A Glasgow Rangers podcaster has given their reaction as some more early team news has now emerged ahead of their Europa League match tonight.
The Lowdown: Balogun in, Ramsey out
Speaking in the pre-game press conference ahead of the clash against Borussia Dortmund, Gers defender Leon Balogun revealed that he is back fit and available to play, having not featured since the 2-0 win at home to Hibernian in the Premiership earlier this month.
However, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Aaron Ramsey will not be in the squad, as the Welshman continues to battle a minor injury.
The Latest: Podcaster reacts
Taking to Twitter, Rangers podcast Heart & Hand, an official media partner of the club, have now given their reaction to the news of Balogun’s return, claiming that it is ‘massive’.
Reacting to a summary of pre-match team news, they tweeted: “Balogun back is massive though.”
The Verdict: Big boost
Indeed, having Balogun back, especially given that Filip Helander is not registered in the European squad, is a big boost for Rangers.
The Nigeria defender played in their first four matches of the group stage and even managed to bag a goal against Brondby, before missing the last two group games through injury (Transfermarkt).
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He is currently ranked as the Light Blues’ second-best player in the Europa League so far this season and has averaged more tackles and blocks than any of his team-mates in the competition (WhoScored), showing that he will likely be a key player if they are to progress tonight.
In other news, Rangers fans have been handed some encouraging team news ahead of tonight
So is this the year when Manchester City became title contenders?
Roberto Mancini will always be a manager under pressure at Manchester City, though he does well to hide it, grey hairs apart. What the press think and say should be irrelevant of course, but with unlimited funds available (in theory, if not in practice), his team is expected to (soon) rule the world. But as he said to the press last week:
‘This year will be different, but we want to improve on last year. We had our targets then and maybe we could have done better in the league because we were in first position [at one point]. But the players were together last year and that’s why we will be better this time.’
Over the summer he also repeatedly dismissed talk of challenging for the title. But little should be believed that comes from the mouths of managers in press conferences, and the general feeling is that City should be title contenders this season, which is reasonable. They have the investment in players, but not the experience. The question is how will they react? Last season, it was felt that Mancini had to finish in the Top Four to retain his job. Having done that, and captured the first trophy for the club in 35 years, the pressure on him and the team is reduced, but only very slightly.
What does he have to do this season? Another trophy would keep the fans happy. For the owners, who knows? A semi-educated guess would assume they want to see a challenge for the title, successful or otherwise. They, and the fans, will expect to see improvements year-on-year.
The Community Shield showed glimpses of the old City – a calamitous last-minute gaffe, a last-minute winner for Manchester United, an underwhelming performance from the men in all-blue. Very little should be gleaned from what was a friendly, albeit an ultra-competitive one, in the same way that City’s destruction of Inter Milan the previous week told us precious little either. The missed opportunity for Vincent Kompany to hold aloft the world’s biggest 50p will have been disappointing, but will soon be forgotten, along with most Community Shield results. Who won last season? No idea.
Behind the scenes, if you believed everything you read, there is anarchy, chaos, poor team morale, in-fighting, backstabbing and unprofessional behaviour on an industrial scale. Somewhere in there is an element of the truth – there seems little doubt Mancini has had a problem relationship at times with Brian Marwood and Garry Cook, over who wealds power at the club. We are used to a system in Britain of the manager having that power – of deciding who to buy and who to sell, though not always on the scale Alex Ferguson controls his club. And this is how Mancini wants it too – absolute power, his decisions, his team. Unfortunately Brian Marwood sees things a little differently. Mancini wants complete control – down to the hiring of medical staff, and what milk to have in the canteen (Cravendale, if he’s got any sense).
The team itself is strong, the squad is strong. Mancini has repeatedly said over the last week or two that he still wants a couple more signings. The rumours clearly point to a central midfielder, a right-sided midfielder and perhaps an extra central defender too. City struggled last season to mount challenges on numerous fronts, tiring in late-winter until elimination from the Europa League cleared the calendar somewhat, boosting energy levels as a result. The season ahead will be no different, and Mancini will be aware of the need for a deep squad if the team is to keep going at the business-end of the season, as they did last time around.
For City, the Champions League will be a new and exciting experience. As for what City can hope to achieve, it is hard to say – their first objective will be to progress from the group. As 3rd seeds, it could be a tough draw, especially when you consider that the German Champions Borussia Dortmund are 4th seeds. A group of death is on the cards, every sport writer’s ultimate wet dream. Secretly, Mancini would probably rather finish 4th in the group than 3rd.
Continued on Page TWO
A fairly young squad will enter the season a year older and more experienced, strengthened with three defensive signings, possibly Samir Nasri (or Wesley Sneijder, though that looks unlikely ) and a wide-man (Fiorentina’s Alessi Cerci is repeatedly mentioned in press rumours) in midfield, the exciting Sergio Aguero up front with possibly another defender on the way too.
The defence, which was the joint meanest in the Premier League last season has lost the underwhelming Jerome Boateng, and gained Gael Clichy from Arsenal, and the Montenegro defender Stefan Savic, whilst 6 foot 8 inches goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon has come in as back-up to Joe Hart, replacing the departed Shay Given.
Midfield is as you were with the odd arrival or two imminent. No one has departed but the future of Shaun Wright Phillips is up in the air, with a number of other Premiership clubs keeping a close eye on the situation (Bolton or Stoke being the likely destination should he leave). His ill-advised twitter comments this week suggest he wants to stay, but that any departure will be manager-led. Only time will tell, and an impressive pre-season has helped his cause, when two months ago his future at City looked non-existent. Elsewhere it is settled, and varied. The pursuit of Nasri will take away the reliance on Silva, De Jong will continue to protect, Yaya Toure bomb forward, and hopefully the English trio of Milner, Barry and Johnson will offer a bit more this time round (not that Barry did much wrong, despite what you may have read).
But it is upfront where the doubts persist, and the squad seems in a permanent state of flux.
The signing of Sergio “Kun” Aguero is as exciting a signing as City could have made. Comparisons with Tevez will be inevitable, but he is his own man, less trouble (hopefully) off the pitch, with a superb shot, dribbling skills, close control, and the ability to play up front or drop deeper. A stable family man married to Diego Maradona’s daughter with a young son, he will make every attempt to adapt to his new life and succeed.
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As for Carlos Tevez, who knows? Back in the Manchester drizzle that he so adores, Mancini has said that he is happy for him to stay, and that he might well do just that, as no one wants him. Not at the price City demand anyway. His departure was inevitable just a month ago, but now it seems almost unlikely. Only if Inter come up with the money does a move look possible this summer. Alternatively, a deal with Corinthians could be resurrected in the winter or next summer. Whilst him staying at City is on the surface a huge bonus, the thought lingers that perhaps it would be best for him to leave, and for him and the team to move on. Argentina is never going to get any nearer, a third restaurant in Manchester has only just reached the planning stage, and the weather won’t improve for decades.
Elsewhere, much of how City progress this season will depend on Dzeko and Balotelli having more settled seasons. Dzeko’s first touch has disappointed, and concerns continue on whether he fits into a Mancini side, but the goals will come, and he should propser with a pre-season behind him. Balotelli’s contributions on the pitch will depend on controversy avoiding him for a change – if he can concentrate on playing football, his talent will destroy many a team.
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Last season, City’s home form was generally ok, but it will need to become a fortress if the team is going to challenge for titles. It is often mentioned that titles are won and lost according to teams’ records against the other big boys, and whilst I have always felt this argument to be deeply flawed, City will certainly have to improve in this area. Their record last season against the relegation rivals was better than anyone’s. But against the other Top 6 teams, it left a lot to be desired, and Mancini attracted much of his criticism and accusations of negativity when “parking the bus” against Arsenal at Highbury, and to a lesser degree at home to Manchester United. Both times though, City avoided defeat. Perhaps next season they will have to push on and think more about winning these games.
For all of Alex Ferguson’s snide barbs about noisy neighbours, it is clear now that Manchester City have arrived, with expectations to match. If last season was about breaking into the Big Four and challenging for a trophy, then it was mission very much accomplished. Now the team is expected to move on. The Etihad stadium will welcome on Monday a team bustling with talent, the best of a generation, and trophies will now be expected as the norm. The only question remaining, with the world and his wife still watching on waiting for the fall, will be whether the talent, or the pressure on that talent, ultimately prevails.
Wayne Rooney has admitted that he was devastated by the three match ban handed down by Uefa after his red card against Montenegro, and would understand if Fabio Capello left him out of England’s Euro 2012 squad.
The Manchester United striker kicked out at Miodrag Dzudovic in The Three Lions final qualifying fixture in Podgorica, and the governing body punished the attacker with the maximum possible suspension.
With Rooney set to miss the entire group stage of the tournament in Ukraine and Poland next year, the FA has not yet decided whether to appeal Uefa’s decision, and Capello is tossing up whether to bring him to the competition.
“I am disappointed with it,” Rooney told The Guardian.
“I’ve got no excuse but I still feel the punishment is a bit harsh. All the details we have been waiting for came through so we will be making a decision as to whether we will be appealing.
“Obviously that is my own fault so I can’t really complain. It will be a bonus if it is cut by one game. And I thank the Montenegro player [Dzudovic] who has sent an email to Uefa saying that he felt the punishment was too harsh. He didn’t have to do that.
“It was stupid. I regretted it as soon as I did it. I honestly don’t know why I did it. It was one of those moments which I live to regret now. There was no tackle on me beforehand, so it wasn’t retaliation.
“I didn’t set out to ‘beat’ him; it just happened. I just can’t explain it but, obviously, it’s devastating for me,” he stated.
A national debate has ensued whether or not Rooney should be included in the European Championships squad, with opinion split down the middle. If he was omitted from the travelling party, Rooney would understand due to his three match ineligibility.
“I will understand if I am not in the squad because I’ll be missing out on those first three games at the minute and he has to look at other players – it is as simple as that. I want to play but I understand if I don’t,” he concluded.
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Fabio Capello is set to leave Rooney out of the international friendlies against Spain and Sweden, as the striker’s selection for Euro 2012 hangs in the balance.
An uncomfortable truth has been creeping up on Manchester United over the last two games, and on Tuesday night at Old Trafford, it finally hit them full in the face. The champions are not yet settled defensively, and it’s time to do something about it.
Sir Alex Ferguson put last night’s dropped points – for a home draw with Basel is, unquestionably, two points dropped for a squad of this ability – down to defensive “carelessness”. He pointed out that while the team’s forward options guarantee United goals, they need more time to get everyone fit at the back and figure out their best starting back four. David de Gea has already played behind so many different defenders he must be starting to wonder how many more are hiding around Carrington.
United can score, there is no doubt about that. Powered up front by Wayne Rooney, and last night by the emerging Danny Welbeck, the Red Devils have fired 32 goals in their opening ten competitive fixtures of the 2011/12 season, including the Community Shield. That end of the pitch, then, appears sorted. But the other end is where Ferguson has problems to address: despite a far-from-disastrous 11 goals conceded in the same ten games, United know it could have been worse. Chelsea, for instance, created almost 20 shots at goal at Old Trafford last weekend. On Saturday, Stoke had the better of the game and de Gea was forced into a couple of spectacular saves to earn his side a point.
Ferguson has already deployed ten players in his defensive line this season, though admittedly two of those were Ezekiel Fryers and Michael Carrick in the League Cup win over Leeds. Every senior defender in the squad, apart from the injured Rafael, has had at least one start. Injuries to the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, coupled with the summer sales of stalwart duo Wes Brown and John O’Shea, have forced Ferguson to throw Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans into starring roles earlier than he might have liked.
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All three have impressed, but of those three, Jones has drawn the most praise. His swashbuckling forays upfield have drawn rave reviews from all quarters, and provided another goal on Tuesday night, this time for Welbeck. (Surely Jones will eventually start shooting himself?) United hero Paddy Crerand, now a regular pundit on MUTV, recently went so far as to compare Jones to the legendary Duncan Edwards, who is widely considered to have been one of the best players England has ever produced.
High praise indeed, then. But one wonders how necessary it really is, just a few games into Jones’ debut season at Old Trafford. The centre-back is, after all, just 20 years old, and if there is one nation who know exactly how to ruin a footballer’s career with unreserved hyperbole in the infancy of their career, it’s the English. Besides, one key area of Jones’ game could still do with polishing, and that, unfortunately, is his defending.
The youngster showed some of his lack of experience against Chelsea, particularly when he was left for dead by Fernando Torres late on as the Spaniard raced clear only to round de Gea and miss an open goal. Tuesday night’s second-half collapse again displayed frailties in Jones’ play – he was caught out of position for Alexander Frei’s equaliser and his poor pass to stand-in right-back Antonio Valencia led to the penalty from which Basel briefly took a shock lead.
This is not to say that Jones will not be the player that everyone expects him to develop into, or that United made a mistake. The biggest strength a defensive unit can have is steady playing time as a five (including the goalkeeper), and United are in no position to achieve that. Ferdinand and Patrice Evra were also poor on Tuesday, and after Fabio went off (yes, another injury) Valencia demonstrated again that he is a willing but suspect full-back.
Jones cannot be held responsible for United’s current defensive frailties, and certainly should not be. But too much expectation, too soon, has overwhelmed too many players in this country in the past decade or so. Perhaps laying off the hype would help Jones’ career more than the endless praise he has received in the past few weeks – but I don’t expect that to happen any time soon.
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As a Newcastle United fan it was painful viewing on Saturday watching Jose Enrique maraud down the left side of Anfield wearing the deep red of Liverpool. It felt like he was cheating on the club that brought him to prominence and gave him the chance display his talents in the biggest and most popular league on the planet
Ever since it became public knowledge that Enrique wanted out of St James’ Park and Liverpool wanted to bring him to Merseyside his departure was a foregone conclusion. Now lets get this straight I don’t hate Enrique and I certainly don’t blame him for having the ambition to challenge for trophies, play in Europe and ultimately represent his national team. His chances of achieving these goals will be greatly enhanced at Anfield. But is he the man to finally fill the left back problem that has existed at Anfield ever since John Arne Riise left the club?
I’m not going to sit on the fence regarding this matter and frankly I don’t think he’s the man to plug that gap. His performances over the last four seasons have definitely endeared Enrique to a lot of Geordie fans, myself included. However a lot of people look at the Spaniard with rose tinted spectacles and disregard his lack of ability to operate in his specialist position. In my Enrique is hugely overrated. The fact is that for a defender he isn’t actually the best at defending. When faced against a winger with tricky feet and the ability to bamboozle then Enrique will get beaten very easily. He doesn’t have the discipline to just stand his ground and force the winger to back track. Too many times he will try and put his foot in or use his body to shield the ball from the winger giving away a free kick in a dangerous area. The Arsenal 4-4 game provides the best example with three of the crosses for the goals coming from Enrique’s side. Theo Walcott had him in his pocket during that first 45 minutes until the famous second half capitulation. Heading is also another weak part of his game and he doesn’t fair well when an aerial challenge comes about.
In fact the only reason Enrique’s defensive frailties are overlooked is because of the work Jonas Gutierrez puts in to help him when he’s under assault. The Argentinian grafts his socks off to get back and help Enrique out and is usually the man to regain possession and alleviate any pressure on the defence. Now that Enrique is at Liverpool this will mean Stewart Downing will have to finely tune his defensive duties although I’m sure the England winger won’t track like Gutierrez does which will put Enrique under pressure he hasn’t experience for a few years.
You could say that his defensive game is weak because he is part of the new breed of attacking full backs. Whilst he is great at going forward and charging to the by-line he’s only scored one goal in his entire Newcastle career whilst his assists count isn’t anything to shout home about. His crossing is okay at times and he can whip a delicious ball into the box when given the space too. But more often than not when he has to cross the ball under pressure he either over hits it or checks back and tries to find another route to goal subsequently losing the ball. There’s also his erratic passing to contend with which Liverpool fans will get frustrated with. For a man possessing a superb left foot he lets himself down with his lack of accuracy when making a simple five-yard ball. It seems his concentration deserts him when he has to make a simple decision. I will say that when it comes to delivering long balls he does have superb accuracy but is often let down by teammates misjudging the ball or possessing poor control.
Enrique does have some positives to his game with his unbelievable strength and speed that making it nigh on impossible to beat him using the long ball. But due to the many negative aspects I don’t think he is the man to fill the left back slot at Liverpool. Their agenda over the next few seasons is to get back into Europe, the title race and to win some trophies. Enrique, for me, doesn’t have the abilities or the experience to help them achieve that. I honestly think he’ll be Liverpool’s weak link especially in Europe and at 25-years-old is way past the learning curve.
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Ever since the Bosman ruling came in to effect the possibility for clubs to snap up players for a bargain price has been a reality. Summer transfers like Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri proved the power of players to force a move to other clubs and arguably for a cheaper price than expected. As we approach the January transfer window there are a number of players in either the last six or eighteen months of their contract who could be available for transfer. Whether it is because they no longer wish to continue with their current club or the club no longer sees their services as necessary varies from player to player but one thing that doesn’t is the potential for a few million pounds to be knocked off their asking price. For many of the clubs they know it is the last chance saloon to either sell these players in January, persuade them to sign a new contract or risk losing them for nothing at the end of the season. For most clubs the only real option will be facilitate the sale of these players for as much as being sports clubs they are also businesses.
Click on Junior Hoilett to unveil the top 10
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Swindon Town’s defeat at Wembley last Sunday to Chesterfield would have been a hard pill to swallow if it was not for the fact that they are four points clear at the summit of League 2.
Also, the extra cushion of having 2 games in hand will sit nicely with the Wiltshire side. Paolo Di Canio will be looking for Swindon to bounce back with a ‘warrior’ like attitude and performance. Captain Paul Caddis is still out injured and this is a major blow to the Robins as he has been an influential figure this season. Striker Paul Benson is doubtful for the weekend’s game due to a slight neck injury.
Lowly-Season…
Bristol Rovers visit the County Ground on Saturday after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Aldershot on Tuesday Night. Rovers may feel aggrieved by this loss but 1 shot on target is not the sign of a team on form. The Gas have under achieved this season lying in 14th place with nothing notable to play for. With 1st Round, 2nd Round and 3rd Round defeats in JPT, League cup and FA Cup respectively, this has come as somewhat of a consolation for the fans during a poor season. Rovers will need to vastly improve their performances if want to keep key players in the summer. This season Rovers have had severe defensive issues shipping 58 goals in 39 games, which manager Mark McGhee had said ‘this is not what I expect from my players’. This will not deter Rovers from selling out their allocation against their local rivals.
Head-To-Head…
This is the 94th meeting between the teams with Swindon Town leading the way with 43 wins in comparision to Bristol Rovers’s 35. Swindon’s are looking for their 13th straight home win in the league but the form book goes out of the window in derby games.
Earlier This Season…
When the teams met in December they could not be separated. Swindon’s captain Paul Caddis put the Robins into the lead in the 37th minute with a left footed strike from the edge of the box. This effort was cancelled out late into the game by Danny Woodards headed goal. This point for Rovers kept them in touch with 17th place AFC Wimbledon whilst the Robins climbed to 6th, 11 points behind the leaders Crawley.
Trip down memory lane…
Saturday 29th May 2010
Millwall 1 Swindon Town 0
Attendance: 73,108 (32,000 Swindon Fans)
Goals From: Robinson (39’).
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Why I Remember The Game: This was my first trip to the new Wembley. An awesome stadium and had ever confidence beforehand. One moment will forever be with me and that’s the ‘Bobble’ from Charlie Austin. I suppose with this loss and the relegation that followed the next season we have ended up with the Italian maestro Paolo Di Canio therefore we cannot have any complaints.
You can follow me on Twitter for more discussion about Swindon @engoism.
On Tuesday night in the serene surroundings of Canada Water, 12 bloggers (myself included), one Sunday League team and decorated former England international Ray Wilkins descended upon Bacon’s College as part of Nivea’s enterprising ‘The Great Football Experiment’ campaign.
The event itself comprised a host of engaging activities, including FA coach-led skill sessions, fervently-contested seven-a-side contests, a mock press conference and the opportunity to quiz Wilkins himself.
Wilkins admitted that he would relish the prospect of working with former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti again.
The pair worked together at Stamford Bridge for 17 months before Wilkins was sacked in November 2010.
Ancelotti has recently been linked with a return to management in London, with Arsenal and Tottenham mooted as potential destinations.
“If he wanted me to back with him yes I would. He’s an excellent coach and a good human being – a nice fellow to work with,” he said.
“He’s already living in England so he hasn’t had to come back too far! He wants to work in England – he’s desperate to, but I wouldn’t know where.”
Wilkins also feels that his former side can challenge the two Manchester clubs for the Premier League title this season.
“Absolutely. They’re just coming up on the rails aren’t they?
“It’s vitally important that they beat Manchester United once, Manchester City once and Tottenham once.”
The former Blues coach believes that Frank Lampard, whose role at club and country level has come under scrutiny, provided the perfect riposte to those who had doubted him. Speaking after Lampard scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 5-1 defeat of Bolton, Wilkins said:
“I think he’s just being what he is, and that’s a top professional. He hasn’t got anything to prove, it was a kneejerk reaction to give him grief, saying he was finished.
“It was his way at the weekend of telling everybody, ‘I am still about, alive and kicking.’”
Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul
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Player power is ever increasing in football and the situation is only becoming more unbalanced. As the Carlos Tevez saga rumbles on like some boring omnibus that climaxed weeks ago yet continues to run we are left wondering what Man City’s real options are? Don’t confuse my disdain for Tevez as sympathy for City, of which I have none, but it seems to me that Man City’s rights are not really protected here. What can they really do to punish a player they paid around £40m for who now refuses to play?
Suspension
Yes they can suspend Tevez, they have already done this and whilst they don’t necessarily have to pay him during this time is this punishment enough? The player is refusing to come back and train at City long after his suspension has finished therefore it appears that this punishment carries little actual threat to the Argentine striker.
Fines
They can fine him. They’ve done this too, but what does it matter to a man that earns a reported £200,000 a week if he is fined half a million, or a million, or more? Before the year is out he will have regained all of that money so it makes little difference to him. Monetary threats to footballers are not really threats at all. They will always make the money back from the person who is normally fining them. It is a farce.
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Sacking
They can sack Tevez which alleviates the problem of having to pay the ungrateful culprit and then they no longer have to deal with the problems he presents. However again Tevez doesn’t even want to be at City. Being sacked is exactly what he does want then he would be free to go and ply his trade wherever he saw fit. Probably back in Argentina. Moreover they would never recover any of the hefty price tag which they paid for him. They can sue him if they were to dismiss the forward but reports suggest that they would only receive about £17m which would be less than half of the asking price they have set for the striker.
So…
So then what are their real options? Incorporating him back in to the team or selling him. Because of the relatively small amount of compensation that would be involved in sacking Tevez then selling him makes for a better option but with such a high price tag and huge wage demands there are few likely candidates around to purchase the South American. And the other option, bringing him back in to the fold, has already been attempted by Mancini who said that if Carlos apologised there was still a place for him in Manchester. However the player’s latest antics are sure to have scuppered any chance of that ever happening.
So now City are in a position whereby unless they drop their asking price dramatically there is little chance of selling him and they have exhausted their other options. FIFA must watch this episode carefully because precedents are set easily in football as Jean-Marc Bosman proved. If the right solution to this problem is not reached then it will be another huge step towards diminished power f football clubs. If Man City with all their financial clout cannot control and punish their players then what chance do the clubs that need money stand?
FIFA can step in and solve this problem. They can perhaps threaten to impose a worldwide ban on Tevez if he refuses to cooperate. This would do two things: firstly it would show players that even if they think they are bigger than their club they are not bigger than football. It will make an example of Tevez and even though he may not wish to play football for the next year or two other players will. This will act as a huge deterrent for other trouble-making players who think they are bigger than their employers. Secondly it could force Tevez to play ball with City. If he is sacked, sued and then cannot play football which would provide a source of income for him then he would have to rethink his position.
At the moment Tevez holds all the cards and it is the responsibility of FIFA to help out his parent club. Not just for City but for all clubs who may experience similar issues in the future. If Tevez gets away with his actions this time then what is top stop any player simply refusing to play next time he wants to move clubs or doesn’t get on with his manager. FIFA are often in the news for the wrong reasons, it’s time for a change.
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Last weekend was a family affair at Wembley as Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool went up against his cousin Anthony Gerrard’s Cardiff City in the League Cup final. While one family member was going to be pleased and one disappointed, it turned out that Anthony would be absolutely distraught.
The match itself was an enthralling one as both sides held a lead at one point (Cardiff in the first half and Liverpool in the second half of extra time). But the sides couldn’t be separated and so a penalty shootout would decide the winner as both Gerrards stepped up to the spot.
Steven Gerrard took the very first penalty, which was brilliantly saved by Cardiff goalkeeper Tom Heaton, but by the time Anthony stepped up as the 10th penalty taker, he needed to score to keep the Bluebirds in it.
In what was heartbreak for Anthony, he missed and handed the victory to Liverpool. Here’s Steven Gerrard consoling his cousin after the match, but what is Stevie G saying to Anthony?
Leave your suggestions below…
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This week you can win a Signed Liverpool Football!
This football has been signed by the 2011/12 Liverpool squad, a perfect gift for any Red.
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Last week’s winner: Geoff Hards – click here to see all entries
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