Rooney: Let's kick on now. Via Bleacher Report

Wayne Rooney believes the Reds’ come-from-behind victory in Portugal on Wednesday night can be the catalyst for a winning run in November.

The United striker netted a penalty in the 3-1 win against SC Braga to help secure safe passage to the Champions League knockout phase with two games to spare.

Now Rooney wants the Reds to build on the result and hit top form as Sir Alex’s men prepare for trips to Aston Villa, Norwich City and Galatasaray before ending the month hosting Queens Park Rangers and West Ham at Old Trafford.

“There have been games this season where we've been fantastic and there have been games where we've had to grind out results,” he told Sky Sports.

“Tonight we had a difficult night and we weren't at our best but we won the game and that's all we can ask. We've topped the group and that's the main thing. We're happy with that.

“We're in a good position and we know we can play better football. Now we have a run of games where we feel we can get maximum points, so hopefully we can do that.”

United are the only side in this season’s Champions League competition to have collected four wins from the first four games and the Reds are assured of a first-place finish in Group H, regardless of what happens in the final two fixtures.

It’s a far cry from the position Sir Alex’s men found themselves in last season, when United tumbled out of the competition with defeat in Basel on matchday six.

Rooney believes the side learnt valuable lessons from that experience, though, and says the Reds have what it takes to go on and win the competition

“We were disappointed to go out at the group stage last year so our target this year was to qualify and then take it from there. 

Thankfully we've done that after four games and topped the group. We're really pleased with that.

“Last season we had a lot of new young players come into the team and [Champions League football] is a different experience for them. They've gained experience from last season and the manager's given them further chances this season and that's paid off for us.

“Anyone can go on a run and win the tournament. We have to make sure we're at our best and you need to be a bit lucky in the draw for the early rounds of the knockout stages but we're ready and with the final at Wembley it's a great incentive for us."

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Sir Alex Ferguson wants Euro hat-trick before he retires as manager. Via Manchester Evening News

By James Robson 

Sir Alex Ferguson is targeting at least one more Champions League triumph before he retires.

The United manager has ruled Europe on two occasions in his 26 years at Old Trafford – reaching two more finals.

He believes he has the squad to challenge Real Madrid and Barcelona this season – and last night watched his side reach the knockout stages of the competition with a fourth straight win.

Turning 71 at the end of the year, he knows time is running out for him to emulate his successes of 1999 and 2008 – but he believes his side can triumph in the final at Wembley again this season.

“I think in terms of the history of our club, we should have one more and I want to win it again and get into the bracket of winners like Liverpool, our biggest rivals, Bayern Munich and Ajax,” said Ferguson.

“I think AC Milan and Real Madrid have got separated from the rest of the bunch but that definitely drives me on a bit.

“I get really frustrated when I think about the opportunities we have had to win it, but you can’t be greedy. You look at my career and I have won two European Cups and the Cup Winners’ Cup and I am proud of that.”

United’s form in Europe has been perfect this season despite frights against Cluj and twice against Braga.

Source: Manchester Evening News 

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KIKOSI CHA STARS HIKI HAPA

Kocha wa Taifa Stars, Kim Poulsen

Makipa
Juma Kaseja na Deogratius Munishi

Mabeki  
Nassor Masoud, Agrey Morris, Kelvin Yondani, Shomari Kapombe, Erasto Nyoni, Amir Maftah na Issa Rashid.
.

Wafuatao ni viungo

Ramadhan Singano, Salum Abubakar, Mwinyi Kazimoto, Athuman Idd, Frank Domoya, Shaaban Nditi, Amri Kiemba and Mrisho Ngassa.

Washambuliaji

John Bocco, Simon Msuva, Mbwana Samata, Thomas Ulimwengu na Edward Christopher.

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Man United Nayo Yawaua Braga 3-1, Champions League

Timu ya Manchester United nayo jana usiku  ilifanya mauaji baada ya kuichabanga Braga magoli 3-1 kwenye mashindo ya klabu bingwa ya Ulaya kwenye hatua ya makundi na kujikita kileleni mwa kundi lao huku wanaofuatia wakiachwa nyuma kwa pointi 8.

Magoli ya Man United yalikwamishwa nyavuni na Van Persie katika dakika  ya 80, Wayne Rooney katika dakika y 85 na Hernandez aka Chicharito katika dakika ya 90. Intavo ya dakika 5 kwa kila goli. Huku Braga ambao walikuwa wa kwanza kuliona lango la wapinzania wao walifunga goli lao katika dakika ya 49, goli lililowekwa kwenye nyavu na Alan. 

Timu zilipangwa kama ifuatavyo:-

Braga

• 33 Beto
• 04 Nuno Andre
• 20 Echiejile (Ze Luis - 90' )
• 44 Douglao
• 05 Ruben Amorim (Barbosa - 86' )
• 14 Ruben Micael
• 25 Leandro Salino
• 27 Custodio Booked
• 45 Viana (Mossoro - 86' )
• 17 Eder Booked
• 30 Alan

Substitutes

• 01 Quim
• 15 Baiano
• 21 Ismaily
• 08 Mossoro
• 22 Djamal
• 10 Barbosa
• 29 Ze Luis

Manchester United

• 01 De Gea
• 03 Evra
• 06 Evans (Ferdinand - 58' )
• 12 Smalling Booked
• 07 Valencia
• 08 Anderson
• 11 Giggs
• 17 Nani (Rafael - 73' )
• 10 Rooney
• 14 Hernandez
• 19 Welbeck (Van Persie - 64' )

Substitutes

• 13 Lindegaard
• 02 Rafael
• 05 Ferdinand
• 16 Carrick
• 18 Young
• 23 Cleverley
• 20 Van Persie

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Celtic Yawafanyia Kweli Barcelona

 

Timu ya Celtic jana  usiku ilionesha kwamba Barcelona si chohcote kwao baada ya kuwatungua mara mbili kwa magoli yaliyowekwa kimiani na Wanyama 'mwafrika toka Kenya' katika dakika ya 21 na Watt dakika ya 83 kabla Messi hajasaidia kuwafuta wenzake machozi kwa goli lake la dakika ya 90.

Lennon (kulia) akifurahia ushindi wa timu  yake ya Celtic ukiwa ni mara yake ya kwanza kuwafunga Barcelona na wa kwanza kwenye mashindano kwenye hatua ya makundi kama meneja.  

Hadi mwisho wa dakika 90 Barcelona walikuwa wamemiliki mpira kwa asilimia 66 huku Celtic wakichukua asilimia 34.

Celtic walipiga mashuti matatu nayo yalilenga goli, walipata kona mbili, na walicheza faulo tisa; huku Barcelona wakipiga mashuti 25 na 14 yakilenga goli, kona 7 na faulo 9. 

na timu zilikuwa kama ifuatavyo:-

Picture source: SNS

Celtic

• 01 Forster
• 02 Matthews
• 04 Ambrose
• 06 Wilson
• 21 Mulgrew
• 23 Lustig (Watt - 72' )
• 15 Commons
• 16 Ledley
• 67 Wanyama
• 07 Miku Booked
• 09 Samaras (Kayal - 79' )

Substitutes

• 24 Zaluska
• 44 Fraser
• 20 McCourt
• 31 Herron
• 33 Kayal
• 46 McGeouch
• 32 Watt

Barcelona

• 01 Valdes
• 02 Alves
• 15 Bartra (Pique - 71' )
• 18 Alba Booked
• 06 Xavi
• 08 Iniesta
• 10 Messi
• 14 Mascherano
• 25 Song Booked (Fabregas - 71' )
• 09 Sanchez (Villa - 67' )
• 17 Pedro

Substitutes

• 13 Pinto
• 03 Pique
• 19 Montoya
• 04 Fabregas
• 12 Jonathan
• 07 Villa
• 37 Cristian Tello

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Didier Drogba Stays in China..!

DIDIER DROGBA has ruled out a return to the Premier League.

Chelsea’s Champions League-winning hero is frequently linked to English clubs, with a mooted two-month loan to Liverpool being just one of many rumours.

But Drogba, 34, insists he has no intention of cutting short his stay with Shanghai Shenhua.

The Ivory Coast international, who moved to the Chinese Super League in the summer, said: “I hope next season I can start again from the beginning with Shenhua.

“Because I joined relatively late, I didn’t prepare with the team early in the season, so our results were not very good.”

Drogba quit Chelsea for a reported £200,000-a-week payday in China and notched eight goals in 11 appearances for his new club.

The Chinese season begins in March and the striker is determined to help Shenhua improve on last term’s ninth-placed finish.

Via 
THE Sun

 

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Champions League: Man City 2-2 Ajax & Arsenal 2-2 Schalke

Manchester City's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages are just about alive - after they only managed a 2-all draw against Ajax.

Siem de Jong scored twice in 17 minutes to take Ajax ahead at the Etihad Stadium.

City's Yaya Toure pulled one back before half time, before Sergio Aguero equalised after the break.

The draw leaves City bottom of Group D, with just two points from four games.

City boss Roberto Mancini blamed the result on poor refereeing - they had a goal disallowed and were denied a penalty in injury time.

It was also an ugly night for Arsenal, who decided to throw away a 2-nil lead against Schalke to end up drawing 2-all.

Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud put one each in the net during the first half.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored for Schalke just before the break and then Jefferson Farfan made things equal in the second half.

It leaves Arsenal second in their group with seven points and two games left to play.

Source: BBC CBBC Newsround

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US Election. As it Happened. (News in Pictures)

 Obama waves back to his supporters

 Obama's supporters

 Obama's Supporters

 People following the US Election 

news from Japana

 A confused Republican Supporter after

 hearing the election results.

 Republican Supporters showing confused 

faces after knowing the election results

 Mitt Romney with his wife during voting

 Barack Obama with his family

 Obama with his supporters

 Obama kisses his wife

 Mr. Obama

 Obama hugs his wife

Vice president,  Joe Biden exists

   the voting booth

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Profile: Barack Obama. Via ALJAZEERA

First African-American president of the United States swept to power in 2008 on a platform of "change".

In a country scarred by centuries of racial tension and violence, Barack Obama made history when he was elected the United States' first African-American president in November 2008.

His White House campaign promoted a message of "change" and became a fundraising phenomenon, raising hundreds of million dollars - 99 per cent of it from individual donors.

Domestically, Obama's first term in office has been dominated by the passage of his Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as "Obamacare", which he signed into law despite fierce Republican opposition.

Obama also ordered the bailout of the country's struggling car industry in 2009 and signed into law a repeal of the military's controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy preventing gay people from serving.
He also signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which tightened regulation of the financial system.

On the international stage, Obama has withdrawn US troops from Iraq, a conflict he opposed from the beginning, although thousands of US troops remain in Afghanistan.

The president has failed to close the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, as he had promised in 2008.
In 2011, the president ordered a team of Navy SEALs to kill Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, at his compound in Pakistan.

Beginnings
The son of a Kenyan father and US mother, Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961.
After his parents' divorce, his mother remarried and he lived in Indonesia for several years.
Obama later obtained his degree in New York and spent several years working for church groups assisting the poor in Chicago in the midwestern state of Illinois.

Eventually, like several other presidential candidates, he entered the legal profession, becoming the first African-American president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review while obtaining his law degree.
He then returned to Chicago, teaching and working as a civil rights lawyer before entering the Illinois state senate in 1997.


Path to power
In 2004, Obama was elected to the US senate, only the third African-American to achieve such a post since the US' Reconstruction era of the late 19th century.

Not long afterwards, Obama delivered the keynote speech at the Democratic Party's annual convention in Boston, Massachusetts, in which he criticised George Bush, the US president at the time, and called for an end to the Iraq war.

The speech sparked national interest in the young senator, and soon led to a wave of queries from the media over whether he would announce his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

When he finally did so, there was a media frenzy. The young, photogenic senator was feted by many as the new face of the Democrats.

But he only secured the nomination after a long and at times bitter presidential primary campaign against rival Hillary Clinton, the New York senator and former first lady.

After he won the presidency, she accepted his offer to become secretary of state.

Four years on
The 44th US president took office with an approval rating of more than 80 per cent. As his first term draws to a close, however, his approval ratings have hovered slightly below 50 per cent.

Although the unemployment rate fell below eight per cent in September, for the first time since Obama took office, it is still high by historical standards.

National polls show the president running roughly even with his Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, although Obama has small leads in some critical swing states such as Ohio.

Some speculate that Obama's response to Hurricane Sandy, a 'super storm' that hit the East Coast a week before election day, may have given him a boost in the polls.

One exit poll found two-thirds of voters cited Obama's response to the storm as a factor in their vote.

Source: ALJAZEERA

645

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Obama Owns the WHITE HOUSE For The Second Term

WASHINGTON: Voters awarded President Barack Obama a second term Tuesday, as he swept most battleground states despite voters' lingering concerns about the economy and the direction that the country is headed.

From the start of this campaign, polls showed the president with narrow but persistent leads in the states that would have the final say on Election Day. While the overall vote was close nationally, Mr. Obama defeated challenger Republican Mitt Romney in most of the tossup states, including the most coveted, Ohio.
The Republican nominee's late push to expand the electoral map and make states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan competitive fell short, leaving him little chance of winning without Ohio in his column.

In the end, Mr. Obama relied on a sophisticated ground operation to mobilize the demographic groups that had been his most reliable supporters: minority, young and female voters. Mr. Romney managed to peel away many white voters, particularly working-class men, but that wasn't enough to overtake the president.
Exit polls showed Mr. Obama with 60% support among voters under 30, and he won 55% of the female vote. While Mr. Romney won 58% of the white vote, according to exit polls, the president had the support of 93% of black voters and 69% of Latinos.

When 270 electoral votes appeared to be within reach, Mr. Obama tacitly declared victory on Twitter.
"We're all in this together. That's how we campaigned, and that's who we are. Thank you," he tweeted. Supporters gathered in Chicago began their victory party, and celebratory shouts echoed in downtown Washington, D.C.

Mr. Romney hadn't conceded defeat as of early Wednesday morning. Mr. Obama, though, continued to rack up wins in most of the battlegrounds, including Colorado, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Wisconsin, leaving no apparent path to victory for the Republican. The president also held slight leads in Florida and Virginia, but both states remained too close to call.

"This is a study in what an effective ground game can accomplish," said Michael Hunt of the Democratic Party in Iowa, where Mr. Obama won. "It's like we studied for an exam for months and now we've earned it."
Mr. Obama's victory in the bruising campaign marks a landmark in modern election history. No sitting president since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 has won re-election with a higher unemployment rate, which stands at 7.9%. It is also the first time since 1816 the U.S. has had three consecutive two-term presidents. Also re-elected was Joe Biden of Delaware as vice president.

Tuesday's election was the culmination of the most expensive presidential contest in history, as both parties funneled billions into attack ads, super-PAC expenditures and get-out-the-vote efforts. Mr. Romney relied on a single, overarching message, believing that this election would turn on the economy.

Exit polls suggested that the argument had some resonance, with most voters saying that the economy was the most important issue and only four in 10 saying that it was getting better. Still, voters were nearly evenly divided on the question of who would better handle the economy, and more voters viewed Mr. Obama favorably than the Republican challenger.

Though it was a hard-fought and expensive election, it yielded a status quo result after $6 billion in spending and an estimated 1.2 million political ads. Mr. Obama retained the presidency, and Congress remained divided, as Republicans kept control of the House and Democrats still held a majority in the Senate.

In many ways, Tuesday's results appeared to be an endorsement of the president—but not necessarily his policies. While many voters expressed positive feelings about the Obama administration, a plurality of voters support a repeal of Mr. Obama's health-care law, exit polls showed. More than half said government is doing too many things better left to individuals and businesses, one of Mr. Romney's oft-stated themes.

Messrs. Obama and Romney both projected confidence up until the polls closed, and even as returns began to trickle in, advisers from both camps continued to argue that they saw a path to victory. The president said he was cautiously optimistic Tuesday, and after greeting supporters in Pittsburgh Tuesday, Mr. Romney said he felt more certain than ever that he would win.

The exit polls showed Mr. Romney's message that he would be a better steward of the economy failed to resonate as widely as he hoped. Just more than half of those polled said the Republican's policies favored the rich.

In Ohio, perhaps the biggest prize among the swing states, voters were nearly evenly split on the question of who would better handle the economy, according to the exit polls, and a majority said former President George W. Bush was more to blame than Mr. Obama for current economic problems.

Strong turnout around the country also appeared to favor the president, although final figures weren't available. Polling places around the country saw long lines, with some people waiting two hours or more to cast their ballot.

In Manassas, Va., poll worker Maurica Rodgers, who has volunteered at the site for 15 years, watched the line of hundreds of voters and said, "This is the most I've seen for a presidential election." At a Burbank, Calif., church, two dozen people were waiting to vote before the polls even opened, poll workers said.

Strong support from women was critical for the president. Marina Santos, 41, said at a polling place on the northern outskirts of Nevada that she voted for Mr. Obama "because I'm for women's rights." Referring to what she called attacks by the Republican Party on women, Ms. Santos, an unemployed appointments clerk, added, "It's my body. I should be able to choose what I do with it."

In Nevada, some Latino voters cited Mr. Romney's tough talk about immigration as a reason for voting for the president. During the Republican primaries, Mr. Romney offered support for "self-deportation" by those in the country illegally.

"I don't think he likes Latinos," said 32-year-old Norma Teo, a Mexican immigrant voting in a U.S. election for the first time after gaining her American citizenship earlier this year. She said she voted for Mr. Obama, in part, because "he's started doing things for Latinos, like giving more scholarships for students."

Mr. Romney did better among men and those who were concerned about the economy. "I just lost my job on Friday," said 52-year-old voter Bob Lamb in a suburb of Detroit. The Romney supporter had been working in telecommunications for a year, but was unemployed the year before. "We need real change in this country and an end to all of the regulations that are hurting business and keeping them from growing," Mr. Lamb said.

 Source: Wall Street Journal

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Man United 2, Arsenal 1, As it Happened Yesterday in the Barclays EPL

View different pictures showing you different events as it happened during the easiest game to Man United's side v Arsenal Yesterday the 3rd November 2012.

It was a really sad moment when Van Persie scored the first goal for Man United. H e did not even celebrate much as usual and may be this was because he kind of felt sorry for his former club.

He even shook hands with Arsene Wenger his former boss during half time.

Wayne Rooney missing his penalty and dissappointing Sir Alex Ferguson again. Most people, especially Man United's fans blamed Rooney for missing the penalty and thought that he should have left it to Van Persie whom they thought he would not have missed it.

 Robin Van Persie scoring the first goal to Man United.

 

Patrice Evra scoring the second goal for Man United.

Sir Alex Ferguson warned his team to be careful not to keep missing goals as he remembers how his team lost the EPL Championship by goal difference.

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Did You Know That Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Had Their Honeymoon in Tanzania?

After tying the knot in an intimate, luxurious weeklong extravaganza at the Borgo Egnaza resort in southern Italy, newlyweds Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were ready to go wild -- really wild!

Newly released photos from Oct. 21 (two days after the wedding) reveal Timberlake, 31, and wife Biel, 30, arriving via private plane in Tanzania, on the southeastern coast of Africa. That same day, the boarded a helicopter from Kilimanjaro Airport to Singita Grumeti, a private reserve in Serengeti Park. There, the couple reportedly checked out the world famous wildlife via 4 x 4s, took a hot air balloon ride and kicked back in a luxurious lodge.

For her part, Biel has already adventured in Tanzania: Back in January 2010, the Total Recall actress reached the 19,341 peak of Mount Kilimanjaro -- the world's tallest mountain! -- following a grueling week-long climb. Joined by fellow actors Emile Hirsch and Isabel Lucas, musicians Santigold and Lupe Fiasco and others, Biel joined the all-star expedition to help raise money and awarenes of the global clean water crisis.

Source: Weekly US

 

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U.S. election — It’s all over but for the rage. Via TheStar.com

By Mitch Potter  

Washington Bureau

 

                   Barack Obama and Mitt Romney

Thestar.com reported:-

It’s all over but the crying. And the fury. And the bitter recriminations, which many of America’s oldest political hands now fear will explode like never before when the electoral whip comes down Tuesday night, favouring one side just a hair over the other.

Yes, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney continue to make a show of these final three days, criss-crossing the key battlegrounds with closing arguments.

But the message-saturated United States, it seems, is tuning out — minds made up, desperate for the longest, ugliest, most expensive, most lie-infested campaign ever to just curl up and die.

The crowds have thinned on both sides as the candidates go wearily through the motions, a mark of mutually stalled momentum, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Get Out The Vote is becoming Get Off My Television. That doesn’t mean they don’t care. Far from it. On Wednesday morning, there will be rage.

Rage from Team Romney and the millions behind it, many of whom despise Obama in ways that defy description. Or rage from Team Obama’s half of the country, which will declare the White House bought and paid for by the former Massachusetts governor’s billionaire backers.

“It’s been dreadful — in many ways the worse campaign I’ve ever lived through,” said Stephen Hess, 79, the Brookings Institution presidential scholar who served four different White House teams in remarkably bipartisan fashion.

“We saw two honourable men absolutely pollute themselves in desperation to be president or remain president. Two serious, intelligent, previously honourable men who told untruths, changed their positions, refused to talk about many of the most serious issues we face, instead following advice of apparatchiks — Mad Men, really — who said tying themselves in intellectual and moral knots was the way to win.”

Romney, famously, was the more obvious flip-flopper, engineering a series of breathtaking policy pivots in the final weeks. Like a Looney Tunes cartoon in reverse, Romney unzipped the skin of an archconservative to reveal the moderate sheep within. If he wins, Democrats can only hope he won’t unzip one more time to reveal something else still.

But Obama, to the disappointment of many Democrats, chose not to sell his own story of improbable achievements, instead deploying an army of surrogates and the president’s own massive bankroll to assassinate Romney’s character, early and often.

It was a fear-based strategy that pounded the American psyche numb. To the point where, superficially, it has attained role-reversal to 2008, with Romney as the (paper-thin) candidate of Hope and Obama, warning that way lays danger.

One can parse whose smears were worse. Was it one of the half-dozen stunning remarks from Romney’s most caustic surrogate, former New Hampshire governor John Sununu, who time and again played the “birther” card, lamenting, “I wish this president would learn how to be an American.”

Or was one-man malarkey-factory Joe Biden, a vice-president who, when not hosting biker women on his lap or confusing which state he was in, managed perhaps the most specious comment in vice-presidential history, telling a largely African-American audience of 800 the Republicans are going to “put y’all back in chains.”

As a media experience, it all began much more enjoyably, observes Robert Thompson, the founding director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Centre for Television and Popular Culture.

“It did get terribly ugly. But before that the Republican primary race enjoyed a life of its own for sheer entertainment value. Whether it was Herman Cain unable to remember what Libya was or (Texas Gov.) Rick Perry freezing up trying to list one of the three parts of government he would eliminate, the country couldn’t get enough,” Thompson said.

“You didn’t need Saturday Night Live to satirize it. The comedy was built in to the real thing.”
But Thompson offers his own scathing review of the Twitterization of the race — and the overall assumption that the onset of social media has taken the place of traditional political analysis.
“Arianna Huffington, at one point, declared the debates meaningless without Twitter. But if you look at her own twitter feed, much of what she had to say was snarky and meaningless.

“My favourite, though, was a tweet that complained, “I can’t believe all politics is reduced to sound-bytes.’ Twitter makes television sound bytes seem like War and Peace,” Thompson said.

But few doubt future generations looking back on Election 2012 will fix first and foremost on the lifting of the campaign spending floodgates, with unprecedented money flowing as a consequence of the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that determined corporations, unions, and other third-party groups as “people” — entitled to spend without restraint.

“The sheer extent and vehemence on both sides, paid for by groups you’ve never heard of, twisting facts and presenting things in dark and awful ways — that’s what 2012 was to me,” said David Biette, director of the Canada Institute at Washington’s Woodrow Wilson Centre.

“We’ve always complained about negative ads. But the Citizens United decision opened up a volume and intensity that was new. It’s sinful, how much money was spent. And how do you go about changing it, after the Supreme Court has ruled?”

Both sides express confidence in victory — perhaps it’s only a mask, hiding fears of imminent loss. But with Americans now able to self-select polls that tell them what they want to hear, and partisan media to reinforce it, the prospects for Wednesday morning fury appear set in stone.

“There will be heartbreak and anger for Democrats if Obama loses. And for Republicans, not so much heartbreak, but perhaps more fury,” Biette said. “The hatred for Obama in some circles is unfathomable, absolute. It Election Day shows it to be as close as it seems, a significant number of people will believe it was stolen. The questions about fairness will hang over it all.”

Paul Frazer, a former Canadian diplomat and now a Washington consultant, worries how the poison will spill over into the next Congress. An Obama victory, almost certainly, will mean a continuation of the Bickersonian Era of congressional gridlock, with a Tea Party-infused House of Representatives at loggerheads with what is likely to again by a Democratic majority in the Senate. But a Romney victory, he says, may not be much different.

“People always think the president of the United States has more power than he really does. But the gloomier part of the scenario is that we’ll get more of the same from Washington. Whether Obama wins or Romney wins, all indication is the other side will not accept a slim margin as a mandate,” Frazer said.
“So they hurtle toward the end of the year, a lame-duck Congress, with very little time to get back to the business of avoiding a fiscal cliff and all that implies.”

Hess, a former staffer to the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations and an adviser to Presidents Ford and Carter, offers the glimmer of hope that American democracy was designed to withstand everything, including an election as poisonous as this.

“So the curtain comes down on a really perverse episode in our democracy, one that appealed to our worst instincts. Yes, there will be anger,” Hess said.

“But fast-forward to next Jan. 20 at noon — the president will be inaugurated and I’m pretty certain we go back to business as usual. The forces of reality take over. The forces of our Constitution and our strange system of checks and balances take over. We muddle through, even if we’re back to the same gridlock we were in before,” Hess said.

“So you ask yourself, how should we look back on this? Maybe the best thing is to just forget about it. Maybe that’s what American elections are becoming.

“We hold our noses, we plug our ears and we go forward. The world is not going to sink into the sea. Once the smoke clears, especially if we find ourselves with the same president, this entire exercise may not have changed anything other than our offended sensibilities.”

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Wilfred Zaha, Wanted by Man United

 This is Zaha

 Top, Second from left, and bottom, one in yellow is Zaha

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"Respect Robin Van Persie." Says Arsene Wenger

Via HITC Sport

Arsene Wenger has called on Arsenal fans to respect Robin van Persie tomorrow when they take on Manchester United.

When Arsenal take on Manchester United tomorrow there will inevitably be huge focus on former Gunners captain Robin van Persie.

The striker spent almost a decade at Arsenal before leaving this summer, after a drawn out saga over his future which took until August to resolve.

Arsenal fans are left feeling hugely embittered towards their former hero, and the thought of seeing him in a United shirt will stir emotions of anger and sickness.

Manager Arsene Wenger has urged supporters to respect the striker, who has scored 11 times in 15 games for his new side.

He said: "I hope a respectful [reception] because he played for us for eight years, he's done well, very well for us, and you want him to be respected."

That may be true, he did do well for Arsenal, very well in fact last season, but that only makes his 'betrayal' even worse.

We use the word 'betrayal' because that is exactly how supporters have described his switch, stirred by the emotion of seeing a club captain and top goalscorer who had previously been shown great loyalty by his manager and supporters through all his injury troubles, walk out on them to further his own career.
It would be one thing to see him ply his trade abroad, but for a rival it can really come back to bite them, and they will hope dearly that is not the case tomorrow.

It should not be forgotten of course that Arsenal received a substantial £24 million for the Van Persie deal, and have themselves moved on, and that money is currently lying with the board, waiting to be spent. Based on this season so far, the relevant question this match will show us, is whether the new Arsenal are moving upwards or  United are leaving them behind?

Tomorrow's fixture will be significant in that if United win they will go nine points above Arsenal; after just 10 games. With that in mind, it isn't a game the Gunners can afford to lose, and if they can pull off a surprise victory then they will be just three points behind the Red Devils.

Arsenal's travelling support are a fair bunch, but the sale of Van Persie this summer cut deep, and the wounds may be covered, but they are still raw.

Wenger was right not to inflame dislike of the striker who did do a lot for the club, he is right that should not be forgotten, but if he truly expects fans not to boo him and vent their feelings of anger then he is likely mistaken.

Should Arsenal fans show Van Persie respect? What do you think?

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It's Manchester v Arsenal Again. Read the Five Key Battle.

As it was wwritten by HITC Sport

Manchester United against Arsenal at Old Trafford is the pick of the weekend’s fixtures.

Here are five key battles ahead of the game.

 Rio Ferdinand v Olivier Giroud

 Rio Ferdinand will have to martial the defence in this game and Olivier Giroud is the player that he’ll have to dominate throughout. Ferdinand is much better equipped to handle the tall Frenchman than Jonny Evans. Ferdinand is good enough in the air and on the ground to try and steal the ball before Giroud has a chance to get it under control. This is a classic battle between defence and attack.

Rafael v Lukas Podolski

Polish striker Lukas Podolski plays in a very similar way to how Thierry Henry used to operate in the Arsenal front line. He drifts out to the left and almost becomes a left winger at times hugging the touch line before cutting inside. This is something he will have to do if Arsenal go with two strikers. If Rafael can keep him quiet and force him down to the corner flag then it will dramatically decrease the influence Podolski has on the game.

Tom Cleverley v Mikel Arteta

There is only one winner here in terms of experience but both players play a similar role for their teams. Cleverly has the edge in terms of speed and being able to adjust and retreat after each attack. He will have to have more of an influence on the game than Arteta who loves nothing more than to sit in the midfield in games like this and pull the strings. If Arteta is allowed to be the focus of every Arsenal attack, they will stand a great chance of winning.

Wayne Rooney v Per Mertesacker

Wayne Rooney will use every bit of his skill to try and pull the big German out of the Arsenal defence. If he manages to do so then it will leave a gaping hole in the Arsenal back line which United can exploit. Mertesacker is perfectly equipped to deal with the physical side that Rooney will bring to this game which will force Rooney to drop deeper into the midfield to find the ball.

Robin Van Persie v Thomas Vermaelen

When Rooney drops if it means Robin Van Persie plays on the shoulder of the defence. Former teammate Thomas Vermaelen will need to stick to him like glue to make sure he has no time on the ball and cannot turn in and around the penalty area. If Van Persie is allowed to make runs as he likes and receive the ball, turn and offload at will then he will score at least once in the game. Vermaelen needs to announce his physical presence even if that means an early yellow card.

Which clash will be most decisive?

Source: HITC Sport

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The Happy Di Matteo..!

Roberto Di Matteo watched his attacking stars inspire a 5-4 extra-time victory over Manchester United and he preferred to savour a second night of high-scoring league cup thrills rather than focus on "the other stuff" in football.

The Chelsea manager did not need to spell out what he meant, in the wake of the league fixture against United on Sunday, when his team's controversial 3-2 home defeat was followed by the allegation that the referee Mark Clattenburg had racially abused Mikel John Obi. There had also been spite in the stands.

Di Matteo focused on the flair and spirit that his team had shown here, when they came from behind three times to force the extra period, with the substitute Eden Hazard scoring from the penalty spot with the very last kick of normal time. Hazard's quick feet and sumptuous reverse pass created what proved to be the decisive fifth goal late in extra-time for Ramires.

"Over the last two days we have seen some exciting, thrilling football," Di Matteo said, with a nod towards Arsenal's 7-5 Capital One Cup win at Reading on Tuesday. "We have seen a lot of future stars and that's what we should promote and not the other stuff. We showed a big heart, passion and pride not to lose."

Chelsea have been drawn at Leeds United in the quarter-finals, which Di Matteo admitted would be a night for his players to show their "fighting spirit", but also one which would bring a happy reunion for him. "Ken Bates [the Leeds chairman] was the person who signed me when he was at Chelsea," Di Matteo said. "I have fond memories of successful times with him. He was always very good to me, him and his wife Susannah."

Sir Alex Ferguson watched Ryan Giggs, one month shy of his 39th birthday, last the 120 minutes and score twice, the second a penalty at the death which hinted, briefly, at another remarkable comeback. "He's an example to every player on the pitch, including the Chelsea players," the United manager said.

Ferguson was left to lament a lapse by Nani, who lost possession, leading to Chelsea winning Hazard's last-gasp penalty while he admitted that his young center-backs, Scott Wootton and Michael Keane, had suffered towards the end. Wootton conceded the penalty for Hazard while his botched back-header allowed Daniel Sturridge to put Chelsea 4-3 up.

Di Matteo was not overwhelmed by the joys of the night. He wondered why Keane had not been penalized for handball, as Chelsea trailed 3-2 and he grumbled again about Fernando Torres' sending-off in the league fixture on Sunday. "It's incredible that it always hits Chelsea football club and that's maybe something to think about," he said. "We would just like to be treated fairly. By everybody."

Di Matteo was asked, in the wake of Chelsea's allegations against Clattenburg, whether he feared that referees might victimize his team. "No, the referees should be going into the games with the most confidence," he said.

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Have You Heard? It Is Luis Nani Who Is Blamed For The League Cup Defeat..!!

Via HITC Sport

 

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has picked his scapegoat for the League Cup defeat.

Unsurprisingly it is the man who can do nothing right at present, in the eyes of supporters, and now seemingly his boss.

We are talking about of course, Nani.

He scored a sensational goal to put United 3-2 up, and they looked to be heading towards victory.
Ferguson did not blame youngster Scott Wootton for his needless late foul to give away a penalty and take the game to extra time, but the more experienced Portuguese winger instead.

Speaking after the game, the boss said: "We gave the ball away for the third goal having been in complete control of the match at that point," Ferguson said. "All we needed to do was see the game out with good possession.

"Nani is experienced but he's a player who wants to beat men and I often discourage him from that. In that situation, if we'd kept the ball at the corner flag, the game's over.

"We had a lot of attacks and nothing came of them, and their counter-attack was very good, but if you're winning 3-2 in the final seconds of the game then you should see it out. We've only got ourselves to blame really."

Talk has been racing over the past few weeks about Nani's possible exit from the club, and this will have done little to halt it.

Just as the player thought he was having some luck, and doing something right, he is back to square one. Does he only have himself to blame?

What do you think, is Ferguson right to blame Nani?

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