Daily News Roundup: 19 April 2007

West Ham and Watford were all but condemned to the drop yesterday. That and plenty more in today’s roundup.

General News Headlines

1. 1. Yesterday’s biggest news was David Dein’s exit from Arsenal. Three main things you need to know – a) the board commits to not sell their shares for the next year, b) Dein isn’t bound to that deal and has 14.5% shares of Arsenal and c) Kroenke has around 10-11% shares.Nothing yet on what’s really going on, but here’s one guarantee – the Dein exit was definitely about shares and takeovers, nothing else. And if Dein’s gone out because the board’s not willing to sell, then Arsenal could potentially be under a takeover bid in the comming month(s).

      The only laughable bit in the media reaction was Reuters referring to the Sun’s coverage of the news as if it were from a holy book. Considering the trash the Sun puts out on an hourly basis, seeing Reuters get their ‘analysis’ from them kills a little bit of football inside me.

1. 1. A Premiership wrap for last night – Blackburn beat Watford 3-1, Liverpool beat Middlesbrough 2-0 and Chelsea beat West Ham (away) 4-1. Relegation beckons for Watford and West Ham, nothingness for Boro. Pool are fighting for 3rd place, Chelsea for 1st and Blackburn (who have 5 games to go, 6 points off 7th spot and a game in hand) are hoping for Europe.

1. 1. I missed this one yesterday – from Reuters, news comes in that after Real Madrid’s ‘controversial’ defeat to Racing Santander, the referee has been getting threats and his kids are being harassed.Football’s a bitch sometimes, ainnit?

1. 1. The customary Owen Hargreaves column. My favorite bit:“People might be amazed at how Chelsea keep digging out results but that is the mark of a good team and that is why they are still in every competition.

      It’s not a coincidence. All those teams who say they were unlucky and deserved more – it’s a load of rubbish.

      You get what you deserve and when you have good players, experience and talent it shows.”

      [Source: BBC]

1. 1. Just because it is ironic and funny…Real Madrid are now denying that they ever made an approach for Rafael Benitez. Apart from the fact that Real Madrid just called Benitez a liar (there’s your irony), this face-saving act (that’s the funny bit) isn’t fooling anyone.

1. 1. Fifa’s international rankings for April have Italy back in 1st spot and England slipping to 8th. Are we really that good mate?

1. 1. Control freak soccer mom leaves teenage daughter on the highway after slapping her for not showing the right attitude.I’m sure there’s a side to this story that will help us feel sympathy for the soccer mom.

      Trust the Sun to find that side, along with just the right titty-peak for the soccer mom and a brash of underage, overgrown models posing nude as soccer moms.

1. 1. An interesting article at 101 Great Goals where they talk about how stars are being ‘brought in’ at ever-younger ages in an effort to get a jump on talent.Read it for yourself.

1. 1. United fans won’t like this – apparently Louis Saha is still injured, and a best-case scenario points at an early May return. We’ll know more on the weekend, but playing Milan without Saha will be tough.

1. 1. Sticking with United, here’s an interesting analysis of Wayne Rooney’s contract and the bonus payments Manchester United potentially owe Everton.I have 2 questions – how do we get our hands on these ‘terms’, and what are Carrick’s terms?

1. 1. The media can’t have enough of Roy Keane.

1. 1. BBC’s Match of the Day had a female commentator (Jacqui Oatley) on Saturday – and in the aftermath, Britain rose in opposition to what was seen as the surest sign of the end of the world.Let’s hope this weekend will be less dramatic. Not having heard the lady, I can’t properly defend her, but one thinks that if she’s played the game and has already done a good job at Five Live, it can’t be too bad, can it?

      Here’s the relevant Guardian blog post – interesting for once 🙂

1. 1. No, I’m not going to let this go. The Sun says here that “David Dein masterminded the move from Highbury to Emirates”, while the Independent says that “Dein’s involvement in the move to the Emirates was minimal” (the Ind article is quite good actually, take a look). Who’s right?

1. 1. Bayern Munich vs VFB Stuttgart – battle for a Champions League spot, and it’s one that Bayern could lose.

Soccerlens Coverage

1. 1. David Dein will be back in Arsenal, very soon

1. 1. Wednesday Goals: Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Marseille and West Ham

1. 1. New Site Design

1. 1. Arsenal dump Dein, but how is Kroenke involved?

1. 1. Why do Newcastle United players keep getting injured?