Maple Lions

No MP3 of that mashup to download, I’m afraid, but there is word that Upton Park’s new Norse overlords are giving Alan Pardew loads of cash for the January transfer window:

Alan Pardew has more than £10m to spend this January after the completion of Eggert Magnusson’s takeover of West Ham yesterday. Magnusson, a member of Uefa’s executive committee, takes over as chairman following his purchase yesterday of 83% of the club’s shares in a bid that values the club at £107.5m. His first act was to hold an extended meeting with Pardew to discuss what direction the club will now take.

Paul Canniff 

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Talks over a takeover at St. James’ Park may be resolved by Christmas.

Could new owners give Glenn Roeder more free weekends than he planned? Couldn’t hurt, at this point.

Paul Canniff

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The Telly provides some valuable background on the purchase of West Ham United FC by Icelandic tycoon Eggert Magnusson.

Will their new chant be, “I’m Forever Throwing Snowballs”?

Paul Canniff

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The Curse of Curbs lingers on as Ian Dowie departs the gaffer’s post at Charlton.

The Beeb report notes he is the first Premiership manager to be sacked this season. And you know he won’t be the last.

Roeder? Anyone? Roeder?

Paul Canniff 

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Manchester United and Chelsea respectively hold the first and third slots in the latest ESPN World Club 25 rankings; in contrast, Barça and Real Madrid hold down sixth and tenth.

Back in the Champions League, here’s how the English sides are faring as we come up to matchday 5:

1. Chelsea: 10 pts., GD +5
2. Liverpool: 10 pts., GD +5
3. Manchester United: 9 pts., GD +4
4. Arsenal: 7 pts., GD +2

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are at the top of their groups, while Arsenal holds second place.

Among the top eight scorers in CL action are Didier Drogba in first, followed by Peter Crouch in fourth and Luis Garcia in eighth.

Paul Canniff

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While the Telly’s roundup of the papers reports that Andriy Shevchenko is pining for Milan, the Sun claims otherwise.

The observation from Soccer Steve in Edmonton may be bang on, that Sheva needs some down time to clear his head and make a proper mental adjustment to the English game. A string of flashes of brilliance does not make up for Drogba taking up the full burden of striking power, even if Didier is doing so masterfully.

Paul Canniff 

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The key to Method Acting is motivation. So what makes a man switch in under a minute from sprinting like a Triple Crown winner to hobbling like Dennis Weaver in “Gunsmoke”, as the world witnessed Saturday at Ewood Park?

Weak.

At this rate Vinnie Jones will remain the only footballer to make a plausible transition to the silver screen.

Paul Canniff

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The Home Office reports that banning orders for football supporters are at a record high, increasing by 7% in the past year.

While the Premier League has gone ahead of the Championship in fan arrests, the top five havens of hooliganism reside in both the old Divisions One and Two:

Banning Orders

1. Leeds
2. Portsmouth
3. Cardiff City
4. Stoke City
5. Manchester United

Arrests

1. Tottenham Hotspur
2. Manchester United
3. Chelsea
4. Sheffield Wednesday
5. Coventry City

However,

[B]oth Hull City and Luton Town had the highest number of fans arrested for violent disorder - both clubs had 21 hooligans detained.

Fourteen Birmingham City fans were arrested for the same offence in the year.

[…]

Thirteen people were also held for violent disorder at both Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday.

Notwithstanding that data, in my visits to a number of football grounds I have not encountered any particular violent incidents. The police protection was high but not as paramilitary in flavour as I witnessed in Stuttgart, by contrast. The Premiership has in fact become rather family-friendly, thanks to all-seater stadia and enforcement in the stands. That being said, the Great British Night Out — a pint and a fight — has not vanished entirely from football.

Paul Canniff

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I’m sure all of us wish Petr Cech a speedy and full recovery after his injury in last Saturday’s match against Reading. But don’t we also hope that sometimes the Special One would just shut the hell up instead of grandstanding on shaky assertions?

Has the footballing world really been seeking a fusion of the managerial skills of Bill Shankly with the rhetoric of Hugo Chavez?

Paul Canniff

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Check here to see who will face Newcastle and Blackburn, Newcastle and Tottenham in the group stage that will run from October 19 to December 14.

Paul Canniff 

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