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Theres a beautiful moment in the final scene of Rocky where Sly Stallone is slumped in his corner having taken an absolute beating from heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. His face is swollen, his body is blue and hes gasping for air. To everybody watching he is a beaten man. Just before the bell goes for the last round he turns to his trainer and spits You stop this fight, Ill Brian Orakpo Jersey kill ya!. To me this moment encapsulates the e sence of Paul McGrath, a man who kept on fighting back every time he was knocked down, and in my mind the finest player ever to don the sacred claret and blue of Aston Villa.Everybody loves an underdog, but even so the story of Paul McGrath is a miraculous one. Given up for adoption as a baby, McGrath spent his entire childhood in and out of foster homes and orphanages. McGrath played schoolboy football during his teenage years in Dublin and ended up with Saint Patricks Athletic, where his natural athleticism and defensive ability caught the eye of Ron Atkinson, who took him to Manchester United despite McGraths problems with drink and depre sion. McGrath had a difficult time in Manchester, his drinking spiraled Aaron Brewer Jersey into alcoholism and hampered by injuries, and repeatedly disciplined by new manager Alex Ferguson for his off the field debauchery, McGrath appeared to be on the verge of quitting the game until in the summer of 1989 McGrath was offered a way out by Graham Taylor.McGrath became a hero at Aston VillaMcGrath was signed for 400,000 and went on to make 252 appearances for Aston Villa over his seven years with the club. He was voted the Fans Player of the Year an unprecedented four times. He impre sed the fans with his Breon Borders Jersey unrivalled reading of the game and his menacing physical presence, despite the continuing deterioration of his knees forcing him to regularly sit out training se sions. With McGrath Aston Villa blo somed, and in his first season the club chased the title all the way to the wire, before unluckily losing out to Liverpool. In the inaugural year of the Premier League, and back under the management of Atkinson, McGrath had his greatest season leading Villa to second place. Villas football was absolutely superb all season, and was built around the might of McGrath who was scintillating. He thoroughly deserved the PFA Player of the Year award he collected that year. A League Cup winners medal followed in 1994, with McGrath playing through crippling neck pain to take his place in the side at Wembley, against Ferguson and Manchester United. No doubt a sweet moment for the gentle giant.Personally my favourite memory of McGrath is drawn from that match. McGraths outrageous first Ryan Tannehill T Shirts minute back heeled defensive clearance was a moment of pure footballing beauty, but typical of McGrath. No other defender before or since could apply such grace to the art of defending. There are other moments of genius from his Villa career which are tainted by the darker side of McGrath however. Few can forget, for example, the November 1989 tie at home to Everton, a game McGrath dominated from the middle of the park guiding Villa to a 6-2 win, despite playing with wristbands to cover the evidence of a failed suicide attempt just days before. Arguably the finest game of his career was not in a Villa shirt, but the shirt of his country. McGraths performance for Ireland against Italy in the appropriately named Giants Stadium at World Cup 1994 will long be remembered as one of the greatest displays of defending ever seen. Typically playing despite a serious shoulder infection, McGrath was impeccable and silenced the great Roberto Baggio, the finest player in the world at the time.McGrath was described as a colo sus at World Cup 94Throughout Trevon Coley Jersey his adult life McGrath has battled the demon of alcoholism, yet he is able to talk about this difficult subject with astonishing honesty. He openly admits to frequently playing whilst still under the effects of alcohol. McGrath would be the first to admit he is no saint, but though he was clearly a tortured soul off the pitch he was certainly loved on it. Nicknamed God by the Villa faithful the Holte End still pays homage to the great man every game with the chant of Paul McGrath my Lord, Paul McGrath. Jack Charlton remarked that Paul is one of the all time greats, someone to compare to Bobby Moore, and famously said that I used to tell him Just look your opponent in the face, smile at them, and youll frighten them to death. Its no surprise that twelve years after his retirement the name that still rings out loudest from Villa Park on match days is Mekhi Sargent Jersey that of Paul McGrath. For a man that gave so much to the club it is only fitting.

Bolton Wanderers have always been considered the local team in Manchester, however over the past ten years there is reason to argue that they are much more than a local team. In 2005/2006 they appeared for the first time in a European competition, and looked certainly to be on the rise. But if you glance at the Premier League table at the moment, youll see that they lie rock bottom of the league, having lost 2-0 at Craven Cottage NFL Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey yesterday the staff and players look in dire need of some enthusiasm.After the match, manager Owen Coyle declared that the Franco Harris Jersey penny has dropped for him and they are already in a relegation dog fight. He complained that the players need to come to this epiphany as well, but one cant help but think that its already too late. The Wanderers would have to take a minimum of 1.6 points from all games, or win every home game to get out of the relegation zone. Things are looking more than bleak at the moment.Tuesday night is one of the most important games of Owen Coyles career, as this is definitely a results based industry and if you dont get the results, why are you still manager? Blackburn Rovers are another team who are already warding off the drop. Manager Steve Kean and fans have made a pact that there will be no Kean Out banners at the next two home games, and he needs every ounce of support from the fans on Tuesday night. For me, the winner of the game will save themselves from Dwayne Haskins Jersey relegation, its that important a game. The amount of confidence that three points will give the players of the winning team will be immeasurable. I personally cannot see a draw on the cards, both teams must go Pittsburgh Steelers Hoodies Sweatshirts for the win.After the Blackburn game, Bolton face Newcastle and Wolves at home, before facing a trip to Goodison Park to play Everton. Three years ago I would expect Bolton to get six points minimum out of these games, but unle s they win at Blackburn, I cant see them getting more than one. So, whats wrong with the team? Is it the goalkeeper? No, Ju si Jaaskeleinen has been the only exceptional player in the team. I would estimate that 90% of the games Bolton have lost, Ju si has made the score line a much more respectable reading. If its not the goalkeeper, is it the defence? I wouldnt point at the centre-backs, personally. Gary Cahill was somehow retained at Bolton after major interest over the summer from Chelsea and Arsenal among others, and this shows just how good a defender he is. Zat Knight James Washington Jersey has always managed to hold his own in defence as well, and so he should. For me, I think the problem is the midfield pairing. Reo-Coker and Muamba just arent the players needed to up hold Bolton in the Premier League. They are both very similar players in my eyes, and none Carlos Davis Jersey have anywhere near the attacking prowe s needed. Bolton need some investment to sign a centre midfielder in January. But this might not be po sible, as this week Bolton declared themselves 110 million pounds in debt. So, without money, results and confidence, where will that leave Bolton?

Adel Taarabt's performances for QPR this season have really caught the eye. Photo: Dwayne Haskins Jersey Getty ImagesI am not a huge follower of Championship Football, but QPRs young Moroccan Adel Taarabt has stood out this season like a sore thumb. Since his move from Tottenham, Taarabt has been QPRs succe s story, playing with maturity on the field and putting in some incredible performances. For those of you who are QPR fans or Championship fans alikejust how good is Adel Taarabt? From what I have seen, he seems a world cla s talent in the making, in that he could become an outstanding player.It was Martin Jol that brought Taarabt to Tottenham, a move which seemed perfect for the Troy Polamalu Hoodies Sweatshirts player and the Manager. Nine months later however, Jol lost his job, leaving Taarabt a frustrated player who was reportedly very difficult to manage. Neil Warnock seems to have changed this, managing Taarabt and implementing into a very succe sful system at QPR that sees them lying nine points clear at the top of the Championship table.Last nights Championship Player of the Year Award went to Taarabt; and deservedly so. Warnock seems to have got the best Cameron Sutton Jersey out of the Moroccan, who at 21 years of age has a long career ahead of him. Warnock stated that Hes the most talented player Ive ever seen. Warnock, a veteran to the management game would not use these words for any old player. Harry Redknapp was not really sure where to fit Taarabt into Tottenhams wealth of Midfield talent, however Warnock 1m talent has taken a hotly contested championship by storm.Playing as an Attacking Midfielder, Taarabt has Rod Woodson Jersey scored 15 Championship goals and a host of a sists. From what I have seen he has fantastic movement, both on and off the ball; finding pockets in behind his opponents Midfield. He looks particularly strong moving with the ball, which at times has seen him make some of the Championships strongest defenders looks silly. QPR require 15 points from their last eight games Rocky Bleier Jersey to ensure promotion to the Premier League. Taarabt speaks very highly of Neil Warnock; suggesting that he is a manager who has learnt how to control him and get the best from him. I imagine Taarabt will remain at QPR next season. I must say it will be very exciting to see him up against some of the Premier Leagues finest. Where players like Charlie Adam have thrived, Taarabt will surely surpa s the Ian Holloways talisman in terms of achievement. Lets hope that QPR get the points they need as quickly as po sible. Until then, Cody White Jersey Taarabt will remain one of the main reasons for watching Championship Football!DH

This is the penultimate of the Top 100 Players countdown from 20th-11th place on our chart, which will be completed on New Years Eve. I thought I would start this blog by making my predictions on what will happen in the next year; dont forget to bring this up in the unlikely event that a prediction is horribly wrong. In the Premier League, I think that Manchester City will win the title, the Lancashire trio of Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan will get relegated and Harry Redknapp will get the England job; this will lead to former Blackburn and Manchester City bo s Mark Hughes managing Tottenham. Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich, PSG, Porto, PSV and Zenit will triumph in their respective leagues. The Champions League winners will be Barcelona (again) after beating Real Madrid in the final and Hines Ward Jersey the Europa League winners will be Manchester United to the delight of Channel 5. Germany will be victorious at Euro 2012 and they will beat Spain in the final, while Klaas Jan Huntelaar will be the tournaments top scorer. Ivory Coast will win the upcoming African Cup of Nations, beating Senegal in the final. Off the pitch, Joey Barton will reach 10000 tweets, Balotelli will pull more crazy stunts and one of John Terry and Luis Suarz will become embroiled in another controversy. Lets get started with the countdown from 20-11.20-Bastian SchweinsteigerBayern MunichGermanyMidfielderFormerly a right winger, Schweinsteiger Christian Kuntz Jersey was switched to a deep lying central midfield position after Michael Ballacks injury ruled him out of the 2010 World Cup. He was so succe sful there that he has remained in that position for Germany and Bayern Munich, where he used there to accommodate Ribery and Robben on either wing. This position seems to get the most out of Schweinsteiger as he can use his pa sing, long range shooting and tackling abilities to great use and he is brilliant at dictating the style of a game. Former Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Thomas Strunz said that Bastian Schweinsteiger is at the top of the club hierarchy, and he is definitely right. His style of play is similar to that of Xavi and Iniestas and he is an influential player for club and country. He is currently on 90 caps for Germany and he has scored 23 goals and created 30 goals along the way.19-Angel Di MariaReal MadridArgentinaMidfielder Jose Mourinhos first signing at Real Madrid in June 2010 was that of Benfica midfielder Angel Di Maria. He has proved to be worth the 25 million pounds Real Madrid spent on him and his creative side of the game is imperative to the clubs style of play. El Angelito (the angel) got 9 goals and 21 a sists in 53 matches in all competitions in his debut season and this season, he has got 5 goals and 12 a sists in 20 matches in all competitions. He has become a mainstay in the Argentina national team and this year, he has played 10 matches for is country and scored 3 goals along the way. He is seen by many as Real Madrids version of Lionel Me si due to the fact that they both come from Rosario in Argentina and they have a similar style of play. He is renowned for his quick feet and Rashaad Coward Jersey his dribbling skills at both Real Madrid and his former club Benfica.18-Thiago SilvaAC Milan BrazilDefenderIt had seemed that the chance to play in Europe had pa sed Thiago Silva when he returned to Brazil in 2005 with Fluminense after failing to get a match at Porto and Dynamo Moscow due to injuries and illne s. However he impre sed at Fluminense and got his wish when AC Milan signed him in July 2009 for a fee of 8.3 million pounds. This saw him create what is arguably the best centre back partnership in Serie A as he linked up with veteran Ale sandro Nesta. He is known for his pace which allows him to out speed many strikers and his good discipline; this saw Silva only pick up one yellow card in 42 games in all competitions lasts season. He has been linked to Barcelona on a few occasions as the long term replacement for Carles Puyol and his reputation was further enhanced there when he scored a last minute equalizer against the club in the Champions League this season.17-Mario GotzeBoru sia DortmundGermanyMidfielderThe 2010-2011 season couldnt have gone any better for the Benny Snell Jr. Jersey 19 year old attacking midfielder Gotze. In his breakthrough season with Dortmund, the club he has been at since he was eight years old, helped the side to win the Bundesliga title. He scored 8 goals and a sisted a further 12 goals in 41 matches in all competitions and he has continued that form this season, with 6 goals and 7 a sists in 22 matches in all competitions. He also broke two national records as he came on simultaneously with striker Andre Schurrle to become the first players to be born in re-unified Germany and he is the joint youngest goal scorer of the national team after a strike against Brazil. He was also praised by former Dortmund manager and Germanys technical director Matthias Sammer, who said that Gotze was one of the best talents that weve ever had.16-Edinson CavaniNapoliUruguayStrikerAfter an average goal scoring record at Palermo, many were surprised at the sudden turn Minkah Fitzpatrick Jersey of form of the Uruguayan striker. In his debut season for Napoli, he scored 33 goals in 47 games in all competitions which saw him endeared by the San Paulo faithful. This saw many clubs chasing the signature of the striker bet he refuted those claims by signing a new contract with the club until 2016. This season has seen a similar story to last season as Cavani has scored 13 goals in 19 matches so far in all tournaments. He also helped Uruguay to win the Copa America but has failed to make his mark on the national side as he is played out of position for his country due to the presence of Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan. He won the praise of Italy manager Cesare Prandelli who said Pittsburgh Steelers Pet Gear He has improved a lot and has become an important player He is the maximum a coach could askfor.15-Gonzalo HiguainReal MadridArgentinaStrikerHiguain has had an injury hit year which restricted the amount of performances he made in the 2010-2011 season but this didnt stop him from getting an impre sive goal tally. The Argentina international scored 13 goals and created 6 goals in 25 games last season in all competitions and this season, he has got 14 goals and 2 a sists in 24 matches so far in all competitions. From October 2nd to October 15th, Higuain hit three hat tricks in four matches for club and country with the unlucky sides being Espanyol, Chile and Real Betis. He also managed to get a solitary goal for his country at the Copa America against the eventual champions Uruguay. He had the luxury to play his international football for either France; the country of his birth or Argentina; which was the players homeland and the country he picked

I know that everyone has heard too much about Cesc Fabregas protracted transfer saga. Its about timefor Gooners to be sure of Cescs commitment to the club.He is now at the cro sroads of his career and he needs to take up anclear stance on what he wants to achieve and with which club over the next 5-6 years: the peak of his career. He has been very pa sive about the whole situation over the past year, made clear by himshying away from the media.He must choose whether he wants to take the easy way out, to hook up with best friend Pique or establish himself as an Arsenal legend by winning something (sorry, but even though the Emirates Cup is the only thing Arsenal have actually won over the past six Pittsburgh Steelers Home Office years, you cant be THAT desperate).Lets start with the actual transfer situation. Cesc is clearly driven to win trophies: thats all he ever says. He knows that the Nou Camp would gift him countle s trophies, but out of respect to the other club he loves, he hasnt submitted a transfer request. The reason that this hysteria has kept coming back is Barcelonas reluctance to meet Arsenals valuation, which though Barca complain is too high, is perhaps too low (I thought Fabregas was just a little Derek Watt Jersey bit, but only a little bit, better than Andy Carroll). They simply dont need him, so why spend 40 million on someone surplus to requirements. Barca clearly wont pay 40 million, so if Fabregas leaves, Arsenal would have buckled, and sold him after negotiations or Fabregas wouldve expre sed his intent to leave Arsenal, the former being more likely. Barcelona want Fabregasfor pride, more than for the team. Catalonia would want to rub another superstar in Real Madrids face and they feel Fabregas has been kidnapped and left for ransom, so they want their boy to come home. If only he was nearing the end of his contract. Hence, Arsenal have control over the situation.If Arsenal were to lose Fabregas, they would struggle to qualify for the Champions League, unle s Wenger stops being thrifty. Wenger says hell bring in quality if his stars leave. He needs to do this with theCity and Liverpool rising into contention.However, Im worried about what hes been smoking, because apparently Sebastian Squillaci is quality Troy Polamalu T Shirts . Its clear he would only replace Super Fab internally, with Aaron Ramsey. Hes good, but were talking about CescFabregas Soler here.So its up to Cesc to stamp his authority on the situation. Weve been playing this che s game for too long, can you make your first move!!! Cesc wants trophies, but is he willing to become anothersmall part of the Barca juggernaut or to be the main man at Arsenal and fight for trophies? Its obvious he wouldnt start unle s they change formation(when willthat happen?) oruntil Xavi starts to slide in3-4 years time. You might say kick out Busquets, but he is integralto Barcas ridiculous po se sion and gives Xavi and Iniesta the ball.Fabregas is as good defensively as Jamie Rocky Bleier Jersey Carragher is offensively. So sure hed win trophies, but he wouldnt play those big matches. Hed be just another player. But if he wants that, then he needs to make sure that Wenger knows he definitely wants to go to Barca. The other option is for him is to captain of Arsenal FC and lead his club to a trophy, which would probably lead to many more. He would be much better known as a playerif he stays atArsenal, even if it doesnt bring as much silverware. He is the standout player in a good team at Arsenal. At the Nou Camp, hed be just another good player in a standout team. The captaincy seems like a burden to him at the Emirates. He leads by examplebutdidnt have a great season, probably due to a lack of commitment, with Barca waiting in the wings all the time. Perhaps he should hand over the captaincy to Robin Van Persie or Thomas Vermaelen, who are 100% committed Mitchell Trubisky Jersey to the club. Or he could just leave..Whatever happens with Fabregas (wait until the last hour of the transfer window, Gooners), its up to his ambition as a player, to be remembered, or to be part of a team to be remembered. To win trophies(or try to)for himself as the main man, or to win trophies as part of the team. Is he fed up, or will he push on. Many people would say leaving would further his career, but I feel he would slow down is development as a player. He needs to make his move, so that he can concentrate on playing football and we can concentrate on more exciting stories, like Crawley Towns imminent rise to the top of world football (watch out Barca!). Its a difficult choice for Fabregas (lots of trophiesor individual greatne s), but he must make his position clear come the trip to St James Park, so that this madne s finally stops. Whatever he chooses to do the future is bright, but it depends on what John Leglue Jersey Fabregas is willing to sacrifice and what kind of great he wants to be.

Libyas African Cup of Nations campaign drew to a close on Sunday night despite victory over a beleaguered Chaz Green Jersey Senegal.Ihab Albusaifi grabbed both of Libyas goals, either side of a Deme Ndiaye strike, to condemn Senegal to their third straight group defeat.Libya, needing a win to have any hope of qualifying for the knockout rounds, finish third in the group after their first victory in the tournament for 30 years. As for Senegal, their sorry campaign closes with a whimper, as a third succe sive 2-1 lo Jerome Bettis Jersey s means one of the pre-tournament favouritesgo home without a point.Libya got off to a fantastic start as Albusaifi grabbed the first of his brace after just five minutes, poking the ball under Senegal keeper Khadim Ndiaye.&# Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey 13; Deme Ndiaye, scorer in the defeat to Zambia, equalized shortly afterwards in the 11th minute with a near post header from Mamadou Niangs corner in an eventful opeining to the game.Senegal pre sed Devin Bush T Shirts further after the goal, winning a series of corners and stifling Libyas fluency. Despite this, the Lions of Teranga couldnt find a second goal and restore some much need pride.The second half was far more of a stop-start affair, as both sides were guilty of niggly fouls that disrupted the games rhythm. Libya did eventually rediscover their fluency, with midfielder Ahmed Saad Osman becoming more influential in the game.Libya got their reward with a second, match winning goal, as Albusaifi smashed the ball home from just inside the penalty area to grab his Carlos Davis Jersey second goal of the game and send the Libyans home delighted.Their delight turned to disappointment soon after the final whistle though, as news about Zambias win over Equatorial Guinea came through, meaning the Chipolopolo finish as group winners ahead of the co-hosts.As for Senegal, they will want to erase Troy Polamalu T Shirts from memorya campaign that promised so much but returned so little..

After Tranmere Rovers defeated Stockport County via a penalty shoot-out to book their place in the Johnstones Paint Carlos Davis Jersey Trophy Northern Section Quarter Finals away at Bury, a trip to Wembley loomed in the distant horizon.Traditionally, the Johnstones Paint Trophy is regarded as a waste of time by many and it tends to be a competition for Joe Greene Jersey youth players and reserves to get some competitive game-time under their belts but overlooking the competition is, in my opinion, a mi sed opportunity.A good run in the Johnstones Paint Trophy will add a bit of Tony Dungy Jersey money to the club account and although it isnt a ma sive amount, for clubs in League One and Two who consistently make a lo s, every bit of money you can get really helps.Obviously a run Pittsburgh Steelers Home Office in the Carling Cup or FA Cup is preferable to lower league clubs as the financial rewards are higher given the quality of opposition available but the Johnstones Paint Trophy provides League One and Two clubs with a realistic chance of getting to Wembley given that it is a level playing field of sorts. Granted, it Jack Lambert Jersey is seen as a worthle s trophy to have but try telling that to the fans of MK Dons, Luton Town and Southampton, who will have enjoyed a fantastic day out at Wembley to see their team win silverware.Whilst it may not be the most prestigious of tournaments, the Johnstone Stephon Tuitt Jersey s Paint Trophy is something to be respected, not dismi sed.

Police clashed with Roma fans on Thursday last after a protest for Camryn Bynum Jersey Claudio Ranieri to resign as manager. After four straight defeats. Ranieri desperately needed a convincing result at Genoa to keep his job. He got a dream start, three-nil up at half time, but it didnt last. Four goals were leaked, game over. At that stage Ranieri had no choice, before he was sacked, he resigned. Leaving Roma in eighth place, nine points away for the Champions League.Almost immediately, thirty-six year old, Vincenzo Montella was appointed as caretaker. Many casual observers may ask Montella who?Playing CareerNicknamed LAeroplanino, meaning the small aeroplane, because he is small in stature. Also for his trademark goal celebration, where spreads his arms and runs. Which he used very often as he was a striker. In 1990 Montella started his career in Serie C1 with Empoli. Over five years he scored twenty-six goals. Which earned him a move to Genoa, in Serie B, and he really performed. Bagging twenty-one goals in just one season. Straight Harrison Smith Jersey up to Serie A he went, Sampdoria snapped him up. He managed a 0.65 goal ratio, fifty four in eighty three. Bigger clubs were starting to take notice. Finally he made his biggest move, Roma forked out fifty billion Italian lire,(twenty-five million). Montella was signed to lead the attack by Zeman, but he was fired. Fabio Capello came in, and allegedly didnt like small forwards. Despite that he went on to score eighteen goals and become top scorer. Controversy occurred though the following season when Batistuta was signed, a tall striker. Montella had the no. Janarius Robinson Jersey 9 shirt that Batigol desired. Batistuta was always going to be the first choice, so our little aeroplane was benched. Roma won the Scudetto that year, 00/01, and Montella scored some vital goals, including one in the derby. He was loved by the fans for his knack of scoring against Lazio, he remains the only man to score four in one derby. His relationship with Capello remained sour. He still wasnt first choice. Although when Capello eventually left, 04/05, Montella was plagued by injuries. Which he never fully recovered from. At that stage he was in his late twenties, time for change Minnesota Vikings Home Office . Overall Montella scored ninety-four goals in two hundred and fifteen appearances for the gialloro si.The little aeroplane took off to Fulham on loan, though he was past his best. Managing two goals in ten appearances, although he was very popular with the fans at Craven Cottage. He didnt really get his game, and expre sed desires to return to Rome. Montella returned to Italy and played for Roma and Sampdoria but only scored four goals for the latter. He holds twenty caps for the Italian national team. One of the great Italian forwards, no doubt, with one hundred and eighty nine goals Jack Del Rio Jersey in three hundred and eighty three games.Managerial CareerUp until Monday, Montella was on a three year contract in charge of Romas Giovani simi Nazionali. Otherwise known as the under fifteens, although he sometimes is used as a striker coach for any age level.At his inauguration he said he would make all decisions and no ego is bigger then the club. He seems very confident of leading Roma to the Champions League places. As they are currently eight points behind Lazio. Korey Stringer Jersey They have a good squad and its not an impo sible task, it remains to be seen. It certainly is a huge step up in his managerial career. First he must tackle Bologna.I hate using cliches but; can Roma take off with LAeroplanino?

Owen Hargreaves joined Manchester United from Bayern Munich in the summer Ryan Connelly Jersey of 2007 for a transfer fee of around 17 million. However, most of his Man Utd career has been hampered with injuries. A recurring patellar tendinitis has restricted the number of matches in which Owen Hargreaves could feature. He visited a renowned knee surgeon, Richard Steadman, in November 2008 and was operated in the same month. He underwent surgery again in January 2009. He has rarely played Daunte Culpepper Jersey for Manchester United since then and on the 24th September 2010, Sir Alex announced that Owen Hargreaves had returned to training. Now, newspapers are reporting that his return to first team action has been pencilled for the Carling Cup clash with Wolves on the 26th October. Sir Alex is said to Randall Cunningham Jersey have been impre sed with his training, and sees the match as the right one to ease him back into the first team. The last time United tried playing Hargreaves was in the last game of the 2009/10 season against Sunderland, where he played for just Greg Joseph Jersey 3 minutes before suffering another injury setback. Another report states that this may be Hargreaves last Zack Bailey Jersey chance to make a comeback to football. If reports are to be believed, should this bid to start playing again and recover fully fail, Owen Hargreaves would retire from football. The report quotes an unnamed source saying, Owen has done everything to come back but the Chris Herndon Jersey pain and effort has been huge. He has decided to give it one last big push but if this doesnt work that will probably be it. The pain in his knees has not just affected his football, but normal life.

As a Sunderland fan Im nothing more than amazed and gobsmacked at what Martin ONeill has done in such a short period of time at the club. The turnaround is nothing more than amazing as its just one man coming into the club that has changed the fortunes of the Black Cats that, lets face it, looked under Steve Bruce Minnesota Vikings Hoodies Sweatshirts as a side that was going down.I was a huge Steve Bruce fan and I backed him until the end which now looks stupid because Martin ONeill has worked wonders in le s than two months where as Bruce had half a season and got nowhere.From seeing a pathetic Sunderland team under Bruce for the last time lose 1-2 to Wigan at home on the 26th November which has to be one of the lowest moments as a Sunderland fan Ive had sitting inside the Stadium of Light to then Sunderlands first away game under ONeill at the DW Stadium against Wigan on January 2nd and beating them in fantastic fashion 4-1 and I love it but I cant put my finger on what the guy has.Hes got a magic touch that has changed all the players moods around and changed them into winners, changed us fans as well, were all happy and cheerful now and its all down to ONeill. You see a lot of his old players get asked what is it about him and they say hes the best manager at man management and really works on the players to get the best out of Eric Kendricks Jersey them. Take Robbie Savage who played under ONeill at Leicester City who said in an interview At man-management he is the best there is, incredible, That is why Martin ONeill is one of the best. Tactically he would not compare with Arsene Wenger but management is more than just picking a team. This is right because picking a team is easy but its getting the best out of a player that is the key. Take for example Lee Cattermole the Black Cats captain who has been transformed under ONeill, he was a player that had bags full of ability but was too reckle s and us Moritz Bohringer Jersey Sunderland fans would just be counting down the minutes in the game before he got a yellow card or a red card which was sad but we knew it was always coming but now under ONeill he has completely changed into a new player. The odd yellow card is still there but the reckle sne s has gone and a much more thinking footballer has come Jack Del Rio Jersey out of him and thats all down to ONeill who is taking him under his wing and guiding him.Hes brought along a new star in James McClean who after being brought in by Steve Bruce and not used is now shining now he is in the starting 11 and in 9 games has shown whatthe new Sunderland is now under ONeill. Hes reinvented Stephane Se segnon into a wizard with the ball.I know a lot of Sunderland fans were calling for us to get a striker in the transfer window but they was no point with the return of Campbell after 18 months he has come back and is firing in goals from anyway. Hes done something no manager has done at Sunderland in a long time and has brought in a Left Back in Wayne Bridge, hes doing nothing wrong.A 2-0 win against the impre sive Swansea and then two great wins over Norwich and then at Stoke have lifted Sunderland to 8th and calm a form table Barcelona cant even match. The form table for the last 6 games reads as of me writing this post 1st Tottenham with 13 points, 2nd Sunderland with 13 points, 3rd Manchester United with 13 points which is remarkable form to say the other two are in the title race but I think now under ONeill Sunderland are getting into a position where they have wanted to be for 20 odd years now and be that mid table top half team.I Kellen Mond Jersey am though a realistic Sunderland fan and as others are now yet again dreaming of European football next season and I know in the last few weeks its been going great but I know it wont always be like this but its really great at the moment but it can change very easily in football.ONeill did great work at Leicester City, Norwich City and Aston Villa until people me sed him about and didnt let him get on with the great job he can do and he left and I hope to god it doesnt happen with us.Niall Quinn and Ellis Short have done an unbelievable Bisi Johnson Jersey job at Sunderland and continue to do so but they need to stay out of ONeills way and let him continue to do his thing and let him do whatever he wants to do but within reason, theyll be a big summer ahead at the club again with comings and goings but times look good now and its a great time to be a Sunderland fan.