Despite the 2011-12 season just drawing to a close and Euro 2012 and the Olympics on the horizon, a raft of leading European teams are planning their warm up games for next term. With an increase in popularity in the game across in North America, it has been the trend for pre-season friendlies to be played in the United States and Canada, and this summer it will be no different. Despite the fact that Barcelona and Manchester United will not be heading stateside in the build up to 2012-13, plenty of other European giants are.

Chelsea

American chairman Bruce Buck will have had a say in deciding to take the Blues back across to North America this pre-season, and the Stamford Bridge club will play four games in USA in July. Starting on the west coast in a game against the Seattle Sounders, Chelsea will also play big-spending Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and the MLS All-Stars team.

• 18th July – Chelsea vs Seattle Sounders, CenturyLink Field, Seattle
• 22nd July – Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain, Yankee Stadium, New York
• 25th July – Chelsea vs MLS All-Stars, PPL PArk, Chester
• 28th July – Chelsea vs AC Milan, Sun Life Stadium, Miami

Aston Villa

Again with an American chairman at the helm, Villa will play three games in the United States in a whirlwind trip stateside in July. Games against Philadelphia Union, Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers should test Alex McLeish’s men.

• July 18th – Aston Villa vs Philadelphia Union, PPL Park, Chester
• July 21st – Aston Villa vs Chicago Fire, Toyota Park, Chicago
• July 24th – Aston Villa vs Portland Timbers, Jeld-Wen Field, Portland

Tottenham

Spurs are set to go face-to-face with former striker Robbie Keane, David Beckham and former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry this summer. With Brad Friedel in the travelling contingent, the north London club will hope to use the trip to stoke up some additional support from fans stateside.

• July 24th – Tottenham vs LA Galaxy, The Home Depot Center, Carson
• July 28th – Tottenham vs Liverpool, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
• July 31st – Tottenham vs New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena, Harrison

Liverpool

The Fenway Sports Group take their Anfield side across for a pre-season tour of Canada and United States this summer, with a glamour friendly against fellow American-owned side Roma one of the highlights.

• July 21st – Liverpool vs Toronto, Rogers Centre, Toronto
• July 25th – Liverpool vs Roma, Fenway Park, Boston
• July 28th – Liverpool vs Tottenham, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

Real Madrid

The newly-crowned La Liga champions will cross the Atlantic to test themselves in pre-season, and try to increase their popularity with American fans with Barcelona not travelling stateside this year.

• August 3rd – Real Madrid vs LA Galaxy, The Home Depot Center, Carson
• August 5th – Real Madrid vs Juventus, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
• August 8th – Real Madrid vs AC Milan, Yankee Stadium, New York

Juventus

The rejuvenated Turin giants are always a big draw for American crowds, and will once more return to the United States this summer. Their full plans are yet to be revealed, but the following friendlies have been confirmed.

• July 28th – Juventus vs DC United, RFK Stadium, Washington
• August 5th – Juventus vs Real Madrid, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas

AC Milan

It will be a summer of rebuilding for AC Milan, as old heads Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Filippo Inzagi and Clarence Seedorf will leave the club, and American fans will be keen to see any new signings. Again, Milan’s plans are still to be set in stone, but the following are confirmed.

• 28th July – AC Milan vs Chelsea, Sun Life Stadium, Miami
• Two games in Philadelphia – information yet to be released

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It is widely accepted that most rumoured transfer rumours are made up. They’re made up by newspaper journalists under pressure from tetchy impatient editors who want new, fresh stories that will sell newspapers and garner a load of hits on the internet. So of course journalists lacking imagination get the same players, link them to a few select clubs and vary the transfer fee slightly. So in the case of Tottenham’s stars Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, they link them to Man City, PSG, Real Madrid (all rich clubs and are giants or becoming giants of the modern game) and invent a price somewhere between £30m and £50m.

But in this case, is there a grain of truth in these stories? Are Bale and Modric set to leave Tottenham in the lurch? Do they want to leave? Will Spurs sell them? These are questions that are yet to be answered and which I’ll do my best to decipher with the crystal ball I bought from Mystic Meg.

For this article though I will go through two scenarios; Whether Chelsea win the Champions League final and knock Tottenham out of the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League, and whether Chelsea lose the final and will thereby grant Tottenham a place in the Champions League. This is necessary because the lure of Champions League football may well be what decides their futures, whether that lure comes from Tottenham or a richer, better (and qualified for the Champions League) side which may wisk them away with petro dollars burning a hole in their back pockets.

Luka Modric – If Chelsea win;

In this scenario Modric would be off, possibly even to Chelsea. Last summer Chelsea showed interest and were rumoured to have offered Spurs £40m for his services. Modric and his agent made noises about wanting to leave. He didn’t play in Spurs’s first game of the season against Manchester United because ‘his head wasn’t right’ (according to the always honest Henry James Redknapp) and until the summer transfer window closed appeared moody and sullen on the pitch.

His poor shooting and tendency to pass the ball beautifully when the Match of the Day cameras aren’t looking lead to some people saying he’s average. Having watched him for four seasons I can say he’s pure class and aside from Ledley King the best player I’ve seen for Spurs. He’s completed the second most passes of anyone in the Premeirship this season which shows how much influence he wields on the pitch for Spurs. He’s definitely worth the £40m.

Given his quality, his ludicrously low wages relative to other footballers of his stature (reported at around £40,000 a week) and his age (26) which means he only has a few years left at his peak, there’s no way he stays at Spurs whatever Daniel Levy or ‘Arry will say. The question then is where he goes off to. Tottenham will be very keen to sell him to a side outside England. Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs have been linked the most heavily with Modric though. Tottenham will almost certainly publicly say they won’t sell. But offered enough money and with enough pushing and prodding from Modric and his agent, he’ll be off.

If Chelsea lose;

I would say it’s very likely he’ll leave even though Tottenham would be in the Champions League in this scenario. Though when I say Champions League I mean the qualifying round play-off (potentially against the likes of Malaga and Borussia Monchengladbach) where Spurs almost came unstuck against Young Boys two seasons ago. Participation in the Champions League group stage is by no means guaranteed and makes it more likely Modric will leave.

I say he leaves even if Chelsea lose the final because a 4th place wasn’t enough to keep him. If Tottenham had finished 3rd, had a guaranteed place in the Champions League group stage and were close enough to the Manchester clubs to suggest a title push may be on the cards, then he may have been persuaded to stay. However Tottenham’s mid-season collapse saw them go from 10 points clear of 4th in February to only taking 4th place on the final day with a lower points tally than what they got two seasons ago with such luminaries as Wilson Palacios and Peter Crouch in the starting XI.

A title push doesn’t look a possibility in the foreseeable future, Champions League group stage participation isn’t guaranteed,  transfer funds will be available though not plentiful (Tottenham’s new stadium will swallow up potential transfer funds for the next few seasons) and with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool set to spend more money while Spurs are more busy hanging on to their most valued assets, Spurs are simply not good enough for Modric and he’s making a quarter of the money he could be earning playing for somebody else. He expressed his desire to leave last season and I can’t see what would have radically changed in 12 months to persuade him to stay. There’s a chance Levy could be serious about not selling him and simply refute all transfer bids, but I’m almost certain Modric is leaving whatever the Champions League final outcome.

Gareth Bale – If Chelsea win;

If Chelsea win the final and spend Sunday afternoon on their already planned victory parade and Tottenham are demoted to the Europa League, I’m quite sure Gareth Bale will join Luka Modric in leaving Tottenham for pastures new.

Now unlike with Modric, Bale has expressed no desire to leave apart from saying a couple of weeks ago that he’d consider his options were Tottenham not to qualify for the Champions League. Journalists looking for a scoop may dress this up as him banging on Harry Redknapp’s office door screaming “Let me leave you face-twitching wheeler dealer!!!” but to me that wasn’t him agitating for a move like Modric did last summer. That was him being honest, maybe too honest.

Bale is coming off his most prolific season, having four more assists this season than in his previous four seasons combined and more goals this season than ever before. He’s also still only 22. He’s been linked with Barcelona recently which offers the mouth-watering prospect of Barca having Dani Alves and Bale as the least defensive and most attacking full back pairing in the history of football. With offers like this possibly in the offing, it would be almost embarrassing to ask him to play in the Europa League. If Spurs are in the Europa League, Bale won’t be either.

If Chelsea lose;

I think he stays. Like I said earlier he seems fairly happy at Spurs, and at 22 he’s got years on his side and may not have even reached his peak yet unlike Modric who even at 26 may be wary about not joining a bigger club until it‘s too late. Another season at Spurs for Bale developing his craft and preparing for a big money move to the cauldron of Barca or Madrid may well be what he chooses.

Of course Bale may decide he wants to leave after all if a big money offer comes in. This is the unknown factor here as although there have been rumours of big bids for Bale’s services before none of them have ever amounted to anything. This summer though sides are eager to spend before the FFP rules properly kick in and the likes of Man City, PSG and Malaga have money to burn. Also the established giants of the European game will not be sitting back letting precocious young talents go to rival teams.

Spurs will play hardball. Levy’s a ruthless negotiator and anyone who can sell Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios for a combined £20m is to be feared at a negotiating table. With Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov, Spurs talked tough then sold for an inflated transfer fee. With Modric last summer they talked tough and acted tough. Whether they do the same with Bale, and whether Bale wants to leave are not known. However, with Champions League football in this scenario on the table, Spurs surely not keen for too many of their best players to leave and Bale not conspicuously unhappy at Spurs, I would say he stays at Spurs.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It seems the competition for third place in the Premier League is now going to be decided on the final day of the season. Here I take a look at each team’s final fixture and their chances of finishing ahead of their rivals.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger takes his Arsenal side to West Brom knowing that three points will guarantee third spot and a Champions League place.

The Gunners have struggled to find form in the last month, considering the last 3 games have produced just two points.

It’ll be an emotional match considering the fact its Albion’s manager, Roy Hodgson, last game in charge before he joins England ahead of the Euro’s.

Wenger will be boosted by the return to fitness of Theo Walcott. The Arsenal winger’s hamstring injury has coincided with Arsenal’s collapse in form.

Personally, I can’t see Arsenal losing this game, I’d expect them to finish in the 3rd place spot.

Tottenham

Tottenham sit in 4^th place, one point behind Arsenal. Harry Redknapp’s side battled back from 1-0 down with 10 men against Aston Villa.

Spurs encountered a period of very poor form coinciding with the resignation of Capello from the England set-up. The speculation linking Harry Redknapp with the national job appeared to have de-railed the squads challenge for Champions League football. Lack of squad rotation and poor tactics have also been blamed, but this is another issue.

However, the Tottenham boss will hope his side has recovered just at the right time. Spurs host Fulham this coming Sunday in a vital game for the London club. Redknapp is anxious to guarantee making the Champions League as Chelsea could take the fourth English qualification spot if they win this month’s final.

Newcastle

Newcastle have already exceeded all expectations this season as Alan Pardew’s side currently sit 2 points behind third place Arsenal. They missed their chance to go ahead of Arsenal on the weekend, after losing to 2-0 to leaders Manchester City.

This Sunday, the Toon need a few results to go their way in order to guarantee a third place finish. Firstly Pardew’s team need 3 points against Everton. They then need to hope that Spurs do not win and that Arsenal lose to West Brom.

Regardless, they are already guaranteed a place in the Europa League, having had their best season since 2003.

Although i’d love to see Newcastle in the Champions League next season, their fate has been taken from their own hands. It’s going to take a lot for both Tottenham and Arsenal to lose on the weekend. Unfortunately they may face missing out on the elite competition altogether.

Chelsea

After a big 4-1 loss to Liverpool, Chelsea now find themselves out of contention for a top four finish. Di Matteo’s men will now finish in 6th place, this cannot be changed in the last game of the season.

Since AVB departed, the Blues performance in both domestic and continental competitions has improved dramatically. However, Chelsea now rely on success in this seasons Champions League final to stand any chance of competing in the cup next term.

The recent FA Cup win, plus the 6th place league finish has already secured a place in the Europa cup. Unfortunately, the clubs fans and owner, Roman Abramovich, will no doubt be unhappy, if their side fail to qualify for the Elite European competition.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There’s no hiding the fact that the wheels have come off Tottenham Hotspur’s season, but what did fans expect at the start of the campaign?

Whilst I believe that Champions League qualification was always the minimum standard required, many fans are already looking ahead to the summer transfer window and who they want to see at White Hart Lane in 2013.

Emmanuel Adebayor – Manchester City – Striker

Up until recently Emmanuel Adebayor was having an excellent season for Tottenham, but the club’s dip in form has coincided with the Togolese forward’s recent slump.

Despite this, Harry Redknapp will be hoping that he can agree a wage package with Adebayor so that he can sign the player on a permanent deal over the summer.

Manchester City seem to consider him surplus to requirements.

Eden Hazard – Lille – Attacking Midfielder

The 21 year-old Belgium international has become one of the most sought-after talents in Europe following a standout season in which he’s scored 18 goals and set up another 14 for Lille. Hazard will definitely leave in the summer, but with everyone and their dog seemingly clamouring for his signature, Spurs will have to come up with something good to land him.

Jan Vertonghen – Ajax – Defender

With Ledley King undependable and a host of other injuries mounting throughout his squad, Harry Redknapp could do worse than to look at Jan Vertonghen of Ajax as a summer purchase.

In fact it’s rumoured that he already is.

Vertonghen is valued at £22 million by the Dutch giants with Bayern Munich and Arsenal also rumoured to be tracking the player.

Demba Ba – Newcastle – Striker

If the signing of Emmanuel Adebayor doesn’t go ahead, Harry Redknapp may look to Senegal and Newcastle striker Demba Ba as a possible replacement.

Ba’s goal scoring has cooled since the arrival of Papiss Cisse—largely due to playing out of position to accommodate his international compatriot—but his record in the Premier League is still an impressive one.

Leandro Damiao – Internacional – Striker

Apparently Tottenham have already made two efforts to sign Brazilian Leandro Damiao, but Harry Redknapp is yet to land the exciting forward from Internacional.

With Emmanueal Adebayor set to rejoin City, Jermain Defoe desperate to sling his hook and Louis Saha hardly a long-term option, Tottenham will be looking to completely overhaul their strikeforce in the summer. Spurs failed with bid for Damiao back in January but the striker has claimed they’ve been back in touch since. Chances are Harry will get his man in the next window

Fernando Llorente – Athletic Bilbao – Striker

Reports are out claiming that Premier League clubs Manchester City and Tottenham are being linked with Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente.

Barcelona are also reported to be after the Spanish striker.  They could be willing to hand Llorente a bumper offer at the Nou Camp which would represent a significant pay rise on his current deal at Bilbao.

However Spurs and City might also be tempted to hand him a chance in the Premier League by offering him deals of their own.

Junior Hoilett – Blackburn – Winger

Blackburn’s young gun Junior Hoilett is expected to lead the Ewood Park exodus this summer.

Hoilett, 21, has been in talks over a new deal but has stalled over the terms.

Tottenham, Arsenal and Bayern Munich are keen on the out-of-contract winger and a fee would be decided by a tribunal.

Georginio Wijnaldum – PSV – Attacking Midfielder/ Winger

Tottenham could be embroiled in a summer battle with Benfica and Inter Milan for PSV playmaker Georginio Wijnaldum, the 21-year-old Dutch international who has a £20m release clause in his contract.

Kasper Schmeichel – Leicester – Goalkeeper

Leicester City keeper Kasper Schmeichel, 25, is a summer target for Tottenham.

The Leicester stopper, 25, available for around £2million, has been at the Foxes one season after spells at Notts County and Leeds.

Tottenham want a young keeper to give Brad Friedel, 40, competition and Schmeichel, son of Manchester United legend Peter, has impressed this term.

Pablo Armero – Udinese – Defender

Tottenham are tracking Udinese fullback Pablo Armero.

Spurs are eyeing Armero as a potential replacement for Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who has been linked with Barcelona and PSG.

Colombia international Armero has also attracted enquiries from Liverpool, but Spurs have recently stepped up their interest.

Javi Marquez – Espanyol – Midfielder

Tottenham and Newcastle are weighing up a move for Javi Marquez, 25, after the Espanyol midfielder turned down a new deal at the club, paving the way for a summer exit.

Salomon Kalou – Chelsea – Winger/ Striker

Tottenham are plotting a summer swoop to sign the resurgent Salomon Kalou from neighbours Chelsea.

The Ivory Coast forward, who helped the Stamford Bridge club to a 5-1 win over Spurs in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final, is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to agree new terms.

Tottenham want to take advantage by launching a Bosman move for the 26-year-old

Sergio Ribeiro – FC Porto – Striker

Tottenham aim to beat Italian side Udinese to the signature of Portuguese starlet Sergio Ribeiro.

The 16-year-old Porto striker is already captain of the Portugal Under-16 side and is rated one of the best young talents in Europe.

Tottenham and Udinese have sent scouts to watch Ribeiro in action and are preparing to make their move for the teenage superstar in the summer.

Raheem Sterling – Liverpool – Striker

Liverpool are facing a fight to keep wonder kid Raheem Sterling as Kenny Dalglish continues to ignore calls for the teenager to be handed a first-team role.

And Tottenham plan to pounce on the uncertainty over Sterling’s future with a shock summer move.

The England Under 18 star is widely recognised as the best young prospect at Anfield but the Merseysiders could lose the 17-year-old at the end of the season due to his frustration at the lack of first-team chances

Giuseppe Rossi – Villarreal – Striker

Rossi has been linked with a move away from Villarreal for some time and Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is a known admirer of the £10million-rated Italian.

Several Premier League clubs have been tracking the former Manchester United player, who is out of action until the summer as he recovers from knee surgery, but the north Londoners were at the head of the queue.

However, Spurs are set to miss out on Rossi after the striker’s agent dropped a strong hint that he would be joining Napoli.

Serdar Tasci – Stuttgart – Defender

Newcastle and Tottenham are interested in the services of German international defender Serdar Tasci, 25, but they face stiff competition from rival suitors Roma and Juventus.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is believed to be a huge admirer of the Germany international and is hoping to make the defender his newest addition at White Hart Lane.

The 24-year-old was subject to a failed transfer bid last summer and the London outfit are set to approach him once again, though they are apparently not the only Premier League side showing interest in the German international.

Hugo Lloris – Lyon – Goalkeeper

With Heurelho Gomes on his way and first choice Brad Friedel not getting any younger, Spurs are in the market for a top class keeper this summer. And they don’t come much more highly-rated than Lloris, the 25 year-old who was recently installed as captain of the French national side. Spurs are thought to be preparing a £10 million bid for the man widely regarded as the next Fabian Barthez.

Milos Krasic – Juventus – Winger

The Serbian star had the chance to join Spurs in January but turned them down and has been making up for it ever since . Krasic is certain to leave Juventus in the summer – although the Serie A side have vowed the out of favour winger won’t leave on the cheap - so the only question now is: where to? Chelsea are known to be interested too, but Spurs remain in the box seat.

Adam Johnson – Manchester City – Winger

Despite failing to nail down a regular first team place since moving to Manchester from Middlesbrough two years ago, Johnson still put pen to paper on a lucrative new City contract last last November. The England winger is now committed until 2016 although, as we’ve seen time and again, football contracts are rarely worth the pens they’re signed with. Tricky Johnson is an archetypal Redknapp signing, and a sizeable bid should secure his services in the summer.

Ganso – Santos – Attacking Midfielder

Classy playmaker Paulo Henrique Chagas de Lima – or Ganso to his fans – is one of Brazil’s hottest young talents. He’s been on Spurs’ radar for some time now, but recently claimed he was in no rush to leave his homeland and was prepared to continue his development at Santos. Harry Redknapp isn’t one to take no for an answer, however, and should Luka Modric depart in the summer, expect Spurs to test Ganso’s resolve.

Loic Remy – Marseille – Striker

Spurs failed with a bid to sign this French international from Nice back in 2010. Remy opted to join Marseille instead, where he’s since averaged around a goal a game since. A bid in the region of £18 million could be enough to tempt the Ligue 1 side to send the man fans call ‘the new Thierry Henry’ on his way, though.

Olivier Giroud – Montpellier – Striker

The hot-shot behind unfancied Montpellier’s startling Ligue 1 season, Giroud has banged in 19 goals from 29 league appearances and attracted scouts left, right and centre. Arsenal are the current favourites to sign him - Arsene Wenger was so impressed he instructed chief scout Giles Grimandi to compile a dossier on the 25 year-old - but Tottenham will be hoping to steal a march on their rivals.

Also See:

• More Tottenham News.
• More Transfer Rumours.
• Team-by-team Premier League Summer 2012 Transfer Previews.

You can follow The author, Chris Linnell, on Twitter or his blog.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Every year, Soccerlens brings comprehensive football transfer news and detailed transfer lists of the major football leagues in Europe.

This year’s new feature is a detailed preview of the Premier League’s 2012 summer transfer window, looking at the reported transfer targets for each team.

Transfer previews currently available:

• Arsenal
• Chelsea
• Everton
• Fulham
• Liverpool
• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Newcastle United
• Tottenham

As the 2011/2012 season rolls to an end and the newcomers to next year’s Premier League season are decided, we will also start updating the Premier League transfers page with confirmed ins and outs for all 20 Premier League teams.

You can follow Soccerlens on Twitter to be notified of future updates as we add more transfer news and previews.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

A look at this weekend’s Premier League matches as Manchester fights for the league title and London teams play for their Champions League futures.

Arsenal v Norwich

The chase for third place remains in Arsenal’s hands, but with Tottenham and Newcastle in close pursuit there is no room for error. Arsene Wenger’s team, without a win in three games, have laboured since Mikel Arteta’s injury removed the metronome which keeps everything ticking, and the responsibility to drag them over the line rests with a tired Robin van Persie. With Norwich having relaxed since securing a second season in the EPL, this is a good opportunity for the Gunners to grab a much needed victory.

Norwich have conceded 11 goals in their last three matches, including hat-tricks for Carlos Tevez and Luis Suarez. Van Persie will be hoping the Canaries defence continues to be accommodating. The Gunners are fortunate to close out the season with two imminently winnable games against teams without anything tangible to play for, but the spoiler factor should never be underestimated.

Prediction: Arsenal win

Newcastle v Man City

The sums are simple for Manchester City now: win their last two games and the title is all but guaranteed. It is a difficult assignment though, as Newcastle confirmed with their midweek victory at Chelsea. Of all the important games being played this weekend, this one might have the widest-reaching effects. Newcastle will need to pick up the points if they hope to lay claim to a Champions League place.

Manchester City did what they needed to do against their crosstown rivals on Monday, but with United facing a slightly less daunting end of the season schedule they’ll be able to take nothing for granted. On top of this, these are two very good teams that are generally quite enjoyable to watch. Both have incredible attacking talent with the likes of Papiss Cisse, Sergio Aguero, Demba Ba and Carlos Tevez. This is arguably the weekend’s biggest game, in any league.

Prediction: Draw

Aston Villa v Tottenham

This is a huge match for both clubs. An Aston Villa win in this match would all but guarantee their Premier League survival. However, Tottenham are well in the race for the Champions League places, Redknapp will be anxious to take third from their London rivals Arsenal, just in case Chelsea are successful in the Champions League final. Tottenham travel to Villa Park after back-to-back victories, while Mcleish’s side have failed to take 3 points from a Premier League game since November. Scott Parker’s return to fitness is a huge boost for Tottenham, having recovered from an ankle injury. He is expected to return to the starting line up in this fixture.

Prediction: Tottenham win

Bolton v West Brom

Roy Hodgson’s West Brom now have very little left to play for this season. However, this can’t be said for their opponents, Bolton. It’s been a very emotional season for Owen Coyle’s team, both on and off the pitch. For quite some time now, Bolton fans have been clinging to their side’s games in hand to give them hope for another season in the Premier League. The Wanderers caught up to the rest of the league in terms of games played on Wednesday, but faced a heavy 4-1 defeat to Tottenham. Bolton are even on points with 17^th place QPR, but they’ve got a serious mountain to climb in terms of goal difference. Hodgson’s appointment as the new England boss may prove a blessing in disguise for Bolton. A distracted West Brom side could prove ideal opposition.

Prediction: Bolton win

Fulham v Sunderland

Both Fulham and Sunderland will be looking for the three points that would virtually guarantee a top-10 finish but the form of these teams could not be more different. The hosts have taken 13 points from their last six Premier League games, including a first ever win at Anfield in midweek. By contrast, Martin O’Neill’s side have not had a victory since 24 March and are playing very much like a side with one eye on their summer holidays.

Prediction: Fulham win

QPR v Stoke

QPR’s fortunes took a turn for the worst last season as they suffered a 6-1 loss to London rivals Chelsea. However, luckily for Mark Hughes’ side, other results at the bottom of the table ensured they sit one place above the relegation zone with just two games left. With a very tough last game against current leaders Manchester City, QPR really need 3 points from this home match to achieve survival, beating a tired Stoke on Sunday could be sufficient to keep them up.

Prediction: QPR win

Wolves v Everton

These teams will be playing for different types of pride this weekend. Everton can open up a six-point gap over local rivals Liverpool, while Wolves – who are already relegated – can secure their first win under Terry Connor’s leadership. Connor will make a late decision on whether Matt Jarvis (groin) and Kevin Foley (hamstring) are fit to play. Moyes is hopeful Leighton Baines will return for the final game of 2011-12 but he will sit out this weekend’s match, along with Victor Anichebe, while Jack Rodwell is out until next season.

Prediction: Everton win

Manchester United v Swansea

United’s hope this season now heavily rely with Newcastle and QPR. A Newcastle victory against the current league leaders would put United back into the driving seat assuming Ferguson’s team can take 3 points from this fixture. Failing that, United need a huge number of goals in their remaining two games if they hope to win the title. Expect a high scoring match, as the hosts attempt to close the goal difference gap with City. Although Swansea have had an excellent season, their form has faded of late, with just a single victory for Brendan Rodger’s side.

Prediction: Manchester United win

Blackburn v Wigan

This is, undeniably, the last chance for Blackburn to save themselves from the drop. The Monday night shift has not generally proved popular with clubs or supporters this season, but neither Blackburn nor Wigan will be complaining this week. By kick-off at Ewood Park they will know the fortunes of Bolton, QPR and Aston Villa, and Wigan could need only a point to ensure they stay up. Whatever their rivals muster, Rovers – who are away at Chelsea on the final day – realistically must win this one, and hope that Wigan return to their meek early-season form rather than continue their recent heroics.

Prediction: Wigan win

Liverpool v Chelsea

Liverpool-Chelsea, twice in the space of three days. There’s no doubt the importance of this match is negligible compared to Saturday’s FA Cup Final. Liverpool have already secured a European place through their Carling Cup victory earlier in the season and of late their league form has been extremely poor, now they only have their own pride to play for. Chelsea, on the other hand, are still chasing Champions League football next season. If they fail to beat Bayern Munich in May’s final, then they have to ensure a fourth place league finish to ensure playing in the elite continental competition next season. Clearly, Di Matteo’s side still need as many league points as possible.

Prediction: Chelsea win

Feel free to visit my independent blog for similar articles http://chrisslinnell.wordpress.com/

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Aston Villa take on Tottenham on Sunday afternoon with two clubs separated by 28 points and fighting on opposite ends of the table, yet not too long ago they were both considered ‘equal’ footballing powers.

Where Villa fans are now contemplating an unlikely relegation, Tottenham fans will be hoping that Man City and Bayern Munich will help them qualify for the Champions League again.

Aston Villa Preview

At the most crucial time of the season things just seem to be going from bad to worse for Aston Villa. Sitting just three points above the drop zone Alex McLeish’s men are in relegation form and the news this week that three first-team players have been disciplined after a nightclub brawl has done little to calm the nerves of the club’s fans.

Primarily it is Villa’s lack of goals that is, not just a worry for McLeish, but a critical threat to their survival chances. The extent of the problem is a meagre six goals since the end of February since top marksman Darren Bent was sidelined through injury. Villa need to start hitting the target and huge responsibility now lies with Gabriel Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey and Charles N’Zogbia to deliver where they have so far failed to produce.

What Villa do have though is a decent backline with Richard Dunne and goalkeeper Shay Given both excelling in recent weeks. Expect to see a cautious approach from McLeish as he looks to build on this strength. Although Villa desperately need the win, they will set up looking for the draw.

Tottenham Hotspur Preview

Spurs fans will no doubt have shared a collective feeling of relief after the 4-1 win over Bolton on Wednesday. Perhaps now that speculation about Harry Redknapp leaving has ended, the squad can pull together and demonstrate the kind of form that saw them involved in the title race up until the end of February.

Redknapp will be keen to take the three points from Villa Park as his side look to open up a gap over Newcastle and clinch fourth place. The Spurs manager is likely to field a similar side to the one which put Bolton to the sword. Key defenders Michael Dawson and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are still missing through injury while Scott Parker is rated 50/50 after an achilles problem kept him out of the last two games.

Aston Villa v Tottenham Prediction

Spurs have kept only three clean sheets in their last 11 league outings with defensive injury problems and the speculation over the manager both likely factors. Villa though can’t buy a goal never mind a win, so expect the London side to continue their return to form and edge this one 1-0.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

For a professional footballer there is nothing worse than being injured, but with the physical nature of the sport, injuries are always going to happen. Despite the modern day footballer honing his body to become a complete athlete, knocks, niggles and ailments can take their toll.

With important fixtures piling up thick and fast at this time of the year, managers pray that their star players stay fit, and will try just about anything to speed up the player’s rehabilitation if they get injured. Here are a number of alternative medical treatments from the world of football.

Horse Placenta

A growing phenomenon in sporting medical circles is the use of horse placenta to treat muscle tears. Robin van Persie is probably the most high-profile case of a player undergoing the treatment, but Frank Lampard and Glen Johnson are thought to have tried the strange method also.

Serbian woman Marian Kovacevic is said to charge €3,000 per session, but her methods have come under scrutiny from the authorities. Despite this, Van Persie is said to have benefited from Kovacevic rubbing the placenta into his damaged muscles, and has heralded her as ‘a miracle’ in the past.

Faith Healing

Glenn Hoddle and his faith healer Eileen Drury are the most well-known case of this eccentric treatment. The former Tottenham midfielder claims that Drury helped him recover from injury during his playing career, and duly hired her as a consultant for the England team during his management at the 1998 World Cup.

The nation’s players did not take the unorthodox methods as seriously as their manager however, with Ray Parlour famously asking for ‘a short back and sides’ when lying on Drury’s treatment table.

Goat’s Blood

Bayern Munich medic Dr. Hans Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt is said to deploy treatments slightly off the beaten track, and prescribed goat’s blood to St Johnstone attacker Peter MacDonald when he approached the German doctor for help.

The striker explained:

“The specialist said my hamstring was too tight and I had goats’ blood injections. That’s the best for loosening it off.”

Dental Treatments

Both Florent Malouda and Robin van Persie have claimed to be more injury-free after having teeth removed, as dental issues and muscle injuries have been linked by some osteopaths. The Chelsea winger accredits the removal of wisdom teeth for an upturn in fitness and form in his early days at Stamford Bridge.

Viagra

In South America altitude can be an issue for certain teams and players, with Bolivian team Blooming giving their players Viagra before games at large distances above sea level. The sex drug is believed to help combat altitude issues due to increased blood flow, and some teams competing in the Copa Libertadores use the drug also.

The Dick van Toorn experience

Many Dutch players have defied medical opinion by recovering from muscle tears in a fraction of the expected rehabilitation time due to Feyenoord physio Dick van Toorn. The likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben are current clients of the elderly medical man.

Van der Vaart explains the methods that Van Toorn adopted to get him back playing two weeks after a hamstring strain, when he was expected to be sidelined for a month and a half:

The Spurs man admitted:

“I go there and after one week, I can run and shoot again. It’s a lot of acupuncture, chiropractic work… and a lot of power training. You have a lot of pain when you have pulled your hamstring, for example, but he is still training, training, training. I always go there for four days and it’s two four-hour sessions per day.”

So there you have it – it’s not all ice baths and the gym when recovering from injury, as footballers look to any and all methods to get them back in action.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When players are being taught the basics of the game as youngsters, one of the key messages is to play until the final whistle. If your team goes a couple of goals down more often than not the result will not be in your favour, but sometimes the spectacular can happen.

Following Manchester United’s recovery from three goals down to get a 3-3 draw against Chelsea recently, here are football’s ten greatest comebacks:

Liverpool vs AC Milan

Liverpool fans travelled to Istanbul for the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan with great expectations. However after seeing their side slip to a 3-0 half time deficit, not even the most ardent Merseyside supporter could have imagined their team’s comeback. Goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso brought the game back level, and The Reds claimed victory in the eventual penalty shoot out.

Tottenham vs Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side found themselves 3-0 down at the hands of Tottenham in September 2001, with goals from debutant Dean Richards, Christian Ziege and Les Ferdinand giving the White Hart Lane hosts a comfortable lead. However a Spurs capitulation and strikes from Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistlerooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and David Beckham saw United win 5-3.

Tottenham vs Manchester City

Tottenham found themselves three goals to the good once more in February 2004, this time against the Blue side of Manchester. Ledley King, Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege (again) had Spurs in a dominant position, and Joey Barton had been sent off for City. Despite this, the ten-man visitors rallied in the second period and goals from Sylvain Distin, Paul Bosvelt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jonathan Macken gave City an unlikely win.

Cheltenham vs Burton Albion

Cheltenham fans won’t forget March 13th 2010 any time soon, as their side came back from losing 5-3 against Burton Albion with five minutes remaining to win 6-5. A Justin Richards strike and two late goals in the dying minutes by Michael Pook saw The Robins record a memorable victory.

Bayer Uerdingen vs Dynamo Dresden

Going back to 1986, Dynamo Dresden had beaten Bayer Uerdingen 2-0 in the first leg of a German cup tie, and were again winning 3-1 at half time in the second leg to give them a seemingly unassailable 5-1 aggregate lead with 45 minutes to play. However Uerdingen hadn’t read the script and scored six unanswered goals in the second half to record a historic 7-5 aggregate win.

Deportivo La Coruna vs AC Milan

After a commanding 4-1 win at the San Siro, Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan side looked destined for the 2004 Champions League semi finals. However Deportivo had other ideas, as Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron, Alberto Luque and Fran all scored at the Riazor to send the Spaniards into ecstasy in a 4-0 win.

Mancheter United vs Bayern Munich

Forever etched into Manchester United fans’ memories, the 1999 Champions League final must go down as one of the best comebacks of all time. With a 1-0 deficit to overcome and the game in injury time, substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both found the net in stoppage time to give the Englishmen a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou.

Fulham vs Juventus

Fulham’s first ever appearance in the Europa League in 2010 was an eventful one, and they met Italian giants Juventus in the round of 16. After a 3-1 defeat in Turin, both sides had scored at Craven Cottage to given Juve a comfortable 4-2 aggregate advantage. However a Bobby Zamora strike, a brace from Zoltan Gera and an 82nd minute winner from Clint Dempsey gave The Cottagers an unforgettable 5-4 aggregate victory.

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Tore Andre Flo and Dan Petrescu had given Chelsea a 2-0 lead against Arsenal back in 1999, and the Stamford Bridge club looked comfortable amongst their fans chants of ‘we want five’. However Arsene Wenger threw on Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu, who duly scored a hat-trick to give the Gunners a 3-2 win in wet and windy conditions.

Metz vs Barcelona

Back in the 1984 European Cup Winners Cup, Spanish giants Barcelona had a 5-2 aggregate lead over French opponents Metz after a 4-2 victory in the away leg and an early goal at the Camp Nou. However, the Stade Municipal outfit scored four goals to record a 5-4 victory over the Catalans, with Zvonko Kurbos grabbing a hat-trick to ensure we are talking about him over 25 years later.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With as tight a race for Champions League qualification as in the recent memory, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham all have three games left to play to ensure a top-four finish. The Blues have the FA Cup final on Saturday and their Champions League finale clash with Bayern Munich coming up, but are the form side of the three. The Tyneside outfit have put an excellent string of results together of late, however were comprehensively beaten 4-0 last time out by Wigan. Spurs have had an end-of-season wobble, and are not looking like the side that were challenging for the title three months ago. The race is set to go down to the wire.

Chelsea’s resurgence under Roberto Di Matteo has saved their season, as the Italian interim boss has led the side through a winning run, with only one defeat in 16 games in charge. With the final of the Champions League to play on May 19th, the Blues have a second chance to compete in Europe’s top tournament next term even if they do not finish in the top four, and potentially end one of their rivals’ dreams.

Currently in sixth and a point behind the other two contenders, the west London outfit host Newcastle at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Chelsea won the reverse fixture 3-0 earlier in the season, and will look to build on a 6-1 victory over QPR from their last fixture. Fernando Torres scored a hat-trick in the rout to back up his strike against Barcelona from the game before, whilst Daniel Sturridge also got back on the scoresheet. Roman Abramovich will demand inclusion in the Champions League next term, and Di Matteo will need to ensure this to stand a chance of keeping his job on a permanent basis.

Newcastle’s heroics this season are well-documented and the praise afforded to Alan Pardew’s men fully deserved, but the Tyneside team are now starting to realise that they deserve their position amongst the country’s best. The likes of Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba, Hatem Ben Arfa and Cheik Tiote have played out of their skin this campaign to delight the Sports Direct Arena crowd, whilst Papiss Cisse’s 11 goals in 11 games for the club have given the Toon faithful a new hero.

The game against Chelsea holds extra importance for the Geordies due to their tricky end of season fixture list; Pardew’s men still have Manchester City and Everton to play. A draw would be a good result for Newcastle to keep them above Chelsea, but a defeat has the ability to end their Champions League ambitions.

Tottenham’s capitulation over the last two months has seen the north Londoners slip from having a comfortable and dominant grip on third, to risk slipping all the way down to sixth. The White Hart Lane outfit have been adversely impacted by the speculation over Harry Redknapp’s future, but with Roy Hodgson having being appointed England manager the club’s fans will hope the side can refocus.

Spurs travel to take on Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on Wednesday, and will face a side struggling in the bottom three and desperate for points themselves. With Fabrice Muamba also expected at the game despite his health concerns, the Trotters will be motivated to get a result for their ill midfielder. However, should Spurs get a valuable three points they would open the gap between themselves and at least one of their two rivals, and move to within a point of third-placed Arsenal with Aston Villa and Fulham to play.

Teams’ fortunes are decided at the business end of the season, and Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham are only separated by a point in a tight and tense final battle. The London sides seem to have an advantage in the race, but the side to eventually finish fourth will become a bit clearer after the midweek fixtures.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News