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Shakhtar Donetsk will be looking to continue their record-breaking run in the Champions League when they take on Roma in the last 16.

This season marks the first time that Donetsk have made it to the knockout stages of Europe’s premier club competition, just 18 months after they won the 2009 UEFA Cup.

Former Inter Milan manager Mircea Lucescu has transformed the club since taking over in 2004, and now he intends to send a message by guiding Shakhtar into the quarter-finals for the first time.

“We wanted to get to the knockout stage for the first time and, after missing out before, we finally managed it this season – and deservedly so,” Lucescu said.

The Ukrainians finished on top of Group H with five wins from their six games, including a 2-1 victory over English Premier League side Arsenal.

Last time the two sides met in 2006, Shakhtar was on the end of a 4-0 drubbing, but Lucescu is convinced his side will give a better account of themselves when they go head to head on Wednesday.

“The fans (in Rome) create a certain pressure on opponents, but also on their own team,” Lucescu said.

“Certainly, what we learned from that last game will help us this time. I am convinced about that.”

“Also the difference in class between football in eastern and western Europe is narrowing. Many talented players have come to the east.”

“The UEFA Cup wins by Galatasaray, CSKA Moskva, Zenit and Shakhtar mean these countries have greater hope for Champions League success.”

Roma qualified for the knockout stages after finishing second behind Bayern Munich in Group E.

But their form on the domestic front has been less impressive, with Claudio Ranieri’s side slipping to eighth in the Serie A after taking just two wins from their last six matches.

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Ranieri has been under pressure to keep his job with rumours Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti was in line to make a shock move to the club.

A run to the Champions League final, which they achieved for the first and only time in 1984, would certainly help Ranieri’s prospects, but he admitted getting past Shakhtar would be tough.

“Lucescu’s teams always play very good football,” Ranieri said. “Shakhtar are a quality team and they have some very strong players. On top of that, Lucescu knows Italian football very well. This is going to be a good tie to watch.”

Winning the Champions League is the obvious answer to that question but how many fans remember that Everton finished above Liverpool the season that they were crowned Champions of Europe despite trailing in 37 points behind champions Chelsea.

As Benitez banks his pay-off the Spaniard can expect to field enquires from Inter Milan and Juventus about top flight opportunities while Moyes begins preparations to defy economics and keep Everton challenging for a place in the Europa League.

Former Celtic and Middlesbrough defender Derek Whyte presents Premiership football throughout the Middle East on Dubai based Showtime Arabia and is amazed that his fellow Scot is overlooked when the big jobs become vacant.

Moyes has forever been quoted as ‘the next Manchester United manager’ but despite that label no club has come in to offer him a crack at Champions League football and the opportunity to get involved in the sharper end of the transfer market.

“It drives me nuts to see Rafael Benitez getting linked with Juventus or Inter Milan yet Davie Moyes is never quoted for those sort of jobs,” Whyte admitted.

“He does well every season but has to wonder how he’s ever going to get Champions League experience.

“Last season we went out for dinner when he came out to Dubai during an international break and we were talking about his position and we was discussing if he’d ever get a chance in the Champions League.

“He can only take Everton so far, it amazes me that no team has taken a chance on him. I don’t think that Everton have the finances to push any further.”

While Liverpool’s season trundled from one disappointment to the next ranging from an FA Cup defeat at home to Reading through to finishing seventh in the Premiership, Everton finished strongly just two points behind despite a crippling injury list.

Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka both started in just 11 Premiership games which allowed other such as Fellaini and Steven Piennar to emerge alongside the consistently consistent Tim Cahill.

In eight years in charge at Goodison Moyes has constructed a number of different teams with the emphasis on developing from within alongside sensible investment in the transfer market.

The £17m profit on Joelon Lescott more than covered the transfer fees for Arteta, Jagielka, Cahill and Piennar with Whyte impressed by the way that Moyes maximises his squad.

He added: “Considering that they were without Jagielka and Arteta for most of the time Everton had a fantastic season.

“When those two came back into the side and with Steven Pinnear on form they were an impressive side.

“Davie builds teams and also brings through younger players like Jack Rodwell which are all the qualities that you look for in a top manager.

“He’s well appreciated and rewarded at Everton but I’d love him to get the chance to move on and test himself at another level, I’m sure that he could do equally well elsewhere.”

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Article courtesy of Joe McHugh from VIDEO CELTS

Sunday’s Community Shield between Chelsea and Manchester City officially kicked off the NEW domestic campaign and the Premier League bandwagon has simply rolled back into town, promising months of great games, goals – with some incredible highs for some clubs and undoubted lows for others. If this new Premier League season season proves to be as exciting an unpredictable as the last, then we are really in for an exciting 10 months ahead.

This week on Football FanCast we are counting down to this weekend’s Premier League kick-off with a full list of content that includes a full season preview for each club; features on players to watch and a whole host of stats and videos of great games to whet your appetite ahead of the big kick-off.

Join us here on Football FanCast every day for the latest updates:[divider][divider]

What the players will be wearing

‘Suits you sir!’ – The Full Premier League Kit collection for 2012/13 season

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Club Previews

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Tottenham

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Liverpool

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Arsenal

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Manchester United

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Everton

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Chelsea

The Full Premier League Preview – Aston Villa

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Manchester City

The Full Premier League Season Preview – West Ham

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Sunderland

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Reading

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Newcastle

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Fulham

The Full Premier League Season Preview – Southampton

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List Articles

The 15 players that need a BIG Premier League season

Top TEN Premier League Players Simply ‘Wasting Away’

The 15 players set for a ‘Premier League breakthrough’ this season

The Top TEN contenders for this year’s ‘Premier League Golden Boot’

The 15 Premier League transfers ‘still likely to happen’ this summer

Top TEN ‘likely surprise packages’ in the Premier League this season

The Top TEN ‘Greatest Premier League Openers’

The TEN Things ‘You can Expect To See’ In This Premier League season

The TEN things AVB must do to get ‘Tottenham back in the Champions League’

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Blogs

The Premier League’s top tips courtesy of Ladbrokes

The right career move by Jack Rodwell?

Premier League Experience The Key For West Ham

One door closes but another one opens at Tottenham

Too much too soon for Chelsea football club?

Mind Games From Mancini or Sheer Madness?

Chelsea must prove that it has all counted for nothing

Does a season of redemption await for Big Sam?

Can he adapt to the new Tottenham Hotspur regime?

Why Liverpool must hit the ground running

The perfection Premier League addition that will aid development

So what must Reading and Southampton do?

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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Can Newcastle United really compete here?

Has Roberto Mancini every right to be frustrated?

Papiss Cisse The Value To Win The Premier League’s Golden Boot Award

Time to grab the bull by the horns at Old Trafford

Do Hazard lights await for Eden?

Should Tottenham focus on it this season?

Why at Old Trafford he must continue where he left off

Has Tottenham’s transfer brinkmanship gone a step too far?

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VIDEO – Great Opening Day Games

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According to legend, Berbatov ’s Mancunian adventure started unconventionally – under a blanket in the back of Ferguson’s car, as he was speedily whisked away from the admiring hands of Manchester City.

In years hence though, all has been predictable. The daily abuse, the cheap cracks and descriptors starting with “l” are functions of a society inherently against footballers in the mould of Dimitar Berbatov.

Despite standing at six foot two, the Bulgarian hardly intimidates. His stature is slightly offset by a permanent slump of the shoulders and furrowing of the brow, two characteristics most manifest in times of struggle. And for Berbatov, struggle is never far away.

Quite apart from the expectation automatically applied to all Manchester United front players – especially ones that cost in excess of thirty million pounds – Berbatov is the subject of a special kind of scrutiny. There is an unshakable feeling among commentators and journalists alike that his case deserves questioning of an intensity normally only applied to England managers, brothel frequenters and John Terry.

To see Berbatov play is for many to have triggered a sort of righteous indignation, anger at an individual so distinctly different from the Premier League’s proletariat masses. The haughty exterior, hair band (until it was shorn a couple seasons ago) and deceptive, almost arrogant movement, all made great copy throughout each season of supposed under performance.

It is here however, that logic becomes flawed and evaluation teeters towards imbalance. In every appraisal, only the negative aspects of Berbatov’s profile are cited; his “lackadaisical” attitude and “languid” style of play always shadow a superb touch and breathtaking range of passing. Perhaps though, he was always destined to be under appreciated. After all, this is the country whose national team rejected Le Tissier and alienated Hoddle. Sheer skill, unadulterated by buckets of sweat, just isn’t valued in England to the degree that it is in other European countries.

And contrast doesn’t help either. Alongside the bustling Wayne Rooney and feisty Javier Hernandez, Dimitar Berbatov looks every bit an extrovert, the antithesis of English football’s myopic ideology. He’s everything that the prosaic hum drum of traditional English forward play lacks, while at the same time short of everything it has. The immaculate touch and precision passing that define his game are wonderful, but they tend to be forgotten in a whirlwind of parochialism and cliche.

Now only visible a few fleeting times a month, Berbatov’s under rated Manchester United tenure is likely to take an undeserved place alongside that of Diego Forlan and Juan Sebastian Veron. Neither of them ever finished as United’s top scorer, though. Neither of them netted a hat trick against Liverpool, nor five in a single match.

The Premier League missed an opportunity in Dimitar Berbatov. A seemingly conscious, pre-meditated decision by the press has led to the undermining of all his most fantastic achievements; most obviously, the dismissal of his golden boot -it being too reliant on only a small number of games. While there is beauty in its current product, what England’s top flight is missing is a general acceptance of footballers cut from Berbatov’s intricate cloth. It’s that veneer of quality which Italians and Spaniard’s savour – a subtle brilliance that us English are too blunt to notice.

Article courtesy of David Yaffe-Bellany from Red Flag Flying High

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After Liverpool’s loss at Manchester United in the FA Cup 3rd round, I wrote an article suggesting that it was time Fernando Torres left the Anfield club. During the game he offered nothing and looked like he would have rather of been anywhere else. Understandably, Liverpool fans jumped to his defence. But in hindsight, was it a good move for the club and the player?

To put it into context, the game I mentioned above saw Torres marked out of the game by Jonny Evans. We are talking about a striker who has on several occasions made fellow Manchester United centre-back, Nemanja Vidic, look stupid. I’m used to seeing the Spaniard chase lost causes, harass defenders and scoring wonder-goals, not trying to find his way out of a pretty ordinary defender’s pocket. What’s more, his reaction to being subbed was almost non-existent. His team were 1-0 down to their biggest rivals and faced being dumped out of the cup – the only chance left of any silverware this season – at the first hurdle. Was he bothered?

To put it bluntly, he didn’t want to be there and probably hasn’t done for a while. The problem is Liverpool have spent the last 12 months trying to accommodate a player who wasn’t willing to put the work in for them. That’s not to say that has always been the case. But in fairness to Torres, Liverpool haven’t exactly been operating at the top level recently. He moved to Anfield to win trophies and in that respect, nothing has changed.

I don’t agree with his timing, or the way he has set about rubbing it in his former club’s nose that he is now a Chelsea player, and ‘finally playing for a top club’, after all, Liverpool have much more history than the London side. But Torres had to move. Why stay with a team you no longer have any desire to do well for, especially if you are as good as he is? Liverpool merely served to pay him a ridiculous amount every week for very little in return.

Phil Thompson was questioned about Torres’ move before the Tuesday night fixtures and his reaction was one of pure anger towards the forward. As a Liverpool fan, Thompson is another who blindly defended Torres despite what the rest of us could see. This week, in between all the exasperation and emotion, he attempted to point out that Liverpool are bigger than Torres and his move was disrespectful to everyone at the club. He was clearly wound up, but why? It wouldn’t be the first time a world-class player stops performing because he wants out. If he wanted to go, then Liverpool made the right decision in trying to get as much as they could for him.

£50 million is a lot of money, and to be fair to the club, they have used it to reinvest. Luis Suarez has real pedigree and it’s a shame we don’t get to see him alongside Torres. Andy Carroll is a gamble at £35 million but at least the club are showing some ambition. For far too long they have been playing a way to suit Torres because they haven’t had another option, but now they do.

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As far as Torres is concerned, instead of doing his best to talk himself into trouble, he needs to concentrate on playing for Chelsea. He moved to win trophies and he has as good a chance as he will ever get.

Chelsea spent £50 million to turn their season around. Torres moved to win trophies and Liverpool sold to get rid of a disruption. The move has been a long time coming and seems the best solution for all concerned. The Kop now have a new number 9 to worship, and whatever you may think about Carroll, he will certainly give his all. Fernando who?

Newcastle have continued their attempts to sign Twente defender Douglas, and have upped their bid to £4 million according to The Sun.

The Tyneside club are eager to build on their fifth-placed finish last term in the Premier League but have only signed French midfielder Romain Amalfitano so far this summer.

A new defender is on Alan Pardew’s wishlist after seeing injuries decimate his backline last term, and the lofty centre-half is in the Magpies’ cross-hairs.

Douglas is a Brazilian defender, but qualifies for EU citizenship in September, which would mean that he would not have any work permit issues.

With only one year left on his deal at the Eredivisie club, Douglas has already stated that he wants to move to a bigger club and league, with a number of European sides monitoring the situation.

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Newcastle have already failed in a bid of around £3.15 million for the player, and will test the Dutch team’s resolve further by increasing the offering to £4 million.

By Gareth McKnight

Queens Park Rangers capture of Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton on a free transfer at the end of last week looks to be a fantastic deal for the newly promoted club. The 28-year-old will add steel, bite and leadership to a team that can greatly benefit from his Premier League experience. But as QPR and manager Neil Warnock assemble a team to try and stay in the top division, are they risking too much by adding another big character to the dressing room?

For fans of the Premier League these big characters are great entertainment but for clubs they can be a real headache. Barton’s well documented troubles means he arrives in London with a reputation and he will not shy away from confrontation on the field. Already in the handful of games he played for Newcastle this season he has been at the centre of the action, the most notable of which involved being slapped by Arsenal’s Gervinho. You can argue over whether that was the former Newcastle midfielder’s fault but Barton can’t keep away from the headlines.

After impressing with Newcastle last season Barton should rightly slot straight into the QPR midfield. But by doing so Barton is likely to play alongside Adel Taarabt, another big character that could hinder as much as he could help his team. Barton and Taarabt as a central midfield partnership has as much potential to explode as it does to shine and QPR are taking a risk by putting faith in controversial names. Premier League football and the battle for points that will inevitably ensue with often require calm heads and unwavering focus. I have my concerns whether Barton and Taarabt can not only do that as individuals but also as a partnership.

As well as the likes of Barton and Taarabt on the field, QPR also have another well-known character on the touchline in the form of Neil Warnock. Whilst I am an admirer of Warnock’s talent as a manager and he deserves a lot of credit for guiding QPR back to the top tier of English football, he too possess the unpredictability that could so easily destabilise a football club.

But have QPR got the right mix by bringing in Barton? Both Barton and Taarabt are strong characters and they need a tough form of leadership to properly guide them. Warnock will provide that and may relish having someone of Barton’s personality in his dressing room. Whilst big personalities can be liabilities, they also find themselves as leaders. As captain last season Taarabt guided his team to promotion and was the inspiration for much of their success. Similarly Barton has the ability to command and lead a team, a useful attribute if or when QPR find themselves in a sticky situation this season.

Whether Barton’s arrival at QPR turns out to be a success this season will depend on what league his new team find themselves in come the end of the season. It is going to be a tough season for QPR and Neil Warnock has taken a risk by adding another big character like Barton to his ranks but whilst it is far too early to tell whether it will all end in disappointment, there is no doubt that it is going to be a far from boring down at Loftus Road.

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Do you think QPR are taking too much of a risk with the likes of Barton, Taarabt and Warnock? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

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Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel says he will decide on his playing future at the end of the season.

Friedel, 39, will become the oldest player to ever play for Villa if he lines up against Manchester United on Tuesday at Old Trafford, surpassing the record set by Ernie Callaghan in 1947.

Speculation about the American’s future is constant, but Friedel is not concerned about turning 40 and says if he stays fit, he will keep playing.

“I don’t know if it will be a good thing or a bad thing to be the oldest player ever to play for the club,” Friedel said.

“I will continue to just keep myself as fit as possible and hopefully be chosen to play football matches.”

“Age is a number. I don’t think about it. I just go by how I feel. If I feel good and able to play – that makes me happy.”

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Friedel is likely to be involved in Sunday’s fourth-round FA Cup tie at Villa Park against former club Blackburn. He made nearly 300 appearances during a nine-year stint at Ewood Park.

The second tier of English football is less known for it’s foreign exports, more for it’s aggressive and full throttle nature; especially with the likes of Michael Brown, Paul Mckenna, Adam El-Abd and recently promoted Kevin Nolan.

The Championship is an unforgivable league, and having that extra bite can often leave you in hot bother with suspensions or it can leave teams fearing you, the unpredictable nature of being ‘dirty’ is a dish best served risky. 

Dirty by name, Dirty by nature, Leeds United have spent the last 40 years labelled ‘Dirty Leeds’ largely down to the famous Don Revie side. However, the trend has continued well into the 21st century, with such players as David Batty, Danny Mills, Vinnie Jones and now Michael Brown all known for the ‘odd’ leg break.

Now with Neil Warnock in charge, the man who once saw his Sheffield United team reduced to 7 men in a game that was inevitably abandoned against WBA, the dirty approach doesn’t look like fading just yet at Elland Road.

They say statistics never lie, as Brighton & Hove Albion officially finished bottom of the Championship Fair Play League last season, notching up 83 yellow cards and a whopping 8 red cards. Gus Poyet’s disciplined footballing style was perhaps lost in translation when it came to the discipline of his players. Adam El-Abd is most certainly the hard hitter in the team, most notably with his skinhead looks and love for shoving the elbow in.

Only one team can shamefully boast the most red cards in the league. That team being Leicester City, acquiring 9 red cards over the course of the last season, they most certainly weren’t listening when they said make the extra man count. A team that is full of talented footballers, overshadowed by the need to put the foot in and becoming last season’s underachievers, the blame game could well lie with seeing red more often than most.

Astonishingly only one red card for Hull City last season, especially with the presence of Andy Dawson, Jack Hobbs and Paul Mckenna. Languishing near the wrong end of the Fair Play League, Hull City certainly have plenty of no nonsense ankle nibblers that are one miss-timed tackle away from an early bath.

From the industrial heart of the North East, Middlesbrough live up to their hard-working and gritty roots. Fair Play relegation fodder last season, the likes of Barry Robson, Julio Arca, Nicky Bailey, Stephen McManus and Matthew Bates are all capable of leaving floating birds around one’s head.

71 yellow cards and 7 red cards later, Middlesbrough have firmly established themselves as one of the dirty players in the Championship, and this season surely will follow suit despite the departure of card happy Barry Robson.

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A second-half brace from Huang Fengtao has given Shenzhen Ruby a surprise 2-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League.The striker opened the scoring on 79 minutes before sealing the win at the Huizhou Olympic Stadium with his second in the fifth minute of additional time.

Despite the win on Sunday, Philippe Troussier’s team remain in the relegation zone, while Shanghai Shenhua are seventh.

In another upset, a goal from Brazilian striker Leandro Netto helped Henan Jianye to a 1-0 win over the sixth-placed Shaanxi Chanba.

An 81st-minute penalty from Xu Wen gave Nanchang Bayi a 1-0 win over Dalian Shide to ensure they would remain just outside the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Jiangsu Shuntian struck four times in the first half on their way to a 4-2 win over Liaoning Hongyun.

Serbian forward Aleksandar Jevtic hit a brace with goals from Komoliddin Tadjiev and Sun Ke giving Jiangsu a 4-0 lead.

China international Zhao Junzhe pulled a goal back just before the break and midfielder Yu Hanchao struck on 77 minutes, but it proved to be too late for Liaoning.

Qingdao Jonoon recorded a strong 3-1 win over Hangzhou Lucheng.

Liu Jian had given Qingdao an early lead before Uruguayan striker Paulo Pezzolano equalised nine minutes into the second half.

But goals from Zheng Long and forward Zhu Jianrong were enough to give them an important win and help them into ninth.

In other games, Changchun Yatai came from behind to gain a 2-2 draw against Chengdu Blades.

Colombian Javier Estupinan and Australian midfielder John Hutchinson had put the Blades two goals to the good before Zhang Wenzhao and Wang Wanpeng secured the visitors a draw.

Meanwhile, Argentine Luciano Olguin and Roda Antar exchanged goals as Tianjin Teda and Shandong Luneng played out a 1-1 draw.