It's a big shock as the red-hot favourite was Harry Redknapp. The FA has gone against the will of the people and the Press and gone for Roy Hodgson. The pressure will be on from day one."

Taylor says the new centre at Burton-on-Trent is key. 

"With the building of the new centre, that is going to be absolutely vital with future England teams at all levels," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"I just happen to feel, without the FA saying this, that what they're probably looking for is a man who will be willing to go into Burton pretty much every day and stay in a tracksuit, and see the young boys at youth level, see the under-21s and his first team when they are there.

"They haven't said that, that's just me assuming, but I don't think they will see that Harry will fit that bill."
BBC presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker says Hodgson is a solid choice who has the experience to get the best out of a team.

He said: "I think Roy is a safe pair of hands, I think the FA would have recognised that. He's a very likable guy, very authoritative and very knowledgeable about the game.

Reaction on Twitter

• Everton captain Phil Neville:  "Surely Roy Hodgson can't be the only name on the 'list'??" looks that way!"
• West Brom midfielder Steven Reid:  "Be very hard to turn down England manager's job!!"
• Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic:  "Fair play to Roy Hodgson. Great manager and would be a great appointment for the FA! #classact"

"He clearly has bags of experience, all over the world and at all sorts of levels of football. He has tactical nous and he understands how to get the best out of his team and players. 

"He has enjoyed mixed success at various clubs. He has done a terrific job at West Brom, did excellently at Fulham where he led them to a European final, yet it did not quite happen for him at Liverpool and way back at Blackburn."

Former Liverpool player John Barnes , who earned 79 England caps, thinks Hodgson can succeed under the correct expectations.

He said: "Roy Hodgson is as good as anyone, he's competent, he's a good manager and he's proven at international level, although the expectations with Switzerland and Finland are not what they are at England.

"People have to take a more pragmatic approach about England and if we quell our expectations, he will do a good job. We have to be looking to get results and be competitive rather than thinking we're the best in the world and should try to play like that. Roy will give us consistency.

"We're not Barcelona or Spain so let us get a manager who will play to our strengths and be pragmatic and organised."

Sir Geoff Hurst feels Hodgson is well qualified but that Redknapp was the "outstanding candidate" for the national job.
Hurst, who scored a hat-trick as England beat Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, said: "I thought Harry was probably the outstanding candidate at the time because he has had success with Tottenham at a higher level.

Football experts on Roy Hodgson's credentials

"Roy has managed in the Europa League and also at international level, which is also good experience, but what Harry has achieved at Spurs in the last three or four years as been quite remarkable."

Former England player Matthew Le Tissier believes the cost of Redknapp's compensation is the reason the FA have gone for Hodgson.

He said: "It seems to me that the FA has gone for someone who's going to do as he's told (and) isn't going to cost anything in terms of compensation," Le Tissier told Absolute Radio.

"It looks to me like it's the cheap option and the safe option... whether or not it's the right option only time will tell. I've never really been excited by Roy Hodgson's teams and I think that's where my reservation stems from."

David Davies, a former FA chief executive, says while he thought Harry Redknapp was destined to be interviewed for the post, Roy Hodgson is well equipped to lead England.

"Like most people I expected that Harry Redknapp would, at the very least, be interviewed by the FA. That was wrong.

Hodgson second choice - Lawrenson

"The FA believe that they have carried out a very professional, research-based process which has led them to make one approach and that is to Roy Hodgson.

"I happen to think Roy is someone with the very best credentials for the job. Redknapp was very clearly the public and the media's choice, and it is for the FA to explain why they didn't take his candidature any further.
"My understanding is there was a shortlist this time as well, of more than two people. No there weren't other interviews, but there was lot of research and a lot of talking to other people in the game. The FA believe, as I understand it, that they have learnt the lessons of the past and they've carried out a very discreet process."

England Supporters' Club member Mark Perryman said the FA needed to explain why it had overlooked Redknapp.
"It's almost inconceivable that they haven't approached Redknapp," he said.

Article from bbc/football. Link below;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/england/17890094

More on this story below;

 Harry Redknapp wishes Roy Hodgson well 

He's not Harry Redknapp but....... 

England play safe 

Roy Hodgson could be a huge success 

City move into poll position

MAN CITY 1 - 0 MAN UTD

Kompany 45'


City move above Utd in the title race and mancini still believes Man Utd are favourites to lift the prestigious Premier League trophy.

Is this reverse psychology? We thinks so.
Saying that Man Utd are still favourites, Mancicni is hoping that football fans all over the globe don't expect City to be top at the end of the season, and so this will take pressure off his players and in deed himself.
However the message Mancini is putting across can't be nice for his squad. 'basicly saying Utd our bitter rivals are better than us'.
We believe that behind close doors that isn't the case at all, its more like 'lads we beat our rivals last night and move above them, we are the best side in England, we just need to prove it by finishing the last two games on a high'.

There is know way a manager would concede that bitter rivals are better, especially in the current situation. So its just reverse psychology.

Any way to the game last night.

Below is the article from bbc/football. Link below;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17810224

Manchester City took control of the Premier League title race with two games remaining thanks to a derby victory over rivals Manchester United. 

Vincent Kompany's header in first-half stoppage time gave City the win that puts them top on goal difference, just three weeks after they trailed United by eight points.

City needed victory while Sir Alex Ferguson knew a draw would suit his purposes more than opposite number Roberto Mancini.

And the United manager perhaps decided to err on the side of caution, with Wayne Rooney employed as a lone striker.

In a game of few chances, City were the more positive side and deserved the three points from what had been labelled the biggest game in the Premier League's 20-year history.

City win changes nothing - Mancini

United, in contrast, were passive, poor and lacking inspiration despite the high stakes, failing to get a shot on target as City keeper Joe Hart enjoyed a virtually untroubled night.

Ferguson's frustrations boiled over in the closing stages when he angrily confronted Mancini after City substitute Nigel de Jong was booked for fouling Danny Welbeck.

Mancini delighted City's support by giving the Scot as good as he got - complete with gestures - as they went head-to-head before fourth official Mike Jones stepped in.

With United dropping eight points out of their last 12, the momentum and advantage is now with City. Mancini knows victory in their last two games, away at Newcastle United and at home to Queens Park Rangers, would give them their first title since 1967-68.

City's recent resurgence has also proved decisive for their goal difference as they now hold an eight-goal advantage over United and, as referee Andre Marriner sounded the final whistle, their fans joyously celebrated a victory they clearly felt would prove decisive.

City's home comforts

City's Premier League home record this season stands at 17 wins and one draw. They are guaranteed to finish with the best home record in the division this season and the team sporting that record has won the Premier League in each of the last nine seasons.

Ferguson's selection had an almost European look to it, with Rooney starting as the lone front man and Park Ji-sung starting in the Premier League for the first time since January with the apparent detail of marking Yaya Toure. 

Watched from the stands by his father-in-law Diego Maradona, Sergio Aguero had City's best early chances but the Argentine was twice off target.

Rooney cut an isolated figure in a United side seemingly set out for containment - but he was still lively enough to enjoy several feisty exchanges with Kompany, one of which earned the City captain a yellow card from referee Marriner.

After being frustrated by United early on, City gradually increased the pressure and were rewarded with the breakthrough in first-half stoppage time. Chris Smalling failed to make contact with David Silva's corner and Kompany powered a header past United keeper David de Gea.

'No complaints' from Ferguson

Park's contribution had been minimal and it was no surprise when he was the first player sacrificed by Ferguson before the hour, as he chose to give United more offensive options by introducing Welbeck.
Carlos Tevez had also worked hard but had been on the margins. He was replaced with the more defensive-minded De Jong after 67 minutes.

Mancini attempted to close the game down further by introducing Micah Richards for David Silva, United responding by introducing Ashley Young for the disappointing Nani, an alteration that met with little attacking response from United.

Toure had been dominant for City and almost wrapped up the victory with a 20-yard shot just wide following a trademark surge from midfield.

In the closing moments it was City applying the pressure as opposed to United, with De Gea saving well from Gael Clichy and the otherwise excellent Samir Nasri guilty of over-elaboration with an opportunity in the area after another powerhouse run from Toure.

United's display was so poor that they were unable to even rouse themselves for their trademark late rally, City surviving in complete comfort to take control of the title race.

Lineups;

Manchester City

• 25 Hart
• 04 Kompany Booked
• 05 Zabaleta
• 06 Lescott
• 22 Clichy
• 18 Barry
• 19 Nasri (Milner - 90' )
• 21 Silva (Richards - 82' )
• 42 Y Toure Booked
• 16 Aguero
• 32 Tevez (De Jong - 68' Booked )

Substitutes

• 30 Pantilimon
• 02 Richards
• 13 Kolarov
• 07 Milner
• 34 De Jong
• 10 Dzeko
• 45 Balotelli

Manchester United

• 01 De Gea
• 03 Evra
• 04 Jones Booked
• 05 Ferdinand
• 12 Smalling
• 11 Giggs
• 13 Park Ji-sung (Welbeck - 58' )
• 16 Carrick Booked
• 17 Nani (Young - 83' )
• 22 Scholes (Valencia - 78' )
• 10 Rooney

Substitutes

• 40 Amos
• 21 Rafael
• 18 Young
• 25 Valencia
• 09 Berbatov
• 14 Hernandez
• 19 Welbeck

Ref: Marriner

Att: 47,259