Scouting isn’t rocket science! Every time a Premier League side signs a good foreign player the nation goes crazy. Who is this mystery guy? Where did he come from? Anyone with a decent knowledge of the game outside the UK would have known that the likes of Santi Cazorla, Oscar and Papisse Demba Cissé were … More Jano Ananidze (Spartak Moscow & Georgia)
Here’s something I wrote for Soccerlens The Bundesliga returned last weekend, and in the process welcomed back its player of the year from two seasons ago. Nuri Sahin’s failure to flourish after leaving Germany is a surprise. Whether it says more about him or the coaching he received during his sojourn is something we may … More Can Only Klopp Unlock The Sahin Enigma?
The extent to which figures in football seem to think they operate beyond the law fascinates me. I’m not talking about the antics of the players which fill the tabloids. There’s an air of inevitability to the sort of incidents which take place when you give a young lad a pile of money and tell … More Ferguson Treads the Fine Line Between Football and the Real World
Here’s something I wrote for Soccerlens Cannavaro and Grava try to keep positive As the dust settles on Napoli’s punishment over an aborted match fix three seasons ago, the simmering sense of resentment built up over years of enmity with the north shows no sign of abating. The €70,000 fine is a pittance, the six … More Napoli’s arbitrary punishment only encourages the conspiracy theorists
Scouting isn’t rocket science! Every time a Premier League side signs a good foreign player the nation goes crazy. Who is this mystery guy? Where did he come from? Anyone with a decent knowledge of the game outside the UK would have known that the likes of Santi Cazorla, Oscar and Papisse Demba Cissé were … More Mattia De Sciglio
Here’s something I wrote for Soccerlens It’s one of those expressions that work equally well in Spanish and English: “Mourinho Tira La Toalla A 22 Jornadas Del Final” – “Mourinho Throws In The Towel With 22 Games Left”. AS’s front page had put it in a nutshell: the game was up in the league. Maybe … More Spy Versus Spy as Mourinho Finds Madrid’s Not Forever
I can’t help feeling we’re wasting our breath complaining about UEFA’s embarrassingly insignificant punishment for Serbia? After all, what did we expect? The most revealing aspect of the judgement is that the punishment of £65,000 and an Under-21 match played behind closed doors is the biggest ever given by UEFA for a racist incident. Just think … More UEFA’s Toothlessness Should Surprise Nobody
Their remaining time on the pitch is running out: some bewitched us and are embarking on a final lap of honour; others won’t be missed until they’re gone. It’s time to raise our hats to the players who won’t be around forever. Okay, I admit it’s not all that easy to love Mark Van Bommel. … More Last Chance To See: Mark Van Bommel (PSV Eindhoven & Holland)
Here’s something I wrote for Soccerlens Lionel Messi hogged the headlines, of course, when he finally broke Gerd Muller’s record for most goals in a calendar year. Although the Madrid papers were delighted that Radomel Falcao gave them an excuse not to lead on this astonishing achievement: AS led on “Insatiable Falcao” and tucked Messi … More Messi makes history, but a Betis star is born
Scouting isn’t rocket science! Every time a Premier League side signs a good foreign player the nation goes crazy. Who is this mystery guy? Where did he come from? Anyone with a decent knowledge of the game outside the UK would have known that the likes of Santi Cazorla, Oscar and Papisse Demba Cissé were … More Tommy Oar (Utrecht & Australia)
Shock horror! Fernando Llorente is leaving Athletic in the Summer! Equally remarkable rumours that the Pope is actually Catholic and bears defecate in the woods remain unconfirmed. The leaving of Bilbao tends to be complicated, of course: ask Javi Martinez! Llorente, aware of the fact he might actually want to return to the region at … More Mad Scientist Bielsa’s Llorente Experiment Fails
Sport’s a healthy pastime apparently, but European football’s fixture schedulers seem determined to stop us from going out and getting some exercise. It’s wall-to-wall derbies and clashes of the big teams this weekend: a lot of couches won’t be left across Europe! The Prem looks dull, though. Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid What a match! … More Welcome to the Best Weekend of the Year!
Peripheral Vision 