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Wembley Stadium – almost there.
The title race and the race for fourth place are still very much alive in England but they take a back-seat this weekend.
This is because it is FA Cup semi-final weekend with both games taking place at Wembley Stadium. If you prefer the traditional semi-finals being played at a neutral venue then this latest innovation will not be agreeable but it can give the teams a boost for the final. Some teams are more comfortable than others when it comes to playing the big occasion so giving all the teams an opportunity to experience Wembley before an FA Cup final is a tremendous thing.
The FA Cup semi-finals are taking place over two days with the first match kicking off on Saturday evening. This again is a time that deviates from the norm but with television channels calling the shots these days, clubs have to play when they are told. This kick-off will allow more fans to watch the game and even punters who watched their team play in a traditional Saturday 2pm kick-off will be able to catch the live match later. This goes someway to returning the FA Cup to being the tournament of the people. The bigger teams may have their eyes on European glory but for many, the FA Cup remains all that is magical about the English game.
The first semi-final features Chelsea versus Aston Villa with the London club entering the game on the crest of a wave. Last weekend was a vital time at the top of the English Premier League and Chelsea grabbed the initiative and advantage. A 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford sees the Stamford Bridge club out on their own in the title race. United may be back on top by the time Chelsea kick-off against Aston Villa on Saturday night but if they are, they will have played a game more than their London rivals. Advantage Chelsea.
Another advantage for Chelsea lies in the fact that when they recently played Aston Villa, they achieved a resounding victory. There are fewer score-lines in football more emphatic than a 7-1 victory and it was a game that will live long in the memory of both Villa and Chelsea fans. Football is a strange old game in that a result like this does not necessarily lead to a similar result in the next game so no one will be taking anything for granted at Wembley on Saturday.
Aston Villa have already been at Wembley this season for the Carling Cup final and the Villains will feel that the luck went against them that day. They were awarded an early penalty which allowed them to grab the lead against Manchester United but on many other days, Nemanja Vidic would have been sent off for the foul. This would have seen United a goal down and a man down with over 80 minutes of the game to go. This is no guarantee that Villa would have held onto lift the League Cup but it would have given them a great opportunity to do so. Therefore, the Villa fans and players should have a touch of regret about Wembley but also a desire to turn things around and gain revenge for that cruel defeat.
Another thing that will help Aston Villa is the fact that boss Martin O’Neill has tremendous experience in this type of match. The recent rumours about O’Neill quitting the Aston Villa managers job and heading to Liverpool have been denied but things are not as happy as they could be in the Villa camp. However, in his time as a player at Nottingham Forest with European Cup and League Cup success and then a trophy laden managerial career, Martin O’Neill knows what it takes to be a winner. Leicester got to a number of League Cup finals and O’Neill guided Celtic to every domestic trophy in Scotland as well as the Uefa Cup final in 2003. Villa captain Stilian Petrov is another who knows all about picking up winners medals, again from his time at Celtic Park.
Even though this has been a Champions League week with Lionel Messi once again proving he is the greatest player in the world right now, Chelsea have been able to focus on the cup semi-final. This is because of their exit at the hands of former boss Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan.
Although disappointing for the Blues fans, this may give the club the ideal platform to build Wembley success upon. In the win at Old Trafford, Didier Drogba started on the bench so this blank week may give him the opportunity to improve upon his fitness. Drogba has a fantastic record for Chelsea in big games and he grabbed the winner in last year’s semi-final between Chelsea and Arsenal.
The winner of the Chelsea v Aston Villa game will play the winner of Tottenham Hotspurs vs Portsmouth. This match sees Spurs start as clear favourites but the White Hart Lane club also have their eyes on a top four finish. They are currently in pole position but have a tricky run-in. The money men at Spurs would no doubt prefer a guarantee of fourth place for the Champions League money but football fans still love a trophy. It has been too long since Spurs won the FA Cup, coming up for twenty years, so Harry Redknapp will be keen to get to the final.
Redknapp was the Portsmouth boss when they won the FA Cup two seasons ago and talk of money men inevitably leads to discussion about Pompey. The South Coast are currently in administration and are all but relegated to the Championship. A place in the FA Cup final would go some way to lifting the spirits of the fans. Portsmouth have been given special dispensation to sell players even though the transfer window is not open but naturally, whilst the club are in the FA Cup, the club are determined to hold onto them.
This means a Spurs win could see the end of many players Portsmouth careers, with the club desperate to move them on to make money. Of course, players want to win trophies so if Portsmouth make it to the showcase final, don’t expect too many players to be exiting until their big day in May.
Some say that the magic of the FA Cup is no longer what it was but tell that to the fans who will arrive at Wembley Stadium this weekend in great expectation.
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
