Chelsea Were Right to Sack Andre Villa Boas, But...

Andre Villas-Boas' short time as Chelsea manager has come to an end. Barely nine months after moving to the Blues amidst huge fanfare from Porto, the Portuguese has exited the club after Roman Abramovich terminated the young managers three-year contract.

In leaving, Villas-Boas has become eighth manager to part with the club since the Russian Billionaire, Abramovich, bought the club from Ken Bates in 2003 for £140 million.

The recriminations of the young manager's sacking have started almost immediately with Sir Alex Ferguson calling the removal "sad," Avram Grant telling Sky Sports News the move was somewhat expected after poor results and Robbie Savage telling BBC Sport that "the players and board" were to blame.

The truth, as ever, is somewhere in between.

Hold the BackPage – Team of the Year 2011

Hold the BackPage - Team of the Year 2011 by bpfootball

It’s the first Hold the BackPage of 2012 and Neil Sherwin is joined by Ger McCarthy and Willie Gannon to sift through the festive period’s Premier League action, while the lads also pick their Team of the Year for 2011.

The first part of this week podcast looks back at the Premier League action of the past week or so. Neil is understandably relieved that Manchester United slipped up following City’s defeat to Sunderland, something that Ger took great pleasure in. There’s a look at all the big talking points on the field including Stephen Ireland’s return to form against Chelsea and the continuing great form of Spurs, while Sir Alex Ferguson’s reluctance to delve into the transfer market also provokes some discussion.

In the second half of the show, the lads discuss the best Premier League players of 2011 following Willie’s article on the website this week. There’s some surprise inclusions, not least one Spurs player, while some decisions were easy and unanimous. This week’s FA Cup Third Round also gets a preview with the potential for a couple of shocks on the cards.

Hold The Back Page - Skinheads in Skirts - Man City / Tottenham 4-0 Liverpool / BRFC 4-3 Arsenal / Shamrock Rovers / The Rooney Rule / Gasperini

Hold the BackPage - Skinheads and Skirts by bpfootball

Hold the BackPage returns for another edition with Neil Sherwin again taking the lead and he is joined by Ger McCarthy and Willie Gannon to sift through the latest Premier League action. 

The lads discuss Manchester City losing their 100 percent record, Tottenham hammering Liverpool 4-0 and Blackburn beating Arsenal 4-3 as well as a number of other hot topics including Shamrock Rovers in Europe, the Rooney Rule, Gasperini being sacked at Inter Milan and Turkey’s innovative new measures to combat hooliganism...

Hold The Back Page Podcast - Champions League / Manchester Domination of the EPL / Spurs / Dalglish and Liverpool / Peamount Utd

Hold the BackPage - Manchester Mania by bpfootball

The podcast is back for another edition as Neil Sherwin is joined by Ger McCarthy and Willie Gannon to discuss the opening round of Champions League action as well as the latest goings on in the Premier League as the Manchester clubs continue to lead the way.

With no vested interest in this year’s Champions League, Ger McCarthy is the perfect man to discuss the opening round of the competition as both Manchester sides picked up points. City were very much hit and miss at home to Napoli while, as Willie Gannon explains, United were far from convincing in their clash with Benfica. There’s also a look back at last night’s results for Chelsea and Arsenal as well as a round up of the rest of the games played.

Part 2 sees attentions turn to the Premier League with the possibility of a two horse race for the title developing. There’s a look at Liverpool who faltered against Stoke, while questions are asked about the possibility of Tony Pulis’ side qualifying for Europe this season through the league. Asamoah Gyan’s money grabbing antics also come under scrutiny and to round off the pod, Willie gives us the heads up about a massive game for Peamount United in the UEFA Womens Champions League.

Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or RSS!

Also if there is anything you would like to hear on the show in future simply drop us an email, tweet or comment on Facebook.

Premier League Predictions: Champions, Top Four and Relegation

The 2011-'12 Premier League season is already promising to be one of the most exciting of all time. For the first time ever there are six teams who can actually win the title and there are at least ten teams who could end up getting sucked into the relegation zone thus making the league one of the most competitive in recent years.

Here we take a look at the title race with Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea and the race for fourth with Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur as well as the relegation battle which could in all reality almost involve the rest of the league!

Chelsea Sack Ancelotti For Finishing Second and Line Up Hiddink, Van Basten to Replace Him

Chelsea FC have sacked their manager Carlo Ancelotti after Roman Abramovich deemed the clubs second placed finish in the English Premier League was not good enough. The Italian only joined the Blues last year and won the domestic double in his first season in charge but a trophy-less haul this term has seen him exit the club.

In leaving the club, Ancelotti has become the sixth manager to leave Chelsea in the last six years.

Van der Vaart Pledges His Future to Tottenham as Redknapp Lines Up a Move For Drogba

Rafael van der Vaart has given Tottenham Hotspur fans the news they have been waiting to hear, by vowing to stay at the club next season despite missing out the Champions League. In the aftermath of Spurs losing to Manchester City it was widely feared that the influential forward would leave, but he has declared his intentions to stay at White Hart Lane by telling Harry Redknapp "I want to stay."

Manchester United Sit On The Verge Of 19th Title After Destroying Chelsea

Manchester United sit on the verge of a record 19th title, thanks to a devastating win over their closest rivals, Chelsea, at Old Trafford. In truth the game was over from as early as 35 seconds after Javier Hernandez raced onto Ji-Sung Park's through ball to calmly slot the opener past Petr Cech.

Nemanja Vidic doubled the Red Devils' lead midway through the first half and from there there was no looking back. Frank Lampard restored some pride for the shell-shocked Pensioners with a late goal, but the damage had already been done by United who literally blew their opponents away with a first half performance of guile, pace, attacking ambition, and sheer hard work.

To claim their title, Alex Ferguson's team now only need one point from their final two games against local rivals Blackburn and Blackpool.

EPL: Manchester United vs. Chelsea Tactical Preview

Manchester United takes on Chelsea at Old Trafford in a game that for many will decide the destination of the English Premier League title for this season.

With just three games to go, the two teams left standing after all the dust has settled are just separated by three points with an equal goal difference.

In other words, whoever wins this game should take the title and when all is said and done, this game for all intents and purposes is a final.

EPL: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Blues Win Thanks to Gomes and Controversy

Two controversial goals from Frank Lampard and Saloman Kalou were the difference between winning and losing and seeing their title challenge end for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur. Harry Redknapp's side had taken the lead against the run of play when Sandro scored a screamer from fully 30-yards before the latest in a long line of howlers from Heurelho Gomes allowed the Pensioners back into the game.

Fernando Torres Signing For Chelsea Will Get Carlo Ancelotti The Sack

Chelsea FC pulled off one of the biggest transfers of all time recently, when they took Fernando Torres from Liverpool for £50 million. The move was seen by many as Roman Abramovich flexing his financial might to not only get the Pensioners back in the title race, but also as a way of bringing the Champions League to Stamford Bridge.

However, while that may have been the Russian Oligarch's main aim, what he has achieved is a further erosion of the fragile foundation under Carlo Ancelotti's feet.

As the league table stands, Chelsea has 44 points and is a full 10 points behind the leaders, Manchester United, with just 13 games to go. Considering that the Red Devils have only lost one game from the previous 25, it looks highly unlikely that Alex Ferguson would allow his team to lose four games from their remaining fixtures to leave the Blues with a chance at retaining their title.

This, of course, means that Chelsea's only real aim for the rest of the season is the trophy that Roman Abramovich craves so much...the Champions League.

Steven Pienaar's Move to Spurs Means The End of the Road for Aaron Lennon

Despite Chelsea making a last ditch, £6 million, 11th hour bid for Steven Pienaar's services, it now looks very likely that the Everton midfielder will be winging his way to Tottenham Hotspur. Harry Redknapp has been tracking the South African midfielder for some time and his impending arrival at White Hart Lane should by all accounts speed up the exit of Aaron Lennon from the club...

Premier League Sack Race: Odds For Every Manager

Who will be the next manager to get the sack in the English Premier League? Are Avram Grant’s days numbered? Does Wenger have to win a trophy? Can Roy Hodgson turn Liverpool around?
You wait around all season for the first EPL manager to be sacked and then two happen within the space of a week.


Chris Hughton’s and Sam Allardyce’s removals were both strange to say the least, as neither man was doing what would normally be considered as a bad job.

Whichever way you look at it, the money is the owners at the end of the day and they have the right to decide upon who takes the key roles in their organisation.

In the end, they make their own beds and have to lie in them…

The Ryder Cup vs. the English Premier League

This weekend, two of the year's greatest sporting fixtures will go head-to-head, as the Ryder Cup begins in earnest at Celtic Manor in Wales while Arsenal travel across London to take on title rivals Chelsea in a match that is already shaping up as a defining moment in this year's Premier League title race.

Sobering Weekend for EPL Teams With Champions League Aspirations

Week Six of the EPL season provided huge insight into the main contenders and pretenders for the Premier League title.

Manchester City beat Chelsea in the first heavyweight bout of the season, while Arsenal amazingly slipped up against West Brom at the Emirates.

Liverpool's poor start to the season continued as Spurs lurched to defeat at West Ham in what is already looking like an incredibly inconsistent year ahead for Harry Redknapp's team.

EPL Preview 2010/11: Chelsea's Pensioners Not Too Old for Another Title

Carlo Ancellotti's may side have won the title on the last day of the season with an 8-0 demolition of Wigan but the real truth is that Blues were by far and away the best team in the league last year and will be the team to beat once again.

Where To Next for Joe Cole? Manchester United? Arsenal? Tottenham? Liverpool? Real Madrid

As Chelsea romped to their fourth title with an 8-0 win over Wigan, little did Joe Cole know that his final action in a blue shirt would be to provide an assist for the Pensioners last goal.

With the news that Chelsea has decided to dispense themselves with the services of Michael Ballack, Deco, Juliano Belletti, and Cole, it would seem that the English maestro has a whole host of suitors to choose from, but who would be his best choice?

Chelsea All But Win The EPL Title at Liverpool, Where To Now For Rafael Benitez?

After beating Stoke City 7-0 last week, Chelsea strolled to an even easier win today by triumphing 2-0 over a sterile Liverpool side at Anfield. In the run up to the game many pundits had questioned if the Reds would roll over and have their bellies tickled, well they did that, and more.

First Arsenal, and Now Chelsea, Super Spurs Go Marching on Towards Fourth in EPL

While volcanic ash from Iceland reduced flights all across Europe, high-flying Tottenham Hotspur picked up their second significant win in a week by easily beating current Premier League leaders Chelsea 2-1 at White Hart Lane.

With Manchester United having beaten Manchester City 1-0 in the lunchtime kickoff, Spurs duly returned the favour and beat the Red Devils' title rivals as they moved back into fourth, two points ahead of City.

Relegated Portsmouth Beat Spurs, Set Up Fairytale Cup Final With Chelsea

Just over 24 hours after being relegated to the Championship, Portsmouth pulled off the most unlikely of results and beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the FA Cup Semi-Finals at Wembley after extra time with goals from Frederic Piquionne and ex-Spurs star Kevin Prince-Boateng.