Manchester City are already planning United’s down fall for this weekend

Manchester City’s players are already planning Manchester United’s down fall for this Sunday’s Manchester derby. City’s staff are planning to cash in on United’s Champions League euphoria and steal three points from under the noses of their city rivals, offering Liverpool fans every where a glint of hope.

City’s players are reportedly intent of getting some glory for their fans in what has been an other wise disappointing season. United are likely to rest several key players ahead of the game so a win for the blue half of Manchester is a real possibility.

It is likely that United heads will still be in the clouds after their rampant 4-1 victory over Arsenal and City defender, Vincent Kompany, insists his side are perfectly poised to cause an upset. He said: “Thanks to our four wins in a row, you couldn't build any more confidence ahead of a big game like the derby.”

“We have proved we are a good side. We have been well organised, got forward quickly and scored goals. I hope we can win our last three games but hopefully six or seven points will be enough to claim seventh place.”

Sir Alex Ferguson could field a number of fringe players for the game, creating an opportunity for City to win one of the biggest derbies in world football. Mark Hughes is under pressure to deliver at City considering the financial backing the club now has.

He will be under big pressure to win games such as this one and it is a match that City will have to play out of their skins in, if they are to get any where near, arguably, the greatest ever United side. It is also unlikely that whichever eleven walks out for United will take the game lightly. The atmosphere surrounding a derby automatically lifts the players.

This can eradicate any amount of fatigue that may have crept into the United side. They will want to assert their dominance over their rivals, despite City players being virtually certain that this time they have got United’s number.

Old Trafford has been something of a fortress this season and only Liverpool have gone there and completely taken apart United, who seem to score at will in the majority of games they play.

City’s hope that United will still be in a European frame of mind could also back fire. Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo could well be spurred on by the ample success they had over Arsenal and there is nothing like success to breed more success.

No doubt City will get stuck in and could have been planning for the game for weeks before hand, but no amount of preparation can compensate for a moment of individual brilliance, something that United have no end of.

If City’s big players do not turn up then it could well be another bad weekend and a humiliating one for City fans as they go back to work on Monday. United are likely to come out and try to mute City’s main influences e.g. Stephen Ireland and Robinho. The bookies are backing United and the majority are probably with them.

Sami Hyypia to leave Liverpool

Liverpool is to lose a grand servant in the form of Sami Hyypia.

Just a week ago, he was declaring his undivided loyalty to Liverpool, regardless of whether his contract was extended in the summer.

The Big Finn wanted to stay on at Anfield into his retirement, being involved with the game but not necessarily in management. He had no particular reason to go back to Finland, he said, and he and his family loved living in Liverpool.

Now, those dreams have been shattered. Hyypia, now 35, is off to the Bundesliga side Bayerleverkusen in the summer on a two year deal.

It will be a sad loss for both Merseyside and Liverpoool Football Club

The centre-back made more than 450 Liverpool appearances since 1999 and though he committed some howlers, he usually stood steadfast for Liverpool with his cool aloof manner and the characteristic shrug of the shoulders. Even he admitted he was not known for his speed but his strong positional play made him a firm favourite with the Kop.

Even losing his place to younger players could not draw criticism, with Hyypia once telling the Liverpool FC website: "I know I'm getting older now and maybe my best days are gone. It's very important younger players are coming through."

It's modesty like that which has helped to make Hyypia a legend as far as Liverpool is concerned. Standing 6ft 4ins tall, he always seemed to be in the right position but popped in some vital goals too, scoring 35 goals during his career with the Reds.

He also notched up 97 international caps and scored five international goals, being crowned football of the year seven times in his homeland (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008).

His transfer fee from Dutch side Willem II in May 1999 was just £2.5 million, a total bargain when you consider the decade of service and loyalty he has given to Liverpool. He wore the captain's armband on several occasions and jointly lifted both the UEFA and FA Cups. Under Gerard Houllier, he became the permanent captain before Steven Gerrard took over.

Hyypia scored one of the most memorable goals en route to Istanbul, an unstoppable volley to open the scoring against Juve in the quarter-finals.

Incredibly, he played every minute of 57 consecutive European games for the Reds from November 2001 to February 2006.

Perhaps because of his shrewdness, Hyypia would have known the writing was on the wall and there can be no greater accolade when another team wants you on the pitch. His Liverpool playing days were obviously numbered with the arrival of Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger.

Hyypia was being tipped for a move to Wolvs if he didn’t stay at Liverpool so his decision to join Bayerleverkusen comes as somewhat of a surprise. But the German team wanted him and made no bones about it, perhaps something Liverpool did not do loud enough. Bayer’s sporting director, Rudi Voller rightly says Hyppia will bring experience and presence to their young squad which is ironic given it’s new blood which has probably led to his Liverpool departure.

Liverpool’s loss is undoubtedly Bayerleverkusen’s gain but he goes to Germany with his head held high and the greatest of respect from all the fans he has made at Anfield over the last decade.

Barcelona edge closer to yet another La Liga title after emphatic win

Barcelona warmed up for their Champions League semi-final second leg this week with an emphatic win over their closest rivals, Real Madrid. Barca notched up six goals in the Bernabeau stadium as they won the important match 6-2 to virtually secure another league title.

In an intense and entertaining game it was Madrid who went ahead through Gonzalo Higuain only for Theirry Henry to equalise soon after before Barcelona skipper, Carlos Puyol, put the Catalans ahead.

Barca chose to field their strongest 11 for the game in a surprising move considering the imminence of their European encounter with Chelsea on Wednesday. Henry knocked in another and Argentine, Lionel Messi, bagged a brace, before Gerard Pique scored Barca’s sixth, rendering Sergio Ramos’ goal irrelevant.

Barca sent out a start warning to Chelsea by proving that they are in top form and their best team is playing completely in sync. The match proves just how well the West London side played last week as Madrid became completely over run and despite rapid substitutions by Juande Ramos, the capital city side didn’t look as though they had any answers.

The only bad news to come out of the match were concerns that Henry had picked up a slight knock as he appeared to hobble around the pitch for roughly 20 minutes before being taken off. Barca will also have to mix around the defence against Chelsea, meaning that one of the full backs may have to move into the middle to partner Pique or Puyol.

In this match Barca were able to show just what power they possess. They made a Madrid side look completely sub standard and in their own stadium. The scenes of trenches of Real fans leaving up to 15 minutes before the end of the game would have put delight on the faces of every Barca fan around Spain. As Puyol put it before the match: “It seems to be the Catalans against the rest of Spain.”

Even if you did not want Barca to win this match before hand, you cannot help but sit back and admire just what they did and what the performance means ahead of such a vital European game. If Guardiola had named a much weaker side and Barca lost the match marginally then no one would have been surprised, but the fact that there is hardly anyone who was expecting such a performance makes the result doubly significant.

However, if Barca have suffered in getting such a great victory then it could break up what is their best side. Henry, Samuel Eto’o and Messi are arguably the best front system in the world and with the defence set up to look slightly make shift it could let in a more efficient Chelsea system.

Barca now have the league secure, which was the aim of this game. It would take a catastrophic run of results for Madrid to get back in with a chance with such a short period of the season left. The next week could make their season.

Football Managers

Football managers! Don’t you just love them!

Hardly a day goes by without someone having a go at one another, whether it’s to do with matters on or off the pitch. Their tactics are wrong, he’s chosen the wrong striker, they play boring football, they killed the game. The insults fly thick and fast.

So should football managers just shut up? Would we all be better off if managers kept their opinions to themselves and concentrated on the job in hand? Of course not! How boring would that be!

Football managers having a right good go at one another is all part of the game. And, in this context, a game is the right one. It’s all about tactics. Stir them up and produce a bit of controversy. What could be better in order to ensure ultimate competitiveness on the field?

Two recent examples show not everyone shares that opinion. New Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia gave ex-manager Roy Keane a real tongue-lashing for commenting about the Black Cats’ plight.

Keane, of course, is now in charge of Ipswich but apparently still has Sunderland very much on his mind. He has spoken about Sunderland’s lack of confidence as they battled to avoid the drop. And why not indeed? Keane probably still holds Sunderland close to his heart and is entitled to his opinion.

Sbragia does not agree. He has told Keane to mind his own business and concentrate on Ipswich. According to Sbragia, all Keane wants is the publicity but he should be talking about Ipswich, not Sunderland.

“He has left the club. He is not here and we don’t talk about him,” he says. Right, we believe that one. Is Sbragia telling us that not one Sunderland player ever mentions the word “Keane”. Well, not in the dressing room perhaps.

Sbragia says he is baffled as to why Keane keeps on talking about Sunderland and suggests that perhaps he is bored and has nothing to do and therefore chooses to have a go at Sunderland.

“He’s back in football. He should enjoy it,” says Sbragia. But that’s the very point. Talking about or criticising another team is all part of the fun, especially when it is your former club.

Take Manchester City boss, Mark Hughes, for example. He’s been warning his former club Blackpool that relegation would be a disaster for them and his choice of words was probably more controversial than Sbragia’s.

Rovers slumped following Hughes’ departure in the summer and he makes no bones about the fact that it probably had a lot to do with his exit.

“They were an established top ten club when I was there and this year, they have not been able to hit those heights,” he says. There’s confidence for you!

Hughes said in public that he knew Blackpool “from top to bottom” and warned it would be a disaster if they left the Premier League.

Now, if Sbragia was to follow the same theme, he would also accuse Hughes of putting his nose in when it was not wanted and commenting on a team no longer in his control.

Perhaps it’s Sbragia who is in the wrong in all this? Yes, managers do make comments but they are meant to stir controversy. If you don’t like them or the concept, it’s simple. Just don’t answer back. There are some managers who like to air their views in public and some who don’t.

Hughes did at least add words of praise for the new Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce, saying he was helping the squad to get points on the board.

Football is all about sparring and the pitch is like a giant boxing ring. Managers can spout off as much hot air as they want but it’s the performance on the field which has the loudest voice.

There would have been many surprised football fans when it was recently announced that former Sunderland boss, Roy Keane, was taking charge of Ipswich Town in preparation for a stab at promotion next season.

The former Manchester United skipper left Sunderland in January having had a brief spell on Tyneside in which he attracted a lot of praise for his no nonsense approach to coaching and man management.

This really is a football coup. The arrival of Keane at Ipswich has propelled the Portman Road club to the front of clubs trying to get promotion to the Premier League next year. It has created the virtues of excitement, hope and enthusiasm, which in football no amount of money can buy.

Keane is likely to draw on all the resources he established at Sunderland and maybe even persuade one or two of the players to drop down a division and move south to take part in what promises to be an exciting adventure for everything associated to Ipswich.

Newspaper reports have revealed today that Ipswich have already been linked with Sunderland players; Daryl Murphy, Carlos Edwards, Dean Whitehead and Nyron Nosworthy. However, as is the way in football, actually persuading the players to move is the real test. These players will take some persuading to leave Premier League football behind to venture on what is really a gamble way down south.

Keane is not naïve, he is a realist and a passionate individual. Ipswich look likely to finish 9th in the Championship table this season and Keane has already mustered his disappointment at the fact he was not able to walk into a side with the play-off matches just around the corner. A lot of work has to be done and quickly, including improvement of the club and its staff.

He will also identify all of the weaknesses that Ipswich currently have before making any big transfer decisions. With Premier League clubs still to come down and the financial prospects of Queens Park Rangers looking good for next season, Ipswich will have to play out of their skins if they are to get an automatic promotion spot in the next campaign.

The future is bright though, every single Ipswich Town fan should have a smile on their face. The club have all of a sudden rediscovered their Premier League ambitions when many had accepted that they might not resurface for a number of years. Many will have now put to bed the memories of 9-0 thrashings at the hands of Manchester United.

The one reason for success at Stoke City in the Premier League was, as their manager Tony Pulis put it: “a community spirit.” The arrival of Keane could have the same effect on the town. If Ipswich fill their ground and create an intimidating atmosphere all year long then it could be a difficult place to go for even the most established of teams. Fortress Portman Road will be pivotal to any success if Keane is to do the unthinkable and take Ipswich into the top flight of English football from virtually out of no where.

Arsenal’s star midfielder, Cesc Fabregas, has brushed off any threat of suspension from the FA over a misconduct incident against Hull City, saying that he believes his conscience is clear.

Fabregas was accused of spitting at a Hull City coach in a match at the Emirates stadium in March. Fabregas will be suspended if he is found guilty of the incident but persists in his claims that he has done nothing wrong to warrant such criticism and attention.

Fabregas said today: “I don't really know what I've been charged with. Eight players were on the pitch as well, so then everyone should be suspended. If I'm suspended for spitting, my heart and mind will be well because I did nothing wrong.”

The point is that Fabregas is attracting undue attention for an incident when he should really face up to his responsibilities and carry out his duties as the club’s captain and as a role model to thousands of people all over the world.

Suspension would be justified due to the way he has handled everything to do with the incident since. It has dragged on far too long when simple words and actions at the time would have been enough to stop hours of trawling through video tapes andtestimonies for FA individuals.

Any imminent decision could have a potential on Arsenal’s Premier League run in, although it is likely suspension will cover the Gunners European campaign, which now will be the sole focus of their season. Fabregas should be worried about this, he is very lucky in the respect that domestically Arsenal’s position is not a lot more important.

Fabregas would do well to learn a lesson from a couple of individuals at Manchester United. Players such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes who stay well and truly under the radar and have nothing to do with outside media attention or opposition staff once a match is finished.

A lot of words have been written since the incident and if Fabregas is cleared then the whole thing will be put to bed and forgotten about. If the FA find him guilty then we are likely to read a lot more stories in the media about the issue as the player and Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, are clearly going to have somethin g to say.

Fabregas is one of the most talented players currently playing in the Premier League. He is admired and respected by a whole host of other clubs so he needs to conform to his comments and get on with football, not talking about the incident again.

Ity is time we only read about such gifted players in how great they have been during a match and not how they have been acting on the pitch when they have not even been involved in the match squad. The high profile football stars of the modern game easily forget about their responsibilites of football, all we ask is that they curb their attention and focus their efforts into something good and not derogatory.

Franck Ribery looks set to get a transfer from Bayern Munich

With each day that passes the future of gifted Bayern Munich star, Franck Ribery, looks more and more set in stone. For a long time reports from all over Europe have been popping out with rumours of reported bids and planned coups to take the Frenchman into the squad of another massive club.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Lyon and Real Madrid among others have all said to be interested in his services and fresher strong rumours have emerged this morning that he will move to Italy when the transfer window opens this summer.

Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan is said to be intensely frustrated at his side’s failure to make vast steps in Europe this season and Ribery has been targeted to secure UEFA Champions League success for next year.

Inter are supposedly ready to offer 40 million Euros plus a possible player exchange in order to make the move a reality, but Ribery’s future is still greatly unclear. A number of other clubs would be willing to match or even better this price.

Ribery has consistently said in Germany that he is satisfied and happy to be playing in Munich. He has been instrumental in the progress they have made this season and despite a European thrashing at the hands of Barcelona, Munich have been noted as a rapidly developing side.

He has made just fewer than 30 appearances for Munich this season scoring 11goals and not to mention has become one of the first names to go down on the French international team list every time a France game comes around. Many England fans will remember he scored in their victory over the English in Fabio Capello’s second game in charge.

If Ribery moves to Inter this summer then he would look set to form an attacking partnership with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and possibly Diego Milito as well who has also been linked with the Italian outfit. Inter are a side packed with no end of talent and experience but they are missing a piece in the jigsaw.

It is unlikely that Munich will let him leave with out a fight. For any club who are faced with the prospect of having to sell one of their best players the option is quite simple; if you are going to let him go then you sell him to the highest bidder.

Real Madrid have cash in the bank as their Ronaldo quest seems to have stopped so the fire power that could come from elsewhere, besides Inter, could be enough to sway the German club to listen to other offers. Especially considering Madrid’s European fragility this year.

Munich would do very well to Get Ribery signed on for even longer than his current contract runs for. They have regular European football guaranteed and Ribery has settled in the country. Munich have a strong case for persuading him to stay but it is likely that the glitz and glamour of moving to a bigger European club may be too hard to say no to.