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Fabio Capello insisted on Saturday that he does not yet deserve to be compared to Sir Alf Ramsey, the man he hopes to emulate by transforming England into world-beaters.

Ramsey coached England to their only World Cup success back in 1966 but Capello's impressive first year in charge of the national squad already has many observers tipping the Italian's team as champions in South Africa in 2010.

But Capello says there is plenty of work ahead if the England of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney are to be kings of the world.

“Someone spoke to me about this big manager (Ramsey) but we have to wait. He's up here - I'm still down here,” said Capello.

“It's a very long way to arrive at the level of Sir Alf Ramsey - it is difficult and very, very long.”

Capello has overseen a dramatic improvement in the national team's fortunes in 2008.

After the low of failing to qualify for Euro 2008 under Steve McClaren, England have reached the end of the year on course for the World Cup finals boasting a perfect record in the qualifiers.

For good measure, they ended 2008 with a 2-1 friendly win over Germany in Berlin with their only loss in the year coming against France.

“It's been step forward, step forward,” Capello said.

“I'm very happy because the last game against Germany we played very well. The first 11 was new players, some players who hadn't played a lot of games, and we won and this is very important for the future.

“We had another (stepping) stone for the future.”

Capello added that, unlike McClaren, he was determined to maintain barriers between himself and his players.

“It's not important to play cards or games with the players. It's not important to me to be one of the lads,” said the Italian.

“The important thing is respect. I always say a manager is one against 24 always - there is one boss, one leader being judged by 24 players, in every moment he is under scrutiny and it's important the players know that is my role. The leader is the leader.”

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

Four out of ten in the predictions yesterday. That’s pretty good for me! You can’t predict into the future though. Who could possibly predict the results for future? Who could possibly know where a player is going to be by the end of January?

We are just a few days away from the silly season that is the January transfer window. It is silly because everyone will be linked to a move from everywhere to anywhere and the media will heighten the tension and speculation by reporting on every time a player sneezes in a manner likely to mean he is on the move!

Semblance of truth

I just want to point out that this site will be no exception! We will tell you about every rumour, whether it is based on a semblance of truth or whether it has come about because the friend of one of my mate’s cousins works in Rochdale and he says that one of his mate’s sister’s friend’s auntie definitely saw Lionel Messi going into the Rochdale players entrance in disguise!

The rumours annoy me and interest me in just about equal measures. The stories very often turn out to be totally untrue but the fun is in trying to spot the ones that actually are possibilities.

In the week before Christmas alone, I saw the following rumours:

Carlos Tevez from Manchester United to Arsenal
Diego Lopez from Villarreal to Manchester City
Adriano from Inter to just about anywhere
Arsenio Halfhuid from Excelsior Rotterdam to Aston Villa
Eljero Elia from FC Twente to Ajax
Andrei Arshavin from Zenit to Barcelona
Andrei Arshavin from Zenit to Real Madrid
Andrei Arshavin from Zenit to Tottenham
Andrei Arshavin from Zenit to Arsenal
Massimo Donati from Celtic to Milan
Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn to Manchester City
Gokhan Inler from Udinese to Arsenal
Gianluigi Buffon from Juventus to Manchester City
Didier Zokora from Tottenham to Portsmouth
Stewart Downing from Middlesbrough to Tottenham
Matthew Upson from West Ham to Manchester City
Any top player in the world from anywhere to Manchester City

That is just a very few of the hundreds and hundreds of rumours that are wildly circulating around the media fuelled transfer frenzy in football as the window prepares to open.

Most likely

As I say, the exciting bit is to work out which of them might be based on truth. From the above list, the most likely move seems to be the last one. Any top player from anywhere to Manchester City!

Robinho proved that top players may be prepared to move to an under achieving club rather than a Champions League club if the money is right. Having said that, Robinho couldn’t establish a regular place in the Real Madrid team and they hardly set Europe alight in his time at the club.

Well renowned

Other likely moves in England I think will invole Tottenham who may well ship out a few and bring in a few. Harry Redknapp is well renowned for his transfer dealings and he will be looking to stamp his mark on the team. I also think it likely that Santa Cruz will leave Blackburn.

In Italy, I would expect Jose Mourinho to expand his Inter squad although whether he will raid his old Stamford Bridge hunting groundis less certain.

I would also expect Juande Ramos to try to strengthen his Real Madrid team with more signings than just Lassana Diarra.

Square root

So there we have it. Although most of the rumours will be based on the square root of bugger all, the transfer window always leads to some interesting and exciting speculation.

SoccerNews will be bringing it all to you as it happens and we can all dream that the signing that will make all the difference to our team is going to be the one that makes the headlines.

As a Watford supporter, I am told by the board of the club that we will be selling in January to ensure that the club balances the books and manages to survive. I accept that, but I’m sure we’ll make one big signing that will see us roaring up the table towards the Championship play-off places.

In fact, my brother told me that a friend of his in Watford was shopping in WH Smith in the town the other day and he had spoken to a bloke he used to work with who told him that a friend of his uncle’s had been told that one of his mates had seen Thierry Henry walking towards Watford’s Vicarage Road ground.

Written by Graham Fisher · Tags: Editorial, General Soccer News, Transfer News & Transfer Rumours

Friday 26th December 2008

# Aston Villa v Arsenal

The battle for fourth place hots up with this one on Boxing Day. For those people who feel that there shouldn’t be football over the festive period, this is a mouth watering game to prove them wrong.

I’m not happy about the Summer break so I certainly wouldn’t support a Winter one. All year round football I say!

I think Arsene Wenger’s knowledge of how to get in and stay in that top four will see them through against the young pretenders to their fourth placed throne. They might have had a poorish season but wins against United and Chelsea and a ten man draw against Liverpool show that they are still one of the best four.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-2
# Chelsea v West Brom

I’d love to give West Brom some Christmas cheer but it just isn’t possible with this fixture.

On the plus side, teams that have ‘shut up shop’ at Stamford Bridge have shown that Chelsea can be frustrated and have managed to get decent results. On the negative side, West Brom have absolutely no idea how to ‘shut up shop’.

SoccerNews prediction: 3-0
# Liverpool v Bolton

Stuttering at home Liverpool against unpredictable away Bolton. That’s an easy one to predict then!

I think the Reds might keep their title dreams alive for a bit longer here and maybe make Gary Megson wonder if his team could be in trouble after all.

SoccerNews prediction: 3-1
# Manchester City v Hull

One of Manchester City’s last games before they spend goodness knows how many millions of pounds in the transfer window.

I have consistently predicted that the Hull bubble will burst but even I have been convinced that it might not. Having said that of course, the 4-1 defeat at home to Sunderland might be the start of things to come. They need to bounce back and I fancy them to get something here by attacking City’s fragile looking defence.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-2
# Middlesbrough v Everton

Just when Middlesbrough looked as though they were returning to type and slipping down the table, they turned in a great performance against Arsenal a couple of weeks ago. After that though they produce a dreadful performance at Fulham and they are now the only Premier League side without a win in their last six games.

Everton are back in the race for fourth or fifth place and they have done so without playing well and without any strikers. It’s a good effort by them.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-1
# Portsmouth v West Ham

The eleven Portsmouth players are still only looking half the side under Tony Adams than they looked under Harry Redknapp. I still haven’t worked out why that is.

West Ham are beginning to fight a little more now that they have realised that they really might be in a relegation scrap.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-1
# Stoke v Manchester United

Stoke have upset Arsenal and Liverpool this season and they will be looking to do again against the might of Manchester United.

They’ve got no chance.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-2
# Sunderland v Blackburn

This looked as though it would be the battle of the poor sides without a manager. Blackburn acted very quickly to appoint Sam Allardyce but Sunderland are still dragging their heels.

No doubt both sides will for inexplicable reasons continue to play better without the old Manchester United influence of Roy Keane and Paul Ince.

I don’t think this will be a game for the lover of pass and move football, that’s for sure!

SoccerNews prediction: 1-0
# Tottenham v Fulham

Two teams that have continued to surprise. Tottenham are so much better than they were at the start of the season and Fulham are so much better than they were last season.

The two managers are very different. Harry Redknapp is full of personality and Fulham have got Roy Hodgson.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-1
# Wigan v Newcastle

Wigan are a decent side but Newcastle are definitely getting better under Joe Kinnear. Many of their injured stars are back and things are finally beginning to look ever so slightly up for the Toon Army.

Written by Graham Fisher · Tags: Editorial, English Premier League

Christmas day is here. To all of you who celebrate Christmas I wish you a very merry one and I hope that you have a great day. To all of you who don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a good December 25th as well!

Peace

At a time such as this it is worth remembering just what a power for peace and good, football is. In a world of famine, fear and violence. In a world of hatred and jealousy, football is one of very few things that can unite us all.

Take this simple football site. I write things about world football from my home in Southern England. The few hardy readers come from all over the globe. Many of you disagree with much of what I write and many of you disagree with each other. It is rare for anyone to agree on matters about the clubs we actually support. You can attack me or my family, but don’t criticise my football team!!

Love

Despite our differences of opinion on the game and our different backgrounds, lives and cultures, we all agree on one thing. We love football.

So at this festive time of year we should never under play the importance of the game. Some strange people say they can’t understand why people get so excited by watching twenty-two grown men (or women) chasing a ball around a field. Well, whilst not quite agreeing with the famous Bill Shankley quote about football being more important than life and death, the game is so much more than just a game.

Joy

It gives us excitement, frustration, joy, anger and despair. In fact, you name an emotion and football can, and does, produce it.

Written by Graham Fisher · Tags: Editorial, General Soccer News

It also has the unique and incredibly important ability to transcend politics and arguments and loathing to bring the people of the world together.

Football is an important piece of all of our lives and long may it continue.

To football fans everywhere, have a wonderful day.

Written by Graham Fisher · Tags: Editorial, General Soccer News

World football body FIFA announced it has lifted its suspensions on the federations of Kuwait, Samoa and Peru.

Kuwait was suspended in late October for political interference and the lifting of its ban is only provisional to allow them to play in Asian Cup qualifying starting in January and the Gulf Cup.

Whether the ban returns will be reviewed at FIFA’s Congress in March.

In the case of the Samoans, they were suspended for “repeated management problems” in October, but this has been resolved following meetings of the FIFA executive committee on the sidelines of the Club World Cup here.

A row with the government over alleged political interference in Peru saw that federation suspended last month, but they too are now in the clear.


Written by SoccerNews · Tags: World Cup