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Zamora for England? Maybe, just maybe!
Just a few short months after he was barracked by his own fans, the chances of Fulham striker Bobby Zamora securing a place in England’s World Cup squad seem to be improving rapidly.
Zamora was seen as a bit of a joke figure at Craven Cottage in the run-up to Christmas, with his boss Roy Hodgson at something of a loss to explain why they would be turning on one of their own players.
But the 29-year-old has proved to be something of a revelation in the three months since that low point, taking his tally to nine goals in his last 15 games when he scored the match-winning free-kick in the 2-1 victory over Birmingham City on Sunday.
Zamora has goals in each of the last four games and suddenly it is not just Hodgson clamouring for him to get a chance in Fabio Capello’s squad – and it is interesting that the Italian was at Craven Cottage to see Sunday’s match with only Zamora and Birmingham keeper Joe Hart as serious possibles for his squad on show.
Sadly for Zamora, Capello had already left his seat by the time Zamora scored, but Hodgson felt his overall performance would have done enough to impress and could be enough to earn him a call-up for the first pre-World Cup friendly against Egypt on March 3.
What of the competition? Well, if we split the striking options up, it seems almost certain that Wayne Rooney (100% certain if fit) and Jermain Defoe will go to South Africa, while Peter Crouch has often been favoured by Capello as the main target man.
Much will, then, depend on the make-up of the squad. If Capello takes only four strikers, as has been mooted, then Zamora will be contending with the likes of Emile Heskey (probably still the favourite), Carlton Cole, Darren Bent (disappointing recently) and Gabriel Agbonlahor for just one spot on the plane.
On this season’s evidence, Zamora and Agbonlahor would be the favourites with World Cup Betting, with Cole unable to find the net regularly or stay fit, Heskey having scored only five times and Bent having hit the wall since a fast start to the campaign.
Far-fetched it might still be, but you certainly can’t fault Zamora for his effort as he tries to score his way into the squad. Something World Cup Picks are far from ruling out.
Tags: Birmingham City, Bobby Zamora, Cambria, Craven Cottage, Emile Heskey, Fabio Capello, Fareast, Favoured, Font Definitions, Font Format, Four Games, Free Kick, Fulham, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jermain Defoe, Joe Hart, Mso, Orphan, Panose, Paper Source, Peter Crouch, Roy Hodgson, Sans Serif, Striker, Strikers, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Tally, Target Man, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Wayne Rooney, World Cup Squad
Chelsea shorten for FA Cup glory
Chelsea are the hot 5/4 favourites to retain the FA Cup after being drawn at home again in the quarter-finals. They top the list when it comes to Odds FA Cup experts produce and will take some stopping.
The Blues defeated Cardiff 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in the fifth round and have been rewarded for their efforts with another home tie - against either Manchester City (8/1) or Stoke (25/1) who will replay at The Britannia Stadium.
Chelsea have edged out Watford and Cardiff on home soil and saw off Preston in the fourth round away from the King’s Road, but they will now have to topple Premier League opposition to reach the semi-finals. Carlo Ancelotti’s men still look primed for more cup glory and have shortened up to repeat last year’s heroics with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United already out of the tournament.
Tottenham are the 11/2 second favourites after battling out a 1-1 draw at Bolton (50/1) and now face a replay at White Hart Lane to determine who will take on Fulham (14/1) at Craven Cottage. FA Cup Match Betting certainly expects Harry Redknapp’s men to progress though.
Financially-stricken Portsmouth (16/1) are well placed to repeat their FA Cup success of 2008 and face Birmingham (11/1) at Fratton Park for a place in the last four.
Pompey will be desperate for cup success in a bid to ease their cash problems on the south coast and they could still become the first team in history to win the prestigious tournament and be relegated in the same season.
Reading (80/1) and West Brom (33/1) face a replay at The Hawthorns to determine who will take on Aston Villa or Crystal Palace (66/1), who will also replay at Villa Park. Villa are 6/1 third favourites to get their hands on the trophy they last won in 1957.
Tags: Ascii, Aston Villa, Britannia Stadium, Cambria, Carlo Ancelotti, Craven Cottage, Crystal Palace, Cup Glory, Cup Success, Div, Font Definitions, Font Format, Harry Redknapp, Hawthorns, Heroics, Home Soil, Home Tie, Lt, Manchester City, Mso, Orphan, Panose, Pitch, Pompey, Prestigious Tournament, Priority, Props, Quarter Finals, Sans Serif, Span, Stamford Bridge, Style Definitions, Style Type, Text Decoration, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Villa Park, West Brom, White Hart Lane
Champions League play-offs not the answer
So the Premier League has come up with its latest great idea to even up the growing disparity in the English top flight. The Premier League top four is now such an elite club, something must be done about it. Well that’s what they are saying anyway.
The play-off system for the final Champions League place, which would feature the
sides finishing from fourth to seventh, sounds quite exciting on paper but the
timing of the announcement fills me with cynicism. After all it comes around two years after Richard Scudamore proposed the now infamous 39th game, matches which would have been played in venues across the globe. That was unceremoniously booted out by FIFA and criticised by the fans. But it is now obvious Scudamore and co have been thinking of money making alternatives ever since.
Cue the play-off idea.
We would get between six and eight extra high stakes games, with all the TV and sponsorship money that entails. Furthermore, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if these games were played abroad in Singapore, Bangkok, Sydney and New York - thereby sneaking in the 39th game idea in after all.
This blatant money-making is what annoys me about the modern game and the people who run it. This idea isn’t about levelling up the league, it’s about exploiting the fans for more cash. It is all the evidence you need to prove the game has lost touch with the fans who kept it going for more than 100 years. If they want to level out the league, why not re-distribute the TV money? Oh no, because that would see the big four giving up some of their cash.
Why not reduce the number of teams in the Champions League to two? The idea that a side finishing fourth in its division should compete in the ‘Champions’ League is ludicrous anyway. The competition should be a reward for real success. This in turn would strengthen the Europa League which would be open to the winners of the two cups and two extra spots in the league. With better teams in the competition, the TV
money would increase but it would be distributed more fairly. Unfortunately it all sounds a little too sensible to ever happen, and the Premier League worldwide tour could be coming to a city near you very soon.
Meanwhile, the football betting makes Manchester United 5/1 shots to win this year’s Champions League after they defeated Milan 3-2 in the first leg of their tie last night.
Tags: 100 Years, Bangkok, Criticised, Cue, Cynicism, Disparity, Elite Club, Fifa, Final Champions League, Game Idea, Globe, High Stakes, Levelling, Play Offs, Premier League, Scudamore, Singapore, Sponsorship Money, Top Flight, Tv Money
2 for 1 Pizzas Every Tuesday with Dominoes!
It’s a Tuesday, all of your mates are around watching the footie, you are hungry, so what do you do?… Good news! It is 2 for Tuesday every week at Domino’s! That’s right buy 1 get 1 free every single Tuesday!
You can find details of this offer and a whole lot more at the; Domino’s Pizza Facebook Fanpage’
Tags: Domino S Pizza, Dominoes, Facebook, Footie, Mates, Whole Lot
Puma Feyenoord home football shirt 2009-10
We have just taken delivery of the new Feyenoord home football shirt in all adult sizes.
Feyenoord is one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from the top flight of Dutch football and are one of the most successful teams in the league so will be hoping to improve on their finishing position of 8th form last season. You can now buy the Feyenoord football kit online.
The shirt is priced at £39.99 and is available for immediate dispatch. Click here to buy the new Feyenoord home shirt.
Tags: Adult Sizes, Dutch Football, Feyenoord, Football Kit, Football Online, Football Shirt, Home Football, Home Shirt, Puma, Successful Teams, Top Flight