January Transfer Rumours- 12 Hours 'Til The Window Opens

With 12 hours to go til the January window swings open, situations are developing and changing by the minute. Demba Ba is now expected to turn down Chelsea, following "unproductive" talks with the Blues last night. Underachieving Newcastle still look set to lose the striker however, with Arsenal and PSG willing to meet the Senegalese strikers £7.5 million release clause.

There is some good news though for the Toon Army- French international full-back Mathieu Debuchy looks set to sign from Lille for a fee of around £5 million. Debuchy is a player that Alan Pardew has been chasing for some time after impressive showings in Euro 2012, and the 27 year-old right-back should sign on the dotted line in the next few days. Excellent signing for Newcastle in my opinion- a very fast, attack-minded player that will give their side a bit more of an edge.

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is attracting plenty of attention from the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. After making his first international appearance for England in the loss against Sweden in November 2012, the Ivory Coast-born youngster announced yesterday that he was "ready for the Premier League" putting many sides on red alert, and leaving fans of high-flying Crystal Palace worried that their talisman may leave in January, which would certainly have an impact on their push for promotion. United are the current front runners for the pacey winger, and are expected to lodge an £8 million bid in January- which has absolutely no chance of being accepted. Palace are unlikely to sell for any less than £10 million with add-ons. 

Southampton will spend big in January in an attempt to plug their leaky defence and escape relegation- they have conceded an incredible 37 goals in just 19 games this season and currently find themselves occupying 18th place in the Premier League. 

Their number one target is the highly-rated Italian international centre-back Davide Astori, who plys his trade in Serie A with Cagliari. Saints boss Nigel Adkins has made a bid of around £8 million for the 25 year-old, though he faces competition from Juventus. 

Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland was Adkins' main transfer target in the summer, seeing a £6 million bid rejected by the Blues, but after a tough season so far in the Championship they may be forced to sell for a similar figure in January, though Liverpool are also rumoured to be sniffing around the England under-21 international. 

And finally, could former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso be on the verge of a sensational return to the Premier League? Real Madrid seem reluctant to offer the Spanish midfielder a new contract, with only 18 months to run the 31 year-old's current deal. Liverpool were reportedly interested in bringing Alonso back to Anfield in early December. 

January transfers- who's going where?

Speculation is everywhere as the football world anxiously awaits the opening of the January transfer window on New Year's day. So, who are the big names that could be on the move next month? 

Falcao- Atletico Madrid

 Asking Price- c£50 million

The Colombian international has been in blistering form once again this season as Atletico look set to break the Barcelona-Real Madrid dominance in La Liga this season. "Los Colchoneros" are currently second in the table, seven points clear of city-rivals Real, thanks in large part to Falcao's contribution of 17 goals from 17 league games. 

Despite stating that he wants to stay at the club at least until the end of the season as a gesture of goodwill to club chairman Enrique Cerezo, Atletico will struggle to refuse a bid of £50 million; a fee which Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City are believed to be willing to stump up for the 26 year-old striker. 

Falcao is the best striker in the world at the moment in my opinion, and Chelsea will be desperate to get him on board as soon as possible due to interest from other clubs and their current lack of striking power- former Atletico star Fernando Torres is the only recognised striker on their books. 

I'm certain that Chelsea will make a bid in January. Whether it is accepted and whether the player wants to move is a different matter.

Best odds on Falcao's club after the January transfer window are as follows (all from BetVictor):

Chelsea- 4/1

Manchester City- 12/1

Real Madrid- 14/1

Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG- 16/1

David Villa- Barcelona

Asking Price- c£12 million

The race to sign Barcelona star David Villa is currently wide-open, and looks set to rumble on throughout January in what is sure to be one of the most intriguing transfer stories of the window. 

After a horrific leg break in December 2011 during the Club World Cup in Japan, Villa has struggled to hold down a regular place in the side, making just 5 appearances for the Catalan giants since his return in August 2012. 

Despite Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizareta denying that Villa is for sale, it is believed that the 31 year-old forward has his heart set on a move to the Premier League- and he is spoiled for choice as a host of Premier League sides look set to battle it out for his signature should he be allowed to move clubs in January. 

Somewhat surprisingly, Swansea City are the current bookies favourites to sign the World Cup winner, (presumably due to Villa's former Valencia and Spain team-mate Pablo Hernandez being at the club) with Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool also ready to pounce should the opportunity arise.

Best odds on David Villa's club after January transfer window:

Swansea City- 2/1

Chelsea- 3/1

Arsenal- 5/1

Man City- 10/1

Liverpool- 12/1

Wesley Sneijder- Inter Milan

Asking Price- c£10 million

After turning down a new contract and falling out with pretty much everyone at Inter after being asked to take a £1.6 million a year pay-cut, Dutch playmaker Sneijder looks certain to be on his way out in January for a cut price fee of around £10 million. 

A £30 million target for Manchester United last season, clubs from all round Europe are already sniffing around the unsettled 28 year-old, with Liverpool and Tottenham already believed to have lodged £9.5 million bids, though of course a move to struggling Liverpool seems unlikely for a player of his class. 

Tottenham are certainly an attractive proposition at the moment and I can personally see him joining them, but with so many attacking midfield players, do they really need another playmaker? Considering they already have Gylfi Sigurdsson, Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey that all play in a similar role and only Jermain Defoe and the misfiring Emmanuel Adebayor for striking options, I think the money would be better spent on a striker, such as Loic Remy or Demba Ba (though it does now look as if a deal has already been done with another club for the Newcastle striker. More on that later)

He is undoubtedly a world class player though, and he would be an excellent addition to any side. 

Latest odds on Wesley Sneijder's club after the January window:

Spurs- 1/2

Man United- 4/1

PSG- 6/1

Anzhi Makhachkala- 25/1

Liverpool- 33/1

Other rumours circulating currently:

Demba Ba looks set to join Chelsea in the next few days in a deal worth £7 million- which Newcastle must accept due to a release clause in his contract

Liverpool are likely to bring in a few players over January, with Wigan strker Franco Di Santo being targeted, as well as former Liverpool academy player Thomas Ince from Blackpool for around £6 million. They will also battle it out with Arsenal and Spurs for the signature of Schalke's Anglo-German midfielder Lewis Holtby, who is out of contract in the Summer. They have already agreed a £12 million move for Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge.

Manchester United are attempting to sign Borussia Dortmund's Polish international striker Robert Lewandowski for a fee of around £18 million

Real Madrid are another side with plenty of players on their radar, including £60 million-rated Gareth Bale, Manchester United 'keeper David De Gea for a reported £20 million and Ashley Cole, who is out of contract in the summer. It's unlikely, however, that any of these transfers will go through in January

Arsenal are eyeing up Everton left-back Leighton Baines and Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, both of whom should be available for around £15 million. Arsene Wenger is also believed to be looking at Nani for a similar fee, though Alex Ferguson is unlikely to sell to Premier League rivals.

Swansea will sign Bristol City winger Albert Adomah for £3 million in the next few days

Manchester City are looking to offload centre-back Joleon Lescott, and bring in Mats Hummels or Neven Subotic of Borussia Dortmund as a replacement

Brighton striker Craig Mackail-Smith is being tracked by Norwich, who had a £4 million-bid rejected in the summer. 

From Russia with Hate

Zenit St Petersburg fans have started a petition to sack black players and only allow heterosexual players to play for the club. 

Russia were announced as 2018 World Cup hosts in 2010, defeating England's multi-million bid in controversial circumstances, with Russia accused of making untrue comments and bribing voters. 

They're based in St Petersburg, which is set to host games at the 2018 World Cup; another tremendous decisions from those marvelous people at FIFA. 

The letter, entitled "Selection Manifesto", states that: "We have absolutely nothing against the people of these (Africa) and any other continent. But now black players are being imposed on Zenit almost by force.”

"We are not racists and for us, the lack of black players at Zenit is only an important tradition, which emphasises the identity of the club and nothing more"

Brazilian striker Hulk became the first black player to play for the club, joining Zenit in the summer for around £40 million

The letter also stated that fans would only accept players from other Slav nations, such as Ukraine and Belarus, as well as the Baltic states and Scandinavia. 

In 2008, then-manager Dick Advocaat stated that signing black players was "not an option" to him, due to the fans extreme views. 

Zenit are the only team in the Russian Premier League never to have signed an African player, but the rest of the country isn't exactly squeaky clean:

Lokomotiv Moscow fans celebrated the news that West Brom had signed their Nigerian striker, Peter Odemwingie in 2010. Odemwingie said after the incident: "Coloured players feel the open racism there and I recall a game against CSKA Moscow when their fans started the sick noises - I wouldn't have any of it and gave it back to them"

Russia fans were found guilty of setting off fireworks and throwing them on the pitch, invading the pitch, unveiling provocative banners and racist chanting at Euro 2012 in Ukraine. The national FA have been fined for racism four times in recent years by UEFA. 

Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos had a banana thrown at him during a Russian Premier League game between Anzhi Makhachkala  and Zenit St Petersburg in June last year. Zenit were fined just £6,000. 

I could talk about this disgraceful behaviour that occurs on a daily basis in Eastern Europe until the cow's come home- it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference. When the people running the game fine a player £100,000 and ban him for one game for revealing a sponsored pair of underpants, yet fine a national FA £30,000 with no other repercussions for making monkey noises at players, there is no way a difference can be made. 

It's sheer lunacy to allow Russia to host the World Cup in 2018. A country still living in the dark ages, thriving off corruption and greed. A country where you're effectively either filthy rich or living in poverty. A country that still believes in communism, and a country that believes the whole world is beneath them.

Next we'll be having major tournaments in rich Arab states that don't even care about footb.. oh.. how could I forget, Qatar 2022. That country that is out-populated 3:1 by Wales, reaches temperatures of well over 40 degrees in the Summer and thats main claim to footballing fame is when the Under-20's finished second in the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship after a 4–0 defeat to Germany in the final. That's not even a joke. 

"I have finally been recognised for my part in the Qatari remake of Beverly Hills Cop 4 with this Oscar. Now, I buy Eddie Murphy and have him dance for me to Axel F"

I'm just so fed up with it all. I almost wish I'd never started following football, because the state of the game is so depressing. Racial attitudes from decades ago have been dug up once again all over Europe, you can now host any major tournament by stuffing enough cash into a brown envelope and giving it to the right man and the game is being killed by diving cheats. 

I think that following non-league football and travelling to grounds like the one below may be the only way to escape all of this. 

Selhurst Park in better days

5 Best and Worst Premier League Signings 2012-13

Best

1. Michu- £2 million- Rayo Vallecano to Swansea

After single-handedly saving Vallecano from the drop last season with 15 goals from midfield, Michu was the top-scoring midfielder in La Liga last season, and has been in blistering form since his move to England, scoring 12 goals for Swansea in 15 games, making him the top scorer in the division. Already attracting attention from Liverpool, the Spaniard may well have some decisions to make in January, but are the Reds really that much of a step-up from Swansea anymore? The Welsh side will hope to detract interest and would be looking to at least quadruple their investment if a deal is to be agreed, with a fee of around £8 million seeming likely for the 26-year old. 

2. Robin Van Persie- £24 million- Arsenal to Manchester United

Since his controversial switch from Arsenal in the summer, RVP has taken like a duck to water at his new club, chipping in with an impressive 11 goals from 16 games, including the winner in stoppage time of the Manchester derby. £24 million is a small price to pay to have a player as complete as Van Persie in his best years, and Sir Alex's judgment appears to have been correct once again. If United can keep him firing, they are shoe-ins for the title. 

3. Santi Cazorla- £16 million- Malaga to Arsenal

One of the few positives from Arsenal's worst start to a season under Arsene Wenger has been the introduction of diminutive Spaniard Santi Cazorla. The playmaker has scored four times for the Gunners since his move from Malaga, and chipped in with three assists. His long-range shooting and dribbling ability have scared the life out of defences this season, and he could well go on to become an Arsenal legend. 

4. Romelu Lukaku- Loan- Chelsea to West Brom

The big man was signed for a big fee by Chelsea in January 2011, signing for a fee of £18 million from Belgian side Anderlecht at the age of 18. After having limited opportunities in the first team at Stamford Bridge, former Blues assistant manager Steve Clarke bought him to West Brom on a season-long loan. West Brom's impressive form this season has been majorly contributed to by Lukaku, who's pace and strength have proved to be menacing. Chelsea may well be regretting allowing him to leave the club; they could do with a striker.

5. Claudio Yacob- Free- Racing Club de Avellaneda to West Brom

Argentine international Claudio Yacob joined Steve Clarke's side on a free transfer and has been a revelation in the defensive-midfielder role for the Baggies. Yacob has the highest tackle success rate in the Premier League and has been compared to compatriot Javier Mascherano by his teammates. The 25 year-old has reportedly been scouted by Sir Alex Ferguson, who looks set to make a move to take him to Old Trafford in January, though Albion certainly won't let him leave on the cheap. 

Worst

1. Joe Allen- £15 million- Swansea to Liverpool

Welsh international Allen joined Liverpool for the huge sum of £15 million as former Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers looked to bring in players that fit into his total football approach. Allen has been a huge disappointment so far though, struggling to make an impact in his 14 appearances this season. The press have been highly critical of Allen, but Rodgers protested the claims that he overpaid, saying “You’ll be calling him the bargain of the season in a few months” Seems unlikely, Brendan.

2. Fabio Borini- £10.5 million- Roma to Liverpool

Rodgers signed another of his former Swansea players in ex-Chelsea striker Fabio Borini for the princely sum of £10.5 million. He's been injured for the past month, but in the appearances he did make it was clear that something wasn't clicking, as the Italian failed to hit the target. The fee paid seems highly excessive for a player with a pretty unimpressive record, and I think Borini will join Robbie Keane and Andy Carroll on the ever-growing Liverpool striker scrapheap.

3. Javi Garcia- £16 million- Benfica to Man City

The former Real Madrid midfielder joined City in the summer with a decent reputation, but has so far left City fans puzzled as to what his purpose actually is. Of course, £16 million is mere pocket money to Man City these days, but Garcia has been incredibly unconvincing, so much so that Gareth Barry has been chosen ahead of him. The Sheikh may as well have spent the money on a chocolate teapot factory, made from chocolate. 

4. Jay Rodriguez- £7 million- Burnley to Southampton

This signing raised a few eyebrows when newly-promoted Southampton took a punt on Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez. With a record of 31 goals in 105 Championship appearances, it seemed a strange move from Saints boss Nigel Adkins, and Rodriguez has shown nothing to suggest that this expensive transfer will pay off for them. The money would have been far better invested in a couple of defenders; Southampton spent £20 million on strikers and just £3 million on defenders in the summer- they have conceded 32 goals this season, the most in the division. 

5. Emmanuel Adebayor- £5 million (+ huge wages)- Man City to Spurs

Adebayor is a talented player, but he is very much of the Dimitar Berbatov frame of mind- "if things aren't going my way, I'm just going to sulk and do nothing" And things haven't been going his way this season, scoring just one goal and seeing red early on to cost Spurs victory against his old side and fierce rivals Arsenal. With Adebayor and Defoe the only recognised strikers on their books, Spurs will definitely be bringing in one or two in the Summer.

This week: UEFA are still clueless, Messi Mullers Gerd's record, Falcao throws the kitchen cinco at Depor and United effectively clinch the title in December

These weeks just get more and more entertaining, don't they? 

First off, Uefa announced the quite frankly hideous decision to host Euro 2020 in "several cities across Europe"

What are Platini and his cronies thinking? It's a cringe-inducing idea, which I'm sure will warm us up nicely for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which is set to be the greatest farce this world has ever seen. Is there such a thing as a triple facepalm?

Here's why it's an appalling idea: 

What are the fans going to do? How are they going to know where to travel and when? They'll only know which country they're playing in a few days before the game is due to take place, do they really expect 20-30,000 fans to travel from one country to another at such short notice?

Have they not thought that perhaps it gives certain sides an unfair advantage? Surely if England were playing Denmark in Germany, for instance, it would be like playing at home for the Danish because the German fans would be right behind them. 

The draw is confusing enough as it is- anyone that's sat through one of those ghastly draw ceremonies knows exactly what I'm talking about. I think Platini must be hoping for his p45 and a massive pay-off before the tournament gets going just so he doesn't have to worry about which plastic balls to draw in what order. 

"Just smile and pretend we know what just happened"

Surely the whole point of allowing one country to host a tournament is that it gives them a chance to show off their country's best sights and hospitality to boost tourism in this tough economic climate, to create a community feel around the tournament and to have a load of stadiums in one convenient country so that people don't have to do stupid amounts of travelling to get from one game to the next? Why does any of that need changing?

Another fantastic idea from Uefa is to expand the tournament so it can accommodate 32 teams. THIRTY-TWO TEAMS. There are 50 countries in Europe, meaning the chances of us seeing teams like Andorra, Liechtenstein, Scotland (or should that be "English players that weren't good enough for England but qualify to play for Scotland because their granddad once ate some shortbread"), Wales and the Vatican qualify for the tournament are significantly higher.

Nobody wants to watch these teams play. Let's think about it in terms of films. If football teams were films, Spain would be Shawshank, Germany would be The Godfather and Scotland would undoubtedly be The Nutty Professor 2. No-one asked for it, no-one wanted it, no-one liked it and people certainly don't want more of it. 

The state of football scares me, and having tossers like this in charge does not give me a feeling of security over the future of our beautiful game. 

(Insert libelous comment here)

Let's move on rapidly.

So Lionel Messi has broken Gerd Muller's long-standing record for most goals scored in a calendar season, notching an incredible 85 goals in 2012. 

Cue deluded Premier League fans informing us that Messi "will never be considered the best ever until he has played in England"

This argument is the ultimate one pulled out by clueless people that want to sound as if they know about football. "Ronaldo is better than Messi because he has done it in England", "Messi wouldn't be able to play away at Stoke on a cold Tuesday night" etc etc. 

The man they're talking about is the twenty-five year old that is set to be named the best player in the world for the fifth consecutive time, has been top scorer in the Champions League for four seasons on the trot and has scored a meagre 283 goals in 352 games for the Catalan side, making him their top scorer of all time with ease.

He does not need to prove himself in England to be considered the best ever- it's a ridiculous notion. If you disagree, you don't watch enough Spanish football. It's barely even a subject for debate. 

People talk about Messi so often that it's become quite boring to write about him, so on to the next segment. 

The witty headline is a reference to Radamel Falcao's spectacular display against Deportivo La Coruna last night; the Colombian striker netting five times in a spectacular 6-0 win for Atletico Madrid.



This guy is something special. He has the finishing ability of Michael Owen, the aerial prowess and strength of Alan Shearer and the tenacity and technique of Wayne Rooney. He would be THE perfect English striker.

Falcao has been getting a crazy amount of attention this season, mainly after his astounding performance in the Europa League final in May and after banging in an incredible hat-trick against Chelsea in the Uefa Super Cup back in August. Averaging over a goal a game for Atletico this season, the Colombian will be hot property once again in January with Chelsea being considered as the most likely destination, with a part-exchange deal for £50 million flop Fernando Torres being rumoured. I'm really hoping he moves to England in January as he would set the Premier League on fire, I just hope that it's to a slightly less vile club than Chelsea. 

Another team that have been linked with his signature are Premier League Champions Manchester City, who suffered a painful defeat to Manchester rivals United yesterday.

This is not the same Manchester City side that won the league last season. It's a team full of egotistical players that are all on each others backs, with a manager that just keeps making the wrong choices. You can just tell that all of their players absolutely detest each other. City can spend all the money in the world on a squad of players, but they will never ensure long-term success until they learn how to build a team- something that their friends in Salford have proven to be rather good at over the years. 

No comment

This guy isn't helping them, and this season has been even worse than usual for Balotelli, who is still yet to score, despite unbelievably being nominated for the Ballon D'or- the judging panel clearly overlooking footballing ability and instead handing a wild card to the man that possesses the shittest hat in the world. Timmy Mallet was a close second.

The whole "Ladotelli" thing was amusing for a while, but it's just become a joke. He's talented, but he is far too much of a twat to ever prosper. The City boss has given him plenty of chances, and he has shown himself to be a selfish, arrogant sociopath that is a very average player 99 days out of 100. Mancini needs to do the right thing and send him packing, otherwise it could well be him that is shown the exit, and rightly so. 

Balotelli was once described by Jose Mourinho as "unmanageable." Can you really argue with Jose Mourinho? 

MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon- A rather strange experience

It's a bitterly cold Sunday morning in December. It's one of those days where there's not a cloud in the sky and the sun is shining, but the icy winds and arctic temperatures warrant a scalding cup of Bovril and more layers than a morbidly obese couple's wedding cake.

Now I've got a lot of history with MK Dons. I went to the last game at the National Hockey Stadium (League 2 play-off semi-final defeat to Shrewsbury in 2007), the first game at this stadium (a 4-3 friendly victory over Chelsea in 2007), their first game at Wembley (2-0 Johnstone's Paint Trophy final win v Grimsby) and followed the team home and away in their first season at the new stadium with a Dons supporting friend, making our way to the footballing heartlands of Morecambe, Rotherham, Barnet, Crewe and various other places that Britain should offer to the Argentinians as a peace offering for the Falklands, before cutting them away from these Isles and declaring them Argentinian soil.

A cringe-worthy photo from our youth featuring Nick Wason, Rob Tandy and James Crook at Wembley in March 2008

Yet I can't help but hope that they are on the receiving end of an FA Cup shock today. I've certainly got nothing against Milton Keynes, but I'm getting a perverse sense of satisfaction as we enter the half-finished stadium just thinking of this club and it's supporters, who are undoubtedly the friendliest and most accommodating fans in the Football League, leaving here devastated in a few hours time, as the AFC Wimbledon fans who lost their club almost 10 years ago invade the pitch and create one of the greatest football stories of the decade.

It's not going to happen though. You can tell right from the start that there is no chance AFC Wimbledon will win this game. AFC manager and former Wimbledon player Neil Ardley has decided to get the team bus and move it in front of his sides goal, in the hope they can take the Dons  to a replay at the Cherry Red Records Stadium in 10 day's time. The difference in class is instantly recognisable; League One promotion chasers MK are famed for their tiki-taka football instilled by up-and-coming manager Karl Robinson, and League Two strugglers AFC Wimbledon don't know where to start in trying to keep them at bay. Opposition sides kicking lumps out of a passing football team is something I'm all too familiar with being a Brighton fan, and that was clearly part of the plan for the boys in blue, who's players just didn't have the ability to compete with MK's slick passing and movement.

The home side dominated the first half- and I mean dominated- but had nothing to show for it early on. Despite the possession stats turning more and more in MK Dons favour, AFC Wimbledon's solid back-line restricted their efforts, and MK were struggling to break through their opponents warrior-esque defending.

It took something incredibly special to break the deadlock. A 30-yard piledriver on the stroke of half-time from Irish international Stephen Gleeson, which flew beyond the outstretched arms of veteran goalkeeper Neil Sullivan and into the back of the net. You just don't save these (also note how many players AFC have behind the ball):

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvjt43_mk-dons-1-0-afc-wimbledon-gleeson_sport#from=embediframe

MK Dons continued to dominate the game in the second half, holding possession for endless amounts of time in the centre of the field, yet still being restricted to long-range efforts by the resilient AFC defenders. The atmosphere remained tense, though there were some brilliant chants being exchanged between the MK Dons fans in the Cowshed and the AFC fans on the opposing side of the pitch, such as "who's the wanker in the plane" from the MK fans to the chartered plane AFC fans had hired to drag along a banner saying "We Are Wimbledon". AFC retorted with "Where were you when you were us?"

It seemed as if both sets of fans had forgotten that the game wasn't over on the pitch; both sets of followers more interesting in launching abuse at each other than getting behind their respective sides. But the game came back to like on the hour mark when former P.E teacher Jack Midson headed home from 12 yards to level the scores with AFC Wimbledon's first attempt of the match, leading to some over-zealous celebrations from the away fans behind the goal.

MK continued to press but their efforts were fruitless. As the home sides frustration set in, AFC Wimbledon's second attempt of the game could, and should have stolen the match from under Milton Keynes' noses in the final minute of regulation time when MK midfielder Darren Potter slipped on the edge of the box, allowing Steven Gregory a one-on-one with David Martin, which the former Wimbledon goalkeeper turned wide superbly.

And how crucial that save proved to be. AFC Wimbledon's hopes of a replay were shattered in the 92nd minute. After failing to clear a corner, the ball was fired back into the box and Jon Otsemobor stuck out a foot with his back to goal to score an outrageous 92nd minute winner for MK, causing pandemonium in the stands, with fans once again spilling over onto the pitch, this time from the home end. Here's a video I shot of the goal:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152319984110383&set=vb.652525382&type=3&theater

It was a deserved win for Milton Keynes but AFC fans will be feeling devastated this morning after being just moments from bringing the side that caused the death of their football club to a replay in what would be a highly intimidating atmosphere at their ground. 

Speaking to MK Dons fans before the game, they felt their fellow supporters had no issues with AFC Wimbledon and would show respect, despite their show of hatred towards the club. This clearly was not the case, as the MK fans gave just as good as they got, and I feel that today may well see the start of a fierce rivalry on the pitch, as well as off it. 

      FT: Milton Keynes Dons 2-1 AFC Wimbledon

MK Dons (4-2-3-1): Martin 7 Otsemobor 8 Williams 7 Kay 6 Lewington 7 Gleeson 8 Potter 7 Bowditch 6 Chadwick 8 (90 Kouo-Doumbe), Balanta 6 (Ismail 69); Lowe (Smith 82) 
Subs: McLoughlin, Macdonald, Chicksen, Sekajja
AFC Wimbledon (4-4-2): Sullivan 6 Osano 6 Antwi 7 Mambo 7 Fenlon 6 (Balkestein 90); Ajala 5 Gregory 5 Long 5 , Moore 5 (Johnson 83); Harrison 5 (Strutton 75), Midson 6
Subs: Jaimez-Ruiz, Mitchel-King, McNaughton, Dijali 

Goals: Gleeson (45); Otsemobor (90)-   Midson (59)

Att: 16,459

Referee: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire)

Official MoM: Dean Lewington

My MoM: Stephen Gleeson