Scott Murray's Blog, page 202
May 30, 2014
World Cup final 1966: England v West Germany live!
The minute-by-minute report of England's proudest day, from the pages of And Gazza Misses The Final, a collection of MBMs from classic World Cup matches by Rob Smyth and Scott Murray. Watch along from 11am and follow the action live
12.05pm BST
65 min: Hurst chests down a long Moore pass on the edge of the area. Peters hoicks over the bar. This half must start soon. The crowd entertain themselves by singing "Oh my, what a referee" over some perceived slight when Jack Charlton was penalized for handball a while back. In truth, theyve little to complain about, and if theyre not careful theyll put the official in a mood to give them nothing.
12.04pm BST
64 min: With this perhaps in mind, Beckenbauer takes a crack at a free-kick from 35 yards. That is astonishingly unrealistic.
12.02pm BST
62 min: From a German corner on the left, the ball breaks to Beckenbauer on the edge of the area. He drops a shoulder and nudges the ball to the left, but drags a lame effort right of the target. Hes been pretty successful in blunting Bobby Charlton but is diminished as an attacking force as a result, a pale shadow of the goal threat he was against Switzerland, Uruguay and the USSR.
11.59am BST
59 min: Walley Barnes, the colour guy on the BBC, has been filling in dead air time by explaining the concepts of energy conservation. Very green. Both teams appear to be willing to take their chances at the business end of this game.
11.56am BST
56 min: Theres not much of an atmosphere, give or take a few smatterings of "England! England!" Come along, Wembley, World Cup final going on over here.
11.53am BST
53 min: Ball clips a cross in from the right. Peters, always stretching, pokes a header wide right.
11.49am BST
49 min: A scrappy start to the half for the West Germans. Cohen, Stiles and Ball have all taken turns to romp into space down the right, but their cutbacks are inaccurate and easily dealt with.
11.45am BST
This could so easily be three apiece. A magnificent half of football. Good luck splitting these two sides because the margins are paper thin. Amid torrential rain, were off again! And England are immediately on the attack through Bobby Charlton, who breaks into the box down the right-hand channel. He looks to pull the trigger but Schulz bundles him to the floor. The crowd scream for a penalty but theres no reaction from Charlton, who taps hands with the German centre-back as he picks himself up and trots back upfield.
11.44am BST
44 min: Höttges shoots from 30 yards down the right. Come along, some respect for Banks, and indeed goalkeepers everywhere, please.
11.43am BST
43 min: Bobby Charlton shapes to shoot down the inside left but instead slides a diagonal pass into the centre for Peters. For a second, he looks to have time to shoot but Weber comes sliding in to clear. Germany go up the other end through Seeler, who sashays through the midfield and sends a heat-seeker towards the top right. Banks is forced to tip spectacularly over. The corner comes to naught.
11.42am BST
42 min: Wilson loops a speculative header down the inside right. Weber rises, mistimes his leap and nuts a weak clearance to Hunt on the left. The striker takes a thrash at goal with his left peg from a tightish angle, but Tilkowski batters his rising shot down and Höttges is on hand to mop up.
11.41am BST
41 min: Hurst lifts an aimless ball back into the England midfield. Emmerich beats Jack Charlton to the bouncing ball, just to the left of the centre circle, and makes off down the channel. Hell be in on goal if he evades Moore but the England captain slides across to make a brilliant last-ditch tackle.
11.38am BST
38 min: From the setpiece, the ball drops to Overath on the edge of the area. He creams a rising left-footed shot goalwards. Banks parries wonderfully, then smothers Emmerichs snapshot on the turn at the left-hand post.
11.37am BST
37 min: And with that, Englands ring-rustiness shows. Held enters the England box down the left but is turned back by Cohen and dispossessed by Stiles. So far, so good. Stiles gives it to Ball, who then puts Cohen in all sorts of bother with a lazy backpass. Cohen, who was starting to move upfield and was wrong-footed by the pass, turns round with the weary resignation of a man who was about to leave work only to be told hed be needed for a double shift. At that precise moment in time, Cohen was the personification of the phrase fucksake. But Cohen recovers and holds off Held just as it looks like hell break clear down the left. And then takes one touch too many, allowing Held to burst into the box! Jack Charlton, almost certainly fuming, comes sliding in to concede the corner, planting Held into a bed of photographers behind the goal as he does so.
11.34am BST
34 min: Incredibly sloppy play by Weber, just in front of his own area down the right. He tries to slip the ball past Hunt but only batters it into the striker. The ball breaks to Peters, who attempts a delicate chip goalwards, but gets it all wrong, allowing Tilkowski to claim.
11.32am BST
32 min: A couple of minutes of attritional nonsense, then the game suddenly springs to life! Cohen hits a high diagonal ball into the German area from deep on the right. Its met by Hurst, level with the left-hand post, 12 yards out. He sends a majestic header towards the bottom left, but its saved brilliantly by Tilkowski, slithering across his line. Ball is first to the rebound, spinning through 180 degrees to send the ball across the face of the six-yard area from the left, but there are no red shirts in the danger area and Overath clears for a throw on the right. Germany mop up from the restart.
11.28am BST
28 min: Bobby Charlton and Beckenbauer are never far away from each other. The England man drops a shoulder and slides past the great young German hope, in the imperious style of Alfredo di Stefano. He teases a delicious ball into the centre for Hunt. Weber is forced to hoick the ball out for a corner on the right just as Hunt looked like ghosting in to strike. The corner is an egregious disgrace, Ball wafting his delivery straight into the arms of Tilkowski.
11.23am BST
23 min: The suns out!
11.22am BST
22 min: England move upfield, Bobby Charltons incomplete one-two with Ball down the inside-left breaks to Cohen, who screws wildly wide left of goal, the sort of shot that would have eventually come back round to him if only everyone had left it.
11.21am BST
21 min: Peters is robbed by Overath in the centre-circle and responds with a petulant shove on the German midfielder. Now now. The referee takes his name. Peters half-turns to show his number in the stroppy schoolboy style. The ref plays his part by wagging his finger three times. Naughty, naughty boy.
11.20am BST
20 min: Peters makes a lung-bursting run from a deep-lying position. Hes got the German defence backtracking, with all sorts of space opening up. What he doesnt have is the ball. Hes waiting for Ball to rake it in from the left but the pass comes too late. Germany were all over the place there.
11.19am BST
19 min: Schnellinger and Seeler tackle each other in the centre-circle. Now its the Germans time to look a wee bit flustered.
11.18am BST
Well, this came out of nothing! Bobby Charlton evades Beckenbauer in the centre and slides the ball out left to Moore, who has his ankles clumsily clipped by Overath. Moore jumps to his feet and doesnt bother making an MGM-sized song-and-dance production of taking the setpiece, simply looking up and clipping it into the area, having spotted Hurst ludicrously unmarked on the penalty spot. The balls perfection itself and the in-form Hurst is unchallenged as he adroitly guides the gently dropping ball into the left-hand side of the net. Tilkowski stands on his line, his jaw hanging loose in disbelief, pointing into the space Hurst has just taken advantage of and looking around at his defenders as if to say "aw ... cmon". Hurst leaps on the spot in celebration, nearly shearing off his own nipples with his knees. Jimmy who?
11.12am BST
13 min: Stiles is given a stern talking-to by the referee for giving Hallers ankles too much attention in the midfield. Stiles doesnt seem willing to engage in the philosophical debate, responding to the refs thesis with a couple of effs, not the sort of antithesis likely to lead us to any satisfactory higher truth. Plays waved on.
11.10am BST
OH DEAR! SO MUCH FOR ENGLANDS STAUNCH DEFENCE!
Ball breaks down the left and drifts inside, finding Peters down the inside right, who drags a shot from 25 yards wide left of goal. So close to an opener, but its the Germans who make the breakthrough. Held, with time down the inside left, pitching-wedges a diagonal ball in the general direction of Haller, lurking in the right-hand side of the England box. Wilson rises to clear with a header but his timing is all over the shop, and he only succeeds in cushioning it down to the German winger. Haller takes a touch with his right as he turns and bumbles a shot into the bottom left, past Banks, who was unsighted by Jack Charlton. A run, a punch, a leap and a modest wave to someone in the crowd. Haller considers a grin but then decides its time to get back to work.
11.09am BST
9 min: Charlton races forward. He slides the ball out left to Peters, who takes two rangy strides towards the box and unleashes a shot towards the bottom right. Tilkowski is right behind it, and at full length palms away from danger. A fine shot and magnificent save. And this is a lovely, open, end-to-end affair.
11.08am BST
8 min: Utter bedlam in the German area. Stiles swings a ball into the box from the right for Hunt. Tilkowski comes out to punch clear, though not very effectively. Charlton takes up possession on the left and swings another in. The keeper biffs out again, this time under intense pressure from Hurst, who clatters him. Cohen heads the clearance back into the area from the right. Overath is in the business of calming things down when the referee blows for a foul on the keeper, who has remained on the floor. Moore steps in to lash the ball, loose to the left of the D, into the net, simply for the purposes of crowd-pleasing. And by the sound of the amused roar, the crowd have indeed been pleasured.
11.07am BST
7 min: Seeler busies himself upfield, making good from the centre-circle and having a long-range wallop himself. The ball balloons off Wilson and out for a corner on the right, the ball bouncing along the sort of parabola that would please Barnes Wallac ... no, we made a promise, didnt we? Haller takes but its headed clear by Jack Charlton with no fuss.
11.05am BST
5 min: Germany stream upfield, Held down the left passing infield to Emmerich, who from 20 yards slices a slapstick effort out for a throw on the right. The crowd deliver their verdict with a rasping yay. Everyones a critic these days.
11.03am BST
3 min: Emmerich slips Held away down the left. Held reaches the corner flag and digs a cross out, but Jack Charlton is on hand in the middle to hoof clear with extreme prejudice.
11.02am BST
2 min: Peters now attempts to guide something goalwards from the edge of the D, but can only screw wide, the ball always too high to control with confidence. Germany stream upfield through Emmerich, who slides a pass into Held, just inside the England area, in space. Hes got far more time than he thinks and turns a weak shot well wide right of the goal. That could have been a dream start for West Germany.
11.01am BST
1 min: Hurst and Bobby Charlton exchange passes down the left. The balls fed inside to Stiles, who attempts a daisy-cutter from distance. It drags along the soft turf and is easily blocked.
10.55am BST
If, like poor old Greavsie, you have little interest in the game, BBC2 are showing The Great Dan Patch, a 1949 movie about a man, a fast horse, the horses trainers daughter, his love for the fast horse and his love for the trainers daughter. Theres a romantic triangle for you. Hopefully itll have a happier ending than RamseyGreavesHurst; more heartache might push the Spurs striker over the edge.
England: Gordon Banks, George Cohen, Jack Charlton, Bobby Moore, Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles, Alan Ball, Bobby Charlton, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, Roger Hunt.
10.48am BST
Saturday 30 July 1966
Youve got to hand it to World Cup finalists England: theyve come an awfully long way awfully quickly. SIXTEEN YEARS! Thats the time since their first appearance at a World Cup, a sojourn to Brazil that ended in abject humiliation, Joe Gaetjens, the USA, all that. TWELVE YEARS! The time since Hungary inflicted a record 71 defeat on England, a result that came hot on the heels of the infamous 63 Wembley evisceration. THREE YEARS! The time since Alf Ramsey took charge, losing his first match 52 in France to spin out of Euro 64, and his second upon being thoroughly outplayed at home by Scotland. Let those last six words hang, proud sons of Albion.
Continue reading...
May 27, 2014
World Cup: 25 stunning moments No20: Patrick Battiston loses his teeth
One of the greatest games in World Cup history has been largely overshadowed by the dastardly acts of the West German keeper
The semi-final stage of the World Cup has, on balance, not been particularly kind to France. In 1958, the free-scoring team of Just Fontaine and Raymond Kopa were more than holding their own against Brazil until Vavá clattered into the captain Robert Jonquet; as the defenders leg sailed in an arc across the Stockholm sky, Frances hopes and dreams, in those days before substitutes, departed with it. In 1986, Les Bleus faced West Germany with star man Michel Platini only half-fit; the rest of the team failed to turn up until the last 10 minutes or so, by which time it was far too late. Even when the French finally won a semi, against Croatia in 1998, the popular defensive lynchpin Laurent Blanc got himself suspended for the final unluckily and yet foolishly by needlessly waving his arms near the face of Slaven Bilic, asking for the trouble that would soon be delivered to him in spades.
But nothing comes close to 1982. Nothing will ever come close to 1982.
Continue reading...Football transfer rumours: Manchester United to sign Bruno Martins Indi?
We open today with that rare thing, a rumour about Real Madrid that doesnt involve the phrases Luis Suárez and £100m. This one concerns Chelsea, who have set aside a couple of days to roll around in the ludicrous amount of money Paris Saint-Germain have given them for David Luiz, before pulling themselves together, gathering it up, and handing it all over for Raphaël Varane. Real will then take the proceeds and make a £100m bid for LuiGODDAMN IT.
Continue reading...May 24, 2014
Real Madrid beat Atlético to win Champions League as it happened
Sid Lowe: Bale finally proves he has a head for destiny
10.37pm BST
Well done, then, Real Madrid: champions of Europe in 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2014. 4-1, though.
10.36pm BST
And here comes Carlo Ancelotti, now up there with Bob Paisley as a three-time managerial winner of the European Cup. He did it with Milan in 2003 and 2007, and now he's achieved it with Real Madrid in 2014. Real's 12-year wait - all that money, all that heartache - is over. They're the champions of Europe again. Ancelotti looks humble, as he always does. The players are given their medals. And then Platini hands the big-lugged pot to Iker Casillas, who was close to being tonight's villain of the piece, but is the hero who lifted the European Cup for Real Madrid for the tenth time! Cue the white ticker tape ...
10.33pm BST
Atlético's players go up to receive their losers' medals. Naw, their runners-up medals. You can't be calling this team losers. They've been brilliant all season, and came so close to perhaps the most outrageous league-and-European double of all time. Simeone, despite having received his marching orders, trots up to accept his gong from Michel Platini.
10.31pm BST
Simeone is doing that thousand-yard stare thing. Nothing so haunted has been seen on a football pitch since the blood drained from Johan Cruyff's face at the end of the 1974 World Cup final. It can be a painful business, this game.
10.29pm BST
So there's Bale and Ronaldo both on the scoresheet, but really their best two players on the night were Di Maria and the superlative Marcelo, whose introduction turned the game. Thoughts have to go out to Gabi, who was equally brilliant for Atlético, and possibly the best man on the pitch overall. Simeone appears to have calmed down, by the way, and has come back out to offer congratulations to the opposition, and with a possible Uefa ban in mind, does his best to look humble and contrite. I hope they cut him some slack. That carry-on is hardly the end of the world - daft, but hardly the end of the world - and the severe disappointment he'll feel tonight, and for a good while into the summer, will be punishment enough.
10.25pm BST
Congratulations to Real Madrid, who were the better team from the 60-minute mark, and deserve their trophy. But it would take a heartof stone not to feel sorry for Atlético Madrid, who were 20 seconds from glory in 1974, and were 120 seconds from glory here tonight. Real have their tenth title - OK, OK, la décima - but poor old Atlético are stuck on zilch.
10.22pm BST
There are turnarounds, and then there are turnarounds. And that was a turnaround.
10.21pm BST
ET 30 min +2: An Atlético head goes. Flips. It's the manager's! Simeone races onto the pitch in red-faced rage. Not sure what's happened there. He's gone after Varane, who has been booked. Simeone seems to want to continue the discussion with Varane in the tunnel. The manager's sent off. Dearie me.
10.19pm BST
Ronaldo gets up and slots it away into the bottom right. He's booked for taking his shirt off, like he'll care much.
10.18pm BST
ET 29 min: Ronaldo enters the area down the left, and is bundled over clumsily by Godin, who is booked. What a harsh end to the game for Atlético Madrid.
10.17pm BST
Atlético are knackered. They fail to close Marcelo down. He strides down the inside-left channel, cuts into the centre, and on the edge of the D sends a shot towards the bottom right. Courtois should probably stop the shot, but his hands flip back and the ball flies into the net. That's ten in the bag for Real Madrid!
10.15pm BST
ET 27 min: Ronaldo, perhaps in karmic payback for teasing Atlético, slips with the ball at his feet, 12 yards out and level with the left-hand post and only Courtois to beat.
10.14pm BST
ET 26 min: Atlético are trying to push upfield, but they can't make the ball stick. Ronaldo tries a few party tricks out on the left touchline, which is rather adding insult to injury, but the man's a born entertainer.
10.12pm BST
ET 24 min: A sign that this isn't over quite yet, as Atlético pump a long ball into the area. Casillas comes out, flaps and misses, and Tiago slashes wildly over the bar from a tight-ish angle on the left. The Real fans are giving it plenty.
10.11pm BST
ET 23 min: Villa goes down in the Real area under a long punt forward, but he's penalised for ankle-bothering.
10.10pm BST
ET 22 min: That was a stunning sashay down the left by Di Maria. That goal was all his work, really, though it'll be Bale who'll be awarded hero status. A winning goal in a Champions League final? Not a bad return for that £85m outlay!
10.09pm BST
Di Maria goes on a skitter down the left. He breaks clear into the area and shoots low. The ball loops off Courtois's legs and up towards the far post, where Bale - the world-record £85m man - heads into the unguarded net!
10.07pm BST
ET 19 min: A free kick, 40 yards out down the right, gives Atlético some respite. Gabi whips it onto the head of Godin, who sends another header goalwards, but this one is straight at Casillas and no bother for the keeper.
10.06pm BST
ET 18 min: Gabi foolishly gifts Real possession as he trots upfield aimlessly. Modric makes for the Atlético area, and sends a deflected shot towards the bottom left. But there's no pace in the effort, even before the deflection, and Courtois gathers.
10.05pm BST
ET 16 min: The ball bounces into the Atlético area from the left. Miranda uses his shoulder to take it away from Morata, who was preparing to hammer a shot from 12 yards. Like I say, a long 15 minutes stretches out in front of Atlético Madrid.
10.04pm BST
And we're off again! Atlético get the ball rolling. It's lost within 12 seconds, and Real area instantly on the attack, Marcelo again making good down the left. This could be a long quarter-of-an-hour for Atlético.
10.03pm BST
The second the referee blew his whistle for half time in extra time, Diego Simeone raced onto the pitch and instigated a full and frank discussion about timing issues with the referee. Clearly still piqued by the five minutes awarded at the end of regulation time, he just saw his side nearly fall behind in some added time of that first period. He's not happy. To be fair to the referee, he draws the sting from the situation quickly, and Simeone retreats. Sensible ref!
10.01pm BST
Bale and Morata get in each other's way on the Atlético penalty spot, allowing Miranda to blooter clear. The ball's sent back into the area from the right, Tiago forced to concede a corner on the left. Morata meets the set piece with a strong header, but it's straight at Courtois. And that's that for the half.
9.59pm BST
ET 15 min: Juanfran slides in on Ronaldo and is very fortunate not to pick up a second booking. The fact that the foul occurred in the centre circle, with Ronaldo going nowhere, may have influenced that non-decision.
9.58pm BST
ET 13 min: A throw to Atlético deep in Real territory down the left. A lot of fairly low-quality nonsense. Then Gabi chases Carvajal down the wing, and forces a rare corner. It's sent towards the near post by Sosa, and easily cleared by Ronaldo.
9.55pm BST
ET 11 min: Not really. He batters the ball straight into the wall. It comes off Gabi's elbow, but Ronaldo won't be getting a penalty for that. The resulting corner, from the right, isn't worth describing, and I'll grab that opportunity with both hands.
9.54pm BST
ET 10 min: The electric Marcelo is clipped by Gabi as he bombs down the inside left. Yellow card. Free kick for Ronaldo in a dangerous position ptIII. Can he do something this time?
9.53pm BST
ET 8 min: Marcelo embarks on a baroque run down the left, then fizzes a low shot through the six-yard area. It clanks between a few Atlético legs and is eventually hacked upfield. This is beginning to look pretty ominous for a desperately disappointed Atlético.
9.51pm BST
ET 7 min: Ronaldo has been dismal tonight. He drags a hapless low shot a good ten feet wide right of the Atlético goal. He goes down with cramp, Bale helping his stricken soldier. Gotta love extra-time football!
9.50pm BST
ET 6 min: Di Maria swings one into the area from the left. Godin hoofs clear. Real come back through Isco and Marcelo. Again the door slams shut. But this is attack versus defence. Atlético are offering nothing up front, and are struggling to retain any sort of possession.
9.49pm BST
ET 4 min: Will Atlético sit back and hope for penalties, then? It might be their best bet. They look knackered. Mind you, even though they conceded late, it still took a moment of brilliance from Sergio Ramos to unlock their defence. Another 26 minutes might not be beyond them. Real haven't exactly been on top of their game tonight.
9.47pm BST
ET 2 min: Marcelo, who has been brilliant since his introduction, sets Real off on a move down the left wing. A throw's won. The ball's shuttled across the front of the Atlético area, then back again. Real can't break through the red-and-white line, but Atlético appear to be sitting deep again.
9.45pm BST
And we're off again! Real get the ball rolling again. But for two minutes and 20 seconds worth of football, Atlético would have two European Cups right now. But we go again. Whatever happens, you've got to take your hat off to Diego Simeone, who has summoned every joule of energy in an attempt to reinvigorate his players, and the supporters. It's only the Real fans who can be heard right now, though.
9.42pm BST
What must Atlético fans be thinking? First 1974, and now this. Oh me, oh my. This will be a hard one to bear if they can't somehow regain the upper hand.
9.39pm BST
Well, well, well. Atlético were within two minutes of glory there. Diego Simeone waves at his fans again, in the hope of raising their spirits, but his team were on the ropes for some time there. And having come so close, can they bounce back? It'll be some performance if they do. Real must be hot favourites now.
9.38pm BST
90 min +4: Sergio Ramos: the Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck de nos jours. Oh Atlético!
9.37pm BST
Two corners from the right for Real. The second is guided into the bottom left corner from 12 yards by Ramos! What a stunning header, not only to get across Tiago, but also to guide it into the only place Courtois couldn't reach it! What drama!
9.36pm BST
90 min +2: A snapshot from Isco is blocked easily enough.
9.35pm BST
90 min +1: Real hoick the ball into the Atlético area, but it's dispatched from whence it came with ease.
9.34pm BST
90 min: Sosa hits a free kick towards the top left, but it's straight into the arms of Casillas. There will be five added minutes. Five minutes for Real Madrid to save themselves. Five minutes for Atlético to write the final chapter of one of football's greatest fairytales.
9.33pm BST
89 min: Diego Simeone entreats his own support to make noise by throwing some frantic semaphore shapes. On the pitch, Villa is his hero, battling upfield and winning two free kicks, one in the centre circle, the next just to the left of the Real D. That's good possession, but even more importantly, the clock's moving towards the 90 minute mark.
9.32pm BST
88 min: Atlético finally spend a little time in the Real half. It's all very messy, neither team capable of stringing two passes together, but the clock's ticking.
9.30pm BST
86 min: Tiago brings down Modric to the left of the Atlético D. Koke is booked for kicking the ball away. Real's free kick is easily cleared, though the ball's soon coming back at Atlético. However a pass down the left wing flies out for a goal kick. This is going to be some finish! It's not exactly been the greatest game, but what drama!
9.29pm BST
85 min: Another deep cross into the Atlético box from the left. Ronaldo heads it back into the centre. Marcelo stoops to head home from eight yards, but Juanfran gets across the front of him and screws the ball clear! That's an astonishing clearance! Real are hammering away at the door here, but Atlético are holding strong. Whether they can manage another five minutes of this plus stoppages is a moot point.
9.28pm BST
84 min: It's Marcelo again. He fires a low cross from the left straight through the Atlético box. Nobody touches it. How did that not go in, on purpose or as an own goal? The ball's eventually hacked clear.
9.26pm BST
83 min: Turns out Atlético already had the board up, with the intention of swapping Filipe Luis with Alderweireld. That happens, but Filipe Luis's antics have eaten up plenty of time.
9.25pm BST
81 min: Atlético, sweeping up a poor Real free kick, mooch up the left wing through Gabi. The Atlético captain stays down, and rolls around a bit. Then Filipe Luis goes down with cramp. Or is it "cramp"? There's something rather Mourinhoesque about the way Atlético are carrying on right now.
9.23pm BST
79 min: The last throw of the dice for Ancelotti: Morata comes on for Benzema. Isco suddenly finds the ball at his feet, six yards from goal, just to the right, but he can't get a snap shot away. Real are beginning to exert serious pressure on Atlético. Godin theatrically waves his arms, in the hope that his team-mates push up the field. But they're pinned back.
9.22pm BST
78 min: What a chance for Bale! He scampers after a ball rolled down the right wing. He's got the sprint on Godin, and enters the area with only Courtois to beat! He stabs the ball towards the bottom-right corner, but it flies into the side netting. A couple of inches here and there, and Bale could have had two goals. He'll have a sleepless night if Real lose this.
9.20pm BST
76 min: Atlético can nearly touch their fairytale double now. The nerves might be kicking in, though, because they're pinned right back in their own box. A little relief as Benzema places his elbow into the small of Godin's back.
9.18pm BST
74 min: Juanfran is booked for a fairly agricultural whack on Di Maria. The free kick, from the left of the centre circle, falls to Ronaldo, 12 yards out, level with the right post. Ronaldo attempts a spectacular scissor kick, but fires it miles over. That would certainly have been a picturebook goal. Atlético are beginning to sit deep now, inviting pressure.
9.17pm BST
73 min: Bale fizzes a low shot not far right of the post, after being sent into a little bit of space by Modric. Real have picked it up a bit here.
9.16pm BST
72 min: This is ludicrous. Villa is booked for clattering into Casillas, but he was entitled to go for a low right-wing cross by Koke. The keeper wasn't complaining as the two came together. It was a great claim by the keeper at the feet of the inrushing striker, no more, no less.
9.15pm BST
71 min: Marcelo is beginning to see quite a bit of the ball down the left. He rakes a high cross to the far post, and it's pinpoint for Bale, but the £85m man needlessly drags the ball down with his arm. Eh? He was in a good position there. And there's it wasted. "I think Phil Sawyer and I could be friends," writes Matt Dony. "I've spent years arguing a case for the 2003 final. I love watching good, controlled defending and frustrating of the opposing team. That said, it was a blast watching Liverpool pretend to be Galacticos era Madrid this season. Hala Madrid! (Keeping it relevant.)"
9.13pm BST
70 min: Di Maria and Marcelo exchange ping-pong passes down the inside-left. Di Maria, cutting into the box, drags what might be a shot, and what might be a pass towards Ronaldo, straight to the feet of Miranda, who skelps clear. That was a little better from Real, a rare moment of high-tempo brilliance. Well, nearly.
9.11pm BST
67 min: Isco has a whack at the Atlético goal through a thicket of legs from the right-hand side of the D, but drags his effort well wide left. Atlético are dealing with pretty much everything Real are throwing at them.
9.10pm BST
66 min: A second change for Atlético, this one not forced by preposterous circumstances. Sosa comes on. I'd imagine Sosa is one of the most popular players in America. Do you know why? Because people like to say ...
9.08pm BST
64 min: Koke down the left this time, and he earns a corner off Isco. The set piece is whipped towards Miranda at the near post, but Ronaldo gets ahead and clears for a second corner. Real get that one half clear, but Adrian comes back down the left, Modric forced to give away a third corner. Nothing comes of that, but this is more than acceptable from Atlético, who are pressing Real back and running the clock down to boot.
9.06pm BST
62 min: Sergio Ramos hoicks a ball into the Atlético area from the left. Ronaldo gets his head to the ball, six yards out, but sends his effort wide right. Given the effort was off target, he connected too well, as Benzema might have been able to bundle home otherwise.
9.05pm BST
61 min: Gabi dances down the right. Cross. Cleared. Gabi dances down the right. Cross. Cleared. That second one looked really dangerous, Real will be thanking the lord for Sergio Ramos's eyebrows, as Villa was lurking on the penalty spot waiting to crack a shot home.
9.03pm BST
60 min: Sergio Ramos attempts a Gerrardesque Hollywood ball from the middle of the park to the left wing. It flies into the stand, but only because Di Maria takes his eye off the ball. Real really can't get it going.
9.02pm BST
59 min: Coentrao and Khedira are replaced by Marcelo and Isco.
9.01pm BST
56 min: Adrian Lopez zips past Carvajal down the left. He's haring close to goal, but hesitates and lets the defender get back to force the ball out for a corner. From which, Adrian cuts in from the left and sends a low shot that's deflected out for another corner, this time on the right. Nothing comes from the second set piece. This is opening up now.
8.59pm BST
55 min: From the resulting corner on the left, Ronaldo squirts a shot goalwards, but it's guided out for another corner on the same side. Ronaldo meets the second one as well, but his header towards the bottom right is just wide of the post, and always covered by Courtois.
8.58pm BST
54 min: Ronaldo does his wide-legged stance thing. The referee argues for many seconds with the Atlético wall. They eventually get back far enough. Ronaldo whips a free kick towards the top left. It's deflected, but with little pace on it, Courtois can parry over the bar. That, the Bale effort aside, is about the best Real have managed so far.
8.56pm BST
53 min: Miranda is booked, quite rightly, for the laughably cynical bundling over of Di Maria as he slaloms down the inside left. This is a free kick in an extremely dangerous position, just outside the area to the left of the D. Real's free kicks have been poor so far. What can they do here?
8.54pm BST
50 min: Atlético are first to everything. Koke latches onto a loose ball down the left and fires a low cross through the area. Raul Garcia, coming in from the right, attempts to recreate Zidane's body shape in the 2002 final for that goal. He doesn't quite manage it, hoicking miles over the bar, but hats off for giving it a go.
8.52pm BST
48 min: Free kick to Real, 40 yards out, down the inside left channel. Di Maria swings it in, but the ball's clattered out at the first instance. This is stunningly unimaginative. "I've never understood the opprobrium heaped upon that 2003 final," writes Phil Sawyer. "It was an absolute masterclass in top notch defending. Some of the tackles were so well timed they'd have made an atomic clock green with envy. It's not all about the fancy dans, you know. Mind you, I also much prefer the clatter of a wicket to a sweetly struck cover drive. Some of us just like spoiling the party."
8.50pm BST
47 min: Nothing much has happened in the half so far, but from the little football that's been played, Real don't appear to have come out with renewed confidence or vigour. Atlético have had most of the ball. In fact, they nearly carve Real open down the middle, Raul Garcia's pass into the box being totally misread by Adrian Lopez.
8.48pm BST
And we're off again! No changes for either side, but Zinedine Zidane has been whispering into Cristiano Ronaldo's ear as he retakes the pitch. Maybe that'll have an effect. Atlético get the ball rolling again. "Why is the same G-Nev who had the worlds first goalgasm when Torres scored against Barcelona a few years back moaning about the way Atletico are playing?" wonders Craig Trainor. "Normally enjoy his punditry but come on, this Atletico team are far more loveable than Chelsea have ever been. They're also playing out from the back, looking to come forward and are competing with a team on an obscenely different financial level, give credit where it's due." For the record, Real's team cost £422m; Atlético's a mere £64m.
8.36pm BST
Half-time entertainment:
8.33pm BST
Not a classic, then, but will Atlético care? They're doing a number on Real here. What a second half we have in store!
8.32pm BST
45 min +1: Khedira is booked for an artless clatter on Villa in the centre circle.
8.32pm BST
45 min: Juanfran is forced to slide the ball out for a corner down the left under pressure from Di Maria. The corner is cleared by a towering header from ... David Villa. This couldn't be going any worse for Real right now. They appear completely rattled. Half time can't come fast enough.
8.29pm BST
42 min: Modric tries to open up the Atlético back line with a crossfield pass from the left, but Benzema's never getting that, and it flies behind for a goal kick. Atlético have Real exactly where they want them at the moment. The favourites look flustered.
8.28pm BST
41 min: Real are all over the shop at the back. A long free kick from the right sent into their area. Villa forces Khedira into heading behind. From the corner, Adrian Lopez connects on the penalty spot, but his header flies just over the bar. This is going to be a fascinating match now. Dramatically, it's set up almost perfectly!
8.26pm BST
39 min: Real try to strike back immediately. A free kick swung into the area from the right, and headed out of play by Miranda. Corner from the left. From which the ball ends up at Carvajal's feet, just to the right of the D. A cross to the far post is way too strong, and sails harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
8.25pm BST
Koke takes the corner from the right. It's headed out of the area by Varane, but not particularly convincingly. It's sent back into the box, Godin goes up to challenge on the penalty spot, more out of hope than anything else. But he beats Khedira, the ball loops up and over Casillas, who has rather rashly wandered off his line into no-man's land - and into the net in slow motion! The keeper skittered back in an attempt to hook it off the line, but too late! That's in. We've got a game on now, all right!
8.23pm BST
35 min: That Bale run seems to have reminded everyone that they're here to play football. Before it, Koke was sliding into challenges like a nut down the left, nearly starting a minor brouhaha. Now Bale challenges for a high ball near the right-hand post, but he can't connect. And then Atletico go down the other end to win a corner down the right. From which...
8.20pm BST
32 min: Suddenly, there's nearly a goal at both ends. Juanfran whips a low cross into the Real area from the right. Sergio Ramos, panicking, slices horribly, and there's a bit of pinball in the box, but Adrian Lopez can't slap a shot away when the ball runs loose. Then Real go up the other end. The ball's lost, but Tiago gifts it back to Bale, who makes for the Atlético area with great purpose. He zips down the inside-right channel, drifts inside, and under pressure from both Tiago and Miranda, smacks a low shot inches left of the goal. A fine run, and I wonder what would have happened had he chosen to fall to the turf under Tiago's nibble inside the area? Honest Gareth! Possibly slightly daft Gareth!
8.16pm BST
29 min: "Has the game started yet?" asks Ian Copestake, saying everything that needs to be said in five words. That's a William Carlos Williams scholar for you.
8.15pm BST
28 min: ... Ronaldo hammers low and straight at Courtois. There was venom behind it, but not a lot of wit was involved.
8.14pm BST
27 min: Koke whips a cross into the Real area from the left. With Adrian Lopez lurking, Sergio Ramos slices high into the crowd behind the goal. The resulting corner is dealt with easily by Real, who scoot upfield through Di Maria. He's in lots of space down the inside left, so Raul Garcia slides in from behind and takes him out cynically. Yellow card. Within seconds, Sergio Ramos completes a slapstick moment by turning up to barge Raul Garcia with his chest. A yellow card for him too. Grown men, and all. Anyway, free kick to Real, from which ...
8.12pm BST
24 min: A throw for Atlético deep in Real territory down the right. Juanfran whips a cross in from near the corner flag, but there's nobody there in red-and-white to attack it. Real stream up the other end through Ronaldo, but that's snuffed out quickly enough too.
8.10pm BST
23 min: ... Courtois gathers with a yawn, Modric wafting a pretty useless high curler straight into his arms. The box loaded with danger, as well.
8.09pm BST
22 min: Gabi is penalised for stepping on the heels of Di Maria down the left. The referee should have let that go, because Coentrao had broken from the resulting melee and clear into the area. But it's a free kick to Real in a dangerous position. From which ...
8.08pm BST
21 min: Bale drops a shoulder down the right and nearly makes himself some space, but he's closed down quickly. The ball's shuttled out right to Carvajal, whose whipped cross is deflected but only into the hands of Courtois. The volume in the stadium has dropped considerably.
8.06pm BST
18 min: There's an ever-growing Gallery of this game, and you can find it here. Not sure what'll be in it yet, other than shots of players spraying passes into areas where no players stand, and folk limping off, but stick with it. Something's got to happen soon. Hasn't it? Actually, Ancelotti was about in 2003, wasn't he ...
8.04pm BST
16 min: Sergio Ramos sticks a leg out across Gabi. The two then stick their chests out and bang nipples in what presumably is an impressive display of strength. The referee zips across and reminds the pair that they are grown adults. We move on.
8.02pm BST
15 min: Gabi, in the centre circle, plays a first-time ball down the middle of the park and isn't far away from releasing Adrian Lopez. Unfortunately for Atlético, Casillas is out of his area quickly to hack clear.
8.00pm BST
13 min: With Xabi Alonso suspended, someone else will have to try the long-distance nonsense. Raul Garcia has a go, scoring three rugby points from miles out on the right touchline. Hey, nothing much else has been going on, it's worth a go. "Diego Costly?" quips Grant Tennille. Well, we've got plenty of time to find out.
7.58pm BST
11 min: Raul Garcia and Ronaldo both go up for a high ball. Ronaldo crashes to the ground, then springs up and throws his arms about in the expressive style. His manager Ancelotti joins in the dance on the touchline. The referee can't be bothered with their carry-on. This isn't up to much so far, but there's a long way to go.
7.57pm BST
9 min: So there you have it. Diego Costa's hamstring is jiggered. He's hooked. Adrian Lopez takes his place. That's Harry Kewell minus 14 minutes! An early blow for Atlético, and Real's fans bounce around in glee accordingly.
7.55pm BST
8 min: A free kick for Atlético down the inside left. It's lifted into the box. Diego Costa and Villa challenge the high ball, and there's some head tennis. Eventually Diego Costa has a bit of time to the right of goal, but can't manufacture a cross or shot, and clanks the ball out of play for a goal kick. It's not much, but they've done little going forward so far, so it's something.
7.54pm BST
6 min: The ball falls to Benzema's feet on the edge of the Atlético D. He tries to ... well, I don't know what he tries. A back heel? A drag back? A soft-shoe shuffle in the style of the pre-match contemporary dance troupe? Whatever, it doesn't come off, and the ball rolls through to Courtois. A chance to shoot or set up an attack spurned.
7.52pm BST
5 min: It's a little bitty, so far, this. Atlético are sitting deep, and Real have no space to release Ronaldo or Bale into, as is their wont. A long ball's hoicked into the Atlético area from the right. Ronaldo clatters into the back of Juanfran, but doesn't bother to make even a token claim for a penalty kick. An easy decision for the referee to make, then.
7.50pm BST
3 min: Real are enjoying most of the early ball, but they're doing precious little with it. Atlético standing firm at the back, as Atlético do. Mind you, there's already been a demonstration of top-quality defence this evening. A team of ten Greenpeace campaigners were lifted by a gaggle of local bobbies as they tried to fix a 50-metre-squared STOP GAZPROM SAVE THE ARCTIC banner from the roof. Do UniCredit attract this level of opprobrium?
7.47pm BST
And we're off! Real get the match going, and pass it around a wee bit. Atlético concede a foul on the 12-second mark. Real do nothing with the free kick.
7.45pm BST
The atmosphere in the stadium is something else. Not least because the fans are attempting to drown out the caterwauling of a large choir on the pitch, as a potted version of Portugal's
colonial
nautical history is told via the medium of contemporary dance. Why does anyone bother? Then a smooth jazz version of Champions League anthem Not Zadok The Priest, sung by a woman who hits all the proper notes, as a famous Lancastrian comedian once said, but not necessarily in the right order. The players are on the pitch, and hands have been shaken. We're nearly good to go!
7.37pm BST
The players have been out on the pitch warming up. In lieu of anything interesting happening, here's pictorial proof ...
7.29pm BST
Never mind Real Madrid's tenth European Cup win; Carlo Ancelotti's on the verge of something special tonight, too. The former Milan boss could join an elite group of managers who have won the trophy with two clubs: Ottmar Hitzfeld (Dortmund and Bayern), Ernst Happel (Feyenoord and Hamburg), Jose Mourinho (Porto and Internazionale), and Jupp Heynckes (Real Madrid and Bayern). Not only that, he'd become only the second boss in history to win the trophy three times, after
Sir
Bob Paisley of Liverpool. Diego Simeone will be happy enough with his first, I should imagine.
7.23pm BST
Much better to concentrate on the positives, isn't it. And it's about time a player scored a hat-trick in one of these here finals. How about it, someone, huh? Nobody's managed one in the Champions League era, with only Daniele Massaro (Milan 1994), Karlheinz Riedle (Borussia Dortmund 1997), Hernan Crespo (Milan 2005), Pippo Inzaghi (Milan 2007) and Diego Milito (Internazionale 2010) coming close. Pierino Prati of Milan was the last man to hit a hat-trick in European Cup days, for Milan back in 1969. Real Madrid's Alfredo di Stefano managed one in 1960 at Hampden, too, but he was upstaged by his team-mate Ferenc Puskas, who scored four against Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden. Mind you, everything in context, and all that. Here's Eintracht keeper Egon Loy in action that night ...
7.16pm BST
Diego Costa, Pepe, Sergio Ramos ... anyway, for the record, there have only ever been two sendings off in European Cup or Champions League finals. Predictably, seeing English pundits have spent the last 59 years of European competition whining about cheating foreign sides, both of the teams who found themselves down to ten men were from Blighty. Haw. The guilty men: Arsenal's Jens Lehmann in 2006, and Chelsea's Didier Drogba a couple of years later. Behave, everyone, now.
6.56pm BST
So Diego Costa has made it after all. Whether his hamstring is up to it or not, only the first 23 minutes will tell. Will he add to his 35-goal haul this season, or is he fated to be the Harry Kewell de nos jours? No such luck for his team-mate Arda Turan, who doesn't even make the bench. As for Real, both of their main injury worries have made the teamsheet: Karim Benzema is in the starting XI, while Pepe is on the bench. Perhaps if Costa is forced to go off early, he and Pepe can enjoy a donnybrook there.
6.48pm BST
Real Madrid: Casillas, Carvajal, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Coentrao, Modric, Khedira, Di Maria, Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Diego Lopez, Pepe, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Morata, Isco, Illarramendi.
Atlético Madrid: Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe Luis, Raul Garcia, Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Villa, Diego Costa.
Subs: Aranzubia, Mario Suarez, Adrian, Rodriguez, Alderweireld, Diego, Sosa.
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Holland)
6.17pm BST
These two teams have only met once before in the European Cup or Champions League. That was in 1959 at the semi-final stage, and the tie proved a tight one. Real won the first leg 2-1 at the Bernabeu, though they had to come from behind, Chuzo opening the scoring on 13 minutes, Héctor Rial levelling it up two minutes later, and Ferenc Puskás putting away a penalty on 33 minutes to seal the win. Atlético won the second leg at the Estadio Metropolitano thanks to Enrique Collar's 43rd-minute goal. That meant a replay at La Romareda in Zaragoza, with Real prevailing 2-1, Alfredo di Stefano opening the scoring, Collar equalising, and Puskas restoring his side's lead before the break. Four successive finals for Real, that made it.
No joy for Atlético in the domestic head-to-head either, with Real winning 102 league and cup games to Atlético's 46. And this season, while Atlético enjoyed the better of it in La Liga with a win at the Bernabeu and a draw at the Vicente Calderón, Real won a two-legged Copa del Rey tie 5-0 on aggregate. Po' Atlético! Po Atlético's a-cold!
6.00pm BST
Forty-seven long years ago, give or take a day,
arguably
the most romantic European Cup final of all took place at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon. Jock Stein's up-and-coming Celtic fell a goal behind early doors to Helenio Herrera's all-conquering Internazionale, but then proceeded to take the game to the Italian champions with reckless, glorious abandon. They ended up thrashing Inter 2-1. A joyous pitch invasion took place. Several players found themselves stripped to their kex and socks. The presentation was held up for several minutes, forcing Uefa apparatchiks to nudge Celtic captain Billy 'Cesar' McNeill towards the podium in a car, a nice touch considering his monicker. (As one of the few Celtic players at the time to own his own vehicle, McNeill naturally found himself named after actor Cesar Romero, the getaway driver in the popular movie caper Ocean's 11.)
May 23, 2014
April 29, 2014
Football transfer rumours: Liverpool to sign Adam Lallana in £20m move?
Manager of the year Tony Pulis isn't standing still. He's going to take it up a notch at Crystal Palace next season, by purchasing European football's hottest striker, Connor Wickham. He's also going back to Stoke City for Steven N'Zonzi.
Continue reading...April 28, 2014
Arsenal v Newcastle United - as it happened | Scott Murray
An easy win for Arsenal, who edge closer to Champions League qualification for the 17th year running. Newcastle, meanwhile, were awful, much to the chagrin of their banner-wielding fans
9.53pm BST
A bit of space for Sissoko down the right. He loops a ball back to the edge of the D, where Dummett volleys wildly over. Which just about sums up Newcastle's night. They have been awful. At least their manager didn't plant the nut on anyone tonight, small mercies and all that. Poor old Toon. And poor old Everton, for Arsenal, who did what they had to do, are now one win away from the Champions League. Nighty night!
9.50pm BST
90 min +2: Que sera sera.
9.49pm BST
90 min +1: The home fans, calm about Champions League qualification now, turn their attention to FA Cup matters. They're going to Wembley, you know. Whatever will be will be.
9.48pm BST
90 min: There will be three added minutes of this. They will feel like three hours. "Is it too late to switch to one of those old World Cup MBMs?" wonders Zach Neeley. Of course not.
9.47pm BST
89 min: Armstrong comes on for Gouffran.
9.47pm BST
88 min: Monreal, of all folk, scampers after a looping pass down the left channel. Faced with a tight angle, his fierce cross-cum-shot is kicked away by Krul at the near post. Podolski sends a deflected follow-up over the bar. The corner comes to nothing.
9.45pm BST
86 min: Yanga-Mbiwa's first contribution is to trot behind Rosicky as the Arsenal midfielder attempts to latch onto a ball near Newcastle's left-hand post. Rosicky goes down, and claims a penalty, but he wasn't touched. Good old referee.
9.44pm BST
84 min: Newcastle swap Debuchy with Yanga-Mbiwa, while Arsenal switch Giroud and Sanogo.
9.43pm BST
83 min: You're all bored now, if the following flight of fancy is anything to go by. It's from Manchester City fan Jonathan Fanning, and the email's headed Liverpool 8, Newcastle United 0: "We beat Villa and Everton by one goal, Liverpool thump Palace 4-0. We have a six-goal advantage on the last day of the season and Liverpool are 4-0 up at half time while we lead West Ham by one. Quite the last 45 minutes I expect. We might have Toure, but we are still City."
9.40pm BST
81 min: An Arsenal corner down the right, and then an Arsenal corner down the left. Cazorla takes both, and neither comes to much.
9.36pm BST
78 min: Debuchy attempts to plant one into the top right from the best part of 30 yards. No.
9.34pm BST
76 min: Sagna is booked for slamming the ball down into the turf in an ostentatious fit of pique over naff all. A free kick down the Newcastle left that inevitably comes to nothing. What a pointless yellow card.
9.32pm BST
74 min: A double change for Arsenal. Ozil and Ramsey off, Rosicky and Flamini on.
9.30pm BST
70 min: Newcastle bring on Shola Ameobi for Gosling. "For a Pardew side, Newcastle seem to be lacking a little fight," zings Simon McMahon.
9.29pm BST
69 min: Ozil down the left again. Podolski meets the low cross with the side of his foot on the edge of the area. His effort shaves the outside of the left-hand post. He's claiming a deflection off Coloccini, and might just have a point. It doesn't really matter, though, for this is over. Newcastle have been, for the most part, abject. There's certainly going to be no 4-4 style comeback. "Don't say you weren't warned about how dire this is," writes Stevie Fistpump, who was bang on the money exactly one hour ago.
9.25pm BST
The Champions League feels so close for Arsenal now. This was as simple as it gets, too. Ramsey plays a reverse pass down the left for Ozil, who takes a touch - he's got all the time in the world - and whips a cross into the six-yard box, where Giroud rushes in to head powerfully home. The Newcastle fans immediately unfurl a couple of banners. "Next excuse, Pardew?" is one. "Pardew out!" is the other.
9.23pm BST
64 min: This match doesn't qualify as entertainment.
9.21pm BST
61 min: Ramsey slides a lovely ball through the middle of the Newcastle defence, releasing Giroud into the area. Krul gets there first, just, and the striker was probably offside anyway. "How about a mention of St. Totteringham's Day?" asks Eagle Valiant. "With an Arsenal win today, we're seven points above Spurs with two games left. I'm going to celebrate with rhubarb pie and a Coors! That's my real name, by the way, my parents got a bit caught up in the 60s." They'll not be happy with you happily assisting The Man by referencing brand names, then, will they.
9.17pm BST
57 min: Newcastle have been doing the square root of bugger all, but suddenly they break downfield. Remy, in the centre circle, sticks a leg into the air to brilliantly bring down a dropping ball, then flicks it down the right channel to send Gouffran clear on goal! It's a marvellous move, but unfortunately Gouffran Girouds a shot straight at Szczesny, who parries to safety. The visitors should be back in this game. What a chance. You get the feeling Newcastle won't get many more.
9.14pm BST
55 min: Arsenal win their tenth corner of the game, Sagna doing the business down the right. Newcastle have yet to get off the mark in that respect. The set piece drops to Koscielny, six yards out and just to the left of goal. His low hack is just about on target, but easily cleared.
9.12pm BST
54 min: Podolski goes on a charge down the inside left. He looks to slide in Cazorla to his right, but the pass isn't up to much, and Newcastle clear. The away side are getting pinned back here. "Apparently a Tube Strike is confirmed for 2100 tonight, but one line went on strike 35 minutes before that: Newcastles back line." Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Annette Fulcher, she's here all week, try the overland.
9.11pm BST
51 min: Ramsey goes on a determined meander down the left, and is sandwiched out of it by Tiote and Anita. Cazorla hits what is effectively a corner towards the far post, where Sagna awaits to head home. The ball doesn't reach him, Williamson eyebrowing out for a proper corner on the other side. This one results in Cazorla blootering a fairly dreadful volley miles over the bar for three rugby points.
9.06pm BST
48 min: A fairly quiet start to the second half, just like the first before it. Arsenal win a corner. It goes wrong. Nobody seems to mind much, either way.
9.05pm BST
And we're off again! Newcastle get the ball rolling, and for them, the only way is up. Unless they start shipping goals in dramatic fashion, and we're not ruling anything out. "Watching some of the defending offered up by Newcastle, I'm starting to think maybe Liverpool can claw back the goal difference after all," says Matt Dony, his voice barely audible over the desperate clutching of a large quantity of dried agricultural by-product.
8.52pm BST
Half-time advertisement: For the benefit of those who miss Rob Smyth.
8.49pm BST
Well that wasn't much to write home about, never mind fill an MBM report with. But Arsenal won't give a flying one. They're closing in on that Champions League spot. Newcastle are offering nothing.
8.48pm BST
45 min: Space for Cazorla in the Newcastle area to the right of goal. He fires a rising shot towards the top left. Krul does well to palm out for a corner, which comes to nothing. The keeper's the only Newcastle player to turn up. Ah, hold on, there's Tiote, who has just been booked for an earlier clip on Ramsey.
8.44pm BST
44 min: Poor old Everton.
8.43pm BST
What a farce this is! Giroud is sent clear down the inside right. He batters not one but two shots straight at Krul. Brilliant keeping, appalling finishing. Sadly for Newcastle, the ball breaks left to Ozil, who hammers home from close range. He looked offside when Giroud was doing his hapless thing, but Newcastle were ripped apart with such ease there that they'd have some chutzpah moaning too loudly about it.
8.42pm BST
41 min: Apologies, our system crashed there, taking both MBM tool and pictures from the Emirates with it. I'm aware of a Debuchy turn and shot down the right from 25 yards that wasn't far wide on 37 mins, and a low Ozil cross from the left that nobody met on 40. Nothing happened in between, I hope. Aliens didn't land, did they?
8.39pm BST
36 min: Szczesny has Arsenal hearts in mouths as he's nearly robbed by the onrushing Gouffran, but a fancy little sidestep gets the keeper out of trouble. "Judging by his general demeanour and behaviour at matches, it's pretty safe to assume Pardew regularly contributes below the line, as a fan Liverpool/United/City/Chelsea/Arsenal/Spurs (delete as applicable)," writes Chris Ross, new-media satirist.
8.35pm BST
34 min: Ramsey is booked for a late clip on Tiote. He can have no complaints.
8.34pm BST
33 min: Tiote shoots from 35 yards. It's a ridiculous thing to do, but he gives it a proper belt, in fairness, and the thing swerves all over the shop. Szczesny, in the middle of his goal, clasps a ball that would have gone in under the bar.
8.33pm BST
32 min: A free kick for Newcastle down the left. Gouffran floats it into the box. It's easily claimed by Szczesny, who has had bugger all to do. "So we are continually told that stability is important and managers do not get long enough," begins Colin Livingstone. "Tonight's match features the two longest serving in the Premier League, both of whom have had their peaks and have then gone on to fail miserably. Pardew has even regressed to teenage yob mode. Wenger retains rather more dignity, albeit his failure is considerably more abject." I appreciate the pain of a trophy drought as much as the next punter, but to be fair, they're in the FA Cup final and look like making the Champions League for the 17th time in a row. Are you disappointed that Wenger hasn't started throwing hands? Actually it might be quite entertaining if Wenger starts throwing hands.
8.31pm BST
30 min: Two corners later, with Newcastle pinned back and looking in a right state suddenly, Cazorla crosses from the right onto the head of Podolski, six yards out. The German powers a header straight at Krul, whose parry is nevertheless brilliant. Newcastle hack clear. They're hanging on right now. What a difference a goal makes, huh.
8.29pm BST
28 min: Arsenal are so close to going two up immediately. Ramsey lifts a ball down the left channel. Podolski races clear of a flat Newcastle back line - in fairness there's a suspicion of offside - and should score, with Krul having rashly raced out to the edge of his area. But the striker's attempt to chip home is deflected wide right by the keeper.
8.27pm BST
... Cazorla takes the free kick, 35 yards out, along the inside-left channel. It's straight into the area. Sissoko loses the flight of the ball in the air, and on the edge of the area, Koscielny ghosts in to poke home. Not a picturebook goal, but Arsenal, who have been quiet so far, don't care. Koscielny boots the ball into the crowd with glee, and is booked for his trouble. For goodness sake.
8.25pm BST
25 min: Sissoko is booked for a slight tug on the back of Giroud, who was chasing a long ball he was never going to get, and was offside to boot. A result for Arsenal, all in all. Especially as ...
8.23pm BST
22 min: A couple of crosses into the Arsenal area from this wing and that. Both easily cleared. Eventually a flag goes up, Remy offside. Arsenal's burst of energy didn't last long, did it.
8.21pm BST
20 min: Sissoko controls a high punt down the inside-left channel and bursts into a pocket of space, Arsenal having gone momentarily to sleep. Reaching the edge of the box, he opens his body and attempts to Yaya Toure a sidefooted curler into the top right. But it's high and wide. The first time the visitors have threatened, though it would have been a peach of a goal if it had gone in.
8.18pm BST
17 min: Arsenal have suddenly upped the pace a bit. Sagna tears into space down the right, and whips one in low. Coloccini, on his feet this time, heads behind for a corner. The ball's swung in and punched clear by Krul, who is clattered by Koscielny but doesn't get the foul. There could have been hell to pay as a result of that non-decision, for Ozil meets the dropping ball to the left of the D and sends a screamer across the face of goal and inches wide of the right-hand post. A really decent effort, that, though Newcastle will wonder why they didn't hear a whistle.
8.16pm BST
15 min: A burst of speed from Ramsey down the middle. He sends the ball foward to Giroud, who isn't so hot when it comes to the pace thing. Williamson and Debuchy are able to combine to put a stop to Arsenal's attack.
8.15pm BST
14 min: Gouffran enjoys a bit of space down the left, and attempts to slide a ball down the wing to release Remy. But Mertesacker steps in to block. This is not very good so far.
8.13pm BST
11 min: Cazorla fires a gorgeous ball along the right wing, springing Ozil into space. His low cross is blocked by the back of a sliding Coloccini. He should have done better, given that there were three Arsenal players in the area waiting to pounce, and one of Newcastle's centre backs was skittering across the turf on his arse, out of control.
8.11pm BST
9 min: It's all Arsenal in terms of possession, though they're not doing very much with it at the moment. This is a non-event so far. "You're not being provocative," writes Stevie Fistpump, who may or may not be some sort of cult film star. "I'll be happy to avoid a five-goal mullering. Newcastle has an appalling team, squad, manager and administration. It's amazing 50,000 plus people turn up to watch them on a fortnightly basis. If our only goal is to finish mid-table the least Pardew could do is play good football and he can't even do that."
8.07pm BST
6 min: The first corner of the match. Cazorla swings it in from the left. Krul punches fairly cleanly, the ball flying upfield, but he's been impeded and the referee's whistle goes. "Are you aware if Pardew ever peruses the BTL musings on GU footy blogs, theres no way hes doing Everton a favour tonight if hes read any of my considered critiques of him," writes Mark 'bornblue' Leadbeater. People actually peruse the BTL musings on GU footy blogs?
8.04pm BST
4 min: Yep, a quiet start. The home fans are currently being drowned out by a lusty rendition of the Blaydon Races. Gosling sends a hopeful long ball down the inside-left channe. Arsenal are all over the shop at the back, but both Remy and Dummett have gone far too early, and are offside. Ah me lads.
8.02pm BST
2 min: A quiet start. Arsenal stroke the ball around the back awhile, then a ball's whistled down the left channel by Podolski. But there's too much juice on the ball, and Monreal can't keep it in. "I'll say this for Pardew: he can't be pigeonholed," writes Allan Castle. "Upstart one year. Messiah the next. Pariah the year after. Will always be employed even if no one likes him. Sort of like the poor man's Mourinho, without trophies." Isn't that Brendan Rodgers?
8.00pm BST
And we're off! Arsenal get the ball rolling. By the way, Alan Pardew takes his place in the dugout for the first time in seven matches tonight, having completed his ban for wheeling around sticking the heed on folk willy nilly. He's had his run-ins with Arsene Wenger before, too, but the pair shook hands and embraced warmly before kick-off. Let's see how long that lasts if either side are four goals/men down after 15 minutes.
7.56pm BST
The teams are out! Arsenal are in their famous old red shirts with white sleeves, while Newcastle United have their world-renowned black-and-white stripes on. This is of course a re-run of the 1998 FA Cup final, which Arsenal won 2-0 with goals from Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka ...
7.19pm BST
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal,
Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Ozil, Podolski, Giroud.
Subs: Vermaelen, Rosicky, Flamini, Fabianski, Sanogo, Jenkinson,
Kallstrom.
Newcastle United: Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett,
Gosling, Anita, Tiote, Gouffran, Sissoko, Remy.
Subs: Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara, Elliot, Shola Ameobi, Obertan,
Steven Taylor, Armstrong.
7.00pm BST
It's difficult to know what to say about Newcastle United without sounding as though you're being deliberately provocative. They looked pretty good at times during the first half of the season, beating a determined Chelsea, triumphing at Manchester United for the first time in four decades, holding free-scoring Liverpool to a draw in a match they really should have won. But since the turn of the year, they've been nothing much short of appalling. Twelve defeats in the league, only four wins, a third-round exit in the FA Cup, and heavy losses to Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton, Southampton, Manchester United and, worst of all, Sunderland. They're currently five defeats on the bounce. It's the sort of form that's asking for relegation, in triplicate, with a follow-up phone call to make sure the application's arrived safely in the post. Just as well everything went OK in 2013, huh.
Arsenal, by contrast, will be feeling tickety-boo about themselves. It was only three weeks ago when Everton trounced them 3-0 at Goodison Park and forged ahead in the race for the final Champions League spot. But since then the mood has changed. Everton have stumbled, losing to Crystal Palace and Southampton, while Arsenal have belatedly found some form, beating West Ham and then Hull City. They're now a point ahead of Everton in fourth, with this game in hand, Aaron Ramsey back and on song, and the easiest of run-ins to follow. They're hot favourites to make it 17 Champions League qualifications in a row, an astonishing record they'll smell and almost be able to touch tonight if they see off Newcastle and put four points between themselves and their nearest challenger.
Continue reading...April 26, 2014
Manchester United v Norwich City as it happened | Scott Murray
A dream debut for interim manager Ryan Giggs, as United batter struggling Norwich on an evening of celebration at Old Trafford
7.21pm BST
The final act of the game sees Mata and Hernandez two on one. The former threads a ball through for the latter, who is clear on goal. It's surely a fifth, but Hernandez clunks a hopeless effort across Ruddy and wide left! Sunderland, Fulham and Cardiff will have something to say if Norwich eventually beat the drop by a single goal. Anyway, that's that, and a very contented-looking - but it's important to note neither smug nor gloating -Ryan Giggs walks off to a tumultuous reception. He returns the love from the Old Trafford faithful, and disappears into the tunnel. Final word to Peter Oh: "Kudos to Marie Meyer for claiming the matzo ball."
7.18pm BST
90 min: Olsson busies himself down the inside-left channel. He takes a shot. It balloons off a United leg, curling over de Gea and onto the crossbar! So nearly a consolation. And from the corner, United fail to deal, and the ball's at Johnson's feet, on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. But he leans back and blasts over. That just about sums up their day.
7.16pm BST
88 min: Snodgrass bustles in from the left and curls one towards the top right. A decent effort, but just a wee bit too high. It's not Norwich City's day. It doesn't look like being Norwich City's season. Can they get a point or two- maybe even three or four, Sunderland style - against Chelsea and Arsenal? Their second-half display says no, the first-half one says... hey, there's always hope.
7.14pm BST
87 min: United are stroking it around the middle as the fans run through their songbook. It's a celebratory atmosphere in Old Trafford, though in fairness it's been that pretty much since kick-off. Here's Mark Jelbert: "With apologies to Marie Meyer - Michael Laudrup-a-soup?"
7.12pm BST
85 min: Johnson drops a shoulder, cuts in from the left, and sends a swerver towards the top corner. De Gea tips round the post. Fine football all round. Up until the corner, that is, which is a write-off. "That was good 5-a-side team earlier," writes Bless Poppet. "The man to lead them: Minestrone Pulis."
7.10pm BST
82 min: Rooney, from the right of the Norwich D, tries to float a chip into the top left. He's a few millimetres away from managing it. A spectacular attempt. United may only be up against a struggling Norwich City side here, but ask any of their fans, and they'll tell you that they're on the way back.
7.09pm BST
80 min: Tettey comes on for Fer. Meanwhile Stephen Gosling would like to move things on to soup teams, which is probably just as well. His offerings? "Black Bean Rovers and Bayern Müshroom." The deployment of an umlaut, like a light sprinkling of croutons, makes that last one.
7.07pm BST
79 min: Elmander is this close to scoring a consolation for Norwich City. He nicks the ball off a snoozing Rooney, dances right to left across the front of the United box at speed, and lashes a low shot towards the bottom left. It's an inch or so away from going in, with de Gea totally flat-footed. Magnificently determined work, and so unfortunate.
7.04pm BST
76 min: This is damage limitation now. Valencia hares down the right and looks for the bottom corner from 20 yards. Ruddy claims at the second attempt. There is a party atmosphere in Old Trafford. "Since we are at Old Trafford, and since I desperately want to record my first MBM hat-trick," writes Marie Meyer, "I offer you: split Chicarito." Neither Rooney nor Mata are getting the match ball, whatever they do now. It's all yours.
7.02pm BST
75 min: Young sashays into the centre from the left, and nearly sends a swerving heatseeker into the top right. It flies the wrong side of the post, but only just.
7.01pm BST
Evra reaches the byline down the left. He crosses deep. Valencia returns it into the centre, where Mata heads home from a couple of yards. Hernandez was lurking like the predator he is, but was beaten to it this time. Ryan Giggs, eh?
6.59pm BST
71 min: Hernandez comes on for Cleverley. "I can't be bothered to do an XI," writes Mac Millings, "but here's my five-a-side team:
Jaap Clam Chowder
Bisque Fabregas
Kevin Brockoli and Cheddar
Mike Milligatawny
Cream of Tomatony Cascarino
6.58pm BST
70 min: Rooney looks like scoring every time he scampers down this inside-left channel. For the 983rd time today, he goes for a curler into the right-hand side of the net. He doesn't connect properly, but Mata helps it on and so nearly foxes Ruddy, who readjusts and gathers well.
6.56pm BST
69 min: Hooper comes on for Redmond. It is pelting down at Old Trafford, adding to that classic Manchester vibe.
6.54pm BST
66 min: Johnson drags a low shot wide right from 25 yards. A few seconds earlier, Vidic pressed his face into Snodgrass's coupon as the pair tangled. There wasn't much in that by 1970s standards, or indeed pub car park standards, but that could easily have been a red card for Vidic. Snodgrass certainly wants that outcome, but then the referee went easy on Whittaker for the penalty - he was technically the last man, after all - so everyone's all square there. And it's better this way, no?
6.52pm BST
64 min: Young comes on for Kagawa.
6.51pm BST
Giggs in!!! Rooney goes for the hat-trick with a curler into the top right. Ruddy palms out to the right wing. Valencia picks up the ball and pulls it back for Jones, who whips it into the area where Mata skelps it into the right-hand side of the net! What a substitution, huh?
6.48pm BST
61 min: Mata's first contribution is to lose the ball on the edge of his own area. Nothing comes of it, but come on! Giggs out!
6.47pm BST
60 min: Welbeck is replaced by Mata. Meanwhile I'm not sure whether Mark Appelby's soup serving of "Sami Hyppia 'n' Ham?" represents a new nadir or unassailable achievement.
6.46pm BST
58 min: Howson is checked by Evra, just to the right of the area. Snodgrass whips a free kick straight at de Gea, who punches clear. The ball's sent fizzing back in from the right wing, but caught cleanly by the keeper this time. He's a world-class operator, David de Gea.
6.44pm BST
57 min: A free kick for Norwich down the right. Snodgrass sends an inswinger towards the near post. Howson attempts to flick a header on, but it's straight at de Gea. Another chance for Howson soon after, Ferdinand gifting the Norwich midfielder possession. He should shoot, but attempts a daft backflick in the hope of releasing Elmander into the box. There goes that chance!
6.43pm BST
56 min: The appalling van Wolfswinkel is replaced by Elmander.
6.42pm BST
55 min: Rooney attempts a carbon copy of his second goal. Not enough pace, and Ruddy smothers. Rooney doesn't fall over this time, mind, so it's swings and roundabouts.
6.41pm BST
54 min: This is all United. All old-school United. Evra cuts a ball back from the left. Welbeck chests down and blasts goalwards. Ruddy does ruddy well to palm the ball away. Corner. Rooney sends it to the far post. Vidic inexplicably heads over from a couple of yards. Norwich are looking a bit desperate now. Speaking of which... "Alan Mullerygatawney?" writes Patrick Cullen, scraping the bottom of the tureen.
6.39pm BST
52 min: Jones has the ball at his feet on the right-hand edge of the Norwich box. His weak shot is blocked. Norwich flood up the other end. Or, rather, Snodgrass embarks on one of his solo sorties. He reaches the byline to the right of the United goal, and pulls a dangerous ball back into the centre, but he's got no support, and the home side sweep up easily.
6.38pm BST
51 min: Welbeck zips down the inside-left channel and enters the box. He's got Kagawa outside him, screaming for a pass that would surely end in a goal. But Welbeck hesitates and the chance is gone. Poor play from Welbeck there. "Ramen Abramovich, also," adds Marie Meyer, who is on a roll, as it were, with this soup thing.
6.36pm BST
Rooney cuts in from the left. He takes a couple of touches, afforded far too much space. As he reaches the D, he whips a low effort into the bottom right, off the post and in. He slipped as he took the shot, but no matter. What a fine goal. No defenders in the way, mind you. And no Juan Mata cluttering up the joint, come to that. Norwich have it all to do now. You suspect this is over now.
6.34pm BST
47 min: Rooney, to the left of the D, curls a ball towards the far post. It's easily cleared by Martin, though Welbeck was lurking with intent.
6.33pm BST
And we're off again! Giggs seems relaxed enough, stopping to sign a few autographs as he saunters casually back to his now-well-worn spot in the dugout. His all-conquering United side get the ball rolling again. "Anyone for Gazza-pacho?" asks Kartik Raj, while Marie Meyer is rather deliciously offering us some "Mock Skrtel".
6.20pm BST
Half-time advertisement: World Cup MBMs, anyone? An extract, for your perusal, here.
6.17pm BST
"Ooh aah Cantona," trill the home crowd as the half-time whistle is blown. Another hat thrown into the managerial ring? You'd pay good money to see it, wouldn't you? Anyway, both teams troop off, neither looking particularly happy with their lot, if we're being honest about it. But United have the lead.
6.15pm BST
45 min: Redmond hoicks a long ball into the United area, taking a free kick from a deep position down the left. De Gea, United's star player this season without question, punches clear with confidence. "Alex Oxtail-Chamberlain?" interjects Matthew Jones. "I'll be here all week." I fear our readers won't.
6.14pm BST
43 min: That was such a scrappy goal from Norwich's point of view. Jones's pass inside from the right bobbled past Martin and Turner, both confused by a slight deflection off Cleverley, before landing at the feet of Welbeck at a speed of nearly 1mph. They'll be very upset not to have reached half-time without conceding, after all that effort.
6.12pm BST
Rooney pops it home, easy as you like, into the bottom right. That's the first goal of the Giggs regime, which may last four matches or 40 years, nobody knows yet.
6.12pm BST
40 min: PENALTY TO UNITED! A bouncing ball from Jones, right to left, is allowed to make its way through the Norwich area. Nobody deals with it. Eventually it lands at the feet of Welbeck, six yards out. He swings to connect, but is brushed by Whittaker. That's a spot kick. A scrappy one, but a spot kick nonetheless.
6.10pm BST
39 min: Kagawa corkscrews his leg at the left-hand post to nearly guide in a deep Valencia cross. Not quite. But the pressure is building.
6.09pm BST
37 min: Rooney lifts a ball into the area from the left. It should drop to Kagawa, ten yards out, but somehow the midfielder loses the ball in the spring sun and Martin is able to hack clear. "Jose Baxter (Sheffield United) needs a mention regarding soup footballers," suggests James Norton (Fochabers).
6.06pm BST
34 min: Snodgrass robs Evra down the right. With United having pressed forward, they're light at the back, and in midfield to boot, but Norwich aren't committing players to the counter. A decent chance to cause the home side some trouble is eventually snuffed out.
6.02pm BST
31 min: Ah, here's the point, sort of. Carrick loses possession with a loose pass in the centre circle, under extreme pressure from Howson. Van Wolfswinkel has only two United players in front of him, but there's half a pitch to cover, so he doesn't bother trying to beat either of them. He pauses until a little help comes, then fails to find either of the runners flanking him. A player without much confidence, doing his thing, right there.
5.59pm BST
29 min: Howson comes straight through the back of Carrick in the centre circle. What was the point of that? He can't complain about the yellow card that's waved in his face.
5.58pm BST
26 min: This is a bit better from the away side, as Snodgrass ploughs a path down the inside left before playing a reverse pass back up the wing for Redmond, who wangs a cross behind the goal on the right. Not great, but better. "Here in south east Asia a favoured soup is pronounced 'fer' (commonly spelt 'pho')," writes noted linguist Simon Nazer. "Any other soup related footballers? No, thought not." Frazier Campbell? Gabriel Heinz
e
? No, you were right first time.
5.55pm BST
25 min: It's beginning to look like a backs-to-the-wall affair, though. Valencia loops a cross into the Norwich box from the right. Rooney tries to connect with a volley at the far post. He can't get a clean strike away.
5.54pm BST
23 min: Evra tears down the left and pulls a ball back for Kagawa. The midfielder's got time and space in the left-hand side of the box, but hesitates and can't get a shot away, Martin able to sweep across and bundle the ball out of play for a corner that's wasted. Neil Adams - Norwich have a youthful manager of their own, let's not forget - will be reasonably happy with the way his team have started this match. What he'd give for a precious point tonight.
5.52pm BST
22 min: United are triangulating a lot. Very many pretty passes. Rooney is heavily involved. But they can't break through the yellow line across the front of the Norwich box. All very Moyesian.
5.50pm BST
19 min: Welbeck attempts a slick one-two with Kagawa down the left, and nearly breaks clear into the area, but Martin steps in smartly to snuff out the move. The ball's shuttled up to Fer, who has an option either side as he enters the centre circle, but runs into trouble, any hope of a Norwich break gone. It's got a nice open feel, this game, even if nothing's quite coming off for either team yet.
5.47pm BST
16 min: Norwich blooter a long free kick into the United area. Whittaker twists and turns down the right, with a view to getting a cross in, but Evra is having none of it. Still, the visitors appear to have decided that they may as well go down swinging, as opposed to parking the bus. Meanwhile readers of this afternoon's earlier MBM, for the match between Southampton and Everton, will be distressed to learn that Ian Copestake wishes to continue the highly unpopular architecture theme which was contained within. "There's life in this riff yet," contends our riff revivalist. "In architectural terms, Old Trafford will tonight be an Indian mandapa, a pillared outdoor hall for public rituals (though hopefully not sacrifices). Fitting now that the mascaron of Moyes is no more."
5.45pm BST
14 min: Ruddy's had something to do now. Norwich fail to deal with a deep Kagawa cross from the left, and the ball breaks to Welbeck, 12 yards out, just to the right of goal. The striker lashes hard towards the top right, and the keeper's up to it, turning the ball round the post. The resulting corner wasn't great, but Rooney gets a chance to work something in from the right. Red shirts are lurking, but Turner does well to hoof clear on the edge of his own six-yard box, facing his own goal.
5.43pm BST
12 min: That's given Norwich a wee bit of confidence on the ball, and the fast United start has slowed down a bit. United still enjoying the bigger share of possession - 60/40 so far - but Ruddy's had nothing to do yet.
5.41pm BST
9 min: Norwich have the ball in the net! But it won't count. Snodgrass zips past Kagawa down the right, and wallops a fine swerving cross to the far post. Van Wolfswinkel wins a header against Jones, knocking the ball back to the right-hand post, where de Gea fumbles. Howson lashes into the goal from a couple of yards. But van Wolfswinkel nudged Jones in the back just before he made his contribution to the move, and the strike is rightly ruled out.
5.38pm BST
7 min: Giggs saunters down to the technical area for the first time in his fledgeling career. Off goes what's left of the roof, followed by Giggs tearing them apart again, again.
5.37pm BST
6 min: If you can't be bothered with the words - and I'm making no grand claims - then at least Tom Jenkins is at the match with his camera. And this ever-unfolding gallery is the result.
5.35pm BST
4 min: A chance for Rooney to shoot on the edge of the D. He hesitates, allowing Whittaker to block the eventual effort. But Valencia wins a corner down the right. The set piece isn't very good. Important for Norwich that they stay firm during this opening salvo. United look determined.
5.33pm BST
3 min: United haven't quite got going yet in terms of stringing passes together. Valencia runs down the right to little effect. Then Cleverley tries to find Welbeck down the middle, but no dice. However, it's clear that the team are attempting to play at their old high tempo, something that's been lacking of late.
5.32pm BST
And we're off! Norwich City get the ball rolling, and they're kicking towards the Stretford End. They'll need plenty of WONDERFUEL GAS - as boldly advertised on the famous stand in 1989, when they last won here - in the tank if they're to get something here tonight. "Attack! Attack! Attack, attack, attack!" holler the crowd, before breaking into that Joy Division riff about the new boss tearing things apart. To mix the classic rock references: same as the old boss? Not as far as this lot in Old Trafford are concerned!
5.29pm BST
The teams are out! They take to the pitch with trumpets pompously piercing the air. They're thankfully drowned out when Giggs emerges from the tunnel. Off goes that roof! He spins through 360 degrees as he faces the Stretford End first, then applauds the entire stadium. A huge smile plays across his face. Club mascot Fred the Red spoils a genuinely warm and poignant moment by intervening and throwing a furry arm around Giggs's back. To the interim manager's great credit, he doesn't knock the mascot's neep off with a swingeing haymaker, but simply grins a little bit more. What an atmosphere! Pity poor Norwich City. Pity poor David Moyes, actually. A penny for his thoughts right now. Like he'll be watching this.
5.09pm BST
Ryan Giggs, wearing a sharp club whistle, speaks: "The preparation's been good, and I just want to go out and enjoy it now. It's been surreal. Leaving players out has been the hardest part. To be honest I could have picked two teams. But that's why I'm in a job, I have to do it. Danny Welbeck scored at Norwich earlier this season, while Shinji Kagawa scored a hat-trick against them last season. That was in my thinking. Marouane Fellaini's unfortunate not to make the bench but he'll be involved in the coming weeks. I'd like to put my stamp on things, whether or not it's just for four games."
4.44pm BST
Manchester United, who will be playing in their famous red, white and black clobber, drop Juan Mata to the bench, while Marouane Fellaini is left out altogether. That's £64m worth of David Moyes signings, and quite the statement by Ryan Giggs: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Cleverley, Kagawa, Rooney, Welbeck.
Subs: Mata, Smalling, Lindegaard, Hernandez, Nani, Young, Fletcher.
4.30pm BST
At around 5.25pm tonight, simply by poking out his head from the Old Trafford tunnel, Ryan Giggs will bring the feelgood factor instantly flooding back to Manchester United. The roof will probably have come off the grand old stadium by the time he's sauntered down the touchline and taken up his new position in the dugout. His new position being Sir Alex Ferguson's old seat. Norwich City, sacrificial lambs, are expected to be slaughtered in a cathartic display of old-school brilliance, as under their new interim manager, United rediscover the United Way after the claggy failure of the David Moyes project. But even if United fail to click first time under Giggs, that's not really the point. This is the first symbolic step on the long walk back to happiness for the reigning champions. Old Trafford will be brimming with contentment tonight, whatever the outcome.
Norwich's chances of pooping the party are slim, mind you. They've got the worst away record in the division - a mere eight points have been pecked up by the Canaries on the road - and they're currently on a four-game losing streak that looks like sending them back to the second tier. Four is highly likely to become five: Norwich have lost 4-0 on their last two visits to Old Trafford, last year in the league, and this season in the League Cup. They haven't won at United since Gary Pallister made his debut for the home team back in August 1989 and gave away a penalty which Robert Fleck gleefully converted to seal a 2-0 win for an on-the-ball City. A lot of water passed under the bridge since then.
Continue reading...Southampton v Everton as it happened | Scott Murray
Everton's Champions League hopes took a bitter - and thoroughly self-inflicted - blow at St Mary's
2.37pm BST
Ward-Prowse hits a screamer from the edge of the area. Howard parries. And that's that for this match. That's probably that for Everton's hopes of Champions League football next season, unless Newcastle can do them a turn at Arsenal on Monday night. A deserved win for the Saints, although Everton will travel home wondering about that offside decision at the start of the second half, goals changing matches as they do. But you can't afford to gift the opposition with two own goals at the best of times, never mind at the business end of the season. The situation certainly is clearer, then, with Arsenal very much liking the look of what they see. And what they see is this ...
2.33pm BST
90 min: There will be three added minutes. Everton may as well use them praying to the football gods for Newcastle United to rediscover their mojo.
2.32pm BST
89 min: Reed elegantly skips over a clumpish slide tackle from the lumbering Alcaraz, but runs the ball out of play down the right with options in the middle. A shame for the young player, but that was a tasty burst of speed and skill nevertheless. Davis is replaced by Guly.
2.31pm BST
88 min: An Everton head finally drops. It belongs to Baines, who takes down a raking crossfield pass on the left wing with effortless ease. Wonderful control. But with the box loaded, he's correctly flagged offside.
2.29pm BST
86 min: The perpetually excellent Lallana is replaced by Reed. "I'd love to buttress this architectural riff that has me beaming," writes Grant Tennille, "but haven't a clue as to how, despite the blueprint you've provided."
2.28pm BST
85 min: David Moyes must be wondering why Everton didn't play like this last weekend. They've been poor today. When your luck's out, it's out. Po' David! Po' David's a-cold!
2.26pm BST
82 min: Lovren gets in a tangle with McCarthy down the Everton right. Both players fall over in the area, and the away side scream for a penalty that might kick-start a dramatic late salvage operation. But there's no foul there, just a couple of clumsy buggers faffing around. The referee gets this one right, much to Everton's chagrin.
2.24pm BST
81 min: Olé! Olé! Olé! Saints are playing keepball down the left. They're going nowhere, but then that's not really the point.
2.22pm BST
78 min: Everton haven't given up. First Naismith battles down the left only to stumble over a couple of red-shirted challenges, then Baines sends a low fizzing cross into the box from the left, forcing Cork to slash behind for a corner. Nothing comes from the set piece. The clock's against Everton now, but heads are yet to drop.
2.20pm BST
76 min: Gallagher's race is run. Ward-Prowse comes on in his stead.
2.18pm BST
74 min: Baines is this close to replicating Paul Konchesky's goal for West Ham United in the 2006 FA Cup final, his cross catching on the wind and fooling a flat-footed Boruc. But the ball doesn't find the top right, instead sailing out of play, an inch or so wide of the target. Nothing's happening for Everton today. They've been poor on the whole, and Saints deserve to be winning, too, but nothing's gone for the visitors today.
2.15pm BST
72 min: Lallana is sent skittering into the Everton area down the right, chasing a lovely dinked Davis pass. He attempts to cross, but the ball clanks into the armpit of Stones. Saints appeal for a penalty, but the defender was so close to Lallana, it's never going to be given.
2.14pm BST
70 min: Saints have calmed things down a wee bit. A free kick won down the left. Davis's delivery isn't up to much, but the wind's out of Everton's sails right now, and that's enough.
2.12pm BST
67 min: Head tennis in the Saints area, but the ball's eventually cleared. Everton are beginning to press the home side back, though to little effect so far. "It's a shame there are no takers for the architecture riff as it has a rich vocabularly that could find a good housing in football," suggests Ian Copestake. "Everton are certainly making a bit of a gambrel of this match." Yes. So close to the Champions League, and they appear to have stuccoed their porticoes.
2.07pm BST
64 min: But if it's not your day, it's not your day. McGeady twinkles down the left, reaches the byline, and stands one up in the middle. Lukaku meets the cross with a belting header from six yards, but it goes straight at Boruc. An inch either side and the keeper wouldn't have been able to react to that, such was the speed the ball was travelling. But Everton's luck is out, and it flashes straight down the keeper's throat. Lukaku holds his head, a perfect picture of angst and despair.
2.06pm BST
62 min: Everton triangulate down the inside-left channel. Some pretty stuff. Naismith slides a pass into the area for Osman, who is booked for clipping Lovren's leg and going down. He was certainly playing for it, but Lovren had dived in, and how many times have teams been awarded spot kicks for that? Everton are incensed. Again. They've certainly been given nothing for free by this referee since the restart.
2.03pm BST
60 min: Barry clumsily takes down Lallana as the Saints midfielder prepares to enter the Everton area. He's a lucky boy not to be given a second yellow, but then Everton really didn't deserve that preposterous offside decision just after the restart, so they're owed something. Lambert sidefoots a strong shot towards the bottom right. It shaves the outside of the post. Everton's Champions League challenge really is hanging by a thread here.
2.02pm BST
58 min: Deulofeu is replaced by McGeady.
2.01pm BST
57 min: Lallana sprays a pass deep into the stand. The away support cheer, having had very little else to shout about today. That early second-half energy already seems to have gone.
1.59pm BST
54 min: A free kick for Everton down the left. Deulofeu curls it into the Saints area from deep. It's cleared, but poorly, allowing Naismith to meet a dropping ball on the edge of the area. His shot isn't great, but deflected out for a corner on the left. The set piece results in a fairly aimless lump forward down the right by Coleman, who will be desperate to make up for his earlier error. That's no good, though. "You say Coleman was slightly unsighted (31 min), which makes me wonder erroneously whether his head was seated behind a pillar at Goodison," writes Ian Copestake who, along with Gary Naylor and your MBM hack, is one of only three people in the entire world interested in thrashing as much as they can from this lame architecture riff.
1.55pm BST
51 min: The distinctly unimpressive Alcaraz concedes a corner down the right, the inexperienced Gallagher all over him. The set piece comes to nothing, but this really isn't a good sign. "The only real black mark for Martinez in his first year is that the players he has bought, other than McCarthy, are disastrous," opines Colin Livingstone. "Alcaraz is a horrible football player and Kone is worse. Apparently Cleverley next. Doesn't bode well."
1.53pm BST
49 min: Everton look a yard sharper since the restart, which admittedly is not difficult given their lumpen first-half display. The final pass missing so far, though. Here's Charles Antaki,reminding Everton fans of better times: "One remarkable aspect of the Sandy Brown video (31 min) - apart from the obvious one - is that although he was 30 years old at the time, he looks at least 50, perhaps 60. Yet he was fit enough to score a beautiful diving header, and be part of a league winning team that year! No current 30-year old professional footballer looks like that now. Even Samuel Etoo looks about 25."
1.51pm BST
47 min: A poor clearing header by Fonte is picked up in the centre circle by Naismith, who immediately slides a pass forward for Lukaku. The striker has a yard on Shaw, who has been caught upfield, and tears clear down the inside-right channel towards the box. But the linesman's flag goes up. Really not sure about that one at all. Everton are livid, and might just have a point. Shaw was all over the place there, miles out of position, and appears to have got away with one.
1.47pm BST
And we're off again! Everton make a change, the ineffectual Barkley replaced by Leon Osman. They really need to get something going immediately, if not sooner. Even a draw doesn't do them many favours, with Arsenal surely destined for three points on Monday night when former competitive professional sport concern Newcastle United visit the Emirates. They'll have to turn over a Saints team playing here with supreme confidence, and a support matching their heroes step for step. According to Sara Williams, they've been belting out the following number: "Who needs Jay Rodriguez? We've got your back four"!
1.37pm BST
Half-time snack: These are freshly made this morning, genuine pre-match photos from our snapper down on the south coast. He was bored, wasn't he?
1.33pm BST
And that's that, the end of a living-nightmare 45 minutes for Champions League chasing Everton. Roberto Martinez stomps down the tunnel with furrowed brow. A big ten minutes coming up for the manager, if Everton are to save their dreams.
1.32pm BST
45 min: Barry stands on the ball in the centre circle. Gallacher looks to make off with the ball and zip towards the Everton goal with extreme prejudice. Barry wrestles him to the ground, and is booked for his trouble. Everton need the half-time whistle, their heads are totally muddled. This is as bad as they've played all season, if not worse. And yes, that does include the Merseyside derby at Anfield. How they could do with the electric running of Kevin Mirallas, who was superb that evening, right now.
1.29pm BST
42 min: A lot of huffing and puffing from Everton, but not much else.
1.27pm BST
39 min: Lallana makes space for himself in the left-hand side of the Everton area. He pitching-wedges a cross towards the centre, but the ball hits the left hand of Stones, whose arm is certainly sticking out needlessly. The referee considers it accidental. Saints aren't happy, as you'll have certainly seen penalties given for that. Probably a fair decision on balance, just, with Stones at close range to Lallana, though it wouldn't have been the most egregious penalty award had it been given. Everton's defenders appear to be queuing up to jigger their Champions League bid. "Irish Cafu in Toffee snafu," opines Niall Mullen, accordingly.
1.24pm BST
37 min: A couple of corners for Everton down the right. Nowt happening. Then Deulofeu, who has switched wings, drops a shoulder past Davis down the right and curls one into the centre, where Lukaku heads over from close range. How Everton need something to happen, and quickly.
1.22pm BST
35 min: Thing is, just before the second Southampton/Everton goal, replays of the Baines free kick (29 min) were being played. And the reason Barry mistimed his attack on the ball? Cork had a handful of his shirt. On the Amazing Guardian Skrtel-o-meter, it registered a full 10 out of 10. It'd have been a soft one to concede, but rules are rules. Everton won't be happy with that.
1.20pm BST
34 min: Everton are in shock. From a corner on the left, Lallana flashes a cross into the area. Lovren meets the ball with his nut, but his effort is straight at Howard. How the keeper must wish Alcaraz and Coleman were similarly accurate.
1.19pm BST
Everton are the architects of their own downfall yet again. Clyne tears down the right, and loops a cross into the centre. There's no danger, but a slightly unsighted Coleman, in the middle, six yards out, cushions a header into the bottom right, catching Howard totally flat footed. This is farcical. Sandy Brown had nothing on this.
1.16pm BST
29 min: Deulofeu busies himself down the left and buys a free kick from Clyne, who sticks out a lazy leg. Free kick, in a dangerous position. Baines takes, whipping the ball down the corridor of uncertainty. Barry, level with the left-hand post, makes a run with a view to heading goalwards from six yards out, but mistimes and doesn't connect. Saints clear. That delivery deserved better. "Surely if theres too much juice on the ball (24 min) it would splash into the sea of punters?" wonders Phil James, who might just have too much time on his hands, but nevertheless is making good points, and making them well.
1.12pm BST
26 min: Alcaraz plays a lame ball out of defence. Lambert latches onto it and plays an immediate ball down the left-hand channel for Lallana, who would have been clear on goal if he hand't let the pass run under his studs. He still manages to win a corner, but nothing comes of it. A real chance to put some distance between the two teams spurned. Everton need to wake from their slumber, and quickly, because the Champions League seems an awful long way away right now.
1.10pm BST
24 min: It's not really happening for Everton at the moment. They look very shaky and nervous. Clyne makes good down the right and is upended by a clumsy challenge from Barry. An excuse for Lallana to attempt to ping a crossfield pass to Lambert at the left-hand post, but there's too much juice on the ball and it whistles into the sea of punters behind the goal.
1.08pm BST
22 min: Lambert reenacts his run of the opening minute, gliding down the left and taking his time before caressing a pulled-back pass to the edge of the area, where Davis is rushing in. Davis meets the ball first time, opening his body and sidefooting an effort towards the top right. It flies past the post, but not by much. That would have been a very pretty goal indeed. You could have drawn a picture of it, with a view to publishing it in a book.
1.06pm BST
20 min: As a very open game continues - Davis now has a hammer from distance, but it's blocked by Stones - Naismith has thankfully recovered. After two minutes worth of treatment, 30 seconds of grimacing, and another 30 seconds of hopping around on the touchline impatiently, he's back on.
1.04pm BST
17 min: Naismith collides with Lovren down the right, competing for a bouncing ball. Knee collides with knee, and the Everton player is down, off the pitch, clutching his leg and looking in serious pain, face down on the turf, not moving an inch. Never a good sign. The game goes on with Naismith stricken, Cork looping a shot from 20 yards straight down the throat of Howard.
1.01pm BST
15 min: Deulofeu makes a bit of space for himself and lashes a shot towards the bottom left from a fair distance out on the wing. Boruc is behind it all the way. "Perhaps Mr. Leitch intended the supports to have tv screens attached to them so fans in a restricted view behind them could see the game and be at the game all at the same time," suggests
Simon Inglis
Ian Copestake.
1.00pm BST
14 min: Lallana makes an effort to break into the Everton box down the right, but falls over under pressure from Baines. Or, in short, a lull.
12.58pm BST
11 min: Good work from Naismith, who attaches himself to a reverse pass from Coleman down the right, turns on a sixpence in the area, and reaches the byline. A dangerous looking low cross is bundled out of play by Shaw. The corner again isn't great, overcomplicated and ineffective, but Everton are beginning to dominate possession, perhaps having finally cleared their heads after that nonsense of an opening minute.
12.55pm BST
10 min: They've just been showing a rerun of the Alcaraz folly. Impressive instant despair from the defender as he realised what he'd just done. Falling to the floor, he pressed his face fully into the turf and started beating the grass with both palms. Not sure whether it betters Kolo Toure's reaction to that backpass at West Brom, when the Liverpool defender impotently chased after his errant pass with head already in hands, but it's an evocative image nonetheless.
12.52pm BST
7 min: The first corner of the match, to Everton, down the left. Here's hoping the set pieces improve this afternoon, eh, let's just leave it at that.
12.51pm BST
5 min: Gallacher twists and turns down the left, enters the area, and hammers a low cross into the back of the sliding Stones. The striker appeals for hand ball, but the referee isn't so green as he's cabbage looking, and is having none of it. "That Archibald Leitch did make some beautiful grounds, atmospheric too," writes Goodison regular Gary Naylor. "It's just that it's hard to see from so many seats - which is a pretty significant design flaw really." Leitch was probably pre-empting the Walter Smith era, in fairness.
12.50pm BST
3 min: Everton respond well to that ludicrous early blow. Coleman, who cost 50p and is worth about £50m - poor old David Moyes should take a bow - tears down the right and whips a cross into the middle. Lukaku, 12 yards out, lashes a first-time shot miles over the bar. A promising move.
12.48pm BST
Oh dear. Lambert takes a couple of strides down the left, then curls a ball into the centre, in the vague direction of Gallagher. The cross doesn't reach the young striker, because Alcaraz sends a Keith Houchenesque diving header into the left-hand side of the net! What a calamity for a player who's only starting today because of Everton's injury troubles at the back.
12.46pm BST
And we're off! Saints get into a huddle. Happily for the home support, they're out of it again and in position when Everton get the ball rolling, in front of England boss Mr Roy, to boot. They immediately make forward with signal purpose, then lose the ball within four seconds. Mixed messages there.
12.42pm BST
The teams are out! Southampton are dressed in their trademark stripes, if you just count the socks. The shirts are effectively made up of one big red stripe, traditionalists might want to look at it that way. Everton meanwhile are in their famous blue shirts and white breeks. It's a strong look all round, and with Southampton's predominantly red clobber, one that's reminiscent of the 1986/87 season, when Everton became champions of England and the likes of Glenn Cockerill and Paul Power roamed the earth. Anyway, lines are formed, hands are shaken, and we'll be off in a minute or two!
12.13pm BST
The 18-year-old Sam Gallagher makes his second Premier League start for Southampton, with Jack Cork replacing the injured Morgan Schneiderlin: Boruc, Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw, Cork, Wanyama, S Davis, Gallagher, Lallana, Lambert. Subs: Ward-Prowse, Do Prado, Chambers, Gazzaniga, Hooiveld, Targett, Reed.
Everton bring in Antolin Alcaraz and Gerard Delofeu for the injured Sylvain Distin and Kevin Mirallas: Howard, Coleman, Stones, Alcaraz, Baines, McCarthy, Barry, Naismith, Barkley, Deulofeu, Lukaku.
Subs: Robles, Hibbert, McGeady, Osman, Garbutt, Browning, Ledson.
11.45am BST
First things first. Never mind what Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City get up to in the title race tomorrow. And set aside for a moment the travails of Sunderland, Fulham, Cardiff and Norwich in the frantic struggle for survival. It might be a huge and potentially decisive weekend at both extremities of the Premier League table, but the race for fourth is the first item on the agenda. And this match is huge. Admittedly there's not much riding on it for Southampton, who have been freewheeling ever since they decided not to enter the FA Cup this season, losing six of their last ten competitive fixtures. But it means the world to visitors Everton, who have their beady eyes on the prize of a place in next season's Champions League. If the Toffees come unstuck at St Mary's today, you'd expect the jig to be up, with fourth-placed Arsenal, those hardy European perennials, already in the box seat and blessed with an easy run-in. However, another win for Roberto Martinez's excellent side - it'd be their eighth in nine - and their hopes would still be very much alive. A lot will be clearer come 2.30pm or so. It's on! For Everton, at any rate. Whatever happens here, Southampton will be in eighth.
Kick off: 12.45pm.
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