motd: sky sports 1 v setanta sports

With the forthcoming arrival of Sky to our new place, the majority of folk know (those who are into sport, especially football anyway) it isn’t worth committing your cash to the dish without a sports package. As money is still a bit tight the full Sky Sports package (containing Sky Sports 1, 2 and 3) has been ruled out – as it stands at £34 per month.
This leave either Setanta Sports (containing Setanta Sports 1, Setanta Sports 2, Setanta Sports News, NASN + plus yucky Liverpool, Arsenal, Celtic, Rangers, Golf and Racing UK channels) or one individual Sky Sports channel (either 1 or 2, as Sky Sports 3 is a bonus when both the other channels are purchased).
As Sky split their football coverage between the two channels, with Sky Sports 1 getting the majority of Premiership games and Sky Sports 2 getting the majority of Champions League games (I’m not too bothered with the League Cup games, will just grab the highlights or see any mouthwatering matches in the pub) I’ve got a big decision to make.
With the majority of the football I’ll probably want to see is in the premiership, as there are more games, I’ll put forward Sky Sports 1 against Setanta Sports in the big showdow to decide which will make it to my shinny new Sky+ box. Any Chamipons league games that I do want to watch that aren’t on ITV’s schedule, ill just either pop to the pub or go visit my folks

The verdict follows after the break…

england v austria/croatia

With the probably insignificant match against Croatia following the friendly verses Austria, I thought I’d post up my choice selection for the two matches, although the choice of quality players was pretty short. Maybe calls for a limit of foreign players from Coppell, Ferguson and Gerrard should be listened to, apparently on the weekend just gone, of all the players featuring in the premiership only 88 were English, the others (over 200, can’t recall the exact number?) foreign. Surely can’t be that healthy for the English national game?

With Rooney out, I’ve gone for Crouch and Owen. After Hargreeves yet again pulling out with injury, it has allowed Barry to keep his well earned place with Gerrard in the centre and of course Joe Cole on the left. I’ve decided to leave Beckham out and instead start with Wright-Phillips, to try and take early advantage with all of his pace and energy.
The defensive line was hard with so many injuries. I’ve ended up with Brown, Richards, Lescott and Ashley Cole, though with all respect I wouldn’t have the greatest amount of confidence for this back line. So you’d think with this pretty much unproven defence that I’d choose some experienced shot stopper between the sticks. Nope. I’ve gone with Carson, I feel he deserves a start, and at his age some major experience at this level could do him a world of good!

Match prediction: England 3 – 0 Austria, England 1 – 0 Croatia

is the special one still feeling special?

Wow what a surprise I had when I woke up this morning. Not only was waking up an hour earlier to go to work so I could finish earlier, but I woke up to the news that Jose Mourinho had parted ways with Chelsea FC. Okay they got off to a bad start this season but so have Man Utd and Liverpool started poorly last season. Also with Man United not being their usual prolific selves there was every chance Chelsea could have got something at Old Trafford on the weekend.

As yet (and probably for a good while) we don’t know why Chelsea and Jose have gone their separate ways at such an early part of the season, did Mourinho walk or was he pushed we will maybe never know as Roman, Peter and co will probably get all involved to sign a confidentiality agreement. Roman Ambramovich may well have decided enough is enough after the Rosenborg game, Rosenborg the weak team of Chelsea’s group held them to a 1-1 draw. Apparently Ambramovich decided on buying a football game after watching Man Utd play Real Madrid in an epic game. After that he then decided to buy a club to conquer Europe in the style which the Red Devils and the Galacticos played that evening, Roman should’ve noted that neither team won the European Cup that year.

I feel it definitely is not a step forward for Chelsea, Mourinho has done an amazing job at Chelsea, winning so much in such little time, okay he’s had the money but everyone knows money does not guarantee anything in football. It is hard to keep so many massive names happy like Mourinho did. I have not agreed wit a lot of what Mourinho has done and was the main reason why one of Europe’s top refs (on a par with Collina) Frisk took early retirement. Whoever will be gaining Jose will be gaining success, and the English Premier League will be leaving a great character and one of the greatest premiership managers.

I’ll leave you with one of Jose gems, it comes at the end of this YouTube video summarising his Chelsea life in three minutes, he came out with some really odd stuff but possibly left he strangest until the final few days, here’s Mourinho comparing his team with an omelette?!?!

See ya Jose!