FootballFilter

Hello and welcome to my latest look at what has been passing through the Football Filter this week.

Time has run out for Pompey. THE BBC are reporting that the South Coast club are preparing to go into administration on Friday. It will mean a nine point deduction and almost certain relegation but given the alternative was a winding-up hearing on Monday, it was the lesser of two evils.

Sunday sees the first domestic cup final of the season with Aston Villa taking on holders Manchester United at Wembley.  Villa will be looking to repeat the achievements of the 1994 side who beat a treble chasing United 3-1 at the old stadium. To bring back the memories THE INDEPENDENT brings us the ten best League Cup finals of years gone by.

To complete Fabio Capello’s month from hell he was given another headache when Wayne Bridge declared himself unavailable for this summer’s World Cup. THE TELEGRAPH carries the details, though THE STAR is more scathing in their opinion of Bridge’s decision. With Ashley Cole injured, England could be without their two best left-backs this summer, something that will have an impact on their World Cup 2010 betting odds.

This presents the inevitable question of who will replace him? There are a number of blogs covering this issue though FOTBALLSUP managed to get in there fist.

If you fancy a bit of respite from England’s latest crisis 3NIL gives us a list of footballers who look like super-villains. Chucky, King Kong and sloth from the Goonies make it onto the list – but who do they resemble?

An interesting piece in WHEN SATURDAY COMES discusses their implementation of neutral sections at Craven Cottage to accommodate your non-London based football fan. Is it something that could be introduced lsewhere?

And finally…

Fancy doing you bit for the environment? Well THE GUARDIAN is reporting that Brazil will wear shirts made out of recycled plastic at this summer’s World Cup. The shirts will also be worn at the finals by the teams of the USA, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Serbia, and Slovenia. It’s good to see teams doing their bit.

Football journalist Will Wainewright takes his latest look at one of the week’s big stories

No answer to Terry/Bridge dilemma

Some sad news for England fans came today with Wayne Bridge announcing his retirement from international football. The Manchester City and England left back’s decision does not come as much of a surprise following last month’s shock revelation that his best mate and former Chelsea colleague John Terry had been sleeping with his ex-wife.

Along with being the news story of the year, the episode was the latest example of a footballer behaving badly. Sports journalists longed for the clamour surrounding the story to die down so they could write about their subjects in the back pages once more.

In an article in The Times on Monday, chief football writer Oliver Kay – a journalist I much admire – bemoaned ‘the climate we are in,’ in which ‘nothing gets the nation in more of a lather than tales of footballers behaving badly.’ But the Terry/Bridge case is different from the standard scenario.

The recent off-field stories concerning Ashley Cole may have brought himself and his club into disrepute, but had no real impact upon the dressing room. Terry’s actions, however, produced a situation where it would be unthinkable for him and Bridge to play on the same team ever again.

The news has massive consequences for England in football terms. With first-choice left back Cole now a major world cup doubt after breaking his ankle, Bridge’s retirement leaves Capello with a huge problem in that position. Terry is obviously to blame, but no one other than the most ardently moralistic Daily Mail reader would argue for his exclusion. Fair it is not, but Terry is the more important player for England.

So how to resolve such a dilemma? Terry is at fault, yet Bridge, the injured party, has taken the fall. The saddest part of the entire shabby episode is that there is no other alternative, other than Bridge somehow finding it within himself to forgive Terry or the latter himself retiring. Neither will happen, and that is a tragedy for Bridge.

Hello and welcome to my look at what has been passing through the Football Filter this week.

Where else to start but the John Terry saga? The deposed England captain has had his fair share of headlines in recent weeks but appeared to put that behind him in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Arsenal. Terry jets off to Dubai this weekend to try and patch things up with his wife and his mind was already there instead of at Goodison on Wednesday as the league leaders crashed to a 2-1 defeat. Everyone has had their say in the subject, from managers and former players to MPs. But what about the Chelsea fans? BRIDGE VIEWS has sought the opinions of Blues supporters on the issue, with varying results.

The High Court is not usually associated with football but that is where Portsmouth found themselves on Wednesday as they bid to stave off liquidation. They have been given a week to save themselves and avoid becoming the first ever Premier League side to go bust. It is a sorry and complicated tale, but THE INDEPENDENT answers any questions about the saga – including what would happen should Pompey go to the wall before the end of the season. Even if they survive, Portsmouth’s Premier League odds suggest they are destined to be relegated.

After staving off one England crisis Fabio Capello will have another headache to deal with after Ashley Cole fractured his ankle in the defeat to Everton. THE GUARDIAN reports that Cole could miss the World Cup, meaning a certain Wayne Bridge could be starting alongside John Terry. Interesting.

One of the most popular stories came from SOCCERLENS where an article asks if, in the wake of newspaper stories linking Barcelona with Frank Ribery and Cesc Fabregas, the Catalan club needs to buy superstar Galacticos like their bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Sunday is, of course, Valentine’s Day, a day where you show your love to your partner and shower them with attention and gifts. But what if your second (or more probably first) love football, is also scheduled for the same day? IN THE STANDS has some advice for those in that tricky position.

And finally…

Homophobia in football is one of the last taboos to be kicked out of the game – proven by the fact there are no openly gay footballers in England. After successfully clamping down on racism in football the Kick It Out campaign and the FA began an initiative aimed at tackling the issues of homophobia in football. But when approached by the campaign to front a video no players came forward. A video was produced without the help of the players but was pulled earlier this week. The video can be found at THE OFFSIDE while THE INDEPENDENT highlights the issue of homosexuality in football.

Away from football, racing experts are eagerly awaiting the Grand National 2010, which is shaping up to be as exciting as ever.

A new weekly look at one of the week’s big stories, with football journalist Will Wainewright.

Are Arsenal really out of the title race this time?

Monday’s Game podcast came hot on the heels of Arsenal’s defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea, and journalists from The Times agreed that the Gunners’ title hopes were all but over, revising their chances of Premier League glory this year down to around 5%.

It is a view with which few in football would disagree. Arsene Wenger’s men may have lasted longer in this title race than many expected but the two defeats, which left them nine points adrift of Chelsea on Sunday, have been characterised as fatal to their chances. The familiar deficiencies in Wenger’s approach – an excessive faith in youth over experience, a lack of investment and poor defending – have been trundled out for public examination once more. Calls for the head of ‘Le Professeur,’ which rise exponentially with each trophy-less season, gain traction.

However, haven’t we been here before?

One only has to go back to the start of December for the last time Arsenal were written off. Their chances were apparently ‘reeling’ after an emphatic 3-0 defeat by Chelsea left them eleven points adrift. That set the stage for an immense run of seven wins and three draws in the League before they came up short against United last week.

Such a run would have to be repeated and more for a remarkable comeback to take place. But how remarkable would it actually be? Even though last night’s results closed the gap to six points, it would still seem miraculous given the amount of coverage writing-off to Arsenal’s hopes.

But that coverage paints a misleading picture.

Despite coming up short against the top two in all four fixtures this season, Filter Focus research reveals the Gunners have fared as well as Chelsea against teams outside the top four this season, collecting 46 points. United have fared a few points better in this sense but have games against Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City to come.

The rush to write off Arsenal is an odd one. Even the bookies have reduced them to sub-outsider status of 10/1. But if they can maintain that form during the remaining twelve games of a vastly undemanding run-in, there is every chance they will end up well in the mix come May. That may be unlikely given United’s burst of form, but it is still more likely than the football media consensus would have us believe. No one should write off ‘Le Prof’ just yet.

Hello and welcome to my latest look at what has passing through Football Filter this week.

Where else to start this week but the pulsating Manchester derby at Old Trafford where United prevailed over their “noisy neighbours” to reach the Carling Cup final thanks to an injury time Wayne Rooney header.

Contrasting emotions across the Manchester divide were obviously felt with THE STRETTY RANT full of praise for United’s performance while THE OFFSIDE reflects on what might have been for Roberto Mancini’s men.

Manchester United’s Carling Cup odds make them favourites to lift the trophy.

To make things worse for City unsettled Brazilian striker Robinho, the player who signing was meant to symbolise the Sky blue revival, joined his old side Santos on loan for the rest of the season. The ironically titled blog WE’VE GOT ROBINHO mourns his departure.

Another week, another collection of stories detailing the growing crisis at Portsmouth. Now it is the club website that has fallen victim to their financial woes, shutting down for a period this week due to unpaid bills. THE TELGRAPH and THE TIMES have all the grim details.

Pompey aren’t alone though, Championship side Crystal Palace fell into administration this week, admitting defeat in their quest to repay debts of around £30 million according to IN THE STANDS. A ten-point deduction has also seen them tumble down the table.

Happier news now and the spectacular and rapid rise of Chris Smalling made headlines this week. The Fulham defender was playing non-league football two years ago but will join Manchester United in the summer in a deal worth around £7million. THE DAILY MAIL charts his Roy Of the Rovers-esque rise to the top.

And finally…

List time everyone (you know you love ‘em!) If anyone needs anymore convincing that David Beckham deserves a place in England’s World Cup squad SOCCERLENS lists five reasons why Becks should be on that plane to South Africa. He’ll boost England’s World Cup chances, after all.

But you already know why didn’t you?