TOUR EVENT
Goalkeeper competition - a subtle thing, almost metaphysical. Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson spoke on this subject Saturday night - he scored a goal to England teammate Ben Foster. The Spurs goalkeeper drew a damped oscillation curve over the White Hart Lane field, the amplitude of the second turn of which was unattainable for the goalkeeper of the guests. Foster did not feel the physics of the process and missed the most ridiculous goal of the Premier League season. “That's why you are number one,” the tribunes chanted to Robinson. “Today, the current first number of the team played against the future first number,” - Watford coach Adrian Butroyd reconciled everyone out of kindness. England can be calm - the best traditions of Seaman and James will not be forgotten.
HERO TOUR
One of the exclusive joys of coaching is seeing one day how your team, no matter what, struggles for you. And although Stuart Pierce is hard to suspect of sentimentality, in this tour he should be considered a birthday boy. The defeat of Manchester City by Middlesbrough threatened Psyche with dismissal. “Citizens”, who spent on Wednesday a tough match with Chelsea, managed to show character, interrupt a protracted series of setbacks and save their coach. Perhaps, for Pierce, from the gaming memory of being in a half-position between the club and the English youth team, this is just a postponement of the sentence. But while he can feel like a winner - no one will take away a place in our hit parade of the tour from him.
TOUR FAILURE
Manchester United defender Gary Neville was injured in an inappropriate place - in a meeting with Bolton, won by the Mancunians with virtually no struggle. Now, the captain of Manchester United, who tucked his ankle in a clash with namesake Speed, will miss the two upcoming matches of the England team in the qualifying tournament for the European Championship. By a strange coincidence, the double of Neville in the national team, right-back of Manchester City Mika Richards, was injured on the same day. Another problem on the long-suffering head of Steve McLaren.
TOUR SENSATION
London's “West Ham” showed signs of life at the moment when, with all the honors, it seemed to have passed the funeral ceremony in the enchanting match of the last round with “Tottenham.” However, unexpectedly, the “hammers” found the strength to win after eleven break matches, having defeated the “Blackburn” in good shape at “Ewood Park”. And it doesn’t matter that one goal was scored from a dubious penalty, and the second became the result of judicial metaphysical fantasies, - fate owed Alan Kerishli a long time ago. Londoners received hope of salvation. Or at least her illusion.
TREND
FA Cup remains the subject of lively interest in leading teams of the Premier League. Before Monday's quarter-finals replay, the Chelsea, Tottenham, Middlesbrough and Manchester United coaches gave their leaders full or partial rest. In the 30th round, Drogba, Ballack, Essien, Lennon, Berbatov, Viduka, Arka, Woodgate did not go on the basis, and Lampard, Ashley Cole, Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo were replaced long before the matches ended. All this did not prevent Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham confidently take three points each and only Boro sacrificed the home defeat to the Cup.
CM. ALSO
The feat of Paul Robinson in detail.
We also offer to pay attention to the goal phantom Bobby Zamora - the episode came out no less entertaining. At the same time, we’ll look at the second ball in a row (and the second in general in the Premier League) Carlos Tevez, who chose a very non-trivial take-off path during the penalty kick.
TOUR DIGIT
Having scored 7 points in the last three matches and scored 8 goals at the same time, the London Charlton puts into practice its chances of maintaining a place in the Premier League. From the dull recently Sheffield United, the team of Alan Pardew is now separated by only 4 points. Clubs have yet to meet at Walley, so the current tournament will not remain without intrigue in the struggle for survival.
Dmitry LONGICH