The Last Word - Sports Blog (Sean Simara)

As 2009 comes to an end the top four currently has a new member. Spurs sit proudly in a Champions League spot; Redknapp has turned them around into true top four contenders. 2010 will be exciting for any football fan. We have the African Cup of Nations, the football league plus the added bonus of the World Cup!! Watch manager will be first to get the sack in 2010? Who will come up or go down? I have put my predictions for all the major honours for 2010 lets see is they come true. Premiership Top 6 Manchester United Chelsea Arsenal Spurs Man City Aston Villa Relegated Wigan Bolton Portsmouth Championship Newcastle United West Brom Nottingham Forest (Play Offs) Relegated Scunthorpe Sheffield Wednesday Peterborough League 1 Leeds Charlton Millwall (Play Offs) Relegated Oldham Tranmere Stockport Wycombe League 2 Bournemouth Rochdale Dagenham & Redbridge Rotherham (Play Offs) Relegated Grimsby Darlington Carling Cup - Manchester United FA Cup - Spurs Champions League - Real Madr...

It is coming up to the busiest part of the football season, but also the most exciting. This is when your team can change their season for good or bad the festive period has been known for making or breaking a season. Chelsea sit top of the tree, but are looking venerable at set pieces an area where they use to be so strong. Against Everton the Blues and especially keeper, Petr Cech looked like an accident waiting to happen. They looked like a pub team on a Sunday morning with some shocking defending. However it turned out to be a point gained as Manchester United lost at home to Aston Villa. This was Villa’s first win at Old Trafford since 1983, Gabby Agbonlahor, who got the winner, was not even born yet!! United’s defensive problems have eased with the return of Vidic and Brown. But United may have to dip into the £80 million kitty left from Ronaldo’s transfer. Maybe David Villa or David Silva from Valencia? The race for fourth place is heating up. Villa, Spurs, Manchester City and L...

As Arsenal crashed out of the Carling Cup last night they find themselves looking at maybe another trophy-less season. Ok I know were only in December, but already 11pts behind Chelsea, out of the Carling Cup and van Persie is out for 5 months. Its looking like another grim season for the Arsenal. Now there is no doubt they do play the most exciting, flamboyant, easy on the eye football in England. Similar to Barcelona but the difference is, Barcelona actually win things! Wenger must know break from tradition and go into the transfer market and spend big. He must also learn how to lose. His actions after the Manchester City game, by not shaking hands with Mark Hughes was childish. They may well have some of the best youth players coming up the ranks and can impress against Championship sides in front of a packed Emirates. But many of them have been in the first team for over 3 years now. These ’kids’ that use to run riot in the Carling Cup should have progressed to top quality first t...

Liverpool are currently 11pts behind leaders Chelsea going into the international break. They have lost 5 games in the league already this season, and only have one win in their past nine games. This win was against Manchester United, however their on the brink of elimination from the Champions League and with Manchester City and Everton to play in the next few weeks the gap could become wider. They have the same current form as Championship basement team Peterborough who axed their manager this week. Liverpool do have a fantastic history, but their present is what really matters. They have never won the Premier League at look to be slipping even further away this season. They did make progress last year finishing 2nd. But here are my personal reasons to why they will not win the Premiership. Benitez has always favoured the Champions League over the Premiership. They should not have let Alonso go; as they did they should have replaced him with a player of equal quality. When Torres and...

Brazil, Holland, England, Italy, Germany, Chile and Ghana have all already booked their place in South Africa 2010. The greatest football competition in the world brings together all the best footballers together in one place. It is the highlight for any footballer in their career. Argentina’s last minute winner on Saturday night against Peru has nearly put them through. In the hammering rain the former world champions were 30 seconds away from elimination. Then Martin Palermo snatched the winner for Maradona‘s men. Wednesday night the travel to Uruguay in a winner-takes-all match. Portugal are another team with their World Cup future in their own hands. A win at home over Malta will see them through. With all the top nations from around the world looking like they will somehow get through, the excitement builds up. I feel the top countries being at the tournament will make the competition better. There will be no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ that whether a team would have won if so and so were the...

The Premiership is only in early October but its looks like its shaping up to be an interesting and one of the most memorable yet. Chelsea tops the going to in the international break. The Blues only lost one game (Wigan away), and Ancelotti has finally fashioned a way to make Drogba and Anelka click, playing as a pair up front. Something that the past two managers didn’t do. Manchester United’s start sees them only losing one game as well. Burnley shocked them but I feel they are still missing a certain Portuguese winger. Note that Madrid lost their first game of the season when Ronaldo was out injured. His ability to produce a match winning moment I feel will cost United. Spurs and Man City find themselves where their fans love, in the top four. For Tottenham being above Arsenal means everything to the fans. Their derby at the end of the month will be a real test for both. It will answer a lot questions, are Spurs finally catching up to their longest rivals? I feel Arsenal are doing ...

Since the last time I wrote a lot has happened in the foot baling world. England has now qualified for the World Cup in South Africa. Their demolition of Croatia at Wembley Stadium was one of the best performances for many years. The season so far has been packed with incidents. The Premiership top 4 looks like it could well be invaded. Manchester City showed there good enough to mix it with Arsenal, and was unlucky not to leave with at least a point from Old Trafford. Santa Cruz hasn’t even kicked a ball yet, and Hughes is coping well with the egos of Bellamy and Robinho for now. Tottenham are the other, they had an explosive start to the campaign. But when it came to playing the top 4 teams, they came unstuck. Manchester United & Chelsea showed Spurs they must still work very hard to break into the exclusive top elite clubs in England. Tottenham’s weakness is their defence. King, Woodgate and Dawson are all injury prone. The full backs are unrealisable and they have not one, but...

Premiership Top 6 Manchester United Chelsea Liverpool Arsenal Man City Spurs Relegated Wolves Burnley Portsmouth Championship West Brom Cardiff City Middlesbrough (Play - 0ff Winners) Relegated Plymouth Scunthorpe Peterborough League One Leeds United Millwall Charlton (Play - 0ff Winners) Relegated Yeovil Swindon Exeter Stockport League Two Notts County Bradford Rochdale Chesterfield (Play - 0ff Winners) Relegated Accrington Stanley Burton Albion

I didn’t expect Arsenal to start the season in such explosive fashion. A 6-1 opening day win is good. But up at Everton is something special. I did though expect Arsenal to struggle this season; however an inspirational performance showed they still will be hard to knock out of the top four. They played and looked like they did a few years ago when they were an unbeatable force. I was also impressed with Manchester City. Now you would expect them with a team they have to beat Blackburn, which they did. But it was the performance at the back I was most impressed with. Given, Dunne and Toure looked good and dealt with whatever Rovers threw at them. Adebayor scored on his debut and fan’s player of the year, Stephen Ireland netted his first of the campaign. With Everton and Villa’s slow starts City could mount a serious top six challenge. Manchester United started the defence of the title with a steady 1-0 win over newly promoted Birmingham City. But even in the first game they look like t...

The football league is back!!! A week ahead of the Premiership, the teams and fans of the football league sides start their campaigns for glory. The Championship round-up starts with, Cardiff City’s 4-0 victory at their brand spanking new stadium over Scunthorpe. Cardiff if you remember missed out on the Play-Offs by one goal last season. Newcastle United put the turmoil of the summer behind them and drew 1-1 at West Brom. These two teams will be there or there abouts come May. Goal of the weekend was Clinton Morrison opener against Ipswich Town. His curling lob over the keeper and two Town defenders is a contender for goal of the month already. http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid29318049001?bctid=32823450001 In League 1 Colchester put on the best show. An amazing 7-1 win at Norwich was a perfect way to start any season. This overshadowed Gillingham’s 5-0 win over Swindon. League 1 this year will be tight with fans of Leeds, Millwall, Charlton, MK Dons and Southampton look...

Manchester City F.C was the biggest movers in the summer transfers market here in England. Only Real Madrid in Spain spent more. City are clearly ready for one of their most promising and important seasons every. They are in a position to break into the top four like Everton done a few seasons ago. They transfers they made are all improvements and they have taken some of the best from other clubs. Tevez was one of United most important hard working players. His goal a Wigan towards the end of last season put one hand on the title for the reds. City has not only taken one of the best footballers in the world. They have taken a great player from their great rivals. And the billboard advert welcoming people to Manchester with Tevez on the front is on show for all United fans to see. Barry was an influential part of Aston Villa’s midfield for many years. Now an England international he will want to prove the City fans and Capello he is ready for the big time. The Adebayor and Toure signin...

Being a Queens Park Rangers fan you always receive a fair amount of stick. But now being one of the richest clubs in London, this season we must finally deliver. Last seasons campaign was memorable with three different managers, rumours the chairman picking his favourites in the team and basically mediocre football. Flavio Briatore needs to let the manager pick the team and stay out of the dressing room. This time Jim Magilton in charge, for how long is anybodies guess. He is not the most inspiring choice, but must be given a chance. Ipswich did outplay us twice last season with ease. We need to hit the ground running or it will then replicate last year, with fans moaning and turning on the management team early. We have our star players back and fully fit. The likes of Rowan Vine and our own ‘White Pele’, Akos Buzsaky were sorely missed last year. We also have the advantage of having a well established and Premiership class keeper in Radek Cerny. He was outstanding last year and he ...

Blackburn Rovers No Santa Cruz, Big Sam will need to replace the star or change his tactics to benefit Rovers this season. Rovers have potential and with an ambitious manager in Allardyce they can achieve a lot more then last seasons finish. Be sure they will be ready for the arrival of Burnley, a derby match which means everything in Lancashire. Key Man - Chris Samba is a rock in the Rovers defence. Powerful and a goal scorer his impact this season at the back will be a back bone to what Rovers do. Burnley Play-Off winners Burnley will be looking forward to their first season in the Premiership. They will look at the inspiration from Stoke last year to just battle and use what you can to survive. Key Man Robbie Blake - Hopefully will find the form of last year in a much tougher league. Chelsea Ancelotti’s first season in England, he better get use to it fast. With the departure of fan favourite Guus Hiddink last season, Chelsea fans are expected of great things. Champions League succ...

Arsenal How many years has it been since the Gooners last saw winners medals? In Wenger we trust is the motto, but for how long. They have the stadium, they play the wonderful football, and they also have some of the best up coming talent n the country. (Ramsey, Walcott and Wilshere too name but a few) Its time for Arsenal to finally deliver. Key Man - Robin van Persie If fully fit for the whole campaign he could easily reach 20 goals and lead Arsenal to where they want to be. Aston Villa Villa nearly broke in to the top four last season. But their small squad couldn’t keep up. With the lose of Barry things will be harder. However with a heap of British talent, Villa can go further. Key Man - Ashley Young Without a doubt one of the most promising players in England. And with it being a World Cup season Young could shine. Birmingham City Newly promoted, spending cash, City are looking to stay in the top flight. It will be hard for the Blues, and their home form will tell a lot to whet...