Time Running Out On Ince

Time appears to be running out on Paul Ince at Blackburn after another defeat has left them as strong relegation candidates come May.

This latest defeat was a 3-1 reverse at home against high-flying Liverpool, for whom Yossi Benayoun, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard were on target. Roque Santa Cruz, the wantaway Paraguay striker, got Blackburns consolation. Yet Ince (above) must now surely find himself under pressure and his moans about institutional racism and his old Man United connections can’t save him. He isn’t under pressure for those reasons.

He’s under pressure due to his failings as a manager.  In under six months at Ewood Park he has taken a club from relative stability (indeed the board at Ewood budgets to finish in the top 10 each season) into a relegation dogfight.

Game of the weekend unquestionably came on Sunday at Goodison as Aston Villa beat Everton 3-2. Twice Everton came from behind with goals from Joleon Lescott. Steve Sidwell, after only 34 seconds, and Ashley Young had given Villa the lead. Lescotts second equaliser came in the 93rd minute, only for Young to snatch the three points for Villa with virtually the last kick of the game.

Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal all recorded wins at the top of the table over Bolton, Sunderland and Wigan respectively.

Inconsistent Man City gained a credible point at Craven Cottage drawing 1-1 with Fulham. City, minus Robinho, took the lead through a Benjani header in the fourth minute but an excellent goal from Jimmy Bullard gave Fulham a share of the spoils. West Brom continue to be rooted to the foot of the table after a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth, Peter Crouch cancelling out Jonathan Greening’s opener.

Hull took all three points at the KC stadium beating Middlesbrough. Tuncay back-heeled Boro’ in front on 79 minutes only for them to be behind just four minutes later thanks to a Ross Turnbull own goal and a penalty from Marlon King.

Stoke came from two goals behind to gain a point at Newcastle, who lead 2-0 at half time thanks to a Michael Owen double. Will Newcastle be able to hold onto the striker (left) when the transfer window opens in January, as it seems certain he will leave of his own accord in the summer when his contract finishes. What do you think?

In Monday evenings London derby, Spurs took all three points from Upton Park thanks to goals from Ledley King and Jamie O’Hara. West Ham were unhappy about a penalty that they didn’t go but Gianfranco Zola’s shot-shy side are in desperate need of some firepower. Who should they look at in the January sales?

Champions League Wins

Chelsea and Liverpool both were victorious in Europe on Tuesday evening to secure their places in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Chelsea defeated Cluj, the Transylvannian side, 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with bad-boy Didier Drogba gettin the winner. LIverpool won 3-1 in Eindhoven against PSV with the pick of the goals a 25-yard strike from Albert Riera which flew into the top corner.

Wolves Continue To Set The Pace

Wolverhampton Wanderers continue to set the pace in the Championship returning to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Derby on Tuesday evening. Reading and Birmingham both won as the top three look like pulling away from the rest. What does everyone out there think. Will the Championship be decided by these three sides? Or can one of the chasing pack break clear and emerge in the second half of the season to take an automatic promotion place?

Ronaldo Off As United Win, Whilst Arsenal Shock Chelsea

Manchester United emerged victorious from the Manchester derby against City by one goal to nil, despite having Cristiano Ronaldo sent off, whilst a Robin van Persie double saw Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.

At Eastlands, United were in cruise control during the first half as they created chances and dominated possession against a lacklustre City side. Indeed the most fight shown by City came from a ballboy who forcefully threw the ball back to Ronaldo. With Carrick and Fletcher running midfield, and young starlet Rafael nullifying the threat of Robinho City lacked any sort of spark.

Therefore, it came as no surprise when a Wayne Rooney tap-in gave United the lead, following a shot from Michael Carrick that Joe Hart could only parry into the England forwards path.

In the second half and Ronaldo, expected to be announced as the European footballer of the year on Monday (the Ballon d’or), was sent off in strange circumstances. Having been booked for a foul on Shaun Wright-Phillips when it looked like he had played the ball, the Portugese winger handled from a corner, when had he headed the ball he would have surely scored. The United number 7 claimed he had heard a whistle from the crowd, but referee Howard Webb had no choice but to show him a second yellow card and the red.

As it was, United saw out the final twenty minutes fairly comfortably and took three points from the City of Manchester Stadium.

At Stamford Bridge Chelsea took a lead against Arsenal, lead by new captain Cesc Fabregas, thanks to an own goal by Swiss defender Johan Djourou, as he diverted a Bosingwa cross into his own net. Until that point the first half had been quite even and it continued to be so. After half time and Arsenal were dominated by Chelsea and it looked like a matter of time until the blues extended their lead.

However, cometh the hour and cometh the man as Robin van Persie, the injury-prone Dutch forward, turned the game on its head with two goals in three minutes.

Firstly, a crisp right-foot strike slammed the ball into the top right hand corner past Petr Cech, from the edge of the penalty area, despite replays showing he was in an offside position when the ball was played.

Three minutes later and he sent a sweet left foot strike low past Cech’s despairing dive into the bottom right corner of the net, inflicting on Chelsea their second home defeat of the season and giving Arsenal the slightest hope in their chase for the title.

Elsewhere this weekend and Bolton were the big winners as they destroyed Sunderland at the Stadium of Light 4-1. Djibril Cisse had given the Mack’ems the lead, but Matthew Taylor, Gary Cahill and Johan Elmander (2) sealed the win for Gary Megsons in-from side.

Everton were victorious against Harry Redknapps Spurs thanks to a deflected Steven Pienaar effort after 51 minutes. However, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, the prolific Nigerian forward, will miss the rest of the season for David Moyes side with a ruptured achilles, “A huge blow” according to Moyes.

Portsmouth threw away a two goal lead for the second time this week, only to beat Paul Ince’s Blackburn Rovers 3-2. Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe scored early in the second half, only for Matt Derbyshire and Tugay to bring Rovers level. However, ten minutes from time and a Sean Davis goal sealed the victory for Tony Adams’ side.

Bottom of the table West Brom were beaten again 2-1 at Wigan, with Emerson Boyce grabbing the winner, as Albion missed a host of chances. Stoke and Hull contested a hard fought 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium, whilst Aston Villa and Fulham, Middlesbrough and Newcastle both ended goalless.

Fantastic FA Cup Weekend

The 2nd round of the FA Cup sponsored by Eon saw some terrific games and my congratulations go out to all those sides who have progressed to round three, but especially to the giant killers of Histon, who turned over Leeds United, and to Eastwood who emerged victorious against Wycombe Wanderers, the only side in the football league still unbeaten in the league.

Great Advert For The Championship

Just thought that I’d add that the West Midlands derby between Wolves and Birmingham was a great advert for the Championship, which is still the most exciting and unpredictable league in England. An excellent match between the top two ended 1-1, goals from Cameron Jerome for Blues and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake for Wolves, and was fiercely competitive, exciting and not lacking in quality. Give me an exciting game like this over one of the numerous bland and boring games the Premier League has dished up this season anyday.