Tuesday, 25 February 2014
David Moyes admits Manchester United’s poor performance to Olympiacos
THE BEST ODDS EVER ONLY IN DAFABET
David Moyes admits Manchester United’s
performance in Tuesday night’s shock first-leg defeat to Olympiacos was “really
poor” – but is determined to make amends when the sides meet again at Old
Trafford on 19 March.
The Reds were strongly fancied to claim a
fifth win in five meetings with the Greek side but were instead turned over 2-0
by goals from Alejandro Dominguez and Joel Campbell in the 38th and 55th
minutes. The United boss felt the deficit was greater than the difference
between the sides, although he did accept his side didn’t “offer enough” at the
other end of the pitch where, in the latter stages, Robin van Persie spurned
the Reds’ only real chance.
“It's the worst we've played in Europe [this season], that's for
sure,” said Moyes in his post-match press conference.
“It was a really poor performance. We didn't get going from the
start. We didn't deserve anything from tonight.
"We just never got to grips with
things. To a man, you could hardly pick anyone out [who played well]. We just
didn't perform well.
“I'm surprised. I didn't see that level of performance coming. We
came into the game in good form and a good mindset but it didn't show tonight.
“I have to say I don't think we were two goals worse off in the game.
[For the first goal] they had a shot, which got deflected... but we didn't
offer enough on the night to create a goal really.”
The only crumb of comfort for Moyes and his
men is the time lapsed in the tie - only 90 minutes have passed with the same
period to be played again on home soil in three weeks, at Old Trafford.
"We'll do everything we possibly can
to reverse the 2-0 defeat tonight. We'll put it right, we're determined to put
it right and we'll have opportunities to do that in the coming weeks.
"There's undoubtedly talent at
Manchester United but tonight we didn't show it. Me and the team, we didn't
show it together. I take responsibility. It's my team and I'll always front up.
The players are hurting as well. They know how they performed. We're a team and
we stick together.
"We didn't play well and we have to
play better. We can do. The one good thing is there's still a second game to
come. Old Trafford's seen some great nights in the past and I'm looking forward
to hopefully seeing another one."
What do you think??? Moyes OUT??!!!
Monday, 24 February 2014
In Asia, WhatsApp posts mixed message for Facebook
![]() |
An illustration photo shows a man holding a
smart phone with a Facebook logo as its screen wallpaper in front of a WhatsApp
messenger logo, in Zenica February 20, 2014.
|
WhatsApp may be hugely popular but its
forays into Asia, the world's biggest mobile market, have had mixed success,
raising questions about whether it can sustain the explosive growth Facebook
Inc cited to justify its $19 billion price tag.
Data from app metric company App Annie, for
example, shows that WhatsApp ranks as the top communications app in only three
of 13 Asian countries tracked - Hong Kong, India and Singapore.
"WhatsApp has been a strong player in
Asia, but in the past year has faced strong competition from LINE and
WeChat," said Neha Dharia, India-based analyst for Ovum, a technology
consultancy. "WhatsApp has not been displaced by these players, but has
seen stiff competition in growing its market share."
Facebook said on Wednesday it would buy
WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, in a deal worth more than Facebook
raised in its own IPO.
For sure, WhatsApp has been phenomenally
successful. For many users it has replaced sending costly texts, or SMS
messages. Since its launch in 2009 it has built an active monthly user base of
450 million users.
A survey by marketing and research company
Jana found WhatsApp to be the most used messaging app in all the countries it
surveyed - India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico - beating
competitors by a huge margin. The reason: users most prize the basic functions
it offers - ad-free chat and photo sharing.
WhatsApp subscribers sent 18 billion
messages a day in January. The overall market is growing rapidly: According to
Ovum, 27.4 trillion such messages were sent last year; this year that figure
will be close to 69 trillion.
CHINA CALLING
By hooking up, Facebook and WhatsApp may be
able to take on those markets that have been elusive to Facebook so far. With
Facebook blocked in China, and lagging Twitter Inc and Naver Corp's LINE in
Japan, WhatsApp "is a potential avenue for Facebook" into those
markets, said Vincent Stevens, a senior manager for telecoms consultancy Delta
Partners.
Forrester, a consultancy, forecasts that
China will have more than 500 million smartphones this year.
And in the fast growing smartphone market
of India, says Neil Shah, research director of devices and ecosystems at
Counterpoint Research, local users now account for almost 9 percent of total
active WhatsApp users around the world - some 40 million of them.
But Facebook and WhatsApp face formidable
foes. Where once messaging apps were simply about messaging, now Tencent
Holdings Ltd's WeChat, LINE and KakaoTalk offer a slew of additional services,
from icons and games to buying goods and services.
"LINE and the others are very
different to WhatsApp. They're much more innovative in the business models they
engage in," says Michael Vakulenko of VisionMobile, a UK-based
consultancy. "They are innovating much faster than WhatsApp and going in a
different direction."
This could prove decisive in Asia - the
biggest battleground for social messaging apps - where no single player
dominates.
Data from market research company Nielsen,
for example, showed BlackBerry Messenger as the most downloaded messaging app
in Indonesia last October, the latest data available, while Viber, bought by
Japanese online retailer Rakuten Inc for $900 million last week, was the most
popular in the Philippines, and LINE in Thailand.
WhatsApp was third in Indonesia, second in
Malaysia and not in the top-10 in the Philippines or Thailand. And while locals
say WhatsApp remains the default messaging app in Indonesia, some notice a
shift.
FICKLE FORTUNES
Jerry Justianto, who runs a radio station
network in Jakarta, says he's noticing fewer of his friends using WhatsApp than
before. "I think it's reached a plateau in Indonesia," he said.
"I see a lot of WhatsApp accounts in my list are inactive."
A survey by market research firm On Device
Research late last year found that while nearly two thirds of Indonesians
surveyed had installed WhatsApp, less than half used it at least once a week,
compared to three quarters of Brazilians who had installed it.
Part of the problem, Justianto says, is
that WhatsApp's approach of linking accounts to a phone number doesn't suit
Indonesians who change their SIM card frequently. "Some of my early
adopter friends are moving to Telegram messenger, where you can activate
multiple devices with one number."
Telegram, which offers much the same
features as WhatsApp, is evidence of the fickleness of users. The app is free
and heavily encrypted, and is popular in some countries. In Spain, for example,
it has risen from its launch last year to be the No.1 communications app in
Google's Play store, at the expense of WhatsApp, according to App Annie data.
This, said one executive at a handset
company in Spain, was partly because of a viral campaign among users to switch,
and partly because many users dumped WhatsApp before they were charged at the
end of their first, free year.
GETTING USERS TO USE MORE
Across Asia, the fragmentation is evident
to users such as Martin Tomlinson, Asia Pacific director for On Device
Research, who says he has installed at least six messaging apps for work:
"I need to have at least three of these on my phone because that's how my
clients communicate."
LINE, for example, considers its top
markets as not only Japan but also Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. Now, says
Simeon Cho, general manager at LINE Plus, which handles LINE's ex-Japan
business, the goal is less about winning new users than getting existing ones
to use the app more frequently.
Kakao, which started the KakaoTalk
messenger service in 2010 and has since grown rapidly to 130 million users,
said it was also focusing heavily on Southeast Asia, where there is relatively
low smartphone penetration and no dominant messenger service.
And for China's Tencent, KakaoTalk and LINE
are more of a threat overseas than WhatsApp, as the company's WeChat expansion
is focused on Southeast Asia.
WhatsApp would only pose a serious threat
if the likes of Tencent were to expand farther west. "This means it's now
going to be more difficult for LINE to win in North America and Europe,"
said Serkan Toto, a Tokyo-based technology consultant.
PM: BR1M to continue as long as economy is strong
BEST ODDS EVER ONLY IN DAFABET!
Datuk Seri Najib Razak today gave the
assurance that the people would continue to get the 1Malaysia People's Aid
(BR1M) for as long as the country's political stability and strong economic
growth is maintained.
The prime minister said with economic
growth, it would enable the government to implement development programmes and
channel aid to the people.
Hence, he said, it was the priority of the
Barisan Nasional (BN) government to do its best in administering the country.
"Currently, BN is able to administer
the country well, when other countries are facing problems, through policies
which are strong and accelerate economic growth, although there are
uncertainties in the world economy.
"But in Malaysia, we are able to
determine our economy as well as accelerate its growth, and when the country's
revenue increases, we distribute the wealth to the people," he said when
launching the BR1M 2014 here today.
Najib said the government had allocated
RM4.5 billion for BR1M 2014 which would benefit 7 million recipients.
He hoped the increase in the value of BR1M
could ease the people's burden, especially the urban residents.
The BR1M allowance to households with
monthly income of RM3,000 and below has been increased from RM500 to RM700,
including RM50 for contribution to the Group Takaful Rakyat 1Malaysia (i-BR1M)
insurance which provides protection of up to RM30,000 in the event of death or
permanent disability.
For single individuals aged 21 and above,
and with a monthly income not exceeding RM2,000, the amount is increased from
RM250 to RM300.
In addition, BR1M has been extended to
households with a monthly income of between RM3,000 and RM4,000 and they will
receive RM450.
Prime minister said that as a responsible
government, it had to carry out fiscal consolidation to maintain the momentum
of the country's economy and the people's well-being.
He said it had to be done in stages to ease
the people's burden, besides having to convince the world market that efforts
would continue to be made by the government to strengthen the country's fiscal
position.
Najib said the improvements made to BR1M
were in tandem with the implementation of the targeted subsidy in an effort to
ease the people's burden.
"Therefore, the government will change
the policy on subsidy, which is from bulk subsidy to targeted subsidy to ensure
that the implementation of the subsidy is fair," he added.
The prime minister also said the government
had fulfilled the promises it made in the last general election's manifesto,
which among others, was to increase in stages the BR1M value.
The prime minister said implementation of
bulk subsidy was seen as a wastage and leakage because those who were not
eligible to benefit from it, like foreign tourists and workers, also enjoyed
the facility.
"For example, the subsidy for RON95
petrol is 63 sen per litre. Imagine the difference between owners of low and
high capacity vehicles if they get to enjoy the same petrol subsidy. It is not
fair.
"So, the government decides to change
the policy from bulk subsidy to targeted subsidy in stages and shift the
savings to the people through BR1M. BR1M is an example of the targeted
subsidy," he added.
Najib said BR1M 2014 was a manifestation of
a good economic management by the government.
"The BR1M payment has been credited
directly to the bank accounts of the recipients since yesterday. Those who do
not have a bank account, they will receive the voucher, to be given in stages.
"This is because the people need the
aid now and they need not have to wait long to enjoy aid from the
government," he said.
He also said the BN government would always
fulfill its election manifesto, including during the 13th general election to
increase the value of BR1M to RM1,200 in five years.
"It will be increased in stages,
meaning next year, the amount will increase," he added.
Thomas Muller ruled out with hamstring injury as Ribery nears Bayern return
THE BEST ODDS EVER ONLY IN DAFABET!!
The Germany international will miss the
weekend clash with Schalke after picking up a problem against Hannover, but the
France star and Xherdan Shaqiri is close to comebacks.
Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has
been ruled out of Saturday's Bundesliga game against Schalke after suffering a
hamstring injury.
The Germany international scored twice as
Bayern cruised to a 4-0 win over Hannover at the weekend, but picked up a
problem in his right leg later in the match.
After further tests on Monday, the club has
confirmed on their official website that Muller has been ordered to rest for
the next five days, meaning he will definitely miss the meeting with Schalke at
the Allianz Arena and could potentially be a doubt for the game with Wolfsburg
on March 8.
Meanwhile, Bayern have received better news
on the injury front as Franck Ribery and Xherdan Shaqiri close in on returns to
first-team action.
Ribery, who underwent surgery on a buttock
problem earlier this month, resumed high-intensity sprint training on Monday
under the scrutiny of the club's physios.
Shaqiri, meanwhile, is set to return to
training this week after suffering a torn muscle against Freiburg.
National Dog for World Cup.
A photographer has found his creative way to combine the countries with their national dog for World Cup.
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
BEST ODDS EVER IN DAFABET!
Moyes buoyed by ‘viral’ Rooney and Robin Van Persie partnership
SIGN UP WITH DAFABET WITH 100% FIRST DEPOSIT BONUS
David Moyes has backed Wayne Rooney and
Robin van Persie to fire Manchester United past Olympiakos on Tuesday evening.
Injuries have hampered the partnership
between Rooney and Van Persie this season but the duo both struck on Saturday
to secure a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
United face the Greek champions in the
first leg of their round-of-16 Champions League tie in Athens and Moyes insists
his first-choice pairing can be decisive for the remainder of the campaign.
SIGN UP WITH DAFABET WITH 100% FIRST DEPOSIT BONUS
"They’re both vital to a lot of the
things we do. They’re both excellent players," the Scot told reporters.
"Our record with them is far better
than our record without them, that’s for sure. Both have had injuries - Robin
much longer than Wayne - and both have got themselves back into shape.
"They’re both goalscorers and they’re
scoring goals, which is great for us. That’s why they’re top players - they
score in big games and make the big moments."
SIGN UP WITH DAFABET WITH 100% FIRST DEPOSIT BONUS
Thursday, 20 February 2014
You'll never play here again! Lambert tells Hutton his Villa career is over
BEST ODDS EVER-DAFABET
Paul Lambert has told Alan Hutton his Aston
Villa career is OVER because of his mega-wages.
Right-back Hutton has been forced to train
with the Villans' youth team all season with no club taking him on loan.
He has been included in Scotland's squad
for next month's friendly in Poland, despite not playing a competitive club
game all season.
Hutton is understood to earn £40,000 a week
and is still contracted until next summer.
Lambert has ditched a series of players
including big-earners Darren Bent and Shay Given - but he is adamant he has not
had a bust-up with Hutton.
He said: "There's never been any fall-out;
I just want to help him to get a loan move. It will be unlikely he will ever
play here - he knows that.
"We need to get the [wage] structure
down to a level. We have to look at the books and get it down a bit and Alan
understands.
"Is it all to do with money? More or
less, yes. Do we settle up with him? No, I'm not so sure, that comes down to
the hierarchy.
BEST ODDS EVER-DAFABET
"Alan trains away with the development
squad; his fitness is not a problem. And his performances for the national team
have been good.
"The thing I can't understand is why
no-one has come in for him. It's baffling me because he's playing well for the
national side; he is good and works hard in training.
"If Alan went on loan, we would help
that club on the financial side of things."
Hutton was loaned out to Spain's Real
Mallorca for the second half of last season, and MirrorFootball reported in
September that three Spanish clubs had looked at borrowing him in the summer
window but could not agree terms.
He was also loaned to Nottingham Forest for
six weeks in November 2012.
So far this season, his only six
appearances have been for Scotland - in World Cup qualifiers against Belgium,
Macedonia and Croatia and friendy meetings with England, the USA and Norway.
The 29-year-old was signed by Villa in
August 2011, and made his last first-team appearance for them at the end of
that season.
Villa - only four points above the
relegation places with 12 matches to play - have been away on a training trip
to Portugal as they did not have a match last weekend, and Lambert reckons it's
done his squad good...
BEST ODDS EVER-DAFABET
Sergio Busquets: Manchester City's excuses are for losers
BEST ODDS EVER-DAFABET
Sergio Busquets has hit back at Manchester
City following their criticism of referee Jonas Eriksson's performance in
Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League win at the Etihad on Wednesday by stating
"excuses are for losers".
City manager Manuel Pellegrini accused the
Swedish official of favouring Barcelona after the Catalan club secured a 2-0
win in the first leg of the sides' UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie on
Tuesday.
Eriksson sent Martin Demichelis off early
in the second half and awarded a penalty for a challenge on Lionel Messi when
the initial contact appeared to have been made outside the area.
"The excuses when you lose are for
losers," he told reporters. "Is better [to] forget and focus on the
next match."
Pellegrini claimed that Swedish official
Eriksson did not have control of the game and sided with Spanish champions to
redeem him after failing to award them a penalty in a game against Milan at the
same stage last year.
Uefa are investigating the Chilean's
post-match comments and Busquets accused City of sour grapes following their
reaction to the defeat which leaves the Premier League club's Champions League
hopes hanging by a thread.
"I think that we have been winning
everything without any difficulties until not long ago," he continued.
"I think that the referees make mistakes frequently. Sometimes those
mistakes are good for you and other times are bad.
"They give more importance to an error
on our behalf, in any game or any result. That happened a few days ago against
Manchester City.
"You have to leave the referees do their
job. Sometimes their mistakes will be on your behalf and some others not."
The two sides lock horns in the second leg
at Camp Nou on March 12.
Monday, 17 February 2014
Sochi 2014: Vanessa Mae ready for Olympic debut
The Best Odds Ever
She will compete for Thailand under her
father's name Vanakorn after qualifying for the Games last month.
The British citizen, 35, who has sold more
than 10 million records worldwide, has been skiing since she was four.
"Finishing within 20 seconds of the
leaders would be a good effort," said former GB Olympic skier Emma
Carrick-Anderson.
Vanessa-Mae, who was born in Singapore to a
Chinese mother and Thai father, was brought up in England but will be only the
third person to represent Thailand at the Winter Olympics.
She is comfortably the lowest-ranked racer
in the field, at 2,253rd in the world, but some of skiing's biggest names are
looking forward to competing alongside her.
"I find it thrilling that people like
that [are here]," said Germany's Maria Hofl-Riesch, a three-time Olympic
champion who won the super-combined event and was second in the super-G in
Sochi.
"When you see Vanessa-Mae, she's so
small and fragile, you can't imagine how she can finish a run like that or even
hit a gate. Babsie [team-mate Barbara Wirth] told us that she didn't do so
badly and we'll be watching closely."
Carrick-Anderson, who competed in four
Olympics, said the musician's biggest problem would be coping with the slick
slopes that are water-injected overnight to make them extra icy.
"If she had to race last week it would
have been an absolute nightmare," said Carrick-Anderson.
Skier Vanessa-Mae of Thailand waves to the
crowd during the opening ceremony
"Even on my skis, which are really
sharp, skiing on the downhill piste was gruelling. The top part was sheet ice,
proper shiny 'ice rink on its side' type ice.
"No recreational skier would be able
to do anything on that. It would be terrifying - they would be going sideways.
You couldn't even try to grip."
The Rosa Khutor giant slalom course will
begin lower down the mountain, and the recent warm weather is likely to have
softened the snow. Racers have two runs, with the fastest combined time
winning.
"Now it has warmed up, it is going to
be that little bit more forgiving," added Carrick-Anderson.
"By the time she goes there will
probably be a little track, which will also make it easier for her."
Britain's Chemmy Alcott had a look at the
giant slalom course on Monday and believes Vanessa-Mae, who is now based in the
Alpine resort of Zermatt in Switzerland, will cope with the conditions.
"I skied next to the piste and the
injection looks great and is smooth so I think she will be fine," said
Alcott, who come 19th in the downhill and 23rd in the super-G in her fourth and
final Olympics.
Vanessa-Mae says she is well aware of the
enormous challenge she faces against a field of vastly-experienced competitors.
"If I end up last I have no problem
with that," she said.
"I know that I spent six months
training. Other athletes have been training since they were six years old so
that's something you can't compare.
"I just want to have a good time. I
want to have two fun runs that I can say I'll remember for the rest of my life.
"To be here at the Olympics is a once
in a lifetime opportunity and I feel so blessed to have this chance to go from
artist to athlete, to just experience this is surreal almost."
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
Arsenal ready to bid €30m for Balotelli
THE BEST EVER ODDS HERE
The January transfer window came and went
without Arsene Wenger adding world class striker to assist Olivier Giroud.
So, it seems likely that Arsenal will be
linked with a host of hitmen in the coming months and Italian news outlet
Mediaset has a semi-plausible story regarding a move for Mario Balotelli today.
Mediaset claim Arsenal have already
informed AC Milan they would be willing to pay 30 million euros to bring Mario
Balotelli back to the Premier League next season.
And, Balotelli’s notorious agent Mino
Raiola is expected to meet with Arsene Wenger “shortly”.
Rumours surrounding Balotelli’s private
life have flooded the Italian media in recent weeks and led to Super Mario
crying on the bench on Saturday night after he was withdrawn from AC Milan’s
defeat at Napoli.
Key to the move, according to Mediaset, is
the fact Arsenal have agreed a new sponsorship deal with Puma who are also the
boot sponsors of Balotelli.
And, the 30 million euro fee would offset
any financial problems AC Milan could face without Champions League next
season.
Whilst a Mario Balotelli move to Arsenal
seems somewhat plausible, would Arsene Wenger really be keen to work with one
of the worst behaved footballers known to modern football?!
Arsenal miss the chance to go on top rank in English Premier League
A fixture known down the years for tunnel
bust-ups and flying pizza will be best remembered as the night Manchester
United fans had no idea how to get home.
The most interesting moment of the evening
came when the Arsenal public announcer informed the 3,000 travelling United
supporters that horrendous weather conditions in the north west had forced the
cancellation of all trains from Euston to Manchester.
They might as well have left the stadium
immediately because there was nothing to see here.
The talk in the days building up to this
game surrounded the possibility that it might be called off had the planned
tube strike gone ahead.
Some of the fans will wish they hadn’t
bothered.
Others who arrived late due to travel chaos
and terrible weather can be rest assured they missed nothing of note.
In different circumstances, a point away at
Arsenal might be considered a good result for United and David Moyes given the
pressure on the Scot in the wake of Sunday’s home draw with Fulham.
But not when it leaves last year’s Premier
League champions 11 points off the top four with 12 games to play this season.
It was a back-to-basics performance from
United built on the same tactics Moyes used on his visits to top four sides
when in charge of Everton.
United were happy to sit deep and ask
Arsenal to break them down, hoping to poach a goal on a rare counter-attack.
They did the first part well enough, but
Robin van Persie, on his return to north London, was twice denied by the
excellent Wojciech Szczesny when the Dutchman should have scored.
The visitors were, first and foremost,
terrified of a ninth defeat of the season and went to north London with the
purpose of taking a point back to Old Trafford.
It could hardly have been further from the
blood and thunder, up-and-at-’em games of yesteryear between these two clubs.
The significance of the result to Arsenal
was vocalised by the boos of the home supporters at the final whistle.
The Gunners themselves looked scarred by
Saturday’s humbling 5-1 defeat away at Liverpool - more fearful of back-to-back
defeats than energised by the chance to reclaim top spot in the Premier League.
The closest they came to breaking the
deadlock was a Laurent Koscielny header from a corner that Antonio Valencia
managed to clear off the line.
Olivier Giroud offered no threat in the
final third and Mesut Ozil again struggled the create chances for team-mates as
the hosts continue to miss the driving forward runs of the injured Aaron Ramsey
and Theo Walcott.
Arsene Wenger’s side were timid and
conservative, as if learning to walk again after being floored, mentally and
physically, by blow of the Liverpool defeat.
Wenger described that Liverpool result as
an ‘accident’ but you have to wonder whether Arsenal’s old mental fragility may
again come to the fore in the final stages of the campaign.
Either way, a 0-0 bore draw was a huge
missed opportunity and a result that suited neither side in their ambitions for
the season, as Arsenal chase the title and United eye an increasingly unlikely
top-four finish.
Arsenal applied a little more pressure late
on, perhaps aware of United's poor record in the closing stages of matches.
United held on for a draw and Moyes seemed
quite happy to have avoided yet another defeat. For everyone else, though, it
was a thoroughly unsatisfactory evening.
Premier League: Man City and Everton games postponed
THE BEST ODDS EVER!
The Premier League games Manchester City
and Everton were scheduled to host on Wednesday were postponed amid safety
concerns caused by high winds.
City's meeting with Sunderland was called
off by the club's safety officer and the local police "due to exceptional
and escalating weather".
Police advised Everton to reschedule their
match with Crystal Palace because of nearby building damage.
Neither club has yet announced when the
rearranged fixtures will take place.
Stoke's home match against Swansea was only
given the go-ahead after two safety inspections, with a 15-minute delay to
kick-off.
Earlier in the day, the League One meeting
between Sheffield United and Brentford was postponed after heavy rain
waterlogged the Bramall Lane pitch.
Fans attending matches that survived the
weather may still face considerable travel disruption, with gusts of wind in
excess of 80mph causing delays and cancellations across the rail network and
motorway closures.
Manchester City's schedule is already busy,
with the club having reached the Capital One Cup final and still involved in
the Champions League and FA Cup.
But manager Manuel Pellegrini, whose side
may have gone top of the league had they beaten Sunderland, agreed with the
decision to call off their match.
"We were ready to play this game, but
the well-being of the people coming to the Etihad is paramount," he said.
"We hope everybody gets home safely,
both in Manchester and Sunderland."
Everton counterpart Roberto Martinez backed
the decision to call off his club's game.
"Because of the wind, there has been a
lot of building damage and the last thing we want is for any of the fans to get
put in a position that is dangerous," he said.
"It is disappointing because we were
ready to go out and warm up. The preparation was there for both teams and you
get the anti-climax."
Steven Gerrard Scores Late Penalty Kick As Liverpool Defeats Fulham
GET THE BEST EVER ODDS HERE
LONDON -- Steven Gerrard scored a
last-minute penalty as Liverpool followed up its weekend thrashing of Arsenal
with a gritty 3-2 win at last-place Fulham in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Gerrard stroked home the spot kick after
Sascha Riether fouled Daniel Sturridge in the 90th minute.
After routing Arsenal 5-1 at Anfield on
Saturday, Liverpool had to come from behind twice for a precious victory at
Craven Cottage.
Liverpool's Kolo Toure gifted Fulham the
opening goal as the defender sliced the ball into his own net from Kieran
Richardson's cross.
Sturridge levelled before the interval,
slotting home off the post after Gerrard had played a superb defence-splitting
pass into his path.
Richardson put the Cottagers back in front
in the 63rd minute, only for Philippe Coutinho to equalize in the 72nd.
Monday, 10 February 2014
Valentine Guessing Game!
ONLY FOR DAFABET PLAYERS!
Not yet a member? CLICK HERE
VALENTINE Fun Game: Who’s Girlfriend?
Hint: Spain Famous Footballer
Just a simple step to join:
Comment your ANSWER+ Dafabet Username
EXP: Kanye West + WinWin88
CORRECT ANSWER: MYR 20/ SGD10
Promotion period: 11 Feb – 16 Feb 2014
Answer will be announced on 17 Feb, 2014
T&Cs:
-Dafabet player who had Dafabet Sportsbook minimum deposit history on 10 Feb – 16 Feb 2014.
-Only applicable to MYR and SGD players.
-Bonus wager 8 times.
Chicharito frustrated by lack of game-time at Manchester United
GET YOUR EVER BEST ODDS HERE
A lack of game-time at Manchester United is
frustrating Chicharito, says Mexico coach Miguel Herrera.
The striker has made 27 appearances in all
competitions for United this season but only 10 have been from the start, with
the 25-year-old having only begun four Premier League games.
United manager David Moyes has preferred to
select Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck up front since arriving
at Old Trafford.
Herrera recently spoke to Chicharito during
a tour to meet with Mexico's European-based players and told Raza Deportiva:
"He seemed well but he is a bit frustrated because he doesn't play despite
training well and the truth is that, when he does play, he makes a huge effort
on the pitch.
"He is a bit frustrated because the
current manager doesn't give him many chances but he is committed and doing
what he can to become a starter.
"He likes to work and likes to show
determination to achieve his goal."
Since Herrera took over as Mexico coach in
October, he has only picked Chicharito once in four matches.
Ribery will Miss Arsenal Clash
Get your FREE account HERE
The winger has undergone surgery and will
be absent for several weeks, meaning he will miss the last-16 clash with the
Gunners
Bayern Munich have confirmed that Franck
Ribery will miss the first-leg of the club's last 16 Champions League clash
with Arsenal after having surgery to his buttocks.
The France winger, 30, was absent from the
Bavarians' 2-0 win over Nurnberg on Saturday with the injury and went under the
knife on Thursday in a bid to completely eradicate the problem.
"An examination on Monday revealed
that the nerve which had been under pressure from a bruise was completely
removed in surgery last Thursday," the club announced on their official
website.
"After healing, the 30-year-old is
scheduled to begin [his recovery] later this week with exercise therapy and a
week later should enter back into running training.
"This means Ribery will be missing
from the next few games, including in the first knockout round first leg of the
Champions League with Arsenal."
The Champions League holders travel to the
Emirates on February 19 before the return leg on March 12.
Friday, 7 February 2014
Arsenal will not try sign Suarez again- Wenger
Get Dafabet Account Here!
Arsène Wenger has dismissed making a new
bid for Luis Suárez this summer and will instead switch to an alternative list
of striker targets, including Mario Mandzukic, Jackson Martínez, Julian Draxler
and Diego Costa.
After initial interest in Gonzalo Higuain,
Arsenal focused much of last summer’s efforts on Suárez but had two bids turned
down, including an offer of £40 million plus £1 that they hoped would trigger a
release clause.
Arsenal return to Anfield on Saturday for
the first time since that offer was angrily rejected and, with Suárez having
signed a new contract, knows that they must pursue new options. Despite
Suárez’s exceptional form - his 23 Premier League goals is more than Olivier
Giroud, Mesut Özil and Aaron Ramsey combined – Wenger is adamant that he does
not regret missing out on the Uruguayan. There was a slight hint, however, that
he does have second-thoughts still about the departure to Manchester United of
Robin van Persie.
“You have sometimes regrets when a player played for you, and scores
goals or does well somewhere else,” said Wenger. “He [Suárez] was never our
player. It is just a situation that did not come off and that is it.”
Asked if the situation could be revisited
this summer, Wenger said: “At the moment, no.” Should Liverpool fail to qualify
for the Champions League, the main summer pressure for Suárez is expected to
come from Real Madrid and Arsenal are now actively scouting a lengthy list of
other options.
Malaysia T-Team dumped out of FA cup
After a controversial week in Malaysian
football, FAM arrived to a conclusion regarding the fracas that took place in
the FA Cup clash between JDT and T-Team at Larkin last week. They have awarded
a 3-0 victory to JDT, which also effectively dumps T-Team out of the
competition.
However, the debate doesn't end here. In
fact, it has elevated after the ruling from FAM, with some branding it as an
unfair decision.
The clash initially started on the
touchline with T-Team fitness coach Stefano and JDT head coach Cesare Ferrando
both being embroiled in a verbal outburst on the touchline. However, T-Team
claimed that two of their personnels were physically hit at as the fracas grew
inside the tunnel.
According to them, Stefano was kicked in
the groin, while their foreign player Evaldo Goncalves was punched in the face
by a Johor FA official, causing bleeding in his nose. Thus, they decided to not
continue the second half, citing security concerns as the excuse behind it.
But as far as Johor DT are concerned, they
claim that no physical hostility took place inside the tunnel, while also
putting the blame on Stefano for provoking the verbal altercation that happened
between him and Cesare Ferrando at the touchline.
Logically speaking, it is absolutely
crucial for any team to respect the game beyond anything and there is certainly
a case to make for T-Team to have resumed the second half at Larkin. After all,
the integrity of the game has to be put on a higher pedestal. But at the same
time, T-Team's security concerns are indeed understandable if the incidents
that they claimed happened inside the tunnel were true.
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Dafabet offer BIG Ang Pao
Dafabet is giveaway ‘BIG ANG PAO’ to our new sign up players for Chinese New Year celebration.
Sign up now
Raiola pleads with Zlatan to stop making French Football look 'really easy'
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s agent, Mino Raiola,
has asked his client to stop scoring sensational goals as he feels that the
Paris Saint-Germain forward is making French football look "really
easy".
The Sweden international struck twice in
the capital club's 2-1 Coupe de la Ligue semi-final win at Nantes on Tuesday,
opening the scoring with a spectacular long-range volley before then popping up
with a last-minute winner.
“When he scored that [first] goal, I laughed. It looked like he was
playing with my children,” Raiola joked in an interview with France Football.
“I said to him after the game, 'Please, stop scoring goals like that
because otherwise people will think French football is really easy; it's like
you're playing with kids.'”
The 46-year-old then recalled a myth
surrounding Nils Liedholm, the famous Swedish striker who played for AC Milan
for 11 years.
"There is a legend in Milan that Nils
Liedholm never misplaced a pass," he explained.
"One day, it happened! And then the
whole stadium gave him a standing applause because people had realised he too
was human.
“Well, the day Zlatan scores a normal goal, I will rise and
applaud."
Raiola also believes Ibrahimovic's
sensational form proves that the 32-year-old is the greatest talent in the game
today, despite finishing fourth in the voting for the 2013 Ballon d’Or.
The agent added: “I continue to say that if
there were now a vote for the best player in the world, I am sure that it would
be he who would win.
“But it should not be a secret ballot, where you understand nothing.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)