Daily Archives: January 26, 2011

Hope Springs Eternal At Roma

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Francesco Totti
“While football fans were purring in appreciation at the dazzling dribbling skills exhibited by French international Jérémy Menez that sealed Roma’s comprehensive 3-0 victory against Cagliari at the weekend, it may have escaped their attention that the giallorossi had stealthily moved into third place in Serie A after winning five of their last six games, which is some comeback after their indifferent start to the season. In fact, it’s beginning to look like this year could be a repeat of last year’s heroics, when Claudio Ranieri’s team staged a remarkable recovery to finish as runners-up to José Mourinho’s all-conquering Inter team, guided by their charismatic captain, Francesco Totti.” Swiss Ramble

Soccer Fans Bid Farewell to the ‘Lion of Vienna’

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“Nat Lofthouse, the Lion of Vienna, will be laid to rest in Bolton, England, his hometown, on Wednesday. Thousands will line the streets, just as 23,000 inside the Bolton Wanderers’ stadium Monday night observed a silence in which you could almost hear a heartbeat. People too young to have seen Lofthouse play sobbed during the silence. It was as if he had been a grandfather to all of them — and folks who dismiss history as bunk, or who shy away from sentiment in sports or in life, had no place there.” NYT

1930s Month: Scottish football in review

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“It would be wonderful to look back at Scottish football in the 1930’s and tell tales of Hearts and Hibs domination or Aberdeen and Motherwell winning the treble, but that’s just not the case. The final table from 1931 looks very much like the table today, Rangers winning the league by two points over their Glasgow rivals. It’s interesting to note, however, that the third team in Scotland’s second city, Partick Thistle, came fourth that year.” The Equaliser

Review: Revie – Revered and Reviled; the Authorised Biography by Richard Sutcliffe

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“Say this for David Pearce’s novel The Damned Utd – it was the first really unembarrassed cultural treatment that the national game has ever had. Fever Pitch broke the ground. But Fever Pitch was gauche, blushing, unsure of its reception. It was essentially uncontroversial, and that is what has set The Damned Utd apart: the real hurt and confusion the novel caused, the bad memories it revived, the losses it refreshed. It may have helped cement Brian Clough in his full and proper place in the public life of the country, but The Damned Utd exhumed Don Revie and Revie’s Leeds along the way, and didn’t do the same for them at all.” More Than Mind Games

When you run out of people to interview…..

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FCK v Brondby
“For those of you who know both Danny Last and I you can confirm that we are not one and the same person. There has been talk on certain online forums that we are actually multiple personalities of a northern chap called John, who goes to watch Vauxhall Motors with a Tesco carrier bag and a flask of Campbell’s Vegetable broth. But we are not. We are often seen in the same place at the same time, standing on “The Jungle” at the Dripping Pan, or propping up the bar in the Rook Inn. But we do share some of the same philosophies in life and both have a passion to write about it.” The Ball Is Round

Australia 6-0 Uzbekistan: Australian counter-attacking tears apart terrible Uzbekistan defence

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“Australia were excellent early on, before a crazy second half saw Uzbekistan collapse completely. Australia coach Holger Osieck named an unchanged side from the one which defeated Iraq in the quarter-finals. Vadim Abramov made various changes to his side, including leaving out Alexander Geynrikh, who didn’t even appear as a substitute. He set his side out in a 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 shape, although with some unusual modifications.” Zonal Marking

Barcelona’s Piqué is enjoying life

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“It may seem rather obvious to point this out, but in January 2011 it’s good to be Gerard Piqué. Still just 23 years old, the stylish Spanish center back has won the World Cup, two Champions League titles (with Barcelona and Manchester United) and three league crowns in Spain and England. He was recently named one of the world’s top four defenders in the 2010 FIFA/FIFPro World XI, and his Barcelona team is on course for a historic season in European soccer. Piqué is the rare central defender who has the chance to become a breakout global sports star. He’s good at what he does. He wins. He even scores a few goals. And away from the field he’s a handsome guy who gives interesting interviews in Spanish, Catalan and, yes, English, as I found out when we spoke for half an hour on Tuesday.” SI