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Hartlepool United’s opening game of the season – a Capital One Cup first round tie at Crewe – involved them being the recipients of a romping, and watching an exhibition of football played in front of them.

However good Crewe were, Pools were poor. Scratch that, diabolical is a better word.

The front two of Max Clayton and Ajay Leitch-Smith caused dizziness that matched only that of a drunken night’s out for Peter Hartley and Sam Collins through the duo’s perpetual movement and ingenious dances behind the back line. The sickness feeling wasn’t a direct result of the circles been ran round the blue and white shirts, it was a result of watching appalling defending. Last season’s defence was, on the whole, locked shut. Clayton and Leitch-Smith had obviously turned locksmiths during the summer, unlocking the defence as easy as an open door.

Yet it would be criminal not to laud Alexandra. For every misplaced, slack and predictable pass served up by Pools, Crewe responded with their own brand of tika-taka.

Crewe arrived at kick off on the back of a highly successful pre-season, and they were clearly fine tuned for the start of the new campaign. Neale Cooper’s side, on the other hand, dished up a performance marred with rustiness and the fair few doses of calamities. Against a forward line of Clayton, Leitch-Smith and the robust Mathias Pogba, being punished was inevitable.

Such damage arrived after only 7 minutes. Peter Hartley clattered into a red shirt, making its way towards goal. A yellow followed, but worse was to come. The ball was chipped over the wall and Leitch-Smith swiveled, demanding the scoreboard’s first work of the season.

The scoreboard was quickly back in use, signalling goal 2, 3 and 4. Leitch-Smith portrayed poetic running in tandem with Clayton, the former tucking the ball back inside off the by-line, teeing up Clayton who side footed beyond Flinders.

Goal three was next, and the third episode in what would later be a series of defensive nightmares being broadcast. Neil Austin turned ball-watcher, allowing Pogba to slip in behind him and meet a driven ball from the right.

If Austin was embarrassed then he was well and truly custard pied on 41 minutes. Clayton made another laughing stock out of Austin – and Jonathan Franks – to make full use of a counter attack and make it four.

If Crewe were fortunate to lead so early on having been on the end of an opening 7-minute battering, which saw Franks target Steve Howard with delicious crosses and Howard, Evan Horwood and Simon Walton both testing their fortune, their 4-0 half time lead was certainly not flattering; it was deserved.

James Poole was introduced at the expense of Luke James at half time but Pools couldn’t mastermind what would have been a cup comeback to end all cup comebacks. Yes, Pools enjoyed the ball’s comfort at more periods in the second half, but they failed to make any use out of it.

Walton, Monkhouse and a dejected-looking Howard registered efforts from outside of the box, but the chances of success ebbed away almost as soon as connection with the boot was made

Evan Horwood was the delivery man from the left. The deliveries were good, but there was no enthusiasm to meet them. Antony Sweeney – guilty of not assisting Walton in the middle – looped an effort over. Monkhouse was denied by the post, the closest Pools coming.

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Abdul Osman and Ashley Westwood controlled the midfield as if presented with the ground’s deeds. Allowing Pools in sight of the ball didn’t unease Alexandra, for they were safe in the knowledge that their cup run was never in doubt.

Pogba made sure of the hosts’ passage into the next round by adding Collins to his victim tally late on, outmuscling him before finishing cooly. Pools were thankful the ninety minutes was up. At least it wasn’t the league.

You can find me on Twitter @cmbell310 for more football chat.

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that he is happy with how his side played against Benfica on Wednesday night, and that a 1-1 draw is a good result.

A Ryan Giggs strike cancelled out Oscar Cardozo’s opener, as the points were shared at the Estadio da Luz, and the Scottish manager felt it was a good game.

“Once we scored, we played well,” he told Sky Sports at full-time.

“Our possession was too cautious in the first half. It was the kind of possession that gives you a certain control but doesn’t win you the game. Benfica had some terrific chances in the last 15 minutes. There was one very good chance, and Anders [Lindegaard] made a great save.”

The Dane played well in winning the point for the Premier League champions, but Fergie confirmed that David de Gea would be reinstated for the crucial domestic fixture against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.

“David De Gea will play on Sunday. That was the understanding we had before the game, and it doesn’t change.

“I don’t know why you ask these questions, you’re just looking for stupid little things. Anyway…it proves we have two terrific goalkeepers,” he concluded.

United’s next Champions League fixture is at home to FC Basel on September 27, with Romanian side Otelul Galati making up the final team in Group C.

Meanwhile, Benfica boss Jorge Jesus was also happy with the point, but feels that his team had the better of the play.

“We faced a top team, full of quality and experience and we drew. We did well because we were supportive, because we defended well and because we created problems for their defence.

“If there was to be a winner, it was Benfica but a point against United is not bad,” he admitted.

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West Bromwich Albion’s decision to sack Roberto Di Matteo meant that the former Chelsea midfielder became the fourth Premier League manager to succumb to the axe this season. The Italian was placed on gardening leave after presiding over a dreadful run which saw the Baggies lose 13 of their last 18 games.

Defending his decision, Albion chairman Jeremy Peace said: “We, as a board, believe it is the right [decision] to give the club the best possible chance of remaining in the Premier League.

“If this run continues much longer, achieving our goal of retaining our Premier League status will become increasingly difficult. That is why we felt compelled to act now.

“This club’s track record proves we do not take such decisions lightly, with Roberto being only our fourth manager or head coach in almost 11 years.”

Di Matteo’s shock departure from the Hawthorns signified a dramatic change of fortunes for the likeable Italian. He guided the Baggies to automatic promotion at the first time of asking last May, and was named Premier League Manager of the Month just four months ago after leading his side to their best ever start to a Premier League season.

League Managers Assocation chief executive Richard Bevan criticised the sacking of Di Matteo. He said: “Roberto represents yet another victim of the ‘hire and fire’ mentality that pervades in our game.

“It is in exactly situations like these that we all want to see clubs back the individuals they have employed rather than see the sack as a quick fix panacea.”

Figures compiled by Bevan last season show that a manager’s average tenure now is around one year and four months, compared to three and a half years in 1992.

The devastating financial ramifications of relegation mean that survival in the Premier League is as crucial and important as ever; the fact that the Championship play-off final is colloquially known as the most lucrative game in football supports this assertion. A football club’s manager is the man responsible for the performances of the team, and as such, is regarded as the chief scapegoat when displays and results suffer.

Bevan says: “In football, there is an incomprehensible belief that the continued sacrificing of the football manager, the ‘scapegoat’ and installing another will turn around a football club’s performance.”

The impending threat of relegation has meant that Avram Grant has faced uncertainty surrounding his West Ham United future for large parts of the season. At the other end of the table, Carlo Ancelotti’s seeming inability to guide Chelsea to a second successive Premier League title has meant that he has faced questions over his Stamford Bridge future. Liverpool’s uncharacteristic foray into the lower echelons of the Premier League eventually culminated in Roy Hodgson’s early exit.

The installation of Kenny Dalglish as Hodgson’s interim replacement has yielded short-term success for Liverpool (they are currently second in the Premier League form table), but there is no guarantee that this will continue. The ‘new manager’ effect often has a positive short-term impact on form, but more often than not, this form is followed by a level of performances and results comparable to those achieved before the change.

Unfortunately, Di Matteo’s dismissal is characteristic of the modern football environment. The thirst for instant gratification and importance of financial stability (stability which is heavily dependent upon Premier League survival) means that many managers are not given time to turn results around. This trend shows no sign of abating, and if this is case, Di Matteo is unlikely to be the last manager to be handed his P45 prematurely this season.

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has stated that Manchester City must make a ridiculous offer for Daniel Agger for him to consider selling the defender.

The Denmark international has emerged as a summer transfer target for the Premier League champions, but the Anfield boss is determined to hold onto the centre-back.

“There’s no way I want to lose one of my best players and Daniel is one of the leading centre halves in European football,” The Daily Mail quote Rodgers as saying.

“There’s been contact from City, yes. But it’s nowhere near the valuation of what the player is worth and you can only consider something like that if it is going to benefit you.

“Of course you might lose a top player but if it benefits you going forward – and you can make two or three steps because of it – you may have to consider it.

“But we don’t want to sell Daniel. So unless someone comes in with a ridiculous offer, that makes you think you can benefit in one or two other areas, (we will not).

“Daniel and I have had a number of conversations so he knows where I am at, he knows where the club are at and he doesn’t want to leave, which is great, Rodgers confirmed.

Meanwhile, Mirror Football indicate that City will return with another bid for Agger of around £23 million, and will also offer Adam Johnson on a season-long loan deal.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Chelsea’s narrow, hard fought victory against West Brom last Saturday saw them collect maximum points for the first time this season – but not for the first time, the win came once Fernando Torres had left the field of play. For all of Torres’ apparent sharpness at the start of this new campaign, there still remains a pattern which has followed Chelsea more often than not, since the Spaniard’s expensive arrival at the club – a win trail which seems to follow, whenever Torres has left the pitch.

As of yet, it may not be deemed too alarming a situation for Chelsea, and their fans. After all, a win trail means they are still collecting 3-points when all’s said and done. But it will be very alarming for Fernando Torres, especially as the pattern becomes more and more noticeable. The thing is, the Chelsea number-9 is yet to find his goalscoring boots since arriving in London (leading many to claim he’s forgotten to pack them). And whilst his personal drought continues, he will always be under scrutiny – whether Chelsea win or lose. Unfortunately for the £50 million man, big price-tags bring big expectations and pressure, and this coupled with his poor form straight from the off, led to the immediate and intense scrutiny of his Chelsea career.

It took Torres until his 15th game in Chelsea colours to finally score for his new team, but rather than the flood gates opening as many predicted, he has failed to add to his tally of one goal. Even the much maligned and scrutinised Andy Carroll has scored more goals than Torres since he replaced the Spaniard at Anfield, to many people’s amazement. Most notably, ‘expert’ Paul Merson, who made a (bigger) fool of himself when stating that Liverpool had made a mistake in letting Torres go and replacing him with Carroll and Suarez, as the Spaniard would score more than the pair of them put together during the rest of that season. Don’t stick to your day job Paul…

Pre-season was supposed to bring a fresh start for all at Chelsea and more so to Torres. New manager, new tactics, new team-mates – and a chance to start the new season 100% fit. However the Spaniard continued to misfire during their Asian tour, leading to touchy and tetchy interviews whenever questioned on his form. ‘I have not forgotten how to score – I will score!’ he stated, rather sharply – which only managed to intensify the whole situation.

Even Abramovich must now be wondering if he gave the go-ahead for the massive signing of the correct striker, such has been Sergio Aguero’s (who Chelsea were linked with over a number of years) instant brilliance at Manchester City since joining his new club. The Argentine has scored more goals in 30 minutes of Premier League action, than Torres has in 6-months. The comparisons with Shevchenko – another expensive flop at Chelsea, continue to grow and grow. The situation becomes even more intriguing, the more Chelsea find ways to win once their costly number-9 is substituted – giving new manager Andre Villas-Boas a striking conundrum.

You see Chelsea already have strikers at the club, and whilst they may be deemed past their prime, they are proven goalscorers for the club – and proven winners whilst wearing Blue. Although Chelsea may be trying to usher in a new period – led by Torres, they still find themselves in situations where they have to fall back on the ‘old-guard’ of Drogba and Anelka to win games, such has been Torres’ failings. That’s not to say things will remain the same – Torres has looked visibly sharper in the season’s opening two fixtures, winning the Man of the Match award in the first. But the fact still remains; they drew the opening fixture 0-0 with Torres playing 89 minutes, then against West Brom it wasn’t until they withdrew Torres for Drogba on 58 minutes, that they took the lead and won the game 2-1. It is a worrying, reoccurring pattern which stretches back to last season with Chelsea gaining better results once Torres has left the pitch.

Until Villas-Boas finds a perfect solution and formation for Torres, a player who throughout his career has always performed best individually when playing up-front alone (Atletico, Liverpool and Spain as evidence), or Torres himself finally manages to adapt his game in a way he has never done before, then his career in the ‘Big Smoke’, may go up in smoke.

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If you want to read more from myself including news, thoughts and views you can follow me on Twitter @fantasista1077 thanks!

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Liverpool have struck a deal with Dutch club Ajax to sign Uruguay forward Luis Suarez.

Liverpool will pay about 23 million pounds for the striker, who starred at the 2010 FIFA World Cup for his country, scoring three goals in six appearances.

The two clubs have been in negotiations throughout the January transfer window and recently Ajax boss Frank de Boer claimed Suarez’s move was a “50-50 chance” of being completed.

“Ajax and Liverpool have reached an agreement over the transfer of Luis Suarez,” a statement on Ajax’s official website confirmed on Friday.

“He will make the move to the English club immediately. The deal is worth up to a total of 26.5 million euros (22.8 million pounds).”

Liverpool will now hope to agree on personal terms with the 24-year-old striker, before he completes a medical and officially signs with the Anfield outfit.

The signing of Suarez is sure to boost Liverpool’s current league position, with the 2005 Champions League winners currently sitting seventh.

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Suarez has a prolific scoring record for Ajax, netting 81 goals in 110 Eredivisie appearances for the club and could form a lethal partnership with Fernando Torres.

But for that to happen, Liverpool must hang onto Torres, who has been the subject of big-money bids from Chelsea.

With the much anticipated news that FIFA have finally announced goal line technology will be introduced into football, fans, managers and players alike have been celebrating a new era for the sport. After years of yearning for more conclusive evidence to be made available to referees, there is now a system in place to remove any questions marks over whether the ball has crossed the line.

Despite this progress, there are still concerns that the new system will be the end of the professional game as we know it. Sepp Blatter v Michel Platini may not be a prize fight that fans would flock to witness but the two leaders of World and European football are at loggerheads over how intrusive the latest technology will be. I for one have always favoured the idea of technology playing a role but I could never see how it would be introduced without it spreading to every facet of the beautiful game. With this in mind I must admit to agreeing with the concerns raised by UEFA’s outspoken President.

While Blatter has responded to constant cries from the professional game to introduce such a system, Platini has remained steadfast in his concerns that it will be the beginning of the end for football as we know it. The Frenchman insists he’s against all form of technology, not simply on the goal line, and has been vocal in his concerns for the future of the sport as more and more incidents become scrutinised. A recent example of this was Ukraine’s disallowed goal against England at Euro 2012. The ball was over the line so a goal should have been given and yet replays showed there was an offside in the build up meaning in fact the goal shouldn’t have stood. While two wrongs by the linesman do not make a right, the correct decision was made but the manner with which it was reached is not a precedent for future refereeing. Platini believes extra officials are the key to increasing the success rate of decisions but in this instance both the linesman and his little helper behind the goal got it wrong. In all honesty, the involvement of the extra officials will be regarded as completely unnecessary until they are seen to actually make a decision but clearly however many eyes the authorities place around the ground, there will always be room for human error.

As much I dismiss Platini’s naivety when introducing 5th and 6th officials, I do understand his attempts to avoid technology for as long as possible because unfortunately there are still far too many loop holes to be found and controversy will inevitably follow. Had a goal line system been in place in Donetsk then Ukraine’s goal against England would’ve been given. The logic is officials must assume every decision they made in the build up was acceptable and ultimately the only debatable issue is whether the Ukrainian shot actually crossed the line. Well as we all know it did, so Ukraine are given a goal but England are left bemoaning technology once more, especially considering the ease with which spectators have seen the replays. Suddenly technology has given a goal that wasn’t and this will be heightened when a handball or a foul is also involved during the build up.

Blatter believes the bottom line is that goals are most important thing for officials to get right. If we start debating offside calls as well then we have to look at handballs, throw ins, fouls and every other decision made since the ball last went dead. It would be impossible to sift through minutes of footage to find the smallest inconsistencies so perhaps the technology is better suited to its finite role. Since fans currently suffer through plenty of controversial decisions, surely any improvements will be to the benefit of the game, however limiting the authorities are being at the moment.

If supporters accept that goal line technology is the only system to be introduced then there’s no reason why it cannot be embraced amidst the remaining contentious decisions that surround the game on a weekly basis. I may fear the potential repercussions but I appreciate there will be a number of teams who will benefit from system even if it doesn’t spread throughout the game. That said I still wait with trepidation for the day a player is rewarded for standing offside and handling the ball over the goal line.

Are you pleased to see goal line technology introduced? Do you think it will be the downfall of football as we know it?

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Let me know your views and opinions by following me on Twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

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Wesley Sneijder could finally join Manchester United this week in a £32 million deal the Mirror reports.

The Dutch midfielder is hoping to thrash out his future in the next 48 hours and also hold formal talks with the Premier League champions.

He hinted that a move could be close after informal talks were held between United and Inter Milan.

Further talks were planned to take place after Holland’s friendly with England but the riots that have gripped the country has shifted the move forward a few steps.

Sneijder will now seek the permission of officials at the San Siro to begin negotiating with the Red Devils over personal terms.

Inter have accepted that they will lose their playmaker and his officials are set to fly into Manchester to start discussing terms on a deal worth £200,000.

His wage could be a problem as he enjoys tax favourable status on a deal worth £250,000.

The pay structure at Old Trafford is set at £180,000 although a number of performance based add-ons would be included in the deal to bring it up to Sneijder’s requirements.

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Should the move go through it would end a transfer saga that has dragged on for the entire summer.

It will also but an end to Sir Alex Ferguson’s search for a midfielder capable of replacing Paul Scholes in midfield.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has suggested Shaun Wright-Phillips could stay at Eastlands until the end of the season.

Speculation over the 29-year-old’s future has been rife during the January transfer window, with a host of top flight clubs interested in securing the services of the out-of-favour winger.

While it appeared only a matter of time before Wright-Phillips moved away from City, Mancini has now declared he could be retained to preserve squad depth.

“If we lose another player we need to bring in someone different. It is impossible to have 19-20 players for the next four months,” Mancini said.

Mancini also said he would not object to a return for Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who left this week to begin a loan spell at Real Madrid until the end of the season.

With Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and new signing Edin Dzeko above him in the pecking order at Eastlands, Adebayor opted for a move to the Bernabeu to regain some lost confidence.

When asked if Adebayor could return to City under his stewardship, Mancini replied: “Why not?”

“I think that it’s important that when a player plays, he always plays 100 percent happy.”

“I think that the situation is good for him because with Real Madrid he has a chance to play in the Champions League.”

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“I think that will be good for his confidence and at the end of the season, we will see. I hope he can play well and score a lot of goals for Real Madrid, and I’d be happy for him.”

City travel to Meadow Lane on Sunday for an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Notts County, but will be without winger Adam Johnson who has an ankle injury.

Jermain Defoe has left England’s Euro 2012 camp to fly back home after his father Jimmy passed away.

The Tottenham striker’s father lost a long fight against cancer, and the diminutive attacker has flown home for an undetermined amount of time.

It is yet to be seen how long Defoe will be absent for and whether he will return in time for the Three Lions opener against France on Monday.

“England striker Jermain Defoe has returned home to England this morning following the passing of his father overnight,” read an FA statement.

“Jermain will rejoin the England Euro squad in due course. There will be no replacement player called in.

“We would ask all media to respect Jermain and his family’s privacy at this difficult time.”

Defoe thanked all concerned after the sad event for their support and understanding.

“I want to thank the fans, my family and friends, the England boys, the FA and the manager for their support,” he said on Twitter.

“I can’t tell you how much it means to me.

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“I love you all may God bless you. A special thank you to Royal Marsden’s doctors & nurses who looked after my dad v.special people.”

By Gareth McKnight

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