La Liga Review

Real Madrid legend tips Ronaldo for success

By guest writer Thomas Rooney

There isn’t really anything else people associated with Spanish football can talk about right now other than Kaka’s move to Real Madrid. The £59million move has got the whole football world talking and everyone is excited about what the Brazilian can achieve in Spain.

One man who believes he will be a great success is former Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos. He says that Kaka will ‘get used to Madrid easily’ because he was ‘already an idol in Europe’. The move represents a new challenge for the former AC Milan man, but Carlos obviously believes he can handle it.

The 36-year-old did reveal that he called Kaka and ‘calmed him down’ though as there has been a huge amount of hype and excitement surrounding the move. Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world and no matter how much talent you have as a player, it can be overwhelming joining them.

Everyone at Real Madrid will be expecting Kaka to be an instant success and help the club win trophies once again. They missed out to Barcelona in terms of the league title this year, but the fans will be thinking that the Brazilian will bridge the gap.

Carlos seems to believe that this will be the case as well. He says that Kaka can be a ‘big name in the history of the club’ and join the likes of ‘Zidane, Raul and Ronaldo’ in the group of truly world-class players that have played at the Bernabeu.

These three players obviously made a huge impact at Real Madrid and even though this will be hard to live up to, Kaka definitely has the ability. More importantly though, he seems to have the right temperament. He is a model professional who does all he can to excel at the game.

As Roberto Carlos hints, Real Madrid will be reaping the benefits of this over the next few years as Kaka looks to adhere himself to Spanish football.

Guardiola praises Barcelona bravery

By guest writer Thomas Rooney

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has praised his team’s bravery and hard work after they secured a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League final. Guardiola – who also won the trophy as a player in 1992 – said that his team have worked ‘many, many hours’ this season and to become European Champions is their ‘payment’.

The Barcelona boss went on to say that they were ‘never cowards’ during the match, meaning that they took risks going forward on several occasions. Guardiola says that when you are ‘attacking and daring’, you automatically increase your chances of coming out on top.

This is exactly what happened last night as Barcelona ran out deserved winners. Other than the opening ten minutes, the Spanish club dominated proceedings and Alex Ferguson’s men had no answer to it.

Samuel Eto’o got the ball rolling in the tenth minute when he capitalised on some sloppy Manchester United defending before poking the ball past Edwin van der Sar. Lionel Messi then sealed the win with
twenty minutes remaining by guiding a superb header into the net.

The victory completed a remarkable season for Barcelona as they have become the first Spanish club to win three titles in one season after the domestic league and cup as well as the Champions League.

Considering this was Guardiola’s first full season in charge, it has to go down as a remarkable achievement. He admits that his team have had the ‘best season in history’ and one that he can now celebrate with his players.

As for his opposite number, Alex Ferguson made no complaints about the final result. The Manchester United boss admitted that his side ‘did not play well’, but also said that you have to ‘give Barcelona credit’ for the way they performed.

Ferguson then stated that Xavi and Andres Iniesta were the main reason Barcelona dominated as the midfield duo ‘kept the ball all night’ and comfortably won the battle with Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs.

The evening belonged to the whole of Barcelona though and not just two players. They have had an incredible season and played some very attractive football on the way. Congratulations to them, their success is fully deserved.

Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao to win Copa del Rey

By guest writer Thomas Rooney

Barcelona seem to be hitting form at just the right time. In just under two weeks time they will take on Manchester United in the Champions League final and they look set to go into this game extremely high on confidence.

This is because they already have one trophy in the bag after hammering Athletic Bilbao to win the Copa del Rey final. Barcelona ran out 4-1 winners as they completed the first of a possible three major
honours for the season.

Gaizka Toquero managed to upset theSpanish football odds and give Bilbao the lead in this game as he headed home at the back post from Fran Yeste’s corner. At this point the Barcelona defence was looking fragile to say the least and there was no hint of what was to come.

However, as they so often do, Barcelona turned it on when they needed it most. With Pep Guardiola’s men looking up against it, Yaya Toure produced a moment of magic to level the game. The Ivory Coast midfielder went past three players before drilling the ball into the net from 25 yards.

Barcelona had their tails up now and it was only a matter of time before they took the lead. Then, just after half-time, they did just that as Lionel Messi struck the ball through a crowded penalty area into the bottom corner.

There was then only a three minute wait for Barcelona to extend their lead. Bojan Krkic raced through on goal before slotting the ball past the keeper to make it 3-1. Then, as if things could get any worse for Bilbao, Xavi’s superb free-kick curled in off the post to complete the scoring.

Three goals in a devastating nine minutes had completely turned the game around and soon after Barcelona were celebrating their 25th King’s Cup.

As much as the players enjoyed the celebrations though, they know that a lot of work is still to be done this season. There is a league title to be won and the small matter of a Champions League final against Manchester United.

Should Barcelona continue to show the form they did at the beginning of the second half though, there might not be any teams that can stand in their way of achieving the treble this season. This may be something to bear in mind when you place your all-important Champions League final bet.

By Thomas Rooney

Barcelona boss unhappy with Chelsea draw

After watching his side being held to a 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, Pep Guardiola has revealed that he was far from happy with the defensive minded display from the Blues.

Guardiola was clearly frustrated that his team were unable to break down the Chelsea defence despite putting pressure on them for the majority of the game. He then accused Guus Hiddink’s men of ‘constantly interrupting the game with fouls’.

The Barca boss then said that it was ‘ridiculous’ that both teams picked up the same amount of cards because all his side did was ‘attack and foul as little as possible’.

Overall, Guardiola admits that things didn’t go the way of his team tonight, in more ways than the performance of the referee. The former midfielder said that the ‘result is what it is’ though.

He seems to have accepted the fact that Chelsea played ‘very defensively’ with ‘six players defending’ to accommodate their disciplined approach to the game. As much as this frustrated Guardiola, it was the way Chelsea chose to perform.

Besides, it doesn’t leave Barcelona in the worst position. Yes, they would have liked to win the game, but they didn’t concede an away goal and this could end up being crucial.

If Guardiola was annoyed with the way Chelsea played in Spain, he should instruct his team to show them how it is done at Stamford Bridge next week. Barcelona can be positive, take the game to Chelsea and grab a goal. Then, Chelsea would need to score twice to go through.

Their cause will not be helped by the fact that centre-half Rafael Marquez will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury though. Barcelona also have a big game this weekend against Real Madrid, so they certainly have a few things to worry about before the game next Wednesday.

Nevertheless, Guardiola and his men will be quietly confident of doing all they can to obey the current football odds by progressing to the Champions League final.

By Guest writer Thomas Rooney

Deco: 'Messi gives Barcelona edge over Chelsea'

By Guest Writer Thomas Rooney

Over the next couple of weeks, the build up to the Champions League semi-finals  is likely to be immense. It has been one of the most exciting competitions of the last few years and the final four teams are likely to entertain us some more.

As the only non-English team left in the competition, there is likely to be a lot of focus on whether Barcelona can go all the way and win the tournament. To do so, they need to make their way past Chelsea in their semi-final tie at the end of this month.

Many expect both of these legs to be very tight, but former Barcelona midfielder Deco – who now plays for Chelsea – believes that his former club are favourites to progress. This is down to one man – Lionel Messi.

The Portugal international says that Barcelona have ‘an advantage’ because they have Messi on their side. Deco says that the youngster is someone who can ‘make the difference more than all others’.

These types of quotes are likely to upset some Chelsea fans, but Deco had four successful years at Barcelona and he still holds the club in high regard. Speaking about his return to the club, he says that it will be a ‘special’ occasion because Barcelona were always the team he ‘dreamed of playing with.’

This affection for Barca will go out of the window when the two teams meet at the Camp Nou at the end of this month though. It is likely to be a tense affair and there is no doubt that Chelsea will have to work out how best to deal with the threat of Messi.

The Argentinean’s team mate Daniel Alves has also come out and said that Messi could make the difference against Chelsea. The defender says that he is ‘spectacular to play with’ and that the team as a whole has a positive ‘mentality’ going into the semi-final simply because they have Messi.

Overall, it is fair to say that Chelsea wouldn’t mind if Messi picked up a knock and missed the first leg. They will know how big a player he is for Barcelona.

However, everyone wants to see the best players on show and Chelsea have their own stars. Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Deco and Michael Essien can all create something special. All in all, it's my Champions League prediction that we're in for a fantastic couple of games and many of us cannot wait.

By Thomas Rooney

Barcelona confirm interest in Fabregas

By Guest Writer Thomas Rooney

Normally, there is a transfer story which dominates the close season. In the past it has been Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential move to Real Madrid and Thierry Henry’s numerous links away from Arsenal.

This summer though, it appears that Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal and Barcelona could be hitting the headlines more often than not. Fabregas has been linked with a move to the Spanish club before, but now they have confirmed their interest in him.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said that the club are keen to make a move for the influential midfielder in the coming weeks. It would mean that Fabregas would return to the club which he left as a
teenager a few years ago.

Speaking about the prospect of signing Fabregas, Laporta said that he would ‘like very much’ to see him in a Barcelona shirt. Mainly because he believes that the Arsenal man would work well with the team’s ‘system of play’.

Laporta finished by saying that Barcelona already have some of the best midfielders in the world, but that ‘you can always get better’. Overall, it is fair to say that Laporta is a big fan of Fabregas and
will do all he can to bring him to Spain.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will have a lot to say about this though. There is no way he will want to sell his captain and he will do everything in his power to make sure that this doesn’t have to
happen.

Fabregas is set to return after injury this weekend against Manchester City as he looks to emphasise how important he is to the Arsenal cause. It would take a lot of money to convince Wenger to part with his most influential player, that's for sure.

In the end, it could come down to what the player wants. Should he express his desire to leave Arsenal, there isn’t a great deal that Wenger can do about it. When Barcelona come calling, Fabregas may
follow up their interest and start to manoeuvre a move to his home country.

On the other hand, it seems as though Fabregas loves playing his football in England and for Arsenal. He has a fantastic relationship with the fans and because of injuries this season, he might feel like
he has some unfinished business to contend with.

Fabregas will undoubtedly move to Barcelona or Real Madrid at some point in his career. However, don't waste your football bet by backing the move to occur this summer.

Thomas Rooney

Summer transfer rumours start early as Madrid eye £10 million Beckham

By Guest Writer Thomas Rooney

Reports in England are suggesting that Real Madrid could be set for a surprise swoop for AC Milan midfielder David Beckham this summer. It is thought that the Spanish club will make a bid for their ex-player, but only if Florention Perez becomes the club’s next President. Should the rumour that Madrid would be keen to bring Beckham back turn out to be true, they would have to part with at least £10m for his services. This is quite a lot of money for someone who turns 34 in May, especially when you consider his likely wage demands as well.

What are the chances of Perez winning the race to become Real Madrid’s next President though? Well, at this moment in time he is the favourite to land the role. This is despite not officially announcing
that he would like to put his name forward for the position. However, an official source at the club has said that if he does decide to run for it, his main priority would be to ‘get Becks back’. It’s probably just a line to get votes, but an interesting line none the less.

This would mean taking him away from his LA Galaxy contract though and considering he is already missing part of the MLS season to fulfil his commitments to AC Milan – it is very unlikely. Would Beckham turn his back on LA Galaxy again? Probably not. Would he want to move his family back to Madrid again? Definitely not. AC Milan might even struggle to keep him beyond this season, let alone another top European club.

Juande Ramos is starting to build a fresh looking Madrid team anyway, so why turn the clock back to Beckham? Fair enough he has proven to be a success at the highest level again, but this simply proves that Madrid were probably too keen to make him move on back in the summer of 2007.

This summer presents a chance for Ramos to build a squad capable of challenging for all major honours and it would be careless if this was jeopardised by constant Beckham speculation.

Manchester United Boss has his say on Barcelona slump

By Guest Writer Thomas Rooney

It was only a couple of weeks ago that Manchester United and Barcelona looked certainties to win their respective leagues. Now though, while the former is still on track, the latter have lost two league games in a row to give Real Madrid a realistic chance of beating them to the title.

The league leaders suffered their latest defeat against Atletico Madrid in a seven goal thriller on Sunday and it means that the gap between them and 2nd place is now only four points.

This situation seems to have alerted Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the Premier League. His team currently sit four points ahead of their nearest rivals and have two games in hand, but the way Barcelona have dipped has warned him that nothing is over yet.

The Scotsman highlighted the fact that Barcelona ‘lost a game after being in front’ for the first time this season. This means that the Spanish club no longer have the 11-point gap that they did a few weeks ago and Ferguson admits that it is ‘a warning’ to his team as they look to close out the season without similar dips in form.

It is interesting to see Ferguson take note of the situation in Spain. He will know, like we all do, that Barcelona were flying a few weeks ago and looked unstoppable. Not even the most die-hard gambling people amongst us would have suggested they would throw away the league title. However, it is now a distinct possibility.

In all honesty though, it is still in their hands and Pep Guardiola seems more convinced than ever before that they will triumph. The Barcelona boss says that the recent defeats are ‘part of the process of fighting for the Championship’.

He then went on to say that he was positive that his team ‘will get there’ in the end. Should this be the case, Barcelona could certainly do with getting on track sooner rather than later.

With this in mind, their next La Liga game is a crucial one. They face Athletic Bilbao at home on Saturday night and three points are a must for them.

Therefore, if you choose to watch live football this weekend, make sure this game is one of them. It could go someway to deciding how exciting the end of the La Liga season will be.

David Villa speculation quashed by agent

By Guest Writer Thomas Rooney

Considering the fact that David Villa is playing some of the best football of his life and that his club are struggling financially, it is probably no surprise that the Spanish striker is constantly being linked with a move away from Valencia.

To say that he is a wanted man would be an understatement. After all, which top European clubs wouldn’t want to sign someone with Villa’s fantastic ability to score goals? The answer is - not many, and that’s why speculation has been stepped up a gear in recent weeks.

In terms of the clubs he has been linked with to date, well there is Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City from England and Inter Milan from Italy. However, each of these potential moves seem to have been quashed by Villa’s agent.

Jose Luis Tamargo has said that Villa has ‘rejected the chance’ to play in the Premier League. In fact, he went on to say that while Chelsea have shown no official interest, negotiating with Manchester City ‘would be a nonsense’.

So, where does this leave Villa? Well, Tamargo later mentioned that if the player was to leave Valencia he has ambitions to ‘stay in Spain’. He is settled in his home country and at such an important stage of his career; it seems that he doesn’t want to risk moving abroad.

Speculation such as this is sure to alert the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid. They would, presumably, be the only two options for Villa should he decide to leave Valencia.

The two Spanish giants will know that Villa is one of the hottest properties in Europe right now and therefore would definitely be interested in a move. Villa has scored 18 times in La Liga this season and perhaps he could excel even further should he join a more successful team.

Considering the fact that there is some world cup football to be played next year, where Villa is playing his football come the start of next season could be crucial for Spain. How will his form be affected my a change of club? Will he ever be tempted with a move abroad?

I guess we will just have to wait and see.

By Thomas Rooney

Xavi praises Guardiola for Barcelona's excellent form

By Guest Writer Thomas Rooney

At this moment in time Barcelona are 12 points clear at the top of the table after a superb run of form that has seen them win nine games in succession. They are playing some fabulous football along the way and are enjoying being the best team in Spain by quite some distance.

So, what is this all down to? Who is taking credit for Barcelona’s superb season? Well, according to midfielder Xavi, all the praise should be directed towards manager Pep Guardiola.

The Catalan playmaker says that Guardiola’s ‘passion and enthusiasm’ comes across very clearly and this lifts the players in the dressing room. Xavi even says that ‘if he believes something is white and you think it is black, you will end up believing that it is white’. It seems that they are fully behind their manager doesn’t it?!

The Spaniard didn’t stop his praise for Guardiola there though. He went on to say that the Barcelona boss is a very ‘intelligent person’ and this means that he often ‘sees the game like nobody else’. Xavi also believes that Guardiola has helped the team progress after the change in fortunes that followed the 2006 Champions League victory.

Xavi admits that ‘people were allowed to do what they liked’ after this success, because it was believed that everything had already been achieved. However, Guardiola has come in to ensure that ‘things are better than ever’ at the Nou Camp.

To be honest, even before Xavi came out with these comments about Guardiola, you could tell that the players were very happy to work for him. It shines through when they play. Guardiola was a classy player and Barcelona are a very, very classy team.

They also seem to suffer far less injuries than normal as well and I imagine this is down to the ‘injury prevention’ scheme that the new management team has introduced. Overall, everything looks extremely encouraging at Barcelona and their fans will be enjoying every second of it.

Next up in La Liga for the league leaders is R. Sporting de Gijon at the Nou Camp. Regardless of the form that Barcelona are in, this is a game that the football odds expect them to win, so I fully expect Guardiola’s men to go marching on as we move into February.

By Thomas Rooney – a sports writer for Betfair – check them out for Grand National betting

 

Marcelo: I didn't mean to disrespect Real Madrid fans

By Guest writer Thomas Rooney

There is always something going on at Real Madrid and it isn’t always to do with matters on the pitch. Whether it be transfer speculation, players falling out, the coach being under pressure, there is never a dull moment at the Bernabeu.

The latest dispute at the club is centred around under pressure left back Marcelo. The Brazilian came on as a substitute in last weekend’s 3-1 victory Osasuna and it is fair to say that he wasn’t given the best of receptions by the Real Madrid fans.

He was whistled as he made his way onto the pitch and it was made very clear that he is far from a popular figure as far as the crowd are concerned. Then, after the game, he hinted that he didn’t care whether the fans jeered him or not.

This led to some suggesting that he was disrespectful to the fans and didn’t understand the significance of their opinions. Overall, it didn’t do many favours to his rapidly decreasing popularity.

However, Marcelo has come out again and revealed that he meant no disrespect to the fans whatsoever and that he actually has ‘great respect’ for every Real Madrid fan that supports the team.

The full-back then went on to say that he wants to ‘grow as a player’ in the coming months by not allowing the negative reaction from fans affect his performance. Finally, he said that the people of Madrid are normally ‘very affectionate’ to him and that he hopes he can win over his doubters with some decent performances in the coming weeks.

In all fairness to Marcelo, I would say that the Madrid fans are being far too impatient with him. He is only 20-years-old and still has a lot to learn as a player. There is no doubt that he is talented and has the ability to have a very, very successful career with both Madrid and Brazil.

Speaking of his national team, it seems as though Brazil coach Dunga is very keen to get Marcelo involved as much as possible. In fact, the way things are going, Marcelo will be starting in the Brazil team next year and will get some World Cup football under his belt.

By this stage, hopefully he would have improved a lot as a player and started to show the Real Madrid fans what he can do. He seems a determined individual, so I would back him to win the crowd over. Perhaps Real Madrid fans are after a scapegoat given their current predicament and Marcelo is the player they have chosen.

Something that could help the situation is that Juande Ramos is considering Marcelo as a left winger as opposed to defender. Maybe this is where his future lies? He certainly gives Madrid another attacking option! Good luck to him I say.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about football betting

 

Messi on form as Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid

By Guest writer Thomas Rooney

Lionel Messi showed his class for Barcelona once more as he scored a hat-trick to help his team to a 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in their Copa del Rey match at the Vicente Calderon.

The result puts Barcelona firmly in command of their last-16 tie as Atletico Madrid would now need a sensational performance in the second leg at the Nou Camp to prevent the Spanish giants progressing to the quarter-finals.

So, let’s go through Messi’s goals. First up was a low shot past Gregory Coupet after brilliant work between the Argentinean and Dani Alves with just 11 minutes gone in the match. I imagine that the Atletico fans feared the worst at this stage!

Barcelona had to wait until the 56th minute to double their lead though, which they did from the penalty spot. John Heitinga saw red for bringing down Messi in the penalty area, but the youngster picked himself up to slot home his second of the game.

Atletico then surprisingly pulled a goal back, but the football odds never expected them to get back on level terms. This notion was confirmed when Messi sealed his hat-trick in the 79th minute.

After being unlucky to see his shot come bouncing off the cross bar at the end of a mazy run, Messi managed to fire the ball into the net later in the same attack to cap a fine individual performance.

The Argentina international was so fantastic, that the Atletico fans were standing for him and singing his name after his shot that hit the bar and then again after his third goal. They appreciated what a fantastic player he was and how amazing his performance had been on the night.

Not often does that happen in football nowadays and I suppose it can only be a credit to the talent of the player. Many now believe that he is the best there is right now and based on this performance, who is going to argue?

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about football betting

Lassana Diarra: What type of player have Real Madrid signed?

Real Madrid have acted on their poor recent form by unveiling their latest big-money signing. France international Lassana Diarra has joined the Spanish club from Premier League side Portsmouth and it is hoped that the midfielder will have a positive affect on their season.

The 23-year-old passed a medical on Monday and has signed a long-term contract that keeps him at the Bernabeu until 2013. The fee for the player is expected to be around £18m, so it is easy to see why Portsmouth couldn’t turn it down.

Speaking about the move, Diarra says that it is an ‘honour’ to be wearing the Real Madrid shirt. Real president Ramon Calderon then claimed that the midfielder will have a ‘great future’ in Spain because he is an ‘exceptional player’.

It has to be said that Calderon is not wrong when he praises the talents of Diarra. He has shown in the few appearances that he has made for Portsmouth that he is a player of pure class and one that should suit the leap in standard. His ability on the ball is superb and he reminds me of a Real Madrid legend from the past – Claude Makelele.

It would be money well spent for Juande Ramos should Diarra manage to emulate the performances of his fellow Frenchman. Despite selling Makelele to Chelsea a number of years ago, many argue that he has never been replaced. Perhaps this is no longer the case.

This is a lot of weight on Diarra’s shoulders, but I would place a football bet on the fact that he is prepared for the challenge ahead. He is a very ambitious individual, after all. In an era of football where many players are happy to sit on the sidelines, Diarra is desperate to play football and make the most of his career.

When he wasn’t getting a game at Chelsea, he decided to move to Arsenal. When he wasn’t getting a game at Arsenal, he moved to Portsmouth. It was a smaller club, but he knew that he would be playing football every week. He also knew that it was a chance to show his talents to the big clubs, like Madrid, around the world.

One thing I will express a slight concern about it why didn’t it work out for Diarra at Chelsea or Arsenal? Arsene Wenger in particular normally keeps faith with youngsters, but for some reason he was happy to move Diarra on. Perhaps there was a personality clash between the two?

That is all in the past now though and Diarra must focus on improving Madrid’s league position. The Spanish giants currently sit 5th in the league after a run of three defeats in their last four games. Ramos did record a victory in his first home game against Valencia though and Diarra will be hoping that this will be the start of better fortunes for his new team.

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about football betting

New Real Madrid boss eyes Premier stars

By Guest Writer Thomas Rooney

Newly appointed Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos has set his sights on signing two Premier League players at the first given opportunity. It is being reported that Ramos wants to bring Tottenham midfielders David Bentley and Aaron Lennon to the Bernabau.

More on this in a minute, but first I have to talk about the decision to appoint Ramos in the first place. To be honest, I see it as a clear sign of Real Madrid’s desperation. They sit nine points behind leaders Barcelona in 5th place and a 4-3 defeat to Ramos’ former club Sevilla was the final straw for outgoing boss Bernd Schuster.

In response to this they have appointed a man who watched on as his reputation fell apart during a dire spell in charge of Tottenham. Ramos did win the Carling Cup last season with the English club, but the start of this campaign was their worst ever to a league campaign and it cost the Spaniard his job.

After spending so much money in the summer, Ramos’ team sat rock bottom on the Premier League and the player’s confidence was lower than ever.

With this in mind, it is rather bizarre that the most famous club in the world, Real Madrid, have left it just 45 days after this nightmare to leave him in charge of rebuilding their season.

In fairness to Ramos, it may just be a case of not coping with the culture change, the language barrier and the different style of football. He did, after all, have great success with Sevilla in Spain and this is what the Real Madrid officials will be basing their appointment on.

Like I have mentioned though, Ramos is keen to return to Tottenham – but only to buy two of their best players. Bentley and Lennon have played a huge part in Tottenham’s revival since Ramos left, but it is thought that they are being targeted by the new Real Madrid boss.

To be honest though, I can’t see this happening at all. The atmosphere in the Tottenham dressing room was so bad during Ramos’ reign that I doubt either player would want to work with him again – especially this soon after he left the club. Bentley himself has even described Ramos’ management as ‘shocking’ and went on to say that ‘We have not been together; we have not known where we are running or what we have been doing.’

With this in mind, I wouldn’t place a football bet on any of Tottenham’s players jumping ship to Real Madrid anytime soon!

The focus for Ramos needs to be the games leading up to January though as they look to climb back up the table. His first task is to take his team to Barcelona this weekend – talk about a tough start! I suppose it gives him the chance to win over the Madrid fans straight away!

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about football betting

Gago lays in to Real Madrid's critics

By Thomas Rooney

Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago has hit back at doubters of his side’s ability. Throughout this season to date, the Spanish club have been criticised for their performances and their capability to win trophies has been questioned.

Gago is convinced that the team are ‘playing better than people say’ and that they will be challenging for all honours come the end of the season. The Argentinean says he thinks about ‘winning every game’ that Real Madrid compete in and this will remain the case for the rest of the campaign.

In fairness to Gago, he does have a point when he says that things are going much better than some people have been suggesting. Real Madrid currently sit three points adrift of Barcelona in the La Liga table, so as far as the league title is concerned – the football odds are far from ruling them out just yet.

Then, in terms of the Champions League, Real Madrid are through to the last 16 after defeating BATE Borisov 1-0 last night thanks to a goal from the ever consistent Raul. Overall, they are in touch with the Spanish league leaders and through to the latter stages of the Champions League, so it is no surprise that Gago has questioned what else can be done to please the critics.

Looking at Real Madrid’s results over the season so far though, it can be assessed as to what the criticism is being aimed at. Yes, they are still involved in the two main competitions of their season, but defeat in the Copa Del Rey to Real Union was very embarrassing. Then, there is the defeats in La Liga to Valladolid and Deportivo as well as crashing to Juventus home and away in Europe.

So, as much as the overall picture isn’t too bad at the Bernabau – you can see where the criticism has come from. Madrid have been beaten on too many occasions for this stage of the season.

In the next couple of weeks they have Getafe and Sevilla in La Liga. Football betting will be favouring them to win these games and it is mighty important they do so to continue the momentum gathered from the last couple of results. Then, they can go into the game with Barcelona on the 14th December in some decent form.

Thomas Rooney

Henry rules out Premier league move

By Thomas Rooney

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry isn’t normally out of the news for too long. Whether it’s for his fantastic ability with a football or for the criticism he often receives from sections of the Barcelona crowd – there is normally something interesting going on in the world of the former Arsenal man.

This time, Henry is being linked with a move away from the Spanish club. The 31-year-old has been tipped to end his inconsistent time in Spain by moving back to the Premier League in England. Chelsea and Manchester City have apparently been tracking his progress and could make a move in the January transfer window.

In reaction to these reports though, the player himself has ruled out a move back to England by saying that he is determined to stay and continue to play for Barcelona. As we all know, Henry has played somewhat of a ‘bit-part’ role for the club this season, but this isn’t affecting his loyalty to them.

The Frenchman has insisted that he is ‘happy at Barcelona’ and that he doesn’t see himself playing in England anytime soon. Henry also hailed Samuel Eto’o as ‘the best striker in the world’ and admitted that he was one of the reasons he hadn’t been able to play as much as he would have liked this season.

Henry may have ruled out a move, but he did admit that he could do ‘incredible things in England’. This is something I have to agree with. If he moved back to the Premier League he could rediscover the form that he showed over so many years for Arsenal. He wouldn’t receive half the criticism he receives in Spain and he could re-new his love for playing the game.

As things stand though, Henry is a Barcelona player and will continue to do all he can to help the team win trophies this season. Tonight sees them take on Benidorm in the Copa del Rey where the football odds will be expecting a heavy win and despite of all this speculation, I’m sure that this game is the only thing on Henry’s mind. He is a model professional after all.

Something I would place a lot of football betting money on though, is that Henry will not finish his career at Camp Nou. He has revealed that he wants to play in America before his career ends, so even if England isn’t his destination, I’m pretty sure he won’t be a Barcelona player for many years to come.

By Thomas Rooney