“From Arsenal’s striker shortage to Wolves’ budget buys we take a look at the Premier League shopping lists” (Guardian)

“Financial and football journalism have long been distant cousins. And since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, that has largely not mattered. This year, however, it has. Give or take a Norman Lamont-inspired week or two during its inaugural season, the Premier League has lived through economic boom times allied with a bottomless pit of broadcast revenue from that bottomless pit of broadcast evil, Rupert Murdoch. The burning monetary question for most fans has been ‘what comes after billion?’” (twohundredpercent)

“The fast-approaching New Year tends to bring a bit of nostalgia — and indeed, soccer fans in the U.S. had a lot to commemorate in 2009. Whether you’re a follower of the U.S. national team, Major League Soccer, the UEFA Champions League or all of the above, this past year provided a collection of drama that proved more boards are surfing the soccer wave than ever before. Here are 10 moments, in no particular order…” (SI)

“End of decade lists are a tricky business. I mostly enjoy them, but am somewhat skeptical of anything that tries to boil a decade down to a list of the ten best. Mostly because someone always gets left out, the one to ten rankings are somewhat arbitrary, and the resulting debate is an apples to oranges “how can Messi be above Maldini” free for all. No thank you.” (The Offside)

“With half a season or so now completed in the Championship, my fellow blogger Lloyd and I have taken the opportunity to assess events thus far, in the wake of a bracing walk along Plymouth Hoe. Here are the results…” (thetwounfortunates)

“When the soccer historians look back at this past year, 2009 undoubtedly will go down as the year of FC Barcelona. The Spanish giants won an unprecedented six titles — winning every tournament in which they participated — and became the most successful squad in history. While Barça has arguably the most depth of any squad in the world, with quality players at every position, its domination wouldn’t have been possible without the inspiration of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.” (SI)