Disappointment!

The best chance to record a win over Arse.

First half performance was vintage, confidence was high, Mido, Carrick, Jenas (twice) should have scored any one of their chances to kill the game at 2-0.

Robinson's mistake, second in as many games, was forgivable. Was it the sun or was he too eager to impress Mr Sven. I believe it is the former.

I think we have passed the test with the big boys, only lost to Chelsea (mainly due to the sending off of Mido), drew with Liverpool, Man U & Arsenal.

We have built a strong team and spend a lot of $$.

Third place now, behind Chelsea and Wigan, yes, Wigan....but I think their fairytale will end soon.

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Tottenham 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal came back from a woeful first half performance to cash in on another blunder by Tottenham's England goalkeeper Paul Robinson and stop their neighbours winning the north London derby at White Hart Lane.

The Gunners needed outstanding saves from Jens Lehmann, who had complained about being hit by a missile from the crowd, to keep them alive after Spurs skipper Ledley King nodded the home side ahead.

Then Robinson - at fault with Manchester United's goal in the 1-1 draw at Manchester United last week - flapped at a Dennis Bergkamp free-kick in the 77th minute and was beaten by Robert Pires' follow-up effort.

Pires who tried to pass from a penalty against Manchester City last week, made no bones about drilling this opportunity home and after coming on as a substitute for the second half made Arsenal look a different team.

Robin van Persie was also sent on from the bench and terrorised Tottenham's defence in a way Arsenal never managed in the first half.

They are still without an away win in the Barclays Premiership this season but earned their right to keep up a record of only one defeat in the last 20 meetings with their local rivals.
They were given a lesson in positive thinking from their old foes in the first half, who only had King's headed goal to show for their efforts.

The Spurs skipper, looking every inch the equal of Sol Campbell at the back, went forward for a Michael Carrick free-kick in the 17th minute and with Campbell watching Egyptian striker Mido, rose to power home an unstoppable header.

Carrick's went close six minutes later, as did Jermaine Jenas soon after, while Arsenal rarely threatened up to the break.

Boss Arsene Wenger, without injured talisman Thierry Henry and with Pires relegated to the bench until half time, was warming-up striker Robin van Persie well before the interval.

Spurs started well with the muscular Mido soon putting himself about, while Campbell's every touch was heralded by jeers from the home fans who just could not stomach the idea of him wearing the Arsenal armband - as stand-in for Henry - rather than the Tottenham one.

Arsenal could never match their neighbours' intensity and with Jose Antonio Reyes and Gilberto struggling to come to terms with the sheer pace of the action, and Ljungberg fading after a bright start, they needed coolness at the back.

Bergkamp's touch was there when he played a ball in behind King after 11 minutes for Reyes but the Spurs defender made a brilliant recovery tackle.

Mathieu Flamini was lucky not to be booked for hauling down Teemu Tainio, the replacement for suspended Edgar Davids, and soon after referee Steve Bennett had no option but to caution Gilberto for a badly-timed challenge on Jenas.

The disappointing Flamini did go into the book just before the 15-minute mark when Tainio was again the victim of his harsh and mistimed tackle.

As Arsenal regrouped Freddie Ljungberg slipped on the edge of the Tottenham area when set up by a good run by Cesc Fabregas - and a quick chance to repair the damage was lost.

But Arsenal were lucky not to be two-down when Mido, who let himself down with a propensity to fall over theatrically when challenged, laid off a chance for Carrick - whose fizzing half-volley zipped just wide.

Lehmann turned over a Jenas effort, then foiled Defoe in the 58th minute with an outstretched left leg after the pacey striker left two challengers for dead to put in a low drive.

Van Persie's entry at the expense of Ljungberg in the 64th minute was belated - but he soon had an impact.

Pires set him up for a shot which Robinson smartly turned away and then another link with the Frenchman produced a shot which fell just wide.

And Robinson was made to pay for his only error - after Reyes was fouled by Paul Stalteri, when he flapped at Bergkamp's free-kick, palming it to Pires whose first-time response put it in the net.

Robert Pires kicked his heels on the substitutes' bench for 45 minutes before snapping up his eighth goal in 10 meetings with Tottenham to save Arsenal's bacon in the North London derby.

Spurs had beaten Arsenal only once in 19 previous meetings but looked like embarrassing them this time after leading through skipper Ledley King's 17th-minute header but manager Martin Jol said: 'It was very disappointing we couldn't play in the second half as we did in the first.

'I thought we dominated it up to half-time, but Arsenal are a very good side and if you don't get a second goal against them you can be punished.

'I don't know if I can blame Robinson for the goal. Unless you are under pressure you catch a free-kick but he chose to punch it and unfortunately it only went as far as Pires.'

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who was happy to come away with a point without the injured Thierry Henry, said: 'Every team has it's half and Tottenham started very well. 'There was nervousness and a lack of initiative when we had the ball in a game we couldn't afford to lose.

'But I didn't leave Pires out of the starting line-up because of what happened last week. When you pick a team you don't look at the history of the club or you will play 60-year-old players who have scored goals.'

North London Derby

Good to see that the players are geared by for the match.

This could be the match that we will beat Arsenal.

My prediction 2-0 to Spurs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Bring on Arsenal', cries confident Jenas

In-form Tottenham star Jermaine Jenas has issued a derby-day rallying cry of 'Bring on Arsenal'.

Spurs go into next Saturday's White Hart Lane showdown in the unusual position of being able to peer down on Arsene Wenger's men in the Premiership following their 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

Jenas' brilliant free-kick earned Tottenham a share of the spoils and though Charlton's win at Portsmouth pushed Martin Jol's impressive outfit into third spot, they remain three points clear of Arsenal heading into one of the most eagerly awaited fixtures of the season.

It is six years - and 12 games - since Spurs' long-suffering fans tasted victory over their old rivals.

But Jenas believes his team-mates have every reason to be confident ahead of the latest capital clash.

'Bring on Arsenal, that's what I say,' said Jenas. 'They are a great team and we have a lot of respect for them. But we are very confident at the minute and, on home soil, why shouldn't we fancy our chances of getting a win.'

Jenas accepts Tottenham still have a long way to go before they reach Jol's lofty ambitions for the club, but they are definitely moving in the right direction.

With seven English players in yesterday's starting line-up, they are also doing their bit to nurture home-grown talent too.

And Jenas, a £9million capture from Newcastle in August, thinks Spurs have every reason to be optimistic about the future.

'We are still learning and it is important to try to maintain what we have started,' said the 22-year-old England international. 'But the job Martin is doing is great for Tottenham and English football.

'We have so many young players in the team, with so much character and attitude, it can only be good news.'

Jenas' stunner

Should have won with our 2nd half performance.

Too bad Davids will miss the derby match next week.

Arse, be afraid, be very afraid.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Man Utd 1-1 Tottenham:



Paul Robinson's blushes were spared but the title hopes of injury-ravaged Manchester United took another savaging at Old Trafford as a brilliant Jermaine Jenas free-kick earned Tottenham a 1-1 draw.

For 65 minutes, the clanger Robinson dropped when he spilled a routine Ruud van Nistelrooy header at Mikael Silvestre's feet looked like costing the visitors dear.

But, just as Spurs were running out of ideas, up stepped Jenas to curl an exquisite shot into the top corner after Rio Ferdinand had bundled Jermaine Defoe over 20 yards out.

Even without six senior men, so desperate was Sir Alex Ferguson for victory that he ended the game with five out-and-out forwards and just three defenders. But when a bad week for Cristiano Ronaldo continued when he sent a free header flying wide in the last seconds of stoppage time, United were left nine points adrift of Chelsea.

Tottenham may still not have registered a win at the Theatre of Dreams since 1989 but United have only mustered one in four outings this term and with Jose Mourinho's side the next Premiership visitors in a fortnight, an unimaginable change in fortune is required to haul the Red Devils back into the championship race.

If events had worked out differently, Martin Jol could have been in the home dug-out assisting Sir Alex Ferguson instead of fighting from the front for the visitors.

Events at White Hart Lane over the past 12 months suggest Jol would have been wasted playing second fiddle to anybody.

The days of maddening inconsistency and under-achievement appear to be over and nothing happened at Old Trafford to dispel the theory that with a bit more experience and a slightly stronger squad, Spurs will emerge as genuine top-four contenders once more.

Certainly little occurred in the opening half to dispel the theory even if Tottenham did find themselves behind.

For long periods, Spurs pushed United back with some slick midfield play, with Jermaine Jenas and Michael Carrick particularly impressive.

It took them a long time to fashion an opportunity, a low Jermain Defoe shot which Edwin van der Sar unconvincingly shovelled round a post but, even though United's standards have slipped over the years, rarely do they encounter opposition so prepared to engage in a pure football match - and be equals at it.

Nevertheless, it was the hosts who carved out most of the chances and if Robinson was clearly at fault for their opener when he failed to collect cleanly when van Nistelrooy met Paul Scholes' far-post corner, Tottenham were indebted to the England keeper for keeping them in the contest.

Alan Smith has yet to find the net since being switched into midfield but a fierce volley was arrowing into the top corner until Robinson palmed it away and O'Shea lacked conviction when he found himself on the end of a Darren Fletcher cross which had been flicked on by van Nistelrooy.

It was little surprise returning Wayne Rooney should produce one of the most eye-catching United performances, a greater shock was that it was his industry and willingness to track back which which brought the crowd to their feet.

Rarely in the first half as an attacking force, Rooney twice tracked back 60 yards to win possession back and his commitment was only exceeded by that of Smith.

There have been many who have questioned the Yorkshireman's suitability for the midfield holding role which Roy Keane usually occupies. Yet, game by game, Smith is improving markedly.

Totally prepared to play the easy ball and let his team-mates get on the with more glamorous parts of the game, Smith never shirks a physical challenge as the bruises of Edgar Davids and Paul Stalteri will testify.

The first moment of attacking inspiration from Rooney was an outrageous back-heeled pass to van Nistelrooy that forced a desperate block from Michael Dawson.

It was the start of another thrill-a-minute half, good old-fashioned English fare, with neither side prepared to give an inch, such a contrast to the dross served up at so many Premiership grounds, including this one, over the past few weeks.

Certainly, it would have been a shame if a basic error had settled it and Jenas came to Robinson's aid with his magnificent free-kick.

As if the answer the critics who claim he has abandoned the attacking approach that characterised so much of his success, Ferguson finished the match with five all-out attackers as Darren Fletcher and Phil Bardsley were sacrificed for Ronaldo and Giuseppe Rossi.

Ultimately though, it was all to no avail.

• Jol unhappy with booking

Frustrated Tottenham boss Martin Jol slammed referee Uriah Rennie for the booking that will rule Edgar Davids out of next weekend's north London derby.

Jol said: 'I couldn't repeat what I thought when the incident first happened. About a minute earlier, the referee had thanked Edgar for not making a meal of the challenge by Smith.

'Then Edgar does the same thing to Smith and he gets booked. It was his first foul and normally in Europe they leave the first one.

'I like the referee and he let the game flow in the first half which the players appreciated. But sometimes you need to have a feel for these things and after what went on before, it was a harsh decision.'

Jol continued: 'The pressure is on Manchester United to win the Premiership, but we felt we could win.

'We certainly had a better feeling when we realised Cristiano Ronaldo was not playing and while I still expect Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool to finish in the top four, maybe we are not far away.'

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: 'All we can do is stick together, there is no other way to do it.

'Apart from set-pieces, Tottenham were never really a danger to us but the free-kick changed the whole shape of the game.

'We got a bit careless in possession and couldn't take our opportunities in the final third.

'We cannot do anything about Chelsea, all we can do is concentrate on our own results.

'We have to collect as many points as we can and try to stay as close as possible.'

We are moving up!

All systems running.....

Bring on Man U & Arse!!!

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Tottenham 2-0 Everton

The nightmare scenario of falling from the Champions League to the Championship within nine months remains a worryingly realistic prospect for Everton after Tottenham inflicted their latest defeat at White Hart Lane.

David Moyes' side, who confounded all expectations to finish fourth last season, huffed and puffed without reward in front of goal for the seventh time in eight league defeats as they went down 2-0.

They remain rooted to the bottom of the table, with morale ebbing away, after first Mido and then even Jermaine Jenas rose unchallenged to head two goals in the space of five second-half minutes past Nigel Martyn.

For a side so toothless in attack, that was it as Paul Robinson produced a sparkling save on his 26th birthday to deny Duncan Ferguson moments after his arrival as a substitute.

• Jol pleased with Jenas
However, Everton could only have themselves to blame for their predicament, with Joseph Yobo's wild pass having conceded possession to the home side in the build-up to their first goal.

Spurs, meanwhile, with an exciting young talent in England Under-21 winger Aaron Lennon once again impressing on the right flank, continue their promising start to the campaign.

Everton had even made the brighter start, with Marcus Bent firing one shot wide on the turn and James McFadden's determined burst ending in a block by Robinson.

However, that finally brought Tottenham to life, with the pacy Lennon, fresh from impressing for the England Under-21s, providing the inspiration as he delivered an inviting cross for Michael Dawson.

The centre-back's header was powerfully directed towards goal, but Martyn produced a fine save before Kevin Kilbane hooked the loose ball clear just as Mido was poised to pounce.

Tottenham also launched a raid down the left flank, which ended in Lee Young-Pyo going sprawling to the ground after being tackled inside the penalty area by Matteo Ferrari, but no spot-kick was given.

Spurs' pressure increased marginally, with Michael Carrick's pinpoint delivery from corners causing consternation to the Everton defence as Dawson again came close to handing them the lead.

His header from Carrick's corner nevertheless struck Nuno Valente, who was standing next to the right-hand upright, and the loose ball was immediately hacked clear to safety.

Not that either side was exactly producing a technical masterclass, but still the half-chances came and went, with Kilbane's shot blocked by Jenas, who also dribbled an effort into Martyn's arms.

Everton started the second half relatively brightly, albeit without managing to pose any serious threat to the Tottenham goal as McFadden thrashed a shot wildly over the bar.

And having failed to heed a clear warning, when Jermain Defoe's shot from a tight angle was parried by Martyn, Everton pressed the self-destruct button after 57 minutes.

Yobo had all the time in world to start a move inside his own half, but instead sprayed a wild pass back to Tottenham, leaving Moyes holding his head in his hands in frustration.

The Everton boss' worst fears were immediately realised as Tottenham took full advantage, with Jenas chipping a cross for Mido to rise above the hapless Yobo and head powerfully into the net.

Given that Everton had failed to score in six of their previous seven league games this season - with only Bent on target in their 1-0 win against Bolton - the visitors were clearly up against it.

James Beattie, whose season has been plagued by injury problems, may have been on the bench along with Ferguson, but Tottenham were further ahead before either of them could be introduced.

Defoe sped onto Mido's knock-down through the left-hand channel and his cross was teed up invitingly for Jenas to head past Martyn with 28 minutes left.

Everton finally replaced Ferrari with Ferguson four minutes later, but it seemed too late to make any real difference as Tottenham were now clearly in the ascendancy.

Luck was also against them, with Ferguson directing a powerful header from McFadden's corner just under the bar, only for Robinson to produce a superb one-handed save.

• Jol targets Champions League

Tottenham boss Martin Jol insisted that Spurs could challenge for a Champions League place after moving into second place by inflicting further misery on Everton.

Jol hailed the impact of Jermaine Jenas, who crossed for Mido's header on 57 minutes, before scoring his first goal for the club just five minutes later.

Jol declared: 'Everton are a different team to us. We will have some disappointments this season but we will get better and better. If we have everyone available, we are difficult to beat.

'Is this season a great opportunity for a Champions League place? Of course. We always want to win. We have a lot of new players but we have coped. If Wigan and Charlton are [near the top of the table] why shouldn't we be second?'

Jol was delighted with Jenas' impact, becoming Tottenham's first midfielder to score for the club so far this season after his £7million move from Newcastle.

'It's always difficult when you go to a new club. He's scored his first goal for us now and I think there'll be a lot coming from him now as he's a big talent. But he needs confidence as he's a young player,' he said.

'He got an assist and a goal and he will only get better and better. If we had left it, he could have played for another team. But my chairman said he would spend the money and I think he was right.'

Mido was also on target, with Jol adding: 'I like his mentality and he's involved in 50 per cent of our goals, either scoring them or with assists. He's a very good finisher with his head.'

Everton boss David Moyes, whose side have lost seven of their first eight league games and are rooted to the bottom of the table, was left to rue defender Joseph Yobo's needless mistake in the build-up to Mido's goal.

'There was no need for the crossfield pass which led to their first goal. That probably changed it as, when the goal came, it was going to make it very difficult for us,' he admitted.

'In the situation you're in, you hope to do the basics right and, if you can add something else to that, then fine. Sometimes you can make those passes and they don't work but they don't lead to a goal.

'This time, it led to a goal and we can't afford that. We have to stick to doing the simple things well. If we can't pull off the hard things, then don't bother with them until we sort out the basics.
'We're getting punished for every mistake and, as we're not scoring goals, we get a bit down when we concede.'

Lampard - the man to watch

QED -- Quite Easily Done.

Hope that England will be seeded....But again they may meet Spain or Italy.

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England 2-1 Poland

Reports of the death of England's World Cup chances, have, it would seem, been somewhat exaggerated.

Doubts may still remain over Sven-Goran Eriksson's ability to get the very best out of his talented 'golden generation', with his substitution of Shaun Wright-Phillips roundly booed at Old Trafford.

However, with a victory underpinned by Wayne Rooney's creativity and brought to fruition by the finishing prowess of Michael Owen and Frank Lampard, England ended their World Cup qualifying campaign on a winning note.

Their 2-1 victory ensured they topped their group, a situation that looked somewhat unthinkable after defeats by Denmark and Northern Ireland earlier this season.

And while it may take rather longer to restore confidence than to lose it, the shoots of recovery are at least now there, with the onus on Eriksson to complete the transformation over the coming months.

Once again, he was indebted to Owen, whose 22nd competitive goal for his country, equalling Gary Lineker's record, fired England into the lead just before half-time.

Then again, England's enduring vulnerability in defence was exposed almost immediately, with substitute Tomasz Frankowski striking the visitors' equaliser before the interval.

However, England came again and while the crowd booed Peter Crouch's arrival to replace Wright-Phillips, Lampard, who struck their penalty winner against Austria, proved his growing influence as he hit the winner with 10 minutes left.

Eriksson was given some signs for encouragement by the deployment of Ledley King in the holding role - allowing Lampard to roam forward more freely - even if it may be a case of right tactic, wrong player.

Rooney, who was back after suspension, meanwhile passed a test of his temperament, with Kim Milton Nielsen, who sent him off at Villarreal only last month, officiating at Old Trafford.

He was on his best behaviour, hauling Radoslaw Sobolewski to his feet rather than contesting a harsh free-kick decision awarded against him in the opening exchanges.

Indeed, Rooney was also at the centre of all of England's best moves, underlining his pivotal role in the side.

While he struck one free-kick just wide and Lampard and the increasingly confident Luke Young also tried their luck, the best early chance fell to King, whose control let him down.

But despite some early misplaced passes, King's tackling ability came to England's rescue on several occasions in his experimental role as a holding midfielder.

When Rooney gave the ball away, he was quickly across to dispossess Sobolewski, while he also produced an excellent interception just as Tottenham team-mate Grzegorz Rasiak was poised to shoot.

It was still Rooney who was his side's creative force and one delightful turn left his marker dizzy as he fired a shot narrowly over the top.

Not that England were exactly at their best, but they still seized the lead on 43 minutes when Lampard's corner fell to Joe Cole on the edge of the penalty area and his shot was instinctively flicked through Sobolewski's legs by Owen from close range.

That should have been the cue for England to stamp their authority, but instead Kamil Kosowski was allowed to open up their defence down Poland's right flank before crossing for the unmarked Frankowski to strike his volley past Paul Robinson.

England did not wilt, however, with Wright-Phillips remaining dangerous whenever racing at defenders, but only until he actually had to cross the ball, making him the exact opposite of the man he was replacing, David Beckham.

Cole's crossing was just as unimpressive until he produced one pinpoint delivery for Owen, whose header was well saved by Artur Boruc.

Rooney also stabbed a clear chance over the bar after Ferdinand had headed down Lampard's corner, while Cole was several yards offside when a 'goal' was ruled out.

England's fans were becoming frustrated by their slow build-up, urging them to impose themselves on the game with the higher tempo that suits them so much better.

Not that Crouch's arrival to replace Wright-Phillips was the spark, but with Rooney dropping deeper and Lampard moving sideways, England got their second wind.

Celtic keeper Boruc pulled off two excellent saves, one from Owen and another to prevent an own goal but finally the breakthrough came with 10 minutes left.

England poured through the midfield and when Owen clipped an inviting ball forward to Lampard, he thrashed his volley into the net.

Eriksson moved swiftly to reinforce his midfield with Alan Smith and Jermaine Jenas, and victory was duly achieved. So too was leadership of the group.

There were, at last, signs of light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Who will qualify for World Cup??

France?? Tough. But they will make it. What is World Cup without the French.

Swiss?? Very good chance.

England must win to top the Group and hopefully get seeded and avoid the big guns in the Group Stages.

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Qualification situation

With just a few games left in the battle to reach the World Cup finals, we take an in-depth look at which sides could still make Germany - and what they have to do to get there.
Already in the finals are the following nations:

• Angola • Argentina • Brazil • Costa Rica • Croatia • Ecuador • England • Germany • Ghana • Iran • Italy • Ivory Coast • Japan • Mexico • Netherlands • Paraguay • Poland • Portugal • Saudi Arabia • South Korea • Togo • Tunisia • Ukraine • United States

AFRICA
Qualifying has now finished in Africa, with the following nations making it to Germany.
Group One: Togo
Group Two: Ghana
Group Three: Ivory Coast
Group Four: Angola
Group Five: Tunisia

ASIA
Qualified: Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Iran

Able to qualify: Uzbekistan, Bahrain The cancellation of Uzbekistan's first leg victory over Bahrain, due to a gaffe by Japanese referee Toshimitsu Yoshida, meant the original play-off was scrapped and rearranged for October. The winner of the play-off will play the fourth placed team from Concacaf in November for a place in the finals.

The first leg finished in a 1-1 draw, much to Uzbekistan's chagrin. The second leg is on Wednesday evening.

CONCACAF
FINAL STAGE STANDINGS
Qualified: Mexico, United States, Costa Rica

Able to make the play-offs: Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago Out: Panama Important final day games: Trinidad & Tobago v Mexico, Guatemala v Costa Rica.

The final day games leave only the play-off spot, against an Asian nation, to be decided. Trinidad currently hold a two-point advantage but Guatemala have the better head-to-head record. Guatemala must win at home to Costa Rica and hope Trinidad do not beat Mexico.

EUROPE
GROUP ONE Qualified: Netherlands

Able to make the play-offs: Czech Republic, Romania Out: Finland, Macedonia, Andorra, Armenia Important final day games: Finland v Czech Republic

The Czech Republic must win in Finland to overtake Romania, who have the better head-to-head record should the Finns force a draw.

GROUP TWO Qualified: Ukraine

Able to make play-offs: Turkey, Greece, Denmark
Out: Albania, Georgia, Kazakhstan Important final day games: Albania v Turkey, Greece v Georgia, Kazakhstan v Denmark

Turkey need to win their final group game in Albania to guarantee a place in the play-offs. Should they draw or lose, then Denmark can overtake them with a win at whipping boys Kazakhstan. Although mathematically Denmark could still qualify with a draw, Turkey would need to lose by at least two goals in Albania. But with the Danes having what should be a comfortable victory in their sights, Turkey must win.

Although European champions Greece are still mathematically able to qualify, it would take a startling set of results to see them into the play-offs. They have to win at home to Georgia, hope Denmark fail to beat Kazakhstan and Turkey lose in Albania.

GROUP THREE
Qualified: Portugal
Able to make play-offs: Slovakia, Russia
Out: Latvia, Estonia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg
Important final day games: Slovakia v Russia

It's a battle to the bitter end in Bratislava on Wednesday. Both teams are level on points but Slovakia have the goal difference and the first game between the two sides finished as a draw. Therefore, Russia must win or Slovakia will be in the play-offs.

GROUP FOUR
Able to qualify automatically: Switzerland, Ireland, France

Able to make the play-offs: Israel Out: Cyprus, Faroe Islands

Important final day games: France v Cyprus, Ireland v Switzerland

This group still has many permutations despite their being only two games remaining.

Israel: Despite topping the group going into the final day they have only a small chance of reaching the finals. Either Switzerland or Ireland will definitely overtake them, meaning only a play-off place is possible. They can only make the play-offs if France fail to win at home to Cyprus and there is a draw in Ireland.

Switzerland: If they win in Ireland they could top the group. Switzerland currently lead France on goal difference with the head-to-head level. However, France can still pip them but they would need to beat Cyprus in Paris by a four goal bigger margin than the Swiss win in Dublin to edge in front on goal difference. A draw will see the Swiss top the group if France fail to beat Cyprus. Defeat sees the Swiss eliminated.

France: If, as expected, they beat Cyprus, France will be guaranteed a play-off spot. To win the group they must either outscore a victorious Switzerland by four goals or hope Ireland get something at home to the Swiss.

Ireland: Victory is a must at home to Switzerland, which would guarantee a play-off position. They would also top the group if France failed to beat Cyprus.

If both games on the final day are drawn, Switzerland will top the group and Israel will be in the play-offs on the three-team head-to-head mini-league.

GROUP FIVE
Qualified: Italy
In the play-offs: Norway
Out: Slovenia, Belarus, Scotland, Moldova

Norway are guaranteed a place in the play-offs due to their superior head-to-head record against Slovenia.

GROUP SIX

Qualified: Poland, England
Out: Austria, Northern Ireland, Wales, Azerbaijan

England and Poland are through regardless of the result at Old Trafford as whichever side finishes second will be guaranteed one of the spots as a 'best runner-up'.

GROUP SEVEN
Able to qualify automatically: Serbia & Montenegro, Spain, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Out: Belgium, Lithuania, San Marino
Important final day games: San Marino v Spain, Serbia & Montenegro v Bosnia-Herzegovina

If Serbia win at home to Bosnia they are guaranteed a place at the finals.

Spain have to win in San Marino, and could qualify if the match at the Stadion Crvena Zvezda finishes as a draw - though Spain must beat San Marino by at least four goals. Should Spain beat San Marino 4-0 and the Serbia match be drawn 2-2 then Spain and Serbia will have to play-off on a neutral ground for top spot. That also applies to the same score by scale (5-1 & 3-3; 6-2 and 4-4). If Spain win 4-0 and the draw is 0-0 or 1-1, Spain will top the group on goals scored. If Spain win by more than four goals, coupled with a draw in Belgrade, then Spain will be through on goal difference. The head-to-head between Serbia and Spain is level.

Bosnia must win in Serbia to be guaranteed a play-off spot - overtaking Serbia on the head-to-head. They can only top the group if Spain fail to win in San Marino.

GROUP EIGHT
Qualified: Croatia
In the Play-offs: Sweden
Out: Hungary, Bulgaria, Iceland, Malta
Important final day games: Sweden v Iceland

Croatia are through regardless of the final day results as a 'best runner-up'. Sweden need a point to qualify - see below.

LUCKY LOSERS

For Groups 1-3, the points against the team which finished 7th are deleted to make all second placed teams equal on games played.

The Czech Republic's home loss to the Netherlands meant whoever finishes second in Group Six, either England or Poland, would go to the finals automatically.

The other automatic place for a runner-up with go to a team either from Groups One or Eight.

The points stand as follows: • Sweden 21 - goal difference of +24 • Romania 21 (with Armenia finishing bottom) - goal difference of +7 • Romania 19 (with Andorra finishing bottom) - goal difference of +4 • Czech Republic 18 (with Andorra finishing bottom) - goal difference of +9 • Czech Republic 18 (with Armenia finishing bottom) - goal difference of +14

Sweden are effectively assured the place, though need one point at home to Iceland to be absolutely sure. Even if they do lose, the swing in goal difference required to thwart Sweden is so great it's barely credible.

Romania, who have finished their qualifying programme, have virtually no chance of the lucky losers' spot. The Czech Republic must fail to win in Finland. And they also have to hope Armenia do not win in Andorra or their points total will drop below that of Sweden. To top it all off, they have to hope Sweden lose at home to Iceland by 18 goals.

The Czech Republic must win, Sweden must lose and there has to be a goal difference swing of at least 10.

OCEANIA
Australia cruised past surprise area finalists Soloman Islands 9-1 on aggregate last month. They will now face the fifth placed nation from South America for a place in the finals.

SOUTH AMERICA
FULL STANDINGS Qualified: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador Able to make play-offs: Uruguay, Colombia, Chile Out: Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia
Important final day games: Chile v Ecuador, Paraguay v Colombia, Uruguay v Argentina

Uruguay will face a play-off against Australia if they win at home to Argentina on Wednesday. However, should they fail to win their final fixture against group leaders Argentina the door is open for both Chile and Colombia - who are level a point behind Uruguay.

The Colombia-Chile head-to-head is level but Colombia have the advantage with a goal difference lead of 11. As Chile are behind Uruguay on the head-to-head, Chile's only hope of making the finals is if they win at home to Ecuador and both Colombia and Uruguay fail to pick up three points.

Colombia will qualify if they win and Uruguay do not. Colombia, however, do lead Uruguay on the head-to-head. So if Colombia only draw in Paraguay, they will make the play-offs if Uruguay and Chile both lose. If Uruguay lose and Chile draw, Uruguay would go through due to the three-team head-to-head mini-league.

Struggling England

The team of millionaires struggled to beat an average Austrian side who has no chance of qualification. Instead of stream rolling over them, England only managed a goal and it was from the penalty spot....a soft penalty.

In the process, they lost Beckham (red-carded) and Campbell (hamstring).

Lucky for them, Holland beat Czech, gives handed England a spot in the final 32. England has to beat Poland next to make sure that they are seeded to aviod the big teams in the Group Stages.

England is at best mediocre..need to sort out the strikers and the defences in order to have a good showing in Germany 2006.

Lucky for them, there is still time.

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England 1-0 Austria: A qualified success

Rio Ferdinand is used to international exiles due to a loss of concentration, having spent eight months on the sidelines after his missed drugs test and been ruled out the Euro 2004 finals as a result.

However, his latest exclusion was rather shorter. Just 64 minutes to be precise, before Sol Campbell's fitness problems returned and Ferdinand was handed the chance to win back his place ahead of the World Cup finals.

As England attempt to celebrate qualification for the tournament in the best possible way, by topping their group with victory against Poland, Ferdinand will be reunited alongside Terry in central defence.

And as Sven-Goran Eriksson's mind turns to his intended starting line-up in Germany next summer, he must be hoping Ferdinand responds to this latest wake-up call with rather more astuteness than the last.

'When you take decisions like this, with great players who have never sat on the bench before, you can get two different reactions,' said Eriksson.

'One is head down or even worse. The other is the opposite - 'I will show you that you're wrong'. And Rio will show me that I was wrong, I'm 100% sure of that.'

All England fans must hope he is right, as Ferdinand has allowed his natural talent to be wasted, becoming too complacent in possession and lacking concentration in defence.

However, he was up to the task as a substitute against Austria, holding firm alongside Terry amid a 10-man rearguard action after David Beckham's dismissal threatened a slender lead provided by Frank Lampard's penalty.

Eriksson is well aware that while Campbell and Terry are relatively similar, embodying the physical might and mental fight of English football, Ferdinand offers - when on form - a different dimension in being able to bring the ball out of defence.

Indeed, unless injuries intervene, Eriksson has just one other meaningful decision to make over his line-up ahead of next summer, with Joe Cole the player most at risk of losing his place.

Against Austria, Cole gave possibly his best performance for England since the 4-0 win against Northern Ireland. And yet.

There is still a nagging doubt over the lack of balance in the side, especially when England were deprived of Ashley Cole's left-footed crossing ability.

Kieran Richardson is one alternative, and should at least play regularly for United this season, albeit at left-back, while Stewart Downing is another if he can recapture form after injury.

There is always a chance of Eriksson experimenting with a holding midfielder, such as Owen Hargreaves or - as against Austria after Beckham's dismissal - Ledley King.

Otherwise, the team effectively picks itself, with Wayne Rooney returning after suspension against Austria to provide the much-needed creative spark against Poland.

'Of course it will have an effect. You can't substitute Wayne Rooney, there aren't two of them in England, maybe not in Europe,' observed Eriksson.

The real question, however, is in getting the best out of the players - a feat which Eriksson has not yet achieved this season, even if he was, as ever, applying a positive gloss.

'After the game against Northern Ireland, everyone was down but although it wasn't always brilliant and we can play better, they did an excellent job considering the last game,' he said.

Peter Crouch did his prospects of a squad place no harm with his first-half display, with a series of astute flicks and through-balls, even if he looked decidedly more dangerous on the ground than in the air.

Michael Owen and Luke Young almost capitalised before Owen was held back by Paul Scharner and, with Beckham having given up penalty responsibilities after three consecutive misses, Lampard made no mistake from the spot.

England were harshly denied another penalty, with Owen seemingly brought down by Andreas Dober, while Crouch headed an inviting chance straight at Jurgen Macho.

However, Austria offered little penetration until the second half, when England were relieved to see Roland Linz hit the bar with a lob after a weak header by Terry.

Worse was to follow. Beckham caught Andreas Ibertsberger with his leading arm in an aerial challenge and was booked, ruling him out of the Poland game with his fourth booking of the campaign.

Just two minutes later, he flung himself into a challenge on the same player on the edge of
England's area, picked up his second caution of the game and was dismissed.

Beckham argued, with some justification, he pulled out of the tackle but there was an element or recklessness in his attitude and Rooney must have seen the irony of the man who told him to calm down in Belfast being dismissed himself.

Without Beckham, England circled the wagons and finally played as a team, albeit concentrating only on defence as King bolstered the midfield, Ferdinand replaced Campbell and Richardson came on for Owen.

They held out - just - but the real drama was only just starting, with Holland's evening win in Prague ensuring England qualified automatically for the finals.

Winning it is something completely different, however. To achieve that, England need something of a renaissance - just like Ferdinand.

What a comeback!

A spirited comeback from Spurs!!

We were lucky because of Keane's fir in his bellies.....he deserved better treatment from Jol.

Defence was awful....Naybet is getting old...slow to react and played horrible offside when he knew he couldn't get near Bent. Better play Gardner or Dawson.

We are 3rd now....YO!


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Charlton 2-3 Tottenham: Fighting Spurs



Darren Bent handed watching England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson a timely reminder of his goalscoring qualities, but Tottenham undid all his good work with a thrilling second-half fightback to triumph 3-2 at The Valley.

Bent had looked to have given Charlton all three points when he scored his second of the game two minutes after the re-start.

But Tottenham stormed back with goals from Ledley King, Mido and substitute Robbie Keane to move level on points with Charlton.

Both teams are still six points adrift of leaders Chelsea and Bent's place in the England squad was placed in doubt when the 21-year-old striker was forced to leave the field with a head injury.

Bent's double - he scored one goal in each half - took his tally to seven in as many games since manager Alan Curbishley bravely gambled on elevating the striker from the Championship with Ipswich to the high-profile environment of the Premiership with Charlton.

It is a measure of Charlton's improvement this season that Bent and team-mates Danny Murphy and Luke Young are all expected to be named in Eriksson's squad on Sunday for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Austria at Old Trafford.

Murphy did no harm at all to his chances of a recall to the international stage after two years in the wilderness by supplying the glorious through-ball for the pacey Bent to capitalise on for his opener.

Indeed, the former Liverpool man, who missed out on a place in England's squad for the 2002 World Cup finals through injury, began orchestrating matters in midfield from the start.

One of his early attempts to get Charlton's front men in behind the Spurs defence was only prevented bearing fruit by England defender Ledley King, who sent Jerome Thomas sprawling inside the penalty area.

However, referee Phil Dowd waved away their appeals for a spot-kick and the visitors began to exert some early pressure of their own.

Former Spurs defender Chris Perry conceded a free-kick on the right flank when he fouled Paul Stalteri in the seventh minute.

It caused momentary jitters in the Charlton defence and although Spurs won a corner, they failed to make use of it sufficiently enough to cause the home side any further problems.

In the 14th minute King missed an easy chance to put Spurs in front when Pedro Mendes' corner was headed down to him on the edge of the six-yard box by Stalteri. However, the England defender's shot missed the target.

It was costly for the visitors as Bent put the home side in front in the 26th minute. A beautifully-flighted ball from the impressive Murphy caught Tottenham's defence square and Bent ran clear to beat goalkeeper Paul Robinson with a neat right-footed finish from 10 yards.

Moments later he missed a gilt-edged chance to score his second when Alexei Smertin's run and cross found him unmarked in front of the Spurs goal. This time Bent allowed the ball to skid off his foot and out for a goalkick.

But the in-form striker made no mistake when he put Charlton two in front straight after the restart.

This time the architect of the move was Thomas and the youngster's through-ball again left the Spurs defence flatfooted. Once again Bent was given time and space to pick his spot before curling a right-footed shot beyond the stationary Robinson.

Charlton should have gone on to make the most of their superiority, but Spurs began their fightback when King atoned for his first-half miss by scoring in the 51st minute.

A Mendes free-kick was deftly headed on by Mido and King wrong-footed Stephan Andersen by directing the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

Charlton, clearly stung by Tottenham's goal and the increase in tempo from their visitors, began to lose the cohesion in midfield which had served them so well in the first hour of the contest.

And it was no surprise when Spurs hauled themselves level in the 64th minute through Egyptian striker Mido.

He shot through the legs of Andersen from an acute angle after Teemu Tainio had left Charlton's defence completely flatfooted by a clever reverse pass.

Spurs boss Martin Jol, clearly sensing his side could snatch a barely deserved victory, sent on Robbie Keane for Jermaine Jenas immediately after their leveller.

The move reaped rich rewards 10 minutes from time when Defoe slotted the ball to the Republic of Ireland striker, who scored the winner with an angled drive from just inside the penalty area.

Jol hails Keane

Tottenham coach Martin Jol insisted Robbie Keane has a future at the club for as long as he wants after the striker capped a sensational second-half comeback with the winner in a five-goal thriller against Charlton at The Valley.

Spurs rejected a bid for Keane from Everton during the transfer window and there is talk of the Merseysiders returning in January with a renewed offer.

But Jol said: 'I don't even want to think about other teams. Robbie is a big part of our set-up. I've told him that we have to fight his situation together.

'It's our problem. If Robbie wants to play for us, he will. He can only get his best form by playing and that's why I am happy he is playing for Ireland. If you don't play 90 minutes you tend to lose your fitness a bit.

'He's not like the old Liverpool `super-sub' David Fairclough, he should be playing. Robbie came on against Aston Villa and scored for us earlier in the season but it is always very difficult and I have to make a decision.

'Jermain scored a very important goal for us against Fulham on Monday. With players like Robbie on the bench you always have a chance. Nine out of 10 times he will score.'

Jol revealed that when Mido levelled the scores, instinct told him that Keane could get them a winner.

'There was something at the back of my mind which told me that we could get something,' explained Jol.

'Sometimes you have to take a gamble and it paid off. I had a feeling that we could do it. Overall, we had more chances than them and sometimes you have to force your luck. We started well in the first half but then gave away cheap goals.'

Charlton boss Alan Curbishley said he had to take the defeat 'on the chin' after Spurs stormed back to cancel out Bent's brace.

'We've got to take that on the chin I think. But anyone who came here today can see why we have got the results we have this season.

'This is the second time in two weeks that we've raced into a two-goal lead and perhaps there's something for us to look at.

'I'm very disappointed we've been beaten. But we've got to look at the good things and the bad ones. I was a bit disappointed with the referee's decision to award the free-kick that led to their first goal. I didn't think it was a free-kick. But we had chances to make 3-1 and didn't take them.'

Curbishley insisted he was still delighted with the start his side have made even if they remain six points behind leaders Chelsea.

'We have got to be delighted with 15 points and it could have been more. We showed again today that we can play against the top teams.'