Balance
Profit €263.25
Result Panionios 2(Djebbour 5p,Markos 19) Bordeaux 3(Cavenaghi 38,Tremoulinas 75,Moimbe 86)
Panionios threw away a two goal lead to crash out of the UEFA Cup and hand me €250; even at 2-2 it looked as though they would pip Galatasaray for third place in Group H and go into the draw for the last 32 of the UEFA Cup but a late Wielfried Moimbe goal gave the Turkish team the favour they needed.Plenty of goals in this game and I will be hoping for the same in my choice of game today.Laurent Blanc has begun well at Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux,they are currently six points behind Lyon in third place in Ligue 1 and cruised into the next round of the UEFA Cup.
This is his first managerial post since finishing his playing career at Manchester United in 2003.Blanc is definitely a manager to look out for in the future.He finished his career at Man Utd with a Premier league title under his belt to add to World Cup and European Cup winners medals.He has also picked up other titles at Montpellier,Auxerre and Barcelona during his illustrious career.Eyebrows were raised when he signed for Manchester United to replace Jaap Stam in 2001 but after a trophy less first season the gamble paid of for the Red Devils as 'Larry White' helped United win the League in 2003.Also like Larsson last season his contribution in the background with younger players was of great value.
Another player who has represented Bordeaux and Manchester United is current Bordeaux striker David Bellion who was a flop at United but is enjoying better days back in France and is currently behind Karim Benzema in the Ligue 1 top goalscoring charts.
Two other players have represented United and Les Girondins;Jesper Olsen who is no longer involved in football after last year suffering a brain haemorrhage and of course United legend Eric Cantona.Cantona had a loan spell at Bordeaux during his indifferent club career in France before he came to world prominence playing for Leeds and Manchester United.Cantona had many spats with authorities whilst in France.In 1989 he was banned from international football for insulting the national coach on TV, a few months later Marseille banned him for a month for throwing his jersey away after being substituted in a friendly game against Torpedo Moscow.He went to Montpellier on a year long loan and whilst there he was involved in a fight with team mate Jean-Claude Lemoult and threw his boots in Lemoult's face. A group of players demanded that he be sacked.However a group of players including Blanc supported Cantona and retained his services.Back at Marseille he was at odds with manager Raymond Goethals and Bernard Tapie.He was transferred to Nimes and it was there when he threw a football at a referee having being angered at one of his decisions.He was banned for a month at a resulting disciplinary hearing by the FFF.His response was to walk over to each member of the hearing committee in turn and call him an "idiot". His ban was increased to 2 months.This was the last straw for Cantona and he walked away from French club football forever to become probably one of Manchester United's most influential players of the modern era.Cantona the philosopher..
Another player who has earned that tag is Roy Keane whose Sunderland are struggling at the moment.Keane is for the first time as a manager feeling the heat as his team are stuck in the relegation zone.A couple of last minute decisions may have not gone their way in recent weeks,right or wrong but it is clear that the players at his disposal are not good enough.Keane struggled to add quality players to his Championship winning squad and it will be interesting to see if he can sign quality in January.If not I think they could down alongside Derby and Fulham.Today they have to face Man United and I can't see anything other than a convincing win for the Red Devils who again are looking scary.Bad news for ABU's like myself!
Stephen's Day games are notoriously goal fests and with Aston Villa and Chelsea drawing 4-4 this morning and Spurs beating Fulham 5-1 I am going for a goal fest at the Stadium of Light also. I am putting €30 on over 4.5 goals in this game at 7.2 and €20 on over 3.5 goals at 3.1.
A Christmas feast of goals hopefully.
STATS
Manchester United on St. Stephen's Day under Alex Ferguson
P20 W15 D2 L3 F47 A19
TRIVIA
Manchester United shared 9 goals away from home with their opposition on St. Stephen's Day in 1991.Who did they beat and what score did they beat them?
Last weeks answer Mark Robbins.
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