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Fiorentina 3-2 Bayern Munich UEFA Champions League 9 March 2010 Fiorentina grabbed a 2-0 lead but Bayern Munich stormed back to advance on away goals on Tuesday. The home side looked like it was heading for the quarterfinals with goals from Juan Vargas in the 27th minute and Steven Jovetic in the 54th minute. They would get one more from Jovetic in the 64th minute but it wouldn’t be enough. As they led 2-0 before Jovetic’s second goal, Bayern came back with a goal from Mark Van Bommel to level the match at 3-3 on aggregate. After Jovetic scored to make it 4-3, Bayern’s Arjen Robben made it 4-4 and the German side led on away goals. Fiorentina would have to get one more to advance but couldn’t as Bayern Munich advanced to the quartefinals. Fiorentina 3-2 Bayern Munch Video Highlights "Fiorentina 3-2 Bayern Munich – Video Highlights – 9 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Arsenal 5-0 Porto UEFA Champions League 9 March 2010 Arsenal came out aggressive and would grab an early lead they would never relinquish on Tuesday. The Gunners were clearly the better team for the match and scored two goals in the first half. The first was a through ball for Arshavin that deflected off a defender in the box where Nicklas Bendtner was able to reach it and score. The second was an Arshavin pass into the box to a wide open Bendtner who scored to make it 2-0. Arshavin was the man of the match and was constantly creating chances for Arsenal. The second would see the flood gates open as the Gunners scored three more goals. Until their third goal, it still remained tight at Porto just needed one goal at that point to level the match on aggregate. A terrific indivual effort from Samuel Nasri would give Arsenal the third goal. He beat three defenders on the dribble and then scored with a shot from a tough angle. It was a fantastic play and the turning point of the match. Arsenal would add two more goals as Eboue would run into an Arshavin through ball and score in the 66th minute. Eboue also earned a penalty in stoppage time that Bendnter would convert to get his hat trick. Arsenal will learn their quarterfinal opponent on March 19 when the draw is released. Arsenal 5-0 Porto Video Highlights "Arsenal 5-0 Porto – Video Highlights – 9 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

So Arsene Wenger is satisfied with his decision to re-sign Sol Campbell. In a press conference ahead of his side’s second leg tie with Porto he said: Sol wants to win and he can spread that through the team and give advice. We want to win this game but we also need to be patient maybe and it is important to keep your head. He gives us a good mixture, it is not only him, but there is a good blend of youth and experience. Astute comments right? After all, blending youth and experience is a proven recipe for success in professional football, one blueprinted and utilized extensively by Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, a man who recently won his 35th trophy. And Arsene Wenger, a man we are all thankful to for bringing technical, heavily stylized football and with it, precocious youngsters who have often matured into fantastic players on the world stage, has won a few trophies as well. So we’re good then? No, actually we’re not – Wenger, unusually, has got something very wrong here. How can a man who has continually refused to offer plus 30 year old players, anything more than a one year deal, come out with comments like that and not listen to his own point? He has continually jettisoned players deemed too old, or those unwilling to accept the discriminatory, stingy contracts offered to them, instead of recognizing their potential value to the club as educators and paragons of conduct - to say nothing of rewarding years of stellar service. During the first epoch of his reign, signings such as Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljunberg, Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Petit and Sol Campbell were fortunate enough to have an established old guard there to teach them the values and principles of the club, not just in voice, but in example too. Yet at the point the cycle was set to be renewed, instead of keeping any of these incredibly successful, talented, and experienced players – many of whom had been involved in a record breaking season in which Arsenal were undefeated in the league – they were sold to make way for budding footballers whose education was consequently spent almost exclusively in each others company. This led to some enterprising, youthful football and some fantastic moments – but when the heat was on, when it really counted at the business end of the season, they folded. Experience of failure can be an important thing, but continued exposure to it is not necessarily good for a players psyche. The act of winning is simply the best way to foster a winning mentality. Arsenal have been trophy less for 5 years now, and again, instead of recognizing the value of senior players, it’s rumoured William Gallas is being offered only a one year deal which may force him to leave the club. Considering his athleticism, ability, and experience, is offering him 2 or 3 years really that much of a gamble? And yet here’s Wenger at his press conference self-congratulating and lauding the impact Campbell’s return has made. In defense of his policy, Wenger would likely say that he had to get rid of the older players to give his up and coming batch playing time; the chance to develop, but look at Manchester United: how would they have fared in the past few years without Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, or Ryan Giggs? These players act as conduits; spirits of the football club who perpetuate the zeitgeist. They help them to understand when to play and when to knuckle down, and play a crucial role in their development from boys to men. Neville, Giggs and Scholes have done just that at Manchester United, and the benefits are manifested, not just in their success, but in the comments made by the young players at the club who are continually describing how infectious their professionalism and winning mentality is; which amounts to a spectacular advantage to have at your football club. Arsenals youngsters are that good they could well win something soon, potentially this season, but they may well have got there a lot quicker with some older heads around. "Wenger should rethink his policy on plus 30’s" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Franck Ribery - Bayern Fiorentina v Bayern Munich UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Stadio Artemi Franchi – Florence, Italy 9 March 2010 – 19:45 GMT Bayern Munich will take a 2-1 lead from the first leg into the second leg against Serie A side Fiorentina in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Fiorentina v Bayern Munich Preview Bayern Munich heads into the match on good form as they are unbeaten in their last 18 matches and top of the Bundesliga table. Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, who both didn’t start last weekend against FC Cologne, should be available to start on Tuesday. In the first leg, Bayern had a late goal from Miroslav Klose to give them a 2-1 lead. Fiorentina did get an important away goal in the first leg and can advance with a 1-0 win on Tuesday. The Italian side has not reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League/European Cup since 1970. It’s one of the biggest matches in the club’s history. They will likely not be in the Champions League next season as they are in the middle of the Serie A table. Even the Europa League seems out or reach for Fiorentina next season. Bayern are looking to get back to their rich history when they won the Champions League in 2001. They have the deeper and more talented team to advance to the quarterfinals. The question is if they can turn play to their potential and get a solid performance in Florence. Last Five Matches in Competition Fiorentina Bayern Munich @Bayern Munich 2-1 Fiorentina 2-1 @Liverpool 1-2 @Juventus 1-4 Lyon 1-0 Maccabi Haifa 1-0 Debrecen 5-2 Bordeaux 0-2 @Debrecen 3-4 @Bordeaux 2-1 Fiorentina v Bayern Munich Prediction Bayern Munich will be able to get a 1-1 draw and advance 3-2 on aggregate. Watch Fiorentina v Bayern Munich Live Online You can watch Fiorentina v Bayern Munich live online as well as all other Champions League games. Read our live Champions League football page for more details. "Fiorentina v Bayern Munich – Preview – 9 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Arsenal v Porto Arsenal v Porto is available as a live blog below as well as an internet stream to watch live online. Arsenal v Porto UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Emirates Stadium – London, England 19:45 GMT – 9 March 2010 Arsenal hosts Porto on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 in the UEFA Champions League looking to overcome a 2-1 deficit from the first leg. Arsenal v Porto Preview Porto had a 2-1 win in the first leg and have proven capable of playing with clubs in the larger leagues. Arsenal did not look great in the first leg and will need to improve their form if they want to advance. A 1-0 victory would put them through but a 2-1 win would require extra time. The Gunners will be without captain Cesc Fabregas who has been the heart and soul of the club for the last few season. William Gallas will also be unavailable for the match. Porto does not have any injury concerns and will be at full strength for the match. They’ve yet to win at London in a UEFA Champions League match and lost 0-4 at Arsenal in 2008. Despite the history, Porto are a dangerous team with attacking players Falcao, Marian Gonzalez, Cristian Rodriguez, and Hulk. Arsenal will need striker Nicklas Bendtner to convert chances. Bendtner has come under scrutiny this season for his lack of finishing and had numerous chances during Saturday’s EPL match against Burnley. Arsenal should be able to create chances but will have to take advantage of them if they want to advance. Porto has had trouble scoring goals on the road in the Champions League, especially in England, so a 1-0 win for the Gunners is realistic. The Portuguese side will likely play conservative and look for chances on the counterattack. Last Five Matches in Competition Arsenal FC Porto @FC Porto 2-1 Arsenal 2-1 @Olympiakos 1-0 @Atlético Madrid 0-3 Standard Liege 2-0 Chelsea 0-1 AZ Alkmaar 4-1 @Apoel Nicosia 0-1 @AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Apoel Nicosia 2-1 Arsenal v Porto Prediction Arsenal will win the match 1-0. Arsenal v Porto Live Blog "Arsenal v Porto – Live Blog – 9 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Wigan 0-1 Liverpool English Premier League 8 March 2010 Liverpool once again struggled to score goals on the road as they lost 0-1 at Wigan on Monday. Wigan Athletic started out a bit slow but started to work their way into the match. Most of the possession was with Liverpool but they failed to turn that into goals. Fernando Torres has a few decent chances but his rust form injuries showed in the match. Overall, the team seemed to lack the quality and finishing that let to a second place finish last season. Wigan would grab the lead in the 35th minute as Hugo Rodallega scored on a cross from Emmerson Boyce. The goal was scored because Liverpool gave the ball away in the final third and Wigan took advantage of that chance. The win puts Wigan in better position to avoid relegation while the loss for Liverpool hurts their chances of a 4th place finish. It could be the Europa League and not the Champions League next season for Liverpool. Wigan 0-1 Liverpool Video Highlights Rodallega 35′ (1-0) "Wigan 1-0 Liverpool – Video Highlights – 8 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

When AC Milan takes the field at Old Trafford to face the European giants Manchester United, David Beckham will step foot in the ‘Theater of Dreams’ as well – this time against United. Beckham is a product of United, absolutely loved by the fans, Alex Ferguson’s main man in the 1990’s and the early 2000’s and simply a Manchester United hero. Whatever David Beckham is today, it is all because of United undoubtedly. He wore the red shirt for about ten years, played 265 games for them, scored 62 goals from midfield (although after CR’s 42, that seems like a minuscule total for ten years). He will make his return to his former home ground after seven years. In these seven years, Becks has played for the Spanish giants Real Madrid and then joined LA Galaxy. Currently, he’s on loan to AC Milan and it seems like Galaxy are unwilling to let him go because both Milan and Beckham like each other quite a bit. The Englishman was interviewed by the Milan Channel about his much anticipated return to Old Trafford: “Am I nervous? No, but I’m happy because for the first time in seven years I am returning to Manchester to take the field.” “I will meet many friends who supported me for so many years. It was always my dream to play in Manchester and I would have never expected to play here wearing a different jersey. Now going back there as a Milan player will be exciting.” “Those who dream of playing for Manchester Untied should not do so to become rich. You must do it for the pride of playing for Manchester United. As a child this is the only club I wanted to play for.” “Like Milan, it is a big club that is a family. The first thing Sir Alex Ferguson told me at Manchester was to work hard.” “If I play Wednesday night I will not be scared, in a way I will be excited because I was a Manchester United player for so many years and I know what it means for other players to go there.” “Playing at Old Trafford is always difficult, it will be hard to win, especially 2-0.” “We know that if we play well, make good passes and create lots of opportunities that we have many players who can score. We are aware it will be a very difficult match, but nothing is impossible.” Milan trail 3-2 on aggregate after they were defeated at San Siro. Wayne Rooney’s presence in the return leg is still a question mark. A lot will depend on that as United seemed a little unsettled with Dimitar Berbatov playing as the lone striker lately. Just because of Beckham’s return to Manchester, the United v Milan match is currently over-shadowing the other games being played in the Champions League including top clubs like Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Interview taken from Goal.com. "Beckham eager for his return to Old Trafford" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Danny Last, from the blog European Football Weekends talks about his footballing guilty pleasures. A guilty pleasure is something one enjoys and considers pleasurable despite feeling a trifle of guilt for doing so. Should we fear others discovering our lowbrow fascination with Eastern European floodlights and Real Zaragoza’s ”deepest goal nets in Europe” or is that “guilt” too much to bear!? Well, if you promise not to tell, I’ll share some of football’s guilty pleasures that we’ve been discussing on European Football Weekends lately. We’ll kick off with a football shall we? The Stuart Surridge red and white panelled ball favoured by Ipswich Town and Norwich City in the 80’s was a rare thing of real beauty. Of course the Adidas Tango was rightly lauded but the Surridge had me mesmerized. It must have been Justin Fashanu’s goal of the season for Norwich against Liverpool in 1980 that set that particular ball rolling. I had an inferior plastic version of it that that used to sting like anything on a cold day up the rec when smacked into your legs. And now for the classified (why classified I wonder?) football results read by James Alexander Gordon. James = genius. For the full effect one had to listen on the radio – preferably on a railway platform hundreds of miles from home. The way his voice went up to signal a surprising away win (Leeds United 2 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 3) , down in disapproving fashion for a careless 3 points tossed away (Bradford City 2 Brighton & Hove Albion 0) or the undisguised glee at the 3 points on his pools coupon afforded by Barnsley 2 Brighton & Hove Albion 2 was something to behold. Wading through muddy pitches whilst listening to the theme tunes to Sportsnight and the Radio 2 Sport on 2 Theme tune we find ourselves at another guilty pleasure – Shoot Magazine’s (or was it Match? probably both) League ladders. Wealdstone fan JohnathanTaffel tells me they weren’t ideal when you supported a non-league team. So he simply turned the tabs around and wrote the names of the Southern League teams on the back. Panini stickers. Of course Panini stickers. In our youth, the Italian word “Panini” meant more to us than Rossi or Tardelli. Walking around playgrounds or standing outside Spar with our pile of unwanted stickers of Coventry’s Mick Coop – resplendent in his chocolate brown kit – in a vague hope of finding that illusive shiny Liverpool badge and the second half of the Swansea City team sticker to complete our album. Ski hats anyone? Why exactly did these go out of fashion as they were by a country mile the best ever genre of football headwear. Immediately after exiting club shop the excited buyer would carefully separate the twin peaks (nod to Kyle MacLachlan) to obtain the pleasing triangle effect . Wasn’t there some minor obsession with the Scottish Premier around this time? Might have been something to do with Hammers legend and darling of page 3 girls everywhere Frank McAvennie? Whatever it was it heralded the arrival of “half and halfers”. I blame the Goldstone Ground, Brighton for my mildly disturbing infatuation with floodlights. I could see those enormous pylons from miles away as my Dad drove down the Old Shoreham Road to see the Brighton aces. I’d stand on another guilty pleasure “The milk crate” in the chicken run whilst he sipped on a cheeky beer, which he’d strategically placed in said crate without the knowledge of Mum. Before Multimap and Internet route planners. The only way to sniff a ground out from afar was to squash your nose up against at train window on the approach to Wolverhampton and keep ‘em peeled for those floodlights which were the size of a bus and fantastically pleasing on the eye. New stadiums have done away with towering floodlights. Why new sets of goal posts no longer incorporate the “stanchion” is a mystery to me. Who could forget Trevor Brooking’s famous goal against Hungary in which the ball got lodged in the stanchion. Who doesn’t immediately contemplate the amount of billowing one could produce upon seeing a new goal net? Those dreadful tight goal nets at The Dell, Southampton aesthetically ruined many a Matt Le Tisser wonder-strike. The ball would sometimes ping straight back out of said saving the goalkeeper the indignity of arching his back in front of the masses of fans wheeling down the terracing in cartwheels of delight. The smell of cigars wafting across the posh seats, footballers with beards and big hair, silk scarves, 8 panel beanie hats, the orange ball and the artistic results of a groundsman’s mower. These are a few of the umpty thrumpty guilty pleasures of football and we haven’t even started on Subbuteo accessories and those Striker figures whose heads we used to pound down in the vague hope of catapulting one in the top corner. I’m off up to the loft to fetch my Panini Albums down – got any swaps? You can read more of Danny’s work at http://europeanfootballweekends.co.uk "Football’s guilty pleasures" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Stuart Fuller, from the Blog The Ball is Round tries to find out where the orange ball has gone. In the first week of February I ended up through a variety of reasons in Barrow-in-Furness.  Of course it was timed to co-incide with a game, more specifically Barrow AFC’s game with Luton Town.  After weeks of poor weather it was with deep joy that I woke up to bright sunshine and cloudless skies.  On the way down from Penrith I tuned into the Merseyside derby on the radio where the commentators kept referring to a “Sea Fret”, which according to Wikipedia, is a mist found on or near the coast. No such problem at Holker Street as we had to squint to make out the ball at the far end. Half time came, and like a few hundred other fans headed up to the Crossbar for a beer.  Fifteen minutes later we re-emerged into a different world.  The sea fret had headed north and had completely engulfed the pitch, making visibility poor to say the least.  Thirty minutes later Luton scored.  Or so we later heard on the radio as we simply could not see a thing from the far end.  But not once had the referee decided to ask for the “yellow ball”.  Playing on with a white ball in these circumstances was madness, but as long as he was happy he carried on.  Later in the evening I turned on the TV to watch Match of the Day and there was a yellow ball being used at Wigan, and one at Burnley – both games being played in the sunshine we had earlier in the day. So what are the rules?  I am sure there used to be a ruling saying that all games from 1st November to 1st March had to use the “visibility” balls.  Yes I can remember games at Upton Park around Christmas where the white ball has been used this season.  With the harsh winter we have just experienced many games have been played on a blanket of snow where even a yellow ball is hard to see, but I have yet to see the use of the old fashion orange ball except on one occasion, and that was bizarrely a FA Cup 2nd qualifying round game in August at Brimsdown Rovers.  And wasn’t an orange ball used in the 1973 FA Cup Final on a glorious May day when Sunderland beat Leeds United? What about 1966?  Our finest footballling moment in this country was achieved using the orange ball at Wembley was it not? In fact it wasn’t until 1951 that a white ball was introduced into the English game.  Previous to this the heavy leather balls were simply kept in their natural colours, meaning that no two were identical in terms of shade.  The white ball was ironically brought in to improve visibility.  In 1998, Mitre did some tests with a number of league clubs and found out that using a yellow fluorescent ball allowed players to see it a whole 3 milliseconds before a normal white one. According to FIFA, under the laws of the game, Law 2 relates to the ball and it does not specify that it has to be a specific colour as long as it does not carry and endorsements that are not sanctioned by FIFA or a constituent governing body i.e. The FA or Football League. So who decides what colour ball is going to be used?  And have there ever been games when a blue ball or even a crazy pink one has been used?  This season we have seen the Premier League use the new yellow and blue ball aka The Nike Total 90 Hi-Vis ball but a comprehensive search of the FA site unearths nothing on the conditions where a non-white ball has to be used, meaning that a club could in theory play with any colour ball as long as it had the correct endorsements on.  Mitre, the official supplier to the Football League actually produce a “Snow Ball”, an orange, yellow and red concoction (for just £64.99) but I have yet to see this being used in a game. Malcolm Clarke, Chairman of the Football Supporters Federation recently lamented the demise of the orange ball, and how its re-introduction could have meant some games could have been played during the last few months of snow. The controversy does not end in real life though.  Apparently fans of the game FIFA10 are up in arms that there is no coloured ball option when the weather conditions are snowy.  Here is a quote from one such unhappy gamer:- “Disappointing EA… your tagline ‘If it’s in the game, it’s in the game’ should have you sued for false advertising. I’ve only ever seen a professional game played once with a white ball in snow. and it ended up on a Nick Hancock video. your software should receive the same humiliation.” Subbuteo had it right though, bringing in the three pack of orange balls long before they even developed the fancy black and white ones in the early 1970’s. So please can someone tell us what the rules are? Can we play with a pink and blue spots ball or will FIFA come down and give us a slap on the wrists? "Give us back our Orange Ball!" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Check out Adrian Clarke & Iain Spragg as they review the best and worst of this week’s action in their Oscars inspired Soccerlens Weekend Awards slot.  John Terry’s armband celebration, Jamie Carragher’s future at Anfield as well as all the upcoming Champions League games come under scrutiny too, as the guys digest all the hottest topics around right now in the world of football. You can listen to this week’s episode below: Download link (mp3, 28.8mb, 31 mins) Make sure you send in your feedback and questions through podcast@soccerlens.com and Clarke and Spragg will feature the best of them in next week’s show. Subscribe to the Soccerlens Podcast You can subscribe via iTunes or directly to the podcast feed. "Podcast: Carra’s legs, Theo on song and Beckham’s return" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Steven Gerrard Wigan Athletic v Liverpool English Premier League DW Stadium – Wigan, England 8 March 2010 – 20:00 GMT Liverpool can move into fourth place in the English Premier League table as they travel to face Wigan Athletic on Monday, March 8, 2010. Wigan Athletic v Liverpool Preview Two teams heading in opposite directions meet in Monday night Football in the English Premier League. Liverpool have 11 points in their last six matches while Wigan have only three points in their last six matches. They haven’t won a match since January 16th against Wolves. Liverpool haven’t lost since December 19th against Portsmouth. Wigan has Charlies N’Zogbia and Paul Scharner with injury concerns while Fabio Aurelio will be out for Liverpool. Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger could feature in the match but it will likely be a matchday decision. The two teams met in December as Liverpool won 2-1 at Anfield. With Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard fit, the Reds will be the favorites heading into the match. Wigan has not been impressive this season and they are only one point above the relegation zone. The problem is not simple for Wigan as they have a -27 goal difference and only 26 goals scored in 27 matches. Liverpool’s away form has not been great but they are a different team from the first half of the season. If Gerrard can control the midfield and link up then Torres it should be a long night for Wigan. They are led by Hugo Rodallega but if N’Zogbia and Scharner are out that take out their second and third leading scorers in the EPL. A win for either side would move them up two spots in the league table. Form Guide – Last 6 Matches Wigan Athletic – L D D D L L Liverpool – D W W L D W Wigan Athletic v Liverpool Prediction Liverpool will win the match 1-0. Watch Wigan Athletic v Liverpool Live Online You can watch Wigan Athletic v Liverpool live online as well as dozens of other Premier League and European football games. Read our live Premier League football page for more details. "Wigan Athletic v Liverpool – Preview – 8 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

As football fights its financial henchman, there is a temptation to criticise the greed, naivety and incompetence that has engorged football for over a decade. With countless clubs teetering on the brink of existence, club owners and administrators are coming under increasing fire as the true nature of the financial mismanagement within football is revealed. Since the foundation of the Premier League, English football at all levels has lived in a pseudo reality to which the normal rules of business have been totally ignored or given only passing consideration. This fairytale football land has seen contracts, bonuses and expenditure expand exponentially at a rate only tediously linked to revenues and potential returns on investment. This television funded fairytale punishes incompetence and failure with bloated payouts and limited consequences. In this land limited revenues are no obstacle to chairman wishing to chase the leprechaun towards the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Owners have been dazzled by the allure of such an ego boosting status symbol; normally solvent successful businessmen seem repeatedly unable to apply hard learned lessons to their football operations. Owners seem unable to find the balance between paying the bills, satisfying fan expectations and providing long-term stability. This state of affairs is a corrosive force inside what was once a terrifyingly simple sport, in today’s high powered football economy something must be done to safeguard the future of the sport across all levels. Those involved in running the game must take action to nullify the threat to a nations way of life from the scourges of unaccountable ownership, suicidal spending sprees and unrestrained debt accrual. I am keen to do my bit to help our beleaguered game and lift the looming grey skies that threaten to spoil the decade of sunshine that has made the Premier League the most popular league in the world. Devoid of the financial knowledge required to understand the confusing football world of liquidation, administration and castration; I have put together some proverb based tips designed to guide new/potential owners through the football minefield and avert their eyes from the onrushing headlights of financial ruin. Never a lender or a borrower be Every business needs to borrow money from time to time, but using your club as a convenient place to create artificial debt whilst you spend your time watching an inferior, erroneously named form of rugby is not recommended, neither is allowing your team to stagnate as you argue with your co-owner about which one of you is the bigger idiot. Board room tussles and corporate debt aside professional football is full of financial degenerates, so don’t be naive, never lend a single penny to a fellow football club. As harsh as this may sound you wouldn’t lend money to a penniless drug addict, so why would you lend it to a debt junkie football club that cannot afford to go to rehab? Take this proverb seriously, avoid debt wherever you can and try not to be too generous when dealing with clubs, agents and other miscreants within the game. Do unto others as they would do unto you If you are considering a course of action that will affect your club in the long term consider your actions carefully. You wouldn’t take over a theme park, run it for a while and then burn it to the ground once you got bored or there was a line at the concession stand, so why would you do it to a football club? Treat the club you own with respect and if you can’t do right by the club do us all a favour and invest in the Stanford series instead. You have to spend money to make money This proverb is a misnomer and proof that football is a unique and confusing business; you will have to spend money to achieve success but in a vicious cycle of disaster the more successful your club becomes the higher expectations. The higher the expectations the more it will cost to chase the dreams and if/when you fail the club may be irreparably damaged. Former Tottenham Hotspur owner Sir/Lord/Gaffer/Baron Alan Sugar was once reported as saying that football is the only business where it is seen as embarrassing to make money; fans will not be placated solely by financial security. There is always a new star striker to buy or new stadium to build, even producing champion performances will mean nothing if you cannot balance the books. So remember if you can’t gift your club millions or afford to run it at a substantial loss, the very least you can do is show that you have invested time, effort and money in the club*. Knowledge is power It is a little known fact that If you take the time to learn your market, your fans and the names of those on your payroll, your chances of success increase dramatically*. Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth You need to have good people around you to manage the unimportant bits of your club such as ticket sales, the stadium and team selection. Whilst a hands on approach is good you need to avoid the temptation to micromanage your club. Remember just because you mortgaged your mansion to buy your national team’s hero you should not force the manager to play him. This logic also applies to picking the team, or moving the club to Belgium as you want to make waffles part of your players pre-match routine*. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely If you are going to make a go of this football ownership lark, you need to be the boss, the gaffer, the big cheese and top dog all rolled into one. You cannot be handicapped by the need to run decisions past a board of directors or your business partner. Areas of conflict to avoid include those concerning player purchases, and which brand of toilet roll should adorn the toilets in your office. To succeed your power must be absolute, the buck stopping at your door, though this should not mean you can act with impunity. For example, changing the clubs emblem may be ok if done sensitively to reflect the changing times or an event in the clubs history. However changing the emblem to your own likeness is only likely to be ok if you bare resemblance to a club mascot or fierce animal such as a centaur, lion or fallen angel. If in doubt about anything to do with the clubs identity speak to those loud fellows who occupy the seats in your stadium around 20 times a season, they will be more than willing to share their opinion.   *This action is likely to reduce the risk of mass protest, media criticism and death threats This concludes my proverbial guide to owning an English football club and I hope that if you are thinking about buying a club these quick tips will help you become fully qualified to own an English institution avoiding the mistakes of incumbent owners across the country. I would like to leave you with the most important advice for those wishing to invest in football (I use this term loosely). If you want to make money in sport start a bookmaking firm, become a football agent or invest in an American football franchise. Unless you own one of the giants of world football you should dismiss the possibility of applying such a ludicrous notion to football. This is article is an addendum to the short book I have written – The Noughties: The Golden Age of English Football. For a free PDF copy of the book email kristian_uk@hotmail.co.uk and put ‘Book’ in the title. Twitter: @kristiandowner "Saving Football: A Proverbial Guide For New Football Owners" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Reading 2-4 Aston Villa English FA Cup 7 March 2010 Reading took a 2-0 lead but Villa stormed back with a hat trick from John Carew. Shane Long had two goals in the first half as Reading would lead 2-0 after the first 45 minutes. It was not enough though as Villa came back strong with three goals from John Carew and one from Ashley Young. The home side just didn’t have the quality to contain Aston Villa and their run is now over in the FA Cup. Aston Villa will now face Chelsea in the semifinals. Reading 2-4 Aston Villa Video Highlights Long 37′ (1-0) Long 42′ (2-0) Young 47′ (2-1) Carew 51′ (2-2) Carew 57′ (2-3) Carew 90′ (2-4) "Reading 2-4 Aston Villa – Video Highlights – 7 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Everton 5-1 Hull City English Premier League 7 March 2010 Everton cruised to a 5-1 victory on Sunday against Hull City. The first goal came from Mikel Arteta in the 17th minute but Hull would tie in the 32nd minute as Tom Cairney scored. Before the Cairney goal it should have been 2-0 but Ayegbeni Yakubu missed a penalty kick in the 29th minute. Arteta added another goal in the 39th minute to give Everton the lead before halftime. Three more goals in the second half would give Everton the three points. Goals came from Landon Donovan (81st minute), an own goal from Richard Garcia (51st minute), and the last from Jack Rodwell (85th minute). It was a solid victory for Everton and Hull remain in a tough relegation battle. Everton 5-1 Hull City Video Highlights "Everton 5-1 Hull City – Video Highlights – 7 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Chelsea 2-0 Stoke City English FA Cup 7 March 2010 Chelsea had goals from Frank Lampard and John Terry to lead them into the semifinals of the English FA Cup. The first goal came from Lampard in the 35th minute as he had a shot that took a deflection and beat the goalkeeper. The second was from John Terry in the 67th minute as he headed it off a corner kick. The win puts Chelsea on track to repeat as FA Cup champions but they will have a tough test against Aston Villa in the semifinals. Chelsea 2-0 Stoke City Video Highlights Lampard 35′ (1-0) Terry 67′ (2-0) "Chelsea 2-0 Stoke City – Video Highlights – 7 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

1-0 up with just under 20 minutes to go; yet the way the game was ending – with Wolves pressing and United failing to convert their infrequent yet profound chances – the dying moments simply screamed the word ‘upset’. And then that inevitable golden ‘oh my god I can’t believe United dropped points at Molineux’ chance came. Carrick (who, it’s appropriate to mention, had a poor game) cleared the ball weakly to a Wolves player, and then with a fumbling passage of play, the ball eventually fell to the marginally onside, and so completely unmarked, Volkes. Regardless of the legitimacy of his status in the box (and of course the incapabilities of our defence as to why he was alone in the first place), he had space and time to slot it in from about 6 yards. However instead he decided to sky it over. If that goal to equalise would have all but finished our challenge (after Arsenal kept the pressure by beating Burnley 3-1 at home), perhaps Volkes’ convenient forgetting of the difference between football and that stupid game with conversions and sin-bins all but saved us. Being the pessimistic bastard I am, up until that divine intervention in the 91st minute, I had already penned the title of my post-match review: ‘United vs. Wolves: or why I hate International friendlies’. It’s more than fair to say we lacked potency and a convincing attacking threat without our most prolific and reliable front-man. Not only did Berbatov – as a lone striker – fail to really test the Wolves defence, but our only attacking option on the bench had an absolute shocker when he came on to apparently give us an injection of dimension in the final third of the pitch. I’m still not sure what to think of Diouf, and I’m all for not judging a player until they have had time to truly show their worth; but today, with the half an hour of sloppy, wasteful football he played, he single handedly and rather capably reduced the respect and praise he has earnt as a ‘promising youngster’ to instead enter the realms of average and overrated. Harsh? Very! Especially after all the ‘don’t judge’ crap I reeled off to introduce this paragraph. Still, few would disagree that the boy has a lot to learn and maybe, just maybe, has returned back from his loan spell at Molde too soon. That is unless he ‘does a Nani’ on us? A win to take us top, scored by Scholesy’s 100th, can just about overshadow the fact that we struggled – or at least failed to impress – for much of this preconceived ‘easy 3 pointer’. However the underlying realism is that we do in fact rely heavily on the presence, movement and goals of Rooney. Berbatov seemed lost, Owen’s out and Diouf…well…we’ll see. But either way, we need to keep him fit and utilise him as cautiously and effectively as possible. We thankfully no longer have to monitor Cappelo’s use of him for the remainder of this season,  so it is now down to Sir Alex to keep him safe and, more importantly, find a way for Valencia’s consistently immense contribution to work with someone else other than Rooney. Yet failing that, it’s looking like the only way we’ll win the League is by wrapping him up in that fun poppy stuff and relying on his attitude, once reserved for today’s goalscorer: goes to work, scores goals, goes home (yet, unlike the shy retiring Mr.Scholes, feel free to add ‘do stupid adverts for my boot sponsors that involved me beating myself in a game of one-on-one’ in there). Scholes, congratulations; and Wayne…come back soon! "Wolves 0 – 1 United" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Chelsea v Stoke City English FA Cup Stamford Bridge – London, England 7 March 2010 – 16:00 GMT Chelsea looks to continue their FA Cup run with a quarterfinal match at Stamford Bridge against fellow EPL side Stoke City. Chelsea v Stoke City Preview Chelsea are the only of the top 3 teams in the EPL left in the FA Cup and the favorites to win the competition. Stoke City have knocked off two of the favorites in consecutive rounds, beating Arsenal in the 4th round and Manchester City in the 5th round. Stoke has never won an FA Cup but has reached the semifinals two times. They play a disciplined style and been able to survive in the EPL by grinding out draws and one goal victories. Manager Tony Pulis does not have the talent of depth of Chelsea but there’s little doubt they will match the Blues in effort and work rate. Stoke will be without Ryan Shawcross who was suspended for a red card in his previous match. Chelsea are looking to repeat as FA Cup Champions and have won five overall. Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti will both miss the match due to suspension, Jose Bosingwa is also out, and Richard Carvalho is doubtful. Stoke will likely be playing for a replay as they aren’t likely to get a win at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea can put the match out of reach with 2 or 3 goals but have to be cautious of their opponents. Can Stoke upset another one of the top 4 or will Chelsea continue their run for a second straight FA Cup? How each team reached the quarterfinals Chelsea: Watford (5-0), Preston North End (2-0), Cardiff City (4-1) Stoke City: York City (3-1), Arsenal (3-1), Manchester City (1-1 & 3-1) Chelsea v Stoke City Prediction Chelsea are the better team and will win 3-1. Watch Chelsea v Stoke City Live Online You can watch Chelsea v Stoke City live online as well as dozens of other FA Cup and European football games. Read our live FA Cup Live Online page for more details. "Chelsea v Stoke City – Preview – 7 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Everton v Hull City English Premier League Goodison Park – Liverpool, England 7 March 2010 – 16:00 GMT Hull City travels to Goodison Park looking for their first away win in the EPL as they face 10th place Everton. Everton v Hull City Preview Both clubs lost their last matches but Everton remain in the middle of the table and Hull City is stuck in a relegation battle. The Toffees were on an impressive run with wins over Chelsea and Manchester United but lost last week at Tottenham Hotspur. Hull City have only one win in their last six and lost 0-3 at West Ham United last week. Hull have struggled all season and have a horrible -28 goal difference on the road 0-4-10 record. Everton has a strong 7-5-2 record at Goodison Park and +6 goal difference. Since January, Everton have been on the rise and have showed signs of challenging for a spot in the Europa League. It’s unlikely they will earn that spot but a win on Sunday could move them up to 8th place. Hull are tied on points with Wolves but behind on goal difference. A point on the road would be a bonus for Hull as they will expect to get most of their points at home. Everton did not look strong in their last two matches but they should recover on Sunday. Tony Hibbert, Louis Saha, and Marcus Fellaini are out for Everton due to injury. Tim Cahill, Phil Jageilka, James Vaughan, and Philippe Senderos are doubtful but could be available. Anthony Gardner and Craig Fagan will miss the match but Jimmy Bullard could returnn for Hull. Bullard’s injury coincided with a drop in form for the club. He’s been their player when healthy and provides a much needed boost in the midfield. While Hull could have Bullard returning, Everton have a stronger and much more dangerous team. A win is likely for the home side but Hull could play an inspired match with key players back from injury. Form Guide – Last 6 EPL Matches Everton – W W L W W L Hull City – L D D W L L Everton v Hull City Prediction Everton will win the match 2-0. Watch Everton v Hull City Live Online You can watch Everton v Hull City live online as well as dozens of other Premier League and European football games. Read our live Premier League football page for more details. "Everton v Hull City – Preview – 7 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Roma 0-0 AC Milan Serie A 6 March 2010 The two teams played to a scoreless draw on Saturday in the Italian Serie A. The stats were fairly even in the match with Milan having more possession, shots even, and shots on goal even as well. Milan remains in second and Roma remains in third. AC Milan is now 3 points behind Inter Milan and AS Roma is now 5 points back. Roma 0-0 AC Milan Video Highlights "Roma 0-0 AC Milan – Video Highlights – 6 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.

Real Madrid 3-2 Sevilla La Liga 6 March 2010 Real Madrid were the better team throughout the match but had to come back from an 0-2 deficit in the second half. Sevilla caught a few breaks including the opening goal which was an own goal off Xabi Alonso. They would continue their good fortune with a shot form Ivica Dragutinovic which took a weird bounce and fooled Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. It appeared to be curling towards Casillas but after bouncing went towards the far post. The match was now 0-2 with about 40 minutes left to play. There was no panic in Real Madrid as they had gotten chances earlier and would just have to convert some to get back in the match. They began with a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 60th minute and one from Sergio Ramos in the 64th minute. Ronaldo’s was a pass that was deflected and fell to him in the box while Ramos headed it form a corner kick. Madrid continued to push for the next goal and would eventually get it in stoppage time. A cross was sent in, headed on goal by Higuain, and Van der Vaart was there to put in the rebound. It would be enough to give Real Madrid a come from behind victory. Real Madrid 3-2 Sevilla Video Highlights "Real Madrid 3-2 Sevilla – Video Highlights – 6 March 2010" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.