Hi All

I have just been nominated for my Sports writing by Sportingo for Author of 2007

I need your vote, please visit

http://www.sportingo.com/more_sports/who_will_be_ladbrokes_sportingo/1001,6114

before 31 December 2007 and Vote Ejaz Khan

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Highlighting the English Premiership
Ejaz Khan


Seven games down the line now and the Usual suspects - Arsenal , Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea- back where they belong, in the top half, Manchester City still continuing their good run, Newcastle under new Boss Sam Allardyce have vastly improved and look destined for one of the Uefa spots again. West Ham have quietly climbed up the table too. On the other end of the spectrum, Derby County languish in last place, and Tottenham Hotspur even though splashing the cash in the transfer market, they sit worryingly third from the bottom. Early days, yes, but who will be the next managerial casualty of the season ?

Surprise package of the season so far : Arsenal

The Gunners hold top spot with a solid run of performances so far and have a young squad capable of doing great in all competitions this season. Adebayor leading the top scorers list, Kolo Toure the rock on which Wengers boys mount attack after attack. Cesc Fabregas the commander in offense is pulling the strings and they are playing the most beautiful football in the premiership, all without Thierry Henry…Who would’ve thought?

Story of the month – Jose Mourinho’s departure

“The special one” is not so special after all. Well, certainly not in Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich’s eyes as a small departing gift of 25 Million Pounds should insure he never comes back. For all his eccentricities Mourinho was adored by the his players and the media for his often outrageous comments that usually came across as overly-arrogant. He made magic for Chelsea, not fancy at all on the ground, but his style was effective. He landed the blues the League twice, the FA Cup , and two semi finals in the Champions league all in the space of three years, and thats a remarkable achievement, though most critics agree he did have the resources at his disposal to succeed. He has left now and a new era begins as Chelsea look to bring excitement back to their football, which is the main reason behind his axing. Ronaldinho to Chelsea is looking more and more realistic. Marco Van Basten has been offered the post, so too Guus Hiddink, but is Chelsea 15 minutes of fame up ?
The jury is still out on that one

Top Goalscorers

Emmanuel Adebayor Arsenal – 6 Goals
Nicholas “Abdus Salaam Bilaal” Anelka – 4 goals
Cesc Fabregas – Arsenal - 4 Goals
(EPL Statistics)_

Top 4 – League Standings
1) Arsenal
2) Man United
3) Man City
4) Liverpool

Top 4 earners in the Premiership

1. John Terry Chelsea £130,000 per week
2. Michael Ballack – Chelsea - £121 000 per week
3. Andriy Shevchenko – Chelsea -£ 121 000 per week
4. Steven Gerrard – Liverpool - £120 000 per week


Stars to keep an eye on :

John Utaka – Portsmouth – Powerful , bursting with Pace, he is Harry Redknapp’s best buy so far and will prove to be one the strikers of the season
Micah Richards – Manchester City - Still only 19 , he is the wall which seems to keep Manchester City in the the top 6 so far , and he can only get better with age
Fernando Torres – Liverpool - Adapted quite speedily to a new team, new style of football and environment, The 23 year old striker is by far Liverpool’s most expensive and also most exciting buy in years and has scored 6 goals already in all competitions already

The new players have settled, the tactics are clicking into place, teams are finding their rhythm and some high tempo football is being played,
watch this space....

Rafa's rapidly rising Red Revolution
Ejaz Khan
12 July 2007



As new faces gather in Merseyside, the phases of Rafael Benitez’s planning begin to take shape. But will Liverpool's new strengthened horse stay in the race till the end?

As the number of new recruits trickle into Anfield, it’s exciting times for the Anfield Faithful. Rafa Benitez finally gets his way and and is granted his kitty to strengthen his squad. His patience is rewarded with the capture of Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and most likely Ryan Babel too. It is important to note that the “plan of action” continuously spoken about by Gillet and Hicks is beginning to be understood and its implementation shows that the Yankee duo trust in Rafa completely, and are following his strategy as incisively as he could have wished them to.


Phase one – Tying core players to the club - Completed

The likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina and Mohamed Sissoko have all secured new and improved long term contracts with the club, and will form the nucleus of the team for years to come. It must comforting to Benitez to have them commit their future’s to Liverpool and they will remain his key players regardless of new faces that are coming in on a now steadily pace.

Phase Two - Bringing Players in - Currently in Process

Having secured the Big name signing of Fernando Torres for a club record fee, most will agree with Steven Gerrard that it is undoubtedly Liverpool’s boldest sign of intent in decades. Not having someone to finish off the Reds smooth build –up play has been a major cause for concern at Anfield for many a season. Having found a replacement for Luis Garcia in Yossi Benayoun, and with the imminent arrival of promising 20 Year old Dutch forward Ryan Babel, Liverpool are taking strides in the right direction. Liverrpool fans have always been fans of Thierry Henry and soon boast “the next Thierry Henry” Babel in their starting lineup . There’s nothing Liverpool fans wouldn’t do to see the charismatic Quaresma don the Red of Liverpool! The talented winger has been linked with a big money move to Merseyside and would definitely be an instant kop favourite were he to sign for the Reds. Who knows,with the way things are going with Rafa in the Transfer market, he might well be doing stretch exercises with Gerrard and co at Melwood in the coming week(s)!


Phase Three – Build for the Future – Constantly developing...


This is an ambiguous phase, for good reason.

1) Building a stadium, with a bigger capacity, close to double the size of anfield’s capacity, and bigger than Old Trafford, seems to be in the pipeline, and it is now a realization that a bigger a crowd, a louder ambience, will bring: more motivation for the players, more feet in, and inevitably more money for sustainable development. Everyone’s happy! One can already contemplate a colossal cauldron of noise, and if the current Kop is anything to go by, imagine double the noise rocking the New Anfield to it’s core. The best fans in the world, finally being rewarded for their unabated loyalty. Good things come to those that wait, and Liverpool fans have been waiting a long time.

2) Building or filling up the talent pool. Players from all over the globe are being snapped up by Liverpool scouts and it’s plain to see that this is another phase of the Rafalution at Anfield as Benitez looks to the future. It is indeed a blessing that Rafael Benitez is at the helm at Liverpool, and he really has the best interest of the club at heart. He is set to break the Premiership duck for the Reds, maybe not in this coming season, but definitely in seasons ahead. It will be foolhardy to even dare insinuate a title push is on the cards, with the new players still to adjust to their new teammates, Manager, league, homes, lifestyle, etc. As new faces join the Reds, it’s the phases behind the scenes that are resulting in swift actions and changes before Liverpool mount their saddles for the upcoming campaign. Good on the board ,and congratulations to Rafa Benitez in getting what he has always wanted … a faster horse to race with…..

Ronaldo gets the perfect 10 as football's No.1 diver

http://www.sportingo.com/football/cristiano_ronaldo_gets_perfect_10/1001,3378Cristiano

Ejaz Khan

Diving diva Ronaldo earns a booking against Lille (Gettyimages.com)

After collecting the double player-of-the-year award, the Manchester United winger plunges in for another gong from a Sportingo writer.

The Scuba Awards – The Masters of the Dive

10) Didier Zokora – The Ivorian midfielder's sharp rise to stardom after a memorable World Cup is directly proportionate to the time he takes to hit the deck. Zokora seems to have mastered the art of being a little puppy disguised as a vicious terrier. I think he misunderstood when Martin Jol told his team “to get stuck in” but not in the mud, Zokora!

9) Nemanja Vidic – Full-back and tough are terms that usually go hand in hand. Vidic is a new breed of defence. Instead of leading from the back, this new species leads from the floor. He has an all-round array of skills; good in the air but excellent on the ground.

8) Andy Johnson – A lot of newspaper time has been spent on the Johnson diving saga, and rightly so. He would dive at the drop of coin, or wind from a defender 15 metres away. The worst part is he denies it all, but the camera doesn’t lie. Johnson must spend a lot of leisure time with an oxygen tank attached to his back, together with a pair of goggles. Maybe next to Everton's training facility is a diving pool especially designed for Johnson to nurture his natural talent.

7) Jermaine Pennant – The talented Liverpool winger gets into good positions and gets crosses in, but he seems to enjoy mat exercise and yoga a bit too much, and also seems to love the grass between his hair. Rafa’s team don’t play for free-kicks as a unit, but Pennant is on a mission of his own. Judging by league standings, it does now seem compulsory to have at least one good diver to get ahead. Thanks Jermaine, but no thanks, the Reds don’t need to dive.

6) Wayne Rooney – You would think a player with his skill and determination doesn’t need weak antics to propel his team forward. You would be wrong. Rooney is just as guilty as Cristiano Ronaldo of going to ground far too easily. One gets the impression that it's something United practise on the training field. It surely doesn’t suit his robust approach, nor does it endear him to the neutrals. C’mon Rooney, take it like a man, and play like one.

5) El Hadji Diouf – The infamous spit king seems to slip a lot on his own saliva, and while his butch antics and raw style of play may endear Bolton fans, it's his groundwork that he is most noted for. He spends so much time on the muddy turf, it's no wonder he is such a dirty player.

4) Frank Lampard – Good ol’ Frank never passes an opportunity to fall on his behind. But it's purely down to his lack of pace and vision that leads him to creep so low, well, to the ground. The strange thing is, he never goes to ground in his own half or when there isn’t a realistic chance to score from a set-play. Frankly, Frank, it just ain’t right. Stop hanging around with Didier Drogba and Arjen Robben' diving is contagious.

3) Arjen Robben – Can change the outcome of a game with one untouched grimace of that hittable face. He has a tendency to go to ground quickly. Rafa Benitez epitomised the feelings of most football lovers after Robben pulled off an Oscar-winning performance that saw Pepe Reina get sent off. You would have sworn he was paralysed looking at his painful expression. He miraculously got up from the throes of death and continued play as normal. We’re on to you, Arjen, and in future defenders will be looking forward to turning you into the boy who cried wolf.

2) Didier Drogba – The Chelsea striker would dive if a defender fa*ted close to him, surely claiming the velocity brought him down, such is his ambition for winning free kicks or penalties illegally. For such a deadly player, he surely falls like he is deceased.

1) Cristiano Ronaldo – Ah, the winker-dribbler-diver-player of the year. Seriously though, he deserves the award for Player of the Year. He broke the myth that one man doesn’t make a team by single-handedly, taking United to the top spot, using a wonderful assortment of brilliant ball skills, unbridled pace and diving ability that would make Olympic participants proud. He scores a perfect '10'. He's professional, says Sir Alex. Yes, a professional diver. Like his other two awards, he thouroughly deserves this one as well. Well done, Cristiano, you are the undisputed scuba king. There is no other diver like you in the Premiership.

Anyone else you would include on the list?

Money Talks

http://www.sportingo.com/fear_not_benitezs_patience_may/1001,3813

Fear not, Benitez's patience may give Liverpool the edge in the Big Four

It's a frustrating time for the Anfield faithful, but a little faith and a little patience will go a long way.

The La Liga season is now something of the past, and the Liverpool excuse pool has officially run dry, just as quickly as Gillet and Hicks’s pockets have mysteriously emptied, together with the promises of desperately needed funding for squad strengthening.

Optimistic Reds fans will be weary of the fact that somehow, with all the rich history and prestige, the Reds fail to attract the big names in world football. Fans have also to be realistic enough to accept that in football, money has replaced English as the universally accepted language, and, as the saying goes, money talks!

One wonders why it is a such an uphill battle to land a young star like Fernando Torres, whose Atletico captain's armband is emblazoned with “You’ll never walk alone” – seeing that Liverpool haven’t spent handsomely in the transfer market as yet. But with Torres, it’s a double edged sword. We all remember the last time a famed Spanish striker landed at Anfield! Some Spanish players find the transition to the English Premier League hard to tackle, but not as hard as the tackles they have to endure when playing against the likes of Kolo Toure or John Terry.

Fernando Morientes arrived with huge anticipation but simply could not maintain his goal scoring tempo , and limped out of Merseyside with little or nothing to show for his efforts. Rafa Benitez, as analytical as he is, will no doubt ponder the possibility of Torres’s adaptibility to the much faster and tougher aspects of the English game, much the opposite of the hair-stays-in-one-place-for-90-minutes features of La Liga.

Thierry Henry’s move to Barcelona could be a killer blow to Wenger and Co, but that’s what most said when Van Nistelrooy trotted out of Old Trafford. Manchester United are now Premiership champions, and Arsenal and Liverpool are once again playing catch-up, both on the field and off. With Arsene Wenger set to leave after his contract expires at the end of the season, Arsenal fans have reason to be worried. Their talisman,Thierry Henry, has helped carry a lot of the pressure on his shoulders, and it remains to be seen if Wenger can find a replacement close enough to fill the huge void left with his departure to the Nou Camp.

Rafa’s zen-like approach to his transfer debacle has done a lot to ease the fears of the Kop faithful. He teasingly stated recently that he has fielded numerous “interesting calls” and also insisted that there is no urgency yet. With Reds supporters worldwide pulling their hair out waiting for some big name signings, the man at the helm of it all
Is as calm as they come. And if there really was reason to panic, he would definitely be the first to feel the pressure!

Chelsea have been dollar thrifty in their efforts to strengthen their cavalry. Free transfer or bust, seems to be the message out of the Stamford Bridge boardroom to Jose Mourinho, and the likes of Claudio Pizzarro and his Bosman clan will once again reveal Mourinho’s nifty moves in the transfer market without Roman Abramovich’s blank cheque approval. But Chelsea could still emerge as title contenders this coming season.

It’s a topsy turvy time for the Reds, similar to that of Manchester United before the start of last season, and no-one would have expected last year at this that they would emerge 2007 League champions. The clouds are hovering, ready for the storm, but there is sunshine after every storm. Will it be a Red dawn? Time will tell, and Benitez has all the time in the world.

It all makes for spine-tingling anticipation for supporters of the Big Four in the silly season.

"Write your comments" encouragement

Can Rafa Benitez afford to wait much longer before moving into the transfer market?

Liverpool make it to Champions league final in Athens !

It was written in the stars. The only team in the world allowed to play with 12 players, facing off against a multi million dollar machine.Liverpools’ 12th player, the Kop, playing the most important role for Rafa – Elevation and Motivation for the other 11 players, non stop for 90 mins and beyond. And they followed Rafa’s instructions excellently, “Roar us to the finals” he asked, and they passionately obliged!

Liverpool had their work cut out for them before kick off last night, i.e To Score two and not concede. The Reds came out the brighter of the two sides, the players seemingly floating on the harmonious tunes of the Anfield faithful, the players portrayed Guts will and determination which proved to be the deciding factors in the matchup.
Gerrard was pure class, exuberance personified, and Stevie G brought closure on the Gerrard/Lampard debate once and for all. Lampard is far behind him and almost every department and of the numerous occasions they’ve met in the past, last night was the official closing of that discussion.

The free kick was something they practiced now doubt on numerous occasions at the training ground, and Aggers’ finish was one that Crouch or Kuyt would have been proud of themselves - perfect placement, beating “the” wall that is Petr Cech is no easy task, and he took his chance brilliantly.

The Liverpool goal was an ice cold glass of water on the Chelsea players and it seemed to shock them into action. Attack after attack ensued, and the Liverpool backline
Thwarted every single one successfully. Eventually when the defense was temporarily breached and Drogba shot on goal, Reina had him covered, and was on Hand (excuse the pun) to protect the goal.

Dirk Kuyt worked tirelessly and was unlucky to see a goal disallowed and a shot come off the cross bar. But his hard work and determination would not go without reward. He was asked to take the penalty that would take The Reds to their second Champions League Final in two years, and he fired them to Athens and deserved the screams and cheering of the Bursting–through-the-seams Anfield crowds.

Liverpool have arrived, and are here to stay

Liverpool takeover: Moore money more problems
Ejaz Khan


Fri, Feb 2,

The Anfield chairman has always had the club's best interests at heart. So why did he shove the ideal candidates aside and start dealing with the man from over the pond?

As Lucas Neill realises that it was the devil who whispered into his ear to join relegation-bound West Ham instead of playing in the Champions League with Liverpool, he’s not the only one making wrong decisions.David Moores has always been a team player, with the club's best interests at heart. Until now, that is. DIC were the ideal candidates, keeping Liverpool’s best interests at heart. Their CEO Sameer al Ansari is a huge Liverpool fan, supporting the team for over 30 years, something that went down well with the Kop faithful as they took to the idea of the Dubai-based company taking the reins.
Then, with all official announcements imminent, in steps George Gillet with a better offer (better mostly for Moores). It must be mentioned that DIC were treated rather contemptuously after Gillet’s improved offer hit the table. DIC were not kept in the loop since the Gillet return bid, and were basically shoved aside.The question is why would Moores seek to hand Liverpool over to someone who knows nothing of the traditions and history of this great club, who plans to finance his takeover by adding to Liverpool's debt? On the other hand he has DIC, wanting to take Liverpool to higher level, erasing their debt, building their stadium and sustaining their need to continously improve the squad.

The main thing at the moment is that the players and manager don't lose focus and continue to rake up good results to keep the pressure on the top two. Liverpool are the Premiership's in-form team and with Rafa Benitez fielding three strikers it makes for exciting football. The return of Momo Sissoko will no doubt boost Rafa’s options and give him a selection headache ahead of the Mersey derby on Saturday. The defence is solid, the midfield back to their machine-like best, and the strikers keep the net bulging on a regular basis. Like a Parker Pen, they are clicking superbly.

Chelsea will be getting worried as Liverpool inch closer with each game and Jose Mourinho will be eating his words, sooner than he thinks. The Roman Empire is collapsing, point by point.Are you disappointed that DIC are out of the bidding for Liverpool? Let Sportingo have your views.

Euro glory can relieve Liverpool's pain in the Arsenal


After being dumped out of both domestic cup competitions, and with the Premiership title out of range, Rafael Benitez has one last throw of the dice in the Champions League. Can he pull off a miracle? As déjà vu sets in and Liverpool fall to Arsenal twice in four days and for the third time this season, one has to ponder on the mindset of Rafael Benitez. Has the French professor [Arsene Wenger] got the measure of him?

The wisdom in fielding a lightweight squad going into one of Liverpool's last few opportunities of silverware this season has to be questioned. The most startling inclusion has to be Jerzy Dudek, who, Istanbul heroics aside, has somehow forgotten the art of saving goals. Today, if he decided to end his misery by diving in front of a bus, I’m pretty sure even the bus would slip though his fingers.Benitez is a man of his word, and he promised Dudek he’d play him in the domestic Cups. Very expensive promises they turned out to be as the keeper flapped his way out of the hearts of the Kop. I think it is safe to say that Liverpool need a new, improved second-choice keeper, someone who would be able to keep Pepe Reina on his toes, someone to challenge him for the Number 1 jerzy (excuse the pun). Something Dudek seems incapable of, judging by recent form.

Another problem seems to be the huge gap between the first team and reserves. Somehow the youngsters seem out of depth when called up for first-team action. This is something Wenger seems to have mastered, as all his young charges seem well equipped for the transition from the youth squad. This is something the Liverpool staff should be aspiring to.

Thierry Henry’s comments on the electric atmosphere at Anfield had Koppites dreaming of a fairytale move for Mr Va-va Voom to Merseyside. But this is, of course, highly unlikely. Wenger’s young side have been moulded around Henry, and he seems destined to end his career at the Emirates. It is fair to say he saves his best performances for the Gunners, as he tends plays a less influential role for his native France.

Benitez will most probably stick with his own formula that proved to be successful for him at Valencia, and more recently with Liverpool in the Champions League and FA Cup respectively. Benitez may be the 'King of Cups', but his two chances of domestic silverware have slipped through his fingers. The Kop will be screaming for a go at the league, which seems out of reach for Liverpool at this stage. Maybe in future seasons this could be a reality, but with the new players only fully functioning recently, Anfield fans will have to patient.

There is one plus point in all of this. Liverpool now have the opportunity to concentrate fully on the Champions league and every player will be able to target his energy to bringing a sixth European Cup home. And in Barcelona, there’s no escaping the fact that the Reds are underdogs in the tie, and that’s when they perform beyond themselves.

The return of Samuel Et’o coincides with the return of the 'new Patrick Vieira' in Mohamed Sissoko, who with his bite in the centre of midfield undoubtedly leaves Rafa will selection problems -- the kind he’d be really pleased to have. The Liverpool injury curse continues with Mark Gonzalez and Luis Garcia out of the fray. Sissoko's return means Xabi Alonso might have to give way or Steven Gerrard might return to the graveyard shift on the right. "The only thing I can do is say sorry to our supporters because they are the best in the game," Benitez said after the Arsenal fiasco. Fans will demand more, however, and rightly so.

Wanderers Bolted by Liverpool
2 Jan 2007

Anfield was buzzing as the RTK ( Reclaim the Kop ) campaign kicked off. Liverpool supporters decided to raise their game by creating an atmosphere that would push the team to victory. And thats exactly what happened.

The game lacked the fire at the either goalmouth in the first Half with the only goal chance falling to Steve Finnan !
Mr Consistent struck a drive even Gerrard would be proud of, Jussi Jaaskeleinen saving with stinging fingers.

The second half proved more worthwhile for the homeside and they pushed continously.
Pennant arrived in January like a new signing, and played out of his socks.

His pin point cross allowed Crouchinho to finish with a sublime scissor-kick that left Jaaskeleinen wondering: What ???

Gerrard scored a few seconds later with a wonderful strike between two Bolton defenders beating Jussi for a second time.

Kuyt, for all his hard work , deserved his goal, finishing between the defenders legs and past the now already deflated "best goalkeeper in the premiership" for a third time.

All in all, The Kop sang, the players delivered, and The Table shifted.
March on , mighty Reds !

Liverpool storm to Victory at White Hart Lane
2 Jan 2007
Spurs 0 - Liverpool 1 (Garcia)

Liverpool overcame a very solid Totenham side and a scrappy goal scored by Luis Garcia was enough for Liverpool to notch up another away victory, which have been hard to come by until recently !

Hosam Ghaly spurned Totenhams' best chances, but it was the Monsoon- Like weather that took all the headlines.
Luis Garcia made the ball sing in the Rain as his goal seemed to encourage him to play some of the best football his played this season.

All in all, good performance, perfect result !