The best football stuff this month... |
The next one might be another 3 years off, but what the hell, we've compiled our list
of the 10 best teams who didn't win the World Cup.
Click here to see them.
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Following the glory and heartbreak at the new Wembley, our play-off section has been updated,
with Blackpool having the most to shout about as they join the Play-Off Kings.
Click here to go to the full Play-Off section.
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Romario scores his '1000th' goal (or about 800th depending on who you believe) by knocking
home a penalty during Vasco da Gama's 3-1 over Sport Recife. Unable to score from open play
for the last 2 years, md thinks it would have been rather amusing if someone else had insisted
on taking it. And missed.
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Hats off Auntie
What about the Cup final? Turgid stuff. "But, it's because they're tired" cry the apologists.
Oh give it a rest. As for blaming the pitch, how come Kidderminster and Stevenage served up a
belter a week previously? But the BBC build up was brilliant, for once. The highlight had to
be Adrian Chiles hilarious clips package. Those images of Tommy Doc lying on his hotel bed
in his pants were frightening. Mick Jones 'in the early stages of mummification' was superb
as well. The interview with the old boy who was at the 1923 Cup final was a delight and the
tour of Wembley with Sir Norman Foster and Chiles was also illuminating. Shame about the
match really.
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The strange saga of Ronnie O'Brien is the latest to be added to our list of
the most bizarre transfers ever.
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Get yourself in the mood for the Cup Final by checking out our list of the
10 Greatest FA Cup Finals and the
10 Greatest FA Cup Final Goals.
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A thrilling UEFA Cup final is won by Sevilla on penalties, after 2-2 draw. Defeated Espanol
had contributed hugely to an entertaining final, before succumbing to the shootout. A raucous
atmosphere at Hampden Park was created by 30,000 visiting Spaniards, despite the cool
temperatures and persistent rain. Palop, the Sevilla goalkeeper, was the hero with three
penalty saves and an incredible assist for his sides first goal when a huge throw out was
collected by Adriano who finished expertly. Yet, Espanol attacked intelligently, with the
legendary Ivan de la Pena probing cleverly (although he wasn't at his inspirational best),
and then fought doggedly after being reduced to ten men. A cracking advert for the UEFA Cup
and a demonstration of the depth of ability there is in La Liga (Espanol were 12th at the
time). Sevilla formed a guard for honour for the beaten side as they collected their losers
medals. Glasgow provided the location for another memorable European final.
A magnificent occasion all round.
Shame that it was stuffed out onto ITV4, but that just about sums up the attitue to football
from the majority of the media in this country - if it doesn't involve a top Premiership
side or the European big boys then why bother ? Oh well, it's their loss.
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Come on, admit it, we all knew Carlos Tevez would score the winner at Old Trafford to keep
the Hammers up. But what no-one expected was out of form Wigan to sneak a win at Bramall Lane
and send Sheff Utd back down to the Championship. A great final afternoon of tension and
drama, David Unsworth's penalty was about as good as you'll ever see given the
circumstances. If only the top of that league could occasionally go to the wire like that.
Anyway, for our list of the
10 Greatest League Endings, click here.
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Our list of
the worst transfers ever
has been updated.
Click here to view it.
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New page added to the site -
Books all football fans should read before they die.
Check out the list and get reading.
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The Guardian has reported that Sheffield United officials have written to Peter Scudamore with
their latest thoughts on the important, but increasingly boring, West Ham dodgy transfer saga.
We at MD are unsure as to what light the former champion jockey will be able to shed on the
issue and suggest, in future, they address letters to Richard Scudamore, who is Chief
Executive of the Premier League.
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Business News...
It's Championship play-off time and that can mean only one thing. Yes, bank managers,
stockbrokers, and financial analysts from Tipton to Sandwell are biting their nails over
which poor Oliver gets some (erm tens of millions of pounds worth) Premiership gruel.
Yes, we're sick of hearing how this is the richest football match on the planet. Forget Chris
Kamara, Sky might as well send Evan Davis and Alan Sugar to commentate.
Media folk - TALK ABOUT THE FOOTBALL.
For the lowdown on previous play-offs, and to see if finishing 3rd really is a disadvantage
visit our play-offs section.
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Fabien Barthez, who came out of retirement in January to help French struggler's Nantes, has
quit the French side following a punch up with some of the club's fans. After a 0:2 home
defeat to Rennes, the former Man Utd keeper was confronted by drunken fans as he tried to
drive out of the stadium car park. After kicking and banging his car, one fan then tried to
get inside, at which point Barthez had enough and decided a bit of hand-to-face combat was
called for, exchanging blows before security staff moved in to stop it.
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Following a number of rumours, 'Big' Sam Allardyce resigns from his post as Bolton Wanderers supremo
and is replaced with 'Little' Sammy Lee. The word on the street is that Allardyce may be lined up
for a summertime move to Man City if Ray Ranson's bid to takeover the club is successful, whilst
those rumours of a switch to Newcastle wont go away either.
Click here for our list of assistants
and coaches who have been handed the main job and either made a real go of it, or a had an absolute
mare.
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It's the headline all Newcastle Utd fans were dreading... "Eriksson wants Toon job".
According to Sven's agent, Athole Still, "There's been no contact but if Newcastle were interested, I'm sure Sven would be
interested in talking to them."
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Argentinian Jorge Valdano, a World Cup winner in 1986, and more recently coach and sporting
director of Real Madrid, has a pop at the recent Liverpool:Chelsea Champions League match,
claiming that whilst the atmosphere and fans in the stadium were fantastic, the footballing
skill were not, expanding further he likened the match to "a shit hanging from a stick".
Whilst the media have claimed he was having a go at English football, his comments were aimed
more at Mourinho and Benitez, whom Valdano claims play this way because they didn't make it as
players. Such comments will not get him a punditry job with the BBC or Sky, but look out for
him as a possible future guest on RTE, locking horns with Eamon Dunphy. Now that would be good
tv.
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With earth shattering predictability Glenn Roeder has become the latest football manager to
be sacked by the rotund leader of the Geordie Nation, Frederick Shepherd. This completely
unsurprising outcome has been instigated by a terrible run of form by the collection of
overpaid wasters who largely make up the Magpies squad. We at MD are also really bored with
the cliche about Roeder decency and dignity. It might be true for all we know, but why can't
any pundit talk about Roeder without mentioning his heroic stoicism.
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Under pressure England boss Steve McLaren has another selection dilemma in his midfield after
he put himself in the frame for a call up with a cultured 20 minute shift at a testimonial
match in Oxford. The match, in aid of former Oxford winger and top blast from the past,
Peter Rhoades-Brown, was against a Chelsea XI and ended in a 4-2 defeat. The cameo performance
involved warming up, a bit of running and a hearty ovation when he was pulled off. Which sounds
rude, but isn't. We say hats off to the man and perhaps even a doffed cap in his direction for
fulfilling an obligation to an old team mate, despite the potential PR banana skin this
represented.
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What we've listened to... |
| The Cribs: Men's Needs (Single) |
A corker of a single from the Wakefield band, taken from the forthcoming album
"Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever".
Click here
to hear the single and see the video.
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TV stuff... |
| Inside Sport (TV) |
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The Beeb's new late night sports programme with Gabby Logan. Worth watching just for the
excellent Steve Bunce, who, as anyone who has listened to him before, particulalry on
Fighting Talk, is top entertainment.
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Films we've watched... |
| Miami Vice (Sky) |
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I'm not sure if was just me and my wife, or possibly our tv, but the sound on this film
makes it almost unwatchable. Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx just seem to mumble their way
through it, and you spend half the time trying to piece together what they're on about.
I might sound like my dad but Colin Farrell should spend a little less time worrying about
trying to look cool with the handlebar 'tache and a lot more time on bloody well
speaking clearly! You can pretty much guess the plot as well (cops go undercover to try
and smash drug ring etc etc). If you do get it out on dvd and it has a subtitle option
then I suggest you whack them on.
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Books read... |
| David Clayton: Manchester City's Cult Heroes |
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When you read a title like 'Cult Heroes' the thing that gets on my wick most of the time
is that they're not cult heroes in the true sense, but often the genuine legends, so it's
good to see a book featuring some genuine cult heroes, from a club that's almost made
for them. Peter 'the Great' Doherty (no, not that one), Paul Lake, Gerry Gow, Ian Bishop,
Niall Quinn, Uwe Rosler are among those who feature. Even that never to be forgotten man
mountain Andy Morrison gets a section, which is great to see alongside footballing legends
such as Mike Summerbee and Dennis Tueart. Well worth a read, even if you're not a City fan.
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Previous month's stuff... |
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| April |
| March |
| February |
| January |
| December 2006 |
| November 2006 |
| October 2006 |
| September 2006 |
| August 2006 |
| July 2006 |
| June 2006 |
| May 2006 |
| April 2006 |
| March 2006 |
| February 2006 |
| January 2006 |
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| From the International Leagues |
| Name: | Oscar Ustari |
| Country: | Argentina |
| Club: | Independiente (Arg) |
| Age: | 20 (03-07-1986) |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
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Ustari first shot to prominence at the U17 World Championships in 2003 and then 2 years
later in Holland where he played a significant role with the Argentinian team that won
the World Youth Cup. Ustari was named in the 23 man squad for the 2006 World Cup and
has been atttracting a lot of attention from Europe ever since, with rumours circulating
that he has signed a pre-contract agreement with Barcelona that will kick in this summer
and be worth more than £5m to his club Independiente.
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| From the British Leagues |
| Name: | Andrew Taylor |
| Country: | England |
| Club: | Middlesborough |
| Age: | 20 (01-08-1986) |
| Position: | Left-back |
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Classy left-back, and another product of Boro's famed local youth policy. A member of the
team that reached the FA Youth Cup final in both 2003 and 2004, he has also appeared for
England at youth and U19 level. Taylor already has big-match experience following two
semi-final appearances last season - in the UEFA Cup and the FA Cup, and did not look
out of place in either. Having previously played in a more advanced role, attacking, and
providing support for Stewart Downing, is one of the strongest features of his game.
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