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The Secret Footballer: Potent mix of highly-paid men and high stakes

When gambling gets out of control it can cause problems in dressing rooms and shape the public's perception of footballers



  • The Guardian, Saturday 19 March 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    The-Secret-Foottr-007.jpg
    Footballers do not need the Cheltenham Festival as ane excuse to gamble. Photograph: David Davies/PA The sport of kings has, for as long as I can remember, provided footballers with the perfect excuse to flash the cash. Those at Cheltenham this week will know exactly what I'm talking about, especially if you witnessed some of the things I did and looked at a few Twitter accounts. Then again, not every professional footballer needs one of the most famous race meetings on the calendar to place a big bet.
    Gambling, because of the big bucks involved in our sport, is an occupational hazard for players, in particular those who act as if the money will never run out and relish the chance to show off. Others &#8211; and you don't need me to mention the names &#8211; seem to end up being the bookmakers' best friend for reasons that have nothing to do with courting attention. The warnings are there for us all &#8211; turn the occasional flutter into something more sinister and before you know it you could be knocking on Sky's door in your old club suit begging for a slot on the graveyard shift.
    I have always stood up for what players earn. I argued a few weeks ago in this column why it is no crime for us to accept what somebody else is willing to hand over. Yet, while it isn't my place to judge what another man spends his money on, I can't condone how one or two beneficiaries of the windfall we get our hands on, distribute their wealth. And, to be clear at this point, I'm not talking about cars or women. I'm talking about the useless greyhound in trap four.
    I don't have the definitive answer to the question about why some footballers like to gamble but, from what I have seen, the cocktail is a potent mix. More money than they know what to do with at a very young age would be the obvious reason, although I suspect the amount of free time we have at our disposal is every bit as significant. Throw in a bit of bravado, peer pressure, vulnerability and greed and most of the ingredients are there for your serial gambler.
    I've known a couple during my time in football. I've known one player who operates on what I would describe as very close to a professional level when it comes to gambling. "Tony" bets in excess of £10,000 on football and generally wins. There's nothing scatter&#8209;gun about his approach. He's cool and calculated when it comes to working out where his next winnings are coming from. And if he's betting on a team I've never heard of in eastern Europe it's because he knows them inside out.
    And then there is the complete opposite type of gambler. I've actually roomed with one of these and it isn't pleasant. He had three phones &#8211; not uncommon for a footballer because one is usually full with girls' phone numbers. These phones, however, were taking calls from bookmakers all over the world at all hours of the day, and when the player wasn't chatting to someone about some obscure American football game involving the New York Loudmouths destroying the LA Over-the-Tops 18 high-fives to three, he was logging into betting websites. It was non-stop and, as you can imagine, hardly conducive to playing well the next day. I had to beg the manager to provide me with my own room, which, eventually, he did. Curiously, though, he didn't do anything about my ex-room-mate's problem.
    Another manager I played for was more proactive. He felt he had to step in when he became concerned about the card school on the back of the coach getting out of hand. Things came to a head when the manager learned that five-figure sums were being won and lost &#8211; and that one of the players had failed to pay up what he owed to a team-mate. As anyone who gambles will tell you, those who don't settle their debts are about as a popular as a royal flush in game of poker when you're holding four of a kind.
    A rift inevitably developed between the two players that was uncomfortable for everybody, prompting the manager to intervene and restrict the card school on the coach to one hour, believing that only a limited amount of money could exchange hands during that period. You can probably guess what happened. The stakes on the coach were raised to make up for lost time and when we checked in at the hotel, the same half-dozen players disappeared into the same bedroom.
    I've also seen gambling bring out the best and worse in people. I once revelled in a team-mate's generosity after he bought drinks for an entire tent full of people starting from the end of the race that his horse had won to the start of the next. "Happy hour" he called it. It cost him about £5,000. What I didn't enjoy so much was the player who, at the same event, amassed about £25,000 over the course of six or seven races, picked up a wedge of £20 notes then tore them in half and threw them over a table of diners behind us already upset by our antics throughout the day.
    That, of course, is a crass and cringeworthy show of riches rather than a gambling problem and something that does nothing to help the general perception of footballers as people who have no value for money. Then again, you may be surprised at how many people in our tent of 250 people laughed at that stunt; if you've mixed in certain circles at Cheltenham, you might not. Still, I'm sure you and I can think of a thousand better ways to make use of a surplus wad of £20 notes. Watching BBC1 last night gave me a few ideas.
    Follow the Secret Footballer on Twitter: @TSFguardian

 
Tottenham v West Ham - live!

&#8226; Turn on the auto-refresh button below for the latest updates
&#8226; Email paolo.bandini@guardian.co.uk with any musings
&#8226; You can even follow him on Twitter, if that's your thing
&#8226; And follow the rest of the goals with our Saturday scoreboard





Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United


  • Paolo Bandini
  • guardian.co.uk, Saturday 19 March 2011 12.06 GMT <li class="history">Article history To receive updated content, refresh the page (F5 for a web browser).
    This page will update automatically every minute: On | Off
    Gareth-Bale-celebrates-sc-001.jpg
    He's back. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images It's Avram Grant He's been hanging out with the England rugby team, apparently. "I like watching other sports," he reveals, before pretty much guaranteeing us entertainment. "Tottenham play very good football and we are an attacking team too, so it should be a good game." You're on record, now, Avram.
    Team news Jermain Defoe gets the nod up front for Tottenham, while William Gallas also starts. Plus some bloke named Gareth gets his first start in two months. For West Ham Demba Ba, scorer of 63 goals in the last 0.4 games, starts up front alongside Carlton Cole, who hopefully knows which team he's playing for today.
    Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Sandro, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Defoe. Subs: Pletikosa, Hutton, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch, Bassong, Kranjcar.
    West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, da Costa, Upson, Bridge, O'Neil, Parker, Hitzlsperger, Noble, Cole, Ba. Subs: Boffin, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Boa Morte, Sears, Hines, Obinna.
    Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
    José Mourinho And maybe a bit of Cristiano Ronaldo too. Will those men still be the ones dominating Tottenham's thoughts today after yesterday's Champions League draw? If so this could be a tricky afternoon - West Ham are on the up, having lost just twice in their last nine games in all competitions, and never short of motivation against a rival like Spurs.
    On the other hand, however, West Ham have not won at White Hart Lane since April 1999 (as you may recall, a certain Harry Redknapp was in charge of the Hammers at the time, and Tottenham have lost just once in their last Premier League games at home. They need to maintain that record if they are to keep up their hopes of a top four finish.
    On top of all that, of course, there is the added animosity generated through the battle for the Olympic Stadium - though there will be many among the Tottenham support who remain grateful to West Ham for stopping their team from upping sticks.
    Anyway, back in a sec with team news. In the meantime you can check out today's full fixture list here, and the latest Premier League table here.

 
Tottenham v West Ham - live!

• Turn on the auto-refresh button below for the latest updates
• Email paolo.bandini@guardian.co.uk with any musings
• You can even follow him on Twitter, if that's your thing
• And follow the rest of the goals with our Saturday scoreboard





Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United


  • Paolo Bandini
  • guardian.co.uk, Saturday 19 March 2011 12.06 GMT <li class="history">Article history To receive updated content, refresh the page (F5 for a web browser).
    This page will update automatically every minute: On | Off
    Gareth-Bale-celebrates-sc-001.jpg
    He's back. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images It's Avram Grant He's been hanging out with the England rugby team, apparently. "I like watching other sports," he reveals, before pretty much guaranteeing us entertainment. "Tottenham play very good football and we are an attacking team too, so it should be a good game." You're on record, now, Avram.
    Team news Jermain Defoe gets the nod up front for Tottenham, while William Gallas also starts. Plus some bloke named Gareth gets his first start in two months. For West Ham Demba Ba, scorer of 63 goals in the last 0.4 games, starts up front alongside Carlton Cole, who hopefully knows which team he's playing for today.
    Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Sandro, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Defoe. Subs: Pletikosa, Hutton, Jenas, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch, Bassong, Kranjcar.
    West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, da Costa, Upson, Bridge, O'Neil, Parker, Hitzlsperger, Noble, Cole, Ba. Subs: Boffin, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Boa Morte, Sears, Hines, Obinna.
    Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
    José Mourinho And maybe a bit of Cristiano Ronaldo too. Will those men still be the ones dominating Tottenham's thoughts today after yesterday's Champions League draw? If so this could be a tricky afternoon - West Ham are on the up, having lost just twice in their last nine games in all competitions, and never short of motivation against a rival like Spurs.
    On the other hand, however, West Ham have not won at White Hart Lane since April 1999 (as you may recall, a certain Harry Redknapp was in charge of the Hammers at the time, and Tottenham have lost just once in their last Premier League games at home. They need to maintain that record if they are to keep up their hopes of a top four finish.
    On top of all that, of course, there is the added animosity generated through the battle for the Olympic Stadium - though there will be many among the Tottenham support who remain grateful to West Ham for stopping their team from upping sticks.
    Anyway, back in a sec with team news. In the meantime you can check out today's full fixture list here, and the latest Premier League table here.
 
Harry Redknapp relishes Tottenham spying mission to Real Madrid

&#8226; Manager praises man-management style of José Mourinho
&#8226; 'They know the damage that some of our players can cause'




  • David Hytner
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 22.30 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    The-Tottenham-Hotspur-man-005.jpg
    The Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp, is to fly to Spain to watch Real Madrid ahead of the Champions League quarter-final. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images Harry Redknapp wasted no time in trying to book his flight to Madrid, for a scouting trip he might only have dreamed of in the not too distant past. At the back of his mind, however, was the need to avoid humiliation.
    "Real are playing Atlético and I am going to go back to Madrid to see if I can get mugged again," the Tottenham Hotspur manager said, referring to his last trip to the Spanish capital, when he had his pocket picked outside the Vicente Calderón stadium. "They know I had a few quid on me last time and they are waiting for me. The boys will be out there, saying: 'Where's that mug?' I'm going to take Joe Jordan with me this time."
    Redknapp's quip about his assistant related to the Scot's recently reinforced reputation as a hardman. No one at Spurs can quite believe that Jordan has been banned by Uefa for one European match after he was headbutted by the Milan captain, Gennaro Gattuso. "Seriously, what is Joe supposed to have done?" Redknapp said. "He has been banned for being nutted. It's crazy."
    Redknapp, though, was quickly back into his stride. "Joe won't have any money on him," he warned any Bernabéu thieves. "Joe also said to me that he had never been to the Bernabéu ... I told him, 'You're not going to make it this time, either.'"
    Redknapp is buzzing with excitement and so are his players, particularly Rafael van der Vaart, who was out of his seat when Tottenham were drawn with Real Madrid, his former club, in the Champions League quarter-finals. "Tottenham against Madrid for a place in the last four of Europe's elite competition." The club's supporters cannot say the sentence enough and the sense of pride is palpable.
    "Real Madrid are a great name in world football," Redknapp said. "I remember watching the 1960 European Cup final on TV, when they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3, with Puskas, Di Stefáno, Gento ... Real were the team in world football."
    The modern vintage is not too bad, either, and Redknapp will enjoy pitting his wits against José Mourinho, a manager he described as "one of the all-time greats." Mourinho has his team five points behind Barcelona in La Liga with ten matches to play and one of them is El Clásico at the Bernabéu on 17 April.
    "I wasn't close to José when he was in England but I respected him. And when you speak to people like young Frank [Lampard], he said he was fantastic. You look at what he achieved at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan ... he has an amazing record. I like his style. He has real personality and I thought he livened up the place when he was here."
    Redknapp admires Mourinho's man-management. "José gets the best out of players &#8211; players want to play for him," he said. "You saw how upset the Inter players were when he left them after last season's Champions League final and it was like that at Chelsea, too. The players loved him and he loved English football."
    It would not surprise Redknapp were Mourinho to return to the Premier League. The Portuguese has been touted as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United. A more outlandish theory has him coming to Tottenham when Redknapp leaves for England. "I could tell you why he won't come here," Redknapp said, leaving the audience to speculate about his frustration at the chairman Daniel Levy's tight wage structure.
    But when Spurs play Madrid, the mouth-watering match-ups will not be in the dugouts. Real's attacking threats have panache, beginning with Cristiano Ronaldo, Mezut Ozil and Karim Benzema but Redknapp said that the Spanish club would be wary of his main men too. The stage is set for Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Van der Vaart.
    "Let's not kid ourselves," Redknapp said. "They know the damage that some of our players can cause. We feel we can play against anybody."
    Tottenham have done things the hard way on their Champions League debut. After flirting with disaster in the play-off round, on the artificial pitch of Young Boys of Bern, they were placed in what Redknapp felt was the toughest group, which contained the champions, Internazionale. It felt as if Milan in the last 16 was no reward for progressing as group winners . If they can get past Madrid, it is likely that Barcelona will bar the path to the Wembley final.
    Yet Redknapp and Tottenham have shown a relish for taking on the biggest names, an ability to be inspired rather than intimidated, and they will approach the Madrid tie with the exuberance that has carried them this far. Redknapp said that he wanted to get back to White Hart Lane for the second leg with his team's hopes still alive. Humiliation will not come into it.

 

Series: Squad sheets

Previous | Index

Squad sheets: Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers





  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 19.17 GMT <li class="history">Article history Manchester United have dropped only two points at home all season, whereas Bolton have not won away in the league since November, but Sir Alex Ferguson could be excused for feeling a little uncomfortable as he begins his five-match touchline ban. United's injury problems are considerable and, if Jonny Evans is not passed fit, it may be that a midfielder, Darren Fletcher or Michael Carrick, has to play instead of Wes Brown at right-back. Add to that Paul Scholes starting a two-match ban for accumulating ten yellow cards and Bolton, potential FA Cup final opponents, can believe they have at least a chance of ending a run of seven successive defeats at Old Trafford. Daniel Taylor
    Venue Old Trafford, Saturday 3pm
    Tickets Sold out
    Last season Manchester Utd 2 Bolton 1
    Referee Andre Marriner
    This season's matches 20 Y70, R2, 3.60 cards per game
    Odds Manchester Utd 3-7 Bolton 17-2 Draw 15-4
    Manchester-Utd-v-Bolton-001.jpg
    Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers: Probable starters in bold, contenders in light. Photograph: Graphic Manchester Utd

    Subs from Kuszczak, Gibson, Obertan, Hernández, Owen, Bébé, Park, Valencia, Fábio, Hargreaves
    Doubtful Evans (ankle), Fletcher (virus), Hargreaves (hamstring) Park (hamstring)
    Injured Anderson (knee, 2 Apr), Vidic (calf, 2 Apr), Rafael (hamstring, 9 Apr), Lindegaard (knee, 23 Apr), O'Shea (hamstring, 23 Apr), Ferdinand (calf, May)
    Suspended Scholes (first of two)
    Form guide LLWWLW
    Disciplinary record Y46 R2
    Leading scorer Berbatov 19
    Bolton

    Subs from Bogdan, Moreno, Blake, Alonso, Klasnic, Taylor, M Davies, Lee, Eaves, O'Halloran, Cohen, Samuel
    Doubtful M Davies (ankle), Samuel (match fitness), Steinsson (virus)
    Injured Knight (knee, 2 Apr), O'Brien (knee, 2 Apr), Davis (knee, Aug), Ricketts (achilles, Aug)
    Suspended None
    Form guide WDWLWL
    Disciplinary record Y53 R4
    Leading scorer Elmander 9
    Match pointers

    &#8226; United have not lost three Premier League games in a row since December 2001
    &#8226; Bolton won twice in a row at Old Trafford in 2001-02 and 2002-03 but have lost on every visit since
    &#8226; Javier Hernández has scored 10 league goals from just 14 shots on targets this season
    &#8226; Only half of the last 10 penalties faced by Jussi Jaaskelainen in the top flight have been scored &#8211; four saved, one missed
    &#8226; United have avoided defeat in all but one of the 25 matches in all competitions in which Chris Smalling has featured

 

Series: Squad sheets

Previous | Index

Squad sheets: Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers





  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 19.17 GMT <li class="history">Article history Manchester United have dropped only two points at home all season, whereas Bolton have not won away in the league since November, but Sir Alex Ferguson could be excused for feeling a little uncomfortable as he begins his five-match touchline ban. United's injury problems are considerable and, if Jonny Evans is not passed fit, it may be that a midfielder, Darren Fletcher or Michael Carrick, has to play instead of Wes Brown at right-back. Add to that Paul Scholes starting a two-match ban for accumulating ten yellow cards and Bolton, potential FA Cup final opponents, can believe they have at least a chance of ending a run of seven successive defeats at Old Trafford. Daniel Taylor
    Venue Old Trafford, Saturday 3pm
    Tickets Sold out
    Last season Manchester Utd 2 Bolton 1
    Referee Andre Marriner
    This season's matches 20 Y70, R2, 3.60 cards per game
    Odds Manchester Utd 3-7 Bolton 17-2 Draw 15-4
    Manchester-Utd-v-Bolton-001.jpg
    Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers: Probable starters in bold, contenders in light. Photograph: Graphic Manchester Utd

    Subs from Kuszczak, Gibson, Obertan, Hernández, Owen, Bébé, Park, Valencia, Fábio, Hargreaves
    Doubtful Evans (ankle), Fletcher (virus), Hargreaves (hamstring) Park (hamstring)
    Injured Anderson (knee, 2 Apr), Vidic (calf, 2 Apr), Rafael (hamstring, 9 Apr), Lindegaard (knee, 23 Apr), O'Shea (hamstring, 23 Apr), Ferdinand (calf, May)
    Suspended Scholes (first of two)
    Form guide LLWWLW
    Disciplinary record Y46 R2
    Leading scorer Berbatov 19
    Bolton

    Subs from Bogdan, Moreno, Blake, Alonso, Klasnic, Taylor, M Davies, Lee, Eaves, O'Halloran, Cohen, Samuel
    Doubtful M Davies (ankle), Samuel (match fitness), Steinsson (virus)
    Injured Knight (knee, 2 Apr), O'Brien (knee, 2 Apr), Davis (knee, Aug), Ricketts (achilles, Aug)
    Suspended None
    Form guide WDWLWL
    Disciplinary record Y53 R4
    Leading scorer Elmander 9
    Match pointers

    • United have not lost three Premier League games in a row since December 2001
    • Bolton won twice in a row at Old Trafford in 2001-02 and 2002-03 but have lost on every visit since
    • Javier Hernández has scored 10 league goals from just 14 shots on targets this season
    • Only half of the last 10 penalties faced by Jussi Jaaskelainen in the top flight have been scored – four saved, one missed
    • United have avoided defeat in all but one of the 25 matches in all competitions in which Chris Smalling has featured
 

Berbatov breaks Bolton down to edge Manchester United closer to title






Premier League

Manchester United 1
  • Berbatov 88
Bolton Wanderers 0


  • Paul Wilson at Old Trafford
  • guardian.co.uk, Saturday 19 March 2011 17.03 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Jonny-Evans-and-Kevin-Dav-007.jpg
    Manchester United's Jonny Evans and Bolton striker Kevin Davies compete for the ball. Evans was later sent off. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Manchester United are up to their old tricks again. Down to 10 men after Johnny Evans was sent off for a dreadful tackle that left the unlucky Stuart Holden departing on a stretcher, they left it until two minutes from the end to snatch a winner against a Bolton Wanderers side that deserved a point.
    The visitors deserved no more than that, although the United attack misfired so badly for most of the game they were entitled to hope their luck would hold until the end. Instead Dimitar Berbatov secured three points with a close-range tap-in after the normally reliable Jussi Jaaskelainen had fumbled a shot by Nani.
    Both sides had chances in an open yet fairly uneventful first half, with Wayne Rooney going close with a couple of firm drives, and Holden and Daniel Sturridge failing to make the most of fleeting opportunities at the other end. Perhaps the closest thing to a goal before the interval was from a well worked move by United, when Antonio Valencia sent Rooney behind the defence, only for Javier Hernández to shoot wide from the cutback.
    That was not good enough for the home side, even with news that Arsenal were losing at West Brom, and word came down from the stand that Berbatov and Fabio da Silva were to be introduced for the second half, the former in place of Hernández. A somewhat forlorn figure of late, not required against Arsenal or Marseille, Berbatov's first two contributions were to run offside and his third was to miscontrol a promising pass from Valencia.
    His next was to send a sidefoot shot inches wide from Rooney's lay-off. It was the sort of chance he might have put away with full match sharpness, and even with 20 minutes left it appeared it might be an important miss. The same was true a couple of minutes later when Berbatov briefly got goalside of Gary Cahill with only Jaaskelainen to beat, but hesitated fractionally and allowed the defender to make recovering tackle.
    When United went down to 10 men a couple of minutes after that, the referee, Andre Marriner, having no option but to dismiss Evans for his studs-up tackle on Holden, their options became even more limited, with Michael Carrick pressed into service as emergency centre-half.
    Rooney forced a scrambling save from Jaaskelainen and Matt Taylor should have done better with a free header at the other end, before Nani, with his second attempt in as many minutes, produced a shot that Jaaskelainen could not hold and Berbatov was on hand to snaffle the rebound.

 
Comments in chronological order (Total 82 comments)

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    WilliamDean 19 March 2011 5:06PM

    Have to give credit - the match reports go up pretty quick these days.
    This looks like a possible clincher in the title race. 88th minute winner, and Arsenal's form means the game in hand is probably only worth 1 point.
    Unless Chelsea make a late surge...




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    WilliamDean 19 March 2011 5:08PM

    This looks like Evans out for 3 games - even fewer defenders for Fergie to make phone calls about during games.



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    MrHeisenberg 19 March 2011 5:08PM

    Phew! Massive result given Arsenal's slip.
    No complaints about the Evans red, rank tackle.






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    frosty8uk 19 March 2011 5:11PM

    Fantastic win ahead of the international break. Time to get a few more players back.


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    Hemulen 19 March 2011 5:12PM

    Will Ferguson describe Evans' tackle as "disgraceful", I wonder?
    I won't be holding my breath.



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    rusticred 19 March 2011 5:12PM

    Arsenal are chokers plain and simple.
    United play to win , The Fergie factor is mental strength.




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    MrHeisenberg 19 March 2011 5:13PM

    Fantastic win ahead of the international break. Time to get a few more players back.
    ​
    Definitely, I'll feel a whole lot more comfortable with Vidic marshalling at the back again.


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    arturochinaski 19 March 2011 5:13PM

    win of the season for me! 😱))
    although we did seem to lack ideas at times, rooney was great.
    no complaints about the red. i don't think for a second it was malicious, but it was dangerous and i hope holden is alright.


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    the1red 19 March 2011 5:13PM

    Oh Johnyy Boy...we could have done with a red card in any position of the pitch other than defence. But your overall play was good today.
    Thanks to Nani for taking matters into his own hands and testing Jaaskelainen . Sometimes being selfish helps 🙂


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    ChinnyChinChin 19 March 2011 5:14PM

    That was a relief.
    Evans' tackle was bad and deserved a red card. But it didn't look like he set out to hurt him. He just ****ed up.
    Reaction of the US-based sports writers on Twitter is a bit ridiculous. Making it seem like Evans intentionally went out to cripple the entire USA national team. Grow up.



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    EddieMunro 19 March 2011 5:14PM

    Another ref who doesn't want us to win title number 19. Stick that up your scouse loving jacksie Marriner.





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    rusticred 19 March 2011 5:15PM

    One game at a time. Thank you, Arsenal. Let's hope City and Chelsea tie.
    ​
    I think that City will lose this one they are in the same mould as Arsenal.


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    BilloChaman 19 March 2011 5:15PM

    Yesssssssssssssssss!!!
    Berbatov and Hernandez upfront, with Rooney in the midfield, in the Scholes role...thats what is needed!


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    lordbuckley 19 March 2011 5:15PM

    The historic 19th title awaits...still a way to go but it looks as if destiny is smiling on the magnificent red devils.




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    1723985 19 March 2011 5:15PM

    A draw would have made it more interesting for the rest of us, but before this season I would never have pegged Berbatov to be United's saviour, it's funny how things turn out.


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    meetandveg 19 March 2011 5:16PM

    Here's hopin for a chelsea v citeh 0-0 stalemate tomorrow. Tactically it might be better a citeh win but NO, I can't go as far as wishing them any fortune at all.



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    ChinnyChinChin 19 March 2011 5:16PM

    In other news, Warren Barton just said "Beckford is starting to show glimpses of what they spent the money for". That'll be free transfer Jermaine Beckford.


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    WilliamDean 19 March 2011 5:16PM

    frosty8uk 19 March 2011 5:05PM
    sounds vaguely creepy with the extra r
    ​
    Nah, the more r's the better, loverrrrrrrrrr
    Kiling time before the Everton game... but this has the feel of a turning point. West Brom away should be 3 points for a title chasing team in the run in.


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    PaulLambert 19 March 2011 5:16PM

    Bit of a flat performance from United today, but i'm sure they'll take the three points. Five points clear, a nice two week break to try and get some of the walking wounded fit. Can't be bad.
    Hope the injury to Holden isn't too serious.
    It was probably a deserved red card for Evans, but I will say is that the tackle wasn't as dangerous as Carragher's on Nani, and Carragher never walked.
    In the first half, they were also denied a clear penalty when Cahill stopped Chicarito's goal bound shot with his hand. Then Cahill made a really bad tackle on Evra, and could've easily been booked. United never even got a free kick.
    But i'm sure next time a big decision goes their way, all this will be forgotten about, and the usual suspects will start up with their 'refs favour United' nonsense.



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    timelord24 19 March 2011 5:17PM

    vital vital goal from berba to secure 3 points tonight. another defender out for 3 matches. now left with only 4 defenders.


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    saurabh 19 March 2011 5:17PM

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see our FAQs.


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    Squall 19 March 2011 5:17PM

    Can't complain about the red card. Was good to see the spirit to keep going and get the goal and then not sit back and try and get another as well. Hopefully we'll have some players back after the break. Shame we didn't get a chance to see Park today.



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    PatCake 19 March 2011 5:18PM

    Kevin Davies for England? My mum could have scored that with her arse.
    Mind you, she'd get a straight red instead of the cursory yellow if she peeled off her jersey in celebration. And Wayne Rooney pitching a tent in his shorts doesn't bear thinking about either so perhaps it's best she gives football a wide berth.
    Big big win for United. It'll take a big ****-up for them not to see the job through now.


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    moBbad 19 March 2011 5:19PM

    really sad to see Evans make a lunge like that,e specially as he was actually playing well! really hope Holden is ok. good to see Marriner making the big decision though. THAT is a strong and fair referee.
    still, that was a massive win. loved Berba playing supersub, 20 league goals!
    Smalling with another excellent performance. 10m really was a bargain.
    has to be said though: Valencia, Nani and Evra were absolutely immense after the sending off. drove United forward time and time again. brilliant leadership from those 3.
    Valencia was so sorely missed.



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    jrsuperstar 19 March 2011 5:19PM

    I think most would agree that the EPL is far from presenting the best football in the world. Are there no players out there that are getting people excited, a team with young English players that people would pay to watch and actually give a damn about. Of course I can only go by what I watch in the Bundesliga and watching a team like Borussia Dortmund, where the vast majority of players, are young and German, gives hope that, at least in Deutschland, that a passion can still exist for real football.


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    TheOutcast 19 March 2011 5:19PM

    Convenient that the match report glosses over the blatant penalty that Utd should have had in the 9th minute. If it had been at the other end, it would have been a major talking point. Utd, however, just get on with it and win the game anyway.


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    jimmygreenhoff 19 March 2011 5:20PM

    I'm pleased for Berbatov - he must have wondered what he had to do to keep his place after his best season for us so far.
    It does feel like this was a crucial Saturday for us.
    Bad news about losing yet another defender for a probable three matches - although the way Evans has been playing this season that may not entirely be a bad thing.
    Actually, the way Carrick has been playing in midfield he may be more useful at centre-half.


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    zorrocelestial 19 March 2011 5:20PM

    I'm guessing that if Utd go on to win the league,there will be an sharp rise in the number of baby boys named Jussi in around the Salford area.
 
West Brom's Steven Reid knocks another dent in Arsenal's title tilt






Premier League

West Brom 2
  • Reid 3,
  • Odemwingie 58
Arsenal 2
  • Arshavin 70,
  • van Persie 78


  • Joe Lovejoy at the Hawthorns
  • guardian.co.uk, Saturday 19 March 2011 17.12 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Laurent-Koscielny-007.jpg
    Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny rises to head the ball during his side's premier league game against West Brom. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Arsenal gifted West Brom two embarrassing goals, then hit back in the second half to equalise through Andrey Arshavin and Robin van Persie, but this was very much a case of two points dropped for Arsène Wenger and his team, who needed all three to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the Premier League.
    Albion, too, were left rueing the outcome, after blowing a 2&#8211;0 lead, but they are edging clear of relegation after going five matches unbeaten.
    The defensive fallibility that has undermined Arsenal all season was quickly apparent as they fell behind after three minutes. Manuel Almunia, and especially his centre-halves, were all found wanting when Chris Brunt's corner from the left was swung into the goalmouth, where Steven Reid rose above Aaron Ramsey seven yards out to power a header into the roof of the net.
    Inevitably, the thought occurred that Jens Lehmann, called out of retirement at 41 and on the bench, would have made a better fist of dealing with such routine danger. That said, Laurent Koscielny and Sébastien Squillaci did their goalkeeper no favours, unnecessarily conceding first possession and then the corner.
    Arsenal were tantalisingly close to equalising after 26 minutes, when Gaël Clichy sent Arshavin away on the left to cross for Van Persie, whose header bounced out off the crossbar. Ramsey, following in, had his shot saved by Scott Carson.
    Still behind at half-time, it was clear the Gunners needed more firepower, and Wenger sent on an extra striker, Marouane Chamakh, in place of Denílson, facilitating the switch to 4-4-2.
    It was West Brom, however, who ought to have scored nine minutes after the interval, when a left-wing cross from Marek Cech deserved a better fate than Brunt's horrible miss six yards out at the far post. Arsenal's reprieve was only temporary. They fell further behind after 58 minutes when Almunia raced 10 yards out of his penalty area and became involved in a dreadful after-you mix up with Squillaci. Neither of them dealt with Youssouf Mulumbu's long punt forward, each blaming the other as Peter Odemwingi rolled the ball into an untenanted net. On the bench, Lehmann's face was a picture.
    Arsenal clawed their way back into contention after 70 minutes, when Chamakh supplied Arshavin, who drove crisply across Carson from left to right. Nine minutes later they were level, with Arshavin the provider this time. The Russian's cross from the left was met at the far post by Nicklas Bendtner, whose close-range leader hit the upright and bounced into the six-yard box where Abdoulaye Méïté, wrong-footed, could not prevent Van Persie from nudging it over the line.
    Arsenal would have won it in added time but for the low, reaching save with which Carson denied Clichy.

 
West Brom's Steven Reid knocks another dent in Arsenal's title tilt






Premier League

West Brom 2
  • Reid 3,
  • Odemwingie 58
Arsenal 2
  • Arshavin 70,
  • van Persie 78


  • Joe Lovejoy at the Hawthorns
  • guardian.co.uk, Saturday 19 March 2011 17.12 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Laurent-Koscielny-007.jpg
    Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny rises to head the ball during his side's premier league game against West Brom. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Arsenal gifted West Brom two embarrassing goals, then hit back in the second half to equalise through Andrey Arshavin and Robin van Persie, but this was very much a case of two points dropped for Arsène Wenger and his team, who needed all three to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the Premier League.
    Albion, too, were left rueing the outcome, after blowing a 2–0 lead, but they are edging clear of relegation after going five matches unbeaten.
    The defensive fallibility that has undermined Arsenal all season was quickly apparent as they fell behind after three minutes. Manuel Almunia, and especially his centre-halves, were all found wanting when Chris Brunt's corner from the left was swung into the goalmouth, where Steven Reid rose above Aaron Ramsey seven yards out to power a header into the roof of the net.
    Inevitably, the thought occurred that Jens Lehmann, called out of retirement at 41 and on the bench, would have made a better fist of dealing with such routine danger. That said, Laurent Koscielny and Sébastien Squillaci did their goalkeeper no favours, unnecessarily conceding first possession and then the corner.
    Arsenal were tantalisingly close to equalising after 26 minutes, when Gaël Clichy sent Arshavin away on the left to cross for Van Persie, whose header bounced out off the crossbar. Ramsey, following in, had his shot saved by Scott Carson.
    Still behind at half-time, it was clear the Gunners needed more firepower, and Wenger sent on an extra striker, Marouane Chamakh, in place of Denílson, facilitating the switch to 4-4-2.
    It was West Brom, however, who ought to have scored nine minutes after the interval, when a left-wing cross from Marek Cech deserved a better fate than Brunt's horrible miss six yards out at the far post. Arsenal's reprieve was only temporary. They fell further behind after 58 minutes when Almunia raced 10 yards out of his penalty area and became involved in a dreadful after-you mix up with Squillaci. Neither of them dealt with Youssouf Mulumbu's long punt forward, each blaming the other as Peter Odemwingi rolled the ball into an untenanted net. On the bench, Lehmann's face was a picture.
    Arsenal clawed their way back into contention after 70 minutes, when Chamakh supplied Arshavin, who drove crisply across Carson from left to right. Nine minutes later they were level, with Arshavin the provider this time. The Russian's cross from the left was met at the far post by Nicklas Bendtner, whose close-range leader hit the upright and bounced into the six-yard box where Abdoulaye Méïté, wrong-footed, could not prevent Van Persie from nudging it over the line.
    Arsenal would have won it in added time but for the low, reaching save with which Carson denied Clichy.
 
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