Defoe double hands AVB first Spurs win

Andre Villas-Boas secured his first win as Tottenham manager against Premier League new boys Reading who were outclassed at the Madejski Stadium.

AVB has already faced questions about his future at White Hart Lane after only 3 games in charge - but this powerful performance and convincing win provided a great response to all his critics.

England striker Jermain Defoe gave Spurs an early lead and thereafter dominated the game to such an extent that Villas-Boas might have been frustrated it took until the 71st minute for Gareth Bale to double their lead.

Defoe then concluded a 50-yard run with a powerful finish across the goalkeeper as Reading - overrun throughout - faded badly, even though Hal Robson-Kanu pulled a goal back late in stoppage time.

It was a display that will have given Villas-Boas great heart, with Mousa Dembele and Sandro providing power and fluidity in midfield alongside, former Reading man Gylfi Sigurdsson.

In Defoe they have a poacher in prime form, helped by the tremendous pace and width of Bale and Lennon.

For Reading, understandably rusty after 25 days without a game, this was a lesson to be learnt in what will be required to survive in the top tier of English football, although they met a Spurs team in no mood for anything other than victory after their average start to the season.

Villas-Boas continued to keep faith with keeper Brad Friedel in preference to new signing Hugo Lloris - but the decision was irrelevant throughout a first half which Spurs dominated.

In contrast, Reading keeper Alex McCarthy, who came in for the injured Adam Federici, was swiftly employed as he made a smart save from Sigurdsson's header and Jan Vertonghen's powerful follow-up.

Spurs looked a constant threat and it was no surprise when they took the lead after 18 minutes. Sigurdsson's precise pass opened up space for Lennon to cross and Defoe to finish with typical efficiency.

The hosts looked overawed and made some school boy errors which did not help their cause. Defoe stole the ball off keeper McCarthy as he dawdled in the area and it needed a rescuing block on the line from defender Alex Pearce to stop Sigurdsson adding a second.

Then the former Leeds man Ian Harte, who had struggled to contain the pace of Lennon, carelessly presented possession to Defoe but Spurs were unable to capitalize on the error and the Royals escaped once again.

Reading adopted a more attacking approach in the second half with Adam Le Fondre on for Jem Karacan - but it was still the London side creating all the opportunities.

Defoe held his head in anguish as a shot from Dembele struck him in the six-yard area but somehow landed the wrong side of the post with McCarthy wrong-footed.

A second goal looked inevitable and finally came 19 minutes from time when Kyle Walker broke into the area and pulled the ball back for Bale, whose half-hit finish deceived McCarthy.

And with the home side's spirit broken, the third goal followed quickly, Defoe breaking from the halfway line to outpace the defence and send a deadly finish into the far corner to put gloss on an excellent Spurs performance that even the concession of Robson-Kanu's late goal could not tarnish.

Overall great performance from Spurs, who were great on the break. Jermain Defoe looked lethal upfront and Dembele in midfield was physically strong and bossed the game in midfield alongside Sandro. For Reading, the question is how will they react back? They have to bounce back and come back stronger. This result was a lesson for Reading to learn because the Premier League is one of he toughest and most unforgiving leagues in the world.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Subs were brought on too late says Scotland manager Craig Levein

Scotland boss Craig Levein has admitted that he brought on subs too late during his side's World Cup qualifier against Serbia, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Levein brought on Celtic's James Forrest with just over 20 minutes remaining and in the final 10 minutes threw on Jamie Mackie and former Huddersfield Town hitman Jordan Rhodes, who joined Blackburn Rovers in an £8 million deal.
Though, Scotland's delivery let them down in a first half of few chances at Hampden Park, but the home side did create more opportunities in the second half which will give Levein and Scottish fans hope.

However, lone striker Kenny Miller and Steven Naismith failed to hit the target. Forrest had one of the Scots' few efforts on target in stoppage time, Vladimir Stojkovic making a good save for the Serbians, who will be happier with a point than Scotland.

The result means that, after the first round of fixtures of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Scotland and Serbia trail Belgium and Croatia by two points in Group A. An average performance from the Scot's, but Levein has to get the team to create more opportunities as well as find the killer instinct upfront to convert the opportunities into goals, though based on Jordan Rhodes's goal scoring last season for Huddersfield I think he should be given the opportunity to start, perhaps with Kenny Miller.

At the end of the day not a disaster for the Scot's given their previous performances, though there's still work to be done for this Scottish side to qualify ahead of Belgium and Croatia who I feel are the favorites to qualify given the quality both sides possess. Long way to go for Scotland!

Bendtner still has a future at Arsenal!

Arsenal's Danish international who signed on a season long loan deal for Serie A champions Juve on transfer deadline day with a view to a permanent deal after struggling to establish himself in the first team at the Emirates.

Bendtner's start to life in Turin has proved tough so far, with Juve fans skeptical over the Dane's ability, while club officials have reportedly put him on a strict diet after being unimpressed with his poor fitness levels.

And it seems that whether the move works out of not, a return to Arsenal is still on the cards, with Wenger still a big fan.

'It is not for nothing that I loaned him to Juventus. He is a talented player. There he will grow and then return to my team,' Wenger told the Italian media.

'I am convinced that a team like Juventus, in a very difficult league, especially for strikers, he can make the final leap in quality.

'Don't forget, he is a boy of 24 years. The right age to prove who he is. He is not short of talent - otherwise I would not have bought him at just 16-years-old.'

The comments come as a surprise given the broken relationship between Bendtner and Wenger, with Bendtner being frustrated at the fact that he has had to play out wide on the wing and not being given a proper chance during his time at the Emirates.

But Wenger is willing to put that behind him, and finished by saying he wants to resolve his problems with Bendtner:
'We believe in him and that is why we only gave him to Juventus on loan. I think he can resolve his problems with us and prove himself.

Wenger finished by saying that he still believes in the 24 year old Danish striker!
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Cole ready to quit Chelsea?

Ashley Cole is apparently ready to walk out on Chelsea after only being offered a one-year deal to extend his stay at the club.

The England defender is in the last year of his contract and could leave Stamford Bridge in January for free.

A club insider said Abramovich has a rule at the club, the any player of 30 can only be given a one-year extension but it's madness in Ashley Cole's case.

"Everyone knows he's the best left-back in the world.

"He trains hard, really looks after himself and can play at this level for many more years to come. There isn't a club in the world who wouldn't want Ashley on a free."

Cole, 31, famously left Arsenal in 2006 after he claimed that he almost 'crashed his car' when the Gunners only offered him a £55,000 per week deal.

Now Cole - who will miss England's World Cup qualifier against Moldova tomorrow with an ankle injury - has another contract battle to deal with.

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is a huge admirer of his former player and if Cole does quit Chelsea, the big spending Paris St Germain and Zenit St Petersburg would be able to offer a mega money deal for Cole.

Cole was willing to see out his career at Stamford Bridge so this has stunned insiders.

Last night there was further evidence to prove that Chelsea are ready to lose Cole when his understudy Ryan Bertrand signed a new five-year contract.

Bertrand, 23, has been rewarded for his progress at the club.

He became the first man ever to make his Champions League debut in the final in May and made his England debut last month against Italy.

Another player whose Blues days are numbered is Florent Malouda who has been ordered to train with the youngsters.

The French winger, 32, tweeted a picture of the club's Under-21 academy and said: "This is where I'll train for my last season with the Blues!!!"
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Big spending Zenit ready to splash the cash on Nani

Free-spending Russian side Zenit St Petersburg are set to continue their summer spending spree by splashing out £25m for a move for Manchester United's Portuguese winger Nani.

The Russian champions stunned the world of European football on Monday after splashing out €80m on Porto's Brazilian forward Hulk and Benfica midfielder Axel Witsel.

According to sources close to the club, Zenit boss Luciano Spalletti is keen to add more quality to his already strong squad, with Nani now thought to be his main transfer priority before the close of the Russian transfer window.

The Portugal winger has yet to regain his place in the first-team since being dropped after United's opening day defeat to Everton at Goodison Park.

The impressive form of United's new signings Shinji Kagawa and Robin Van Persie, together with the presence of wingers Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young, could mean that United are willing to entertain offers for the 25-year-old Portugal international.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Italian superstar Del Piero moves to Sydney FC!

Australian side Sydney FC have completed the signing of former Italy international Alessandro Del Piero. The 37-year-old striker has signed a two-year deal with the A-League club.

Del Piero left Serie A champions Juventus in the summer after making more than 700 appearances for the side from Turin.

He had recently been linked with a move to the Premier League but decided to sign for Sydney. Liverpool had reportedly shown an interest in the Italian, although it is understood no approach was made, while Del Piero was also linked with a move to Southampton. Scottish champions Celtic were also interested, having held preliminary discussions with the Italian's advisors.

"I am extremely happy to be joining Sydney FC," said Del Piero.
"This is a very big moment for me because I want to continue my career in a new part of the world where I can make a major contribution and help grow the game I love."

Del Piero, who was capped 91 times for Italy, is the latest in a list of former stars to have moved to Australia. The likes of Robbie Fowler, Romario, Juninho and Dwight Yorke have all previously played in the A-League.

Atletico comprehensively beat Chelsea

Chelsea were comprehensively beaten in the Super Cup as Radamel Falcao scored a hat-trick to inspire Atletico Madrid to victory in Monaco.

Falcao struck a shot against the crossbar before beautifully dinking in his first past keeper Petr Cech.
He curled in a shot with Chelsea in disarray and ended a counter attack with a left-foot finish for his third.
Miranda slotted in a ruthless Atletico's fourth, while Gary Cahill lashed in a shot for the Blues.

In a match pitting European champions Chelsea against the Europa League winners, it was the latter who deservedly came out on top with Falcao in irresistible form.
Super Cup record

The Colombian, who scored 24 La Liga goals and 12 in Europe last season, came into the game on the back of a hat-trick and quickly took advantage of a lethargic Chelsea defence.

Having seen an early shot come back off the crossbar, he expertly lifted the ball over the on-rushing Cech when played through on goal.

A stunned Chelsea were being overrun and another incisive move ended with Falcao curling a left-foot shot into the top corner from just inside the box.

Roberto Di Matteo's side were exposed time and again, the scale of their defeat coming as a surprise given they had gone into the game leading the Premier League after three straight wins.

But Atletico had an intensity and urgency missing from Chelsea's play, and Falcao was again denied by the woodwork when he headed against the post.

However, he did not have long to wait to complete his hat-trick as Atletico countered, Chelsea backtracked and Falcao latched on to an Arda Turan pass before slotting past Cech.

Chelsea's lacklustre play was epitomised by their lazy response to a free-kick as Mario Suarez diverted the set-piece to Miranda, who steered home a shot.

Cahill scored a late goal for Chelsea but it did nothing to disguise the dominance of Atletico.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Maicon now a Manc!

Manchester City have signed Brazil international right-back Maicon from Inter Milan for an undisclosed fee.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini managed the 31-year-old Brazilian right back for two seasons between 2006 and 2008 when in charge of Inter.

The Brazilian defender began his career at Cruziero and had a spell in France at Monaco, before moving to Serie A giants Inter Milan and made 235 appearances for the Italian side.

Maicon will join up with his new teammates after the international break.

A right-back renowned for his attacking instincts, he scored 20 goals for Inter and has nearly 70 caps for Brazil.

Maicon will now join winger Scott Sinclair, who signed from Swansea, and goalkeeper Richard Wright, Benfica midfielder Javi Garcia and Fiorentina defender Matija Nastasic who have all joined current Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Shaqiri makes big impression

Shaqiri was behind many headlines last season during Basel's UEFA Champions League run. Yet even his biggest admirers doubted he could make an immediate impact after his switch to Bayern München in the summer. However, the 20-year-old Swiss international's pre-season with the German giants suggested that he would make an immediate impact.

For Bayern it has been an age since their last league title, with the club playing second fiddle to the current Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund for the past two campaigns. Though, Shaqiri has the Bavarian faithful believing they may have found the answer to their domestic problems.

Last season Bayern were accused of being unable to break down teams who sat deep and defended. Despite having some of Europe's most creative talents, such as Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery, in their ranks, Bundesliga opponents would often find a way to frustrate the eventual UEFA Champions League runners-up.

Shaqiri's performance in Bayern's 4-0 German Cup win against second-tier SSV Jahn Regensburg hinted that the young Swiss sensation may hold the key to unlocking well organized German defenses. During the German Cup match Shaqiri was introduced at the interval, shortly after he's introduction he scored a trademark free-kick before pulling the strings to set up two more.

"After Shaqiri came on, we played much more confidently," said coach Jupp Heynckes. "With him, we were more effective and better than before. I pushed the Shaqiri transfer and everyone who knows my opinion of him knows there is no danger of him sinking into obscurity. He has everything a footballer needs and shows it on a daily basis.

A reported transfer fee of €11.6m did not gain much currency with the rest of the Bayern squad; Shaqiri has earned his status on merit. "In the beginning you could see that the others did not have that much respect for me," he said. "'Okay, there is the little Swiss, is how it came across but this has changed now."

Many thought this would be a transitional season for the young Swiss starlet, with appearances from the bench. Yet there is such a buzz around the youngster that he started Bayern's first league game yesterday against Greuther Fürth.

Bayern so the game comfortably after goals from Müller, Mandzukic as well as an own goal.



Sent from my iPad

Rooney out for Four weeks with thigh injury

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will miss four weeks after suffering a gash on his thigh during his sides 3-2 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford yesterday.

Rooney was injured when he blocked a free kick and Fulham's Hugo Rodallega landed on Rooney's thigh. Rooney was carried off on a stretcher and will now miss two of England's World Cup qualifiers.

Ferguson said the Rooney was whisked off immediately to hospital and he admitted it looked like a bad one.

Rooney had started the game on the bench and came on in the 68th moinute to replace United new boy Shinji Kagawa, though, he lasted less then 25 minuted before being forced off due to the gash in his thigh.

The 26 year old England striker will miss England's qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, as well as three league games against Southampton, Wigan and Liverpool.
Without Rooney, Ferguson will have to rely heavily on Robin van Persie who scored his first goal for the club yesterday.