Carling Cup Final Preview – Aston Villa vs Manchester United
Rooney will be key
The Premier League’s meanest defence takes on the League’s best attack this sunday as Wayne Rooney will be the man taking centre stage once more.
Rooney will be looking to make amends after missing last years showpiece final through illness and he has a chance to help United to retain a cup trophy for the first time in their history.
The Manchester United and England striker has been in sensational form this season hitting 27 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions and it will be up to Aston Villa to stop him for a third time this season. Rooney says he is eager to play in Sunday’s Carling Cup Final.
He explains: “This is why you join a club like Manchester United, to win trophies and play in cup finals. Playing at Wembley is still a great feeling. Hopefully, I’ll play Sunday and we can win the trophy.”
The England man is well on the way to being the 4th manchester united player in a row to win PFA player of the year and Villa will surely have to keep him quiet if they are to win their first trophy for 14 years.
Aston Villa however, will have to overcome a team that they have beaten just twice in 37 attempts. This Aston Villa team seems to be made of sterner stuff these days though after taking four points from Manchester United this season including an impressive 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neil is relishing the challenge of bringing back the glory days to Villa Park, the former leicester boss won the trophy twice in his time their. “This is a fantastic challenge,” O’Neill said.
“I am well aware of the history of this football club. Trying to restore it to its days of former glory seems a long way away, but why not try? It is nearly 25 years since they won the European Cup but that is the dream.”
Manchester United who, at times, have looked a shadow of the team that has won 3 consecutive premier league titles and been to one champions league are going in to the game without Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea and Anderson.
However the return of Nemanja Vidic to the starting line up will be a boost to the defence that was exposed badly by Everton and at times by AC Milan.
The semi finals have re-ignited a lot of interest into the carling cup this year, Aston Villa’s stunning 7-4 win against Blackburn followed by Manchester United’s epic late winner in the manchester derby were arguably two of the games of the season.
Manchester United will rightly be favourites this Sunday, but this is not the same Manchester United from 2008, and Aston Villa are an ever improving side.
Match Prediction:- Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United, Wayne Rooney to have a good game but Agbonlahor to steal the show.
match odds:- Manchester United: 4/5, Draw: 13/5, Aston Villa: 7/2
Possible starting XI\’s: Aston Villa: Friedel, Warnock, Collins, Dunne, Cuellar, Petrov, Milner, Downing, A Young, Agbonlahor, Heskey
Manchester United : Foster, Neville, Vidic, Brown, Evra, Carrick, Fletcher, Scholes, Park, Valencia, Rooney
Toon’s stroll in the Park
February 22, 2010 by Stephen Goodwill · Comments
Newcastle extended their Championship lead to five points with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Preston North End on Saturday.
Mancini In Bellamy bust-up
February 19, 2010 by Nathan Johnson · Comments
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has locked horns with fans favourite Craig Bellamy.
According to reports Mancini argued with the ex-Liverpool striker when he refused to train with one of his Italian coaching staff.
Bellamy who cost £14 million from Blackburn Rover last summer was ordered to the manger’s office, where a heated arguement erupted.
A club insider said:
“The manager was yelling ‘Why are you always questioning me? Why won’t you do as you are told? Why are you always questioning everything at training and in games?’.
“Bellamy argued back that he only wanted what was best for the club.
“But Mancini snapped ‘I want you to leave now. And do not come back for three months’.”
Bellamy refused to train as he felt only he and the sports science staff know how to deal with his injury.
This report comes at a bad time for City as the prepare for against Champions League rivials Liverpool
Bellamy is no stranger to controversy:
1) In 2002 Bellamy was cautioned for common assault after an incident outside a Newcastle nightclub in which he was alleged to have attacked a woman.
2)He appeared before a judge again in 2006 after being accused of assaulting two women in a Cardiff nightclub. The then Liverpool player was cleared following a five-day trial at Cardiff Magistrates Court.
3)During his time at Newcastle, the petulant Welshman had a bust up with Toon assistant coach John Carver at Newcastle Airport. The fracas didn’t quite get to the point where punches were thrown – although, amazingly, a heavy chair was instead.
4) Bellamy had a fight with Graeme Souness in 2005 after the Magpies boss reportedly asked him to play out of position in right midfield. It’s believed that the striker refused and said he’d fake an injury if asked to. After Bellamy was subsequently dropped, he called Souness a liar in the press. An £80,000 fine followed…
5)After leaving Newcastle for Celtic, Bellamy had a pop at his old club via SMS. Following Newcastle 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Man United in the 2005 FA Cup semi-final, the striker sent a string of texts to Alan Shearer calling him an old man and questioning his ability. ‘Your legs are gone. You’re too old. You’re too slow’, one of the texts was reported to have read.
Martin O’Neill: Crunch time for Villa
February 19, 2010 by Ashley Preece · Comments
Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has called for calm ahead of a big week for the Villians.
O'Neill on the verge of guiding Villa to silverwear.
Raul linked with move to MLS
February 11, 2010 by Ashley Preece · Comments
Raul’s agent has revealed the Real Madrid legend has attracted interest from a host of clubs, most notably MLS side New York Red Bulls.
Olympic chief blasts funding levels for winter athletes
February 11, 2010 by Jack Robshaw · Comments
The winter Olympics start in Vancouver on Saturday
The British Olympic chief has branded current funding levels as “unacceptable”.
Stockport’s suffering continues against Torquay in the FA Cup
December 16, 2009 by David Bull · Comments
Stockport suffered another blow on Tuesday being knocked out of the FA Cup 2nd round against Torquay United. Read more
Foul play: Do footballers need to get their act together?
April 3, 2009 by Rosalind Saul · Comments
By Paul Guthrie, Ajmal Sarwar, Rosalind Saul
Footballers make up most of the columns in the sport section of national newspapers.
Editors of papers often deem an ‘unbelievable’ transfer rumour as more important than the British number one tennis player’s destruction of an opponent in an Open final.
The stories featured on these ’superstars’ though do not always put them in a good light and can make the front pages.
Recently we have seen England manager Fabio Cappello describe his biggest asset Wayne Rooney as a “crazy man” after his red card and outrageous antics against Fulham.
Then there was Ashley Cole being arrested for drunk and disorderly while his wife Cheryl Cole was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro for charity.
In the past there have been more serious incidents where footballers being sent to prison for their misdemeanors.
Plymouth goalkeeper, Luke McCormick is serving a seven-year sentence for death by dangerous driving and Joey Barton served six months for assault and affray in 2008.
With such behaviour footballers have gained a reputation as being bad role models.
We went out on the streets of Sunderland to ask people if footballers should clean up their act on and off the pitch:
Injournalism picked up by Reuters
March 29, 2009 by Alfie Wilkinson · Comments
Injournalism’s very own Shaun Wathey has had an article picked up by the world’s foremost press agency, Reuters.
The article, entitled ‘Has Liverpool’s victory opened up the title race?’ published by Injournalism on March 17th, was an opinion piece about Liverpool FC’s recent good form and their push for the FA Premier League.
Shaun Wathey, 21, is in the third year of his journalism degree at Sunderland Uni and covers football as well as Rugby League for Injournalism’s sports section. Read more
Horsing around at Sunderland Uni
January 29, 2009 by Fiona Alston · Comments
The University of Sunderland has a brand new Equestrian Club.
The Equestrian Club has been set up this year thanks to an enthusiastic student and the support of the new sports officer.
When he arrived to Sunderland from Nottingham Uni the first thing that Richard Hudak noticed was that there was no club or society to serve equestrian loving students. Having made enquires last year into interested students and the sports office, Richard then set about looking for a riding centre for the club to train if the club should form.
