Predictions for Major Leagues

It is time for the predictions for major leagues games this weekend

English Premiership

Birmingham 0-2 Man Utd
Chelsea 2-1 Fulham
Derby 1-2 Bolton
Man City 1-1 Newcastle
Portsmouth 2-0 Reading
Sunderland 0-1 Blackburn
West Ham 1-3 Arsenal
Wigan 0-2 Liverpool
Everton 2-1 Middlesbrough
Tottenham 1-1 Aston Villa

La Liga

Zaragoza 1-2 Seville
Levante 1-3 Barcelona
Atlético Madrid 3-1 Osasuna
Espanyol 1-1 Deportivo
Recreativo Huelva 0-2 Valencia
Betis 1-2 Mallorca
Valladolid 2-1 Murcia
Almeria 1-2 Racing Santander
Villarreal 2-0 Athletic Bilbao
Getafe 1-2 Real Madrid

Serie A

Cagliari 2-1 Siena
Empoli 0-2 Palermo
Livorno 1-2 Fiorentina
Milan 3-0 Catania
Napoli 1-0 Genoa
Reggina 1-2 Lazio
Roma 1-1 Inter
Sampdoria 1-2 Atalanta
Torino 1-3 Juventus
Udinese 1-1 Parma

Bundesliga

Werder Bremen 1-2 Arminia Bielefeld
Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Bayern München
Hamburger SV 1-0 VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Bochum 2-1 1. FC Nürnberg
Karlsruher SC 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Hansa Rostock 0-2 VfB Stuttgart
Hannover 96 2-1 MSV Duisburg
Energie Cottbus 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

With my weekend predictions done, on monday I would be posting my Champions League Predictions; Hence stay tune for them.

And now for Some soccer or Football news around the world

1. There is a new man in charge at Cetlic with Former British Minister John Reid taking over the chairman position from Brian Quinn

2. A 1-0 win by Schalke this morning over Hertha Berlin temporarily moves them to 2nd Position in the Bundesliga; maintaining their unbeaten record so far in the season.

Importance of A goalkeeper to a Team

Here is my latest article on football or soccer at EzineArticles.

Have you played as a goalkeeper before? Never wanted the position? Think about it. It is one of the most critical positions in a game. Read on to find out more.

As discussed in my soccer formation or system article, a goal keeper in a soccer team is always critical player. He would have to be fielded regardless of whatever formation or system a team would be put out to play. A goal keeper can be defined as the player who guards the goal of his team during the course of a match. Furthermore he is the only player legally allowed to touch, pick or save the ball with his hands within the six yards box or penalty box. This alone makes him different from all the other players.

Under the laws of soccer, any other player who uses his hand to touch or block the ball purposely would result in a foul minimum and a free kick or penalty would be given to the opposition. Another fact is that most keepers would stay within the penalty box or not across the half as their job is to keep the ball out of the goal. Technically a goal keeper is the most difficult position to play in. The reason for this is simple even if he saves every shot at him in the match except for conceding the one goal that loses the match for his team, he would become a villain instead of the hero at the end of the match. Hence a keeper has to be on own his toes and maintain concentration throughout the whole match as a single mistake or lapse could cause his team to lose.

Therefore usually a goal keeper is treated in a very different way from the rest of the team. The characteristics of a great keeper can be summarized as: Having a good command of the box, having good positioning sense, having good agility or jumping ability and having a good pair of hands. Having a good command of the box, would enable a goal keeper to better or organize “arrange” his defense during opposition corners or free kicks. This is critical as most teams in the modern game do work on their set pieces and just a lapse in defense may result in conceding a goal.

In the past, great keepers have always been seen commanding the box like generals such as Peter Schmeichel of Manchester United fame.Another important aspect is the positioning sense of a keeper. Sometimes it can be akin to a sixth sense of where the ball would be shot towards. In some games, poor positioning of the keeper can result in a goal being scored. Being agile or having good jumping ability has enabled many a keeper to keep out or pull off magnificent saves when the opposition has shot certain goal bound shots. While equipped with a strong pair of hands is a necessity as shots can be coming in at a high speed or from different avenues with a variety of power.

Some of the best keepers in the modern games are Buffon of Italian Giants Juventus and Peter Czech of English Giants Chelsea fame. Each of these keepers possesses most of the above characteristics to make them a highly valued member of their teams.Without a doubt, a goal keeper is one of the most specialized positions in soccer or football with their ups and downs in each match.

PS: Article Has been posted on Ezinearticles.com

Results of Mid-Games

Here are the results of games played mid-week.

Carling Cup 3rd Round

Aston Villa 0-1 Leicester
Blackburn 3-0 Birmingham
Fulham 1-2 Bolton (AET)
Hull City 0-4 Chelsea
Man Utd 0-2 Coventry
Sheff Wed 0-3 Everton
Tottenham 2-0 Boro
West Ham 1-0 Plymouth

Bundesliga

Arminia Bielefled 0-2 Hannover
Bayern Munich 5-0 Cottbus
E Frankfurt 0-1 Karlsruhe
Nurnberg 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Stuttgart 1-0 VfL Bochum

Serie A

Catania 1-0 Empoli
Fiorentina 2-2 Roma
Genoa 3-2 Udinese
Inter Milan 3-0 Sampdoria
Juventus 4-0 Reggina
Lazio 3-1 Cagliari
Napoli 1-0 Livorno
Palermo 2-1 AC Milan
Parma 2-0 Torino
Siena 1-1 Atalanta

La Liga

Athletic Bibao 0-2 Athletic Madrid
Barcelona 4-1 Real Zaragoza
Deportivo 0-2 Recreativo
Mallorca 4-2 Real Valladolid
Murcia 0-1 Almeria
Osasuna 4-1 Levante
Racing Santander 0-2 Villarreal
Valencia 2-1 Getafe

Predictions Analysis

CP: Correct Predictions based 1x2 system
WP: Wrong Predictions based 1x2 system
CR: Correct Result Predictions

Carling Cup 3rd Round

Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle (CP)
Blackpool 1-2 Southend (WP)
Burnley 0-1 Portsmouth (CP,CR)
Luton Town 1-2 Charlton (WP)
Man City 2-0 Norwich City (CP)
Reading 1-2 Liverpool (CP)
Sheff Utd 3-0 Morecamb (CP)
West Brom 2-1 Cardiff City (WP)
Aston Villa 2-0 Leicester (WP)
Blackburn 1-0 Birmingham (CP)
Fulham 2-1 Bolton (WP)
Hull City 0-3 Chelsea (CP)
Man Utd 2-0 Coventry (WP)
Sheff Wed 0-1 Everton (CP)
Tottenham 2-1 Boro (CP)
West Ham 2-0 Plymouth (CP)

Bundesliga

Arminia Bielefled 2-1 Hannover (WP)
Bayern Munich 3-0 Cottbus (CP)
E Frankfurt 2-1 Karlsruhe (WP)
Nurnberg 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen (CP)
Stuttgart 2-1 VfL Bochum (CP)

Serie A

Catania 1-1 Empoli (WP)
Fiorentina 1-2 Roma (WP)
Genoa 0-1 Udinese (WP)
Inter Milan 2-0 Sampdoria (CP)
Juventus 2-1 Reggina (CP)
Lazio 1-0 Cagliari (CP)
Napoli 2-0 Livorno (CP)
Palermo 1-1 AC Milan (WP)
Parma 1-1 Torino (WP)
Siena 1-2 Atalanta (WP)

La Liga

Athletic Bibao 1-3 Athletic Madrid (CP)
Barcelona 2-1 Real Zaragoza (CP)
Deportivo 1-1 Recreativo (WP)
Mallorca 1-0 Real Valladolid (CP)
Murcia 2-1 Almeria (WP)
Osasuna 2-0 Levante (CP)
Racing Santander 1-2 Villarreal (CP)
Valencia 2-0 Getafe (CP)

Results of Analysis
Total Number of Matches Predicted: 39
Total No. of CP: 23 (58.97%)
Total No. of WP: 16 (41.02%)
Total No. of CR: 1 (2.5%)

Overall a good mid-week predictions of over 58% correct predictions, but a low of 2.5% for correct results.

Big Winners: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Valencia, Villarreal, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham (for ensuring the current safety of Martin Jol's job) and Chelsea (for giving Avim Grant his first win)
Big Losers: AC Milan (For failling to keep up the pace in Serie A), Roma (For allowing a late penalty as an equalisier in 2 matches running), Man Utd (for failure to win at home vs Coventry) and Aston Villa (For failing to follow EPL success with a win vs Leicester)

Some feedback and News around the soccer world.

1. Even with a change of Manager at Chelsea, Shevchenko is still not guaranteed a place in the first 11. Grant took a risk into dropping Shevchenko for the Hull match where Chelsea won 4-0. Hence it is interesting to see whether the Shevchenko question or problem would cause Grant any sleepless nights too.

2. With Barcelona, Villarreal and Valencia winning yesterday, Real Madrid would have to win at home against Real Betis tonite to regain the lead in the La Liga. Below are some highlights with regards to the results of games played last night.

3. Some news out of the Women World Cup in China. In a semi-final match played last night, Germany emerged 3-0 victors against Norway to book their place in the Finals. It would seen that the Germans are determined to retain their title.

4. Sir Ferguson is left fuming at the Carling 3rd Round exit at the hands of Coventry last night. Even with six internationals in his line up, it was the Malta international Micheal Mifsud that stun the home side with his brace. At least now, Man Utd can focus on the league and champions league actions though it has been 12 years since York tumped United 3-0 for a lower league side to beat Man Utd in a cup game Woe remain for Birmingham at the weekend for a Man Utd backleash.

Major Leagues Predictions / Results

We are having a series of major leagues having mid-week fixtures. Before my predictions, here are some results of games played last night.

Carling Cup Round 3

Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle
Blackpool 2-1 Southend (AET)
Burnley 0-1 Portsmouth
Luton Town 3-1 Charlton (AET)
Man City 1-0 Norwich City
Reading 2-4 Liverpool
Sheff Utd 5-0 Morecamb
West Brom 2-4 Cardiff City

Bundesliga

Dortmund 0-3 Hamburg
Hertha Berlin 1-3 Hansa Rostock
Duisburg 0-2 Schalke
Wolfsburg 1-1 Werder Bremen

La Liga

Sevilla 2-3 Espanyol

Predictions for mid week

Bundesliga

Arminia Bielefled 2-1 Hannover
Bayern Munich 3-0 Cottbus
E Frankfurt 2-1 Karlsruhe
Nurnberg 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Stuttgart 2-1 VfL Bochum

Serie A

Catania 1-1 Empoli
Fiorentina 1-2 Roma
Genoa 0-1 Udinese
Inter Milan 2-0 Sampdoria
Juventus 2-1 Reggina
Lazio 1-0 Cagliari
Napoli 2-0 Livorno
Palermo 1-1 AC Milan
Parma 1-1 Torino
Siena 1-2 Atalanta

La Liga

Athletic Bibao 1-3 Athletic Madrid
Barcelona 2-1 Real Zaragoza
Deportivo 1-1 Recreativo
Mallorca 1-0 Real Valladolid
Murcia 2-1 Almeria
Osasuna 2-0 Levante
Racing Santander 1-2 Villarreal
Valencia 2-0 Getafe
Real Madrid 3-0 Real Betis

Now for some soccer news around the world. Benetiz would not guarantee hat trick hero Torres a starting berth for the game vs Wigan this sat. The question here is if someone is on red hot form, still do not play in the first eleven is really surprisely.

English Giants Chelsea faces an acid test with Hull City in the Carling Cup. One can bet if Chelsea lose tonite, heads may start rolling at the Bridge...

With a victory over the weekend, Barcelona would look to build on it for the match vs Real Zaragoza where a reunion of Gabriel Milito and Diego Militio since the departure of Gabriel for Barcelona in the summer. Although Ronaldinho would still out with an injury, Barcelona should be able to overcome Zaragoza.

Carling Cup 3rd Round Predictions

Here again is the Carling Cup tonite and tomorrow. A cup where big teams such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea would field a "second" team for most matches. Cup games are the most difficult to predict. But here goes nothing

Carling Cup Predictions

Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle
Blackpool 1-2 Southend
Burnley 0-1 Portsmouth
Luton Town 1-2 Charlton
Man City 2-0 Norwich City
Reading 1-2 Liverpool
Sheff Utd 3-0 Morecamb
West Brom 2-1 Cardiff City
Aston Villa 2-0 Leicester
Blackburn 1-0 Birmingham
Fulham 2-1 Bolton
Hull City 0-3 Chelsea
Man Utd 2-0 Coventry
Sheff Wed 0-1 Everton
Tottenham 2-1 Boro
West Ham 2-0 Plymouth

Disclaimer: The above are based on my own predictions and analysis of the teams; use them on your discreet. And there is no sure win bet.

Some news with regards to the Arsenal vs Newcastle. Mr Wenger would be continuing his practise of blooding his young guns in the carling cup especially after their run to the final last season. But who would bet against them continuing off from last season and maybe winning the cup this season.

News out of Japan is the Yokohama Marinos are looking to bring Celtic's Nakamura back to Japan. However it would not be easy as Celtic would not want to lose a player of Nakamura's abilities.

And lastly news out of France, where Laurant Blanc of Bordeaux might be the one to wrestle the League 1 title from Lyon's hand after his side won against PSG 2-0 and are now second in the table. This would be a dream start to his maiden managerial career.

A Soccer Formation And What It Means

In a soccer or football game, there are eleven players to a side. However if one reads any articles on the web or newspaper and hear or watch a review and match, there is always a formation mentioned for each match. What is a formation then, you may ask yourself?Basically it can be defined as a tactical system by which the team is organized and plays by for a match. Formation can be changed anytime during a match. Reasons for these changes could be due to injuries to players, tactical changes by the opposition, to protect a score or even to chase a game. Therefore it is not surprise to see several formative changes to it during the course of the match.

An important note in any formation, the only unchangeable aspect is the goalkeeper. Regardless of whatever formations obtained by a team, there must be a goalkeeper in the game. And he is the only legally allowed player in a match that can use his hands to collect, save or touch the ball in the six yards or penalty box. Hence he would be wearing gloves and a different color jersey from his team mates. This is another reason why all formations seen to be based on 10 outfield players since the goalkeeper is a compulsory player. Therefore formations can read 4-4-2, 5-4-1, 5-3-2 and 3-43 without mentioning the goalkeeper.

Since there are many formations, this article would focus on the current basis for formation for most teams which is a 4-4-2. In layman terms, it means that other than one goalkeeper, there are four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers. Here is a bit more complex as even in a 4-4-2, there can be attacking or defending methods or styles to it. To have a clearer picture, the 4-4-2 would have to be broken further.

In defense, there are usually four defenders which mean that there would be a left back (or left wing back / defender on the wing), two centre backs (central defenders) and a right back (or right wing back / defender on the right wing). In attack or possession of the ball usually or frequently, the left and right back would push up and join the attack while the two centre backs hang back to defend. While in a corner situation, the reverse happens, the two centre backs (chosen for their heights) would join in the opposition penalty box while the left and right back hang back in case of a counter attack.

In a defense situation, all four of them would form a line in front of the goalkeeper as the basis for the offside rule. Interestingly to note the depth of defensive line played would indicate how offensive the team would play; a higher line or closer to midfield can be often perceived as going into a more attacking mode. Secondly they would be defending the opposition players in the penalty box when there is an opposition corner.

Next up is to examine the midfield positions in a formation. It is quite similar to the defense where there are four midfielders as to four defenders in a 4-4-2. There are left midfield (or winger), two central midfielders (or defensive or attacking midfielder) and one right midfield (or winger). In a 4-4-2 system, the left and right wingers or midfield players would support the two strikers with crosses from their sides respectively. Frequently, they would also link up with the left back and right back to work the flank effectively. However, it must be stated not many wingers are famed for tracking back to defend. Hence there is a huge danger for allowing an opposition counter attack when possession is lost by the winger with the back in front of him.

As for the jobs of the central midfielders, one is usually employed as a holding or defensive midfielder in the modern game. His job is to protect the back four, break up the opposition attacks and win back the ball. In some sense, he is to be the enforcer or school yard bully. The other midfielder is usually employed in a more attacking sense to link up play between the defense, midfield and attack. The top midfielders in this aspect are sometimes known as playmakers since most of the attacks revolve around them. However they are not that easy to find in the top flights of soccer.

Finally the front line or usual goal poachers can be examined. There are many combinations for the strikers. Usually one frequent pairing is of a fast striker (small man) with a bulky striker (big man). The logic is that the bulky striker would head down, lay up the ball for his team mates or hold up the ball for his team mates to join him. As for the other striker, he would use his pace to get the lay up ball to break the opposition defensive line and find an opportunity to score. Some team may also employ four pacey strikers and wingers to break the opposition line by pace alone. One important thing to note here is that if the front two are of the same wave length, they would be extremely dangerous to the opposition. An example of a small-big approach is the pairing of Michael Owen and Emilie Heskey in the England games verses Israel and Russia recently.

Thus the above is simple explanation of a 4-4-2 formation and some of the roles of players in it.

A parting note is that there are a lot of variations for formations or system nowadays. But hopefully the above can assist the explanation of how a soccer / football formation or system is based or built up on.

PS: Articles has also been published on EzineArticles.com

RE: Results from the weekend

Here are the results of games played over the weekend

Bungdesliga

Vfl Bochum 0-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
Energie Cottbus 1-2 Vfl Wolfsburg
Hamburg 1-0 Nurnberg
Hansa Rostock 2-0 MSV Duisburg
Hertha Berlin 3-2 Borussia Dortmund
Schalke 3-0 Arminina Bielefeld
Werder Bremen 4-1 Vfb Stuttgart
Hannover 0-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Karlsruhe 1-4 Bayern Munich

English Premier League

Arsenal 5-0 Derby
Liverpool 0-0 Birmingham
Middlesbrough 2-2 Sunderland
Reading 2-1 Wigan
Fulham 3-3 Manchester City
Newcastle 3-1 West Ham
Aston Villa 2-0 Everton
Blackburn 0-1 Portsmouth
Bolton 0-1 Tottenham
Manchester United 2-0 Chelsea

Spanish La Liga

Almeria 1-1 Mallorca
Atletico Madrid 4-0 Racing Santander
Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla
Getafe 0-0 Deportivo La Coruna
Levante 1-2 Athletic Bilbao
Real Betis 1-2 Valencia
Real Zaragoza 2-1 Osasuna
Recreativo Huevla 2-1 Espanyol
Valladolid 1-1 Real Madrid
Villarreal 2-0 Murica

Italian Serie A

AC Milan 1-1 Parma
Atalanta 2-1 Lazio
Cagliari 0-1 Palermo
Catania Calcio 0-1 Fiorentina
Empoli 0-0 Napoli
Livorno 2-2 Inter Milan
Roma 2-2 Juventus
Sampdoria 0-0 Genoa
Torino 1-1 Siena
Udinese 2-0 Reggina

Analysis of Predictions

CP: Correct Prediction based on 1x2 system
WP: Wrong Prediction based on 1x2 system
CR: Correct Result Prediction

Bungdesliga

Vfl Bochum 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt (WP)
Energie Cottbus 1-1 Vfl Wolfsburg (WP)
Hamburg 2-1 Nurnberg (CP)
Hansa Rostock 0-2 MSV Duisburg (WP)
Hertha Berlin 1-1 Borussia Dortmund (WP)
Schalke 2-0 Arminina Bielefeld (CP)
Werder Bremen 2-1 Vfb Stuttgart (CP)
Hannover 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen (CP)
Karlsruhe 0-2 Bayern Munich (CP)

English Premier League

Arsenal 3-0 Derby (CP)
Liverpool 2-0 Birmingham (WP)
Middlesbrough 1-1 Sunderland (CP)
Reading 1-1 Wigan (CP)
Fulham 0-1 Manchester City (WP)
Newcastle 2-1 West Ham (CP)
Aston Villa 1-1 Everton (WP)
Blackburn 1-0 Portsmouth (WP)
Bolton 1-0 Tottenham (WP)
Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (WP)

Spanish La Liga

Almeria 1-1 Mallorca (CP,CR)
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Racing Santander (CP)
Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla (CP,CR)
Getafe 2-1 Deportivo La Coruna (WP)
Levante 1-1 Athletic Bilbao (WP)
Real Betis 0-2 Valencia (CP)
Real Zaragoza 2-1 Osasuna (CP,CR)
Recreativo Huevla 1-1 Espanyol (WP)
Valladolid 0-3 Real Madrid (WP)
Villarreal 2-1 Murica (CP)

Italian Serie A

AC Milan 3-1 Parma (WP)
Atalanta 0-1 Lazio (WP)
Cagliari 1-1 Palermo (WP)
Catania Calcio 1-2 Fiorentina (CP)
Empoli 2-1 Napoli (WP)
Livorno 1-2 Inter Milan (WP)
Roma 2-2 Juventus (CP)
Sampdoria 2-1 Genoa (WP)
Torino 1-1 Siena (CP, CR)
Udinese 2-1 Reggina (CP)

Total Number of Matches Predicted: 39
Total Number of CP: 20 (51.28%)
Total Number of WP: 19 (48.72%)
Total Number of CR: 4 (10.25%)

Sad to say sorry to those who supported me. Really a bumper to score a dismal 51.28% again. Would really try to make it next week.

I am really disappointed in Liverpool, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan which all failed to win over the weekend in "easy games". But that's how football is in the world.

Now for some soccer News around the World

1. Rangers go top of the SPL after winning at home vs Aberdeen with Celtic losing to Hibernian 3-2. Here are some comments from the Gers' Manager, Sir Walter Smith.

2. In the midst of the Jose Mourhino's departure, Martin Jol has came out fighting that his job is safe according to Spurs Chairman, David Levy. Some comments from White Heart Lane. (Really it could be a matter of time before Jol leaves as a single win from 7 EPL games is not a good start to the campagin.)

3. Avim Grant is still positive even though there seen to be no clearing of the dark clouds over Stamford Bridge. Read his comments here.

RE: Predictions for Major Leagues

Sorry for the late posting of predictions as I have been busy. Now is that time where I would post my predictions for the major leagues which I am following around the world.

Disclaimer: Feel free to consider my predictions, but there are no sure win bets. Bet on your own risk though.

Bungdesliga

Vfl Bochum 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Energie Cottbus 1-1 Vfl Wolfsburg
Hamburg 2-1 Nurnberg
Hansa Rostock 0-2 MSV Duisburg
Hertha Berlin 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
Schalke 2-0 Arminina Bielefeld
Werder Bremen 2-1 Vfb Stuttgart
Hannover 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Karlsruhe 0-2 Bayern Munich

English Premier League

Arsenal 3-0 Derby
Liverpool 2-0 Birmingham
Middlesbrough 1-1 Sunderland
Reading 1-1 Wigan
Fulham 0-1 Manchester City
Newcastle 2-1 West Ham
Aston Villa 1-1 Everton
Blackburn 1-0 Portsmouth
Bolton 1-0 Tottenham
Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea

Spanish La Liga

Almeria 1-1 Mallorca
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Racing Santander
Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla
Getafe 2-1 Deportivo La Coruna
Levante 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
Real Betis 0-2 Valencia
Real Zaragoza 2-1 Osasuna
Recreativo Huevla 1-1 Espanyol
Valladolid 0-3 Real Madrid
Villarreal 2-1 Murica

Italian Serie A

AC Milan 3-1 Parma
Atalanta 0-1 Lazio
Cagliari 1-1 Palermo
Catania Calcio 1-2 Fiorentina
Empoli 2-1 Napoli
Livorno 1-2 Inter Milan
Roma 2-2 Juventus
Sampdoria 2-1 Genoa
Torino 1-1 Siena
Udinese 2-1 Reggina

Looking to keep my record of at least 55% correct predictions. Good luck to all especially for the chelsea game.

Some sporting news around the world

1. Old rival of Jose, Arsene Wenger has expressed regret that he is leaving Chelsea despite the stormy relationship between both of them. Hence it seen that Jose still has his admiriers among the other coaches.

2. Some comments from the man himself. He admits that he would love to return to the EPL for another shot, but revealed that his next job may not be in England.

3. England would meet USA in the Women World Cup Quarter Finals. Would the english women show the men how to do it in the World Cup?

Prospects of Newcastle in the 2007-2008 English Premier League

Here is something I wrote on EzineArticles on Newcastle United. Things are looking at Tynside indeed this season, hence read on and see whether you agree with me.

Without a doubt, the appointment of Sam Allarydce, Big Sam, as the new gaffer or manager for Newcastle for the 2007-2008 season had been greeted with cheers by the Toon Army. With his growing reputation of grooming of Bolton Wanderers that were challenging for Europe and giving the Big Four of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, it is widely expected that Newcastle would finally challenge for Europe at least.

In the off season, Big Sam has radically transformed his Newcastle squad; making wholesale changes to his team and moulding it into his own image. Let take a closer view on the 2007-2008 squad below.

At the back, with Irish Number 1 Shay Given in goal, Newcastle is usually in safe hands. In front of him, there are the ever improving England U21 Steven Taylor and new recruit the Czech David Rozehnal, Newcastle has improved a previous weakness. Another indicator was the release of Craig Moore, Oliver Bernard, Alan O'brian and Titus Bramble from defence shows his determination to cut the dead wood from the team. Plus the transfer of or the addition of Geremi from Chelsea, Claudio Cacapa from Lyon, Jose Enrique from Villarreal and Habbib Beye from Marseille to the likes of Steve Carr, Peter Ramage and Celestine Babayaro , Big Sam has rebuilt up the defence and his options at the back.

As for midfield interestingly enough, Allardyce has allowed the likes of Kieran Dyer, Scott Parker and Nobby Solano to leave St James Park. These three players have been the main stay of previous Newcastle midfield. In came Joey Barton from Manchester City and Faye from Sam's old club Bolton. Looking at it, it could be a wise move on Big Sam's part as Dyer had his injuries, Solano is getting older in age and Parker may not be in his mould of a player. Furthermore, with exciting youngsters such James Milner and Charles N'Zogbia added with the experience of Nicky Butt, Emre and Damien Duff, Big Sam has a strong midfield to choose from for every match. Only concern is the addition of Barton may test his abilities to the fullest as he had been a problem player at City.

Up front, what more can be said of a front line of Micheal Owens, Mark Viduka from Boro, Alan Smith from Manchester United, Obafemi Martins and Shola Ameobi. A combination of youth and experience. The major concern of Allarydce would be the health of his strikers at his disposal especially Owen's. Without a doubt, with Viduka and Ameobi, Sam may be trying to play a big-small combination up front if Owen is fit.

So far the performance have been encouraging though the recent defeat to Derby away is a wrong step down. Newcastle is current in 10th position, winning 2, drawing 2 and losing 1. At the moment, Newcastle is a team in transition as Big Sam is still moulding his teams to his ideals and playing styles. It can be strongly concluded once the team is consolidated to the playing style of Big Sam and gotten used to each other, performance should improve.

It can safely be concluded that Newcastle should be strongly challenging for a European Spot come end May 2008 with the current team and Big Sam's abilities.

PS: Article is also posted on EzineArticles.

Some interesting new bits

Finally Henry has scored for Barcelona since his move from Arsenal to Barcelona in the summer. At least Barcelona return to winning ways after defeating Lyon 3-0 in the Champions League after two disappointing draws in the La Liga.In the meantime, his old club Arsenal romped to 3-0 win at the Emirates over UEFA cup winners Sevilla and old rival Manchester United won 1-0 at Sporting Lisbon

Other news include Wenger is pleased with the performance of his post Henry Arsenal side after a 3-0 win over Sevilla at home. While Fergie is convinced that Ronaldo would be scoring more goals in the future after his goal secured a priceless 1-0 win away to Sporting Lisbon.

UEFA Champions League Results

Champions League Results

Group A
FC Porto 1-1 Liverpool
Marseille 2-0 Besiktas

Group B
Chelsea 1-1 Rosenborg
Schalke 0-1 Valencia

Group C
Olympiakos 1-1 Lazio
Real Madrid 2-1 Werder Bremen

Group D
AC Milan 2-1 Benfica
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 Celtic

Group E
Barcelona 3-0 Lyon
Rangers 2-1 Stuttgart

Group F
Roma 2-0 Dynamo Kiev
Sporting Lisbon 0-1 Manchester Utd

Group G
Fenerbahce 1-0 Inter Milan
PSV Eindhoven 2-1 CSKA Moscow

Group H
Arsenal 3-0 Sevilla
Slavia Prague 2-1 Steaua Bucuresti


Comparsion between Results and Predictions

CP: Correct Predictions for match based on 1x2
WP: Wrong Predictions for match based on 1x2
CR: Correct Result Predictions

Group A
FC Porto 1-2 Liverpool (WP)
Marseille 2-1 Besiktas (CP)

Group B
Chelsea 2-0 Rosenborg (WP)
Schalke 1-2 Valencia (CP)

Group C
Olympiakos 0-1 Lazio (WP)
Real Madrid 3-1 Werder Bremen (CP)

Group D
AC Milan 2-1 Benfica (CP, CR)
Shakhtar Donetsk 1-2 Celtic (WP)

Group E
Barcelona 1-1 Lyon (WP)
Rangers 1-2 Stuttgart (WP)

Group F
Roma 2-0 Dynamo Kiev (CP, CR)
Sporting Lisbon 1-2 Manchester Utd (CP)

Group G
Fenerbahce 0-2 Inter Milan (WP)
PSV Eindhoven 2-1 CSKA Moscow (CP, CR)

Group H
Arsenal 2-1 Sevilla (CP)
Slavia Prague 2-1 Steaua Bucuresti (CP,CR)

Analysis of Results and Predictions

Total Number of Matches: 16
Total CP: 9 (56.25%)
Total WP: 7 (43.75%)
Total CR: 4 (25%)

A slight improvement over the weekend, a better return of 56.25%, while scoring a high with 25% on correct results. A disappointment for Chelsea, Liverpool, Inter Milan and Celtic. Hopefully I can score better with this weekend games.

Breaking News

Jose Mourinho has parted ways with Chelsea after disappointing draw with Rosenborg. What shocking time for a sacking or resignation especially with the big match up vs Man Utd on Sunday? Who is going replace him now? Avim Grant?

Anyway I feel that it would be sooner or later for this as the recent months have shown the increasing tension between Mourinho and Chelsea Owner, Mr Roman Abramovich. Hence the end, hopefully he would stay on in England and maybe take over Spurs. A slap in Chelsea's face and winning the EPL with spurs. Stranger things has happened too.

More news out of Chelsea with regards to Murinho's departure.

Predictions for the UEFA Champions League

It is the time of year again where the champions of europe go at it for the ultimate prize in european club football: The UEFA Champions League. Would AC Milan retain it? Or another champion would emerge this season? Stay Tuned as we followed the progress.

Champions League

Group A
FC Porto 1-2 Liverpool
Marseille 2-1 Besiktas

Group B
Chelsea 2-0 Rosenborg
Schalke 1-2 Valencia

Group C
Olympiakos 0-1 Lazio
Real Madrid 3-1 Werder Bremen

Group D
AC Milan 2-1 Benfica
Shakhtar Donetsk 1-2 Celtic

Group E
Barcelona 1-1 Lyon
Rangers 1-2 Stuttgart

Group F
Roma 2-0 Dynamo Kiev
Sporting Lisbon 1-2 Manchester Utd

Group G
Fenerbahce 0-2 Inter Milan
PSV Eindhoven 2-1 CSKA Moscow

Group H
Arsenal 2-1 Sevilla
Slavia Prague 2-1 Steaua Bucuresti

Disclaimer: Feel free to use the above predictions and hopefully win some money. My aim is to improve my predictions ratio back to 60% from a bad 51% over the weekend. Good luck to you and me. Cheers

Some News out from Anfield
- Benetiz is targeting 12 points from the championship games for the group stage meaning at least 4 wins or 3 wins and 3 draws.

- Fernando Torres has revealed how he spurned Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal before moving to Anfield.

- Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier is set to be appointed as France's technical director.

Major Leagues Results

Here are the results for games played over the weekend.

Bungdesliga

Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Werder Bremen
VfB Stuttgart 3-0 Energie Cottbus
Bayern München 1-1 Schalke 04
Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 VfL Bochum
1. FC Nürnberg 2-2 Hannover 96
Arminia Bielefeld 4-2 Hansa Rostock
Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Hamburger SV
VfL Wolfsburg 1-2 Karlsruher SC
MSV Duisburg 1-2 Hertha BSC Berlin

English Premier League

Birmingham 1-0 Bolton
Chelsea 0-0 Blackburn
Everton 0-1 Man Utd
Portsmouth 0-0 Liverpool
Sunderland 2-1 Reading
Tottenham 1-3 Arsenal
West Ham 3-0 Middlesbrough
Wigan 1-1 Fulham
Man City 1-0 Aston Villa

Spanish La Liga

Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Real Zaragoza
Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 Real Betis
Espanyol 1-0 Getafe
Sevilla 4-1 Recreativo Huelva
Mallorca 0-1 Villarreal
Murcia 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Osasuna 0-0 Barcelona
Racing Santander 1-0 Levante
Real Madrid 3-1 Almeria
Valencia 2-1 Valladolid

Italian Serie A

Fiorentina 2-2 Atalanta
Genoa 1-1 Livorno
Inter Milan 2-0 Catania
Juventus 0-1 Udinese
Napoli 2-1 Sampdoria
Palermo 1-1 Torino
Parma 1-1 Cagliari
Reggina 0-2 Roma
Siena 1-1 AC Milan

Predictions
Now to analyze my predictions vs results.

CP: Correct Prediction of Winner based on 1x2
WP: Wrong Prediction of Winner based on 1x2
CR: Correct Result based on correct score

Bungdesliga

Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Werder Bremen (WP)
VfB Stuttgart 3-0 Energie Cottbus (CP, CR)
Bayern München 1-1 Schalke 04 (CP, CR)
Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 VfL Bochum (WP)
1. FC Nürnberg 1-1 Hannover 96 (CP)
Arminia Bielefeld 2-0 Hansa Rostock (CP)
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Hamburger SV (WP)
VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 Karlsruher SC (WP)
MSV Duisburg 2-1 Hertha BSC Berlin (WP)

English Premier League

Birmingham 1-2 Bolton (WP)
Chelsea 1-1 Blackburn (CP)
Everton 1-1 Man Utd (WP)
Portsmouth 0-2 Liverpool (WP)
Sunderland 1-1 Reading (WP)
Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal (CP)
West Ham 2-1 Middlesbrough (CP)
Wigan 1-2 Fulham (WP)
Man City 1-1 Aston Villa (WP)

Spanish La Liga

Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Real Zaragoza (CP,CR)
Deportivo La Coruna 2-1 Real Betis (CP)
Espanyol 2-1 Getafe (CP)
Sevilla 2-0 Recreativo Huelva (CP)
Mallorca 1-1 Villarreal (WP)
Murcia 1-2 Atletico Madrid (WP)
Osasuna 1-2 Barcelona (WP)
Racing Santander 2-1 Levante (CP)
Real Madrid 2-0 Almeria (CP)
Valencia 2-1 Valladolid (CP,CR)

Italian Serie A

Fiorentina 2-1 Atalanta (WP)
Genoa 1-1 Livorno (CP,CR)
Inter Milan 2-0 Catania (CP,CR)
Juventus 3-1 Udinese (WP)
Napoli 2-1 Sampdoria (CP)
Palermo 1-0 Torino (WP)
Parma 1-1 Cagliari (CP,CR)
Reggina 1-2 Roma (CP)
Siena 1-2 AC Milan (WP)

Analysis of Results

Total Matches Predicted: 37
Total CP: 19 (51.35%)
Total WP: 18 (48.65%)
Total CR: 7 (18.91%)

Final Score: 51.35%, whoa a drop of 20% in correct predictions. Sorry guys, had a bad week especially with Man Utd, Liverpool, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan Disappointing. Would try to do better next time.

Now for some feedback from managers:

Eriksson dismiss talks of a top 4 finish come May 2008 despite picking 3 points from the sunday game vs Aston Villa. Read below to find out more.

Next up, the France Divison 1 news. PSG clocked up a second win of the season vs Monaco to move up to 11th. The win at least shows some championship potential in PSG.

What Are Arsenal's Chances In The English Premiership This Seaon?

Although I am a supporter of Liverpool, but one other team that really catches my imgination over the last few seasons is that of Arsenal. With Mr Wenger in charge of Arsenal, they have been playing flowing, passing and attacking football. What a sight to behold when they are in true flight. After a disappointing 2006-2007 season, how would Arsenal cope this season?

Read on to see whether you agree with my views on Arsenal.

With the departure of Thierry Henry for Barcelona FC, most people would have written off Arsenal at the start of the season as a team in transition. However so far Arsenal has proven the detractors wrong by winning 3 games and drawing 1 game. Thus staying in the hunt for another league title.

The main reason behind this I believe is due to Arsene Wenger and the belief or confidence he has instilled into his young charges. For the last few seasons, it would seen that detractors always view Arsenal as being goners due to the fact that key players for the team keeping departing such as Patrick Vieria for Juventus and Henry to Barcelona. However looking carefully at the team Mr Wenger has assembled since he arrived in Arsenal, it is not hard to find a replacement ready to step up to plate.

In defence, with the additional of Sagna, it seen to make the defence more complete as compared to last season. The central pairing of Toure with Gallas or Senderos looking promising. As for wing back positions, Sagna provides competition to Diaby, Flamini, Eboue and Clichy. Only in goal, Jens Lehmann seen to be weak link, conceding two unnecessary goals so far. Thus with the additional of Polish Goalkeeper Fabianski, there is an option for Wenger to switch if necessary.

Next to the midfield. This is in my opinion the strongest element of Arsenal's team. In centre of the park, there are Csec Fabregas and the veteran Gilberto. In the wings, there are Hleb, Rosicky and Walcott to choose from. The playmaker here is Fabregas who has risen to fill the gap left by Henry. Looking at it, it would be Fabregas to bring Arsenal forward in next few seasons especially with Wenger agreeing to a new three years deal. And with the addition of Diarra from Chelsea, it looks like a strong midfield for the Gunners.

Finally upfront. When Henry left for Barcelona, Mr Wenger did not purchase a big name to replace, but instead he opted for the Brazilian born Croatian Da Silva. It may be part of Wenger's plan or gamble. However reviewing Wenger's track record of developing superstar from normal player such as Henry or Nicholas Anelka, it would be hardly surprising. Furthermore, Van Persie back from injury joining Adebayor, Da Silva and Bendtner up front, Arsenal has a strong or equal strike force to the other Big Three Teams in the EPL.

So far, the performance of Arsenal is still a joy to watch as they dish out passing attacking football for all to see. Hence if Arsenal can maintain the form and avoid key injuries, then at end of may, they should be around the summit of the EPL.

What a future hold for the Gunners.

PS: Article has also been published on EzineArticles.com

Come this weekend, Juventus and Roma would look to protecting their prefect start to the season with games at Udinese and Reggina respectively. Mostly likely, both teams should make it 3 wins out of 3. Read on for more details.

Is This The Year When Liverpool Reclaims the English Premiership Title?

Being a supporter of Liverpool since young, it pains to see that unachievement of the team in the premiership for last few seasons. Granted, Liverpool had been excellent in the Champions League, making the final twice in three seasons. But it is the league that is important.

Read on to see whether you agree with me on the chances of Liverpool this season.

For the last 17 years, Liverpool and its fans have been living in the shadows of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea as the trio dominate the English Premiership (EPL). Without a League title to its name for the past 17 years since 1990, this season however may prove to be different.

With the support of new owners Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett, Rafa Benitez has spent wisely over the close season by bringing strength to each of the position. Thus making sure that Liverpool would have at least 2 players to choose from for each of the position. This is important as without strength and quality in depth, the team would be suffer in competitions if injuries started cooping up. Hence with the transfer of Ferando Torres, Andriy Voronin, Ryan Babel, Yossi Benayoun, Lucas Levia, Sebastian Leto and Charles Itandje into the squad for the 2007-2008 season, Liverpool looks well prepared for the new season.

Upfront, the transfer of Torres in especially is highly anticipated by the fans as the solution to the scoring woes that plague the team for the last few seasons. Thus far, this has proven to be true as all four strikers, Torres, Kuyt, Voronin and Crouch have opening their accounts for Liverpool.

In midfield, finally Benitez has realized the impact of playing Steven Gerrard in the middle of the park and would play the Captain there. And with the additional of Benayoun, Levia, Leto and Babel in, there are many more choices or options for Benitez to choose from. This is also essential as Benitez has set out a team in a match that in his opinion is the best against the opponents.

As for defense, not much changes have been made to the first choice back four of Arbeloa-Agger-Carragher-Finnan and goalkeeper being Reina. So far this season in the league, Liverpool has only conceded 2 goals from penalties. Thus the defense seen sound as always in a Benitez's team. However only a small concern on the centre backs as if Carragher, Agger or Hypia is out, then there may be a problem as there are no other recognized centre back in the 1st team.

Back to league, another problem for Liverpool over the season is the slow start it had made in the August or September. Reviewing 2006-2007 season, if Liverpool has managed to win more games in the opening two months, then the league race would be much closer. However so far, Liverpool has made an excellent start to season, winning 3 games, drawing 1 and have a game in hand verses West Ham.

The pick of the wins is the 6-0 demolition of Derby County with Torres scoring a brace. What makes it more impressive is that both Carragher and Gerrard were out injured. With that win Liverpool is first in the league for the moment. Next up is Pompey, then Spurs.

If Liverpool can continue this rich vein in form and have no major injury problems, this could well be the year that Liverpool add the EPL title to the 18 it has previously won.

PS: Article has been published on Ezinearticles too.

Some news from the premiership where Benitez has joined the chorus of Man Utd and Chelsea in critizing the league for scheduling games post International; leaving him with less time to prepare for the upcoming clash with Pompey. Now the question is that would it really have an effect this sat?

Predictions for Major Leagues

Now is that time where I would post my predictions for the major leagues which I am following around the world.

Disclaimer: Feel free to consider my predictions, but there are no sure win bets. Bet on your own risk though.

Bungdesliga

Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Werder Bremen
VfB Stuttgart 3-0 Energie Cottbus
Bayern München 1-1 Schalke 04
Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 VfL Bochum
1. FC Nürnberg 1-1 Hannover 96
Arminia Bielefeld 2-0 Hansa Rostock
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Hamburger SV
VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 Karlsruher SC
MSV Duisburg 2-1 Hertha BSC Berlin

English Premier League

Birmingham 1-2 Bolton
Chelsea 1-1 Blackburn
Everton 1-1 Man Utd
Portsmouth 0-2 Liverpool
Sunderland 1-1 Reading
Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal
West Ham 2-1 Middlesbrough
Wigan 1-2 Fulham
Man City 1-1 Aston Villa
Derby 0-3 Newcastle

Spanish La Liga

Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Real Zaragoza
Deportivo La Coruna 2-1 Real Betis
Espanyol 2-1 Getafe
Sevilla 2-0 Recreativo Huelva
Mallorca 1-1 Villarreal
Murcia 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Osasuna 1-2 Barcelona
Racing Santander 2-1 Levante
Real Madrid 2-0 Almeria
Valencia 2-1 Valladolid

Italian Serie A

Fiorentina 2-1 Atalanta
Genoa 1-1 Livorno
Inter Milan 2-0 Catania
Juventus 3-1 Udinese
Lazio 2-1 Empoli
Napoli 2-1 Sampdoria
Palermo 1-0 Torino
Parma 1-1 Cagliari
Reggina 1-2 Roma
Siena 1-2 AC Milan

Looking forward to the restart of the leagues after internationals....hoping to maintain a 60% and above hit rate though.

RE: EURO 2008 Qualifiers (12th-13th Sep 2007) Results

Here are the results of the EURO 2008 Qualifiers held on the 12th-13th Sep 2007. And also the comparison with my predictions.

Results
Kazakhstan 2-2 Belgium
Finland 0-0Poland
Andorra 0-6 Croatia
Slovakia 2-5 Wales
Lithuania 2-1 Faroe Islands
Norway 2-2 Greece
Turkey 3-0 Hungary
Buulgaria 3-0 Luxembourg
Bosnia 0-1 Moldova
Cyprus 3-0 San Marino
Denmark 4-0 Liechetenstein
Slovenia 1-0 Belarus
Iceland 2-1 Northern Ireland
Czech Republic 1-0 Ireland
Macedonia 1-1 Estonia
Ukraine 1-2 Italy
Albania 0-1 Holland
France 0-1 Scotland
England 3-0 Russia
Portugal 1-1 Serbia
Spain 2-0 Latvia

Comparison of results vs predictions

Comparison key
CP: Correct Prediction of Outcome based on 1x2 system
WP: Wrong Prediction of Outcome based on 1x2 system
CR: Correct Prediction or Score

Kazakhstan 0-2 Belgium (WP)
Finland 0-1 Poland (WP)
Andorra 0-4 Croatia (CP)
Slovakia 1-2 Wales (CP)
Lithuania 2-0 Faroe Islands (CP)
Norway 0-1 Greece (WP)
Turkey 2-1 Hungary (CP)
Buulgaria 2-0 Luxembourg (CP)
Bosnia 2-1 Moldova (WP)
Cyprus 2-0 San Marino (CP)
Denmark 3-1 Liechetenstein (CP)
Slovenia 1-1 Belarus (WP)
Iceland 1-0 Northern Ireland (CP)
Czech Republic 2-1 Ireland (CP)
Macedonia 1-1 Estonia (CP,CR)
Ukraine 0-1 Italy (CP)
Albania 0-3 Holland (CP)
France 1-1 Scotland (WP)
England 2-1 Russia (CP)
Portugal 1-1 Serbia (CP,CR)
Spain 2-0 Latvia (CP,CR)

Summary of comparsion

Total Number of Matches: 21
Total No. of CP: 15 (71.42%)
Total No. of WP: 6 (28.58%)
Total No. of CR: 3 (14.28%)

Author's Comments

The only major surprise this round is the loss of France to Scotland 0-1, other than there are no major shocks.

Personally, a hit ratio of 71.42% for 1x2 is a very good rate. Also an improvement over last Sat's round of matches where a hit ratio of 64% was achieved. Hence I am quite satisfied with this results. Hope that the above have been helpful to you guys.

And although I only got 3 Correct Results, it is quite good enough already. If u had followed my other predictions of the England vs Russia and went for 3-0, good for you.

Stay tune for my predictions on the major leagues matches this weekend.

Now for Asian Football news where Vietnam draw 1-1 with Saudi Arabia during the Asian Qualifiers for Olympics 2008 and Japan beat Qatar 1-0 in another match.

RE: Crunch Time for England

All English Fans out here, it is crunch time for England tonite as they face up to Russia.

As per my predictions and review below, you can sense that I am predicting a English Victory. It would be close. England would need a goal in the opening half hour to stand a chance of winning. Fortune would favor the brave.

McClaren vs Hiddinks Round 1.

Here are some reactions from presses around the world.

Steve McClaren believes his decision to let Steven Gerrard off the leash has given England a fresh impetus in the race to Euro 2008. Would it be enough for a win vs Russia?

Taking attention away from this cruical match, is the mindless attack on Sir Alex in a train station in the UK while on his way to a charity function. An arrest of a 40 year man have been made, though Sir Alex suffered injuries to his leg. The guy must be a Man City Supporter???

And Lastly to Sevilla before signing off for tonite's match. 33 yr old Goalkeeper Palop has agreed a new deal with UEFA cup winners; making it likely to retire with the club. At least some good news for Sevilla Fans.

RE: My Predictions for Russia Match

Here is my two cents on the possible English Formation for this Wed's England vs Russia Match

Goalkeeper: Paul Robinson / David James
Leftback: Ashley Cole
Rightback: Micah Richards / Nicky Shorey
Centreback: John Terry (C) / Micah Richards
Centreback: Rio Ferdinand
Defensive Midfielder: Gareth Barry / Michael Carrick
Centre Midfielder: Steven Gerrard / Joe Cole
Left Winger: David Bentley / Joe Cole
Right Winger: Shaun Wright-Phillips / David Bentley
Striker: Michael Owen
Striker: Emile Heskey

Notes:
As with the England vs Israel match, I still would stick with Paul Robinson. Of course, Paul Robinson has repaid the confidence with a clean sheet against Israel. But he have to be on his toes vs Russia.

As for the defence, it would still pick itself at the moment. Without Gary Neville, Micah Richard should be the right back for this one. However, if Terry does not prove his fitness, Richards should move into CB while allowing Shorey as the RB. As with my selection with Israel, there are nothing wrong with this formation, but Russia under Hiddink would be a different team from Israel.

In Midfield next, with Steven Gerrard in, but no Hargraves and Lampard, it should looks as Barry would be in for his performance vs Israel. The wingers in wright-philips and bentley should provide the crosses needed for the two strikers up front. Hopefully they can keep the performance they gave for vs Israel.

As for forwards, my choice of Emile Heskey and Michael Owen is like a reunion of sorts as they have played together before combining for 14 goals in 12 matches. Although it is a risk for such a combination vs Israel, but I do not see a better option up front at the moment. True it had positive results for Israel. But against Russia, it would be very interesting as the defence would be tougher prospects.

England should go for it at the start of the match as Russia would be grateful for a point.

My verdict: England 2-1 Russia or England 3-0 Russia

Check out my other predictions for the Upcoming Euro Qualifiers below.



Some big news for fans, Kaka is earning the most for the Italian Serie A players as the article below shows

England Female Team was heading for a victory in Shanghai for the woman world cup, but was hit late by the Japanese. Read more below