Soccer Central

It certainly looks to be. Liverpool lost 2-0 against Middlesbrough today, and whilst Chelsea won; both teams are now seven points off the top, with Manchester United still having a game in hand to play. The gap could potentially widen to ten, and with Manchester United’s phenomenal form right now you certainly wouldn’t count on them losing too many games before the end of the season.

There are still 33 points up for grabs for both Chelsea and Liverpool, Manchester United look unlikely to be caught though, and I just can’t see Alex Ferguson giving up a lead of seven points.

It’s going to be very tough for Chelsea and Liverpool to catch the current title holders, and there’s a chance that even if they win all of their remaining games then that still won’t be good enough. Manchester United seemingly have the Premier League title in the bag, and the reigning champions of England, Europe, and the World looks likely to once more win the Premier League title.

If Manchester United wins the Premier League this season then it’ll be the club’s eleventh Premier League title. Only three other teams have even won the Premier League; Chelsea, Arsenal, and Blackburn Rovers. Right now it looks like United will be making it eleven title wins out of a possible seventeen, and that’s certainly some record.

Manchester United is the team I’m tipping for glory in 2009, the team I thought would win it right from the start, and the team that right now looks to be absolutely unstoppable.

Having already won the FIFA Club World Cup, and with a League Cup final to face tomorrow; this could be a huge season for Manchester United, and Alex Ferguson may yet walk away with more major trophies in a single season than ever before. Only time shall tell as to just how great a season 2008/09 will be for Manchester United Football Club.

Kevin Sandwith has today joined Oxford United from troubled Weymouth until the end of the season. With James Clarke having today moved across Oxford to join Oxford City, Sandwith now comes into the Oxford United squad in order to help the club try and push for promotion.

Sandwith previously played under current Oxford boss Chris Wilder at Halifax, and having impressed then will now be looking to once more shine under Wilder’s management.

Before joining Weymouth, Kevin Sandwith was previously at Chester City, and throughout his career has now played for no less than nine different clubs. Sandwith is certainly a very experienced player, and his strong experience will no doubt be a huge help to Oxford United going into the remaining games of the season.

Manchester City is into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup courtesy of two second half goals from Craig Bellamy. City is now the only English team left in the tournament after Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur both got dumped out this evening, and all English UEFA Cup hope now rests upon Man City’s shoulders.

Bellamy scored his first in the 73rd minute, following it swiftly with a second in the 80th minute of the match. Craig Bellamy was the best player on the pitch and will be thrilled to have bagged two goals in this one.

FC Copenhagen did put up a good fight, and pulled one back through Vingaard in the 90th minute; it was just too little too late for the Danish side though, and ultimately it was Manchester City that won the tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Manchester City will now face Aalborg in the last 16, another Danish team, and one that has already had a trip to Manchester this season in the group stage of the Champions League. Aalborg drew 2-2 at Old Trafford and will now be looking to go one better when a trip is made to the City of Manchester Stadium on March 12th.

Man City now has a strong chance of reaching the UEFA Cup quarter finals, and for Manchester City Football Club the UEFA Cup dream is still very much alive for 2009.

Sheffield United has signed John-Joe O’Toole on loan from Watford until the end of the season. The 20 year-old Irish midfielder will now figure in Sheffield United’s plans to achieve promotion this season, and the ambitious young midfielder will no doubt be looking to do his best to help the club achieve its goal of getting back into the Premier League.

Sheffield United’s next game is against Hull City tomorrow in an FA Cup Fifth Round replay; O’Toole will not be able to feature in that one however as he’s already cup tied with Watford.

John-Joe O’Toole may well make his Sheffield United debut on Sunday when the club takes on Birmingham City. Birmingham is currently second in the league, so if O’Toole is to make his debut on Sunday then it certainly won’t be in an easy game; John Joe O’Toole is a strong young player though, and could well prove to be a huge help for Sheffield United if he is indeed named in the squad.

O’Toole will now be hoping to get involved in first team action as much as possible over the coming weeks and months with Sheffield United, and will perhaps be looking to impress enough to secure a permanent move to the club in the summer.

Coventry City has tonight completed a cup shock in knocking Blackburn Rovers out of the FA Cup. Leon Best scored in the 59th minute of the match to provide Coventry with a 1-0 win, and Coventry City of the Championship will now be heading through to the FA Cup quarter finals where the team will face Chelsea.

Eleven changes were made by Sam Allardyce to the team that was named against Manchester United at the weekend, and although this was by no means a full strength Blackburn squad; it’s still a huge win for Coventry, and the fact that the team will now be facing Chelsea really is something for the fans to start getting excited about.

Blackburn was second best for much of the game, and the Coventry win was thoroughly well deserved. It will have meant a lot to the players to have got one over on a Premier League team, and victory is always all the sweeter when it’s not expected.

Blackburn can now concentrate on Premier League survival, Coventry City meanwhile is now just two wins away from Wembley. Cardiff City was the Championship team to make the FA Cup final last year, but can Coventry City make it to the FA Cup final of 2009? Only time shall tell.