Jom Football

In amongst the hundreds and hundreds of transfer rumours around at the moment, this one stood out for me as being of some interest.

The Times reports that Manchester United look set to finalise the £16.3 million deal to bring Serbian duo Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic from Partizan Belgrade to Old Trafford.

I know little about these two players. Zoran Tosic is a twenty-one year old winger and Adem Ljajic is a seventeen year old attacking midfielder.

The last Serbian I knew little about to arrive at Manchester United was Nemanja Vidic and he hasn’t turned out too badly!

Anyone know much about these two? Would they be likely to have as big an impact as their fellow countryman has?

(Source - The Times)

Steven Gerrard put his testing week behind him by leading Liverpool to a 2-0 FA Cup third round victory away to fellow north-west side Preston North End at Deepdale here Saturday.

Goals from Spanish duo Albert Riera and Fernando Torres secured a victory for the Premier League leaders against the second-tier team which was only sealed in stoppage-time.

Gerrard, 28, could have expected to sit out this third round tie in normal circumstances, but having been charged with assault over an alleged incident that took place in nearby Southport in the early hours of Monday morning, manager Rafael Benitez opted to select his captain from the start as “the best thing for him and for us is to focus on football.”

The England midfielder, due to appear at a magistrates' court on January 23, has been told he has the full support of his club and he was likely to have welcomed the chance to have played against Alan Irvine's Championship outfit.

“We always seem to have problems against lower league opposition, so we knew we would find it tough but thankfully we've come through it,” Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said.

“We only got the second goal in the last minute and we had a couple of scares in the last minute so great credit to Preston.”

Having been embarrassed in FA Cup shocks by Burnley and Barnsley in recent seasons, Benitez underlined his determination to avoid another upset by naming a formidable starting line-up for this game.

Only goalkeeper keeper Diego Cavalieri, in for Spain international Pepe Reina, could be considered as a fringe player.

Liverpool started slowly, though, and the home side, buoyed by a run of four successive home clean sheets, attempted to make an early breakthrough.

Scottish winger Ross Wallace forced Cavalieri into the first save of the game with a curling left-foot free-kick on five minutes, but the striker lacked the pace to worry the Brazilian shot-stopper.

Preston's defence struggled to cope with the penetration of Liverpool widemen Ryan Babel and Riera created a golden chance for Robbie Keane after racing to the byline.

His cross was perfect for Keane to slot into the net from six yards, but the Ireland striker sliced his shot so much that it almost went out for a throw-in.

Gerrard then tested Preston keeper Andy Lonergan with a snapshot from 20 yards before Riera gave Liverpool the lead with a classy 25th minute strike.

A Gerrard shot was half-cleared by Preston and the ball dropped to Riera on the edge of the six-yard box.

Instead of shooting with his right foot, Riera cut back on to his left and headed away from goal before beating Lonergan with a powerful left-foot shot from 12 yards.

Liverpool would have had the game in the bag by half-time had Keane taken two clear chances before the interval, but the former Tottenham Hotspur star's poor finishing gave Preston a lifeline.

Keane continued in a similar vein in the second-half, missing at the near post from Gerrard's cross, before Lonergan denied the Liverpool skipper with a brilliant save from his long-range shot in the 59th minute.

And five minutes later, Preston believed they had equalised when Sean St Ledger headed in Richard Chaplow's cross.

However, a foul by Jon Parkin on Carragher in the build-up led to the 'goal' being disallowed.

Benitez ended Torres's six-week, injury-enforced absence by putting him on in place of the misfiring Keane 18 minutes from time.

Torres's first effort on goal flew wide from 25 yards but his second, a tap-in from Gerrard's injury-time pass, made it 2-0.

Written by SoccerNews · Tags: English Premier League, FA Cup

England football legend Paul Gascoigne said drink and drug addictions nearly killed him in 2008 and knows he is now on his last chance to save himself, in an interview published Friday.

Gascoigne, 41, who is in a rehabilitation clinic on the southern English coast trying to get his life back in order, said going back on the booze would be the death of him.

“This is my last chance,” the fallen idol told The Sun newspaper.

“My mate Jimmy 'Five Bellies' says I've got more lives than a cat and he's right. But this is my last one.”

Gascoigne has battled alcoholism and depression since his playing days. Last year he was sectioned under British mental health laws.

“2008 was a terrible time for me, my worst year ever,” the former Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio and Rangers star said.

“The drink and drugs nearly killed me, not once but a few times.

“And getting sectioned was the worst thing ever. A little bit of me died when I went in there and I am never going back.

“The difference this time is I know what I have got to do. I know I can never drink again otherwise it will kill me.”

His 12-year-old son Regan, in a documentary called “Saving Gazza” to be aired Monday on Channel Four television, said he thought his father would “die soon” and wished he would “go away” from the family.

“I don't think there's any point in helping him… I feel bad and sorry for him because he's in this kind of state but it's not our fault,” the youngster said.

In the television programme, Gascoigne admits: “I've got food disorder, bipolar, mood swings, anxiety. I drank when I was happy, I drank when I was sad. And yes, I must admit I thought of dying.”

Gascoigne has been sober for a month and undergoes a punishing fitness regime at the rehabilitation clinic, The Sun said.

Gascoigne, who spent time in rehab in Portugal last year, accused his ex-wife Sheryl of having turned their son against him and laid the blame for his comments on her.

“If she hates me that much, why is she still called Gascoigne? Because the name Gascoigne is a bonus for her, that's why.

“I'm not going to watch the programme. It's a disgrace to use a child like that.

“If Sheryl was so interested in saving me then why did she come all the way out to Portugal as part of making a TV show?

“Would it not have been better to have 'saved Gazza' without a camera crew in tow?

“Walking into that wine bar and meeting her all those years ago was the most expensive drink I've ever had.

“It has cost me about 17 million pounds (25 million dollars, 18 million euros) over the years.

“I paid maintenance for two kids who weren't mine and the family lives in a 1.6-million-pound house. Yet they throw all this at me.”

Considered one of the most talented players English football has ever produced, the former midfielder is best known for his exploits in the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy where he helped his country to reach the semi-finals.

Written by SoccerNews · Tags: English Premier League

Speaking from Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, Argentina’s and Manchester United’s forward, Carlos Tevez, has stated that he is happy at United.

He also added that he had no problem with his current manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Tevez, who is in Buenos Aires to sort out some private business, said that Sir Alex has told him that he wants him to stay at the club.

For him that was important and he accepted his team selections, even though he has been used as a “super-sub” for most of the season.

He is expected to be back in Manchester early next week.

Written by SoccerNews · Tags: English Premier League

English midfielder David Beckham is set to make his debut with Serie A giants AC Milan, who are scheduled to face Hamburger SV in a friendly on January 6th.

Milan boss revealed this to sportspaper Gazzetta dello Sport: “He will get a spot somewhere in midfield,” he said.

After failing to reach the MLS play-offs with Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham agreed to be loaned out to Milan in order to retain fitness. Officially, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star should return to the United States next summer, but rumours mention a permanent stay in Italy.

The 33-year-old joined LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007, and has scored five goals in 30 appearance.

Written by SoccerNews · Tags: Serie A